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
marriage Haue I brought thee children haue I bene a true wife vnto thee to bee dispised in mine olde age And euer among shee woulde sawce her speeches with such Bastonados that poore Damaetas beganne now to thinke that either a generall madding was falne or else that all this was but a vision But as for visions the smarte of the cudgell put out of his fancie and therefore againe turning to his wife not knowing in the world what she ment Miso said hee hereafter thou maiest examine me doe but now tell me what is become of Pamela I will first examine this drabbe said she and withall let fall her stafe as hard as she could vpon Mopsa still taking her for Charita But Mopsa that was alredy angry thinking that she had hindred her from Apollo lepte vp and caught her by the throte like to haue strangled her but that Damaetas from a condemned man was faine to become a iudge and part this fayre such a picture of a rude discord where each was out with the other two And then getting the opportunitie of their falling out to holde himselfe in suretie who was indeede the veriest coward of the three he renewed his earnest demaund of them But it was a sporte to see how the former conceites Dorus had printed in their imaginations kept still such dominion in them that Miso though now shee founde and felte it was her daughter Mopsa yet did Charita cōtinually passe through her thoughts which she vttered with such crabbed questions to Damaetas that hee not possiblie conceauing any parte of her doubt remained astonished and the astonishment encreased her doubt And as for Mopsa as first she did assuredly take him to be Apollo and thought her mothers comming did marre the bargaine So now much talkinge to and fro had deliuered so much light into the mistie mould of her capacitie as to know him to be her father Yet remayned there such foote-steppes of the foretaken opinion that shee thought verily her father and mother were hasted thether to gett the first wishe And therefore to whatsoeuer they asked of her she would neuer answere but embracing the tree as if she feared it had bene running awaye nay sayes shee I will haue the first wish for I was here first which they vnderstoode no more then Damaetas did what Miso ment by Charita till at length with much vrging them being indeede better able to perswade both then to meete hande to hand with either he preuailed so much with them as to bring them into the lodge to see what losse their necligence had suffered Then indeed the nere neighborhood they bare to themselues made them leaue other toyes and look into what dangerous plight they were all faln assone as the King should know his daughters escape And as for the wemen they beganne a fresh to enter into their brawling whether were in the faulte But Damaetas who did feare that among his other euills the thunderbolt of that storme would fall vpon his shoulders slipte away from them but with so maigre a cheare as might much sooner engender laughter then pittie O true Arcadia would he say tearinge his haire and bearde somtime for too much woe making vnweldie somerfaults how darest thou beare vpon thee such a felonious traytor as I am And you false harted trees why woulde you make no noyse to make her vngratious departure known Ah Pamela Pamela how often whē I brought thee in fine posies of all coulored flowers wouldest thou clappe me on the cheek and say thou wouldst be on day euen with me Was this thy meaning to bring me to an euē paire of gallows Ah il taught Dorus that camest hither to learne good maners of me Did I euer teach thee to make thy maister sweate out his hart for nothing in the meane time to run away thy mistres O my dun cow I did think sōe euil was towards me euer since the last day thou didst run away from me held vp thy taile so pitifully did not I se an eagle kil a Cuckoe which was plain fore token vnto me Pamela should be my destructiō O wife Miso if I durst say it to thy face why didst thou suspect thy husbād that loueth a peece of chese better then a womā And thou litle Mopsa that shalt inherite the shame of thy fathers death was it time for thee to clime trees which should so shortly be my best buriall ô that I could liue without death or die before I were aware O hart why hast thou no hands at commaundement to dispatch thee O hands why want you a hart to kill this villanie In this sorte did he inuey against euery thing sometimes thinking to haue away while it was yet night but he that had included all the world within his shepecote thought that worse thē any death sometime for dread of hanging hee ment to hange himselfe finding as in deede it is that feare is farre more paynfull to cowardise then death to a true courage But his fingers were nothing nimble in that action any thing was let inough thereto he being a true louer of himselfe without any ryuall But lastly guided by a farre greater constellacion then his owne he remembred to search the other lodge where it might be Pamela that night had retired her selfe So thether with trembling hammes hee carried himselfe but employinge his double keye which the Kinge for speciall credit had vnworthylie bestowed vpon him hee found all the gates so barred that his key could not preuaile sauing onely one trapt doore which went down into a vault by the seller which as it was vnknowen of Pyrocles so had he lefte it vnregarded But Damaetas that euer know the buttery better then any other place got in that way and pasing softly to Philocleas chamber where he thought most likely to finde Pamela the doore being left open hee entred in and by the light of the lampe he might discerne on in bed with her which he although hee tooke to bee Pamela yet thinking no suretie enough in a matter touchinge his necke hee went heard to the bedside of these vnfortunate louers whoe at that time being not much before the breake of day whether it were they were so diuinely surprised to bring this whole matter to be destinied conclusion or that the vnresistable force of their sorrowes had ouerthrowne the wakefull vse of their senses were as then possessed with a mutuall sleep yet not forgetting with viny embracements to giue any eye a perfect modell of affection But Damaetas looking with the lampe in his hande but neither with such a face nor mind vpon these excellent creatures as Psyche did vpon her vnknowen louer and giuing euery way freedome to his fearefull eyes did not onely perceaue it was Zelmane and therefore much different from the Lady hee sought but that this same Zelmane did more differ from the Zelmane hee and others had euer taken her for wherein the chaunge of her apparell chiefely
world with the miserable losse of her husband towardes whome nowe the disdaine of her selfe bred more loue with the remembrance of her vision wherewith she resolued assuredly the Gods had appointed that shamefull end to be her resting place had set her mind to no other way but to death vsed such like speeches to Philanax as she had before to the Shepheards willing him not to looke vpon her as a woman but a monster not as a princesse but a traytor to his prince not as Basilius wife but as Basilius murtherer She tolde him howe the worlde required at his handes the iust demonstration of his friendship if hee nowe forgot his Prince hee shoulde shewe hee had neuer loued but hys fortune like those vermine that sucke of the liuing bloud and leaue the body assoone as it is dead poore Princesse needelesly seeking to kindle him who did most deadly detest her which he vttered in this bitter answere Madame saide he you do well to hate your selfe for you cannot hate a worse creature and though we feele enough your hellish disposition yet we neede not doubt you are of counsell to your selfe of much worse then we know But now feare not you shall not long be combred with being guided by so euell a soule therefore prepare your selfe that if it be possible you may deliuer vp your spirit so much purer as you more wash your wickednes with repentaunce Then hauing presently giuen order for the bringing from Mantinea a great number of tents for the receipt of the principall Arcadians the maner of that countrie being that where the Prince died ther should be orders taken for the countries gouernment and in the place any murther was committed the iudgement should be giuen ther before the body was buried both concurring is this matter and alredy great parte of the Nobilitie being ariued he deliuered the Princes to a gentelman of greate trust and as for Damaetas taking from him the keyes of both the lodges calling him the moth of his Princes estate and onely spot of his iudgement he caused him with his wife and daughter to bee fettered vp in as manye chaines and clogges as they coulde beare and euery thirde howre to bee cruelly whipt till the determinate iudgement should be giuen of all these matters That done hauing sent alredy at his comming to all the quarters of the countrie to seeke Pamela although with smal hope of ouertaking them he himself went wel accompanied to the lodge where the two vnfortunate louers were attending a cruell conclusion of their long painefull and late most painefull affection Damaetas clownish eyes hauing ben the onely discouerers of Pyrocles stratagem had no sooner taken a full vewe of them which in some sightes would rather haue bred any thing then an accusing minde and locked the doore vpon these two yong folkes now made prisoners for loue as before they had bene prisoners to loue But that imediatly vpon his going downe whether with noyse Damaetas made or with the creeping in of the light or rather that as extreame griefe had procured his sleepe so extreame care had measured his sleepe giuinge his sences a very early salüe to come to themselues Pyrocles awaked And being vp the first euill hansell he had of the ill case wherein he was was the seeing himselfe depriued of his sworde from which he had neuer seperated himselfe in any occasion and euen that night first by the Kinges bedd and then there had laid it as he thought safe putting great parte of the trust of his well doing in his owne cowrage so armed For indeed the confidence in ones self is the chiefe nurse of magnanimitie which confidence notwithstanding doth not leaue the care of necessarie furnitures for it and therefore of all the Grecians Homere doth euer make Achilles the best armed But that as I say was the first ill token but by and by he perceaued he was a prisoner before any arest for the doore which he had lefte open was made â—o fast of the outside that for all the force he could employe vnto it he could not vndo Damaetas doing then went he to the windowes to see if that waye there were any escape for him and his deare Lady but as vaine hee founde all his employment there not hauing might to breake out but onely one barre wherin notwithstanding he strained his sinewes to the vttermost And that he rather took out to vse for other seruice then for any possibilitie he had to escape for euen then it was that Damaetas hauing gathered together the first comming sheepheards did blabber out what hee haâ— founde in the Ladye Philocleas chamber Pyrocles markingly harkned to all that Damaetas said whose voice and minde acquaintance had taught him sufficiently to know But when he assuredly perceaued that his being with the Lady Philoclea was fullie discouered by the follie or malice or rather malicious follie of Damaetas her honour therein touched in the hiest degree remembring withal the crueltie of the Arcadian lawes which without exception did condemn al to death who were fouÌ„d as Damaetas reported of them in acte of mariage without solemnitie of mariage assuring himselfe besides the law the King the Queene woulde vse so much more hate against their daughter as they had found themselues sotted by him in the pursute of their loue Lastly seing they were not only in the way of death but fittly encaged for death looking with a hartie griefe vpon the honour of loue the fellowes Philoclea whose innocent soule now enioying his owne goodnes did little knowe the daunger of his euer faire then sleeping harbour his excellent wit strengthened with vertue but guided by loue had soone described to himselfe a perfect vision of their present condition wherein hauing presently cast a resolute reckoning of his owne parte of the misery not only the chiefe but sole burthen of his anguish consisted in the vnworthy case which was like to fall vpon the best deseruing Philoclea He saw the misfortune not the mismeaning of his worke was like to bring that creature to end in whom the worlde as he thought did begin to receaue honour hee saw the weake iudgement of man woulde condemne that as death deseruing voice in her which had in troth neuer broken the bonds of a true liuing vertue how often his eye turned to his attractiue adamant so often did an vnspeakable horror strike his noble hart to coÌ„sider so vnripe yeares so fautles a beautie the mansion of so pure goodnes should haue her youth so vntimely cut off her naturall perfections vnnaturallie coÌ„sumed her vertue rewarded with shame somtimes he would accuse himselfe of necligence that had not more curiously looked to al the house entries yet coulde hee not imagine the way Damaetas was gotten in to call backe what might haue ben to a maÌ„ of wisdom courage caries but a vaine shadow of discourse somtimes he could not chose but with a dissolutioÌ„ of his inward
gouernement as to lay before your eyes the picture of his proceedings But in such sorte hee flourished in the sweete comforte of dooing much good when by an accasion of leauing his Countrie he was forced to bring foorth his vertue of magnanimitie as before hee had done of iustice He had onely one sister a Ladie lest I should too easilie fall to partiall prayses of her of whom it may be iustly saide that she was no vnfit branch to the noble stock whereof she was come Her he had giuen in mariage to Dorilaus Prince of Thessalia not so much to make a frendship as to confirm the frendship betweene their posteritie which betweene them by the likenes of vertue had beene long before made for certainly Dorilaus could neede no amplifiers mouth for the highest point of praise Who hath not heard said Pamela of the valiant wise and iust Dorilaus whose vnripe death doth yet so many yeares since draw teares from vertuous eyes And indeede my father is wont to speake of nothing with greater admiration then of the notable friâ—ndship a rare thing in Princes more rare betweene Princes that so holily was obserued to the last of those two excellent men But said she go on I pray you Dorilaus said he hauing married his sister had his marriage in short time blest for so are folke woont to say how vnhappie soeuer the children after grow with a sonne whom they named Musidorus of whom I must needes first speake before I come to Pyrocles because as he was borne first so vpon his occasion grew as I may say accidentally the others birth For scarcely was Musidorus made partaker of this oft-blinding light when there were found numbers of Southsayers who affirmed strange and incredible thinges should be performed by that childe whether the heauens at that time listed to play with ignorant mankinde or that flatterie be so presumptuous as euen at times to borrow the face of Diuinitie But certainly so did the boldnesse of their affirmation accompanie the greatnesse of what they did affirm euen descending to particularities what kingdoms he should ouercome that the king of Phrygia who ouer-superstitiously thought himselfe touched in the matter sought by force to destroy the infant to preuent his after-expectations because a skilfull man hauing compared his natiuity with the child so told him Foolish man either vainly fearing what was not to be feared or not considering that if it were a worke of the superiour powers the heauens at length are neuer children But so he did and by the aid of the Kings of Lydia and Crete ioining together their armies inuaded Thessalia and brought Dorilaus to some behind-hand of fortune when his faithfull friend and brother Euarchus came so mightily to his succour that with some enterchanging changes of fortune they begat of a iust war the best child peace In which time Euarchus made a crosse mariage also with Dorilaus his sister and shortly left her with child of the famous Pyrocles driuen to returne to the defence of his owne countrie which in his absence helped with some of the ill contented nobilitie the mighty King of Thrace and his brother King of Pannonia had inuaded The successe of those warres was too notable to be vnknowne to your eares to which it seemes all worthy fame hath glory to come vnto But there was Dorilaus valiantly requiting his friends helpe in a great battaile depriued of life his obsequies being no more solemnised by the teares of his partakers then the bloud of his enimies with so pearcing a sorrow to the constant hart of Euarchus that the newes of his sons birth could lighten his countenance with no shew of comfort although all the comfort that might be in a child truth it selfe in him forthwith deliuered For what fortune onely southsayers foretold of Musidorus that all men might see prognosticated in Pyrocles both Heauens and Earth giuing tokens of the comming forth of an Heroicall vertue The senate house of the planets was at no time so set for the decreeing of perfection in a man as at that time all folkes skilfull therein did acknowledge onely loue was threatned and promised to him and so to his cousin as both the tempest and hauen of their best yeares But as death may haue preuented Pyrocles so vnworthinesse must be the death of Musidorus But the mother of Pyrocles shortly after her childe-birth dying was cause that Euarchus recommended the care of his only sonne to his sister doing it the rather because the warre continued in cruell heat betwixt him and those euill neighbours of his In which meane time those young Princes the only comforters of that vertuous widow grewe on so that Pyrocles taught admiration to the hardest conceats Musidorus perchaunce because among his subiects exceedingly beloued and by the good order of Euarchus well perfourmed by his sister they were so brought vp that all the sparkes of vertue which nature had kindled in them were so blowne to giue forth their vttermost heate that iustly it may be affirmed they enflamed the affections of all that knew them For almost before they could perfectly speake they began to receaue conceits not vnworthy of the best speakers excellent deuises being vsed to make euen their sports profitable images of battailes and fortifications being then deliuered to their memory which after their stronger iudgements might dispense the delight of tales being conuerted to the knowledge of all the stories of worthy Princes both to moue them to do nobly and teach them how to do nobly the beautie of vertue still being set before their eyes and that taught them with far more diligent care then Grammaticall rules their bodies exercised in all abilities both of doing and suffring and their mindes acquainted by degrees with daungers and in sum all bent to the making vp of princely mindes no seruile feare vsed towards them nor any other violent restraint but still as to Princes so that a habite of commaunding was naturalized in them and therefore the farther from Tyrannie Nature hauing done so much for them in nothing as that it made them Lords of truth whereon all the other goods were builded Among which nothing I so much delight to recount as the memorable friendship that grew betwixt the two Princes such as made them more like then the likenesse of all other vertues and made them more neere one to the other then the neerenes of their bloud could aspire vnto which I think grew the faster and the faster was tied betweene them by reason that Musidorus being elder by three or foure yeares it was neither so great a difference in age as did take away the delight in societie and yet by the difference there was taken away the occasion of childish contentions till they had both past ouer the humour of such contentions For Pyrocles bare reuerence full of loue to Musidorus and Musidorus had a delight full of loue in Pyrocles Musidorus what he had learned either for body or minde
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
was vpon the scaffold separaâ—ed somewhat from the rest as allowed to say something he stept vnto him and putting the sworde into his hande not bound a point of ciuility the officers vsed towards him because they doubted no such enterprise Musidorus said he die nobly In truth neuer man betweene ioy before knowledge what to be glad of and feare after considering his case had such a confusion of thoughts as I had when I saw Pyrocles so neare me But with that Dorus blushed and Pamela smiled and Dorus the more blushed at her smiling and she the more smiled at his blushing because he had with the remembraunce of that plight he was in forgotten in speaking of him selfe to vse the third person But Musidorus turned againe her thoughts from his cheekes to his tongue in this sort But said he when they were with swordes in handes not turning backs one to the other for there they knew was no place of defence but making it a preseruation in not hoping to be preserued and now acknowledging themselues subiect to death meaning onely to do honour to their princely birth they flew amongst them all for all were enimies and had quickly either with flight or death left none vpon the scaffold to annoy them Wherein Pyrocles the excellent Pyrocles did such wonders beyond beliefe as was hable to leade Musidorus to courage though he had bene borne a coward But indeed iust rage and desperate vertue did such effects that the popular sort of the beholders began to be almost superstitiously amazed as at effects beyond mortall power But the King with angry threatnings from-out a window where he was not ashamed the world should behold him a beholder commaunded his gard and the rest of his souldiers to hasten their death But many of them lost their bodies to loose their soules when the Princes grew almost so weary as they were ready to be conquered with conquering But as they were still fighting with weake armes and strong harts it happened that one of the souldiers commaunded to go vp after his fellowes against the Princes hauing receiued a light hurt more wounded in his hart went backe with as much diligence as he came vp with modestie which another of his fellowes seeing to pike a thanke of the King strake him vpon the face reuiling him that so accompanied he would runne away from so fewe But he as many times it falls out onely valiant when he was angrie in reuenge thrust him through which with his death was streight reuenged by a brother of his and that againe requited by a fellow of the others There began to be a great tumult amongst the souldiers which seene and not vnderstood by the people vsed to feares but not vsed to be bolde in them some began to crie treason and that voice streight multiplying it selfe the King O the cowardise of a guiltie conscience before any man set vpon him fled away Where-with a bruit either by arte of some well meaning men or by such chaunce as such things often fall out by ran from one to the other that the King was slaine wherewith certaine yong men of the brauest mindes cried with lowde voice Libertie and encouraging the other Citizens to follow them set vpon the garde and souldiers as chiefe instruments of Tyrannie and quickly aided by the Princes they had left none of them aliue nor any other in the cittie who they thought had in any sort set his hand to the worke of their seruitude and God knowes by the blindnesse of rage killing many guiltles persons either for affinity to the Tyrant or enmitie to the tyrant-killers But some of the wiser seeing that a popular licence is indeede the many-headed tyranny preuailed with the rest to make Musidorus their chiefe choosing one of them because Princes to defend them and him because elder and most hated of the Tyrant and by him to be ruled whom foorthwith they lifted vp Fortune I thinke smiling at her worke therein that a scaffold of execution should grow a scaffold of coronation But by and by there came newes of more certaine truth that the King was not dead but fled to a strong castle of his neere hand where he was gathering forces in all speed possible to suppresse this mutinie But now they had run themselues too farre out of breath to go backe againe the same career and too well they knew the sharpnesse of his memorie to forget such an iniury therefore learning vertue of necessitie they continued resolute to obey Musidorus Who seing what forces were in the citie with them issued against the Tyrant while they were in this heat before practises might be vsed to disseuer them and with them met the King who likewise hoping little to preuaile by time knowing and finding his peoples hate met him with little delay in the field where him selfe was slaine by Musidorus after he had seene his onely sonne a Prince of great courage beautie but fostred in bloud by his naughty Father slaine by the hand of Pyrocles This victory obteined with great and truly not vndeserued honour to the two Princes the whole estates of the country with one consent gaue the crowne and all other markes of soueraigntie to Musidorus desiring nothing more then to liue vnder such a gouernment as they promised themselues of him But he thinking it a greater greatnes to giue a kingdome then get a kingdome vnderstanding that there was left of the bloud Roiall and next to the succession an aged Gentleman of approued goodnes who had gotten nothing by his cousins power but danger from him and odiousnes for him hauing past his time in modest secrecy and asmuch from entermedling in matters of gouernment as the greatnesse of his bloud would suffer him did after hauing receiued the full power to his owne hands resigne all to the noble-man but with such conditions and cautions of the conditions as might assure the people with asmuch assurance as worldly matters beare that not onely that gouernour of whom indeed they looked for all good but the nature of the gouernment should be no way apt to decline to Tyranny This dooing set foorth no lesse his magnificence then the other act did his magnanimitie so that greatly praysed of all and iustly beloued of the new King who in all both wordes and behauiour protested him selfe their Tenaunt and Liegeman they were drawne thence to reuenge those who seruants of theirs of whose memorable faith I told you most excellent Princesse in willingly giuing themselues to be drowned for their sakes but drowned indeed they were not but gat with painefull swimming vpon a rocke from whence after being come as neere famishing as before drowning the weather breaking vp they were brought to the maine land of Pontus the same country vpon which Musidorus also was fallen but not in so luckie a place For they were brought to the King of that country a Tyrant also not thorow suspition greedines or reuengefulnes as he of
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
valure and fore-preparation put all his companie to the sword but such as could flie away As for Antiphilus she caused him and Erona both to be put in irons hasting backe toward her brothers tombe vpon which she ment to sacrifice them making the loue of her brother stand betwene her and all other motions of grace from which by nature she was alienated But great diuersitie in them two quickly discouered it selfe for the bearing of that affliction For Antiphilus that had no greatnesse but outward that taken away was readie to fall faster then calamitie could thrust him with fruitlesse begging of life where reason might well assure him his death was resolued and weake bemoning his fortune to giue his enemies a most pleasing musique with manie promises and protestations to as little purpose as from a little minde But Erona sad indeede yet like one rather vsed then new fallen to sadnesse as who had the ioyes of her hart alreadie broken seemed rather to welcome then to shun that ende of miserie speaking little but what she spake was for Antiphilus remembring his guiltlesnesse being at that time prisoner to Tiridates when the valiant princes slue him to the disgrace of men shewing that there are women both more wise to iudge what is to be expected and more constant to beare it when it is happened But her wit endeared by her youth her affliction by her birth and her sadnesse by her beautie made this noble prince Plangus who neuer almost from his cousin Artaxia was now present at Eronaes taking to perceyue the shape of louelinesse more perfectly in wo then in ioyfulnesse as in a picture which receiues greater life by the darkenesse of shadowes then by more glittering colours and seeing to like and liking to loue and louing straight to feele the most incident effects of loue to serue and preserue So borne by the hastie tide of short leysure he did hastily deliuer together his affection and affectionate care But she as if he had spoken of a small matter when he mencioned her life to which she had not leisure to attend desired him if he loued her to shew it in finding some way to saue Antiphilus For her she found the world but a wearisome stage vnto her where she played a part against her will and therefore besought him not to cast his loue in so vnfruitfull a place as could not loue it selfe but for a testimonie of constancie and a sutablenes to his word to do so much comfort to her minde as that for her sake Antiphilus were saued He tolde me how much he argued against her tendeâ—ing him who had so vngratefully betraied her and foolishly cast away himselfe But perceiuing she did not only bend her very good wits to speake for him against herselfe but when such a cause could be allied to no reason yet loue would needes make it-selfe a cause and barre her rather from hearing then yeeld that she should yeeld to such arguments he likewise in whom the power of Loue as they say of spirits was subiect to the loue in her with griefe consented though backwardly was diligent to labor the help of Antiphilus a man whom he not only hated as a traitour to Erona but enuied as a possessor of Erona Yet Loue sware his hart in spite of his hart should make him become a seruant to his riuall And so did he seeking all the meanes of perswading Artaxia which the authority of so neere and so vertuous a kinsman could giue vnto him But she to whom the eloqueÌ„ce of hatred had giuen reuenge the face of delight reiected all such motions but rather the more closely imprisoning them in her chiefe citie where she kept them with intention at the birth-day of Tiridates which was very nere to execute Antiphilus and at the day of his death which was about halfe a yeere after to vse the same rigor towards Erona Plangus much grieued because much louing attempted the humors of the Lycians to see whether they would come in with forces to succor their Princesse But there the next inheritor to the crowne with the true play that is vsed in the game of kingdoÌ„s had no sooner his mistres in captiuity but he had vsurped her place and making her odious to her people because of the vnfit electioÌ„ she had made had so left no hope there but which is worse had sent to Artaxia perswading the iusticing her because that vniustice might giue his title the name of iustice WaÌ„ting that way Plangus practised with some deere friends of his to saue Antiphilus out of prison whose day because it was much neerer then Eronaes and that he well found she had twisted her life vpoÌ„ the same threed with his he determined first to get him out of prison and to that end hauing prepared all matters as well as in such case he could where Artaxia had set many of Tiridates old seruants to haue well-marking eyes he coÌ„ferred with Antiphilus as by the aucthoritie he had he found meanes to do and agreed with him of the time maner how he should by the death of some of his iaylors escape But all being well ordered and Plangus willinglie putting himselfe into the greatest danger Antiphilus who like a bladder sweld redie to breake while it was full of the winde of prosperitie that being out was so abiected as apt to be trode on by euery bodie wheÌ„ it came to the point that with some hazard he might be in apparant likelihood to auoid the vttermost harme his hart fainted and weake foole neither hoping nor fearing as he should gat a conceit that with bewraying this practise he might obtaine pardon and therefore euen a little before Plangus should haue come vnto him opened the whole practise to him that had the charge with vnpittyed teares idly protesting he had rather die by Artaxias commaundement then against her will escape yet begging life vpon any the hardest and wretchedest conditions that she would lay vpon him His keeper prouided accordingly so that when Plangus came he was like himselfe to haue bene entrapped but that finding with a luckie in-sight that it was discouered he retired and calling his friendes about him stood vpon his guard as he had good cause For Artaxia accounting him most vngratefull considering that her brother and she had not only preserued him against the malice of his father but euer vsed him much liker his birth then his fortune sent forces to apprehend him But he among the martiall men had gotten so great loue that he could not onely keep himselfe from her malice but worke in their mindes a compassion of Eronas aduersitie But for the succour of Antiphilus he could get no bodie to ioyne with him the contempt of him hauing not bene able to qualifie the hatred so that Artaxia might easilie vpon him perfourme her will which was at the humble suite of all the women of that citie to deliuer him to their censure who mortally hating him for
as that she perceiued in her certaine flawes of il-concealed discontentmeÌ„t Insomuch that wheÌ„ Zelmane would sweeten her mouth with the praises of the sisters especially setting forth their noble gratefulnes in neuer forgetting welintended seruices inuoking the iustice of the gods not to suffer such treasures to be wroÌ„gfully hidden somtimes with a kind vnkindnes charging Artesia that she had ben abused to abuse so worthy persons Artesia though falsly wold protest that she had bin beguiled in it neuer meaning other matter theÌ„ recreatioÌ„ yet withall by alleaging how vngratefully she was dealt with it was easie to be seene it was the vnrewarding and not the euill employing her seruice which grieued her But Zelmane vsing her own bias to bowle neer the mistres of her own thoughts was content to lende her beleefe and withall to magnifie her desert if willingly she would deliuer whom vnwillingly she had imprisoned leauing no argument which might tickle ambition or flatter reuenge So that Artesia pusht â—orward by Clinias drawne on ward by Zelmane bound her selfe to that practise wherin Zelmane for her part desired no more but to haue armour and weapons brought into her chamber not doubting therwith to perfourme any thing how impossible soeuer which longing Loue can perswade and inuincible Valour dare promise But Clinias whose faith could neuer comprehende the misteries of Courage perswaded Artesia while he by corruption had drawne the guard of one gate to open it when he would appoint the time to the enemie that she should impoyson Amphialus which she might the easier do because she her selfe had vsed to make the broaths when Amphialus either wearied or wounded did vse such diet And all things alredy were ready to be put in execution wheÌ„ they thought best to break the matter with the two excellent sisters not doubting of their consent in a thing so behoofefull to theÌ„selues their reasons being that the Princesses knowing their seruice might be sure to preserue them from the fury of the entring souldiers whereof Clinias euen so could scarcely be sufficiently certaine and withall making them priuie to their action to binde them afterwardes to a promised gratefulnes towards them They went therefore at one time when they knew them to be alone Clinias to Philoclea and Artesia to Pamela and Clinias with no fewe words did set forth what an exploite was intended for her seruice But Philoclea in whose cleere minde treason could finde no hiding place told him that she would be glad if he could perswade her cosin to deliuer her and that she would neuer forget his seruice therein but that she desired him to lay downe any such way of mischiefe for that for her part she would rather yeeld to perpetuall imprisonment then consent to the destroying her cosin who she knewe loued her though wronged her This vnlooked-for answere amazed Clinias so that he had no other remedie in his minde but to kneele downe to Philoclea and beseech her to keepe it secret considering that the intention was for her seruice and vowing since she misliked it to proceed no further therein She comforted him with promise of silence which she perfourmed But that little auayled for Artesia hauing in like sort opened this deuice to Pamela she in whose mind Vertue gouerned with the scepter of Knowledge hating so horrible a wickednes and streight iudging what was fitte to doo Wicked woman said she whose vnrepenting harte can finde no way to amend treason but by treason now the time is come that thy wretched wiles haue caught thy selfe in thine owne nette as for me let the Gods dispose of me as shall please them but sure it shall be no such way nor way-leader by which I will come to libertie This she spake something with a lowder voice then she was woont to vse so as Cecropia heard the noise who was sooner then Artesia imagined she would come vp to bring Pamela to a window where she might see a notable skirmish happened in the Campe as she thought among themselues and being a cunning fisher in troubled waters streight found by their voices and gestures there was some matter of consequence which she desired Pamela to tell her Aske of her said Pamela and learne to know that who do falshoode to their superiours teach falshoode to their inferiours More she would not say But Cecropia taking away the each-way guiltie Artesia with feare of torture gat of her the whole practise so as Zelmane was the more closely imprisoned and Clinias with the rest of his corrupted mates according to their merites executed For as for Artesia shee was but lockt vp in her chamber Amphialus not consenting for the loue hee bare to Ismenus that further punishment should be laide vpon her But the noyse they heard in the campe was occasioÌ„ of the famous Prince Anaxius nephewe to the Giant Euardes whom Pyrocles slew A Prince of body exceedingly strong in armes so skilfull and fortunate as no man was thought to excell him of courage that knew not howe to feare partes worthie praise if they had not beene guyded by pride and followed by vniustice For by a strange composition of mind there was no man more tenderly sensible in any thing offered to himselfe which in the farthest-fette construction might be wrested to the name of wrong no man that in his owne actions could worse distinguish betweene Valour and Violence So proud as he could not abstaine from a Thraso-like boasting and yet so vnluckie a lodging his vertues had gotten he would neuer boast more then he would accomplish falsly accounting an vnflexible anger a couragious constancie esteeming feare and astonishment righter causes of admiration then Loue and Honour This man had foure sundrie times fought with Amphialus but Mars had bene so vnpartiall an arbiter that neither side gate aduauntage of the other But in the end it hapned that Anaxius found Amphialus vnknowen in a great danger and saued his life whereupon louing his owne benefite began to fauour him so much the more as thinking so well of himselfe he coulde not choose but like him whom he found a match for himselfe which at last grewe to as much friendship towardes him as could by a proud harte conceiued So as in this trauaile seeking Pyrocles to be reuenged of his vncles death hearing of this siege neuer taking paines to examine the quarrell like a man whose will was his God and his hand his lawe taking with him his two brothers men accounted little inferiour to him selfe in martiall matters and two hundred chosen horsemen with whome hee thought him selfe able to conquere the world yet commaunding the rest of his forces to follow hee himselfe vpon such an vnexpected suddainnesse entred in vpon the backe of Basilius that many with great vnkindnesse tooke their death not knowing why nor how they were so murdred There if euer did he make knowne the wonderfulnes of his force But the valiant and faithfull Philanax with well gouerned speed
sake one death may be thought inough for me I haue not liued so many yeares but that one death may be able to conclude them neither haue my faults I hope bene so many but that one death may satisfie them It is no great suite to an enemie when but death is desired I craue but that and as for the graunting your request know for certaine you lose your labours being euery day furtherof-minded from becomming his wife who vseth me like a slaue But that in stead of getting grace renued againe Cecropias fury so that excellent creature she was newly againe tormented by those hellish monsters Cecropia vsing no other words but that she was a proud and vngratefull wench and that she would teach her to know her owne good since of her selfe she would not conceaue it So that with silence and patience like a faire gorgeous armour hammered vppon by an ilfauoured Smith she abode their pittiles dealing with her till rather reseruing her for more then meaning to end they left her to an vncomfortable leysure to consider with her selfe her fortune both helplesse her selfe being a prisoner and hopelesse since Zelmane was a prisoner who therein onely was short of the bottome of miserie that she knew not how vnworthilie her Angell by these deuils was abused but wanted God wot no stings of griefe when those words did but strike vpon her hart that Philoclea was a captiue and she not able to succour her For well she knew the confidence Philoclea had in her and well she knew Philoclea had cause to haue confidence and all troden vnder foot by the wheele of senselesse Fortune Yet if there be that imperious power in the soule as it can deliuer knowledge to another without bodilie organs so vehement were the workings of their spirites as one mette with other though themselues perceaued it not but onely thought it to be the doubling of their owne louing fancies And that was the onely worldly thing whereon Philoclea rested her minde that she knewe she should die beloued of Zelmane and should die rather then be false to Zelmane And so this most daintie Nimphe easing the paine of her minde with thinking of anothers paine and almost forgetting the paine of her bodie through the paine of her minde she wasted euen longing for the conclusion of her tedious tragedie But for a while she was vnuisited Cecropia employing her time in vsing the like crueltie vpon Pamela her harte growing not onely to desire the fruite of punishing them but euen to delight in the punishing them But if euer the beames of perfection shined through the clowdes of affliction if euer Vertue tooke a bodie to shewe his els vnconceaueable beautie it was in Pamela For when Reason taught her there was no resistance for to iust resistance first her harte was enclined then with so heauenly a quietnes and so gracefull a calmenes did she suffer the diuers kindes of torments they vsed to her that while they vexed her faire bodie it seemed that she rather directed then obeyed the vexation And when Cecropia ended and asked whether her harte woulde yeelde she a little smiled but such a smiling as shewed no loue and yet could not but be louelie And then Beastlie woman sayde shee followe on doo what thou wilte and canst vpon me for I know thy power is not vnlimited Thou maist well wracke this sillie bodie but me thou canst neuer ouerthrowe For my part I will not doo theâ— the pleasure to desire death of thee but assure thy selfe both my life and death shall triumph with honour laying shame vpon thy detestable tyranny And so in effect conquering their doing with her suffering while Cecropia tried as many sorts of paines as might rather vexe them then spoyle them for that she would not do while she were in any hope to winne either of them for her sonne Pamela remained almost as much content with triall in her selfe what vertue could doo as grieued with the miserie wherein she found her selfe plunged only sometimes her thoughts softned in her when with open wings they flew to Musidorus For then she would thinke with her selfe how grieuously Musidorus would take this her miserie and she that wept not for herselfe wept yet Musidorus teares which he would weepe for her For gentle Loue did easlier yeeld to lamentation then the constancy of vertue would els admitte Then would she remember the case wherein she had left her poore shepheard and she that wished death for her selfe feared death for him and she that condemned in her selfe the feeblenes of sorrow yet thought it great reason to be sory for his sorow and she that long had prayed for the vertuous ioyning themselues together now thinking to die herselfe hartely prayed that long time their fortunes might be seperated Liue long my Musidorus would she say and let my name liue in thy mouth in thy harte my memorie Liue long that thou mayst loue long the chast loue of thy dead Pamela Then would she wish to her selfe that no other woman might euer possesse his hart and yet scarcely the wish was made a wish when her selfe would finde fault with it as being too vniust that so excellent a man should be banished from the comfort of life Then would she fortifie her resolution with bethinking the worst taking the counsell of vertue and comfort of loue So these diamonds of the world whom Nature had made to be preciously set in the eyes of men to be the chiefe workes of her workemanship the chiefe ornaments of the worlde and Princesses of felicitie by rebellious iniury were brought to the vttermost distres that an enemies hart could wish or a womans spite inuent Cecropia dayly in one or other sorte punishing them still with her euill torments giuing them feare of worse making the feare it selfe the sorest torment of all that in the ende wearie of their bodies they should be content to bestow them at her appointment But as in labour the more one doth exercise it the more by the doing one is enhabled to doo strength growing vpon the worke so as what at first would haue seemed impossible after growes easie so these Princesses second to none and far from any second only to be matched by themselues with the vse of suffering their minds gat the habit of suffring so as all feares and terrors were to them but summons to a battaile whereof they knew before hand they would be victorious and which in the suffering was painfull being suffered was a trophe to it selfe whereby Cecropia found her selfe still farder off for where at first she might perchance haue perswaded them to haue visited her sonne and haue giuen him some comforte in his sicknesse drawing neere to the confines of Deaths kingdome now they protested that they would neuer otherwise speake to him then as to the enemy of most vniust cruelty towards them that any time or place could euer make them knowe This made the poison swell in her
cankred brest perceiuing that as in water the more she grasped the lesse she held but yet now hauing run so long the way of rigour it was too late in reason and too contrary to her passion to returne to a course of meekenesse And therefore taking counsell of one of her olde associates who so far excelled in wickednesse as that she had not onely lost all feeling of conscience but had gotten a very glory in euill in the ende they determined that beating and other such sharp dealing did not so much pull downe a womans hart as it bred anger and that nothing was more enemy to yeelding then anger making their tender harts take on the armour of obstinacy for thus did their wicked mindes blinde to the light of vertue and owly eied in the night of wickednes interpret of it and that therefore that was no more to be tried And for feare of death which no question would doo most with them they had bene so often threatned as they began to be familiarly acquainted with it and learned to esteeme threatning words to be but words Therefore the last but best way now was that the one seeing indeede the others death should perceiue there was no dallying meant and then there was no doubt that a womans soule would do much rather then leaue so beautifull a body This being concluded Cecropia went to Philoclea and tolde her that now she was to come to the last part of the play for her part though she found her hard harted obstinacie such that neither the sweetnesse of louing meanes nor the force of hard meanes could preuaile with her yet before she would passe to a further degree of extremity she had sought to win her sister in hope that her sonne might be with time satisfied with the loue of so faire a Lady but finding her also rather more then lesse wilfull she was now minded that one of their deathes should serue for an example to the other that despising worthy folks was more hurtfull to the despiser then the despised that yet because her sonne especially affected her and that in her owne selfe she was more inclinable to pittie her then she had deserued she would begin with her sister who that afternoone should haue her head cut off before her face if in the meane time one of them did not pull out their il-wrought stiches of vnkindnes she bad her looke for no other nor longer time then she told her There was no assault giuen to the sweet Philocleas minde that entered so far as this for where to all paines and daungers of her selfe foresight with his Lieutenant Resolution had made ready defence now with the loue she bare her sister she was driuen to a stay before she determined but long she staied not before this reason did shine vnto her that since in herselfe she preferred death before such a base seruitude loue did teach her to wish the same to her sister Therefore crossing her armes and looking side-ward vpon the ground Do what you will said she with vs for my part heauen shall melt before I be remoued But if you will follow my counsell for your owne sake for as for praiers for my sake I haue felt how little they preuaile let my death first serue for example to win her who perchaunce is not so resolued against Amphialus and so shall you not onely iustly punish mee who indeede doo hate both you and your sonne but if that may mooue you you shall doo more vertuously in preseruing one most worthy of life and killing an other most desirous of death lastly in winning her in steed of a peeuish vnhappie creature that I am you shall blesse your sonne with the most excellent woman in all praise-worthy things that the world holdeth But Cecropia who had already set downe to her selfe what she would do with bitter both termes and countenaunce told her that she should not neede to woo death ouer-egerly â—or if her sister going before her did not teach her wit her selfe should quickly follow For since they were not to be gotten there was no way for her sonnes quiet but to knowe that they were past getting And so since no intreating nor threatning might preuayle she bad her prepare her eies for a new play which she should see within fewe houres in the hall of that castle A place indeed ouerfit for so vnfit a matter for being so stately made that the bottome of it being euen with the ground the roofe reached as hie as any part of the castle at either ende it had conuenient lodgings In the one ende was one storie from the ground Philocleas abode in the other of euen height Pamelas and Zelmanes in a chamber aboue her but all so vaulted of strong and thickly built stone as one could no way heare the other each of these chambers had a litle windowe to looke into the hall but because the sisters should not haue so much comforte as to looke one to another there was of the outsides curtaynes drawne which they could not reach with their hands so barring the reach of their sight But when the houre came that the Tragedie should beginne the curtaynes were withdrawen from before the windowes of Zelmane and of Philoclea a sufficient challenge to call their eyes to defende themselues in such an incounter And by and by came in at one ende of the hall with about a dozen armed souldiers a Ladie led by a couple with her handes bounde before her from aboue her eyes to her lippes muffled with a faire kerchiefe but from her mouth to the shoulders all bare and so was led on to a scaffold raised a good deale from the floore and all couered with crimsin veluet But neither Zelmane nor Philoclea needed to be tolde who she was for the apparell she ware made them too well assured that it was the admirable Pamela Whereunto the rare whitenesse of her naked necke gaue sufficient testimonie to their astonnished senses But the fayre Ladie being come to the scaffold and then made to kneele downe and so lefte by her vnkinde supporters as it seemed that she was about to speake somewhat whereunto Philoclea poore soule earnestly listned according to her speach euen minding to frame her minde her harte neuer till then almost wauering to saue her sisters life before the vnfortunate Ladie could pronounce three wordes the executioner cut off the ones speech and the others attention with making his sworde doo his cruell office vpon that beautifull necke Yet the pittilesse sworde had such pittie of so pretious an obiect that at first it did but hit flat long But little auailed that since the Ladie falling downe astonnished withall the cruell villayne forced the sworde with another blowe to diuorce the faire marriage of the head and body And this was done so in an instant that the very act did ouerrun Philocleas sorrow sorrow not being able so quickly to thunderbolt her harte thorough her senses but first
any such were that felt not the losse yet others griefe taught them grief hauing before their compassionate sense so passionate a spectacle of a young man of great beautie beautified with great honour honoured by great valure made of inestimable value by the noble vsing of it to lye there languishing vnder the arrest of death and a death where the manner could be no comfort to the discomfortablenes of the matter But when the bodie was carried through the gate and the people sauing such as were appointed not suffred to goe further then was such an vniuersall crie as if they had all had but one life and all receaued but one below Which so moued Anaxius to consider the losse of his friend that his mind apter to reuenge then tendernesse hee presently giuing order to his brother to keepe the prisoners safe and vnuisited till his retourne from conueying Helen hee sent a messenger to the sisters to tell them this curteous message that at his retourne with his owne handes hee woulde cut off their heades and sende them for tokens to their father This message was brought vnto the sisters as they sate at that time together with Zelmane conferring how to carrie themselues hauing heard of the death of Amphialus And as no expectation of death is so paineful as where the resolution is hindred by the intermixing of hopes so did this new alarum though not remoue yet moue somwhat the constancy of their mindes which were so vnconstantly dealt with But within a while the excellent Pamela had brought her minde againe to his olde acquaintance and then as carefull for her sister whom most deerely she loued Sister saide shee you see how many acts our Tragedy hath Fortune is not yet a wearie of vexing vs but what A shippe is not counted strong for byding one storme It is but the same trumpet of death which now perhaps giues the last sounde and let vs make that profite of our former miseries that in them wee learned to dye willingly Truely saide Philoclea deare sister I was so beaten with the euils of life that though I had not vertue enough to despise the sweetnesse of it yet my weaknesse bredde that strength to be wearie of the paines of it onely I must confesse that little hope which by these late accidents was awaked in me was at the first angrie withall But euen in the darkenesse of that horrour I see a light of comfort appeare and how can I treade amisse that see Pamela steppes I would onely O that my wish might take place that my schoole-Mistres might liue to see mee say my lesson truely Were that a life my Philoclea said Pamela No no saide shee let it come and put on his worst face for at the worst it is but a bug-beare Ioy is it to me to see you so well resolued and since the world will not haue vs let it lose vs. Onely with that she stayed a little and sighed only my Philoclea then she bowed downe and whispered in her eare onely Musidorus my shepheard comes betwene me and death and makes me thinke I should not dye because I know he would not I shoulde dye With that Philoclea sighed also saying no more but looking vpon Zelmane who was walking vp and downe the chamber hauing heard this message from Anaxius and hauing in times past heard of his nature thought him like enough to performe it which winded her againe into the former maze of perplexitie Yet debating with her selfe of the manner how to preuent it she continued her musing humour little saying or indeede little finding in her hart to say in a case of such extremitie where peremptorily death was threatned and so stayed they hauing yet that comfort that they might tarrie togither Pamela nobly Philoclea sweetely and Zelmane sadly and desperately none of them entertaining sleep which they thought should shortly begin neuer to awake But Anaxius came home hauing safely conduct Helen and safely hee might well do it For though many of Basilius Knights would haue attempted something vpon Anaxius by that meanes to deliuer the Ladies yet Philanax hauing receaued his masters commandement and knowing his word was giuen would not consent vnto it And the black-Knight who by them was able to carry abroad his wounds did not knowe thereof but was bringing force by force to deliuer his Lady So as Anaxius interpreting it rather feare then faith and making euen chance an argument of his vertue returned and as soone as hee was returned with afelon hart calling his brothers vp with him he went into the chamber where they were all three togither with full intention to kill the sisters with his owne handes and sende their heads for tokens to their father Though his brothers who were otherwise enclined disswaded him but his reuerence stayed their perswasions But when hee was come into the chamber with the very wordes of cholerike threatning climing vp his throate his eyes first lighted vpon Pamela who hearing hee was comming and looking for death thought she would keepe her owne maiestie in welcomming it but the beames therof so strake his eyes with such a counterbuffe vnto his pride that if his anger could not so quickly loue nor his pride so easily honor yet both were forced to finde a worthinesse Which while it bred a pause in him Zelmane who had ready in her minde both what and how to say stept out vnto him and with a resolute stayednes void either of anger kindnes disdaine or humblenesse speake in this sort Anaxius said she if Fame haue not bene ouerpartiall to thee thou art a man of exceeding valour Therefore I doo call thee euen before that vertue will make it the iudge between vs. And now I doo affirme that to the eternall blot of all the faire actes that thou hast done thou doest weakely in seeking without daunger to reuenge his death whose life with daunger thou mightst perhapes haue preserued thou doost cowardly in going about by the death of these excellent Ladies to preuent the iust punishment that hereafter they by the powers which they better then their father or any other could make might lay vpon thee and doost most basely in once presenting thy selfe as an executioner a vile office vpon men and in a iust cause beyond the degree of any vile worde in so vniust a cause and vpon Ladies and such Ladies And therefore as a hangman I say thou art vnworthy to be counted a knight or to be admitted into the companie of Knights Neither for what I say will I alleadge other reasons of wisdome or iustice to prooue my speech because I knowe thou doost disdaine to be tied to their rules but euen in thine own vertue whereof thou so much gloriest I will make my triall and therfore defie thee by the death of one of vs two to proue or disproue these reproaches Choose thee what armes thou likest I onely demaund that these Ladies whome I defende may in liberty see the combate
heauinesse which easely clothes it selfe in sleepe So as laid downe so neare the beautie of the worlde Philoclea that their neckes were subiect each to others chaste embracements it seemed loue had come thither to laye a plott in that picture of death how gladly if death came their soules would goe together The thirde Egloges THyrsis not with many painted words nor falsified promises had wone the consent of his beloued Kala but with a true simple making her know he loued her not forcing himselfe beyond his reach to buy her affection but giuing her such preatie presentes as neither coulde wearie him with the giuing nor shame her for the taking Thus the first Strawberies he could find were euer in a cleane washt dish sent to Kala thus poesies of the spring flowers were wrapt vp in a litle grene silke and dedicated to Kalas brestes thus somtimes his sweetest Creame sometimes the best Cakebread his mother made were reserued for Kalas taste Neither would hee stick to kil a lamb when she would be content to come ouer the way vnto him But theÌ„ lo how the house was swept rather no fire theÌ„ any smoke lefte to trouble her Then loue songes were not daintie when she would heare them and as much manerlie silence when shee would not in going to Church great worship to Kala. So that all the parish said neuer a maide they knew so well wayted on and when dauncing was about the Maypole no body taken out but she and he after a leape or two to shewe her his owne actiuitie woulde frame all the rest of his dauncing onely to grace her As for her fathers sheepe he had no lesse care of them then his owne so that she might play her as she would warranted with honest Thyrsis carefulnes But if he spied Kala fauourd any one of the flocke more then his fellowes then that was cherished shearing him so when shorne he must be as might most become him but while the wole was on wrapping within it â—â—me verses wherin Thyrsis had a speciall gifte and making the innocent beast his vnweting messinger Thus constantly continuing though he were none of the fayrest at length he wanne Kalas harte the honestest wenche in all those quarters And so with consent of both parents without which nether Thyrsis would aske nor Kala grant their marring day was appointed which because it fell out in this time I thinke it shall not be impertinent to remember a little our shepheards while the other greater persons are either sleeping or otherwise troubled Thyrsis mariage time once knowne there needed no inuiting of the neighbours in that valley for so well was Thyrsis beloued that they were already to doe him credit neither yet came they like Harpies to deuoure him but on bought a fat pigge the other a tender kidd the thirde a great goose as for chese milke butter were the gossips presents Thither came of strange shepheards onely the melancholy Philisides â—or the vertuous Coridon had long since left off al his ioyful solemnities And as for Strephon and Klaius they had lost their mistresse which put them into such extreme sorrowes as they could scarcely abide the light of the daye much lesse the eyes of men But of the Arcadian borne shepheardes thither came good olde Geron young Histor though vnwilling and vpright Dicus mery Pass and iolly Nico. As for Damaetas they durst not presume his pride was such to inuite him and Dorus they founde might not bee spared And there vnder a bower was made of bowes for Thyrsis house was not able to receaue them euery one placed according to his age The women for such was the maner of the country kept together to make good cheare among themselues from which otherwise a certaine painefull modestie restraines them and there might the sadder matrones giue good counsel to Kala who poore soule wept for feare of that she desired But among the shepheards was al honest libertie no feare of daungerous tel-tales who hunt greater prayes nor indeede mindes in them to giue tell-tales any occasion but one questioning with another of the manuring his ground and gouerning his flock the highest pointe they reached to was to talke of the holines of mariage to which purpose assoone as their sober dynner was ended Dycus insteede of thankes sange this songe with a cleare voice and cheerfull countenaunce LEt mother earth now decke her selfe in flowers To see her ofspring seeke a good increase Where iustest loue doth vanquish Cupids powers And ware of thoughts is swallow'd vp in peace Which neuer may decrease But like the turtells faire Liue one in two a well vnited paire Which that no chaunce may staine O Himen long their coupled ioyes maintaine O heau'n awake shewe forth thy stately face Let not these slumbring clowds thy beawties hide But with thy cheerefull presence helpe to grace The honest Bridegroome and the bashfull Bride Whose loues may euer bide Like to the Elme and Vyne With mutuall embracements them to twyne In which delightfull paine O Himen long their coupled ioyes maintaine Yee Muses all which chaste affects allow And haue to Thyrsis shewd your secret skill To this chaste loue your sacred fauours bow And so to him and her your giftes distill That they all vice may kill And like to lillies pure May please all eyes and spotlesse may endure Where that all blisse may raigne O Himen long their coupled ioyes maintaine Yee Nymphes which in the waters empire haue Since Thyrsis musick oft doth yeeld you praise Graunt to the thing which we for Thyrsis craue Let one time but long first close vp their daies One graue their bodies seaze And like two riuers sweete When they though diuers do together meete One streame both streames containe O Himen long their coupled ioyes maintaine Pan father Pan the god of silly sheepe Whose care is cause that they in number growe Haue much more care of them that them do keepe Since from these good the others good doth flowe And make their issue showe In number like the hearde Of yonglings which thy selfe with loue hast rearde Or like the drops of raine O Himen long their coupled ioyes maintaine Vertue if not a God yet Gods chiefe parte Be thou the knot of this their open vowe That still he be her head she be his harte He leane to her she vnto him do bow Each other still allow Like Oke and Mistletoe Her strength from him his praise from her do growe In which most louely traine O Himen long their coupled ioyes maintaine But thou foule Cupid syre to lawlesse lust Be thou farre hence with thy empoyson'd darte Which though of glittring golde shall heere take rust Where simple loue which chastnesse doth imparte Auoydes thy hurtfull arte Not needing charming skill Such mindes with sweet affections for to fill Which being pure and plaine O Himen long their coupled ioyes maintaine All churlish wordes shrewd answeres crabbed lookes All priuatenes selfe-seeking inward
of euill hap then flowers are marred with the timely raynes of Aprill For how can I want comforte that haue the true and liuing comforte of my vnblemished vertue And how can I want honour as long as Musidorus in whom indeed honour is doth honour me Nothing bred from my self can discomfort me fooles opinions I wil not recken as dishonour Musidorus looking vp to the starres O mind of minds said he the liuing power of all things which dost with al these eies behold our euer varying actiōs accept into thy fauorable eares this praier of mine Yf I may any longer hold out this dwelling on the earth which is called a life graunt me abilitie to deserue at this Ladies handes the grace shee hath shewed vnto me graunt me wisdome to know her wisdome and goodnes so to encrease my loue of her goodnes that all mine owne chosen desires be to my selfe but second to her determinations What soeuer I be let it be to her seruice let me herein be satisfied that for such infinite fauours of vertue I haue some way wrought her satisfaction But if my last time aprocheth and that I am no longer to be amongst mortall creatures make yet my death serue her to some purpose that hereafter shee may not haue cause to repent her selfe that she bestowed so excellent a minde vpon Musidorus Pamela coulde not choose but accord the conceite of their fortune to these passionate prayers in so much that her constant eyes yeelded some teares which wiping from her faire face with Musidorus hande speaking softly vnto him as if she had feared more any body should be witnes of her weakenes then of any thing els shee had said you see said she my Prince and onely Lord what you worke in me by your much greuing for me I praye you thinke I haue no ioye but in you and if you fill that with sorrow what do you leaue for mee What is prepared for vs we know not but that with sorrow we cannot preuent it wee knowe Now let vs turne from these things and thinke you how you will haue me behaue my selfe towardes you in this matter Musidorus finding the authoritie of her speach confirmed with direct necessitie the first care came to his minde was of his deare friend and cosin Pyrocles with whome long before hee had concluded what names they shoulde beare if vpon any occasion they were forced to geue them selues out for great men and yet not make them selues fully knowen Now fearing least if the Princes should name him for Musidorus the fame of their two being together would discouer Pyrocles holding her hand betwixt his handes a good while together I did not thinke most excellent Princesse saide hee to haue made any further request vnto you for hauing bene alredie to you so vnfortunate a suiter I knowe not what modestie can beare any further demaūd But the estate of on young man whom next to you far aboue my selfe I loue more then all the world one worthy of all well being for the notable constitution of the mind and most vnworthy to receaue hurt by me whom he doth in all faith and constancie loue the pittie of him onely goes beyond all resolution to the contrarie Then did hee to the Princesse great admiration tell her the whole story as farre as he knew of it and that when they made the greuous disiūction of their long company they had concluded Musidorus should entitle himself Paladius Prince of Iberia and Pyrocles should be Daiphantus of Lycia Now said Musidorus he keeping a womans habit is to vse no other name then Zelmane but I that finde it best of the on side for your honour you went away with a Prince and not with a sheepheard of the other side accompting my death lesse euil then the betraying of that sweete frende of mine will take this meane betwixt both and vsing the name of Paladius if the respect of a Prince will stop your fathers furie that will serue aswell as Musidorus vntil Pyrocles fortune being som way established I may freely geue good proofe that the noble contrie of Thessalia is mine and if that will not mitigate your fathers opinion to me wards nature I hope working in your excellencies wil make him deale well by you for my parte the image of death is nothing fearefull vnto me and this good I shall haue reaped by it that I shall leaue my most esteemed friend in no danger to be disclosed by me And besides since I must confesse I am not without a remorse of his case my vertuous mother shal not know her sonnes violent death hid vnder the fame will goe of Paladius But as long as her yeares now of good number be counted among the liuing shee may ioye her selfe with some possibilitie of my returne Pamela promising him vpon no occasion euer to name him fell into extremytie of weping as if her eyes had beene content to spend all their seing moistnes now that there was speech of the losse of that which they held as their chiefest light So that Musidorus was forced to repaire her good counsailes with sweete consolations which continued betwixt them vntill it was about midnight that sleep hauing stolne into their heauie sences and now absolutely commaunding in their vitall powers lefte them delicately wound on in anothers armes quietly to waite for the comming of the morning Which as soone as shee appeared to play her parte laden as you haue heard with so many well occasioned lamentations Their lobbish garde who all night had kept themselues awake with prating how valiant deedes they had done when they ranne away and how faire a death their felowe had died who at his last gaspe sued to bee a hangman awaked them and set them vpon their horses to whom the very shining force of excellent vertue though in a very harrish subiect had wrought a kinde of reuerence in them Musidorus as he rid among them of whom they had no other holde but of Pamela thinking it want of a well squared iudgement to leaue any meane vnassayed of sauing their liues to this purpose spake to his vnseemly gardians vsing a plaine kind of phrase to make his speach the more credible My maisters said he there is no man that is wise but hath in what soeuer hee doth some purpose whereto hee directes his doinges which so long he followes till he see that either that purpose is not worth the paines or that another doinge caries with it a better purpose That you are wise in what you take in hand I haue to my cost learned that makes me desire you to tell me what is your ende in carying the Princesse and me backe to her father Pardon saide one rewarde cried another well saide he take both although I know you are so wise to remember that hardly they both will goe togeather being of so contrary a making for the ground of pardon is an euill neither any man pardons but remembers an
shape which by mans eye might be perceaued Vertue is dead now set the triumph here Now set thy triumph in this world bereaued Of what was good where now no good doth lie And by the pompe our losse will be conceaued O notes of mine your selues together tie With too much griefe me thinkes you are dissolued Your dolefull tunes sweet Muses now applie Time euer old and yong is still reuolued Within it selfe and neuer tasteth ende But mankind is for aye to nought resolued The filthy snake her aged coate can mende And getting youth againe in youth doth flourish But vnto Man age euer death doth sende The very trees with grafting we can cherish So that we can long time produce their time But Man which helpeth them helplesse must perish Thus thus the mindes which ouer all doo clime When they by yeares experience get best graces Must finish then by deaths detested crime We last short while and build long lasting places Ah let vs all against foule Nature crie We Natures workes doo helpe she vs defaces For how can Nature vnto this reply That she her child I say her best child killeth Your dolefull tunes sweete Muses now apply Alas me thinkes my weakned voice but spilleth The vehement course of this iust lamentation Me thinkes my sound no place with sorrow filleth I know not I but once in detestation I haue my â—elfe and all what life containeth Since Death on Vertues fort hath made inuasion One word of woe another after traineth Ne doo I care how râ—de be my inuention So it be seene what sorrow in me raigneth O Elements by whose men say contention Our bodies be in liuing power maintained Was this mans death the fruite of your dissention O Phisickes power which some say hath restrained Approch of death alas thou helpest meagerly When once one is for Atropos distrained Great be Physitions brags but aid is beggerly When rooted moisture failes or groweth drie They leaue off all and say death commes too eagerlie They are but words therefore that men do buy Of any since God AEsculapius ceased Your dolefull tunes sweete Muses now apply Iustice iustice is now alas oppressed Bountifulnes hath made his last conclusion Goodnes for best attire in dust is dressed Shepheards bewaile your vttermost confusion And see by this picture to you presented Death is our home life is but a delusion For see alas who is from you absented Absented nay I say for euer banished From such as were to dye for him contented Out of our sight in turne of hand is vanished Shepherd of shepherds whose well setled order Priuate with welth publike with quiet garnished While he did liue farre farre was all disorder Example more preuailing then direction Far was homestrife and far was foe from border His life a law his looke a full correction As in his health we healthfull were preserued So in his sicknesse grew our sure infection His death our death But ah my Muse hath swarued From such deepe plaint as should such woes descrie Which he of vs for euer hath deserued The stile of heauie hart can neuer flie So high as should make such a paine notorious Cease Muse therfore thy dart ô Death applie And farewell Prince whom goodnesse hath made glorious Many were readie to haue followed this course but the day was so wasted that onely this riming Sestine deliuered by one of great account among them could obtaine fauour to be heard FArewell ô Sunn Arcadias clâ—arest light Farewell ô pearl the poore man plenteous treasure Farewell ô golden staffe the weake mans might Farewell ô Ioy the ioyfulls onely pleasure Wisdome farewell the skillesse mans direction Farewell with thee farewell all our affection For what place now is lefte for our affection Now that of purest lampe is quench'd the light Which to our darkned mindes was best direction Now that the mine is lost of all our treasure Now death hath swallow'd vp our worldly pleasure We Orphans made void of all publique might Orphans in deede depriu'd of fathers might For he our father was in all affection In our well-doing placing all his pleasure Still studying how to vs to be a ligh As well he was in peace a safest treasure In warr his wit word was our direction Whence whence alas shall we seeke our direction When that we feare our hatefull neighbours might Who long haue gap't to get Arcadians treasure Shall we now finde a guide of such affection Who for our sakes will thinke all trauaile light And make his paine to keepe vs safe his pleasure No no for euer gone is all our pleasure For euer wandring from all good direction For euer blinded of our clearest light For euer lamed of our sured might For euer banish'd from well plac'd affection For euer robd of all our royall treasure Let teares for him therefore be all our treasure And in our wailfull naming him our pleasure Let hating of our selues be our affection And vnto death bend still our thoughts direction Let vs against our selues employ our might And putting out our eyes seeke we our light Farewell our light farewell our spoiled treasure Farewell our might farewell our daunted pleasure Farewell direction farewell all affection The night beganne to cast her darke Canopie ouer them and they euen wearie with their woes bended homewardes hoping by sleepe forgetting them selues to ease their present dolours When they were mett with a troupe of twentie horse the chiefe of which asking them for the Kinge and vnderstanding the hard newes thereupon stayed among them expecting the returne of a messenger whome with speede he dispatched to Philanax The ende of the fourth Booke THE FIFTH BOOKE OF THE COVNTESSE OF PEMBROKES ARCADIA THE daungerous diuision of mens mindes the ruinous renting of all estates had nowe brought Arcadia to feele the pangs of vttermost perill such convulsions neuer comming but that the life of that gouernment drawes neere his necessarye periode when to the honest and wife Philanax equally distracted betwixt desire of his maisters reuenge and care of the states establishment there came vnlooked for a Macedonian Gentleman who in short but pithye maner deliuered vnto him that the renowmed Euarchus King of Macedon purposing to haue visited his olde friend and confederate the King Basilius was nowe come within halfe a mile of the Lodges where hauing vnderstoode be certayne Shepheards the sodayne death of theyr Prince had sent vnto him of whose authoritye and faith he had good knowledge desiring him to aduertise him in what securitie hee might rest there for that night where willinglye hee woulde if safely hee might helpe to celebrate the funeralls of his auncient companion and alye adding hee neede not doubt since hee had brought but twentye in his companye hee woulde be so vnwise as to enter into any forcible attempte with so small force Philâ—nax hauing entertayned the Gentleman aswell as in the middest of so many tumultes hee coulde pausing awhile with himselfe considering howe
owne good would needes striue against the streame exclaiming against Philanax that now he shewed who it was that would betray his country to straungers But well he found that who is too busie in the foundation of an house may pull the building about his eares For the people alreadie tyred with their owne diuisions of which his clampring had bene a principall nurse and beginning now to espye a hauen of rest hated any thing that should hinder them froÌ„ it asked one another whether this were not he whose euill toong no man could escape whether it were not Timantus that made the first mutinous oration to strengthen the troubles whether Timantus without their consent had not gone about to deliuer Gynaecia And thus enflaming one another against him they threwe him out of the assembly and after pursued him with stones and staues so that with losse of one of his eyes sore wounded beaten he was faine to flye to Philanax feete for succour of his life geuing a true lesson that vice it selfe is forced to seeke the sanctuarie of vertue For Philanax who hated his euill but not his person and knewe that a iust punishment might by the maner be vniustly done remembring withall that alâ—hough herein the peoples rage might haue hit rightly yet if it were nourished in this no man knewe to what extremities it might extend it selfe with earnest dealing and employeng the vttermost of his authority he did protect the trembling Timantus And then hauing taken a generall oth that they should in the noneage of the Princesse or till these things were settled yeeld full obedience to Euarchus so farre as were not preiudiciall to the lawes customes and liberties of Arcadia and hauing taken a particular bonde of Sympathus vnder whome he had a seruaunt of his owne that the prisoners should be kept close without conference with any man he himselfe honorablie accompanyed with a great number of torches went to the king Euarchus whose comming in this sort into Arcadia had thus falne out The wofull Prince Plangus receyuing of Basilius no other succours but only certayne to conduct him to Euarchus made all possible speede towards Byzantium where he vnderstood the King hauing concluded all his warres with the winning of that towne had now for some good space made his abode But being farre gone on his way he receyued certayne intelligence that Euarchus was not only some dayes before returned into Macedon but since was gone with some haste to visit that coast of his country that lay towards Italy The occasion geuen by the Latines who hauing already gotten into their hands partly by conquest and partly by confederacie the greatest part of Italie and long gaped to deuoure Greece also obseruing the present oportunitie of Euarchus absence and Basilius solitarines which two Princes they knewe to be in effect the whole strength of Greece were euen readye to lay an vniust gripe vpon it which after they might beawtifie with the noble name of conquest Which purpose though they made not knowne by any solemne denouncing of warre but contrarywise gaue many tokens of continuing still their former amitie yet the stayeng of his subiects shippes traffiquing as Merchants into those partes together with the dayly preparation of shipping and other warlike prouisions in Portes most conuenient for the transporting of souldyers occasioned Euarchus not vnacquainted with such practizes first to suspect then to discerne lastly to seeke to preuent the intended mischiefe Yet thinking warre neuer to be accepted vntill it be offred by the hand of necessitie he determined so long openly to hold them his friends as open hostilitie bewraied them not his enemies not ceasing in the meane time by letters messages to moue the States of Greece by vniting their strength to make timely prouision against this perill by many reasons making them see that though in respect of place some of theÌ„ might seeme further remoued from the first violence of the storme yet being imbarqued in the same ship the finall wrack must needs be common to them all And knowing the mighty force of example with the weake effect of faire discourses not waited on with agreeable actions what he perswaded them himselfe performed leauing in his owne realme nothing either vndone or vnprouided which might be thought necessary for withstanding an inuasion His first care was to put his people in a readinesse for warre and by his experienced souldiers to traine the vnskilfull to martiall exercises For the better effecting whereof as also for meeting with other inconueniences in such doubtful times incident to the most setled states making of the diuers regions of his whole kingdome so many diuisions as he thought conuenient he appointed the charge of them to the greatest and of greatest trust he had about him arming them with sufficient authoritie to leauie forces within their seuerall gouernments both for resisting the inuading enemy and punishing the disordered subiect Hauing thus prepared the body and assured the heart of his countrey against any mischiefe that might attaint it he then tooke into his carefull consideration the externall parts geuing order both for the repairing and encreasing his nauy and for the fortifying of such places especially on the sea coast as either commoditie of landing weakenes of the countrey or any other respect of aduantage was likelyest to drawe the enemy vnto But being none of them who thinke all things done for which they haue once geueÌ„ direction he folowed euery where his coÌ„mandement with his presence which witnes of euery mans slacknes or diligeÌ„ce chastizing the one encouraging the other suffred not the frute of any profitable counsaile for want of timely taking to be lost And thus making one place succede another in the progresse of wisedome vertue he was now come to Aulon a principall porte of his realme wheÌ„ the poore Plangus extremely wearied with his long iourney desire of succouring Erona no more relieuing then feare of not succouring her in time aggrauating his trauaile by a lameÌ„table narratioÌ„ of his childreÌ„s death called home his cares froÌ„ encouÌ„tring foraine enemies to suppresse the insurrection of inward passions The matter so hainous the maner so villanous the losse of such persons in so vnripe yeares in a time so daungerous to the whole state of Greece how vehemeÌ„tly it moued to griefe compassioÌ„ others only not blind to the light of vertue nor deafe to the voice of their country might perchance by a more cunning workman in liuely cullors be deliuered But the face of Euarchus sorow to the one in nature to both in affection a father and iudging the world so much the more vnworthely depriued of those excelleÌ„cies as himselfe was better iudge of so excelleÌ„t worthines caÌ„ no otherwise be shadowed out by the skilfullest pencel theÌ„ by couering it ouer with the vaile of sileÌ„ce And in deed that way himself took with so pacient a quietnes receiuing this pitifull relation that all words of weakenes suppressed
each corner to newe discourses from discourses to wishes from wishes to prayers Especially the tender Philoclea who as she was in yeares yonger and had neuer lifted vp her minde to any opinion of souereignetie so was she the apter to yeelde to her misfortune hauing no stronger debates in her minde then a man maye saye a most wittie childehoode is woont to nourish as to imagine with her selfe why Philanax and the other noble men shoulde deale so cruelly by her that had neuer deserued euill of any of them And howe they could finde in their hartes to imprison such a personage as she did figure Pyrocles whome shee thought all the worlde was bounde to loue as well as shee did But Pamela although endewed with a vertuous mildenes yet the knowledge of her selfe and what was due vnto her made her hart full of a stronger disdaine against her aduersitie So that she ioyned the vexacion for her friend with the spite to see her selfe as she thought rebelliously detayned and mixed desirous thoughts to helpe with reuengefull thoughts if she could not helpe And as in pangs of death the stronger hart feeles the greater torment because it doth the more resist to his oppressour so her minde the nobler it was set and had already embraced the hyer thoughtes so much more it did repine and the more it repined the more helplesse wounds it gaue vnto it selfe But when great part of the night was passed ouer the dolefull musicke of these sweete Ladies complaints and that leasure though with some strife had brought Pamela to know that an Eagle when she is in a Cage must not thinke to do like an Eagle remembring with themselues that it was likely the next day the Lords would proceed against those they had imprisoned They imployed the rest of the night in writing vnto them with such earnestnes as the matter required but in such stiles as the state of their thoughts was apt to fashion In the meane time Pyrocles and Musidorus were recommended to so strong a guard as they might well see it was meant they should pay no lesse prise then their liues for the getting out of that place which they like men in deede fortifying courage with the true Rampier of patience did so endure as they did rather appeare gouernours of necessitie then seruaunts to fortune The whole summe of their thoughts resting vpon the safetie of their Ladyes and their care one for the other Wherein if at all their harts did seeme to receyue some softnes For sometimes Musidorus would feele such a motion to his friend and his vnworthy case that he would fall into such kinde speeches My Pyrocles would he say how vnhappy may I thinke Thessalia that hath bene as it were the middle way to this euill estate of yours For if you had not bene there brought vp the Sea should not haue had this power thus to seuer you from your deere father I haue therefore if complayntes do at any time become a mans hart most cause to complayne since my Countrie which receyued the honor of Pyrocles educacion should be a step to his ouerthrowe if humane chances can be compted an ouerthrowe to him that stands vppon vertue Oh excellent Musidorus aunswered Pyrocles howe do you teache me rather to fall out with my selfe and my fortune since by you I haue receyued all good you only by me this affliction to you and your vertuous mother I in my tendrest yeares and fathers greatest troubles was sent for succour There did I learne the sweete mysteries of Phylosophy there had I your liuely example to confirme that which I learned there lastly had I your friendship which no vnhappines can euer make me saye but that hath made me happy Now see how my desteny the gods knowe not my will hath rewarded you my father sends for you away out of your land whence but for me you had not come what after followed you knowe It was my loue not yours which first stayed you heere and therefore if the heauens euer held a iust proportion it were I and not you that should feele the smart O blame not the heauens sweete Pyrocles sayde Musidorus as their course neuer alters so is there nothing done by the vnreacheable ruler of them but hath an euerlasting reason for it And to saye the truth of these things we should deale vngratefully with nature if we should be forgetfull receyuers of her giftes and so diligent Auditors of the chaunces we like not We haue liued and haue liued to be good to our selues and others our soules which are put into the sturring earth of our bodyes haue atchieued the causes of their hether cōming They haue knowne honoured with knowledge the cause of their creation and to many men for in this time place and fortune it is lawfull for vs to speake gloriously it hath bene behouefull that we should liue Since then eternitie is not to be had in this coniunction what is to be lost by the separation but time which since it hath his ende when that is once come all what is past is nothing and by the protracting nothing gotten but labour and care Do not me therefore that wrong who something in yeares but much in all other deserts am fitter to dye then you as to say you haue brought me to any euill since the loue of you doth ouerballance all bodely mischiefes and those mischiefes be but mischiefes to the basermindes too much delighted with the kennell of this life Neither will I any more yeeld to my passion of lamenting you which howsoeuer it might agree to my exceeding friendship surely it would nothing to your exceeding vertue Add this to your noble speech my deere Cozen said Pirocles that if we complaine of this our fortune or seeme to our selues faultie in hauing one hurt the other we showe a repentance of the loue we beare to these matchlesse creatures or at least a doubt it should be ouerdeerely bought which for my part and so dare I aunswere for you I call all the gods to witnesse I am so farre from that no shame no torment no death would make me forgoe the least part of the inward honor essentiall pleasure and liuing life I haue enioyed in the presence of the faultlesse Philoclea Take the preheminence in all things but in true louing aunswered Musidorus for the confession of that no death shall get of me Of that aunswered Pirocles soberly smiling I perceiue wee shall haue a debate in the other world if at least there remayne any thing of remembrance in that place I do not thinke the contrarye sayde Musidorus although you knowe it is greately helde that with the death of bodye and sences whiche are not onely the beginning but dwelling and nourishing of passions thoughts and immaginations they fayling memorye likewise fayles which riseth onely out of them and then is there left nothing but the intellectuall parte or intelligence which voide of all morall vertues which stande in
into his inuectiue oration Staye staie Philanax saide shee do not defile thy honest mouth with those dishonourable speeches thou arte about to vtter against a woman now most wretched lately thy mistresse Let either the remembraunce how great she was moue thy harte to some reuerence or the seing how lowe she is sturre in thee some pittie It may be truth doth make thee deale vntruely and loue of iustice frames vniustice in thee doe not therefore neither shalt thou neede treade vpon my desolate ruines Thou shalt haue that thou seekest and yet shalt not be oppressoure of her who cannot choose but loue thee for thy singular faith to thy master I doe not speake this to procure mercie or to prolong my life no no I say vnto you I will not liue but I am onely loth my death shoulde bee engreeued with any wronge thou shouldest doe vnto me I haue beene to painefull a iudge ouer my selfe to desire pardon in others iudgement I haue beene to cruell an executioner of mine owne soule to desire that execution of iustice shoulde bee stayed for me Alas they that know how sorrow can rent the spirits they that know what fiery hells are cōtiened in a self condemning mind need not feare that feare can keepe such a one from desiring to be seperated from that which nothing but death can seperate I therefore say to thee O iust iudge that I and only I was the worker of Basilius death They were these handes that gaue vnto him that poysonous potion that hath brought death to him and losse to Arcadia it was I and none but I that hastened his aged yeares to an vnnaturall end and that haue made all his people orphans of their royall father I am the subiect that haue killed my Prince I am the wife that haue murdred my husband I am a degenerate woman an vndoer of this countrie a shame of my children What wouldest thou haue saide more Oh Philanax and all this I graunt there resteth then nothing els to say but that I desire you you will appointe quicklie somme to ridd mee of my life rather then these handes which ells are destenied vnto it and that indeede it maye bee doone with such speede as I may not long dye in this life which I haue in so greate horrour with that shee crossed her armes and sate downe vppon the grounde attending the iudges aunswere But a greate while it was before anye boddye coulde bee heard speake the whole people concurring in a lamentable crye so much had Gynecias wordes and behauiour sturred their hartes to a dolefull compassion neither in troath coulde most of them in their iudgements tell whether they shoulde bee more sorrie for her faulte or her miserie for the losse of her estate or losse of her vertue But most were most moued with that which was vnder there eyes the sense most subiecte to pittie But at length the reuerent awe they stoode in of Euarchus brought them to a silent wayting his determination who hauing well considered the abhomination of the facte attending more the manifest proofe of so horrible a trespasse confessed by her selfe and proued by others then any thing relenting to those tragicall phrases of hers apter to sturre a vulgare pittie then his minde which hated euill in what culloures so euer he founde it hauing considered a while with the principall men of the country and demaunded there allowance he definitiuely gaue this sentence That where as both in priuate and publike respectes this woman had most haynously offēded in priuate because marriage being the most holy coniunction that falls to mankinde out of which all families and so consequently all societies doe proceede which not onely by communitie goods but communitie children is to knit the mindes in a most perfet vnion which who so breakes dissolues al humanitie no man liuing free from the danger of so neere a neighbour she had not onely broken it but broken it with death and the most pretended death that might be In publike respect the Princes persons being in all monarchall gouernmentes the very knot of the peoples welfare and light of all their doinges to which they are not onely in conscience but in necessitie bounde to be loyall she had trayterously empoysoned him neither regarding her contries profit her owne dutie nor the rigor of the lawes That therefore as well for the due satisfaction to eternall iustice and accomplishment of the Arcadian statutes as for the euerlasting example to all wiues and subiectes she should presently be conueyed to cloase prison and there be kept with such foode as might serue to sustaine her aliue vntill the day of her husbands buryall at which time shee shoulde bee buried quicke in the same tombe with hime That so his murder might bee a murder to her selfe and she forced to keepe company with the body from which she had made so detestable a seuerance And lastly death might redresse their disioyned coniunction of marriage His iudgement was receaued of the whole assemblie as not with disliking so with great astonishmēt the greatnes of the matter and person as it were ouerpressing the might of their conceites But when they did set it to the beame with the monstrousnes of her ouglye misdeede they coulde not but yeeld in their hartes there was no ouerbalancing As for Gynecia who had already setled her thoughts not only to look but long for this euent hauing in this time of her vexation found a sweetnes in the rest she hoped by death with a countenaunce witnessing she had before hand so passed thorowe all the degrees of sorrowe that shee had no new looke to figure forth any more rase vp and offred forth her faite handes to bee bounde or led as they would being indeed troubled with no parte of this iudgement but that her death was as she thought long delayed They that were appointed for it conueyed her to the place she was in before where the guarde was relieued and the number encreased to keepe her more sure for the time of her execution None of them all that led her though most of them were such whose harts had beene long hardned with the often exercising such offices being able to barre teares from their eyes and others manifest tokens of compassionate sorrow So goodly a vertue is a resolute constancie that euen in euill deseruers it seemes that partie might haue beene notably well deseruing Thus the excellent Lady Gynecia hauing passed fiue and thirtie yeares of her age euen to admiration of her beautifull minde and body and hauing not in her owne knowledge euer spotted her soule with any wilfull vice but her imoderate loue of Zelmane was brought first by the violence of that ill answered passion and then by the dispayring conceite she took of the iudgement of God in her husbandes death and her owne fortune purposely to ouerthrowe her selfe and confirme by a wronge confession that abhominable shame which with her wisdome ioynde to the truth perhappes
fellowes accusation was double double likewise my aunswere must perforce be to the murder of Basilius and violence offred to the inuiolate Philoclea For the fyrst O heauenly gods who would haue thought any mouth could haue bene founde so mercenary as to haue opened so slight proofes of so horrible matters his fyrst Argument is a question who would imagine that Ginecia would accomplish such an Acte without some accessaries and if any who but I truly I and so farre from imagining any thing that till I sawe these mourning tokens and heard Ginecias confession I neuer imagined the King was dead And for my part so vehemently and more like the manner of passionate then giltie folkes I see the Queene persecute her selfe that I thinke condemnation may goe too hastely ouer her considering the vnlikelyhood if not impossibilitie her wisedome and vertue so long nourished should in one moment throw downe it selfe to the vttermost ende of wickednes But whatsoeuer she hath done which as I say I neuer beleeued yet how vniustly should that aggrauate my fault She founde abroade I within dores for as for the wearing my garment I haue tolde you the cause she seeking as you saye to escape I locking my selfe in a house without perchaunce the conspiracie of one poore straunger might greatly enable her attempt or the fortification of the Lodge as the trimme man alleadged might make me hope to resist all Arcadia And see how treacherously he seekes to drawe from me my chiefest cleering by preuenting the credit of her words wherewith she had wholie taken the fault vpon her selfe A honest and vnpartiall examiner her words may condemne her but may not absolue me Thus voide of all probable allegacion the crauen crowes vppon my affliction not leauing out any euill that euer he hath felt in his owne soule to charge my youth withall But who can looke for a sweeter breath out of such a stomacke or for honny from so filthye a Spyder What should I say more if in so inhumane a matter which he himselfe confesseth sincerest iudgements are lothest to beleeue and in the seuerest lawes proofes clerer then the Sunne are required his reasons are only the skumme of a base malice my answeres most manifest shining in their owne truth there remayne any doubt of it because it stands betwixt his affirming and my denyall I offer nay I desire and humblie desire I may be graunted the tryall by combat wherein let him be armed and me in my shirt I doubt not Iustice will be my shield and his hart will shew it selfe as faint as it is false Now come I to the second part of my offence towards the young Lady which howsoeuer you tearme it so farre forth as I haue tolde you I confesse and for her sake hartely lament But if herein I offred force to her loue offred more force to me Let her beawtie be compared to my yeares and such effectes will be found no miracles But since it is thus as it is and that iustice teacheth vs not to loue punishment but to flye to it for necessitye the salue of her honour I meane as the world will take it for else in truth it is most vntouched must be my marriage and not my death since the one shops all mouthes the other becommes a doubtfull fable This matter requires no more words and your experience I hope in these cases shall neede no more for my selfe me thinkes I haue shewed already too much loue of my life to bestowe so many But certainely it hath bene loue of truth which could not beare so vnworthy falsehood and loue of iustice that would brooke no wrong to my selfe nor other and makes me now euen in that respect to desire you to be moued rather with pittie at a iust cause of teares then with the bloudy teares this Crocodile spends who weepes to procure death and not to lament death It will be no honour to Basilius tombe to haue guiltlesse bloud sprinckled vpon it and much more may a Iudge ouerway himselfe in crueltie then in clemencie It is hard but it is excellent where it is found a right knowledge when correction is necessary when grace doth more auaile For my owne respect if I thought in wisedome I had deserued death I would not desire life for I knowe nature will condemne me to dye though you do not and longer I would not wish to drawe this breath then I may keepe my selfe vnspotted of any horrible crime only I cannot nor euer will denye the loue of Philoclea whose violence wrought violent effects in me with that he finished his speeche casting vp his eyes to the Iudge and crossing his hands which he held in their length before him declaring a resolute pacience in whatsoeuer should be done with him Philanax like a watchfull aduersary curiously marked all that he saide sauing that in the beginning he was interrupted by two Letters were brought him from the Princesse Pamela and the Lady Philoclea who hauing all that night considered and bewayled their estate carefull for their mother likewise of whome they could neuer thinke so much euill but considering with themselues that she assuredly should haue so due tryall by the lawes as eyther she should not neede their helpe or should be past their helpe They looked to that which neerelyest touched them and each wrate in this sort for him in whome their liues ioy consisted The humble harted Philoclea wrate much after this manner MY Lords what you will determine of me is to me vncertayne but what I haue determined of my selfe I am most certaine which is no longer to enioy my life then I may enioy him for my husband whom the heauens for my hyest glory haue bestowed vpon me Those that iudge him let them execute me Let my throate satisfye their hunger of murder For alas what hath he done that had not his originall in me Looke vppon him I beseech you with indifferency and see whether in those eyes all vertue shines not See whether that face could hide a murder Take leasure to knowe him and then your selues will say it hath bene too great an inhumanitie to suspect such excellency Are the gods thinke you deceaued in their workemanship Artificers will not vse marble but to noble vses Should those powers be so ouershot as to frame so precious an Image of their owne but to honorable purposes O speake with him ô heare him ô knowe him and become not the putters out of the worlds light Hope you to ioy my fathers soule with hurting him he loued aboue all the world Shall a wrong suspicion make you forget the certaine knowledge of those benefits this house hath receiued by him Alas alas let not Arcadia for his losse be accurssed of the whole earth and of all posteritie He is a great Prince I speake vnto you that which I knowe for I haue seene most euident testimonies Why should you hinder my aduancement who if I haue past my childhood hurtlesse to