of sommer is spread ouer the face of the whole earth sometimes taking his rebecke which he euer caried very neate in a scrip and sometimes his bagpipe to the tune of which he made most sweete ditties which of all the Shepherdesses of those hamlets thereabouts made him most highly commended The Shepherd busied not his thoughts in the consideration of the prosperous and preposterous successe of fortune nor in the mutabilitie and course of times neither did the painfull diligence and aspiring minde of the ambitious Courtier trouble his quiet rest nor the presumption and coye disdaine of the proude and nice Ladie celebrated onely by the appassionate vowes and opinions of her amorous sutours once occurre to his imaginations And as little did the swelling pride and small care of the hawtie priuate man offend his quiet minde In the field was he borne bred and brought vp in the field he fed his flockes and so out of the limits of the field his thoughts did neuer range vntill cruell loue tooke possession of his libertie which to those he is commonly woont to doe who thinke themselues freest from his tyrannie The sad Shepherd therefore came softly on his pace his eies turned into fountaines the fresh hew of his face chaunged and his hart so tempered to suffer Fortunes vnworthie disgraces that if she would haue giuen him any content she must haue sought him a new hart to receiue it The weedes that he did weare was a long gray coate as rugged as his haps carrying a sheepehooke in his right hand and a scrip hanging on his left arme He laide himselfe downe at the foote of a thicke hedge and began to cast foorth his eyes along those faire riuer banks vntill their beames came to that place where first they beheld the beautie grace and rare vertues of the Shepherdesle Diana she in whom skilfull nature had consummated all perfections which in euery part of her dainty body she had equally bestowed Then did his hart imagine that which before it diuined of That sometimes he should finde himselfe put amongst sorrowfull memories And then could not the wofull Shepherd stop his teares from gushing out nor smother his sighes which came smoking out of his brest but lifting vp his eies to heauē began thus to lament Ah memorie cruell enemie to my quiet rest were not thou better occupied to make me forget present corsies then to put before mine eies passed contents What saiest thou memorie That in this medow I beheld my Lady Diana that in the same I began to feele that which I shal neuer leaue of to lament That neere to that cleere fountaine set about with high and greene Sicamours with many teares she solemnly sware to me that there was not the deerest thing in the world no not the will of her parents the perswasion of her brethren nor the importunities of her allies that were able to remooue her from her setled thoughts And when she spake these words there fell out of those faire eies teares like orientall pearles which seemed to testifie that which remained in her secret hart commanding me vpon paine to be accounted of her a man but of a base and abiect minde if I did not beleeue that which so often times she had told me But stay yet a little Memorie since now thou hast put before me the foundations of my mishap and such they were that the ioy which I then passed was but the beginning of the greefe which now I suffer forget not to tune me this iarring string to put before mine eies by one and one the troubles the turmoiles the feares the suspects the iealousies the mistrusts and cares which leaue not him that most truly loues Ah memorie memorie how sure am I of this answere at thy hands that the greatest paine that I passed in these considerations was but little in respect of that content which in lieu of them I receiued Thou hast great reason memorie and the worse for me that it is so great and lying and lamenting in this sort he tooke a paper out of his bosome wherein he had a few greene silken strings and haire tyed vp together and laying them open before him vpon the greene grasse with abundance of teares he tooke out his Rebecke not halfe so iocund as it was woont to be at what time he was in Dianas fauour and began to sing that which followeth HAire in change what libertie Since I sawe you haue I seene How vnseemely hath this greene Bene a signe of hope to me Once I thought no Shepherd might In these fieldes be found O haire Though I did it with some feare Worthy to come neere your sight Haire how many times and tydes Did my faire Diana spie If I ware or left you by And a thousand toyes besides And how oft in weeping sort Of deceitfull teares O springs Was she iealous of the things Which I spake or did in sport Those faire eies which wrought my woe Golden haire tell me what fault In beleeuing them I caught When they did assure me soe Saw you not how she did greeue Spilling daily many a teare Vnto her till I did sweare That I did her words beleeue Who more beautie euer knew In a subiect of such change Or more sorrowes or more strange In a loue so perfect true On the sand her did I see Sitting by you riuer bright Where her finger this did wright Rather dead then changed be See how loue beares vs in hand Making vs beleeue the wordes That a womans wit affordes And recorded in the sand Syrenus had not so soone made an end of his sorrowful song if that his teares had not bene at hand for such an one was he from whom fortune had cut off all the waies and meanes of his remedie Sorrowing thus his Rebecke fell out of his hand and taking vp the golden haire he put them in their place againe saying O pledges of the fairest and most disloyall Shepherdesse that humane eies may behold how with your owne sasetie haue you beguiled me Woe is me that I cannot choose but see you my whole greefe consisting in hauing seene you And pulling his hande out of his scrip he found a letter that Diana in time of his prosperitie had sent him which when he beheld with a burning sigh that came from his very hart he saide O letter letter burned maist thou be by his handes who may best doe what he list and woe be to him that now shall reade thee But who may doe it And opening it he sawe that it said thus Dianas letter to Syrenus HOw ill I should brooke thy words my Syrenus who would not thinke but that loue made thee vtter them Thou saiest I loue thee not so much as I ought to doe I knowe not whereby thou perceiuest it and conceiue not how I should loue thee more Behold it is now no time not to beleeue me bicause thou seest that the loue which I beare thee compels me to
Alanius ALthough my quiet it doth let Rather then blame discredit me For God forbid that I forget Let me with wrong forgotten be Not onely where obliuion raineth There is no loue nor can be none Nay where there is suspicion There is no loue but such as faineth Great harme it is to loue where set In bootelesse hopes the minde they free But God defend that I forget Forgotten though a iest it bee If that I loue why then loue I To sport or leaue to loue at all For what more honor can befall Then die for that for which I die To liue therefore and to forget Is such a shamefull life I see That I had rather loue one yet Forgotten though to death I bee When I had made an ende of my song the Shepherdes teares but those especially of faire Ismenia were so many that of force they made me participate some of her greefe which thing I might well haue left vndone for no fault could iustly haue bene attributed to my great mishap as to all those that were there it was sufficiently knowen After this euery one of vs went to their owne towne bicause it was not meete for vs to be out of them at such inconuenient and late howers And the next day my father without telling me the cause why caried me out of our towne and brought me to yours placing me there in the house of Albania mine aunt and his sister whom you knowe well where I haue remained a few daies since my comming hither not knowing the cause of my sudden exile but haue heard of late that Montanus hath married Ismenia and that Alanius was about to marrie a sister of hers called Syluia whereupon to conclude I wish that he may liue since it was not my good fortune to haue him as ioyfull a life with his new spouse that nothing may want to the full accomplishment of their content and happinesse For the loue which I beare him will suffer me no lesse then to wish him all the felicitie of this life When Seluagia had made an end of her sorrowfull tale she began to weepe so bitterly that both the Shepherdes being a kinde of friendly dutie wherein they had no small experience began also to helpe her with their teares and after hauing spent a little time in this sort Syrenus saide vnto her Great is thy greefe faire Seluagia and yet I iudge thy patience and discretion greater Take example by other mens harmes looke into their paines consider their woes if thou wilt the better support thine owne And bicause it growes now towardes night let vs be iogging towardes our towne and to morrow passe away the heate of the day neere to this cleere fountaine where we will all three meete Let it be as thou saiest said Seluagia but bicause betweene this and the towne there is a pretie way let euery one of vs to passe it away with some thing sing a song befitting the condition and qualitie of his loue The Shepherdes answered if she would begin they would follow which Seluagia did all three going on softly towardes the towne SHepherd who can passe such wrong And a life in woes so deepe Which to liue is to too long As it is too short to weepe Greeuous sighes in vaine I waste Leesing my affiance and I perceiue my hope at last With a candle in the hand What time then to hope among Bitter hopes that euer sleepe When this life is to too long As it is too short to weepe This greefe which I feele so rife Wretch I doe deserue as hire Since I came to put my life In the handes of my desire Then cease not my plaints so strong For though life her course doth keepe It is not to liue so long As it is too short to weepe With a burning sigh that came from her afflicted soule Seluagia ended her song saying How vnfortunate alas am I that see my selfe buried in iealousie despaire which cannot in the end but bring my life to no other passe then to that which is infallibly expected of them After this forgotten Syrenus to the tune of his Rebecke began to sing this song following WEepe not my dolefull eies But if you weepe thinke at the lest They tolde no trueth but lies And then it may be you may rest Since that imagination Doth cause so much in euery state Thinke that she loues thee as of late And thou shalt haue lesse passion And if you will mine eies Haue ease imagine then the best And that they told you lies And so perhaps you may haue rest Thinke that she loues as well As euer she did heretofore But this sad men caunot restore To thinke what once befell Then mournfull eies where lies Your helpe Yet thinke of some at lest If not weepe still mine eies Or make an end and you shall rest After that sorrowfull Syrenus with many teares had made an end of his song despised Syluanus began his thus MY life yoong Shepherdesse for thee Of needes to death must post But yet my greefe must stay with mee After my life is lost The greeuous ill by death that cured is Continually hath remedie at hand But not that torment that is like to this That in slowe time and fortunes meanes doth stand And if this sorrow cannot be Ended with life as most What then doth this thing profit me A sorrow wonne or lost Yet all is one to me as now I trie A flattring hope or that that had not bene yet For if to day for want of it I die Next day I doe no lesse for hauing seene it Faine would I die to end and free This greefe that kils me most If that it might be lost with me Or die when life is lost And in this sort the two Shepherdes went homewardes in companie of Seluagia departing from one another with accorde to meete the next day following at the same place The end of the first booke of Diana The second Booke of Diana of George of Montemayor NOw did the Shepherdes which fed their sheepe in the fieldes of Ezla begin to shew themselues euery one with his flockes along the bankes of those cristalline waters each Shepherde knowing choosing out the best place before the Sun did rise the better to passe away the burning heate of the day when the faire Shepherdesse Seluagia came down from the hil which frō her towne did leade to a thick wood driuing her gentle sheepe and lambes before her who after she had put them amongst the lowe shrubs which grew very thicke thereabouts and seeing them busie in knobbing the yoong and tender boughes to stanch their hunger went directly to the fountaine of the Sicamours where the day before in companie of the two Shepherds she had passed away the noone-tide heate and seeing the place so agreeable to melancholie and contemplation of her sorrowes she thought it not amisse to take the opportunitie of the time and place and to sit downe
by the fountaine whose waters seemed with her swelling teares to increase where after she had a great while busied her selfe in diuers and sundrie thoughts she began thus to say May it be possible Alanius that thou art the man whose eies I neuer saw dried vp from teares in presence of mine And he who falling downe so many times at my feete with louing and pitifull wordes craued mercie and clemencie at my handes the which to my great harme and greefe I so gently bestowed on thee Tell me Shepherd the falsest that liues on earth is it true that thou louedst me to cloy thy minde with my fauours and so soone to be wearie of the loue that thou didst beare me Thou mightest imagine that it was no lesse in my power to forget and despise thee as thou hast forgotten me For it is the part of those that handle not their matters of loue so well as they shoulde to thinke that their Mistresses may play the like partes with them as they haue done before though some vse it for a remedie and policie to make their loue encrease the more And others that iealousie the occasion whereof most commonly they faine may so captiuate their Mistresses mindes that as they make them beleeue they are not able to settle their affection in any other place whereupon most of them come by little and little to manifest all that they fained before whereby more cleerely they discouer their disloyaltie All which extremes at last result to the greefe and preiudice of vs poore soules who not considering how the endes of such things commonly fall out doe so deepely sinke into that kinde of assured affection that we neuer leaue of to loue you nor you to requite vs with ingratitude and inconstancie as thou dost that loue disloyall Alanius which I haue borne and doe still beare thee So that which of these thou hast bene I cannot coniecture But wonder not Seluagia that thou vnderstandest so little in matters of disdaine that art so well practised in loues affaires Thou didst euer beare an honest and vertuous pretence by thy wordes whereby I neuer looked for lesse by thy deedes which made me thinke that that loue whereby thou mad'st me beleeue that thy desire extended to wish no more of me then pure loue againe should neuer haue an end for if any further drift had bene in thy desires I woulde neuer haue suspected firmnesse in thy loue O wretched woman how soone haue I begun to know thy intentions and yet how late to preuent my harmes Come thou to me my pretie Bagpipe and with thee will I passe the time away for had I spent it onely in thy exercise and delight it had bene better for me and after she had plaied a while on it she began to sing this Sextine following WAters that fall from top of these steepe Hils With such a noyse into these lowe deepe Vales Why thinke you not of those which from my Soule Continually distill my wearied Eies And what 's the cause of them Vnluckie Time In which hard fortune robbed all my Ioy. Loue gaue me hope of such a golden Ioy That ther 's no Shepherdesse in all these Hils That had such cause to praise a happy Time But after he did put me in these Vales Of swelling teares that fall from both mine Eies Not to behold such greefe as kils my Soule Such is the paine that wounds a louing Soule That in the end I know what thing is Ioy O where shall I then turne my wearied Eies If that the medowes woods the plaines and Hils The pleasant groues and fountaines of the Vales Still to my thoughts present so sweete a Time Who would haue thought that such a happy Time Should be so fierce a torment to my Soule Or cruell fortune banish me the Vale Wherin all things were obiects of my Ioy Vntill the hungrie woolfe which to the Hill Ascending vp was pleasant to mine Eies But fortune now what may my drenched Eies Behold which saw their Shepherd many a Time Driuing his lambes before him downe this Hill Whose name for ay shall rest within my Soule O fortune foe vnto my former Ioy How doe I languish in this irkesome Vale But when so pleasant and so fresh a Vale Is not delightfull to my wearied Eies And where I cannot finde content and Ioy And hope not now to haue it any Time See what extremes enuiron then my Soule O that he came againe O that sweete Hill O highest Hils and fresh and pleasant Vale Where once my Soule did rest and both these Eies Tell me shall I in Time haue so much Ioy About this time Syluanus was with his flockes in a thicket of Mirtle trees neere to the fountaine musing and imagining diuers things in his minde but when he heard Seluagias voice awaked as it were out of a slumber he gaue attentiue eare to the verses that she did sing But as this Shepherd was cruelly intreated of loue and contemned of Diana so his passions made him wander a thousand times out of his wits as that he now spake ill of loue and by and by praised it sometimes merrie and other times more pensiue and sad then the most sorrowfull man in the world to day speaking ill of women to morrow extolling them aboue all mortall creatures And thus did this sorrowfull Shepherd leade a life which as to all so especially to those that are free from loue would be tedious and difficult to describe But hauing heard Seluagias sweete verses and obtained leaue of his sad thoughts he tooke his Kit and to the tune thereof began to sing that which followeth TO heare me wearied is the cleerest riuer Tedious I am to euery vale and mountaine And now to heare O loue my sorrowes giuer My plaining wearied is each cristall fountaine The Sicamour the Oke and Elme are wearie Spring Sommer Autumne and the winter season Hearing my cries are sworne not to be merry With teares I melt these rocks and yet all reason Of pitie Tigresse thou dost still deny me When trees and stones for greefe are dying by me A bondslaue of a freeman thou hast made me And of a man of reason cleane contrarie With life and death by turnes thou dost inuade me And to tormenting greefe my soule dost carrie Of affable and one that liu'd so gayly Made me thou hast to frowards disdaining Of one that did conuerse with all men daily Made me thou hast their company refraining Eies had I once now blinded with desire I was a man of flesh but now of fire What 's this my hart thy torments dost thou double Tell me mine eies and are you still a weeping My soule sufficeth not my passed trouble My teares and are ye yet in riuers steeping My wandring wits and are you not molested More then ynough with such incessant sorrow And are ye not my senses also wrested From your right course resting not euen nor morrow How know I then weepe see
thou dost see Which for my sake I pray thee weare That though our bodies parted bee Nothing shall part not death alone Two soules vnited both in one He saide with thee what shall I leaue Naught haue I but this Sheepehooke heere The which I pray thee to receiue And Rebecke to the which my deere Thou saw'st me sing in this greene meade And play and many a daunce to leade To sound of which my Shepherdesse A thousand songs to thee I soong Singing of thy great worthinesse Too high for my base song and toong And of our loues and of my passions And of my sweetest lamentations Each one imbrac't the other fast And this I thinke the first time was And as I gesse it was the last Bicause those times did change and passe And loue with time did change and varie From that which once they both did carie For though Diana felt great paine For absence of her louer deere Yet in the same she found againe A remedie as did appeere For after he the seas did passe She to another married was Faire Cynthia hauing made an end of her sweete song Doria and Polydora wondred that a Shepherdesse could be the cause that loue kindled such burning flames and marueiled no lesse how time had cured her greefe which seemed at their farewell to be remedilesse But vnfortunate Syrenus all the while the Nymph with her sweete song did manifest his old cares and sighes forgot not to breath them out so thicke that Syluanus and Seluagia could not by any meanes comfort him for he was now no lesse pensiue then at the very time when he passed them maruelling much how she knew of these particulars which passed betweene him and Diana And Syluanus and Seluagia were no lesse astonished at the passing sweete grace wherewith Cynthia both song and plaied the same But now the faire Nymphes tooke vp their instruments and went walking vp and downe the greene meadow lest of all suspecting that which happened vnto them for hauing gone but a little way from the place where the Shepherdes were secretly abiding three monstrous and foule Sauages came out of a thicket of high broome and bushes on the right hande of the woode armed with corselets and morions of tygres skins and so vgly to behold that to the fearefull Nymphes it was a strange and terrible sight The braces of their corselets were at the endes armed with gasping mouthes of serpents out of the which their armes shewed monstrously great and full of haire and their morions that encompassed their grisely foreheads with dreadfull heads of lyons being naked in euery other part of their body but that it was couered all ouer with long and thicke haire and bearing in their rude hands clubs armed with iron and sharpe steeled points At their neckes their bowes and arrowes and likewise their shields which were broad shels of monstrous Tortuses were hanging downe behinde them who with an incredible swiftnes ranne vpon the fearefull Nymphes saying Now is the time come ingrate and scornefull Nymphes that by our strength and wils you shall be forced to do that which our milde loue and longe suites could neuer bring to passe for it is not reason that fortune should doe such iniurie to our captiue harts with so long and great paine to defer our remedies In fine we haue now in our hands the guerdon of our sighes and lamentations which wearied the birds and beasts of the darke and enchaunted woode where we dwell and the recompence of our burning teares wherewith we made the raging and lothsome riuer that watreth the dreadfull fieldes and plaines of our territories to swell and ouerflowe his banks Since then you haue no other meanes to saue your liues but by easing helping our harmes be not so wilfull by resistance to make our cruell hands take vengeance of that paine which so long you haue made our afflicted harts to feele The Nymphes at the sudden sur-sault of these monsters were so amazed that they were not able to answer to these proude and cruell wordes but onely with silence and teares Albeit faire Doria who had more courage then the rest at last did stoutly answer them thus againe I neuer thought that loue could bring a louer to so foule an extreme as with violent hands and such vnseemly force to sease vpon his beloued It is the manner of cowards to carie weapons and fight with silly women in an open and desart fielde where none is able to defend them but their vertue and honest reasons But of one thing cruell vile beasts you may be ascertained that your menaces shal not make vs leese one iot of that which our honours require and that we will sooner leaue our liues in your barbarous hands then suffer our deer chastities by your beastly forces to be violated It is needlesse Doria saide one of them againe to harken to their reasons who had none at all to handle vs with so great scorne and crueltie wherevpon vnloosing the string from his bowe that hung at his necke he tooke her by both her faire hands and rudely tied them togither and so did his companions Cynthias and Polydoras The two Shepherds and the Shepherdesse Seluagia astonished at the monstrous violence of the Sauages and seeing what beastialitie they beganne to vse to the faire and tender Nymphes not able to endure it resolued to die or to defende them from their cruell handes Wherefore all three taking out their slings and filling their scrips with stones came out of the woode into the greene medowe and beganne to throwe them at the Sauages with such courage and dexteritie as though their liues had lien in their handes And thinking to plie them so fast with stones that the Nymphes while the Sauages were busie about their owne defence might escape and saue their persons from their vile immanitie they redoubled their force with the greatest speede and valour they coulde Whose driftes the suttle Sauages suspecting one of them had an eie to the faire prisoners for running away while the other two by winning ground on their enemies thought to make a quicke dispatch of them But the stones came so dangerously and so many that they had ynough to defende themselues so that as long as they lasted the Sauages fared very ill But as the Shepherdes were afterwardes occupied in stowping downe to take vppe more stones the Sauages came running in to them so speedily with their massie clubs that nowe they were without any hope of life if presently a certaine strange Shepherdesse of such singular beautie and comely feature as made both the Sauages and the rest amazed at her goodly personage had not come out of the thicke wood neere vnto the fountaine where they before were singing She had her bowe hanging on her left arme and a quiuer of arrowes at her shoulder in her hand a fine staffe of wilde oke armed at the end with a long and well steeled pike But when she saw the
so deerely againe it seemed that fortune would make an end of all my ioy with the most haplesse euent that was euer seene before For thus it was that Arsileus and I appointing to meete together on a certaine night too darke and dismall for me bicause I neuer since knew perfectly what day meant we concluded that he should come into my fathers orchard and I to my chamber windowe which opened right vpon a Mulberie tree whereon he might easily get vp to be necre vnto me there to talke togither of our matters Accursed Belisa that shalt neuer conceiue to what purpose I brought him to such danger when as euery day sometimes in the fielde sometimes at the riuer side and sometimes at the wood when I carried my kine to pasture and sometimes when I driue my sheepe to the folde he might at pleasure haue talked with me as he did many daies before But my hard hap was the cause that fortune would be paied for the content which she had lent me till then with making me liue all my life time without it For now the appointed hower which was the ende of his daies and the beginning of my woes being come Arsileus came iust at the time and to the very place where both of vs talking together of those things which they may imagine that haue sometimes loued well his wretched father Arsenius that accustomed many nights to walke vp and downe about our house to see if he could see me which if I had so well remembred for it was so far out of my thoughtes as if I had neuer knowen any such matter I would neuer haue consented to put him in such danger in the ende happened to come thither that night and iust at that hower when his sonne was in the tree and so priuily that though he had quickly espied vs we could neither heare nor see him And knowing it was I that was speaking out at the window but not his sonne that was in the Mulberie tree not imagining who he might be it was the principall cause of our ill successe For thereupon he conceiued such great wroth and iealousie that without any noise at all he bied him home where bending a Crossebowe and putting a poisoned arrow in it came againe to the place where we were and aimed so right at his sonne that the arrow pearcing his tender hart he fell immediately downe dead from the tree saying How little time my deere Belisa doth fortune lend me to serue thee according to my great good will desire Which wordes he could scarce vtter when the accursed father who by his speech knew that he was the homicide of his owne sonne with a desperate outcrie saide Thrise wretched and accursed may I euer be if thou art my sonne Arsileus who seemest to be no other by thy voice Whereupon comming vnto him and by the light of the moone that shone vpon his face knowing him well and that he had giuen vp the ghost he saide Since cruell Belisa my vnfortunate sonne by thy means hath bene slaine it is not meete that the murdering father suruiue to lament his vntimely death At which wordes taking out his Woodknife he thrust it into his hart and fell downe presently dead O vnhappie chaunce O strange case neuer heard of nor seene before O greeuous scandale to their eares that shall he are the lamentable discourse of my balefull tragedie O miserable Belisa may thy guiltie hart thinke of these things and not take that way which both father and sonne haue taken for thy sake Alas it shall be great impietie not to mingle thy blood with theirs who desired so much to serue thee But when wretched soule I sawe this vnluckie accident without any more adoe I left my fathers house and went vp and downe wearying the heauens with importunate complaints and burning the aire with smokie sighes vntill I came to this place where accusing cruell fortune and hatefull death that had in so short time taught me to feele the woundes of their cruell dartes I haue liued sixe monethes without seeing or speaking to any person and not desirous of any companie or consolation whatsoeuer Faire Belisa hauing made an end of her pitifull tale began to weepe so bitterly that euery one there was forced with their teares to helpe to bewaile her dire misfortune And adding further she saide This is faire Nymphes the sorrowfull historie or rather dolefull tragedie of my haplesse loues and of their bloodie successe Behold then if this be such an ill that fortune or time may cure and remedie O Arsileus how often did I feare it without thinking of that which I iustly feared But she that will not beleeue her feare and preuent it let her not maruell when she sees that come to passe which she feared for well I knew thou couldst not be any long time without meeting me and that my ioy could endure no longer then when Arsenius thy father perceiued any thing of our loues I woulde to God it had so fallen out that the greatest hurt that he could haue done me had bene but to banish thee his sight and our towne For an ill which is cured with time may with lesse harme be suffered O Arsenius the death of thy sonne is no impediment to the greefe that I also conceiue for thine for the loue which thou didst continually beare me thy vertuous and pure zeale wherewith thou didst euer loue me thy bountie and cost bestowed on me the tempestuous and ill nightes that thou hast passed for my sake will let me doe no lesse then lament and bewaile thy disastrous end for by this time I had bene married vnto thee if thy sweete sonne Arsileus had not come to our towne If I should say that I did not loue thee well I should deceiue the world for in the end there is no woman if she knowes she is truly beloued but will loue little or much againe although otherwise she manifest the same But now my toong holde thy peace since thou hast told more then thou wert asked And pardon me faire Nymphes if I haue bene tedious in my sorrowfull narration bicause so great mishaps cannot be comprised in fewe wordes Whilest the Shepherdesse was telling that which you haue heard Syrenus Syluanus Seluagia and faire Felismena and the three Nymphes coulde not giue eare without some secrete teares although the Nymphes as women neuer touched with loue felt her paine and greefe but not the circumstances of it But faire Doria seeing the comfortlesse Shepherdesse did not leaue of her bitter complaint began to comfort her in this sort Let thy teares cease Belisa since thou seest what small remedie thou hast of them and waigh that two eies are not able to bewaile so great a greefe But what sorrow can there be which is not ended or endes not her that suffers it and yet I could shew thee the way whereby I could a little lighten thy paine Wherefore I pray thee goe with vs
light and glory of Spaine which name she saide did better fit it then the right name of it bicause in the mids of the infidelitie of Marsilius the Mahometicall king who had so many yeeres encompassed it with a cruell and continuall siege it did euer so strongly defend it selfe that it was alwaies the conquerour and neuer subdued and that it was called in the Portugall toong Montemor or Velho where the vertue valour wisedome and magnanimitie remained for trophees of the noble deedes that the Lords and Knights of it did in those daies and that the Lords and Ladies that now dwelt in it flourished in all kinde of vertues and commendable parts And so did the Shepherdesse tell her manie other things of the fertilitie of the foile of the antiquitie of the buildings of the riches of the inhabitants of the beautie discretion and vertues of the Nymphes Shepherdesses and of the aptnes and actiuitie of the iolly Shepherdes that dwelt about that impregnable castle All which things did put Felismena in great admiration But the Shepherdesses requesting her to eate somthing bicause they thought she needed it she thankfully accepted their curteous offer And whiles she was eating that which the Shepherdesses had set before her they sawe her shed so manie teares that caused no small sorrow in them both And desirous to aske her the cause of them they were hindred by the voice of a Shepherd that came sweetely singing to the tune of his Rebecke whom the Shepherdesses knewe to be the Shepherd Danteus for whom Armia pleaded so much to the gracious Duarda for pitie and pardon Who saide to Felismena Although these are but homely cates faire Shepherdesse and countrey Shepherdesses fare yet fals it out to be a dinner for a Princesse for thou didst but little thinke when thou cam'st hither to dine with musicke There is not any musicke in the world saide Felismena that pleaseth me better then thy sight and conuersation gracious Shepherdesse which by greater reason makes me thinke that I am a princesse then the musicke thou talkest of These words should be adressed said Duarda to one of more woorth and higher deserts then I am and that had a riper wit and deeper conceite to vnderstande them But howsoeuer I am to my poore abilitie thou shalt finde an earnest will an vnfained affection in me readie to do thee all the seruice it may Ah Duarda saide Armia to her how discreete art thou and how mightest thou not win the onely praise of wisedome if thou wert not cruell Is there any woman in the worlde like thee heerein who of purpose art offring occasions of impertinent speech and to busie thy head with other matters bicause thou hast no list to harken to the wofull Shepherd that by dolefull song is breathing out his sorrowes and mishaps Felismena vnderstanding what that Shepherd was by Armias wordes praied them to be still and to giue eare vnto him who to the tune of his Rebecke did in his owne toong sing this song following SIghes since you lighten not my hart Why go you not why stay you still For in the end hope doth impart Aremedie vnto mine ill Yet hope to helpe me neuer stood Where reason worketh all in vaine Nor euer promis'd so much good As crueltie doth giue me paine But loue and trust giue me an art And qualitie of such a skill That neither hope reuiues my hart Nor crueltie the same doth kill Mine eies you neede not then complaine With which her faire ones I haue seene And what neede you to feare againe Since viewed by her you haue beene And therefore change shall haue no part Nor entrance in my constant will Though crueltie doth kill my hart Or whether hope remaineth still The Shepherds musicke pleased Felismena better then the Shepherdesses meat for she thought the song was made to complaine more of his owne griefe then to lament an others And as he made an ende she said Shepherd it seemes thou hast truely learned by my ils to complaine of thine owne Vnfortunate woman that can neither heare nor see any thing which sets not before me the small reason I haue to desire life But yet God grant I may so long enioy it vntil mine eies may see the cause of their burning teares Thinkest thou faire Shepherdesse said Armia to her that these words deserue not to be heard and that the hart from whence they came forth to be more esteemed then this Shepherdesse regards them Talke not saide Duarda of his words talke of his works speake not of his dittie but of his deeds for by them his intent and meaning is to be iudged If thou dost enamour thy selfe of songs and delightest in Sonets compacted of industrie of fine and flattering words Thinke not that I do so for as they are things wherein I take least pleasure so by them I lesse perswade me of the loue he beares me Felismena then fauouring Duardas reason said Behold Armia how many ils might be auoided and great mischiefes not effected if we would not hearken to smooth filed speeches lightly credit words framed by free harts for by nothing else they shew their properties more then by a cunning and false tale vttered by an eloquent fine toong that when we thinke it most true there is nothing more false Vnhappie me that could not in time helpe my selfe with this counsell But by this time was the Porugall Shepherd come where the Shepherdesses were who in his owne language saide to Duarda If the teares of these eies and the sighes of this my hart are not sufficient Shepherdesse to mollifie that hardnes wherewith thou dost so ill intreate me I require nothing else but that my company may not be troublesome vnto thee in these fields and that the sorrowfull verses which my griefe makes me sing like to the dying swanne neere to this riuer may be no occasion of thy miscontent and trouble Passe away faire Shepherdesse the parching heate of the day vnder the shade of these greene Osiars for thy swaine will driue thy goates to the riuer to drinke and tarrie with them while they are washing themselues in the cristalline waters Kembe and adresse louely Shepherdesse thy silke soft haire vpon the brinke of this cleere fountaine from whence issueth out the running brook that round about watereth this sweete meadow And in the meane time I will carrie thy faire flocks to feed and keepe thy sheep from going into the corne that growes along the riuer side I pray thee sweet Shepherdesse take no care for anything for I haue no rest all the while that I am not trauelling about thy busines If this seemes to thee but a small token of loue tell me then wherein I may shew the good will entire affection that I beare thee For no especiall loue doth wrong to speake the truth in anything whereof it offers any experience at all Danteus hauing made an end the Shepherdesse Duarda
to loue no ease imparts Nor that those arts that profit euery one Cannot helpe me their master all alone Now running fast away betweene them both Daphne to flie Apollos wanton vvill Apollo follovving chaste Daphnes loue Loue helpe Apollo vvith his speedy vvings And vnto Daphnes feete feare tyed her vvings And both sufficient fauours haue of both But loue in fine doth ouercome pale feare Bicause he is more forvvard light and hot But vvhen the Nymph did see herselfe surpris'd And that the God embrac'd her in his armes Lifting her hands and eies vnto the heauens Succour she crau'd of all th' immortall Gods Forgetting not her father demy God And in this sort besought their fauours all Helpe each immortall power For ioyntly all your helpes I do desire And humbly do your fauours all inuoke None I except out of the heauenly quire O saue my virgine flowre Be readie else with force it will be broke O let the earth deuoure And swallow me within her hidden vaines With furious paines Or else destroy my shape with thunder clap Since this mishap It wrought Helpe Pene now my father deere If deitie be in thy riuers cleere Scarce had faire Daphne ended her request When by and by a trembling feare possest Her bodie with each member of the same Hard barke did winde about her snow-white brest Her golden haire was turned to greene leaues Her armes into two long and branchie boughes Her nimble foote which was of late so light Fastned remaind in rootes that could not stirre And such like shape remaind in euerie part Apollo deerely lou'd this Nymph in life And now he loues her turn'd into a tree Where thrusting his right hand into the barke Felt that transformed Daphnes hart did yet Tremble and quake vnder the same so new He doth imbrace those fine and tender boughes As though he would embrace her body yet The wood he kisseth but the wood disdaines His kisses and doth seeme to bend away So in this sort Apollo stood a while Speechlesse and thinking of no other thing After like one that is amazed in minde Not knowing whether he doth dreame or no Vpon the Gods and heauen he doth exclaime With angrie wordes of pitie and despite Bicause they vs'd such rigour to his loue For faine he vvould had Daphne to his vvife But vvhen he savv it could not come to passe He chose her for his tree and gaue to it Great honours as the like had neuer yet And in this great astonishment he said What thing is this vvhich I do see Is it a dreame or none O that it vvere A fansie or some vaine deceite What doe I erre Or is it night or day what might I be If it be true I see a losse so great With many harmes my burning soule will threat But yet awake I am for in my right Hand Python dead and headlesse I doe beare And on my left arme weare My bowe and low my quiuer and my flight Why this is Thessalie Which this fell beast did waste both day and night O woe and after such a ioy so high Must such mishap my sweete content deny What hard and cruell God is that That hath transform'd with enuie and despite Her goodly figure and her face Most perfect bright Me thinkes he nill deserues to banquet at The tables of the Gods nor heauenly place Since he hath wronged nature in this case My skill and powers beare not such a sway To change thee to thy former shape againe And that snowewhite And rosie face which first did breede my paine The reason is bicause that none Though neuer yet so learned any way And though they ioin'd their vertues all in one Can vndoe that which one did doe alone But now since all the fates so dire And wicked destinies this good forbid That thou my louing wife should'st be Yet though they did With more despite against my will conspire Thou shalt for euer be my louing tree And I will neuer cease to honour thee My yellow haire like shining threeds of golde To honour thee thy leaues shall compasse round My harpe with siluer sound Thou shalt adorne and quiuer shalt vphold In all the world thy noble fame shall bide And when triumphantly In honours chaire the Conquerour doth ride Before them they shall carry thee on high Lifting their conquest to the starrie skie And as my faire and youthfull head Adorned is with lockes of dangling haires Whereon were neuer yet imploid The little sheares Euen so thy leaues shall neuer be destroid And angry time thy honour shall not teare But euermore greene bowes and leaues shalt beare The lightning that all creatures doth offend And euery thing of beauties pride bereaues Shall neuer touch thy leaues But be obedient to thee without end From lightning to defend The okes with them thy branches they shall reare And euery where In honour of th' Imperiall palace gate On portals they shall place thee with great state This did Apollo speake vnto the tree And gratefully the Laurell bow'd her top In steed of moouing her new changed head And with her new and tender branches made A signe that she with thankfull minde receiu'd These giftes and fauours which that God did giue To her while Laurell on the earth did liue And now beholde noble companie how I haue fulfilled your commands although not so fitly to your demand nor my desire Woorthie Parisiles saide Lorde Felix you haue done no lesse then was expected at your hands but yet one doubt remaineth in my minde for what reason the Oke is better kept then any other tree since there are of others a great number more necessarie for mans life There is no God answered Parisiles but hath some tree birde beast or other thing dedicated to his deitie as the Oliue to Minerua the Laurell to Apollo the Turtle doue to Venus the Peacocke to Iuno and so foorth But bicause Iupiter is the highest of the Gods and the Oke is dedicated to him for this respect to that tree more then to any other we do greater reuerence I am satisfied saide Lord Felix But tell me I pray you why the Oke was rather dedicated to him then any other tree To shewe the infinite power and might of Iupiter saide Parisiles It is well answered saide Felicia And for this time let demands answers cease and let vs go about other necessarie busines without the which no mortall creature can any long time preserue life The tables therefore being spred and furnished with many daintie dishes Felicia tooke Crimine and Stela by the hands and caried them out of the meadowe to a fine spring where Stela being washed she apparelled them as richly as their woorthines and beautie deserued for she had commanded some garments secretly to be brought thither knowing what would ensue and then they returned by and by to the fountaine for now they were tarying for her althings being in a readines against her comming Felismena the
the euening dewe of approching night came stealing on apace with her sable coloured horses when Hercules with his company tooke vp a caue neere to the vineyards of Lidia wherein while supper was a preparing for the seruants Iole for her pleasure or for some other merrie conceit that she had in her head did put her apparell vpon mightie Hercules vnripping the seames to make it fitter for him and tearing that which was too streight On her-selfe she put the Lyons skin and tooke his club on hir shoulder and in her hands her husbands bowe and arrowes In this sort they supped and laid them downe to sleepe and with this habite each of them in a bed by themselues as time and place affoorded them began to sleepe for it was not lawfull for them that night to lie togither bicause the next day they were to offer vp sacrifice to Bacchus And now Pan burning in impatient loue about midnight which was very darke for what doth not a louer enterprize came into the caue and found the seruants what with their great cheere and wine at supper and what with their sports afterwards fast a sleepe thinking the same might be also the cause of their Master and Mistresse sleepe His good fortune therefore falling out so well conducted him to the place where Iole was happie man if he had knowne his good happe where groping vp and down and feeling the Lyons pawe with feare he lifted vp his hand thinking it was Hercules that lay there as the musing traueller by the high way his foote that hath vnawares troden vpon some snake or hidden adder he sawe not Going therefore from thence he met by chance with the couch where Hercules in a habite different from his person lay a sleepe whom when Pan touched and selt Ioles soft and delicate garments thinking he had founde that he sought for at the beds feete began to mount vp and lifting vp his clothes in lieu of finding a soft and tender skin felt a hard flesh and full of haire Hercules awaked out of his sleepe gaue the poore louer such a blowe with his fist that he smote him from the bed to the ground where he laie all along Iole awaked at the noise and calling to her seruants for light found the sillie God on the grounde complaining for the blowe he had receiued which made not onely Hercules and his men but his beloued Iole laugh apace at the infortunate louer You therefore see heere my friends why the God deceiued by the garments doth so much hate them It is well saide Syrenus But tell vs I beseech you as you haue begun how we should know him to bee the God of all by his picture They paint him with two hornes answered Parisiles like to the sunne beames and to the hornes of the Moone his face redde like a firie flame in imitation of the firie Element In his brest a star called Nebrides in representation of the starres which starre I thinke was made of a wilde goates or Hearts skinne bicause Nebrides is as much in signification as a wilde Goate or Heart which skins they vsed in Bacchus sacrifices whereby we may easily gather that he is God of all aboue From the mids of his body downward they paint him full of haire and bristled to signifie the trees and wilde beasts with Goates feete to shew the hardnes of the earth And let this suffice for this time With these and many other like curiosities that the Shepherds demanded of Parisiles the night came on to his great contentment The verie same day as I said Felicia carried with her Stela And Lord Felix Felismena and the Nymphes with Crimine went by themselues to another place To whom after they were set vnder the shadow of some thick Sallowes Lord Felix said So may all thy fortunes succeed happily to thee faire Nymph and according to thine owne desire by seeing thy selfe in the greatest prosperitie in the world as thou wilt deigne to tell vs why Stela and thy selfe go wandring vp and downe so sorrowfull in the company of this faire yoong Shepherd and how long since it is you had acquaintance with him Thou commandest me Lord Felix said Crimine to renew the summe of my sorrowes and extremest griese Alas who can stop my teares from their continuall flowing by awaking such tormenting memories Who can quench my scalding sighes that with such a heauie recitall will come smoking out of my balefull breast How can I tell you my excessiue misfortunes in order since there was neuer any in my innumerable passions Let it content you Lord Felix and you faire Ladies to knowe that you haue before your eies the most haplesse woman of all our sexe and in your presence the verie summe and pattern of all disastrous virgins Hauing thus spoken a profound sigh accompanied with abundant teares hindered the rest of her dolefull words whereupon they came all together to comfort her Felismena saying Beleeue me faire Nymphe my Lord Don Felix woulde neuer haue requested this at thy hands if he had thought to haue giuen thee the least griefe in the world but that he and all we were desirous by knowing the cause of thy sorrowfull life to helpe thee as much as we could in thy cares and troubles O happie Ladie said Crimine how much art thou deceiued and the rest that thinke there is any remedie for my mishaps But for the loue and friendship you shew me and for that which I beare to you all giue attentiue eare vnto my words and vnderstand my misfortunes for I will satisfie you in that which Lord Felix hath demaunded of me And because you may knowe how far my mishaps haue extended and to what end my miseries haue driuen me Know that I am forced to loue one that hath no power to loue me againe that it is not in my power not to account her my deerest friend that entreats me like a cruell foe Which thing because it may perhaps seeme hard to you to beleeue you must vnderstand that I loue this Shepherd that is our guide in our trauels as much as I can can in truth as much as I wil. I loue also Parthenius his friēd as much as I will will truely as much as I can for as it cannot be discerned which is Delicius and which Parthenius and the one impossible to be knowen from the other for like two drops of water they resemble one another so much so cannot I tell which of them I loue most louing both in equall balance of extreme affection I thought once to be content and happie by being beloued of one of them whereof when I was perswaded I was not yet satisfied I cannot with reason complaine of them since both or at the least Delicius I think nay firmly beleeue that my suspition is not in vaine hath forced himself as much as may be to loue me by working al the means he could which neuer yet lay in his
beleeue that which from thy very thoughts and affection thou dost tell me I imagine oftentimes that as thou supposest that I loue thee not by louing thee more then my selfe so must thou thinke that thou louest me by hating me Behold Syrenus how time hath dealt better with thee then thou didst imagine at the beginning of our loues with safetie yet of mine honour which owes thee all that it may wherein is not any thing that I would not doe for thy sake beseeching thee as much as I may not to trouble thy minde with iealousie and suspicions bicause thou knowest how few escape out of their hands with safetie of life which God giue thee with all the content that I wish thee Is this a letter saide Syrenus sighing to make one thinke that obliuion could enter into that hart from whence such wordes came foorth And are these wordes to be passed so slightly out of memorie And that she then spake them and now forget me O sorrowfull man with what great content did I reade this letter when my Mistresse had sent it me and how many times in the same hower did I reade it ouer againe But for euery pleasure then with seuen folde paine I am now apaide and fortune could doe no lesse with me then to make me fall from one extreme to another For it had ill beseemed her with partiall hand to exempt me from that which to all others she is commonly wont to doe About this time from the hill beneath that led from the village to the greene medowe Syrenus might perceiue a Shepherd comming downe pace by pace and staying awhile at euery step sometimes looking vp to heauen and sometimes casting his eies vpon the greene medow and faire riuer bankes which from aloft he might easily view and discouer the thing which more augmented his sorrow seeing the place where the beginning and roote of his mishap did first growe Syrenus knew him by and by and looking towardes the place from whence he came saide Vnfortunate Shepherd though not halfe so much as I am that art a corriuall with me in Dianas loue to what end haue thy bootelesse suites serued thee and the disdaine that this cruell Shepherdesse hath done thee but to put them all on my score But if thou hadst knowen that the finall summe of all thy paines should haue bene like to mine what greater fauour hadst thou found at fortunes hands by preseruing thee still in this haplesse estate of life then by throwing me headlong downe from it when I did lest suspect it But now despised Syluanus tooke out his bagpipe and playing on it a little with great sorrow and greefe did sing these verses following I Am a louer but was neuer loued Well haue I lou'd and will though hated euer Troubles I passe but neuer any mooued Sighes haue I giuen and yet she heard me neuer I would complaine and she would neuer heare me And flie from loue but it is euer neere me Obliuion onely blamelesse doth beset me For that remembreth neuer to forget me For euery ill one semblant I doe beare still To day not sad nor yesterday contented To looke behinde or go before I feare still All things to passe alike I haue consented I am besides my selfe like him that daunceth And mooues his feete at euery sound that chaunceth And so all like a senselesse foole disdaines me But this is nothing to the greefe that paines me The night to certaine louers is a trouble When in the day some good they are attending And other some doe hope to gaine some double Pleasure by night and wish the day were ending With that that greeueth some some others ease them And all do follow that that best doth please them But for the day with teares I am a crying Which being come for night I am a dying Of Cupid to complaine who euer craue it In waues he writes and to the windes he crieth Or seeketh helpe of him that neuer gaue it For he at last thy paines and thee defieth Come but to him some good aduise to lend thee To thousand od conceits he will commend thee What thing is then this loue It is a science That sets both proofe and study at defiance My Mistresse loued her Syrenus deerely And scorned me whose loues yet I auouched Left to my greefe for good I held it cleerely Though narrowly my life and soule it touched Had I but had a heauen as he once shining Loue would I blame if it had bene declining But loue did take no good from me he sent me For how can loue take that he neuer lent me Loue 's not a thing that any may procure it Loue 's not a thing that may be bought for treasure Loue 's not a thing that comes when any lure it Loue 's not a thing that may be found at pâ—…re For if it be not borne with thee refraine it To thinke thou must be borne anew to gaine it Then since that loue shuns force and doth disclame it The scorned louer hath no cause to blame it Syrenus was not idle when Syluanus was singing these verses for with his sighes he answered the last accents of his wordes and with his teares did solemnize that which he conceiued by them The disdained Shepherd after he had ended his song began to reuolue in his minde the small regarde he had of himselfe and how for the loue of his cruell Mistresse Diana he had neglected all his busines and flockes and yet he reckoned all this but small He considered that his seruice was without hope of recompence a great occasion to make him that hath but small firmnesse easily cut off the way of his loue But his constancie was so great that being put in the middes of all the causes which he had to forget her who neuer thought of him with his owne safetie he came so easily out of them and so cleerely without preiudice to the sincere loue which he bare his Shepherdesse that without any feare he neuer committed any ignorance that might turne to the hurt or hinderance of his faith But when he sawe Syrenus at the fountaine he woondred to see him so sad not that he was ignorant of the cause of his sorrow but bicause he thought that if he had tasted but the lest fauour that Syrenus had sometimes receiued at Dianas handes such a contentment had bene ynough for him all his life time He came vnto him and imbraced him and with many teares on both sides they sat them downe vpon the greene grasse Syluanus beginning to speake in this sort God forbid Syrenus that for the cause of my mishap or at the lest for the small remedie thereof I should take delight or reuenge in thine which though at mine owne pleasure I might well doe yet the great loue which I beare to my Mistresse Diana woulde neuer consent thereunto nor suffer me to goe against that which with such good will and liking she had sometimes fauoured
if thy sorrowes greeue me not let me neuer haue end of mine and in such sort that as soone as Diana was about to marry if it killed not my hart with thinking that her marriage and thy death should haue bene both at one time let me neuer enioy any other estate and condition of life then now I doe Canst thou then thinke Syrenus that I would wish thee ill bicause Diana loued thee And that the fauours that she did thee were the occasions to make me hate thee What man my faith was neuer so basely poysed but that it was euer so seruiceable to my Mistresse humour not onely in louing thee but in louing and honouring all that euer she loued And yet thou hast no cause to thanke me for this care and compassion of thy greefe for I am so dissolued into cares that for mine owne good I would be sorie how much more then for other mens harmes This straunge kinde of the Shepherd Syluanus his greeting caused no small admiration in Syrenus and made him for a while in suspence with himselfe woondring at his great sufferance and at the strange qualitie of his loue that he did beare to his Shepherdesse But remembring himselfe at last he said Hast thou Syluanus happily bene borne for an example of patience to those who know not how to suffer the aduersities that fortune puts before their eies Or may it be that nature hath giuen thee so strong a minde that it is not ynough for thee to suffer thine owne but thou wilt needes helpe others to support theirs I see thee so conformable to the hard condition of thy fortune that promising thee no helpe of remedie thou doest aske no other then that it hath already giuen thee I tell thee Syluanus that time shewes well by thee how euery day it discouers nouelties and straunge conceites beyonde the compasse of mans imagination O how much more then ought this vnfortunate Shepherd to emulate thee by seeing thee suffer thy greefes with such content which thou mightest rather haue done to him when thou sawest him so happily enioy his merry times Hast thou not seene how greatly she fauoured me and with what sweete and gracious wordes she manifested her loue vnto me Didst thou not see how she could neuer goe with her flockes to the riuer or take her lambes out of the folde or in the heate of the day driue her sheepe into the shades of these Sicamours without my companie But for all this I wish I may neuer see the remedie of my greefe if I euer expected or desired any thing at Dianas hands that was repugnant to her honour or if any such thing did euer passe my thought For such was her beautie her braue minde her vertue and such vnspotted puritie in her loue to me againe that they admitted no thought into my minde which in preiudice of her goodnes and chastitie I might haue imagined I beleeue it well saide Syluanus sighing for I can say as much by my selfe and thinke moreouer that there was neuer any that casting his eies on Dianas peerelesse beautie durst desire any other thing then to see her and to conuerse with her Although I knowe not whether such rare and excellent beautie might in some mens thoughts not subiect to such a continent affection as ours cause an excessiue desire and especially if they had seene her as I did one day sitting with thee neere to you little brooke when she was kembing her golden haire and thou holding the glasse vnto her wherein now and then she beheld her diuine figure though neither of you both did perhaps knowe that I espied you from those high bushes neere to the two great okes keeping yet in minde the verses that thou sungest vpon the holding of the glasse whiles she was addressing her resplendant tresses How came they to thy handes saide Syrenus The next day following saide Syluanus in that very place I founde the paper wherein they were written and reading them committed them to memorie And then came Diana thither weeping for the losse of them and asking me if I had found them which was no small ioy and contentment to me to see my Mistresse powre foorth those teares which I might speedily remedie And this I remember was the first hower that euer I had a gentle and curteous word of her mouth how greatly in the meane time stood I neede of fauours when she saide vnto me that I might highly pleasure her to helpe her to that which so earnestly she sought for which wordes like holy relikes I kept in my minde for in a whole yeere after I tooke no regarde of all the woes and greefes that I passed for ioy of that one onely word which had in it but a small apparance of ioy and happinesse Now as thou louest thy life saide Syrenus rehearse those verses which thou saidst I did sing since thou hast them so well by hart I am content saide Syluanus and these they were FOr a fauour of such woorth In no doubt I doe remaine Since with selfe same coyne againe Mistresse thou art paide right foorth For if I enioy with free Pleasure seeing before me Face and eies where Cupid stands So thou seeing in my hands That which in thine eies I see Let not this to thee seeme ill That of thy beautie diuine Thou see'st but the figure shine And I natures perfect skill Yet a thought that 's free and set Neuer yet in Cupids net Better then the bond beholdes Though the one the liuely mouldes Th' other but the counterfet When Syrenus had heard the song out he saide to Syluanus I wish that loue gentle Shepherd with hope of impossible felicitie may remedie my greefes if there be any thing in the worlde that I would sooner choose to passe away my sorrowfull life with then in thy sweete and gracious companie and if it greeues me not now to the hart that Diana is so cruell vnto thee that she hath not which well she might haue done once thanked thee nor showen thee a fauourable and gratefull countenance for all thy long and loyall seruice and for so true loue that thou hast shewed therein I could with a little content me saide Syluanus sighing if my angrie fortune would perswade Diana to giue me some hope which she might well affoord without staine to her honour or breach of faith to thee But so hard harted is she that not onely when I craue it she denies it me and flies from me when I come in her sight but to comfort me with any small signe or token whereby I might imagine or hope hereafter to enioy it she would neuer yet consent Whereupon I saide many times to my selfe It may fall out that this stonie harted and fierce Tygresse may one day conceiue some displeasure against Syrenus for reuenge whereof and to despite him she will perhaps shew me some fained fauour for so disgraced and comfortlesse a man as I am would be glad but
imagination of the suspect that I had of her honestie hath bredde in her so great despite and hatred against me that to be reuenged of me she hath hitherto perseuered therein which greeuous torment she is not onely content to lay vpon me but when she sees me before her eies flies from my presence as the fearefull Hinde from the hungry and pursuing Hounde So that by the loue which thou owest thy selfe I pray thee good Shepherdesse iudge whether this be a sufficient cause to make her thus abhorre me and if my fault on the other side be so great that it deserues such endles and extreme hate Filemon hauing made an end of the cause of his greefe and iniurie wherewith his Shepherdesse tormented him Amarillis began to shape her answer thus This Filemon faire Shepherdesse that sits before thee hath loued me well I must needes confesse or at the least made a fine shewe thereof and such haue his seruices beene towards me that to say otherwise of him then he deserues it would ill beseeme me But if for his sake in lieu and recompence of that affection I haue not reiected the suites and seruice of many iolly Shepherds that feede their flockes vpon these downes and in these pleasant vales and also for his loue haue not contemned many countrey youthes whom nature hath enriched with no lesse perfections then himselfe let himselfe be iudge For the infinite times that with their amorous sutes I haue beene importuned and those wherein I haue kept that firmnes due to his faith haue not I thinke beene at any time out of his presence which neuerthelesse should be no sufficient cause for him to make so small account of me as to imagine or suspect any thing of that wherein I am most of all bounde to my selfe For if it be so as he knowes well enough that for the loue of him I haue cast off many that died by mine occasion how coulde I then forget or reiect him for the loue of another A thousand times hath Filemon watched me not leesing a steppe that the Shepherd Arsileus and I haue troden amiddes these greene woods and pleasant vales but let him say if he euer heard Arsileus talke to me of loue or if I answered him any thing touching such matter What day did Filemon euer see me talke to Arsileus whereby he might conceiue any thing else by my words but that I went about to comfort him in such great forrow as he suffered And if this be a sufficient cause to make him thinke ill of his Shepherdesse who can better iudge it then himselfe Behold then faire Shepherdesse how much he was giuen to false suspects and wrongfull iealousie that my wordes could neuer satisfie him nor worke with him to make him leaue off his obdurate minde by absenting himselfe from this valley thinking therby to haue made an end of my daies wherein he was deceiued when as he rather ended his owne ioy and contentment if for me at the least he had euer any at all And this was the michiefe besides that Filemon being not onely content to beare mee such a kinde of vniust iealousie whereof he had so small occasion as now faire Shepherdesse thou hast seene hee did likewise publish it at euerie feast in all bridales wrestlings and meetings that were made amongst the Shepherds of these hilles And this thou knowest good Shepherdesse howe it did preiudice mine honour more then his contentment In the ende hee absented himselfe from mee which course since hee hath taken for a medicine of his malladie which it seemes hath the more increased it let him not finde fault with me if I haue knowne how to profit my selfe more thereby then he hath And now that thou hast seene faire Shepherdesse what great content that I felt when thou toldst the Shepherd Arsileus so good newes of his Shepherdesse that I my selfe was most earnest with him to haue him go and seeke her out it is cleere that there could not be any thing between vs that might ingēder such cause of suspition as this Shepherd hath wrongfully cōceiued of vs. So that this is the cause that hath made me not only so cold in the loue that I did beare him but not to loue any more wherby to put mine honor good name in hazard of false suspects since my good hap hath brought me to such a time that without forcing my selfe I may do it at mine own choise libertie After Amarillis had shewed the small reason the Shepherd had to giue so great credit to his iealous imaginations and the libertie wherein time and her good fortune had put her a naturall thing to free harts the woefull Shepherd replied in this sort I doe not denie Amarillis but that thy wisedome and discretion is sufficient to cleere thee of all suspition But wilt thou now make nouelties in loue inuent other new effects then those which we haue heretofore seene When a louer would loue well the least occasion of iealousie torments his foule how much more when those were greater which by thy priuie conuersation and familiaritie with Arsileus thou hast giuen me Dost thou thinke Amarillis that for a iealousie certainties are needfull Alas thou deceiuest thy selfe for suspicions be the principall causes of their entrance which was also no great matter since I beleeued that thou didst beare Arsileus good will the publishing whereof was as little preiudiciall and lesse offensiue to thine honour since the force of my loue was so great that it made mee manifest the ill that I did feare And though thy goodnes assured mee when at stealth and deceite of my suspectes I thought thereof yet I alwaies feared least some aduerse successe might befall vnto me if this familiaritie had beene still continued But to that thou saiest faire Shepherdesse that I absented my selfe I answere that vpon a stomacke or to giue thee any offence or greefe thereby I did it not but to see if I could haue any remedie in mine owne not seeing the cause of my great mishap and greefe before mine eies and bicause my pursutes might not also offende thee But if by seeking remedy for so great an ill I went against that which I owed thee what greater punishment can I haue then that which thy absence hath made me feele If thou saiest thou didst neuer loue Arsileus it giues me greater occasion to complaine of thee since for a thing of so small importance thou didst forsake him who so greatly desired to serue thee So that I haue the more cause to accuse thee the lesse thy loue was to Arsileus And these are the reasons Amarillis and manie more which I do alleage not in mine owne excuse and fauour whereby I thinke not to helpe my selfe at all since in matters of loue they are woont to profite so little onely requesting thee gentle Amarillis that thy clemencie and the faith which I haue euer borne thee may be of my side and mooue thee
vnto pittie the want whereof can prescribe no ende to my greefe nor meanes of reconciliation in thy hard condition and crueltie And with this the Shepherd made an ende of his words and began to poure forth so many teares that they were sufficient with the requests and sentence that Felismena gaue in his behalfe to mollifie Amarillis hard hart and to make the enamoured Shepherd come againe into her good grace and liking for which he was so glad a man as neuer more and Amarillis not a little ioyfull by shewing how much Filemon was deceiued in his false suspicions of her And after this they passed away that day with great content of the two reconciled louers and with greater sorrow of faire Felismena who next day early in the morning departed from them after many embracings and promises to sende to each other newes of their affaires But Syrenus being now free from loue and Syluanus and Seluagia more enamored then euer before and faire Diana not a little discontent for the sorrowfull successe of her affaires passed away her melancholike life feeding her flocke along the bankes of the great riuer Ezla where many times meeting with one another they talked of that which pleased their fancies best And discreete Seluagia being on a day at the fountaine of the Sicamours the Shepherdesse Diana came thither by chance to seeke a lambe that had runne out of the foulde which Syluanus had tyed to a myrtle tree for when they came thither they founde it drinking at the cleere spring and by the marke knewe it to be faire Dianas But being come as I say and curteously welcommed of the newe louers they sat them downe vpon the greene grasse leaning to one of the Sicamours that stoode about the fountaine and after they had talked of many matters Syluanus saide vnto her Why dost thou not aske vs faire Diana for Syrenus Bicause I woulde not talke of matters past said Diana for the great greefe which present things do giue me The time was when I tooke more delight to aske for him and hee for mee and to speake and conuerse with one another then now which giues neither of vs the like contentment but time doth cure infinite cares that seeme remedilesse to many men which if I vnderstood not so there could not be now a Diana in these faire meades plaines in regard of the sorrowes and care that are daily offred me God neuer graunt so much harme to our pleasant fieldes saide Seluagia by depriuing them of such great beautie as hers is That shall not be wanting as long as thou liuest saide Diana and wheresoeuer thy grace and perfections are little may be lost by my want in truth whereof behold thy Syluanus who I thought would neuer haue forgotten me for any other Shepherdesse and yet in the end hath shaken hands with me for thy loue which deserued a great deale more This did Diana speake with a gracious smile although she laughed not so much in minde at these things nor with so good a hart as they thought For though she once loued Syrenus more then her owne life and despised Syluanus as nothing so much yet it greeued her more that Syluanus had forgotten her for the loue of another whose sight he now enioyed euery day with great contentment of his newe loue then that Syrenus had freed himselfe out of her loue whom nowe no new affection mooued When Syluanus heard what Diana said he answered her thus Time and the reuolutions of the heauens shall first cease faire Diana before I will forget thee for thy beautie and wisedome is not such that may be euer put in obliuion Truth it is that I am now bound to my Seluagia bicause besides many other good parts in her obliging me to her loue she neuer esteemed her Fortune to bee woorse by this that she is nowe beloued of him whom thou did'st alway so reiect and make so small account of No more of this saide Diana for thou art well bestowed and I was not well aduised by not louing thee as thy loue deserued it at my hands But if at anytime thou didst desire to giue me some content I beseech thee al I may and thy faire Seluagia to sing some song to entertaine the time and to passe the heate of the day aâ—way which now beginnes so fast that we must be faine to passe it vnder these Sicamours and there enioy the bubling of this cleere spring which shall not a little helpe the sweetenes of your song The new louers were not daintie to be praied though faire Seluagia was not very well content with this kinde of talke that Diana had with Syluanus But bicause in her song she thought to be reuenged on her to the tune that Diana plaied on her Bagpipe both of them began to sing as followeth I See thee iolly Shepherd merry And firme thy faith and sound as a berry Loue gaue me ioy and fortune gaue it As my desire could wish to haue it What didst thou wish tell me sweete louer Whereby thou might'st such ioy recouer To loue where loue should be inspired Since there 's no more to be desired In this great glory and great gladnes Think'st thou to haue no touch of sadnes Good for tune gaue me not such glory To mocke my loue or make me sorie If my firme loue I were denying Tell me with sighes would'st thou be dying Those wordes in iest to heare thee speaking For very greefe my hart is breaking Yet would'st thou change I pray thee tell me In seeing one that did excell me O noe for how can I aspire To more then to mine owne desire Such great affection dost thou beare me As by thy wordes thou seem'st to sweare me Of thy deserts to which a detter I am thou maist demaund this better Sometimes me thinkes that I should sweare it Sometimes me thinkes thou should'st not beare it Onely in this my pap doth greeue me And my desire not to beleeue me Imagine that thou dost not loue mine But some braue beautie that 's aboue mine To such a thing sweete doe not will me Where faining of the same doth kill me I see thy firmnes gentle louer More then my beautie can discouer And my good fortune to be higher Then my desert but not desier About this time came Syrenus downe from the village towards the fountaine of the Sicamours with great desire to meete Seluagia or Syluanus for hee nowe tooke no greater delight in any thing then in the company of these two louers And if he had perhaps a touch of Dianas loue in his memorie the time that he had spent in louing her did not leaue him altogither without some pensiue thoughts not for that her loue now gaue him any paine but because the remembrance of a good estate doth breed some small kind of griefe and discontent in him that hath lost it Before he came to the fountaine in the mids of the greene meadow which was beset