me where sorrow sits Studying what tunes to wofull straines belongs I le fit what euer instrument they bring And by my voyce teach them how they shall sing The Bace a tragick touch of my heart strings The Tenor troubled sighs that sadly growes Next that my words where liuely sorrow sings Then dolefull thoughts from whence despayre still goes And last in consort shall my eylids goe Whence teares destils like little worlds of woe The manner how he met with his sonne who was supposed to be slaine and what passed betwixt them two CHAP. 2. AS thus hée sate singing to himselfe for saue himselfe there was none to rue with remorse the pitifull tale he so dolefully told suddenly he might espie out of the thickes of a neighbouring wood that grew vp in the bosome of a fayre forrest that was round about inuironed with a circle of mightie mountaines like the forme of an artificiall Theater whence from euery seueral side the idle beholders sits and sees the arte of imitating acters a bigge boned man whose sight was somewhat displeasing to him at the first for that such is the composition of a melancholy complexion as that fils the minde with a thousand seueral sorts of vaine suppositions whereon the more he thinks the more he findeth himselfe to fall short from his thought and yet wanting indeede what he supposes to himselfe and desires that he had he contents himselfe to thinke that he were that he vainly supposes he is and so oftentimes expelling the substance of sorrow with the bare imagination of better fortune hee is as loath to breake his conceit as a king to forgoe his Crowne Yet at the length seeing the man to frame his iourney to the place where himselfe then solitarily sate begins stedfastly to looke vpon his limmes to see how nature did differ in her selfe in distinguishing the shapes of sauage Satyres borne in the bare bosome of vnknowne plaines and ciuill subiects framed in the pampering palaces of courtly Kings which he found not so farre off as he supposed he saw for the néerer he drew the fairer was his shew Naked he was saue that for himselfe he had framed an vnorderly coate of beasts skinnes that couered those secrets which sauage creatures abhorres to sée his haire for want of curious koming hung lōg dishiuered about his head naturally curled in more cunning knots then imitating arts armes other men withall whose sable colour plaied with the glorious beames of the all guilding Sunne as when he rises from his watrie couch he guilds the Easterne seas with deceiuing showes In his face had nature cunningly cōbined two contrary shewes in one selfe same subiect loue and feare smiling as smoothly on his friends as amorous Adonis on his vaine intising Venus and frowning as fiercely on his enemies as mightie Mars on his feare-falling foes Beautie had builded vp her bower and in pride plumed her feathers in his face but that for want of a sunne-shadowing vaile her varnish was somewhat decayed Young and lustie was all his lims strong in the outward shew of constitution in his euery part dwelt all parts of péereles perfection which drew the aged King into a wonder that those foule vnpeopled fields should affoord such faire framed formes On the other side the sauage man who till y t time had not béen acquainted with such companie nor before that he could remember did euer sée any one like himselfe makes more haste vnto him then before it should seeme hee intended This man was Adrianus sonne to this forenamed Perseus of whom wée told you in the other part of this history y t in his infancie he was by his wicked working Aunt sent foorth into those forrests with an intent to be betrayed to death who by y e vnnatural loue of a Lionesse had béen al this while brought vp in that desert ignorant what hee was because hee wanted those ordinary directions to tell him the truth but that the instinct of nature had perswaded him there were other creatures then those ordinary companie wherwith he daily dwelt frō whom he must naturally descend for that he seeing in the cōmon course of naturall increase euery beast bring foorth his like it powerfully perswaded him there were comely creatures like himselfe though it neuer till then was his lucke to see them and glad in himselfe that hee had at last wonne what he long had wished he made great haste to climbe vp the wearie way cut off the side of a hill to get vp to the place where he might see him sit to whom when at last he came looking stedfastly in his face pausing long before his spéech as vnacquainted with cunning salutations wherewith commonly men curiously vse to resalute one another gins with wilde and yet wittie words rudely and yet rarely in his vnacquainted kind demand what he was that had hit vpon that plaine in which place in twentie long yeares for that space had he there spent neuer saue himselfe any such creature came To whom this cursed king after he had throughly viewed his perfect proportion wondring that so beautifull a bodie adorned with so pregnant a witte should spring from those vnfurnished fields for as the Diamond that obscured in an vneuen rocke through the thicke slough of many slimie shadowes shewes as it is what it should be Roses through transparant lawne sets out their swéete substance by their fayre shewes piercing starres though obscured oft with the couert of some ouer-shadowing clowde yet through those shadowes séemes no lesse themselues so fared in the forelorne state of this yet wild man in whose face was ingrauen the characters of farre fayrer fortune then is found in such desolate dwellings whose words though wanting that flattering forme wherewith other men vse to paint their speeches withall yet with more discretion did they procéede from this vntutered truant then vsually wee see from many of our best brought vp schollers for in him was the picture of a perfect man his bodie not bolstered with the apish trims of conceited attire his mind not nusled vp in the slauish shadow of vaine and fruitles folly his tongue had not tasted of that intising streame that tips with seuerall tunes the state of sundrie tongues turning them from the mould wherein nature first had made them to a new forme wherein arte wil néeds fashion thē as some for feare other for falshood to flatter some for bribes with bitter words to betray and other for folly to say and gainsay some with fayre fawning words to vndermine their friends and others with Synons subtiltie to outreach their foes some with tatling tales to tell the surest secrets of their firmest friends and others with euill indeuours to deuise slanderous speeches to spitefull ends What should we say on these sorts that dims my mind more with multitudes thē the seueral starres in a winters frostie night dazles the eyes with their numbers passes the sands on the shore the drops in y
e sea the seueral pebles in a shewer of haile or y e infinite abundaÌ„ce of seueral grains ripe Autumne reapes from the earths fayre face To bee short there was perfection of bodie without the pampering of pride vertue of mind without the varietie of misleading manners a true telling tongue that neuer tasted of a trifling tale so héere was deciphered the difference betwixt the intent of nature in our first creation and the euent of vse in our education for that the one first formes all things to the best the other in the end frames them commonly to the worst Well after these two had with such gréetings saluted one another as beseemed the melancholy dispositioÌ„ of the one and the rude bringing vp of the other they with friendly curtesie companie together where the sanage man first begins earnestly to aske of the others estate which the king fearfully fained to be but meane and that hee hauing trod y e tract of an almost vnworne way had by hard hap hit vpon that place and being ignorant what way to escape had there long lingered as is the common vse of such distressed men carefully considering with himself what way were best to work his owne release from that wast way wanting wildernesse To whom the sauage man gan thus answer I that know not from whence thou camest am farre vnable to direct thee whither thou shouldst backe againe goe and saue myselfe liues there none here like to thée Twentie fayre Summers flowers haue I séene fade in these fields sustained the stubborne brunts of as many winter blasts séene the seuerall shapes of sundrie beasts and marked their manners in their seueral kinds how the stately Lyon proudly commands the other poore crouching creatures and they in their kinde dutifully demeane themselues to his soueraigntie mine eares haue heard the seuerall sounds of their sundrie voyces but could not distinguish them Oft haue I spoke to the cruell beasts thinking they could skill of my words but they all rudely runnes away without answering againe then fearing least that threatning wordes had with feare forced their flight gan I with submisse intreaties to craue their companies but that as did the first perished without hope and left me still to mine ill happe which oft vrged me to consider with my selfe what my selfe might bee differing in making disagréeing in manners and failing of euery meanes that I made for my further instruction No place is here that I haue not often sought to see of whom I might issue for that thus much hath nature taught me that néedes I must come from a like kinde as doe all creatures els Little I remember my selfe as I haue seene the young whelps of these careles creatures that possesse these plaines and by the processe of time am by degrées growne to this state wherein now thou seest I stand And thus with a long discourse gins he debate vnto him how from his infancie to that age he had liued in those vnpeopled lawnes At last wheÌ„ they with much interrogatory talke had passed away a long summers day and that now the shadow of the silent night gan sommon euery creature to their quiet rest the sauage man loath to leaue his new found companion alone to spend the solitarie night in that vncomfortable case perswades him to accompany him downe into the bottome of a declining valley y t a farre off hee shewed him who for that he had marked the trueth-shewing tales of his former talke and being comforted by his well-wishing words not to feare the furious onsets of outragious beasts for that such was his acquaintance amongst the vnreasonable rulers of that foretold forrest as that like the quiet citizen within the peacefull walles of his house is in the stealing silence of the quiet night by the watchfull meanes of a wel meriting Magistrate defended froÌ„ the forcible inuasions of ill meaning enemies so he in his quiet Caue securely sleepes little fearing the furie of these bolde beasts in whose companie hee had alwaies conuersed At last wonne with the words of this faire foretelling friend the king wearie with solitarie sitting there alone and willing also to ease his head of those cruell cares that solitarie discontent had clogged him withall he willingly condescends to the others wish These two trauailing thus together at the last comes downe againe into the bottome of the plaine where for it was now almost night were assembled diuers sortes of sundrie wilde beasts readie addressed to go seeke their pray amongst whom when they came as doth the sillie sheep to their acquainted shepheard gently giue him way to trauaile where euer he will so fares it with these two that at their pleasure trace these deserts vp and down through many daungerous darke shades that ouerspreads the hidden caues of sundrie subtill deuouring beasts At last they came downe into a long valley where out of the side of a rockie cliffe was naturally hewed a déep hollow Caue into which was a conueiance of light through the clift of a rocke that ouer-roofed this house where the wilde man not vsed with curious welcomes to entertaine any such guests gins plainly performe the duetie of a well-meaning man telling him that his good will wished him better then his power was able to performe Not long had these two sitten alone in this loathsome beastly den ere there comes in a bloudie mouthed Lionesse bearing in her tearing teeth the quarter of a new killed Kid. This was that Lionesse that in the former part of this historie wee tolde you of found this young prince desolately forsaken in the desert whom she in his infancie carefully brought vp nursing him with that milke wherewith she should haue sustained her young ones till the ripenes of yeares had strengthened his stomacke and made him now able with vse to feede on raw flesh with those rauenous beasts for whose prouision this carefull nurse had prouided that filly supper who comming to her den and finding there vnaccustomed companie gins sternly to stare in his face as though she ment to prosecute her angrie countenance and terribly teare him in péeces with her vnmercifull clawes till when she saw the sauage man that had for his better safegard brought him downe into the depth of that dungeon friendly imbrace him in his armes as though thereby he ment to rescue him froÌ„ all insuing harmes then gins she turne her frowning countenance to fawning coÌ„passion her terrible threats to a tractable truce kindly with her dumbe demeanour such as nature hath furnished these reasonles creatures withall entertaines this trauailer licking kindly his hands which otherwise she could not kisse softly touching him with her hard talens as loath to hurt him â—ow whom before she intended to harme Thus with what curtesie their vnkindly cottage did affoord doe they intertaine this their new com'd companion who not vsed to eate such vndressed dishes as their hungrie stomackes gently digested was content that night to liue onely
worthie Common-wealth then will wee oppose our selues against their threats and seeke such a mends for this mischiefe as shall with iust iudgement pull downe their puffed vp plumes and turne them out againe into the wide world to become a worser skorne of mischance With this answere the messengers departing and hauing tolde at home their seuerall tales it so displeased the Princes that presently without further delay they would the next morning furiously with both their forces set vpon the gouernours of their countrie and when they had conquered them then be take themselues to striue whether should bee sole conqueror Word whereof being spéedily brought to the Senatours they against y e next morning gins prepare all their power and pitching their battell vpon the bosome of a broad plaine that lay betwixt the enemies leaguers made offer to fight with them both at once Which when the enemies saw they as readie to take the occasion as the other to offer gins furiously to set vpon them where ioyning streight at handie stroakes there followed a long and furious fight the victorie to neither part declining till at last Adrianus that then had the charge of a Cornet of horse breaking into the bowels of the enemies battels wrought such wonderfull atchiuements as made him iustly accounted for the best approued souldier that that countrie did euer containe with whose worth the foes were so discōfited that on a sudden affrighted they betooke themselues to flight whom he eagerly following ouertooke the two Kings that by chance had met in the battel eagerly occupying their seete to escape y ◠scourge of their enemies hands whom hee surprising brought backe againe to their homes and presented them to the Senate as the first fruites of his fortune Where by this time were gathered together the most of those gouernours to gratulate their forward friends that were returned safe from the fight who wondering at his worth could not sufficiently commend his courage but consulting now with themselues what were best to be done in this dangerous busines How after that these two Kings were ouercome Adrianus was chosen king of that countrie and how he came to know his father and mother by which the former falshood was descried CHAP. 9. AT last they thought it best that since these two balefull brethrē did euen in their captiuitie still deny to take vpō them the mutuall gouernment of that kingdome intended for their after quiet to choose some one of these worthies y t had there wrought their release And for that they would not incurre the displeasure of any of those coequall Captaines that had so brauely demeaned themselues a motion was made amongst them that for so much as there was no lineall succession left for the inheritance of their kingdome they then had thus determined to cast lots amongst them all so to choose their King which fell vpon Adrianus of whom they were as glad as his owne hap was good who with euery seuerall ceremonie belonging to the coronation of such a King established in that countrie hée first recals from their banishment all those Outlawes by whom he was brought thither and preferring of his friend and sometimes his Captaine to a place of great authoritie in his kingdome taught him to imploy his wit in the building of that Common-wealth vp againe the which afore he laboured to pull downe This Captaine we tolde you before had by Liuia his wife a fayre daughter named Laryna to whom Adrianus in the time of his abode in her fathers house had oftentimes made loue and shée with like fauour requited him who but for the sudden sound of these new wrought warres had by the consent of their parents before inioyed the pleasure they both so instantly desired who then comming to the Court with her mother the two captiue Quéenes and the rest of their retinue was presently by the consent of the Senate who desired nothing more then some issuing heires that might successiuely follow in the possession of this kingdome coupled in marriage with this new King After which ioyfull day the King and the Quéene with the rest of the Nobles gathered together cals in those captiue brethren to know the cause whence grew their discord and the two women to inquire of them what had béen the manner of their former liues Where when they were all met the old Quéenes séeing their husbands there fast in fetters touched with a remorce of conscionce fals downe before them and there confessed the whole course of their liues and the murthering of their children By the circumstances of whose tale and the time thereof these two lost children there found out their seuerall parents and so faults on both sides forgiuen and iniuries on euery part made euen they spent the rest of their dayes in solemne contrition for their former faults FINIS