glory of Philidaspes nor leave the King of Pont so long in the advantage of his high generosity Therefore he so wrought with all the Captains of his Army by that winning eloquence which nature and education had given him in the Greek Language at they were all resolved to force the Enemy unto battle as he himself intended Judge Sir whether it were a hard matter to make two Enemies meet which sought one another therefore it was not long before Artamenes had his desired satisfaction But here you may wonder Sir at what the desire of glory can do in a soul that is truly generous Artamenes who upon the King of Ponts notice concerning the Conspiracy against his life had chosen the most glorious Arms that the world could make to the end he might better be known to them who â—ought for him in the last battle and who now thought that all who knew him by those Arms would not fight against him neither with Bow Arrow Javelin or dart nor fall upon him single he therefore left off those gallant Arms to the end he might not be known Thus did he endeavour to shew unto the world that none should conquer him in point of generosity Sir said I unto him in the morning when he was putting on his Arms will you hide all your gallant Acts in such obscure Arms as these It is fit I should Chrisantes said he unto me at this time if I will shew my self worthy of that Honor that is done me But Sir said I is it not to be feared that it will take away the hearts of your Souldiers when they cannot distinguish you from that great number who are Armed as you are If they follow me answered he they cannot chuse but know me and I intend to behave my self so as it may be they shall easily finde me At last Sir they fought and Artamenes did such things as are not imaginable Untill now he fought but like a valiant man but at this time it might very well be said he fought like an incensed God one would have thought he knew himself incapable of Wounds seeing how he adventured himself He drove their Squadrons on heaps he broke their Ranks and charged through and through their best composed bodies nothing could resist him In conclusion he carried the matter so prodigiously as he made both his friends and his enemies know him notwithstanding his simple Arms which were all sanguin'd with the blood which he had lost and which running upon his Curace made him most terrible to look upon His Buckler was all mangled with Arrows which fell upon it The King of Pont meeting him in this condition and easily knowing him It is not my fault Generous Artamenes cried he aloud unto him since I have done what was fit to preserve your Life Nor is it my fault answered Artamenes that your valour does not receive an advantage in my defeat since I do all I can to make you Glorious and do not spare a Life which perhaps is more ways then one an obstacle unto your victory and happiness But valiant Prince said he we have contended long enough upon points of Generosity Let us now try if we can fight as well as we can acknowledge a benefit for I am much deceived if we can otherwise overcome one another without dishonour Upon these words the King of Pont would have replied something but Artamenes making signs that he had rather fight then talk did advance towards him and then these two Gallant Men began a Combate which perhaps had been very fatall to them both if night and darkness had not against both their wills parted them and by consequence had not left both their generall and particular victories in doubt yet notwithstanding the advantage did fall upon Artamenes side for he lost few men killed many and took many Prisoners But since the Combate was not ended when night came on and since both of them remained upon the field in their Arms it was difficult to say absolutely which side was loser or which a gainer yet it was partly a cause of taking the Town which Philidaspes besieged because that after this the King of Ponts Army was not strong enough to be divided nor venture to succour that Town and come between both our Armies The next morning Artamenes having intelligence that two thousand men were upon the way on the Mountains which bordered upon that Plain betwixt Anisa and Cerasia conducting Money unto the King of Ponts Army for payment of his Souldiers he went to give a stop unto this Convey so that meeting with them he forced them into a valley environed with inaccessible Rocks to shelter themselves who seeing themselves brought into that strait condition consulted what they should do since if they fought they were lost and if they staid there it would be a losse unto their Master so that to save themselves and be rid of that ill condition they beat a Parley and sent twelve of their Company unto Artamenes with their Bucklers full of gold and silver entreating him to accept of that for their ransome and let them depart Artamenes who was alwaies more heroique in all his actions then they could imagine told them that he would freely give them their lives and liberty and also suffer them to passe with their Gold and Silver so they would leave their Bucklers which held it behinde them as marks of his Victory But these stout and couragious Souldiers throwing down all that was in their Bucklers upon the earth and putting them upon their left Arms taking their Swords in their right You shall see said they-turning away towards their Companions that our Nation never use to leave their Bucklers but with their lives and may be what inequality soever there is between us you shall never get them without danger of your own Artamenes seeing the Souldiers carry it out so very bravely was so charmed with a generous envy as he could not resist them And when he considered that he had got this advantage without honour because he got it without danger and that as the state of things were an addition of two thousand men could not much alter the case And seeing these twelve Souldiers go away in such a gallant resolution Valiant men cried he to them come again and take both your money your Lives and your Liberties which you so well deserve you have overcome me my Companions said he to them and if you had been in the last Battle the King your Master had defeated us These Souldiers were as much surpris'd with his Generosity as he was with theirs and knew not whether they should give any credit to his words But at last they beleeved and having acquainted their Captains with it all shouted for joy and wonder and made all the Rocks round about ring with the Name of Artamenes and his glory Thus were these Gallant men released out of the valley which enclosed them who when they came unto their
the Princesse he both saw her and was seen by Candle light This moved pitty in Mandana and shame in the Prisoner Artamenes followed the King of Pontus The inhabitants of Sinope knowing that he was to enter the Town in the night did light Candles in all the streets hanging Lamps at every window so that by the shouts of joy and multitudes of Lights this night Entry was very Triumphant and magnificent Artamenes was accompanied by all the Grandees of the Court who conducted him to the King my Master was in one thing lesse happy then the King of Pontus for he saw not the Princesse in passing under her window because she was gone to bed immediatly and faigned to be ill Martesia who from the first minute that her mistris heard Artamenes was alive had observed much joy in her eyes was now much amased to observe the disturbances in her soul therefore seeing none with her and that she might speak freely Madam said she to her shall I ask whether it be barely some indisposition in you which moves you to go to bed or is there some misfortune hapned unto you which I am ignorant of and which disturbs that satisfaction which you might take from one of the happiest dayes in all your life For indeed Madam you see the wars are ended most gloriously you see that King which you would not marry in prison and you see that Prince whom you thought dead and so much lamented to be living I confesse my Dear Maxtesia answered the Princesse that I am very happy in many things but not in all and I am so sensible of my misfortune that I take no joy in all those apparent felicities which those who know not the bottom of my heart do think I doe Madam replied Martesia what can it be that should trouble you The King loves you all Cappadocia Adores you A Halcion Peace invites you unto all the delights of the Court and as the Kings Physitians say Artamenes wil be quickly recovered Artamenes replied the Princess sighing will perhaps be but too soone recovered and though I wish him all manner of good Fortune yet I would he were in such a condition as not to leave his chamber untill I were fully resolved how I should live with him How Madam replied Martesia in a wonder interrupting her Artamenes whom you wept for so bitterly doe you say perhaps he shall be too soon recovered Ah Madam certainly I did not rightly understand you or els you did ill explain your self No no Martesia replied she The Crossness of my destiny is such as that I desire not to see Artamenes as much as I did desire his Life For know said she in changing colour that I doe love honour and glory above all other things but I doe not hate Artamenes so much as to be deprived of his conversation without repugnancy yet you may well think Martesia that after he has let me know that he loves me I ought not to give him that liberty which heretofore he had and that I live with him with more restraint then I did in those times when I had not that tenderness for him which I sensibly finde to be in my heart in spite of all my vertue For indeed Martesia since I may discover the bottom of my soul unto you Let me tell you that if Artamenes had been so bold as to speak unto me of any love I had then treated him but ill I should then have excluded him from my company and perhaps I had lesse esteemed him because then I should have suspected he had not a true esteem of me But this way which he takes to let me know his love Compassion having softned my heart I have understood it without anger and I have believed it without any difficulty and since I saw he could have no dangerous designe in his affection I did not oppose and stifle it in the beginning but I called into my memory all his Services and I repeated in my mind all his Services his virtues and all his rare Qualities a hundred and a hundred times over all these have told me that he loved me in a most respectfull manner I have given more Credit unto it then if he had told it and I have more acknowledged it then ever he could hope for indeed Martesia his death gave life unto my friendship not to give it any other phrase which is an affection unto him most pure and innocent Judg then if after I have given up my soul unto such a harmlesse passion it will be easie for me to resist and overcom it But Madam said Martesia to her is Artamenes more in fault now he is living then he was in his grave No Answered the Princesse but he is more to be feared Not that I intend absolutly to withdraw my affection from him All that I can doe will be to restrain my self from giving him any signes of it But Madam replied Martesia why will you punish him who is not in any fault and why will you torment your self in making him unhappy Stay Madam untill he give you some cause to complaine and if he speak any thing unto you which shall displease you then it will be time enough to deprive your self of his sight But Martesia said the Princesse interrupting her how do you think I can look upon him without extream shame and how can I banish out of my soul that affection which I entertained when I thought him dead For my part Madam replied Martesia I doe confess unto you that I cannot conceive what reason you can have to love Artamenes when he is dead and hate him when he is alive Ah Martesia cried Mandana how far are my thoughts from any hate And how happy would Artamenes be if I Lov'd him a little lesse then I did for indeed if I did not distrust my own heart I should live with him as I did before I would stay as you bid me untill he gave me iust cause of complaint and rest in quietnesse But Madam replied Martesia I see no cause why he should so disquiet you for as he did write unto you and as Feraulas told you he is a Prince neither do I see any cause why he should be so offensive unto you in comming to tell you himself what before he did write unto you Ah my dear Martesia replied the Princesse that which you tell me for my consolation is that which most torments me for if Artamenes were not of that quality he saith he is his boldnesse should not have offended me and dead as he was I should only have pitied his folly and misfortune But now I find nothing which can offend me or anger me upon the whole matter I must not chuse my self a husband moreover that Fatall custome which the Assyrians when they were lords of Cappadocia did leave upon it will not permit me any pretence or colour to Iustifie the affection of Artamenes unto me and much lesse Mandana's unto him So
me with my benefitâ— but thou must poyson them Do but admi 〈…〉 my fortune Sosicles The King of Phrigia and the King of Lidia never had any Wars between them until within this year so that it my birth had been discovered at any time then this I had been absolutely happy Moreover do you not consider my Destinies would needs have me to be the son of that King only against whom Cressus had declared War Therefore must it not needs be confessed that my fortune is very odd and ill and that it is not easie to 〈◊〉 it any better But whatsoever fall I shall for ever love my Princess and shall think that good fortune consists only in the enjoyment of her heart As Cleander was thus thinking a Messenger came to tell him that Cressus asked for Man and had received news that the King of Phrigia was entered into his Dominions I leave you to judg Madam how this went against his mind yet must he go unto this Prince and did so but he was so puzzled to answer him that Cressus perceived something did trouble 〈◊〉 mind and asked what it was but Cleander did not tell him for since yet he had not seen his Princess he knew not whether it would be her pleasure he should he answered hâ—m then in obscure words yet since the Phrigian War did wholly take up the mind of Cressus he took no notice of them he told him that he must needs depart within this day or two to vanquish his Enemy who seemed to have a design to conquer his Conqueror But Cleander said he unto him I would have you remember it is the last Victory which gives the Prize to all the rest and for your part I know you have so much glory and honour to preserve that you are no less interested then my self in the good or bad success of this War After this he took his leave of him and told him that he would go and bid adieu unto all his friends Cleander being glad to be rid of a conversation which was so troublesom went unto the Princess who beleeving that he came to bid her adieu no sooner saw him enter into her Closet where she was alone with Cylenisa but addressing her self unto him Though I do not doubt said she but you go to overcome your Enemies since you go to fight them yet since you cannot do that without hazard of your life and without leaving me I cannot see you depart without much sorrow Madam answered he and sighed Victory is such a thing as I ought not to think upon and when you shall know what I have heard since I had the honour to see you I am sure you will be of my opinion How Cleander said she unto him have you offered any Sacrifices unto the Gods which have not been accepted or has the Gods forewarned you by any sinister presages of some sad accident The Gods Madam replyed he have let me know the best and most agreeable news in the world in appearance since they have let me understand by a marvellous accident of what quality I am But in the name of the Gods Madam I do heseech you do not hate me when you shall know it The Princess was much amazed at this discourse and knew not how to answer him yet imagining that his only reason was because he had found himself of some mean quality she answered him in these terms though in much impatience Since your virtues are the same still of what quality soever you are I do assure you I shall always esteem you the same and though the knowledg of what you are may make me change my manner of living with you yet it shall never change my heart Since it is so Madam said he unto her I shall not fear to tell you that I am son to the King of How Cleander said she and interrupted him what pleasure can you have in making me sad Why would you have me buy such welcome news with so much sorrow You shall see Madam replyed he that the business is not so well as you imagine when you shall understand that the Prince who gave me life is the same King of Phrigia whom you commanded me to vanquish and that it is not lawful for me to fight against him And then he told her in as short a method as he could how Thimettes had seen the Picture of Venus upon her Table how Cylenisa had told him in what manner it was found and made relation of all he knew from Thimettes and Acrates and neglected not any circumstance which might justifie his quality unto the Princess who did harken unto him with much attention and joy though mingled with some unquiet thoughts After he had ended his relation As terrible an Enemy as you are said she unto him I esteem you so much as that I would not have you unknown Cleander again but much rather you were the Prince Artamas Not but that I do foresee the angry Consequences which this glorious Quality may bring upon you but yet the King of Phrigia and the King my father may happily conclude a Peace and then you could not possibly be the son of a King unless you had been born so But said she what do you design for I conceive that the thoughts of the Prince Artamas will not concur with the thoughts of the unknown Cleander The thoughts of Cleander said he unto her are not changed since he knew he was the Prince Artamas But I do not know whether the Princess of Lidia's mind be changed or no. Doubtless it is replyed she for I shall be more civil towards the Prince Artamas then I was to Cleander That is not the question I ask said he unto her I only desire that you would be pleased to continue the same goodness unto me as you did before and that you advise me what to do for truly I stand in great need of it They ought to be more prudent and less interested then I am answered she who can give you any good counsel Then absolutely command me what is your pleasure I should do said he unto her for I make no question but that you will have a care of my honour in your Commands and therefore my divine Princess I will prescribe no limits unto you but absolutely refer my self unto your Commands Speak then Madam I conjure you and tell me what is your pleasure shall become of me How can I disobey Cressus who would have me go and fight and vanquish the King of Phrigia how can I do all this since I have the honour to be Son unto that Prince The Gods preserve me said she from giving you any such counsel I expected no less from your virtue said he unto her and give you thanks for not putting me unto so dangerous a Test nor force me to disobey you nor becoming the most criminal amongst men And since Madam you are pleased to consent that I should not fight against the King my
himself For whatsoever she said against Ligdamis or Artelinda or herself she never said she would quit Ligdamis but on the contrary whatsoever she said she added this unto it That if she should change her manner of living with Ligdamis it would be an occasion to make the world believe all that Artelinda said was true Afterwards she would say that since this was only her own thought she would use the matter so as none should ever think Ligdamis in love with her But in conclusion when she had uttered many contrarieties and saw that all her past severity could not hinder the world from saying that Ligdamis loved her Am I not very unhappy said she that after I have passed all my life in quietness and honour I should now be exposed to the Railierie of Artelinda But Madam said I unto her this is not so great a crime as if you had loved him for except Artelinda none says that you love Ligdamis If I had lived after the manner of others answered she you had spoken well But to hear such reports upon my self after I have professed such a strict severity believe me Ismenea is a most sensible grief unto me Cleonice spoke this with so many signs of real displeasure in her face that indeed I was sorry for her and desiring to be a little more complacential towards her Madam said I since it does so much trouble and torment you though Ligdamis be my friend yet I advise you to forsake him and banish him the second time Ah Ismenea said she unto me and blusht if I could do so I had done it ere this but to my misfortune Ligdamis has more of my heart then I have my self Not that I can call my apprehensions of him Love said she in reprehending herself and not desiring to tell the truth but that my friendship to him is so tender and violent that I cannot deprive my self of his sight and conversation We will call this affection what you please said I unto her yet since it is so the matter is easily decided for of two evils the lesser being to be chosen it is better to make choice of that which will afford you some houres of consolation then of that which will afford you none at all But said I my advice is not to satisfie yourself by doing any act which is contrary to handsomness nor do I counsel you to regulate your actions by the different opinions of all the men in a great Town it will be sufficient if you do nothing contrary to the universal received customs of all good persons nor any thing which may wound vertue This done you may rest your mind in quiet and never let the capricious censures of others disturb the pleasure of your life But said Cleonice unto me I know not well whether this manner of living with Ligdamis though it be most innocent yet whether it be not contrary to that exact handsomness which you speak of for the truth is I know he is in Love and I perceive I am so much his friend that I cannot hate him For my part said I unto her it does not seem to me to be criminal especially if it be considered that your quality and the quality of Ligdamis is equal and by consequence you may marry and since so I do not see that Vertue would have any that are to marry to hate one another All passions said I certainly are not crimes though heretofore you have thought so there are some Loves which are innocent and allowable Therefore do not uncalm your Mind upon every light blast of common Report You know said she unto me that the Father of Ligdamis is resolved to marry him unto none but one It is true replied I but you may well conceive that since Ligdamis would not obey him when he loved none he will not obey him now when he is in love with you Therefore without taking notice of any Reports I advise you to live with Ligdamis as you was accustomed The noise which is vogued abroad will quickly die for since you know Artelindâ— will find so many several subjects of fresh discourse within three dayes the Love of Ligdamis will be no more talked on However I conjure you said she unto me not to tell him that I confess I cannot banish him But said I unto her and laughed since the affection you bear him is only friendship why will you hide the greatness of it Believe me Cleonice it is not usual to make any secret of friendship but on the contrary it is so violent in some that they cannot hide it Well well Ismenea replied she I understand you very well but though what you think were true yet must I tell you every thought of my soul Yes said I unto her if you love sincerity But since you do not I will be so complacential as to name every thing as you please and call that Love which Ligdamis bears you Hatred After this Madam the mind of Cleonice was much more quiet and Ligdamis more happy All reports as I said died for Artelinda gave so many new causes of talk concerning herself that nothing else was spoke of and she did not only continue the entertainment of that multitude of Servants about her but another notable adventure fell out which was this As she was one morning writing several Letters unto three or four of her Lovers unto which she gave several directions and writing at the same time unto Cleonice to justifie herself concerning what she had said against her after she had writ all the Letters she would write no Superscriptions upon the top and he to whom she gave the Letters though he was a witty Knave and accustomed unto such offices yet did he deceive her that day in distributing them not according to her directions So that one of these Lovers whom she appointed to meet at the Temple of Diana by one of her Letters received another Letter which was not intended to him and which appointed him to that same day and visit a Lady which he never saw who was his most mortal enemy That Letter which appointed the meeting at the Temple of Diana was carried unto a man of quality who was a stranger and had not been long in Ephesus He was one who according to the religion of his own Country would not adore the Gods in any Temples which were built with the hands of men so that this Letter did extremely surprise him Artelinda had writ another unto one of her Lovers who was to go out of town that day that he would meet her in the way as she went to the Temple to the end she might there bid him adieu But in lieu of that Letter he received another which was not intended to him but unto another by which she desired him to meet her at evening in the Walks by the sea-side And that which was intended for the other was brought unto Cleonice and that which was intended for Cleonice was
Cleonice with me After all this multitude was gone which so troubled me and grieved Ligdamis I rise up and laughed at the accident Then Cleonice looking upon me and seeing by my countenance that I had no very serious business with her Is it true Ismenea said she unto me that you had some real business with me or did you send for me only to divert you My principal design said I unto her has not been to please you for you shall presently see that I regarded the interest of another more then yours Upon that I opened my Closet-door and putting her in first I followed after her and shut the door When she saw one there in a Phrygian habit she stood in a maze and much more when he threw himself at her feet and took her by the hand Madam saying unto her it was impossible for me to live and not to see you Cleonice knowing at first the voice of him that was so dear in her thoughts could not choose but joy at it and pardoned me for so deceiving her and answered his complaint in a most civil and obliging manner But presently after considering that if it were known Ligdamis was in Ephesus disguised they would arrest him and perhaps make that a crime against the State which was only an effect of Love her joy did lessen and her further fear was that this meeting if it were known would reflect upon her reputation So that repenting of her obliging language and her expressions of joy Truly Ligdamis said she after we were set down Those who say the first thoughts of women are always the best do not always say true since at the first I had an extreme delight in seeing you yet my second thoughts tell me that my first were unjust and that I ought to chide you For to speak rationally why do you put your own liberty and life into hazard and why do you expose me to be suspected as a Confederate with you My reason is Madam replied he because there is a fatal must upon me that is I must either see you or die And as for your confederacie or honour Madam I cannot believe it to be in any danger for your vertue is above the reach of calumny Therefore Madam I beseech you permit me to enjoy the happiness and satisfaction of discourse with you and be so good as to tell me whether my disgrace and banishment hath not caused a change in your soul and whether Ligdamis must be hated both by Cressus and by you because he has the honour to be in the illustrious Cleander's favour You wrong me extremely replied she to suspect me of any such unworthiness and I should resent it so if you would not perhaps think that I took an occasion to quarrel with you To prevent which I will forget the injury and assure you that your misfortunes make my friendship to you more tender then before Ligdamis was transported with joy at this obliging answer and replied in such acknowledging terms as spoke his soul to be full of violent Love Thus did we pass away this evening together Cleonice forcing him to promise he would be gone the next morning before break of day for she extremely feared that his stay any longer would hazard a discovery His desires were to see her once more but he could not possibly obtain it from her so that he contented himself with staying as late with us as handsomly he could Cleonice endeavoured to hide the excess of her sorrow at this parting with as much care as Ligdamis took to express his But do what she could it appeared in her eyes and both of them were so excessively sad that I profess I was exceeding sorry for them After Cleonice was gone Ligdamis stayed still a long while with me discoursing of her and entreating me to continue his friendly sollicitor But in conclusion it being very late he left me also and went to the house of a friend where he staid till break of day This friend whom be thought to be the most faithfull servant in the world unto him he trusted him with all the business of his voyage But Madam be pleased to know that this friend how faithfull soever in appearance proved to be the Spie of Hermodorus who underhand did use all possible endeavours to ruine Ligdamis and marry Cleonice So that being advertised by this Agent that Ligdamis was in Ephesus disguised that he was in his house and that he had been at my house with Cleonice after Hermodorus had well considered what course to take he sent six men whom he hired with money to seize upon the person of Ligdamis to take away his sword and to guard him in the the chamber where they found him appointing them to tell Ligdamis that they arrested him by command from the Governour of Ephesus This course being resolved upon it was presently executed for he in whose house Ligdamis lodged did himself open the door unto those who would arrest a Delinquent unto the State So that Ligdamis lying down to sleep found himself a Prisoner when he waked and disabled to resist their violence In the mean while Hermodorus being very glad he had his Rival in his power did most impatiently wait for an opportunity to see Cleonice But since mornings were not fit hours to visit Ladies he staid till the afternoon and then he came so soon after dinner that he found her alone in her chamber After he had rendred an officious Complement which she returned very coldly Madam said he unto her I am very sorry that I must augment that melancholy which is in your eyes yet I thought it my duty to acquaint you that Ligdamis is a Prisoner Ligdamis a Prisoner replied Cleonice infinitely astonished then they have surprised the Castle of Hermes No Madam replied he it is in this Town that he is taken in a disguise by a man of my acquaintance who hoping to have a great recompence from Cressus for seising upon a Delinquent against the State he desired me to lend him a house of mine in the way to Sardis to keep him in more safety But Madam I knowing how dear the life of Ligdamis is unto you I have contrived a way to release him if you please I perceive Madam by the trouble of your countenance that you suspect the truth of my words but the better to perswade you I need only tell you that he came disguised unto Ephesus in a Phrygian habit and that he has seen you at the lodging of Ismenea Cleonice after this not doubting the truth changed countenance and discourse and looking upon Hermodorus as a man who might release Ligdamis Hermodorus said she unto him I cannot deny but that the misfortune of him you name does exceedingly trouble me for besides his being a kinsman unto Ismenea whom I love very well he is also my friend and such a friend that I would do any thing to release him therefore I conjure you for my sake if it
enough she leaned upon the body of her dearest Abradates the blood which powred out of her wound gushed upon the arm of this Illustrious dead corps Though those who were near Panthea never perceived this act yet one that was a servant unto this Princesse and who was farther off did see her take this Dagger and crying out aloud and running towards her his voice made Cyrus and all the rest turn their heads towards him and not towards Panthea so that this was partly a cause that none but this Servant saw the act and by consequence why they could not prevent it But since the loud cryes of this Servant doubled who still cryed out and never told why Cyrus began to suspect something he went towards him and coming near Panthea he found her at the last gasp yet she opened her fair eyes turning them towards Abradates and afterwards up to Heaven where they fixed without any further sign of life Cyrus was so amazed at this sad accident so grieved for the death of two such Illustrious persons and so astonished at the great heart of Panthea that he was not able to expresse either his wonder or his sorrows On the other side Pherenice and the rest of the women were so full of pittyfull lamentations as would have melted hearts of Marble And the amaze was so generally amongst them all that were present spectators of this bleeding spectacle that none of them were able to comfort another And to compleat this Tragical adventure three of the Queens servants killed themselves within ten paces from the Queen And Araspes ignorant of this accident came by by chance and saw the dead Queen whose Beauty surmounted his Virtue and overcame the insensibility of his heart Araspes being of a violent hasty composition and still in love though he was full of respects unto Cyrus yet his Passion was above his Reason and the greatnesse of his Love did appear in the greatness of his Despair that he deserved some excuse for no better concealing it His eyes were full of fury he knew not whom he spoke unto and asked all one after another what brought Panthea unto this condition He could not beleeve she was dead by her own hand and resolved to revenge her death as soon as ever he should know the cause But when at last he beleeved what was told him he turn'd his fury against himselfe and had hee not been prevented would have faln upon his sword Afterwards he would have thrown himself into the River if Cyrus had not commanded two of his friends to have an eye over him and not to forsake him otherwise he had infallibly followed Panthea to the grave In the mean time seeing no remedy for this sad accident he caused the bodies of Abradates and Panthea to be put in one Coach and the women of the Princess in the other himself following on horsback with his men towards the Castle where the Princesse Araminta was Cyrus also caused the bodies of those servants which killed themselves to bee brought to the end they might be buried close by the Tombs of their Princes He sent Feraulas to order all things necessary for the Funerals of these two Illustrious persons which he desired should be as magnificent as possible In the mean while the Princesse Araminta who with extreame impatience expected the Queen of Susiana's returne was in the window of her chamber with Cleonice Doralisa and the rest of the Ladies which were Prisoners when these two Coaches arrived and followed by Cyrus So that she was infinitely surprised to see one of the fairest Princesses in the world and one of the most valiant Heroes upon earth in such a lamentable condition Cyrus commanded their bodies to be layd in a great Hall under a Canopy of State covering them with a Counterpane of black Velvet He also commanded abundance of Christall Lamps to be placed in the Hall and there these two Illustrious Corps to remaine untill the Ceremonies of Funerall were ready In the mean whil Cyrus went to the Princess Araminta to condole with her rather then to comfort her but what consolation soever he found in her company he made no long visit there Yet he assured her that the King her Brother was neither dead nor wounded as he understood by some Prisoners which were taken After which he left her saying he would wait upon her the next day for he was resolved to honour the Funerals of Abradates and Panthea with his presence After this Cyrus visited Cleonice and Doralisa in their chambers whither they were retired bringing Cleonice unto them and comforting them with extraordinary civility He assured them he would have as great a care of them as ever Panthea had nor would he forget the very meanest of her Vassals But to testifie how much he honoured the dead he command Chrisantes to provide Architectors for the erecting of a stately Tomb of Marble and Porphyrie in the same place where Panthea dyed The next day following an Aegyptian Sacrificer embalmed their bodies after the custome of the Country which was to keep them incorruptible After which they were layd in a Temple close by untill their Tombes were built whereon Cyrus caused their Epitaph to be written in many Languages setting forth to all that read them the Valour of Abradates the beauty and virtue of Panthea their dear affections to one another their lives and deaths and the fidelity of their servants After Cyrus had rendred the honours due unto Abradates and Panthea he resolved to see the Princess Araminta once more before he went whither his honour or to say better his love called him But in seeing her he conceived that since she had so much confidence in his discretion as to acquaint him how Spitridates was jealous of her and him so he conceived it expedient to acquaint her how Mandana was jealous of him and her but his principall motive of all was because he had a design to take all manner of choler from Mandana to be jealous of him and in order to that he beseeched this Princess not to think it strange if he visited her no more untill he had delivered the Princesse of Medea from her imprisonment and had justified himselfe but the best of the story was that at the very same time he intended to acquaint Araminta she intended to intreat him that he would see her seldomer lest those who perswaded Spitridates of what was so farr from truth should thereby have some ground whereupon to build their suppositions so that Cyrus needed not to feare his request would be offensive to her Afterwards she conjured him that as long as the Siege lasted he would not suffer the Prince Phraartes to visit her But wonder was that these two prudent persons who had such great reason not to be long together yet this time held a very long conferrence for after they had discoursed of their misfortunes and after she had put him in memory of all his promises concerning
one of the most charming Ladyes of the world her Garb was so high her aire so noble and her walking agreeable that none could look on her without a disposition to love her She danced with as good a grace as shee walked and had such a nature of mirth and gravity together as did infinitely please her humour was as charming as her beauty for shee was alwayes sweet civill and affable she had a good inclination to Rallary or at least to love those who did it well but she gave a check unto her inclination and commonly seemed more grave then merry Yet notwithstanding she loved pleasures especially company and company a little gallant she could not spend a whole afternoon with one freind in private without being weary for shee had a kind of active spirit which was an enemy to all lâ—mpishnesse and which made all shee did delightfull Moreover shee was naturally magnificent liberall and good and had a soul so tender as would make one almost assured not to be hated though one should tell her that they were in love with her yet she was not capable of any violent passion the pleasure of being loved made her sometimes suffer her self to be so rather then out of any real inclination She was not at all fantasticall that desire to please which was in her heart proceeded from a more further noble cause Furthermore shee had a witt so sharp and shee could so cunningly pumpe the minds of those whose designes shee desired to know as it may be said shee had a key to open their hearts and look into their secrets and all this without any seeming of subtiltie indeed her temper was so opposite unto any guile that shee never had any freind whom shee once deceived but was apt to a kind of generous confidence which had rather be exposed to be deceived by others then to be so subtle as to prevent being deceived This Arpasia with her Beauty Wit and goodnesse did so please the Princesse of Bythinia and the Princesse Istrina that they were desirous to know her adventures especially since shee would imply them in some businesse unto those Princes whom they were to see For truly said Istrina to her after much other discourse It is not possible wee should be able to do you any right service unlesse we do know the state of your misfortunes They are of such a nature replyed shee that I can expect no advantage from you by telling of them but only your pitty Though you cannot Madam replyed the Princesse of Bithinia yet I beseech you tel them unto us for truly as for my part I do finde great case unto my miseries by being pittied Doubtless its true Madam replyed Arpasia But I am so unable to relate all the accidentes of my life my self that if you would know them it must be from her who has a share in my misfortunes for besides her knowing of them as well as my selfe I cannot relate such things with any order which have so much disordered my mind I know t is said that the remembrance of miseries is sweet but I must be happy first before I can take any delight in remembring my past misfortunes And therefore since I am not in that condition I beseech you dispense with me We shall willingly dispense with you Madam replied the Princesse of Bithinia provided the amiable Niside who is with you will undertake it in your roome I am contented answered Arpasia then I beseech you said Istrina let it be this day for since we do not directly know when wee shall goe and see those Princes unto whom you will imploy us It is requisit we should be knowing in the state of your fortune as soon as you can To testifie how willing I am to discover my misfortunes unto you answered shee I will go unto Niside and give her orders to acquaint you with all my weaknesses shee is a woman whose hard fortune cannot deject by dejecting her house and familie and who has such a share in all that relates unto me that shee knowes all my thoughts And therefore you may give credit unto all that shee will say excepting in any commendations which perhaps shee will give me For happily her friendship to me may byasse her When wee have heard her replied the Princesse of Bitihnia wee shall give you all justice and shall beleeve as wee ought to doe After this Arpasia retyred and Niside stayed with the Princesses asking them pardon before hand for her want of any art to relate what they required Then after many civilities they pressed her to begin the relation which she did in these termes addressing her speech unto the Princesse of Bithinia THE HISTORY OF ARPASIA THough I am perswaded you have so good an opinion of Arpasias judgment as to think that she would never have comamnded me to relate her adventures if she had not known that I was able to make a perfect relation of things past yet I must tell you Madam that none upon earth knows them better then I do and I dare almost say that I know them better then her self For the truth is that the heavy burthen of her sorrowes hath hindred her from observance of many which I have seen with lesse trouble though I was ever a sharer in all her miseries For fortune having ruin'd the family from which I descended which heretofore kept my self in a good rank and having lost those who gave me life when I was very young I was put unto Arpasia as having the honour to be allied unto her by my Mother And having continued with this excellent Lady ever since my infancy I have not only seen her adventures with my own eyes but further I have known her most secret thoughts I shall not trouble you Madam with a relation of Arpasias birth For you are not ignorant that Gabrias her Father hath a little Dominion which depends only upon the Gods and himselfe and that Gadates and he were two Grandees who heretofore pretended to marry Nitocris Nor shall I aggravate the miseries of the fair Arpasia which began by the death of her elder Brother who dyed after so sad a manner at Babylon by the violence of the late King of Assyria that it is not possible that you should know it and Arpasia was then so young that she was not capable of any long sorrowes for it But Madam it it is requisite you know that Gabrias even since the losse of his Son did wholy decline the interests of the Assyrian Prince Yet he did conceal his Resentments out of his Respects unto the Queen Nitocris who then lived But as soon as she was dead and that Prince had brought the Princesse Mandana to Babylon his desire of revenge began to break out and his whole imaginations were how to ruine the Assyrian King And to that end he did not only enter into league with all his neighbour Princes against him but also united himselfe with all the
horrid torment be imagined then this which by the Tyranny of my Fate I now endure Ah my fairest Princesse was it the intentions of the gods only to shew you upon the earth Did they make you to be the wonder of the world and must not we all adore you Ah! alas alas ye furious fatall flames cried he out looking upon the Town whose ruines might be seen far off what cause have I to curse you for the losse of my unparalleled Princesse I know too well it was your opposite element which gave me my dire and dismall losse yet mercilesse though you be you would have left me her precious ashes that so mine might have had the glory to be mixed with them but the rigour of my fate is such that this inexorable element of water will not render me my Princesse either alive or dead although it is her will to save the life of her Ravisher and my Rivall Had the fates left this Rivall in such a state as I might without blemish unto my honour have satisfied my revenge it had been some light consolation amidst my grand misfortunes But this barbarous Element retains my Princesse and saves my Rivall only to tell me the sad news how he saw her in inevitable danger and left her in the arms of death that he saw her in such resentments of me as I durst never hope for and at last lost his tongue so that I could gather from him nothing but despair You have this comfort yet remaining said Chrisantes that he could not say he saw her dead that ultimate and fatall syllable was not yet pronounced Also it may rationally be hoped added Feraulas that the same fate which followed Mazares might also follow her and haply hers much better then his for she hath no reason to wish her own death like him yes Sir it may very well be she lives and hath no sad resentments but of you Ah Chrisantes ah Feraulas cried he out this poor pittance of hope which remains at the root of my heart may chance to cause a greater evil Yet if this were not you might be sure my Friends that without any further cries or tears or sighs I would presently follow my most adored Mandana there is not any thing but this faint hope which restrains me And though it be a good Preservative and a cordial Antidote against all misfortunes yet it is too weak to hinder me if I once were fully perswaded my Princesse were perished Alas Chrisantes me thinks I see her in the Sea how disdainfully she receives help from her Ravisher Methinks I see that boisterous wave take her from him who when he he had ruin'd her would then too late preserve her Me thinks I see the waves oh ye gods what should I say what should I think smother her and sink her to the bottome of the Sea I saying so tears did flow He kist the Scarf with profound sorrow and sadly said Oh thou which heretofore was the height of my ambition to wish for and thought thee â—he greatest honour I durst presume to aspire unto I could never beleeve that I should resent thee with so much sadnesse All I desire from thee now is to inspire me with courage enough to vanquish those who are enemies unto my King and my Princess I look upon thee now as a motive unto my memory of Mandana which will double my despair and hasten my death Now Chrisautes said he do you not now wonder at the odde contrivances of my humorous fate that I should receive more testimonies of my divine Mandana's affection to me from my Rivall then from her self Her severe vertue did distribute her favors with so much wisedom and reservednesse that I my self could never presume of so much happinesse as I understood from the King of Assiria from Mazares his Letter from Mazares himself and from Mazares dying who all do tell me I had a greater sharer in her heart then ere I could hope for But oh ye gods why do you afford me so great a blisse so much certainty of her affection since she in whose election my felicity consists is not in a condition to love and since I must abandon life hope and all which can be called happy After he had thus vented his sorrow he was a while silent sometimes looking upon the Sea sometimes whether those he had sent to search were returned and sometimes casting his sad eyes upon the Scarf Chrisantes seeing the day was much spent would perswade him to walk towards the Town because the day was far spent This reason though it had argument enough in it to perswade him yet it could not have caused him to remove if he had not seen at a good distance off Thrasibulus Araspes Aglatides Hidaspes and many others coming towards him who out of civility did retire to give him the liberty of enjoying his thoughts but after they had a reasonable time absented themselves they drew near he no sooner saw them but he rise up and looking upon Chrisantes and Feraulas said What shall I do to perswade these men that my Passion for the Princesse is for her as the daughter of Ciaxares and not as the Mistresse of Artamenes happily you may said he unto them but certainly my friends I cannot I know if Mandana could appear at this nstant she would command it and would charm my tears as soon as he had spoken Thrasibulus and all the company came near so that he became silent and met them They perceived some odde adventure had chanced and because he was infinitely beloved of all especially those who had neer relations unto him they changed countenances also and did participate of that grief whereof they knew not the cause They were ignorant of it a good while and it was a very very death unto Artamenes to tell them Feraulas saved him the labour and by a short relation told them the sad news he was very brief lest if he should aggravate the matter Artamenes would not be able to contain himself but would give too many testimonies of what he desired to conceal Thrasibulus lamented the losse as much as possible Hidaspes being more concerned as having interest in the house of Ciaxares was deeply perplexed Araspes also did sadly resent it Aglatidas who naturally was of a Melancholy Composition did best sympathize with sorrow and was so sad as if he had a particular interest in the Princesse Artamenes who thought the Town would be a better umbrage for his grief then where they were because he might ret 〈…〉 unto his Chamber under pretence of writing unto Ciaxares therefore he walked on giving order into Feraulas to take them which came with Thrasibulus and go seek out for intelligence either of the safety or losse of the Princesse All the way he passed to the Town he observed much silence Mean while every one got information of the accident There was an universall condolement for the Princesse and of those eminent excellencies
and Nobility did live that the young Cyrus was educated Amongst us all private men do breed their children with as much care as if they were to be all Kings and are perswaded that to be men and to be virtuous are terms inseparable Cyrus coming out of a poor uncouth shepheards Cottage unto this most famous and learned Academy it was a wonder that nature should furnish him with as much prudence and wisedom as if he had been brought up here from his Cradle He had for his Tutors in vertue the wisest which could be cull'd out of the Old Doctors Active young men for the exercise of his body and a younger sort for his recreation which were well educated in all virtuous qualities Great care was had to prevent all sorts of vicious persons from coming about him lest they should chance to corrupt his own naturall sweet inclinations for they knew well that if the soul of a Prince who must rule over a People be once poysoned the people also will be infected though here he saw none but examples of goodnesse and vertue Moderation Liberality Justice Valour and all the vertues were so eminent in him and got him so much applause among the Persians that they extol'd him as a Childe sent from Heaven rather to instruct then be instructed by them But I fear Sir that I have already transgressed my limits and by consequence abused your Patience especially those Persians which hear me because perhaps they know these things better then I my self My Master lived in this Quality until his sixteenth year of Age And then Fortune began to offer him opportunities of discovering the greatnesse and generosity of his soul both in his words and Acts And to put in practice that greatnesse of spirit which his youth did promise you remember Sir how Harpagus was banished by the King of Medes for not exactly obeying his commands in putting to death this young Cyrus This exile had formerly been of great power in Medea being so in such favour with the King as he made him Governour in one of his greatest Provinces This man did endeavour to reconcile himself unto Astiages but all in vain he was in this discontent forced to travel from Court to Court to finde out protection and relief from those Princes which were enemies unto the King of Medes and being some certain daies disguised in Persipolis found out an opportunity to discover himself His habit was Persian he mingled himself among the multitude which waited upon the Prince to hunt and having the language of the Countrey passable enough he was not known to be a stranger Cyrus was lively and active at the sports and none are lesse tyred or more bold and forward at these sports then he either in following the Chase or assaulting the wilde Beast at a Bay He drew a bow threw a dart and used a sword admirable well he was alwaies victor in the publique games and bore away the prize but to return to Harpagus he did follow Cyrus very close at this great hunting whereof I spoke and waited upon him so near when the Prince followed a wilde bore so eagerly and fast through the thick of the Forrest lest he should lose sight of the bore as none of all the Persians was able to follow only Harpagus Cyrus overtook this wilde Beast bent his bow and shot an arrow through his heart After this Victory whereof Harpagus only was a witnesse he sat down and rested himself until some of his own servants came in upon a bank close by a little brook which ran across the Forrest in that place In all these chases it is the custome of the Countrey for Hunters to carry a Bow a Quiver a Sword and two Javelins This gallant young Hunter wore them all and his Buckler also for them also they use in hunting as well as wars Ys he was thus sitting Harpagus drew near him Cyrus who had not yet seen him took him for a Persian began to shew him the Prize and cried out I have killed him I have killed him but Harpagus kneeling upon the ground told him that he knew how he might obtain a more glorious victory then this The Prince thinking the man had discovered some greater Bore then this which he had killed rose up and asked him heartily whether he should go to get this victory Into the head of an Army of thirty thousand men answered Harpagus which I come to offer unto you so that if you please to accept of it you may make your self Lord of a Kingdom Cyrus astonished at his words lookt upon him more earnestly then before and supposing he had seen him formerly Who are you said he that make this gallant offer I cannot yet think my self worthy of it since my valour was never tried against any but Bear Bores Lions and Tigers I am Sir said he one that is sent by the gods to tender you a brave opportunity of getting immortall glory If all be true you say said Cyrus shew me the way I must take and let it be as difficult as it can be I will follow it with all alacrity I have already told you Sir said Harpagus you must repair unto the head of an Army of Thirty thousand men which wait for your commands and to conquer when you bid them It becomes not him to command replied Cyrus who hath not yet learnt how to obey it is far fitter I should be their Companion then their Generall But I pray you Noble Stranger whom I think I have seen before though not remember you tell me where this Army is and who they are also who is the Enemy and what the Kingdom you would have me conquer Sir answered Harpagus I am not at all unreasonable in my desires when I wish your assistance against a King who hath basely broken the Laws of humanity against a Prince who is both the Love and Wonder of all which know him A King I say who hath acted against Nature Reason and Justice who by an ill governed ambitious jealousie would against all humanity or conscience take away the life of such a Prince in whose behalf I now salute you It is in the Behalf of a hopefull young innocent Prince and against such an unnaturall unworthy King I desire to animate you It neerly concerns your own honour to condescend unto my desires Your desire answered Cyrus is too full of justice to be denied And not to keep me any longer from this Army which you desire I should repair unto Inform me who is this barbarous King and who is the injured Prince for I do much wonder since I have been so carefully informed of all the prime passages of the world I should not guesse at them both Sir then answered Harpagus you are the Prince which owes revenge Yes said Cyrus And by whom Noble Stranger can I be injured I who have hardly yet begun to live I who ever since I first breathed have been rockt in a Cradle
since for his ransome he might obtain his Daughter he therefore kept a reserve of ten thousand men the best of all his Troops who had Orders not to fight until a certain sign was given which should be when they were informed where Ciaxares did keep his Quarter then they to fall upon him and take him Prisoner These Orders were punctually obeyed The King of Pont and the King of Phrygia seeing that the victory did poise in an equall balance and having discovered the place where Ciaxares was in person they give the signall The ten thousand men fell furiously upon us and put our Army into great confusion Artamenes had the good hap to be near the King when he was compassed about and ruffly assaulted by his enemies Indeed if he had not been there at that time beleeve it Ciaxares had not been now in a condition to keep him his Prisoner for all the world did see he had there else perished Artamenes seeing this fresh storm fall upon the King took the boldness to come to him and said Sir though I am but an unfortunate stranger to you yet if your own Subjects will but do like me you should overcome I warrant you then not staying for any answer from the King Come Come Follow me my brave men said he to them which were about him trembling for fear If you will but take heart and follow me I 'le warrant you we will preserve the King and yet honour enough besides These words and the confidence which they saw in the eyes of Artamenes did so rouse up their dull spirits that they began to courage up then he led them on and charged the enemy with an unimaginable fury Now since the Enemy had commands to spare Ciaxares his life and to take him prisoner only therefore they durst not fight so tumultuously lest then they should perhaps kill him unawares yet Artamenes slew such a Number of them though they defended themselves as well as they could that it was a wonder he was not tired with killing But whilest he was in this gallant Fury he heard many cry confusedly The King is taken and immediatly after The King is kil'd At the sound of these sad words he turn'd about and saw a body of Horse who guarded the King whom they had taken whether alive or dead he made straight towards them Then animating those Cappadocians which followed him and spying Feraulas and me cal'd us by our Names Come away said he to us Let us go and relieve the King and let us not be less valiant in delivering him then onr enemies have been in taking him Then we charged that body of Chivalry in the midst of which we perceived some confusion and as it were a fight The Gallant Artamenes brake the ranks of the Enemy and gave a death to all he met Being come to the middle of the Squadron he saw Ciaxares with some fifteen or twenty who having got Arms in their hands would not render themselves unto those who compassed them about And when the Enemy saw that Artamenes was like to relieve Ciaxares there was one desperate fellow amongst them who thonght it was more advantagious for the King of Pont that Ciaxaees were kil'd rather then escape therefore he lifted up his arm which held a great Sword to strike the King upon his head which was then bare for he had lost his Helmet in the Combat the buckles being broken This blow had inevitably kil'd him if Artamenes had not stept in with his Sword and run this rash man through the heart and made him fall at his feet just as the blow was falling upon the Kings head The King seeing this called him his Preserver and Deliverer And my Master thinking the like chance might hap again took his own helmet from his head and put it upon the Kings Then without speaking a word or losing a minute of time he went immediatly out again to fight resolving his buckler should defend the blows from his head This act which was observed both by friends and enemies wrought different effects The King was amazed at it and would needs give him his head-peece again But his enemies when they saw better then before the admirable beauty of Artamenes and that martial disposition which did so easily become him in Combat they thought some Divinity had descended to preserve Ciaxares from his enemies and against whom it was no boot to resist therefore their fears did encrease and many thought their heels to be the best arms Artamenes followed them and drave them upon the left wing of their own Army which put them into disorder so that he had absolutely defeated them if night had not been so near which hindred his pursuit and caused both parties to retire unto their colours Philidaspes though he was not present at all these passages yet did he much contribute unto the happy success of this great Action for it was he who kept our right wing from giving ground and who sought with the left wing of the enemy whilest we had our hands full in delivering the King so that if he had not beeen we should have had the main bodies of both the Kings upon us and then could never have been able to do as we did And so that it may truly be said it was only Artamenes and Philidaspes which preserved Cappadocia at this time yet since the art of Artamenes had the fortune to have the King for a witness who thought it Artamenes only which saved his Crown and his life therefore he had the greater honour and better fortune Mean while night invites all unto their Tents the Victory not being absolutely declared Artamenes bethought himself of two slight hurts in his left Arm which though it did not cause him to bed The King also received a little hurt in the hand but we understood by one of our Souldiers who had been taken Prisoner and escaped that the King of Pont had a considerable wound with an Arrow and which was a cause neither side had any minde to fight again Ciaxares was no sooner come into his Tent but he sent to seek out his deliverer and to bring him thither yet since none knew the Name of Artamenes it was next day in the morning before Ciaxares could satisfie his extream desire to salute and thank him for saving his life at last my Master being found out and being so commanded from the King he comes unto him but he addressed himself with such modesty and reverence as if he had done him no service at all After his first appearance before the King every one accosted him and desired acquaintance Philidaspes also gave him a respective Complement for his good fortune the day before all admired his hansome presence and were inquisitive to know the place where he was born The King no sooner saw him but he went to meet him and embrace him After these first welcomes the King did commend him so much as the modesty of
she had read it he was beginning his complement but the Princess in a most obliging manner prevented him and said What Divinity Noble Stranger brought you amongst us to preserve all Cappadocia thus in preserving the King and which enabled you to do him better service then all Subjects could Madam answered Artamenes you have reason to think some Divinity brought me hither and that some Benevolent Divinity too since it hath brought me to the honour of being known unto you and enabled me to render some small peece of service unto the King which might have been performed by any other hand as well as mine Modesty said the Princess turning to the Ladies about her is so essentially belonging unto our sex as I know not whether I should suffer this Gallant Stranger to usurp it or no he cannot be content to enjoy his own eminent valour unto which we cannot pretend but he must take upon him our modesty also when we commend his Gallantry as women may very allowably do when their beauty is commended For my part added she and looking upon Artamenes I finde some injustice in your proceedure and ought not to suffer it though I cannot chuse but infinitely commend you for it Such Madam as you replied Artamenes ought to receive praises from all the world and not to give them unto any but very slightly lest you should repent therefore I beseech you Madam do not run that hazard stay Madam until I have the honour to be better known unto you I know already by Arbaces answered she that you are thought to be of that Nation though you will not confess it who amongst all those great qualities you attribute unto them are suspected of craft and Subtlety yet that which you have done doth well deserve to be excepted out of the general rule nor can I suspect that your Prudence out of your excess of reason should degenerate into craft but on the contrary I am fully perswaded you are the very same you seem to be I am much obliged unto you Madam answered Artamenes that your Goodness is pleased to make such a favourable exception I can assure you that in doing so you are not deceived and the cunning Artifice of which the Greek Nation is suspected cannot be laid unto my charge But Madam whether I be Greek as it seems you think I am or of any other more ingenious Nation I have ever reason to say that since you have a good opinion of me I have cause to fear lest time should make you alter your opinion Time replied she can never make any such alteration but what you have already done deserves commendation and for it must ever retain a good opinion of you as of him that hath saved the life of my Father I wish Madam answered he you may never lose it and that the most glorious Princess of the world may ever do me that honour as not to think me quite unworthy of her esteem After this the Princess did enquire of all circumstances concerning the fight and Artamenes did exactly relate it excepting those passages which concerned himself and them he slightly passed over in few words which made Mandana who had all the story of his acts from Arbaces much to wonder But Artamenes did not fail to speak very advantagiously in the behalf of Philidaspes and his valour whom the Princess remembred to have seen at Sinope a little before her departure In short his deport 〈◊〉 was so happy in this first acquaintance as he was highly cried up by all the Ladies And though he had not the entire freedom of his soul since he was so heart-bound and tied by the eyes unto the beauty of Mandana yet did he not now seem half so much bewitched as formerly he had been His lovely presence discreet Civility sweet modesty and his handsome Garb joyned to the Eloquence of his words and wisedom of his minde did blinde all the disorders of his soul and made them not perceived so that he departed from this entertainment with a general applause Arbaces lodged him in a Chamber of the Castle which looked towards the Garden and expressed all the care which was due unto one who had preserved the King his Master Artamenes was no sooner in his stately Chamber but desired to walk in that Garden which was a Prospect unto his Chamber so little rest did his amorous inquietudes permit unto him not but that he was infinitely joyed at the Princess and the Civilities wherewith she treated him but as an effect of Love which is of such a nature as it alwaies causeth pleasing troubles and never moves unto any joy or sorrow but tumultuously and in odd agitations or disorders Artamenes then as happy as he was yet was restless and would fain have entertained more Discourse with the Princess so more strongly have captivated himself in fresh chains and charms which he found in her eyes and discourse However his Reason doth no more oppose his Love but rather assist it in contriving waies conducible unto his satisfaction Sometimes he feared he had not spoke all he had to say or that he was not well enough prepared to speak what he did However the sweet Idea of Mandana was it which filled every cranny of his amorous soul At every turn he thought he saw her and fancied every feature telling himself a hundred times She was absolutely the fairest and wisest in the whole world After he had thus fancied her and thinking that she had something of Gallantry in her spirit which without prejudice to her naturall modesty did incomparably set her off after I say he had pleasingly contemplated all these things over and over again O ye Gods said he if since she is so lovely it should so fatally fall out as that she cannot love me what will then become of miserable Artamenes but presently recollecting himself since she seems to be sensible of benefits and glory let us go on as we have begun and act so gloriously that although her Genius should be against me yet her esteem of them may win her affection at least esteem of me whether she will or no For though I confess one may esteem a thing a little which they do not absolutely love yet I conceive one cannot esteem any thing very much which they do not love a little Let us hope then and render our selves worthy of pity if not of Love As he was thus descanting upon the state of his love Feraulas told him that he saw the Princess at the end of a Walk who according to her usual Custom came to take the Air in the Garden about the Sun-setting Artamenes observing she came towards him had doubtless out of reverence gone into another walk if she had not beckned unto him to come neerer But Sir to avoid being tedious I must in short tell you that in this walk and new discourse Artamenes discovered such fresh Beauty and so much admirable wisdome in the soul of Mandana
spirits Now has Artamenes but one to fight withal but believe me a doughty one whom Fortune it seems had reserved to make Artamenes pay dear for his Victory These two Valiant Heroes one of which was to carry away the Glory of the Day took time to breathe and look about them They saw themselves all bloud and amidst a field covered with dead men so that Victory did not look with any charming countenance and though both of them had hopes to be victorious yet this dismal sight terrified them Presently the Combat begins afresh and with such fury as the like was never seen He who fought with Artamenes was a man of good quality as well as Artanus who all this while lay lurking and because he had seen my Master so thunder up his fellows durst rise up to assist his Partner Here Sir may be admired the wayes which the gods use when they are resolved to save one and it must be acknowledged their secrets are inscrutable For the case standing thus could any man believe that Artanus who was all this while hid and fresh and saw my Master wounded in many places should not dare for all this to rise and help his fellow to conquer one man whose bloud gusht out in so many places but he thought it safer to stay there and keep in a whole skinne Thus you see Artanus was not very valiant but as I have heard since undertook this Engagement with very ill will This man seeing Artamenes when he was single against three could not be conquered but brought it one to one and who remembred that this last man who fought with my Master was his Corrival and seeing how the case stood now never thinking of his Country but of his revenge his jealousie and his love he resolves to get the Victory and never fight for it for said he to himself as afterwards he confessed this combat cannot end but one of these two at the least must die since they fight with such resolution and he which dies will before his death give many wounds unto his enemy If he which is enemy to my Country fall I shall finde my Rival in a condition easie to be vanquished and if my Rival die I shall as easily overcome the enemy of my Country since he has lost so much bloud as he can hardly stand and who has shed so much of his enemies as he has left himself none so that which side soever Fortune turns on I will fight with the last man and he shall die too and I will live and Triumph without danger These were the thoughts of Artanus who prayed equally for the death of both his two enemies And truly it so fell out as his unjust prayers wanted but a little of being heard Artamenes and Pharnaces for we knew afterwards that to be his Name breathing a while as we said before began a Combat and such a one as all ambitious desires of glory could not make more fierce And Artamenes fearing least his losse of so much bloud should betray his corage therfore he charged his enemy with all his force so that Pharnaces who saw there was but two ways to chuse either death or victory had yet this consolation left him that he thought Artanm his Rival and enemy was dead since he saw him not fighting and this hope not to be any more crost in his Love begot a fresh desire of vanquishing and moved him to fight so fiercely that I heard my Master say before he knew any thing of it that he did imagin it to be Love which sustained his courage and enflamed him with that Heroick heat They fought yet a long time Pharnaces wounded Artamenes in four places Artamenes him in six Their strength began to fail and their bodies to reel so that to finish the Combat sooner they step nearer one another Thrusting is all their play not using their Bucklers which they were hardly able to lift They passed at one another both together but hit differently for Artamenes ran Pharnaces through the heart and Pharnaces ran Artamenes through his thigh and left his Sword in it So that my Master yet holding his Sword in his hand and couragiously drawing his enemies out of his thigh holding both Swords in his hands he cried out I have got the victory and presently after being very weak he fell But here 's the wonder Sir for if Artamenes had not fallen as he did he had died because Artanus would have presently dispatched him who as we knew by his confession and as you shall know in the sequel of the Story as soon he perceived his Rival dead did rise up and prepared himself to fall upon my Master whom he perceived to reel but as soon as he saw him fall he moved no further towards him he cared not for going to see him take his last gasp but went as fast as he could to tell the King of Pont he was the Conqueror This man if he be worthy of that name was fuller of joy then the true Conqueror was for he was full of glorious fancie he had seen his Rival die and hoped that this victory would certainly obtain him his Mistris who was Sister unto the King of Pont He could not imagin any thing could be a dor unto his felicity unlesse his remorse of Conscience and his unparallel'd Cowardize I know very well Sir that I have not half particularis'd this great encounter since it came unto light only by Artanus when he was vanquished and kept a Prisoner of War amongst us and by my Master whose Modesty would not suffer him to relate any thing wherein his own valour would be mentioned Mean time Artamenes is very weak and continued so a long while His sounding caus'd his bloud to stop so that when he recovered out of those fits he got a little strength and crawl'd up upon his knees with his Sword in his hand as if he would look about to see whether any would dispute with him about the victory yet he saw nothing but broken Javelins half Swords bloudy Bucklers and Men who though dead yet did retain grim faces of fury on the one side he saw a Cappadocian on the other a Pontean on all sides horror and bloud in abundance He tried often if he could walk but found it impossible by reason of his last wound which had so weakned him as he was not able to sustain himself Mean time He knew it was the duty of the Conqueror to carry news of the victory since their Combat had no other witnesses and since the fate of Arms had thus ordered him he was not able for it had left him only so much Life as he was sensible of unimaginable pain Alas said he What good will my victory do me since when I am dead they will not know I am victorious Ciaxares will repent of the Honour which he did me and Mandana illustrious Mandana will perhaps think I died in the beginning of the Combat before I
any disturbing passion and the weakness of this feeble fellow made him turn his anger into pity and caus'd him to omit every thing that concerned his private injury only so far as concerned the advantage of his cause and justification of his valour After the murmure of the people ceas'd and Artamenes had in a graceful demeanure done reverence to the Kings and Judges the people pressing in silence to hear him he began his answer thus The Oration of Artamenes VIctory is so high a good and Cowardise so base an evil that I wonder not to finde a man who would gladly enjoy the first without winning it and shun the second though he do deserve it Desire of glory and honour is born with us and fear of infamy is found in the basest of men most deserving it Neither do I at all wonder that Artanus would triumph without fighting But indeed I wonder that considering he is a man of more wit then valour he hath not shaped his lie more resemblant unto truth and that he hath made no particular relation of his acts which had been very requisite before he can convince us of his coming off so without wounds at least he should have told us who was the God which so preserved him I am most certain the valour of one man could not preserve him so miraculously but it must needs be some other Divinity which kept him invisible from my eyes whenas after I only was left against three I saw none about me but they they I say who by their own fate rather then my force did fall before me I am most certain that Artanus was none of those three yet I know that the valiant Pharnaces was the last of them which remained and sought with me stoutly disputing the Victory and who if he had been seconded by such a fresh unwounded man as Artanus would easily have carried away the Victory from me who was then so weak since he had almost done it without him I know well enough that wounds are no infallible marks of Victory but I know also that to boast of not being wounded is no proof of his fighting Methinks he should have at the least shewed some of his Enemies bloud upon him though none of his own but it seems Artanus went out as if to a Combat of simple Gallantry where bloudy Victory is forbidden I confess I cannot say any thing particularly against him I neither know when he fled nor how he hid himself or how he vanished I only know that I did not see him fight and this is sufficient to convince that he did not overcome since he left me alive There are crimes of another nature whereof those who are accused cannot be convinced without fight as that such a one was seen kill a man in the corner of such a Wood and pull him by the arms and run his Sword through him some such circumstance must be seen or else those who do accuse do rather justifie then condemn But here in this case it is quite contrary for in saying negatively that I did not see Artanus fight is all that I can say against him But I do affirmatively accuse him of a Crime of which he cannot justifie himself only in saying that he saw me that he fought with me and that he overcame me which in my opinion will not be easie for him to do or prove Then furthermore though he dares not trust too much to the exploits which he hath performed yet he dares say that because he fled and I fought upon inequalities therefore I must not have the Victory But Sirs where found he any Law to authorize this Discourse At the beginning of a Combat doubtless the number of Combatants ought to be equall and their Arms also but when once the Combat is begun every one may lawfully take those advantages which Fortune presents or which his Enemy suffers him What though a Souldier go out of Combat either by death or otherwise or if he fly he is as well vanquished as if he had been killed or taken Prisoner and he who doth oppose the Victory of his Enemy no way but by flying or saves his life only by not exposing it is most unworthy to have any share of Honour or Glory in the Victory But if he do then I confess that Artanus having managed his life so thriftily has some reason to say he deserves the Triumph better then I do who indeed have not been so sparing of my bloud as he But this Victory did depend upon the death of all enemies if so then he cannot say the victory was his since all these Kings and Judges who hear me did finde me alive with Arms in my hand ready to defend my right against him or any who opposed Now Sirs to make it appear that I neither fear his force nor his fortune although he seems invulnerable in a Combat where so many gallant men lost their lives I most humbly desire you to permit me Combat with him in Lists and in the presence of those Kings who hear me for if you will be pleased to grant me this Petition which he never so much as mentioned and which in justice you cannot deny me I will promise you he shall vanish no more out of my sight but I will render you a better account of him I know well that in some respects it is an injury unto the Justice of my Cause and to the Title of that most illustrious King whose interest I maintain to put it unto a second hazard But since upon the whole matter there is only his Negative and my Affirmative without other testimonies which does appear before you Judges who can never be convinced of the truth either by the words of Artanus or mine but only by our Actions therefore I conceive there is no other way to cleer the matter in question and to tell you truth I care not for preserving that by my eloquence which without canity be it spoken I have got by my valour The Glory of this Victory is too great to cost the valiant Artanus not one little drop of blood He must Sirs he must either confess the truth before all you who hear us or else must have the Life of Artamenes and since two hundred men were not able to give him one scratch he needs not fear one single man and one who is so much weakned by his wounds as he is yet one whom I assure you he shall not vanquish without Honour Therefore certainly if he did fight before he will not fear to fight now I ask no more advantage for my Cause O ye Judges and you cannot pronounce any other judgement but with a trembling accent and do what you can any other way one side will complain whereas if I shall make you understand the truth from Artanus his own mouth then you may boldly give Sentence without any fear of injustice or that either side will complain of you Deny me not therefore I
Artanus he knew not at all what he did for giving his Horse too much bridle then pulling him in too suddenly one great bound bounst him all on one side then this Horse shaking his head fiercely and half rearing upright he suddenly runs away with his rider to the other end of the lists before Artamenes could salute him with one blow but Artamenes turning his Horse he followed him and fell upon him before he was well got into the Saddle again then he paid the debt he owed him and gave him such a blow with his sword upon the right shoulder that bloud ran down his gallant suit of Arms Artamenes gave him another Artanus all this while kept himself upon his posture of Defence but durst not strike so terrible an enemy lest he should further provoke him alwaies hoping that Artamenes his Horse would tire before his or that some accident or other would chance to take pity and relieve him Mean while Artamenes was much angred for he could kill him when he pleas'd but that Victory would not please him for he desired to satisfie the world out of Artanus his mouth concerning the truth of the whole matter he fought and spared him also Notwithstanding this advantage which Artamenes gave him yet this wretch durst never turn one blow back he was hurt in four several places not once daring to lift up his Sword against my Master His Horse being ashamed to bear so base a burthen would have thrown him at last my Master extreamly disdaining such a coward gave him a lusty blow with the back of his Sword which made him tumble upon the neck of his Horse who thereupon took that opportunity to throw him half dead upon the ground his Helmet falling off his head his Sword out of his hand and he held fast unto nothing but his Buckler of which he alwaies made more use then any other Arms. Artamenes lighted presently from his Horse and running at him with his Sword lifted up Confess thou base enemy said he to him all the truth of my first Victory I 'le confess all answered this wretched coward covering himself with his Buckler so you will spare my life There is so little honour in taking it from thee answered my Master holding his foot upon his neck that I will grant it But be sure thou tellest no more lies before the Judges If thou dost not tell all the whole truth there 's nothing shall save thee from the fury of immediate Revenge The Judges descending from the Scaffold went into the Lists towards Artamenes who seeing them coming Come said he to them Come and hear the truth from the mouth of an Enemy Speak it then said he to him if thou wilt live and defer no longer the vindication of my honour Then the wretched Artanus being moved with remorse but much more with fear of death told in few words the whole truth of the Story saying only by way of excuse that when he perceived the manner of the fight and that the victory was in great dispute that in all probability all on their side would be lost therefore he thought to have that by cunning which he could not by valour In conclusion he confessed that Artamenes was left but fifteen against fourty that he brought it to be ten to ten afterwards seven to ten after that himself to against three presently himself against two and at last himself against Pharnaces only In short he confessed all he knew and feared death much more then infamy And truly since he was so pitifully bafled he needed not to fear the losse of any more honour having lost so much already that it was impossible for him to lose more The Judges hearing the confession of Artanus did entreat my Master to content himself with this acknowledgement and to let him rise and live I will let him rise and live answered Artamenes upon condition he will live in honour and use to play such base tricks no more The Judges then were in no more controversie but all agreed that my Master was victorious Declaring Cerasia to belong unto the King of Cappadocia and ordained that the Trophee which Artamenes had piled up should be hereafter built in earnest unto the honour of Artamenes The King of Pont did receive this news like a Prince both of courage and wisedom and he witnessed more resentment of sorrow for the vile action of Artanus then for the loss of Cerasia As for Ciaxares he received Artamenes with extraordinary joy which doubtless was no welcome news â—nto Aribees and Philidaspes who were both present As for Artanus since he was of great quality some of his kindred took him off and had care of him notwithstanding the Kings anger But the King told them that though they did cure him of his wounds yet he would never look upon him again When the Judges of both sides had acquainted their Masters the Kings with their judgements the two enemy Kings and the King of Phrygia did meet and saluted one another the second time The King of Pont told Ciaxares that he would return unto his Army and the next day withdraw it off from before Cerasia to the end he might take possession of it He told the King of Cappadocia in conclusion that he had more reason to esteem himself happy in having the friendship of such a man as Artamenes then in recovery of the Town and for his part he would with all his heart give half his Kingdom to have but one Souldier so valiant as he Artamenes was close by Ciaxares when this complement passed who returned an answer full of modest civility though all which come from a Lover of Mandana was nothing pleasant to him After this the Kings departed Ciaxares to Anisa All the people came out of the Town to meet him the whole Army was drawn up into Batalia The Princess her self being advertised of all passages by a man whom the King had speedily dispatched with intelligence met the King just at the gate of the Castle where Ciaxares presented Artamenes unto her whom she received with abundance of joy But as she did express her joy that he was come off so safe from so dangerous an encounter Call it not so Madam I beseech you said he to her and blushing do not wrong me so much as to beleeve I could think my self exposed unto any danger in this Combat The honour which you were pleas'd to do me in promising your praiers for victory had such an operation as I became victorious without any danger I know not answered the Princess whether you vanquished without danger but I am certain you did not vanquish without honour Many other Complements passed which would be too long to relate and Ciaxares to recompence in some manner the services of Artamenes bestowed upon him not only the Government of Cerasia which he had conquered and of which he thought to take possession the day after But the government of Anisa also with all
Battalia who stood in the Head of them and carried himself with so gallant a grace that he did with delight attract the eyes of all upon him It might be said that all this great body was linked unto him by an invisible chain since by the least motion of his hand or accent of his voice it moved as he commanded sometimes to the Right hand sometimes to the Left sometimes to the Rear sometimes doubling their Ranks and sometimes their Files in short there was Let 〈◊〉 very Sergeant in all the Army which understood his office better then Artamenes did As they were busied at this brave exercise the Princess discovered afar off upon the Plain one of the King of Pont's Heraulds who was easily known by his distinguished habit When he was come near the first Ranks he was conducted unto the King of whom he desired permission to speak unto Artamenes concerning something from the King of Pont Ciaxares calling him the Herauld addressing his speech unto him Sir said he the King of Pont my Master who esteems you and thinks himself obliged unto you and who would not have the Victory if it be his fortune to get it imputed unto any baseness of his men hath sent me to advertise you that there are fourty Knights in his Camp whom he does not know for if he did they should all be punished who have took a solemn Oath and conspired against your life to be at the first Battel and not to separate nor seek for any but Artamenes nor fight with any but him but either to kill him or perish themselves This is the Conspiracy Sir which the King my Master hath enquired out and which was found in a Paper scattered in the camp but he cannot discover who are the parties or who that writ it Therefore Sir the King of Pont and the King of Phrygia who sent me to you to advertise you of it not daring to desire you that both for their honour and your safety you would forbear â—ight that day knowing well that your great Spirit cannot forbear but they advise you at least to wear some simple unknown arms that day to the end these base men may not easily distinguish you nor effect their unworthy design The Herald having delivered his Message and made low reverence also Artamenes another unto the King he desired leave to answer the Herald which he did most civilly although it did much vex him he should receive such Obligations from his Rivall I am much obliged unto the King your Master said he unto the Herald for the care which he takes in preserving my life But to testifie unto you that I am not altogether unworthy of that honour which he hath done me I must desire leave of the King said he in turning towards Ciaxares that I stay you a little before I give you my Answer Then he whispered Feraulas who was close by him in the ear and commanded him something which none understood but it was presently known for Feraulas making haste and my Masters Tent not being far off we saw him return presently and followed by a Souldier which carried as a Trophee that magnificent Sute of Arms which Artamenes had caused to be made for himself This sight surprised Spectators and begot a curiosity in the Princess for Feraulas observed that she eyed the Arms and was much astonished at them Certainly Sir Artamenes could not make choice of any thing more magnifâ—cent nor more observable They were engraved with gold and enamelled with such lively 〈◊〉 as the bow of heaven had none more glittering All the nails were headed with Ru 〈…〉 intermingled with Emeraulds In the middle of his Buckler was a great Sun represented by Diamonds which dazled all those who beheld it Upon his Head-piece was an Eagle of Mâ—ssie gold most rich which her wings displayed who bending down her head and holding the beh 〈…〉 s top in Beak and Tallons did seem to gaze upon the Diamond Sun which shin'd in the midst of his Buckler as who should say that this Sun which according to Artamenes his devise did embleme the Princess did deserve more regard then that Sun which shined in the Heavens From the Train of this proud Bird did issue a Plume of Feathers admirably well mixt with twenty several colours The Hilt of his Sword the Scabberd the Belt the Gauntlet the Sute of Arms and all the appurtenances were suitable unto this magnificence which for the richness of the substance the excellency of the work and the admirable variety of colours nothing could more invite the eye to gaze then it As soon as they appeared every one began to ask and desire to know what Artamenes would do with them The King lookt upon my Master and stept nearer to hear what he would say when Artamenes after a low Congy and asking leave to answer the Herauld Tell thy Master said he to him that since my Arms are good enough to resist his which are so dreadful I shall think them therefore good enough not to fear those gallant Cavaliers who have such a high opinion of their valour as that they must needs be fourty to fight with one I Prethee publish throughout all the King of Ponts Camp that these Arms which here thou seest shall be those which I will wear upon the day of Battle And assure thy Master from me if the King will please to permit me that to acknowledge his generosity in some manner there shall none ever assault in my presence but one to one nor shall his valour sink under an oppressing multitude if I be there The Herald though astonished at the greatness of Artamenes soul would have answered something but he hindered him No No my Friend said he do not oppose thy self against my design and be confident that if the King thy Master did but throughly know me he would not disallow of what I do Ciaxares hearing what he said would have opposed him instancing that it was not wisedom or justice so slightly to hazard a life which was so considerable My Honour Sir Replied he ought to be more precious unto you therefore I most humbly beseech your Majesty force me not unto any disobedience But this Replied Ciaxares is to no purpose yet he dismissed the Herauld without any other answer When he was gone and the Arms carried back unto the Tent Artamenes was not moved at it one jot though the advice did so nearly concern his life But Ciaxares had other resentments of it and was much perplext almost resolving not to advance towards the Enemy fearing to hazard that life which was so dear unto him The Princess who saw the Herald come unto the King and who knew Feraulas which carried those magnificent Arms had a great desire to know the meaning of it so that she sent one of her servants to enquire who met us as we were conducting the Herald out of the Camp after we had according to the orders of Artamenes carried him
notwithstanding because Artamenes had the Command over Philidaspes in this Martiall occasion and perhaps the Inclination of the Princess prompted her therefore she did more honour unto Artamenes then to Philidaspes As they were ready to depart Go Generous stranger said she to them go and be happy and manage your Lives so in the day of battle that I may receive all the particulars of the victory from your two mouthes but above all things have a care of the King It is to me Madam replied Philidaspes whom that Honour belongs for as for Artamenes he will have enough to do with his fourty Cavaliers without looking unto any else We shall see Madam at the end of the Battle answered Artamenes who it is which best acquits himself of his Duty for if I be not mistaken it is best judging upon the event I question not replied the Princess but you will both of you do such things as will well become men of great Souls and high Honour and I will go to present my Prayers unto the Gods that they will be pleas'd to make you Conquer and Triumph Upon these words she left them both and went immediatly unto the Temple Presently after the Lieutenant of the Guard came to tell Artamenes and Philidaspes that the King commanded them to hasten unto their Commands and certainly it was well this Order came so happily for if their converse had continued but a little longer in the absence of the Princess I beleeve they would have made a quarrell of it so averse were their dispositions when they were together The reason why they were so hastily commanded away was because the Souldiery was a little in disorder and talked very high in a time when it was fit for them to think of Action They both then went after the King and the whole Army which was already upon their March advanced toward the enemy who was not above two days march from thence I know Sir you wonder to hear me tell of so many Battles as Artamenes fought and got in this War But Sir to lessen your wonder you must know that there are not many Garrisons or places of strength neither in Bithinia Galatia or Cappadocia so that the victory doth alwaies fall unto him who can make himself Master of the field which cannot be but by fighting and gaining of battles The first day of this March Artamenes was all in a dump And because I knew it could not be the apprehension of this danger whereof he was forewarned which could cause this reservedness but I knew that his phantasticall passions of Love would oftentimes forge Mountains out of mole-hils and make every triviall accident to be a matter of great importance therefore I resolved to ask him what it was which so much troubled his minde whether it was because the Princess denied him the Scarf which he asked or the deniall of any thing else which was less advantagious to him Can the reason of it Chrisantes said he be because she hath a care of my life and thinks this Scarf which is so rich and maguificent will make me more remarked by the eye of my Enemies Or is it not rather because she thinks me unworthy of it and because she will not give me any cause of complaint therefore her dexterous with hath contrived this obliging pretence to colour her deniall In short whether do you think it was for Artamenes or against Artamenes that she refused it and whether must I commend or complain of her for it Should I be sad or be glad at it Would I could rightly know the thoughts of my Princess that I might regulate mine own accordingly But alas said he whatsoever her thoughts are they are all reason and I have no cause to complain If she refused it because she feared some fatality in it prejudicial to my life it were an unconceivable favour and if she refused it because she thought my quality unworthy of such an honour then she hath done only a wrong to Cyrus but not to Artamenes But O ye gods added he if after the services which Artamenes hath done her she refused the Scarf unto him because he was but Artamenes how can he ever hope she will ever permit him to tell her that he loves her or how can he ever hope to be beloved No No said he Let us not conceive so cruell a thought Let us resent the Princess refusall in a more advantagious sense and let us think that what she said and said so sweetly was for us when she did it against us Let us not interpret her meaning and dive too deep into the secrets of her Divine Soul Let us rather suffer our selves to be pleasingly deceived then endeavour to finde out so irksome a truth After this Artamenes did ponder upon the Princess her behaviour unto Philidaspes even to the least circumstance and though he perceived that himself was much more regarded then he yet he could have been contented if he had not come in at all and almost wisht that his Princess had no cause of quarrel with him therfore he chid himself for all those fantasticall thoughts which his Passion caus'd to conceive of her Her who as violent as she seem'd to be did yet permit him to follow the rules of reason But to be short Sir we 〈…〉 d that day The morrow after we came within sight of the enemies Van-guard and withinn the compass of two daies time we were in readiness to give battle unto the Enemyy which both sides much desired with equall longings The King did all he could to hinder Artamenes from wearing those remarkable Arms but could not prevent him I never saw my Masters countenance so pleasant as that morning As for my part I trembled to think of the danger unto which he exposed himself for all his valour which I knew to be in him Feraulus and I resolved to follow him close as near as the disorder and confusion of the fight would permit us and either preserve his life or lose our own Ciaxares did all he could to keep him near him and when he perceived that there was no perswasions would prevail he cocommitted the command of the right wing of the Army unto his Command and unto Aribies the left wing under whose command he alwaies ordered Philidaspes In short Sir without any further particularizing the order of the battle It will suffice I tell you that Artamenes did prodigious acts insomuch as I who was an eye-witness of them could not conceive them within any compass of possibility to be done He performed his Promise unto the King of Ponts Herauld and wore those magnificent Arms which I told you of So that it was easie enough for those fourty Conspirators to know him and fall upon him when they found their opportunity Their Resolutions were as since we learnt not to assault him when he was alone by himself but when he was busily engaged against some others of their party But since Artamenes
that part of the Enemy which had Rallied and to act according as they should see cause Things being thus Resolved upon Ciaxares who did finde himself not well returned to Anisa and left Artamenes Lieutenant Generall of the Army which was to keep the field Aribees followed him and sent Philidaspes with the rest of the Troops to besiege that Town whereof I spoke before The Capricious humour of these two Rivals would not suffer either of them to be contented with their employment Philidaspes saw that Artamenes being in a condition wherein he might sight with the King of Pont had therefore the advantage of him And Artamenes thought that the gaining of such a considerable Town was more advantage then gaining a Battle for said he after the taking of the Town be is got into a place of great importance whereas after the winning of a Battel the Conqueror gets nothing but a bare empty field without any other benefit of the vanquished But at last they must be content Philidaspes departs with Sixteen thousand men and Artamenes stays with Thirty thousand the King reserved no more with him then what was necessary for his Guard My Master had received such slight hurts that he kept his bed but one day These two Rivals taking their leaves of one another in the presence of the King did in appearance wish all good fortunes one to another but inwardly with a counterfet hate The next morning the King removed and left the command of the Army unto Artamenes in spite of all the solicitations of Arabees to the contrary There were two Prisoners which were taken in the fight one of them was much wounded and desired to speak with Artamenes concerning some business of importance My Master being told of it went presently unto their Tent supposing it might perhaps be something which might be serviceable to the King when he was entred the wounded man spoke first Sir said he unto him since you have bestowed upon me such demonstrative marks of valour by those wounds which I have received from your hand I will give you a full subject for your Justice or for your Clemency Those are two Virtues replied my Master in the choice of which there is no danger of being deceived yet my nature being evermore inclinable unto Indulgence more then Rigour you may almost be certain which of them I shall choose and fellow Sir said he which was not wounded that which my brother would say and which because he is very weak I will say for him will shew you sufficiently which you will follow and justifie all the rigour which you can devise against us for indeed Sir continued he and cast himself at his feet we are vile wicked men whom our knowledge of your Vertue hath made vertuous and in love with your Glory and who by 〈…〉 ce do hate our Lives untill we have by some poor service made a little satisfaction for that evil we would have done you Artamenes hearing these men say so knew not what to think at last he which was wounded began to speak and with much pain tell him thus Sir not to hold you any longer in suspence and to testifie we are really penitent for our Crime since we discover it our selves know Sir that my brother and I were two of those fourty Cavaliers who conspired against your Life and who did set upon you with so much baseness in the last Battle Alas my friends said Artamenes interrupting him which spoke and looking upon them both without any anger What moved you to do so and what moves you to do thus Why would you then destroy me and why would you now save me how dare you expose your selves unto the will of a justly incensed Conqueror Sir 〈◊〉 that Conspirator we would have destroyed you because we were unfortunate men with whom hopes of Recompence was more prevalent then true love of Honour But now Sir your illustrious example has better taught us and we do prefer one act of Vertue before all the Grandure of the earth and therefore itis that we had either hazard our Lives in discovering our fault then conceal from you how the chief Author of that Conspiracy is now unknown in your power and if he should chance be exchanged or delivered amongst other Prisoners perhaps he would act worse then before and attempt against the most Noble Life living upon earth How said Artamenes the chief Author of the Conspiracy in my hands Who may this man be whom certainly I never offended so much as to hate me and who hates me so much as he prefers the death of his enemy before his own Honour It is Artanus Sir replied they both together Is it Artanus replied my Master Yes Sir said one of them 〈◊〉 was indeed Artanus who contrived that Note which was found in the King of Ponts Camp and engaged us amongst the fourty Conspirators who were to fight against none but Artamenes and kill none but him And that man who spake unto us from him and should have given that Note back unto him did lose it amongst the Tents so that it being carried unto the King he caused this information to be given of it But since neither Artames nor any of the Conspirators were named in the Writing nor known unto any nor could he discover the Author or any of his Complices therefore he sent to advertise you of it but was not able to remedy it by the punishment of them because he knew not who they were Beleeve it Sâ—â— it was Artanus who suborned us it is he who is in despair and ashamed of what he would have done and that he should be overcome by you in a manner so shamefull unto himself and so prejudiciall unto the Love which he bears unto the Princess of Pont in aflection to whom he is deeply engaged To get himself into this Princess favour he came disguised into the Army where not doubting but by that Party which he had prepared he should kill you he intended to shew himself after the Battle with your Arms and if I durst speak it with your Head in his hand to the end the King of Pont might take him unto favour because he had got the Victory over the most valiant of his Enemies But Sir the Justice of the Gods and your valour has prevented him and now Sir you may dispose of our Fortunes and our Lives as you please If your wounds be not dangerous answered Artamenes looking upon him which was in bed you may have time to repair your fault by some generous Act for I cannot punish those who repent nor revenge my self upon those who are not in a condition to defend themselves Ah Sir said these two men the one holding up his hands and the other kneeling against what man or rather against what good have we been suborned Against a man who fears the gods Replied my Master taking the one of them up with one hand and holding out the other unto
but know who this Artamenes is whom you speak of you would much more lament him then you do It would be very hard for me replied the King of Phrygia to be more sorry for him then I am for I have so great esteem of him already that I cannot interest my self in the preservation of so brave a man more then I have But you will change your thoughts answered the King of Hircania when you shall rightly know who Artamenes is And you will confess added Persodes that never was Prince more illustrious then he A Prince replied the King of Phrygia hastily yes Sir replied Hidaspes and one of the most considerable Princes of the world After these words the King of Phrygia was very urgent with them to inform him further Then all of them would needs tell him something of it One would tell him of his birth another would extoll his valour a third would relate some particulars of his love and all of them according as passages did most move them would needs set out the illustious life of Artamenes Chrisantes seeing this forwardness amongst so many famous persons although thus confusion was very glorious unto his dear Master since it was but an effect of their passions towards him did intreat them to defer the business untill another time he himself undertaking to relate the beginning of this History unto the King of Phrygia particularly to the end that afterwards they might altogether meet and hear the marvellous sequel of it from the relation of Feraulas who was better known in it then himself he being younger and more imployed in all the Passages of my Masters love All the Princes did consent unto the reasonable motion which Chrisantes had propounded yet notwithstanding they could not part so soon but continued a good while together extolling the unfortunate Artamenes and magnifying equally his virtues his misfortunes and his Glory The end of the second Book in the first Part. ARTAMENES OR CYRVS the Great BOOK III. WHilst these two famous Friends of Artamenes discoursed of his great misfortunes and high qualities he in the mean time rendred himself worthy of more praise then they did give him enduring his Prison with most admirable patience The uncertainty of the Princess life was the only disturbance of his soul but his Captivity was too inconfiderable to move it at all To speak the truth never man was more in Love then he this did so extreamly torment him as there was no need of any other passion to be added When he cal'd in his memory the wonderfull events of his Life and remembred how many dangers he had escaped what love he had purchased from Ciaxares what services he had done for Mandana and what Passions he endured for her what obstacles he had met with in his designes how quiet a life he might have led if he continued in Persia what Travels he has undergone how gloriously Fortune had shined upon him what illustrious Rivals he had met withall what famous Victories he had obtained and into what a sad misfortune he was now reduced All these I say coming confusedly into his minde he had much a do to give credit unto himself nor when he was alone solitarily in his chamber he knew not well whether he was Cyrus or Artamenes or either of them but he was sure that he was the most unhappy Prince upon earth who without some extraordinary assistance from the Gods could never hope for any satisfaction in his Life The absence of the party belov'd said he to himself is in the esteem of all the world the worst misfortune But alas I am not separated for a time only but I fear for ever When I was in the Army I knew she was at Ancyra or Sinope I knew she was well I was certain she was in pleasant company and a delightfull place so that then my absence from her did not vex me I had none but my own sorrows to endure and my only sorrow was to be absent from her The Gods do know my grief and how the deprivation of her sight was intollerable to me But alas alas I am now in a most lamentable condition for I know that my Princess is either dead or else in the barbarous hands of some who detains her against her will I am most certain she is either in her grave or in a prison And in what place soever she is I know she suffers and doubtlesse pities my misfortunes yet said he if I could with honour shake off my fetters I would finde out either her Tomb or her Prison for the Sea according to its custome would render me this fair Corps either alive or dead I would either die with her in the one or deliver her out of the other And it would be a greater consolation to me in my misfortunes to do so then to languish out my life in prison where I endure an unjust accusation not daring to justifie my self not because I should appear unto Ciaxares more criminall as a Lover of Mandana then as a friend unto the King of Assiria not because it is a crime whereby Artamenes is dishonoured but rather it is infinite honour unto him and because the honour of my Princess is infinitely above my own that severe vertue whereof she makes profession alwaies forbidding me to give the least suspicion of my love unto any whatsoever and therefore I will die a thousand deaths rather then let the least shadow of it appear Not that O my most illustrious Princess you have any reason to make me hide my Love as if it were vitious or conceal any of your favours to me as if they were not correspondent with your virtue for indeed what have you ever done for Artamenes which you had not good reason for or which might contradict your purest innocence you have oftentimes rigidly denied your self and me and hid some part of your good will towards me you never gave me any more testimonies of it then such as by some weak conjectures I could draw that you did not hate me you have oftentimes deprived me even of your very looks you have warily reserved your very words and all that I can say of you is that you had the power to destroy me but did not But O ye gods Can you have such a thought as to ruine a man who loves you A Prince who hath concealed all his desires from you who stifled them in their birth and never durst desire any thing which might offend the purest vertue A Prince I say who adores you as men adore the gods and who hath devoted unto you every minute of his life yet for all this it is your pleasure I should keep close my passion and that to me is an absolute command Therefore I am resolved never to discover my Princess I will look for death without complainr and never reveal the true cause of all my sorrows Thus did the Amorous Artamenes pass his time He had this benefit
thought as I cannot my self express yet I say never think that I can ever desire not to be his Wife The time was indeed when I did not desire it but since I am so it befits me to live with him as my Husband and not to deceive You know said she with eyes full of tears which she would have restrained that I will live out all the rest of my daies with Otanus whom I have ever hated as if I had ever loved him and with Aglatidas whom I ever loved as if I ever hated him Why Madam said I to her will you live with Aglatidas as if you ever hated him What rigid vertue can impose such a severe law upon you No no Madam said I to her do not fear that I will use any violence do not punish me so cruelly for one word pronounced against my will in passion and without any design to execute it I would have killed Megabises because I thought you loved him and I will not attempt against Otanus because you do not love him and I will hope that you will never love him Let then this happy Husband of the fair Amestris live so I may have so much happiness as sometimes to see her that I may be put in minde of those glorious hours wherein by the will of Artambaces I might have possessed the place which Otanus not enjoyes let him enjoy that glorious place in peace since the fatall Destinies would have it so but let me also possess in peace that which you have given me let me Madam enjoy some glimpse of that felicity to the last minute of my life You may if you will bring me to my death as they use to bring Victims that is with Songs of joy and Crowns of flowers Yes Madam I should die with joy and honour if you would only permit me to render you an account of my sorrows And never fear that I shall ever desire any thing from you which can displease you No divine Amestris I would only have my complaints to be favourably heard and I would only be comforted by some words of pity you have hearkned unto Megabises whom you do love and will you refuse the same favour unto a man whom you have not hated nor perhaps do yet That 's the reason replied she why I ought to deny it for indeed Aglatidas I did love you and I cannot hate you so that for that very reason I ought to mistrust my own thoughts It is not said she and the gods do know it the affection which I bear unto you can ever cause me to faâ—l in that duty which I owe unto Otanus nor in that which I owe unto my self but because I am not in a capacity ever to be yours therefore I ought not to admit of seeing you or loving you What then Madam said to her do you intend then to hate me I cannot do that if I would answered she but I can forbear speaking to you Ah if you can do that said I to her then you will not love me any more And take heed Madam you do not renew a fresh jealousie in a desperate soul and perswade me that perhaps the riches of Otanus did gain your heart Doe not Madam stir upon such a violent passion in my minde and to prevent it afford me at the least some small signs of indifference For indeed Madam If you should cause me to despair I should again lose my Reason absolutely as I did in my first jealousie and perhaps shall not be able to preserve that respect which I ever have done Tell me then adorable Amestris that you do not hate me and that you would have me love you and also permit me sometimes to tell you that I am ready to die for the love of you I will tell you more then that said she for I will confesse that I esteem Aglatidas as I ought to esteem him and that I love him as well as ever I did love him and that I will love him so untill I die But after all this he must see me no more as long as he lives All that I can do for you is to permit you to think that when you shall hear of my death which I beleeve will be ere long that melancholy was the cause and that my last thoughts would be of Aglatidas Now said she you see all I can do and perhaps more then I ought to do and therefore never hope for any more Who ever saw said I unto her the like adventure unto mine You tell me that you have loved me and that you love me still you tell me that you will die in thoughts of me and why will you not whilest you are alive hear me sometimes It is because I cannot answered she without some offence to vertue and without too much exposing my reputation Does not your innocency said I suffice to satisfie that No answered Amestris it behoves to appear as well as be vertuous Appear then said I to her to be good and pitifull if it be true that you are so Do you said she appear reasonable and generous if you will continue to be alwaies what you are Would you have Aglatidas Madam said I see you no more and perhaps love you no more I ought to wish the latter as well as the first replied she but I confesse I cannot What would you then have me do said I I would answered she have him love Amestris without any hope that he should comfort himself without seeing me that he should live with desire of death and that he never forget me In saying so she would have left me but I took her by the hand whether she would or no holding her by force and kneeling down In the Name of God Madam said I either grant me what I desire or do not forbid my death I can consent unto no more said she to me honour bids me deny what you desire and my affection bids you live at least as long as I Have Patience Aglatidas said she perhaps the time will not be long Ah Madam said I to her speak not thus of your death Rather forget Aglatidas then let the Fairest Lady in the world finde a Tomb you might do better said she to phrase her the most unfortunate and perhaps also the most unjust and the most inhumane But in the Name of those gods which I have already invoked Madam said I to her let me speak unto you but once more Adieu Aglatidas said she adieu I begin to think my heart would betray me if I should hearken to you any longer and that I ought to trust unto my own vertue no longer Live said she if you can and if it be possible love none but Amestris and never see her more she praies you and if you will admit of it she commands you I pronouncing this sad sentence she left me all in tears and all that I could do was to kisse her fair hand which she drew away from mine
some way or other appease the Gods Moreover Astyages had sent him word how he had proclaimed a Command in all places within his obedience to arrest Cyrus if they could finde him and to bring him unto him either alive or dead promising great recompenses unto any that could either take him or kill him To effect which he had caused to be published the easier to know him that he wore black Arms that upon his Buckler was represented a slave who seemed to chuse chains and refuse a Crown breaking the last and assuming the first with these words Most Heavie but most Glorious Ciaxares added further that he had already given order unto Aribeus to publish the same in Themiscira and thorowout all Cappadocia and Galatia and to be very diligent in a businesse of that importance You may judge Sir in what a condition Mandana and Artamenes were in and what different thoughts did possesse their souls The Princesse was so impatient while the discourse lasted that she was once in a minde to go out and say nothing She had no minde to discover that Artamenes was Cyrus and it was so much against her disposition to contribute any thing unto this innocent fallacie wherein for the security of my Master they were like to continue that she was not able to answer a word unto any thing the King said unto her But by good fortune Aribeus coming in to speak with the King upon some important businesse She went out and Artamenes conducted her unto her closet unto which she entered without any company but Martesia She was no sooner there but looking upon my master with a most melancholly aspect well Artamenes said she to him Cyrus need not revive but it is time that Artamenes were gone This Prince hearing her say so desired to settle her mind as well as he could and to make her think that there was not so much danger as she apprehended That according to all likelihood he which was thus taken for him in Persia must needs be the same Spitridates for whom he was taken in Bithynia and therefore he need not be so much affrighted at it because very few Persians use to come into Cappadocia especially any such as can know him and it does more apparently seem he should not be known since they take another for him Although all this should be so said the Princesse yet this is not enough for Artamenes I have thus long suffered in hopes that you would find some expedient or other to discover your self without danger and that I might be assured I should not be lesse innocent in permitting the society of Cyrus then I have been in suffering the conversation of Artamenes But now since I see both Cyrus and my own honour in imminent danger I must not long be indulgent unto you Though I had but one of these two interests upon me yet were I obliged to do so but having both of them at once Artamenes must he must be gone Tell me rather Madam said Artamenes and interrupted her that he must go and die for indeed I cannot live unlesse I look upon you Yes yes Madam said he you have sound out an infallible way to deliver all Asia from that unhappy Prince whom the Magi say must Conquer it and you could never have pitcht upon a more certain course to procure the tranquillity of Astyages But Madam I beseech you be not you more inhumane then he is cruel in pronouncing thus the sentence of my death he it is true would have taken away my life but it was in an age when I knew not the sweetnesse of it Moreover I had neither served noâ— loved him whereas you with your own hand do thrust me into my grave after you had done me the honour to allow me a little room in your soul you know well that I have served you and have adored you and do adore you still and also must adore you as long as I have any breath Does the menaces of the Magi move me and do you look upon me as that terrible Prince who must make all Asia desolate But if it must be so Madam that I must die I do consent unto it I shall make no doubt to execute your will There needs neither any Irons nor poysons to make you obeyed incensible Princesse the resolution to bid you adieu is enough to put a Period unto my sad dayes No no my Princess said he and kneeled this fatal word adieu can never come out of my mouth without my life and do not I conjure you pronounce that dismal sentence your self untill you have considered upon it Artamenes spoke all this I am telling you in such a passionate manner and with so much violence and respect together that the Princesse was something more qualified do not think Artamenes said she to him in raising him up and causing him to sit down but that sorrow which I resent in banishing you will be a comfort to you in your misfortunes What Madam said he interrupting her do you think any thing can comfort me after the losse of Mandana No no Madam it is impossible You lose only the sight of her answered she but does not lose her esteem and friendship unlesse you will render your self unworthy of it by too obstinate a disobedence But Madam said he to her though I should disobey you you could not punish me any otherwise then to let Ciaxares know that I am Cyrus and though he did know it they could but put me into prison and perhaps sacrifice my life for the tranquillity of Astyages But Madam be not deceived in this for I had rather be fettered in Cappadocia then Crowned in any other place of the world where you are not And I chuse rather to die by the hand of Astyages then the hand of Mandana Mandana answered the Princesse would do none of this you speak of But perhaps she would withdraw her affection if you should fail in your respects of her Ah Madam replied my Master is it a failing in respect to desire the being neer you that I might more adore you Indeed Artamenes said she to him with looks full of much sorrow and Majesty It concerns my own honour and therefore cannot prevent my resolution If it be so Madam replied he I confesse you have reason and the life of Artamenes is too inconsiderable in comparison of so precious a jewel I will die then Madam but be not so inhumane as to hasten my death Let me expire gently and refuse me not the consolation to enjoy the fight of you a while you know Madam that there remains yet fifteen dayes of the three moneths which you allotted me and take not the benefit of them from me unlesse you would have me grow impatient and perhaps disobey you Artamenes pronounced these sad syllables so feelingly that it was impossible Mandana could refuse his desire but allowed him all his full time the better to colour his departure unto Ciaxares I
should have shun'd the Land should get no further from it and that he should come just at the minuit of our shipwrack that he should save me and keep me in his power I tell you Martesia these prodigious casualties make me all fear But Madam said I unto her the misfortune of this Prince will be your security for what can a King without a Kingdome do and what Sanctuary could he finde if he should offer any violence unto you or detain you against your minde I know not my Martesia answered the Princesse but I am sure my fears are above my hopes not but that I have prevalent Reasons to induce the King of Pontus to do as I would desire but Martesia my Fate is to make all men I deal with to lose their Reason I banish vertue out of the souls of them who love me I alter all their good inclinations And I think it a miracle that Artamenes in loving me should retain his Generosity Then Chrisantes whilest the Princesse was thus discoursing with me the King of Pontus who had changed his course and made towards the main Sea was no lesse unquiet in his minde then the Princesse was and going into another chamber with one of his servants called Pharnabases in whom he had great confidence he began to relate the present state of his soul unto him Orsanes who is here and who endured the shipwrack better then we because he could swim was in another little Room neer them where he could hear all they said and all which he related unto me the next morning for although he had been the servant of Mazares yet he was so serviceable unto us whilest we were in Babylon that we did not use him ill Orsanes then being in that place I told you of heard the King say unto the man It must be acknowledged Pharnabases that my destiny is odde and that the gods do treat me in a rigorous manner For besides the consideration of the ancient misfortunes of my House If I call to minde all which hath happened unto me by reason of my passionate love of Mandana may I not well beleeve that I am reserved for crosse adventures I was left as a Hostage with Ciaxares and I became enamoured with Mandana his Daughter I durst not then declare it openly because that then there was no hopes of my being King Yet I was no sooner out of that Prison but I was presently in the Throne and then I demanded the Princesse Mandana of Ciaxares her father by way of Marriage and he denied me I began a War and was unfortunate in it I was taken Prisoner and did passionately love my vanquisher I came out of prison by the assistance of his Generosity Then did I enter into a Civil War not being able to break those chains which tied me unto Mandana What should I say Pharnabases I have been beaten pursued besieged and persecuted by them who my Father left subjects unto me and who are now become my mortall enemies I had once two Crowns upon my head but now I am forced to flee in one single ship as my onely safety and retreat I am reduced unto this extreamity I finde Mandana whom I ever adored in my heart at the very point of death It was my hap to save her and now I have her in my power Ah Pharnabases how much would this last adventure advantage me if I could make good use of it I should value the losse of both my two Kingdoms at a low rate if I could but conquer the heart of Mandana But alas that likelihood is there that the gods will ever permit me to so glorious a Conquest If â—ver they had intended me such a happinesse they would never have taken my two Crowns â—rom me But also what likelihood was there to finde this Princesse in such a deplorable â—ondition or that they should ever afford me so much joy as to have her in my power â—urely they intended me some consolation for the losse of my two Crowns No no I will â—ill hope that since they have given me possession of such an unestimable Treasure which does not belong unto me and which I am unworthy of they will render me that which does belong unto me But oh heavens I am not rightly amorous to remember any crowns at the feet of Mandana no proud passion which vaunts and domineers in the hearts of all men thou shalt not do so in mine and love shall surmount thee yes in spite of all my losses all my disgraces and all my ambition this very one thought that Mandana is in my power shall rejoyce me and make me willingly forsake them all But yet thou unfortunat Prince what canst thou do Is it possible that a King who is turned out of his dominions whose imaginations can think of nothing but subjecting thrones Broken Scepters and Crushed Crowns can be sensible of any delights but on the other side is it possible to see Mandana and Mandana risen from the dead and risen by thee and not be sensible of so much Joy as may comfort thee in all thy sorrowes No no this is a priviledg of love which ambition cannot dispute for The Joyes of ambition are not alwayes serene and the remembrance of my losses do somtimes trouble me but the Image of Mandana no sooner comes into my memory but all those melancholy thoughts forsake me those mists vanish and I see nothing but Mandana yes Pharnabases I no sooner apply my self unto this pleasing thought but I know not whether I am still upon a throne or whether I be thrown out of it whether I be upon the sea or whether I am upon earth I know only that I never think upon regaining my kingdomes nor of revenging my self upon my enemyes All my thoughts are how to vanquish the civility of my Princess But Pharnabases the enterprise is extreamly difficult and I shall have much a do to find out such reasons as can give me any hopes of softening the severity of Mandana The obligation Sir which she owes you replied Pharnabases is argument sufficient to move her mind and I think that such a one as owes unto you a life were extreamly unjust if she did deny you her affection alas Pharnabases said the King unto him it seemes you are not acquainted with Mandana yet know thus much that although I should expose my own life a thousand and a thousand times to preserve hers yet would she owe me nothing for it is no more then duty of all such as have the honour to know her to do as much out of their love unto her and I should do as much although I were certain to be extreamly hated eternally But Pharnabases my Joy to have such a treasure in my possession which I value at a far higher rate then the empire of all Asia is both a most sweet and a most bitter grief unto me since I shall not now be troubled by the misfortune of any
of you as well as I concerned in this publike interest said he unto all about him except Persians It is your Tyrant who is in prison one whom all the Magi say will subvert all Asia and become our Master And if any thing can perswade me that Artamenes is Cyrus it is his most prodigious exploits But Sir said the king of Hircania all his prodigious exploits conduce unto your Majesties advantage All his Combats Victories and Conquests are yours and he findeth no other share in them but his Fetters No replied Ciaxares because by the favour of the gods I have prevented him But said he in looking upon Feraulas does Mandana know he is Cyrus Sir replied he I know nothing concerning the Princesse further then that I am certain there is no criminous intelligence between her and my Master and that his affection towards her did never cause him to neglect his respects neither to her nor you The affection which your Master has replied Ciaxares very sharply is onely an unlimited Ambition and a thought of horrible revenge he intends to punish Ciaxares for that which Astyages in the behalf of all Asia did intend to do in his Cradle but I shall without any scruple at all do that which he attempted not without much fear fo 〈…〉 have more convincing Arguments inducing me unto it and also morâ— convincing Rea 〈…〉 〈…〉 ied the king of Phrygâ—a to avert you from it Cyrus replied Ciaxa 〈…〉 but 〈…〉 le to hurt But Cyrâ—â— is 〈…〉 lpable for t 〈…〉 thing and to execute what he 〈…〉 It 〈…〉 â—lso a man who attempts 〈…〉 execute all 〈…〉 Cyrus 〈…〉 very true 〈…〉 you ser 〈…〉 Ra 〈…〉 King in 〈…〉 He comes 〈…〉 Court and 〈…〉 in a disguise 〈…〉 was to â—educe the minde of my Daughter Doubtleâ—se 〈…〉 discovered himself unto her he has infused Ambition into her soul She looks up 〈…〉 as the Conqueror of all Asia And without considering that he cannot make him 〈…〉 Master o 〈…〉 unlesse he throw her Father out of his Throne she hearkens unto him 〈…〉 uffers him she loves him But thanks be unto the Heavens I am able to punish them 〈…〉 h at once since if she love Artamenes as I make no question but she does then she 〈…〉 ill suffer a death in the person of this rash man untill I can get her unto such a place as 〈…〉 shall make her suffer in her own Oh Sir cried out all the men which were in the Chamber we beseech you either grant us the life of Cyrus or else we beseech you give us our deaths How replied Ciaxares extreamly astonished my Subjects my Vassals and my Allies all ask life for their Tyrant or at least will be so one day We beg the life said they all with one voice of a man whom the gods did send to be the Legitimate Master of all men and have adorned him with Vertues accordingly and one who although he was able to have got out of prison added Hidaspes yet would not attempt it A man pursued Gobrias who would not live but to do you service You may say added Gadates a man who would never have vanquished but for your Glory A Prince pursued Thrasibulus who has made all the Wise men of Greece adore him And one added the king of Hircania who has converted all them whom he has vanquished to be his friends Say rather pursued Feraulas one who has made his most mortall enemies admire 〈…〉 Adde unto these said Aglatidas that the destiny of Artamenes is so extraordinary and glorious that his most mortall enemies do owe their lives unto him You may further say added Artibies that those who hardly know him are so much charmed by his Vertues that they are ready to die for him For my part added Thimocrâ—â—es I should think my life could never be better employed then in saving such an Illustrious Prince as he Indeed replied Philocles your lot would deserve envy if you could obtain that favour for what applause did not that man deserve who should have the honour to reprieve so vertuous a Prince A Prince replied Megabises who is valiant in the highest degree Who is as liberall as valiant pursued Artabases who is as prudent as couragious added the Prince of Licaonia Who is as milde and sweet after a Victory as he is furious in fighting replied Madates Whose reputation is fam'd thorowout the World said Leontidas Who is owner of all the Vertues added the Prince of Paphlagonia And to summe up all in few words pursued Ariobantes he is a man who never did any ill but alwayes good 〈…〉 ow said Ciaxares in a great fury did Cyrus never do any ill has he not rendred himself so prevalent and powerfull in the mindes of my Friends my Enemies my Allies my Neighbours and my Subjects that it seems as if I durst not punish him Is not this crime great enough to ruine him to the end that I may teach others to be more respective unto me But as it possible added he that there should not be one amongst you all who loves his liberty and is a hater of that man whom so many Predictions might move you to look upon as a Traytor In the meane while since you neither respect my Interest not your own nor the Interest of all Asia I will look onely to my self and will punish this pretended Cyrus as a man who is come into my Court to betray me as one that has conspired with my daughter against my life as one that has voluntarily let the king of Assyria escape as one that holds a criminous correspondency with him and as a man who indeed would ruine me Take heed Sir said Hidaspes what you do for after all this Cyrus is not your Subject and the King my Master knowes well enough how to be revenged upon you for such a piece of high injustice In the name of the gods Sir said the king of Phrygia do not resolve upon any thing in the heat of your choler In the name of the gods replied Ciaxares speak not a word more unto me either concerning Artamenes or Cyrus But be ye all assured that I take him for my secret Enemy for a 〈…〉 uce 〈…〉 f my Daughter and for the Tyrant of all Asia and nothing shall save him and therefore 〈…〉 since his destruction is inevitable prepare your selves to hear presently of 〈…〉 th In saying so he caused Feraulas to be guarded a 〈…〉 d left them Immediately 〈…〉 r the king of Phrygia was advertized that Metroba 〈…〉 〈◊〉 given Orders that the 〈…〉 s should suffer none to come into the Town from the Camp none to go out of the 〈…〉 So that when he made it known unto the king of 〈◊〉 and all the 〈◊〉 〈…〉 s about him they â—â—d 〈…〉 oubt whether they sho 〈…〉 have liberty â—â—go out 〈…〉 le and whether Artamenes were not already dead For Metrobates spoke unto 〈…〉 alow voice since he came into his Chamber and
to your felicity yet since it is not but that I am wife unto a Prince who doubtless deserves all my affections I will use all the means I can to root out of my heart that tenderness and opinion which I had of you and which yet whether I will or no remains in it Oh Madam I conjure you by all that 's sacred said I not to do so and I will promise you never to importunate you any more as long as I live so you will promise me some little room in your memory Let Tisander solely enjoy you let your beauty and your heart be only his and reserve only for me one of those secret and solitary thoughts which useth to beget a pleasing melancholy in those who admit of it Think sometimes most divine Lady that all the while Tisander enjoys his happiness the miserable Thrasibulus endures as many torments as that fortunate husband tastes felicities Alas Madam it is no unreasonable demand to ask three or four minutes in a day in remembrance of a man who as I told you before has devoted every minute of his life to think on you Those three or four minutes which you desire is too much for my honour to grant and you may assure your self that if I could I would banish you out of my memory as well as my heart but one cannot command ones memory as one will and perhaps said she and blushed you will forget me and I shall remember you whether I would or no. Alcionida pronounced these last words with so much charming confusion in her face that I kneeled to render thanks but she repenting of what she had said and did so seriously forbid me ever to speak any more of my passion unto her and never desire to have any private conference with her that I saw very plainly it was her real and resolute mind to have it so and I obtained yet one quarter of an hours audience longer during which time I could hardly move her to return any answer unto me and during which I did nothing but sigh and look upon her and conjure her not to forget me I had the comfort to see some signs of sorrow and tenderness in her eyes and had some hopes of remaining in her memory whether she would or no In the mean while we were come so near the Port that all I could do was to reclaim my mind and fit it for such company as would discourse of nothing but joy I shall not relate Sir all the passages of this Ceremony for I had no share in this publique Joy but was rather a very trouble unto Tisander who was most really sensible of my sorrows and was a Partaker of my misery especially when he saw I was resolved to depart from Lesbos and stay there no longer He set the Prince his Father upon me to use all his perswasions and motives to cause my stay in Mitilenes until such time as it pleased the Gods to afford me some ways to reconquer my Dominions but all was in vain and I departed not well knowing whither to go as soon as my ships were furnished with all manner of necessaries and as soon as two ships of his which he would needs give me were fit to put to Sea Since my own miseries did teach me how to compassionate them in others I would not suffer Leosthenes to follow my fortunes but I left him with Alcionida's Cousin with whom he was in love and recommended him unto the Prince Tisander as a man of good quality and much merit I shall not trouble you Sir with any relation of how I parted from this generous Rival who shed tears that his good fortune should be my misery for it would be impossible but I should blush for shame in relating unto you the obduracy of my heart towards him though he had obliged me by a thousand sweet expressions of love unto me nor shall I relate what adieu I bad unto the fair Alcionida since I had not so much as the consolation to see her charming eyes in taking my leave of her because she kept her bed that day and since there was many in her Chamber I did see her but one minute and in much disorder so I departed without this sad satisfaction and imbarqued with unequalled despair My most tormenting thought was that Alcionida was enjoyed by one whom I was obliged to love for had he been my mortal enemy I should not have been so extreamly miserable since then I might have had some comfort in revenge But the merit of the Prince Tisander did most extreamly grieve me also for I thought it impossible but Alcionida must love him and I wished with all my heart that she had married a man whom she hated Indeed there was not one phantastical melancholy violent or extraordinary thought which love did not infuse into my heart After this ambition became no torment unto me for since I cared not for my life I never valued a Scepter so that without any thoughts but of my misfortunes and of the fair Alcionida I wandred up and down the Seas until driven by a tempest I came to Sinope when the King of Assyria was there with the Princess Mandana and there remained until you came and found me on your enemies side without any designe of mine to be so After this Sir you know my life and that nothing observable has befallen it but your own goodness in a thousand testimonies of affection to me whereof I am most unworthy But Sir in the fight the other night at the bottom of the Mountains I came unto a place where I saw a man couragiously defending himself against ten or twelve Souldiers who pressed upon him I made all the haste I could up to them to prevent his being killed who knowing me cried out That Tisander wilâ— yield himself unto none but the Prince Thrasibulus you may well imagine Sir that this name did much surprize me and that I no sooner heard it but forbidding the souldiers to fight any longer I went unto him but found him so wounded that presently after he fell and I was forced to hold him up I knew another prisoner also whom the souldiers had taken to be Leosthenes whom I left at Lesbos and who was not wounded so that promising to pay those souldiers their ransom for those two prisoners whom they had taken I caused the Prince Tisander to be brought hither who expressed so much affection unto me that I were not worthy to live if I were not moved with it Mean while I understood by Leosthenes how reports going that Craessus King of Lidia would fall upon the Islands the Prince of Mitilene went unto him intending to disswade him from that designe as indeed he did so that Pittacus taking his side left the Prince his Son and Leosthenes at Sardis where they made as great preparations of war as if Craessus would conquer all Asia though none knew what his designe was I understood also that
not only have justified Cleander unto Cressus but which should have made him known unto the King of Phrygia When Cleander heard of it he was extreamly grieved at it and the Princess was so full of sadness that she could not possibly hide her melancholy However Artesilas being recovered of his wounds triumphed over the miseries of his Rival The Prince Myrsiles and Abradates did verily believe that Cleander was not culpable but there was so much obscurity in his justification that they could not perswade Cressus he was innocent As for the Prince Mexaris though he did not think him criminal more then others did yet it was thought he was not sorry for his disgrace by reason of some ambitions thoughts for he imagined that if Cleander were in disfavour when Cressus died he might more easily exclude Myrsiles from the Throne and get the Crown himself There was none then which openly transacted in the behalf of Cleander and us but Meneceus the Princess not daring to be seen in it only doing her best in secret and by clandestine ways Esope yet must be excepted who always spoke with boldness worthy of much commendations Thus you see the unfortunate Cleander guilty in appearance but really innocent the most miserable man alive But what sorrows soever he had to see he had lost all hopes of making himself known unto his father or of ever coming out of prison the absence of his dear Princess tormented him above all and when he thought somtimes how near he was unto her and yet to have no possibility of seeing her he was not able to support his misery with patience However Artesilas who desired that punishment might follow imprisonment and who was of their mind that stood in fear of chained Lions did every day invent imposture upon imposture to ruine Cleander and such scandalous and unworthy reports were spread up and down the Town that the Princess were strangely alarum'd at them She conceived that if she had so good a heart as to tell the King she had seen these things which would justifie the birth of Cleander it might do some good in the business but since she could not do so unless she discovered that innocent League which was between them she could not resolve upon it but for all that seeing his enemies were not satisfied with his imprisonment but aimed at his life she overcame her self and resolved to do it But then the difficulty was how to advertise Cleander of her intentions to speak unto the King in case he should put it to the last extremity for she feared that if he were not acquainted with it he might contradict what she should say and so be himself an obstacle to his justification so that consulting with Cylenisa upon this Subject that Lady seeing her Mistress in such a well grounded unquietness after she had a while thought upon it told her ingeniously that the Son of him who commanded the Cittadel in Sardis had a long time shewed himself one that was far from hating her and therefore she verily believed that if she desired him to do her any good office she should find him very well disposed unto it what danger soever there might be in the attempt The Princess at the first did make some difficulty on it to trust a young man and a lover but at last since she knew no better expedient she consented to imploy him Since Cylenisa was my Cousin I must be the pretence of that service which she required from her Lover and since I could not be justified unless Cleander was and every one knew that his interests were mine she imagined that Tegeus for that was the name of Cylenisa's Lover would not think it strange she should desire to speak with him The truth is Madam Cylenisa knew so well how to order the mind of Tegeus that what difficulties soever there were to speak with Cleander he would endeavour it and indeed kept his word And he came to tell her the next morning that if she pleased she might speak with him the night after At the first Cylenisa could not resolve upon it but afterwards Tegeus told her the business was not so difficult as she imagined because the Gardens of the Palace joyn close almost to the Counterscarpe of the Cittadel there being a back door on that side and just there she might go and speak with Cleander out of a barred window and very low which looked that way only letting down a Draw-bridg which was over the Mote and under the window where she might 〈◊〉 with him very conveniently without being perceived by any because he himself had the guard of that side Tegeus having made the matter both possible and easie Cylenisa agreed with him that she would walk very late in the Garden with one of her companions and when it was the just hour which they should agree upon they would come unto the end of this little bridg◠and to give a signe that it was they she would bring a dark Lanthorn which will hide the light when they pleased The way being thus resolved upon Cylenisa returned unto the Princess to tell her what she had done but seeing the designe so near she repented yet considering the danger wherein Cleander was and that if she should neglect this opportunity she might perchance not have another because Tegeus might change his Guard she resolved to send Cylenisa to acquaint Cleander with her intentions to speak for him and that they might not contradict one another in their tales But when she began to consider that Cylenisa might not go alone unto that place she almost changed her mind because she durst not confide in any other of her women Madam said Cylenisa fear and recompence will make any faithful therefore I beseech you let me tamper with one of my Companions and suborn the Porter of the Garden towards the Cittadel that after she and I have walked together late there we may go with a dark Lanthorn through the great Cypress walk close by the gate which is opposite to that bridg over which I must pass to speak with Cleander Ah Cylenisa said the Princess your expedient is dangerous There is no other Madam replied she unless you will write and trust your Letter with Tegeus yet since I am a Cousin unto Soficles there is less danger in my speaking with Cleander then there is in writing unto him The Princess did grieve extreamly and not being able to consent unto what Cylenisa did propound she resolved upon nothing But Madam said she unto her it concerns the life of Cleander But Cylenisa said she Princess it concerns my own honour I do not conceive it concerns your honour or your vertue either answered Cylenisa and I know not why generosity should hinder you from doing a good act out of fear to be suspcted for doing a bad one And the act Madam though it should come to be known would rather pass for an act of charity then a
then my love would cease when she ceased loving but since the foundation of my love is because she is the most amiable in the world I shall eternally love her though she never love me Had I then known when I had the good fortune to save her life at Sea that Artamenes was Cyrus and that Cyrus was my Rival perhaps as the temper of my mind was then I should have restored her unto him I was then so newly cast out of a Throne that I thought no Prince could live without it But now since the charms of the Princess Mandana have enchanted my heart and am unaccustomed unto Soveraignty Love has quite abolished Ambition out of my Soul and if I could pass away all the days of my life with this incomparable Princess though it were in some desert Isle where neither Soveraign nor Subject did inhabit I should esteem my self most happy Come not then to increase my miseries by awakening a passion which one more strong then it hath cast into a sleep and which if disturbed by such Propositions as these would but augment my misery But Sir replyed the Princess of Pontus what can you ever hope for by detaining her Could I but hope for any thing answered he I should not be so miserable as I am but I do profess unto you that I can hope for nothing by it and do expect every day one misfortune after another Yet you may assure Cyrus in answer unto his generosity as far as I am able that when I first did understand I was his Rival I grieved as much at it as I did at the loss of two Crowns But since it is Injustiâ—e to desire things impossible oblige him I entreat you not to accuse me of ingratitude in not rendering up the Princess Mandana unto him for I loved her before he knew her and shall love her till death Had I any thing in my power said he and sighed which I could offer him by way of Ransom I should with joy present that any thing unto him But dear Siste since Fortune hath deprived me of all and left me nothing but Mandana in my power I beseech you pardon me if I do not redeem your Liberty by my own Ruine You are in the hands of a generous Conqueror and I do not fear he will revenge the Injustice I do unto him upon you and to excuse me in what I do consider I beseech you what Love hath moved Spitridates unto he for your particular interest hath left his Father refused Crowns and wanders unknown throughout the world he hath done more for you then I have done for Mandana Therefore my dear Sister pity me and do not perswade me unto any impossibilities which I cannot do But Sir said she unto him I did not hate Spitridates as Mandana hates you Moreover if there were any apparent probability that you keep this Princess for any advantage I should not so much oppose your design but pity you for the misfortunes which she is the cause of yet considering the state of things I am full perswaded that all the power of Cressus will sink and that you with her will sink under it for do but call to mind all the prodigious Acts which Artamenes and which Cyrus hath done and you will find the number of his Victories so many and his Conquests so great that they cannot be remembered without wonder and can you think the Gods did raise him unto that height only to cast him down Has Fortune contrary to her Custom followed him so constantly purposely to forsake him afterwards to forsake him whose Power doth every day increase and seems to hold the destiny of all Asia in his hand So that plainly foreseeing you will love Mandana were it not much better then to restore her and gain a Kingdom by it then to ruine your self by keeping her and at length lose her too Doubtless it had replyed he if I were able to do it but since it is not in my power I must not so much as think of it any more therefore Sister I beseech you discourse no more upon this Subject for if any upon Earth could perswade me to restore Mandana it should be Mandana her self and since I have denyed her Tears and her Prayers pardon me Sister if I deny your Proposition with abundance of ease and it is not so difficult to deny a Crown as it is to deny Liberty unto one who is adored This divine Princess hath offered me a thing more precious then a Crown since she hath offered me her friendship if I would give her Liberty Judg therefore if after this I can harken unto your Propositions from Cyrus But Sister I beseech you do me the favour as not to let my Rival know how constant the Princess Mandana is unto him but doubtless he is already sufficiently perswaded of it and there is no need that I my self should confirm him in a truth so advantagious unto him Use not my own words to make that Prince whom I ought to hate more then I do to hate me for really I do esteem him so much that sometimes I curse my Fortune for forcing me to be his Enemy since I owe him my life you may assure him from me that if the dispute were about nothing but a Crown I would lay it at his feet yes and my honour also which is a thing more dear unto me but as for Mandana absolutely I cannot do it Moreover Sister the power of Cressus is not so inconsiderable as you imagine it The King of Assyria said she and interrupted him was much more puissant then he and he subdued him Cressus said he is stronger then the King of Assyria was because more united and since his endeavors are to prevent Cyrus from lording it over all Asia our Souldiers fighting for their Country and Liberty are no less exasperated then my self who fights for Mandana The Princess Araminta seeing she could not prevail with the King her Brother could not restrain her tears and began to adde her prayers unto her reasons but both to no purpose for she was compelled to part from him without obtaining her desired end she perceived that he was something ashamed to be so unjust and ungrateful towards Cyrus whom he esteemed so much and unto whom he was so great a debtor yet love was more predominant then his reason and rul'd his soul which was sensible of nothing but that passion The Sacrificers of that Temple prepared a very magnificent Collation for the Princess Araminta But she only looked upon it and thanked them for her soul was so sad that she could not eat she departed from thence and went to lie in a Castle some fifty furlongs from thence The parting was very sad for this Princess imagining that perhaps she should never see the King her Brother again or if she did it would be as a prisoner and vanquished she could restrain her tears Hesionida who saw into her thoughts wept
outer Room and had brought the Sword Aglatidas therefore went out and so did all the Ladies except Menasta who stayed with Amestris As soon as this Sword was shewed which wee knew well enough Aglatidas looked sternly upon Dinocrates and not knowing what to say in his own justification hee searched in his eyes to see if he could know by them whether hee was innocent or culpable But Dinocrates did so subtlely dissemble the matter that it was not possible to discern his malice Aglatidas was so full of furie in his looks that somtimes I thought hee would have killed Dinocrates and had he not imagined that he should have appeared more criminall by the Act I doe believe hee would have fallen upon him But at the last not knowing what to say nor being able to ascertain himself that hee had not killed Ottanus hee went towards the Chamber of Amestris with intentions to cast himself at her feet though hee knew not well what to say But Menasta met him with absolute commands from Amestris that he should not enter and that he should be so respective of her as never to see her untill he could make his innocence better appeare Aglatidas could hardly yeeld obedience but Menasta used such arguments as perswaded him Then we went out both he and I after we had examined Dinocrates by a hundred crosse questions in hopes he would contradict himselfe but he was so subtle in all his answeres and in the least circumstances that the most exact Judges would have beene fully satisfied with them and condemned Aglatidas After we were gone out the Ladies stayed a while with Amestris and afterwards went out all except Menasta who stayed with her as I did with Aglatidas Dinocrates went downe also and told all the story unto the servants of the house to the end the noise of it might be the lowder but he might have saved that labor for within foure houres after he had spoken with Amestris nothing else but the oddnesse of this accident was discoursed of in all Ecbatan In the meane time I knew from Menasta that she had no sooner beene in private with Amestris but that faire and wise Lady looking upon her with eyes so full of melancholy as plainly spoke the trouble of her soule Truly said shee unto Menasta it must needs be acknowledged that my fate is lamentable and that I was too blame in ever hoping for any quietnesse after so long and so cruell a torment but I am at this day arived unto such a height that hope can never againe elevate my heart and therefore can never augment my torment since I shall endure no more miseries then I looked for I must needs confesse said Menasta to her that the accident is very strange but yet since Aglatidas doth verily beleeve that he did not kill Ottanus and since there is only the relation of Dinocrates against him why should you make your selfe miserable all the dayes of your life by any such tormenting thoughts Because replyed she I can never have any contentment of minde without honour and will never be accused for doing any thing against decency and virtue As soone as she had thus expressed her selfe Dinocrates came into her Chamber who apprehending as hee seemed that he should incurre the hatred of Amestris and Aglatidas Madam said hee unto her I most humbly beg your Pardon for the fault which I have ignorantly committed for since I came directly to your Chamber before I had spoken with any I did not know of the designes betwixt you and Aglatidas for if I had questionlesse I should have concealed some part of that truth which I have uttered But perhaps Aglatidas killed my Master and knew it not or if it be your pleasure Madam I shall contradict what I have already said and never shew the sword unto any to the end it may not be knowne Dinocrates spoke this with so much counterfeit ingenuitie that though Amestris had herefore seene a hundred demonstrations of his malice yet shee was deceived and thought that now certainly he spoke sincerely yet she would not accept of his offer but told him that though none upon earth knew of the businesse but her self yet she would doe what became her After this shee dismissed him and assured him she would desire Aglatidas not to be revenged on him for being the cause of his misfortune Doe you then intend never to see him again said Menasta after Dinocrates was gone There is no question to be made of it answered she for how can any reason permit me to see the man that hath killed my Husband But Madam said Menasta hee never intended it nor can I beleeve he killed him That is not sufficient answered Amestris for though I were most certain hee did never intend it yet all 's one I would doe the same only because the world believes it and will suspect I knew of it Not that I can accuse Aglatidas for killing him but yet for all that since it is known hee dyed by his hand there needs no more to obliege me never to see him again nor to render my self the most miserable person in the world Whilst Menasta was talking thus to Amestris I was no lesse busie in comforting Aglatidas who could not chuse but admire how the Fates did interrupt his happinesse for said hee how can I possibly justifie my self since I am not certain whether Dinocrates speak true or false I am most certain that I knew him not to bee Ottanus and that I heard him named farr off me but yet for all that I know the Sword which they shew mee is mine and that I could not draw it out of the body of an enemy which fell dead at my feat and it might bee Ottanus since he was in the fight But said I unto him why did you not disclaim your Sword for I am perswaded that Love does admit of some handsome innocent lies which does no hurt unto any I should rather prejudice then justifie my self said Aglatidas if I should have disowned the Sword since all men of any qualitie in the Court doe know it And Megabises amongst the rest could have known it to bee a lye for hee hath seen it a hundred times so that Amestris might well have suspected that I knew him to bee Otanus when I killed him neither doe I think it generous to become happie by lying But I doe so plainly see the gods intend my ruine that I verily believe I cannot better observe their wills then by destroying my self yet first I am resolved to see Amestris and therefore I conjure you to goe unto Menasta and procure her to obtain this favour for me for truly I cannot conceive it just to condemn me before shee hear my reasons Then did I goe accordingly to doe him this service but Menasta told mee shee thought it would bee no easy matter to obtain yet shee would doe what shee could In the mean time Anatisa to take the fuller
properly will kindle such fire in it as will make you love him as well as you are beloved and perhaps better but pray Cleonice tell me What will you do with those fair eyes which the Gods have given you I will observe and wonder with them replyed she how artificially you use yours and take all that comes near you yet for all that Artelinda there is not one amongst all such kinde of Lovers as these amongst ten thousand that will make a good husband Sooner then amongst those of your serious disposition replyed she for to tell you truly I am so afraid to meet with one of my mothers humour that I am almost resolved never to have any at all Do not think Artelinda replyed Cleonice that youth will last ever The antipathy between old age and yong gallantry is so great that nothing can be more opposite and what will you do when all your gallants forsake you Never look so far before answered she for as for my part I promise you I never will nor will I be too prudent lest I be too miserable I will look in my glass and when the Roses and Violets of my time begin to fade I will sit down and set my heart at rest If souldiers should continually contemplate upon all the dangers that the fate of war may bring upon them there would be but few Conquerours or conquered But the conquests of your eyes replyed Cleonice have so bad a title that I can hardly call them conquests However they are conquests answered she and admit I do lose part of those hearts which I have subjected yet the honor is no less Seriously replied Cleonice I am afraid you will never alter your minde No no sincerely answered Artelinda I never shall Why do not you think my life is more pleasant then yours and do you not repent of your too serious gravity No no replied she I do not nor desire I to be of your temper nor I of yours replied Artelinda therefore I pray you let us both enjoy our own opinions and I believe we shall love each other the better for it for truly if you were of mine perhaps I should extreamly hate you and if I were of yours doubtless we should but jar and disagree say what we could Cleonice seeing she was not able to alter the minde of Artelinda did change discourse and presently after left her but as she was readie to go out she called her back and prayed her in a laughing manner to send back unto her that fugitive slave which she had rob'd her of meaning Hermodorus It shall not be long of me replied Cleonice if he do not come and assume his first fetters But that 's not enough added she for I would not have you captivate the heart of the insensible Ligdamis whom I confess I could never endure There is so little wisdom in your language said Cleonice that I will not answer it and you are so over-wise replied Artelinda that I think my folly to be much better then your wisdom Thus did these two beauties part Cleonice went unto her Closet to study and Artelinda unto hers to write unto some of her gallants for indeed she had nothing else to do Moreover Madam this Lady had yet a most Charming Modesty in her looks notwithstanding all her frolique humours and she used such art in all her actions that whosoever saw her and did not know her would believe that she thought her self much troubled with that multitude of servants which her self had subjected and did carefully preserve them As for Cleonice her business was quite contrary for she did love her study and her books better then all her Mothers Gallants or Artelinda's Servants or the Complaints of Hermodorus And yet she was a lover of Company but it was the company of choice and rational men and since she was not Mistress of her self because she depended upon her Mother whose humours was so opposite unto hers she did exceedingly force her self and insensibly grew not only a horrible hater of all Gallantry and Gallants but also a Condemner of Love in general as a Passion the most dangerous of all others yet did she see Artelinda every day and continually saw her Mothers Chamber full of those kinde of men who make open profession of never going unto any place often without some hid design who are alwayes very earnest and yet have not any other business but to make it thought they are loved and are in love and are ever more careful to perswade the first of these then the second Cleonice saw all this but God knows much against her minde and therefore with no delight at all About this time I my self had the happiness to be in the Catalogue of her friends my humour being not so contrary unto hers as Artelinda's and as Ligdamis was my Kinsman so I was very well acquainted with him and would often say that since there was such a simpathy of inclinations between him and Cleonice I wondered they did not see one another sometimes when I met Ligdamis I would say as much to him so that acquainting both of them with each others humors they knew one another better by my relation then they did before for their conversation was wont to be so general and confused by reason of much company which visited Stenobea that they very seldom spoke one unto another yet after my discriptions of Cleonice unto Ligdamis he used to see her ofter then usual and since I was there almost every day we met very often and diverted our selves more conveniently then we were usually accustomed for whilst Stenobea was entertaining one part of the company and Artelinda busie in captivating new Lovers or keeping the old ones and whilst Phocylides was languishing for many Ladies at once and in the same place Ligdamis Cleonice and my self did in the mean time make our selves very merry at them And indeed there is no better sport then to stand by and observe this kinde of universal Courtship and Folly for commonly all their actions and words are so contrary to all Reason and Wisdom that questionless better sport cannot be to an uninterested looker on then to observe them At the first Cleonice was very shie and had not any such confidence in Ligdamis as before him to mock at the passages we saw And being one day alone with her in her Chamber I told her she did wrong her self in passing away her life without any particular Conversation with any I do confess it Ismenea said she unto me for certainly in the humour I am in if I had the dispose of my own self I should let the sweetness of my life consist in the friendship and conversation of a select number of choice and rational men who know what true honour is and love it such as are not capable of being deluded by gilded follies but look upon things as really they are in themselves and does not make their felicity to consist in
Cyrus could wish for in a confident of his Love His minde was clear his soul was tender and he was acquainted with this Passion out of his own experience So that Cyrus imployed two hours with him and Feraulas very pleasingly in talking concerning the state of things This Conversation had lasted longer if the King of Phrygia had not interrupted it by a visit which he paid unto Cyrus to testifie his joy that his sons negotiation had took so good effect The rest of this day was thus spent and the next morning Cyrus resolved with the King of Assiria and the Prince Artamas upon those Troops which they would make choice of for this secret expedition when time required After which Cyrus who was the most obliging Prince upon earth calling for Ligdamis who had contented himself with writing unto Cleonice and durst not so soon ask leave to see her he told him in a low voyce and smiled that he was his Prisoner no longer So that said he unto him if you be the Captive of Cleonice go and visit her Ligdamis answered that since both his Captivities were glorious he desired to go out of his fetters no more then out of the fair Cleonices yet since he gave him leave he would go and visit her and did so The day following Cyrus accompanied with the Prince Phraartes who never failed upon such an occasion went to visit the Queen of Susiana and the Princess Araminta He found the first of these two something less sad by reason of the hopes which Araspes had infused into her but he found the Princess Araminta full of melancholly and could not guess the cause unless the continuation of her misfortunes which she endurcd with abundance of constancy Cyrus did all he could to comfort her but since she heard no news of Spitridates she was not capable of any joy The sight of Cyrus as pleasing as it might have been unto her by reason of that prodigious resemblance which was between him and Spitridates did rather augment then lessen her languishing humour For when she imagined that this Prince who was so admirably handsome so compleat and so generous was either dead or a Prisoner or perfideous she had much ado to exclude such angry thoughts for fear she should discover her weakness However she had rather the presence of Cyrus should revive those sad thoughts then see the Prince Phraartes with her whose very sight raised a thousand distempers on her fancy to think that her eyes should allure him and chase Spitridates from her so that the love of this Prince was intollerable to her After Cyrus had continued his visit a long while with Araminta he took his leave of her and to oblige Ligdamis he went unto the chamber of his Ephesian Prisoners unto whom he shewed a hundred civilities especially to the sister and Mistress of Ligdamis In his going from thence he called for Araspes whom he had observed to be very sad And since he conceived the cause might proceed from a dislike unto that imployment and since he loved him very well he asked whether he did not think himself a Prisoner in keeping of Prisoners if he were weary of it he would put some other in his place Araspes was so sursprised at this Question that in lieu of returning thanks he earnestly asked him whether the Queen of Susiana or the Princess Araminta had made any complaints of him or whether he had any way displeased them or him And Cyrus answering no but rather on the contrary they commened him he beseeched him to let him continue in his office and thanked him for his goodness towards him Yet it was after such a manner as made Cyrus believe that Araspes was troubled at somthing which he had no disposition to tell So that without any further reflection upon it he took horse and returned to the Camp In going thither he espied two men on horse-back in the way coming towards him and since the rode faster then he did they quickly met But one of these strangers no sooner cast his eyes upon Cyrus and observing the honour which was done him but he asked one of the followers who it was And being answered it was Cyrus he stopt and alighted from his horse and presented himself unto Cyrus making no question but to be known unto him Then addressing his speech unto him Sir said he I beseech you give me leave to ask pardon for not rendring you that honour which I ought upon that occasion wherein I did you all the service I could Cyrus looking upon this stranger whom he saw to be a handsom proper man did seriously examine his memory whether ever he had seen his face but the physiognomie of this young Cavalier was so new in his eyes that he concluded him to be certainly mistaken So that answering very civilly he told him that he could not remember he ever saw him and by consequence he thought him to be mistaken since he did not use to forget such men as have any characters of Nobleness â—n their faces as he had Afterwards causing him to take horse again and desiring him to tell him when and where he saw him This handsom stranger told him in the same language which he had newly learnt and which was in a kind of corrupted Greek that he had the honour to meet him in a Wood in Paphlagonia when he had but one Page with him and when he was assaulted by six men from the violence of whom he endeavoured to defend him I do not know said Cyrus unto him whether I should let you go on in your error lest I should be suspected not to acknowledge a benefit Yet notwithstanding to undeceive you and to prevent my being accused of ingratitude know Generous Stranger that I engage my self to recompence the service which you did unto that man for whom you take me But know withall that there is a Prince in the world who does so much resemble me that at divers times and places we have been taken one for another Therefore since I do not doubt but that it was he whom you relieved and since I am much interested in his life and fortune I pray tell me what you know concerning him and in what place and condition you left him Whilst Cyrus was spenking thus the Stranger looking seriously upon him did indeed find some little difference in the air of his Countenance between him and the other whose life he had saved So that not questioning the truth of what Cyrus said whose honour was too well known to be suspected of a lye Sir said he unto him I beg your pardon for crediting my eyes before my reason which secretly tels me that he who hath conquered the greater part of all Asia can possibly fall into such a condition as to owe his life to such an unfortunate stranger as I am The Man whose life you have preserved replied he is so noble that I conceive you more honoured by it then if
of Tegeus and Timocreon which were in Ephesus and Sardis had sent word how they were deceived and that the departure of the Princesses would be sooner then they had formerly writ so that the King of Phrygia desires to know what course you intend to take Why I have no course to take but to die replied Cyrus He thought fit also said Artabases to advertise you that they sent him word from Sardis how Cressus depended much upon an Oracle which he had received from Delphos so that he makes himself sure of victory Have they sent this Oracle unto Timocreon asked Cyrus Yes Sir answered Artabases and the King of Phrygia hath sent it unto you In saying so he presented it unto him which he found to be in these words The Oracle Cressus if to this War he go An Empire great shall overthrow Oh that it would please the Gods said Cyrus after he heard the Oracle read that I were only to lose Empires and Crowns if that were all I should be glad But alas since the Gods do promise Mandana to the King of Assyria and the Empire unto Cressus what can remain for me I do not know whether they will leave me a grave or shew me so much favour as to let me die as gloriously as I have lived However I am resolved not to yield without resistance but if I must lose Mandana and be conquered by those over whom I have been a Conqueror it shall be after such a manner as shall let all the Earth know I have not merited my misfortune But yet though it should be so that the heavens do hate me yet what hath Ciaxanes done unto whom the Empire belongs He I say who enjoyes the fruits of all my victories Was there such poyson in my Conquests that he must perish because the Gods are pleased to ruine me Or at the least would it be just to confound things so together as in promising Cressus that he shall overthrow a great Empire that of Ciaxanes must be ruined Why then I must die cryed he out but my death shall cost my Enemies and Rivals very dear I have hitherto been somthing wary of my life in hopes of some happiness hereafter but since there is nothing but miseries and misfortunes to be expected I will carry it after another manner and in ruining my self will ruine as many of my Enemies as I can for company to the end there may be fewer rejoycers at my death But oh my divine Mandana what 's become of all those favourable words you have bestowed upon me if the words of the Gods be true Can I think you did not speak the truth or must I think your heart is changed In saying so he cast his eyes casually upon Madates and Ortalgues who came with Artalan and yet he did not see them and they seeing the turbulencie of his spirit durst not present themselves unto him As soon as he saw them I hope you bring me some consolation said he unto them and can tell me that the King is well He is in perfect health replied Madates But I left him somthing troubled because he had received intelligence that Thomiris hath raised a puissant Army and gives out she intends to make as deep a progress into Medea as the Scythians did under the reign of the first Ciaxares and to communicate this intelligence unto you the King was pleased to send me hither He had better have declared war against me replied Cyrus most violently then sent to ask my advice For considering the state of things I do think that his only way to be happy is to be my persecutor But you Ortalques said he and turned towards him who hath been consulting with that famous woman who as all that have seen her say speaks all truth Pray let me have her answer and tell me if you remember what I appointed you to ask her from me Yes Sir replyed he and according to your directions I asked her when you might hope for any rest I also told her you desired her answer under her hand so that she giving me this paper sealed up said he and presented it unto him I cannot tell you whether I have brought good or bad fortune to you However you may tell me whether this woman be as famous in her own Country said Cyrus whilst he was opening the paper as she is in others Sir said Ortalques this Helespontique Sybil is beyond all comparison more famous then all that ever preceded her and they say she never yet told lye unto any that ever came to consult with her Let us see then said Cyrus what truth she affords me and then he began to read these words The Answer of the HELESPONTIQUE-SYBIL It is a Loving enemie Will rouse her sleeping hate I see And plunge in blood a Horo's head No fate can keep from being dead This is his Destiny at best In only this thou shalt have rest As soon as Cyrus had done reading it he was a while silent and afterwards made a sign with his hand that every one should withdraw except Chrisantes Then he read over again what he read before and caused Chrisantes to read it also who no sooner returned the Paper which contained this dismal answer but Cyrus looking upon him Come Chrisantes said he unto him how can you any ways interpret this which you have seen unto my advantage Sir replyed he I see it is not easie to give it a favourable sense yet I do not see which way it is possible this misfortune which threatens you can come to pass for this loving enemy cannot possibly be Mandana it must certainly be Thomiris so that as the state of things stand I cannot see it is possible you should dye by her hand yet she is raising a puissant Army replyed Cyrus and they say Ciaxares had not sent Madates unto me but to interpret the answer of that Sybil which Ortalques brought unto me I do not understand replyed Chrisantes that you should quit the War in Lydia where Mandana is to go and carry the war unto Massagetes Country where Thomiris is or if you should that after you have conquered so many valiant Kings you can ever be vanquished by a woman Nor do I my self understand it answered he but I understand plainly that my ruine is inevitable For indeed Chrisantes both the Gods of Greece and the Gods of the Assyrians do all presage nothing but dismal Destinies The Oracle of Babylon gives Mandana to the King of Assyria the Delphique Oracle promises the Empire unto Cressus if he pursue the war and the Helespontique Sybil does promise my head unto the Queen of Massagetes Yet this last menace is not the most terrible to me for my soul is much more troubled for the loss of Mandana then for the loss of my life I have hitherto lived in such a manner as well may afford me some hopes I shall dye with honor and therefore I fear not the revenge of Thomiris
she esteems you very much replyed this Prince who exceedingly desired that his Letter should come into the hands of his Princess I do not fear she will be offended at me for presenting a truth unto her in your advantage No no said Cleander I warrant you the Princess will never be offended at such a piece of Gallantry as this for though she be something severe yet she is rational and knows how to take things as they ought to be But it would be well added he that Perinthus make an end of his Letter and present your Encomium also Abradates out of modesty did forbid him and Perinthus had a desire to say that he was not able to command too such illustrious persons sufficiently in so short a time But Cleander told him he would dispence with him for half that trouble and conjured him not to mention him but forced him to end his Letter in commendation of Abradates of whose passion he was not ignorant So that Perinthus was forced to finish it in this manner though it was not his first intention I will not tell you Madam how the Prince Abradates hath got abundance of glory by a thousand gallant actions for after what he hath said in my behalf that would be suspected of flattery I can also assure you I am very sorry that his civilities has forced me to alter the end of my Letter and to relate things after another manner then I intended Nor will I tell you what Miracles the illustrious Cleander hath wrought for Fame will do that office for me But give me leave to tell you without any affected modesty that I was never in all my life so loath unto any thing as to this in sending you my own commendation although it was writ by the hand of a great Prince and seem to be an infinite honour unto me that it should be read by the most excellent Princess of all the world PERINTHUS When Perinthus had finished he hoped that happily they would go away and that afterwards he might procure the messenger who was to carry this Letter to say he had lost it Yet he had no sooner ended and sealed it but Cleanders Envoy came in to receive his last Orders so that poor Perinthus was forced to deliver it before them and away went the messenger Perinthus was almost mad at this accident What a most miserable Fate is this said he unto himself as he has told me since that I should be the means Abradates should write unto that Princess whom I adore Perhaps she will imagine I did voluntarily do him this office and that I am the confident of his passion In the names of all the Gods Oh my adored Panthea said he as if she had understood him be not so injust as to think I did this Prince any service to you It is too much you must not know I love you without thinking that I would have you love another But Perinthus said he presently to himself Art thou not resolved to content thy self with the esteem of thy Princess Hast thou not determined with thy self never to discover thy Love unto her And dost thou not know thou canst never have any share in her affection Why then art thou not satisfied with that commendations which Abradates hath sent in thy behalf since it may augment the esteem which she hath of thee If the praises of an Enemy be glorious why should not those of a great Prince But alas alas this great Prince is my Rival and such a Rival as in all likelyhood will obtain the Love of my Princess It is no wonder then that thou shouldest be troubled to be thus forced to commend him and to receive any commends from him Afterwards when he considered with himself that the Princess would answer in her Letter unto what Abradates had writ and that he should be constrained to let his Rival see the Civilities of Panthea he resolved that if the Letter was over-obliging unto Abradates to smother it Therefore he expected this answer with as much longing impatience as if he had sent a Declaration of his Love unto Panthea though his curiosity was only to see what the Princess would say concerning Abradates who on his side expected this answer with the same impatience though not with the same fears since it was only three daies journey between Ephesus and Sardis the Letter of Perinthus came thither in two daies because he who carried intelligence of the taking of Ephesus went Post and made great hast Doralisa who never was absent from Panthea was present as well as my self when the Princess received this Letter which at the first she began to read aloud for knowing that Perinthus never used to intimate any thing but matter of news she expected no other But when she came to the place which Abradates had writ and saw it in another hand different from that of Perinthus she read it in a low voice and blushed whilest Doralisa and my self had several apprehensions of it For Doralisa having some suspitions of his passion imagined that perhaps he had took heart and writ unto the Princess concerning it But I who had no such conceits only thought it something which she would not have us know Yet after the Princess had done reading and that the disorder which the name of Abradates caused in her soul was appeased she gave the Letter unto Doralisa and my self to read and being desirous to colour the tenderness of heart which she expressed she told us That when she saw the alteration of hands and the name of Abradates she was afraid lest he had intimated something vvhich vvould have given her cause of complaint both against Abradates and Perinthus Hovvever Doralisa said she after the Letter vvas read you see that Perinthus though not in Love yet he can be valiant and that to be brave and gallant it is sufficient that one be only in Love vvith glory for though I seemed to believe as others did that Perinthus vvas in Love yet I assure you I never did really believe it at all And I assure you Madam replyed Doralisa I am not of your opinion doubtless one may be valiant and not amorous but I do confidently maintain that if a Gallant man vvas never in Love he shall be brave and valiant but bruitish withal And since Perinthus though valiant is not bruitish therefore I must conclude him to be in Love However said the Princess as friendly as I am to Perinthus and as joyful as I am to see his praises wrâ—t by the hand of so illustrious a Prince yet believe me I am almost angry with him because I am forced to answer something unto Abradates Truly Madam said Doralisa to her I should conceive the difficulty not great to answer any thing in that Letter It is true said she and blushed the difficulty is not in answering any thing to that Letter but to something which he said unto me at parting and then the Princess was
Sex Why why fair Doralisa said he unto her and smiled are you making me speak things I never thought upon I pray let me see this Letter which you say I thought so pleasant and which was so polite that I read it no less then three times Doralisa then perceiving that he had read all she writ thought it better to turn it into rallery then make a serious matter of it thinking that the more angry she was the more would he apprehend it mysterious also since those that use to play upon others cannot well take so much liberty unto themselves unless they allow it unto others so she thought that she had no reason to be angry with Perinthus because she had played him a hundred such tricks in her life so that changing her countenance and beginning to laugh and read the Letter to gain more time for the explanation of it Perinthus desired to read it also and she not denying he read it word for word I pray Doralisa said he unto her why did your Pen drop such a lye as this and to whom do you tell it for I am certain that all the day yesterday you did not speak one word unto me yet you tell the person unto whom you write that I spoke a hundred times of her yesterday in a most obliging manner And you add further that her last Letter was very pleasant and you told all these with such a confidence that you amazed me However said Doralisa I am confident I did you no ill office for in saying all this I said nothing in your disadvantage but on the contrary said that you acknowledg'd it for a Polite and pleasant Letter and that I durst not give her any commendations after you I beseech you Doralisa said he unto her tell me and shew me this that I commended so otherwise I shall be much incensed Truly answered she if I were a bad friend I should shew it but to let you see that I am a good one know that a Lady in Sardis who for her honour I will not name did write a Letter unto me which to shew her wit she hath stuffed full of Fustian and big words which signifie nothing So that knowing by her stile she loves to be commended doubtless I did her that office in the highest manner since I told her she had your commendations I should believe you Doralisa replied he if you would shew me this her Letter Since perhaps you are acquainted with her hand replied Doralisa I will not shew it unto you In the mean time Perinthus added she I pray leave me the liberty to finish out my Letter Really said he I do believe this is a business of some earnest for at the place where you left it seems you had more matters to express then complements 'T is true replied Doralisa and laughed therefore I desire you to leave me I cannot said he for to be plain with you I do not believe a word of all this you have told me What do you believe then said she unto him I know not what to believe or think yet I am the most mistaken man alive if this Letter do not contain some close secrets If you think so said Doralisa then you are unreasonable to press unto a discovery of it since you know secrets are such things as our friends must tell us themselves and we ought not to ask them If I had not seen my name in your Letter replied he doubtless I should be more discreet But since you are so bold as to tell three or four lies of me I thought I might be as bold in asking you the truth of those things which I desire to know What would you know replied Doralisa I would know said he unto whom you direct your Letter I have already told you replied she that I will not all that I can do for your satisfaction is to protest most solemnly that all I have or shall write unto her does not at all relate unto your interest For Heavens sake said Perinthus do not use me thus for if you refuse me this I shall relate the story of it not only to every one here but unto all the Court also when I return to Sardis Perinthus is so discreet replied Doralisa that I do not fear he will so far incense me Doralisa has been often so waggish with me replied he that Perinthus would not be much to blame if he were once in his life revenged When you have told all you can replied she What then will the issue be The issue doubtless will be answered Perinthus that they will know you keep a secret correspondence with some or other They know well enough already replied she and smiled that I have not yet found this compleat man I look for therefore my reputation will not be wounded by any thing you can say against me Perhaps said Perinthus then and looked stedfastly upon her you negotiate in behalf of some other and perhaps also you have less interest then I have in the secret meaning of this Letter I should have thought replied Doralisa that a man who will not open his own secrets unto any would not be so pressing to know the secrets of others However it be said he I have such an extream desire to be satisfied in what I ask of you or that you will confess it unto me if I can guess at it that there is nothing which I will not willingly do to oblige you unto it Let me then know what you guess it to be said she and afterwards I shall know how far I can answer As they were upon these tearms I chanced to enter not knowing of any contest betwixt them And since the Princess feared that Doralisa had not writ unto Abradates obligingly enough I came to tell her she should not seal up her Letter before she shewed it unto the Princess To acquit my self of this imployment I whispered my message into her ear but as low as I whispered it Perinthus heard it as well as Doralisa So that comparing what I told Doralisa unto what he had read in her Letter he believed that this Letter which the Princess desired to see was the same which included his name and he made no further scruple of it but that this mysterious Letter related unto the Princess and Abradates Doralisa then offered to tell me the passage vvhich vvas betvveen them but Perinthus cared no more for this Rallary and rising up to go avvay I need not ask you any more said he unto her for I knovv it already vvithout putting you to the trouble of telling it Doralisa seeing a great alteration in his countenance feared least he should speak something in prejudice of the Princess and therefore she stayed him Then telling me in three vvords the subject of their quarrel to let me understand vvhat I ought to say and to persvvade him also that there vvas no mystery in the Letter I did vvhat I could to make him believe
certainly I shall not live long Perinthus added unto this some complements of course but with such a weak trembling voice as he who spoke unto him related unto the Princess that she did really believe him to be very sick and not doubting but the Physitian which belonged to the Prince her Father had seen him she sent unto him to know what Perinthus ailed but she wondered when the Physitian told her he had not seen him of late daies Doralisa who was then present would have excused the matter and said that Perinthus happily had sent for some other Physitian but he who was there present assured the Princess that could not be So that to be better satisfied in what condition Perinthus was she commanded that Physitian to go and see him from her and to give her an account how he was In the mean time Abradates thought himself in a heaven of happiness and hoped nothing could interrupt his joyes yet did he not think his happiness fully compleat because he had not yet met with Perinthus and intended the next day to give him a visit and discourse of his joyes unto him But alas this miserable Lover cared as little for his visit as he did for the Physitians whom the Princess sent unto him who in obedience unto her commands went the next morning to see him before the Sun was up yet did he not find him asleep for his cares would not permit him to rest one minute As soon as he came into his Chamber he saw his face so altered that he made no question but he was more then ordinarily sick he told him then that he wondred he would not send for him and afterwards told him what commands he had received from the Princess to render unto her an account of his health At the name of the Princess Perinthus started up for he yet knew not he came from her afterwards composing himself he told the Physitian that he was infinitely obliged unto the Princess for her cares of him and that he was much beholding unto any that would undertake his cure but yet he desired him to spare his labour for he was perswaded all remedies were in vain and therefore he was resolved to try what nature alone would do and let all arts alone Whil'st Perinthus was saying so the Physitian laid his hand upon his arm do what he could and found that his Pulse was sometimes weak and slow and sometimes quick and high so that conceiving him to be in great need of helps he did earnestly perswade him to use them so long that Perinthus was angry and the Physitian to submit unto his will intending notwithstanding to acquaint the Princess with his condition and of a great necessity he should be looked unto Then he left him after Perinthus had desired him to thank the Princess for the cares she had of him and conjured him to tell her that he thought himself the most unfortunate man in the world that he could not be a partaker of her joyes but was forced to lament when all the world rejoyced at her Marriage This Physitian coming to the Princess as soon as she was ready she no sooner saw him but she asked how Perinthus did For I must confess said he since he hath been sick ever since he received a wound in my quarrel I much desire to know in what condition he is Madam replied he Perinthus is very ill and which is the worst he will neither tell what aileth him nor take any remedies What does he say unto you replied the Princess He sayes that Nature only without all our art shall be his Physitian replied he but for my part I conceived that both Nature and Art and all are too little to cure him The Princess was much surprized when she heard him say so and caused him to make an exact relation of all he had observed concerning the disease of Perinthus who indeed as soon as he went from Doralisa's house was constrained to go into bed so much had the agitation of his mind augmented his gentle Feaver which his wound first caused and which altered all his constitution As the Princess was thus very busily enquiring concerning Perinthus Abradates sent a Messenger to know how she did and in return of his Complement she sent him word that she was very well were it not for her sorrows to hear Perinthus was very sick and would not take any remedies After which she dressed her self and went unto the Temple according to her usual manner where she met Abradates who presented his hand unto her as she came out of her Coach Since the Princess did love Perinthus very well she spoke of his sickness unto Abradates at her coming out of the Church and as he answered that he intended to go and see him she said that she should be much obliged unto him for it and desired him to use his best perswasions unto Perinthus to take some remedy and to ask his Reasons why he had refused telling Abradates that her respects of Perinthus moved her unto that which she would not do for every one and that his respects of her might perhaps move him to do that which he would not for another Abradates whose ayms were all to please the Princess and who besides did much respect Perinthus ever since he defended the Princess from being taken away by Mexaris he no sooner parted from us but he went unto this languishing Lover who passed only for a sick man You may easily imagine how the sight of this Prince did disorder his Soul and what pains he took to disguise his thoughts As soon as Abradates was set by his bed-side and that Complements of course were past Is it possible said he unto him most obligingly that even then when Fortune has ceased all her persecutions against me and when I am arrived at the height of my happiness that Perinthus should mingle with my joys so much sorrow in refusing to take such Remedies as may make him able to be a partaker with me in my happiness Sir replyed Perinthus sadly I perceive that the goodness of the Princess who is pleased to interest her self in the life of her most faithful servant hath moved you to speak thus but if I be considered as really I am I am most unworthy of this honour which I receive from you so extreamly unworthy that if I durst I would entreat you to let me receive no more of it You are much too modest Perinthus replyed Abradates for though you were not every way so compleat a man as you are in the eyes of all that look upon you and were only the Defender of Panthea yet your life deserves to be most dear unto me but then being both a man rarely accomplished and the Defender of my Princess and also much my friend doubtless it is my duty to move you unto any thing that may make you live to live happily At these words Perinthus fetcht a profound sigh and lifting up his
in comparison of what I know For I finde such a charme in her conversation as ravisheth me and though she will not tell me who she is yet I can discover as much as assures me of the greatnesse of her minde of the noblenesse of her birth the generosity of her soul and also the beauty of her face For there is such a kinde of charming aire and gallantry in her speech as any one may know shee is faire and never see her Alasse Sir cryed Antimaques I cannot chuse but pitty you unto what a cruell point are you arrived And I cannot chuse but pittie you the more because I doe not see which way I should serve you since you forbid mee to speake of it unto any and consequently I cannot enquire who shee is you love And yet I thinke that if you will follow my counsell you may perhaps have some light of that which you desire to know Timantes then asked him what he would advise him to doe I perceive replyed he by what you have told me that you have employed all your arguments to perswade her you love to let you know who she is You have used your best rhetorique and reasons you have earnestly entreated her you have added complaints unto your reasons and prayers but I doe not see you have tryed the eloquence of Liberality Love would have offerings and sacrifices as well as the rest of the gods and therefore if you will be rul'd by me find out a handsome pretence of presenting a rich present unto her If she be such a one as you think her she will refuse it and not shew her self after it Or if she be not such a one and fair she will take it and let you see her If it be the first of these you have discovered a new beauty in her soul and if the second you have at least satisfied your curiosity And however if she resist your perswasions your sighs and your presents you will reap so much satisfaction as to see that I shall not condemn your passion Though I know very well replyed Timantes that Liberality is inseparable from Love yet I cannot chuse but fear to incense the person whom I love in presenting it But if I doe follow your counsell the present must be so rich and magnificent as that she may judge of the measure of my love by it Then Timantes resolving to follow the counsell of Antimaques hee chose amongst all his Jewels that which was most rich and rare and the number out of which it was taken was not small For as persons of his Quality use alwayes to carry many with them when they travel so Timantes being very rich and magnificent he had a great abundance of Jewels And after hee had taken one of them which he thought to bee most worthy of her hee loved and put it into a very magnificent box enamelled with gold he resolved to present it unto her the next morning with such a complement as might make it acceptable Then after he had talked awhile with her of severall pleasant Subjects Timantes who was accustomed to complain and knowing that nothing pleaseth beauties better then to complaine of something he began thus How long Madam must I love you sayd he unto her without giving any testimonies of my love When shall I obtaine so much liberty as to doe such things as love useth to inspire into such as are under his empire Did I know you and were it permitted me to manifest my passion I should be as forward in my expressions as the most passionate lovers and as magnificently you should be courted with as many Musique entertainments as there are dayes I should ere now have made three or four publique Feasts the Ball should be continually left with you and you should have seen whether we know how to treat in Crete as well as they doe in Cyprus Moreover since I am confident that I have many Rivals I should let you see that perhaps they were not worthy to be preferred before me I should follow and court you in all places I would endeavour to be a friend unto your friends and an enemy unto your enemies I would not look upon any but such as you favour and I should find out a thousand wayes to let you see the grandure and merit of my passion But as things are what should I doe to expresse my love You may obey me said Parthenia and that 's enough for in doing so I shall think my self as much obliged as by all you tell me you would doe if you knew me That is so little replyed he that I cannot beleeve it will oblige you at all Madam or that you can so much as esteem me for it for thereby you cannot know whether I bee generous or no you will be ignorant whether I be liberall or courteous I may have a thousand virtues or vices which you can never see and therefore I beseech you Madam let me not be confined unto such narrow limits but give love leave to appear some way or other To make it appear in my eyes answered Parthenia it must bee hid from the eyes of all others At least Madam said he unto her give me leave to regulate my whole life according to your directions and that I may ask your advice in all my actions As for that replyed Parthenia I shall most willingly consent unto it for I desire nothing more then to know your heart Then I beseech you doe me that honour Madam said he unto her and presented unto her the enamelled box in which the Jewell was as to tell me to morrow whether this which I present unto your fair hand be worthy to be offered unto a great Princesse for I design it unto one who certainly merits to be a Queen At the first Parthenia did not think that it was intended unto her but perhaps unto Policrite or Aretaphile and therefore without any difficulty she took it yet she no sooner had it in her hand but she changed opinion and thought it intended unto her This imagination did swell her heart both with anger and curiosity The first of these because she thought Timantes did not think of her as she would have him and the second because she would see whether Timantes would give it unto her therefore seeming as if she never thought to have any share in his liberality she told him that she would not stay so long as to morrow before she gave him her opinion of it but would goe unto the candle which was at the further end of the chamber and see whether this which he would give was worthy of himself for certainly said she most obligingly if it be worthy of your self it is worthy of her you intend it for whosoever she be In saying so she went to see what it was which Timantes put into her hand with intention to restore it unto him the same hour and he also went away as well as she the better
five years old but his innocency could not prevent the Fate of his Father for the more unjust side was the more fortunate But not to stay you too long Sir in this part of my story I shall onely in a few words tell you how the Army of Apriez and that of Amasis joyning near Memphis where those high aspiring Pyramids look over all the rest of Egypt this fatall Battle to Apriez was lost At the first encounter he was wounded and a while afeer taken and lastly in a most strange manner lost his life for those into whose hands he fell disagreeing who should have the honour of presenting him unto Amasis did quarrell amongst themselves amidst a Battle and that with so much rage and fury that one of them thinking his side the weaker did desperately turn towards this unfortunate King who stood in the midst of them and with an unexampled inhumanity killed him rather then his companions should enjoy that advantage which he could not get himselfe Thus Sir you see how this miserable King lost both his life and Kingdome and upon what Title Amasis came unto it You may imagine how sad this news was unto the Queen when she heard her Husband had lost both Kingdome and life and consequently the young Sesostris the Crown But how great soever her sorrows were yet were they lesse then the Generosity of Ladice who could never enjoy any comfort in being the Wife of an Usuper This sad Queen endeavoured all she could to move the people of Says unto fidelity and oppose Amasis but the hatred of the Inhabitants against Apriez was so high as that they were so far from doing as she desired though it was in a little River of Tears shewing unto them her young Sonne that they mutined afresh and would all take the stronger side So that this deplorable Queen fearing they would seise upon her person and her young Son was forced to fly the Towne in the night and to retire with a very small number unto a strong Castle which was some thirty furlongs from Says as she had resolved from the first in case of necessity As she was ready to depart accompanyed with her dear Ladice there came a Messenger from Amasis to the Princesse his Wife to tell her of his Victory and also to will her not to engage her self in the misfortunes of the Queen unto whom for her sake he would leave a Province in Aegypt upon condition she would put the young Sesostris into his hands Ladice no sooner heard this proposition but she exclaimed against Amasis and told the Messenger whatsoever the Queen could desire Go said she unto him and tell Amasis that I was born a Subject unto a King before I was his Wife and my being marryed could not disoblige me from my first duty nor ever shall unless he will restore unto the young Sesostris that Crown which he usurped from the unfortunate Apriez After which not suffering him to speak a word more she went unto the Queen who stayed for her to depart Never was flight more happy than this for the Queen was no sooner out of the Town but the people were in her house to execute that order which Amasis had sent by him who spoke to Ladice which order was that the Inhabitants should be in Armes and secure the persons of the Queen of Sesostris and Ladice But the gods who doubtlesse were pleased to preserve Sesostris moved this Envoy of Amasis to speak unto Ladice before he did unto the Inhabitants Thus this young Prince and these two unfortunate Princesses escaped from the Victory of Amasis This great Queen was also so happy in her flight that none of them knew which way she went But since they could not be ignorant long Ladice who would not be delivered in a house which might come into the hands of Amasis advised the Queen not to stay in it but to goe further off where they should not be so soon found And so they did But alass these two Princesses had not sooner any leasure to reckon up the sum of their present miseries and lament them together but they were given to understand that all took part with the Conquerour that high and low Aegypt did both of them acknowledge his power and that all the Provinciall Towns sent their Deputies to promise fidelity That Says Thebes Memphis Bubastis Sienna Busiris Canope and Anisis did submit and that Amasis was Master of all Aegypt except Elephantine which yet took time of consideration They understood that all the Calasires and Hermobites for so we call the Noblemen amongst us did obey him without murmur because they all hoped Amasis would let them have more power then they had under Apriez So that seeing no hopes of any relief from any side the Queen was in the most deplorable condition of any in the world From the sterile Desarts of Lybia she could expect no relief which is on the West side of Aegypt on the South the Cataracts of Nilus and the Mountains block up all Passes and on the East doubtlesse Sir you know the vast Fennes along that Province which is called Barathra and which separates Syria from Aegypt do hinder the march of any Troops and on the North side the wayes are all inaccessible neither could the Queen expect my relief from the Ionians nor the Carians who lost all their Forces at the last Battle Aegypt within was all revolted so that she had no way but to flye or dye This great Queen had a man with her whose name was Amenophis Brother unto my Mother a man of extraordinary spirit and virtue brought up in the house of the late King whose fidelity was well known unto the Queen and Ladice and unto whom he was a professed friend Amenophis to chear up the courage of the Queen and to perswade her to submit her self unto the pleasure of the gods for better fortune advised her to think of no course considering the state of things but how to hide her self and the Prince Sesostris and to see whether tract of time would alter the face of things The Queen then referring the conduct of her self unto the prudence of Amenophis hee resolved for Elephantine which yet had not totally submitted But Sir be pleased to know that when the Battle was fought the River Nilus began to rise so that when the Queen took a resolution to quit that place where she was to seek a sanctuary further off this River according to its custome over-flowed all the Country so that she was forced to change the place as much out of necessity as reason for when this Deluge was at the height all Aegypt was water unlesse Hills and Townes built upon them which seemed like little Islands and the Campaigne like Sea at that time about them Amenophis then provided a Boat to transport this deplorable company And as this swelling of Nilus did on the one side trouble them so on the other it kept them from falling into
of his Guard and appointed two women of quality in Elephantine to goe unto Timareta But since Heracleon would needs be the first that should carry this good news unto his fairest Shepheardesse he beseeched the King he might wait upon the two Ladies thither which he granted him expresly charging him and the Officer who found Ladice's letter and Traseas to say nothing without permission from him of any thing which had passed amongst them Thus the Prince Sesostris being ignorant of what was doing against him thought of nothing but that misery which his greatnesse caused unto him not thinking he was like to lose it In the mean time Heracleon went to Timareta who was much troubled for Traseas as well as Nicetis but much more was she moved at the sight of a Coach full of Ladyes and when these Ladyes told her they had commands from the King to carry her unto him at first Timareta answered that it was not credible so great a Prince desired to see so simple a Shepheardesse as her selfe Yet when she saw them in good earnest she began to fear that Heracleon who she saw amongst them would put some trick upon her But he perceiving her thought by the leave of the Ladies tooke her aside and being separated some Paces from the Company conjured her not to acquaint the King how he had revealed his secret unto her Truly Sir said she unto him you think I do not know my self but because I have been brought up with the Prince Sesostris therefore that must make me familiar with the King his Father No Madam said he unto her ah Sir said she and interrupted him I beseech you do not so extreamly Jeere me do not give me any such title as shepheardesses do not understand I doe not give you the title as a shepheardesse replyed he but as a Princesse For now Sesostris is no more then a simple shepheard and you are the Daughter of Amasis Believe me Madam said Heracleon seeing she gave no credit to him what I speak is truth and before to morrow night you will see your selfe above all the Grandees in Aegypt and Sesostris will 〈…〉 below all that can be called base Oh Sir replied Timareta all amused Fortune is ne 〈…〉 so blind nor so unjust as to cause such a Revolution However it be said he these Ladies have orders to wait upon you unto Elephantine And I to guard you then being my self infinitly happy in the honour of being the first messenger of such good newes This you tell me seemes so impossible replied she that I cannot believe it and though it should be true yet I finde my selfe so unworthy of such an honour that I shall never receive it After this they put Timareta in the Coach but she would not goe unlesse they would let Nicetis go with her In the meane time she being naturally handsome and since she was alwaies uncertain whether Sesostris would come that way in hunting she was never in her negligent dresse Therefore she appeared so fair in the eyes of those Ladies who waited upon her that they all admired her beauty As for Heracleon he thought himself almost at the top of happinesse For he imagined himselfe married unto the greatest beauty of all Aegypt and unto one who would make him King Moreover he had the satisfaction to put his rivall besides his Mistresse and Throne So that meeting with that at one time which would fully satisfie both his love his ambition his jealousie and his revenge he was as happy as his own wishes could make him But so was not Timareta whose astonishment was so high that she was not capable either of joy or sorrow yet she enclined more unto the latter of these then the first In the meane time she arived at the Court Heracleon acquaints the King and he bids her to enter But she was not sooner two paces within the Chamber and the King upon a sudden seeing as well as ever he did he found in Timaretaes face such a prodigious resemblance of the Princesse Ladice his wife that he made no doubt but Timareta was his Daughter so that embracing her with abundance of tendernesse he acknowledged her for his own and acknowledged her with as much joy as he was at the miraculous change in his sight which made him able to behold Timareta and confirmed him in his opinion that the gods would protect him Timareta seeing the honours which the King did her knew not how to receive them yet she told him with as great grace as modesty that she was onely a simple shepheardesse and farre unworthy such favours from so great a King for since she thought it impossible that she should be acknowledged for a Princesse and that Sesostris should become a shepheard again she would not answer the King as his Daughter In the meane time since the King made no question of of what Traseas told him concerning Timareta he also believed all he said concerning Sesostris so that thinking his repentance had expiated his crime he commanded him to be set at liberty and to come before him Traseas no sooner saw Timareta but he asked her pardon for offering to take the Crown from her and giving it unto Sesostris Timareta hearing Traseas say so blusht and looked down with her eyes yet was it not for any anger at the injury he had done her but for sorrow that she should be a cause of Sesostris his returning unto a shepheard again In the meane time the King caused all the Ladies to enter and told them who Timareta was so that this fair shepheardesse becoming a Princesse in an instant you may well imagine she stood in need of as great a spirit as she had And since Amasis had commanded the matter should be closly carried lest Sesostris should know the alteration in his Fortune he caused Timareta and all the Ladies to go into another room and commanded to fetch Sesostris unto him But as Timareta was ready to go out of the Kings Chamber being prompted by a thought which she could not keep in Sir said she unto him I beseech you give me leave before I goe to ask you whether Traseas who I ever thought to be my father ever told you how I owe my life unto Sesostris and that if I have the honour to be your Daughter you are obliged to recompence him for my sake As Timareta could not speak 〈◊〉 without some disorder which appeared in her face Heracleon had much more dis 〈…〉 in his heart and the more because the King desiring to know how Sesostris saved Timaretas 〈◊〉 e This fair Princesse it unto him with all possible aggravations as if shee had a desire in taking the Crown from Sesostris at least to procure him the Kings favour 'T is true he had a stronge inclination to lend a favourable eare unto any thing that was in advantage of Sesostris Therefore when Timareta had ended her relation the King assured her that he would esteem
none therefore whose joyes were full but onely Heracleon and Tanisis As for Amasis for all the satisfaction which he had to see the living Image of his dead but dear Ladice he had such a restlessenesse in his heart as quite distempered him so that he found no delight in any thing But Sir the next morning being come Sesostris according unto the Kings permission went to see Timareta and entred into her Chamber as she was dressed the first time as a person of her quality As for Sesostris hee was in a plain handsome sute without any trimming such as men of quality commonly use to wear when they would not be seen But there was such a masse of melancholy in his heart that he could hardly keep it out of his face 'T is true he had some cause of consolation for when he entred into Timaretas Chamber he found her face so full of serious sorrow amidst all her magnificence that he might easily divine the cause This vision was so pleasing that it made him able to hide some parts of his sorrowes But on the contrary Timareta seeing so much constancy in the soul of Sesostris did the more tender his heart by the teares which fell from her fair eyes So that desiring to hide this disorder from her women after Sesostris had saluted her with a profound reverence she went into a corner between her bed and fire where he followed her and began to speak Madam said he unto her I beseech you take it â—ot ill that the shepheard Sesostris should assume so much liberty as to entreat you would be pleased to give him that sheephook your fair hand was used to carry assuring you he shall receive it with more consolation then he did the newes and hopes of his being King of all Aegypt Ah Sesostris said she and interrupted him I do not take it well that your spirit should be so free after your change as to talk of any such thing I remember that the first time you saw me after the King had acknowledged you for his sonne you looked upon me with eyes full of teares 'T is true Madam said he but I am now so affraid my sorrowes should be ill interpreted and that you should think I grieved at the parting from that Grandure which now is yours that I mastered my self and hid some part of my sorrowes yet if you will be pleased to assure me you will not think ambition to be the cause of my sorrowes I shall shew you all my sad resentments But that I may with more freedome do it I beseech you be this day onely the shepheardesse Timareta you will be a Princesse all the rest of your life and it is but one hour which I shall desire to deprive you of that honour I assure you replyed Timareta and sighed that I shall be unto you ever the same I was True it is I will not engage my selfe to live with you as I have done for you know decency does not allow it but I promise you that the change in my fortune is not able to change the least thought of my hearâ— And I shall ever think my self most unhappy in my condition because it is different from yours I do not think that after this you will complain of me Nor do I complain of you Madam replyed he but I do extreamly complain of my unhappy fate which raised me up to throw me down again and which onely raised you to make me more miserable But Madam however I beseech you do not deny me that which has absolute dependency upon your selfe and which neither contradicts virtue nor decency Me thinkes replyed Timareta after what I have already said I need not tell you that I will not deny you any thing you shall ask so it bring just conditions with it Since so Madam replyed Sesostris let it not offend you if I conjure you to believe that your quality hath nothing augmented those respects I had of you and that quality which within these two daies I had did nothing lessen the passion of my soul to you Moreover Madam that you may not take it ill if I preserve the same passion still in my heart remember I beseech you that since I was not capable of change in becoming the Son of a King so I am not capable of any alteration in returning to the quality of a Shepheard So that adoring you out of a compulsive necessity against which there is no resistance you would be unjust if you were offended at it Moreover Madam since in losing my chief happinesse I have not lost all my reason I know very well that I can hope for nothing from you that it is my duty to adore you and never see you and that it is onely death that must terminate my sorrows All that I can in reason ask is that you will be a little angry at fate for putting a greater inequality in our qualities then in our inclinations However since you give me leave to speak unto you now as unto the Shepheardesse Timareta I must tell you that there is one thing that you can doe for me which will keep me from dying with grief If it be in my power replyed she and that it be not against the rules of virtue and decency certainly I shall do it I have so deep a respect of you replyed Sesostris that I dare hardly speak it but since I am confident in your goodnesse I must tell you Madam that all the favour which I beg is that you will not marry Heracleon when I was in the same quality you now are I was firmly resolved never to marry any but you But Madam since the laws are not equall betwixt us I shall not ask so much but onely except Heracleon from all the Princes in the world Not but that I am most confident the day of your marriage with any Prince will be the day of my death but my death will be lesse sharp if it adde not felicity unto Heracleon If you had not given me leave to expresse my self Madam I should not have spoke so boldly as I doe But since if you please to remember that the Prince Sesostris offered to throw away his crown if you pleased and to seek out some desart Isle where he might live with you I hope you will not think the Shepheard Sesostris too insolent I think him so unfortunate replyed she that though he were too bold yet I should not be offended at him But to answer directly unto what you ask me added she I promise you to use all the endeavours that in all handsomnesse I can never to marry Heracleon And I promise you more then that for if I cannot oppose the Kings will I will have recourse unto death Yet I doe not by this exact any great obligation from you for I have such a strong naturall aversion against him that I will thwart his intentions as well out of love to my self as out of love to you But
you ignorant of it So Madam I will use no perswasive arguments to let you know I love you for I presuppose you know it but I will onely ask you how it is your pleasure I should behave my self unto this lovelesse Rivall who will shortly arrive for I doe professe and declare Madam that I cannot change my heart Moreover give me leave to assure you Madam that if I were so happy as to be more in your esteem then he the engagement which obligeth you unto him should be no obstacle unto my happines For though I know that if you refuse to marry him the last Will and Testament of your Parents deprives you of the greatest part of your estate yet give me leave to tell you that I have enough to recompence that losse since certainly my estate is as much as both yours and Menecrates if both put together Let him enjoy then what the Laws of your Country gives him and I beseech you grant me that which both reason and love requires I mean your affection Your expressions are so full of generosity replyed Arpalice that I cannot be offended at them But after my thanks to you I must tell you that how much soever I esteem you and what aversion soever I have unto Menecrates and how great a repagnancy I have to be forced yet I must confesse I have not power to make any other expressions then such as I have all my life Therefore generous Thrasimedes if you doe esteem me you will pitty my misfortune and make no ill attempts to alter me And if you will oblige me live with Menecrates as you did at Apamea and live with me as with a person neuterall and indifferent How Madam said he doe you think there is any equity in your language Can you think it possible I can live with you in a neutrality and indifferency Would you have me live with Menecrates as I did at Apamea I beseech you Madam consider what you say think what a lamentable fate it is to marry one who loves you not and what injustice it is to drive a man into despair who infinitely loves you and who will infallibly die if you have no care of his life For heavens sake Madam put a difference between Menecrates and me Consider I beseech you how he will receive this honour which you doe him without any joy and conclude that he who can so easily play away your Picture will perhaps as easily part with your person as it For my part Madam the attection which I bear unto you makes me receive the least of your favours upon a thankfull knee and in testimony of it I pray see how great a veneration the heart of Thrasimedes holds of you In saying so he let her see how carefully he had kept the Letter which he had writ unto her Doe not think Madam said he I carry this so carefully about me for any other reason but because it was touched with your fair hands when you cruelly blotted out the first testimoniall of my love Imagine Madam I beseech you with what reall reverence I should receive a reall favour Oh for heavens sake put not a vast treasure into the possession of a blind man who knows not the value of it Let him have the liberty to punish himselfe by a new choice and doe you make choice of a heart which knows how to adore you according to your infinite merit Doubtlesse you will find in mine as much reverence as passion and as much fidelity as love Advise well with your self Madam and consider what is your best course The very least syllable you can pronounce may regulate all my actions and truly upon your answer depends the fate of all my life I am not so full of vanity answered she as to beleeve all you say but I have so good an opinion of you as to hope you will not deny the request which I shall make unto you which is that you wil for the love of me live civilly with Menecrates lest if you doe not something might reflect in my disadvantage which should infallibly fall upon you For in the humour I am in perhaps I am not so just as to accuse those of my misfortune who are the reall causes of it If you will honour me so far as to promise me replyed Thrasimedes that you will never make Menecrates happy I shall promise you to live civilly with him But Madam if you make me absolutely despair I shall hardly answer you as I doe I assure you replyed Arpalice and sighed I should despair my self if I thought nothing could prevent my marriage with Menecrates and I am confident if such a misery doe befall me I shall hardly beleeve it the very preceding minute Whilst Thrasimedes was talking with Arpalice she looked continually whether Arions Harp was brought not that she did hate him who was speaking unto her but because she feared to give him either too obliging or too sharp answers and therefore she would gladly have their discourse interrupted For my part I looked as earnestly as she for the coming of the Harp For since Thrasimedes told me that there was a notable difference between the discourse of Arion and his Musique I longed to hear it and indeed he spoke very elegantly so that thinking hee would sing a hundred times better then he spoke I had a conceit he would then charme me But at last after a long stay according to the plot of Thrasimedes the Harp came And as soon as I saw it I presented it unto this pretended Arion thinking I could not oblige him more then by my impatient desire of hearing him but he having no such desire to be heard took it and layd it upon the Table again saying he would first finish what he had begun and what I had commanded him to relate So that fearing to anger him I sate down again and hearkened unto the rest of his Dolphin adventure which he did tell even to the least wave of Sea in which the King of Fishes did triumph describing him so circumstantially as he did not omit so much as a Scale or Fin of the Dolphin nor the curles which he made in the water yet I was so simple as to think that all his long winded descriptions were onely consequents of his Poeticall humour and that his manner of speaking was onely a little too full of Tropes and Figures though I observed all along that he spoke very elegantly But at last after a long relation of this adventure he took up the Harp and played Arpalice also drew nearer and imposed silence upon Thrasimedes but the counterfeit Arion told her that she needed not make such hast for his instrument was not yet in tune and it would be long before hee could bring it into fit order for Harmony all the favour he desired was that she would bee pleased to speak low addressing his speech afterwards unto Thrasimeaes conjuring him to give an example unto Arpalice And
joyned and those who commanded them had conference but Thrasibulus according to the liberty of Truce sent Leontidas in a Barque with Philocles who was Lievtenant General unto him who commanded this Fleet unto Cyrus to inform him of all passages so that Leontidas arrived at the Camp just as Cyrus entred into his Tent with Mazares Myrsiles and many others But to the end he might know how to receive Philocles he went to Cyrus before him and acquainted him how Philocles was sent by the Princess Cleobuline who was then Queen of Corinth after the death of the wise and valiant Periander her Father and that he came to offer him from the Queen this Fleet which he saw arrive Cyrus no sooner heard this from Leontidas but he disposed himself to receive Philocles with extraordinary civility not only because he did very much esteem him and because he brought him powerful Auxiliaries but also because he came from one of the most illustrious Princesses in the world whom he had seen very young when he travelled by Corinth Having then appointed Chrisantes to go and entertain them whom she had sent and Leontidas to hring him thither Philocles was brought who presented a Letter unto him from the Queen of Corinth which contained these words The Queen of Corinth to the invincible CYRUS SIR TO testifie how dear the remembrance of the illustrious Artamenes is unto me and how much I interest my self in that glory which he hath gotten I have sent unto him the best Ships which are on our Seas being extreamly sorry that he would not acquaint me with his necessities but demanded aid from Princes who could not help him with a more willing heart then mine The Souldiers which I have made choice of to send him hath all of them heretofore returned from Wars with Lawrels on their heads under the late King my Father and lest they should forget the art of vanquishing I should be glad to have them fight under such a Conquerour as your self nor can they a greater honour then to have a helping hand in the Princess Mandana's delivery and fighting under your Ensigns and this is my advantage that when you shall send them back I shall be more trrrible to my Neighbours Philocles who knows my thoughts of you will more precisely interpret them and if he follow my instructions exactly will tell you that I do easily believe all the wonders which are reported of your life and that there is none in the world who doth more honor your virtue then my self nor who wisheth your happiness with more zeal then CLEOBULINE This Letter being full of Noble expressions it did most infinitely oblige Cyrus who testified unto Philocles so many cordial acknowledgments of this great Queens goodness unto him as made it apparent that his heart was most sensible of such a generous overture After this Philocles acquainted Cyrus how the Queen who sent him understood that the Prince of Cumes had sent secretly unto Corinth to cause Ships of War to be made and that she was diligent to enquire by some intelligence which she hath in the Town what might be his reason for arming by which means she came to understand that it was because he had given retreat unto the King of Pontus who was escaped from Sardis and had taken the Princess Mandana with him Philocles further told him that this great Queen supposing he knew where that Princess was and not questioning but that he would presently besiege Cumes she made ready this Fleet which now she sent unto him which could not possibly come sooner unto Cumes because of the contrary windes Philocles extolled the esteem which Cleobuline had of Cyrus with so many aggravations and such eloquence as it was evident he came from the Court of a Princess where ignorance did not pass for a virtue like many other Courts in the world Though Cleobuline was very young when Cyrus was at Corinth yet he remembred her to be then very fair and of an admirable Spirit as well as beauty and being obliged unto a more particular curiosity he asked Philocles a hundred questions concerning this great Princess and her Government but the more Philocles answered the more his curiosity augmented for he told him such wonders of this Queen in discoursing with him of her great soul spirit wit prudence justice liberality and goodness as this Prince was all admiration and had no longing desire to know more In the mean time to testifie how much he esteemed of any thing that came from her he sent Chrisantes unto him who commanded this Fleet with several Barques loadened with all manner of things suitable for a Present at Sea keeping Philocles with him and Leontidas also until the Truce was ended The next morning he who commanded the Fleet whose name was Thimochares came also to visit Cyrus who treated him with magnificence worthy of himself and worthy of that Queen whom he desired to honour by honouring him who commanded her Arms. Since the Truce allowed him leasure enough and since his hopes of seeing his Princess at liberty had infused much serenity into his soul his civilities were more exact and regular then ordinary therefore as often as Philocles and Timochares were with him he talked with them continually of the Queen of whom he still heard somthing that was admirable and indeed so many miracles as would have staggered his belief and suspected Philocles and Timochares of gross flattery if he had not known the first of them to be a man most sincere However this Prince alwayes thought that he committed a crime when he thought of any thing but Mandana and would not perhaps have been so forward in the business of this Queen of Timochares according to her orders had he not asked him from her whether she approved of her design never to marry advising with him afterwards upon several things which related unto her Dominions So that Cyrus infinitely wondred at the resolution which this young and fair Queen had taken and afterwards talking with Timochares and then with Philocles who for divers reasons wished that this Queen would not so obstinately persist in her resolution Philocles resolved to acquaint Cyrus with something which almost none but himself could to the end that he might advise Timochares who had some credit with Cleobuline to perswade her not to persist in her design So that after they had augmented the curiosity of Cyrus by a thousand circumstances concerning this Queen and after Philocles had told him that a relation of this Queens life would concern him Cyrus who infinitely esteemed Philocles promised to give him audience some night when every one was retired to their rest But before he would let him begin this relation he asked him how Philista did and how the state of his Love did stand Oh Sir answered he with such a smile as testified that he was either cured of his passion or happy the state of my fortune is changed since I left you
was never fit to keep secrets Believe it Stesilea replied he as deep in Love as I am I may be trusted for I am most confident that Love will never make me do any thing against honour or honestie Be assured that if I promise not to tell what you trust me with unto Philimena I shall perform it I beseech you pitie a most unhappie man who suits with you in this that he loves the Queen as well as you do It is my misfortune to think that if Basâ—lides crossed my design I should be less unfortunate then I am But that the Queen whose glorie I value at so high a rate that I would die to advance it that she should render me the most miserable of her Subjects that is such a thing Stesilea that I must needs lament Since Cleobuline is of a Qualitie so high that it becomes me not to tell her what thoughts I have of her I am sure she knows mine but verie imperfectlie doubtless she thinks me devoted to her service and that I am her most faithful Subject but perhaps she does not think me obliged unto it by honour by interest and by gratitude yet I must tell you Stesilea to the end I may the more oblige you to tell me what I desire to know that I am a thousand times more obliged and devoted unto her by inclination then by any thing else Yes Stesilea I love the Queen with so much devotion that I have not more love to Phâ—limena then I have tenderness to Cleobuline Nay more I am fully perswaded that if this Queen had been of a lower qualitie perhaps I should have been so bold as to have Courted her with a very affectionate eye Judg then I beseech you how sad a thing it is to receive a death from a hand that is so infinitelie dear unto me for heavens sake therefore tell me the cause of my misfortune that I may know either how to overcome it or to submit my mind unto it for I do profess unto you that if you do not somthing more inform my understanding I shall be forced to take some desperate course with my self Wilst Myrinthus was thus talking Stesilea was ruminating upon what course to take she saw that reason bad her not discover the Queens secrets 〈…〉 side she saw him in such a desperate sadness that she much feared it wo 〈…〉 Moreover though Cleobuline had told her ten thousand times that she 〈…〉 Myrinthus know her passion yet since she thought his knowledg of 〈…〉 quench his flames of affection unto Philimena and kindle them unto her she th 〈…〉 that the Queen would not be much offended at it so that knowing Myrinthus to be oâ— an ambitious temper and hearing from his own mouth that he had much inclination to love the Queen so that she doubted not but if she told him the reason why the Queen crossed his design it would hinder him from marrying Philimena Also Stesilea perhaps looking upon the advancement of her own fortunes which she hoped for by this confidence as upon the Queens tranquilitie she consulted with her self whether she should acquaint him with it or no. Since she knew Myrinthus to be verie discreet she was the much bolder to venture upon it and more when upon second thoughts she found that she should run no hazard at all For truly said she to her self hardly hearing what Myrinthns said unto her if what I shall tell him do not stagger his constancie yet for his own interest he will never let the Queen know he knows she loves him since that would be an affront which would reflect upon himself and if what I tell him do make him quit Philimena and love Cleobuline I need not fear her anger though she charged me not to let Myrinthus know she loved him and though she would never have Myrinthus to tell her that he loved her Stesilea then considering the pitiful case wherein the Queen was she thought it fit for her rests sake to hazard the matter and for her service to reveal her secret since she knew no better way therefore she began to think into what language she should put so delicate and nice a business In the mean time Myrinthus having done talking and seeing that Stesilea was more intent upon her own thoughts then his words began to think more then before that there was some mysterious cause in the matter and that Stesilia's silence argâ—ed her incertaiatie whether she should or she should not tell it unto him So that applying his earnest prayers to prevent her from any resolution contrary unto his desires For heavens sake dear Stesilea said he unto her study no more upon the matter but tell me plainly whether the Queen denied my request out of hatred or out of scorn or out of any other prejudicate thought The thing you ask replied Stesilea is of greater consequence then you imagine and it is a secret of such a nature as I cannot trust you unless you will most solemnly swear never to reveal it unto any one living not excepting Philimena her self and I will have you make a particular oath concerning her alone who of all that lives upon earth must not know it Myrinthus hearing Stesilea speak thus his curiosity did double So that he made as many promises and vowes and oaths as she desired never to speak one sillable of any thing she should impart either unto Philimena or any other All this was not yet enough to secure Stesilea for she would have him swear also never to make it known unto the Queen neither by his words nor any other action that he is knowing in what she is going to tell him Myrinthus now being more surprized and more inquisitive then before did swear and promise all she desired After which she assuming a very serious look and low voice though none was neer that could hear her but himself I make no question said she unto him but you wonder to see me so cautious in relating a thing which only concerns your self but your wonder will be much more when you shall understand that this which I would have you so closely conceal is the most glorious thing in the world for you Yes Myrinthus pursued she this which makes you thus sad this which moves you so to complain of the Queen that which you so bitterly murmure at that which makes you think she hath changed her opinion of you that this I say should be the most glorious adventure of all your life and that when Cleobuline in confirming so many offices so many Governments and so many honours upon you did in them nothing so obliginglie for you as when she denied you the marrying Philimena Ah Stesilea said he unto her You will have much ado with all your wit to perswade me unto this belief If I have but the power to tell you all I know replied she you will easily believe it But Myrinthus said she and blushed Cannot you spare me the labour
better acquainted with the violence of his temper then Mandana was from whom he was observant to hide it Yet for all that she did strive with her selfe that her vexation might not appeare to the Princess I he pleasant humours of Doralisa did much facilitate her concealement of her thoughts for whilst Mandana was musing and studying upon her own thoughts she would descant upon the thoughts of all the Princes which ridd by Mandana's Coach by the Aire of their Countenances and she had such pleasant fancies upon them which suited so patt to their adventures and unto their garbes that Martesia not being able to forbeare laughing did put the Princesse out of her dumpish musing who being desirous to know what it was which made them so merry she caused Martesia to repeat all that Doralisa thought of Cyrus of the King of Assyria of Mazanes of the Prince Artamas and of all the rest they had talked of But I beseech you tell me said Mandana to her when she saw the Prince Myrsyles and Andramches neer her Coach what are the thoughts of these two Captives whom your beauty hath taken and whether Cupid hath made them Equals by making them Rivalls since the one's a Subject the other a Soveraign Alas Madam replyed Doralisa I cannot tell what they think and I am so farre from knowing it that I have done as much as ever I can not to understand what they said when they spake unto me as intelligibly as they could But Madam in lieu of telling you what they thinke upon I will if you please tell you what I think of them I beleeve Doralisa replyed the Princesse that you will be so farr from sincerity in such a businesse as I will not oblige you to tell me any lies but I had much rather you would tell me what you fancy they think of you then what you think of them Since you will needs have it so Madam replyed Doralisa and laughed I shall tell you That to see with what a gloomy countenance Andramches looks upon the Prince Myrsyles I think he is very sorry this Prince is not still dumb and to see how earnestly that Prince doth talk with others makes me think that if he have talked upon any matters of Love it is only because he takes a delight in talking of something which he never talked of before After this Mandana began to chide with Doralisa and to make her tell her whether shee did not use to talke more seriously and more obligingly unto a Prince so accomplished as he was whose heart she had captivated But whilst Doralisa was diverting Mandana with her pleasant humours and had her Quibbles of wit upon a thousand passages and every object Cyrus was thinking how he should keep touch with the King of Assyria as soone as possible and imagining how he should slink aside from so many men as were continually about him But his greatest care was to contrive it so that in case he was vanquished then the King of Assyria to have no power in disposing of the Princess However he was much perplexed For honour would not permit him to impart a businesse of this nature unto many men and therefore he took a middle course and told all the chief Commanders only thus much that the King of Assyria's presence did move him to have a more especiall care of Mandana's safety he conjured them to remember the Fidelity which they owed unto Ciaxares and whatsoever hapned never to faile in that Yet he thought not this enough But the high esteem he had of Anaxaris prompted him to impart the secret unto him for since he was Captain of the Guard unto the Princess he thought him the fittest to trust with her and that it was by him he might get out to fight with the Assyrian King And therefore Mandana was no sooner come unto the place where she was to lie and as soon as Anaxaris according to his Custome had placed his Guards he sent for him and began to talke in private with him At the first Anaxaris knowing by the action of that Prince he had something of great importance to say unto him did imagine that his own eyes had betrayed him and that Cyrus had dived into the bottom of his heart and discovered the flaming and smothering Passion in it But he was not long in this errour for as soon as ever Cyrus and he were together he began to talk unto him Doubtlesse Sir said he unto him though you be a stranger unto me yet certainly you are a man of extraordinary vertue and uncommon fidelity since I am resolved to trust you with a business which is a thousand times more dear unto me then my life for it concerns my honour And since I know you to be a man both brave and generous I question not but that you will carry your self in such an important business as this as you ought to do But yet as highly as I esteem you and as gteat an opinion as I have of your honesty I cannot trust you with the secret untill you have made a solemn oath unto me never to reveale it nor never do or say any thing which might raise the least suspition of it especially unto the Princess who of all in the world ought not to know of it Sir said Anaxaris much amazed and impatient to heare what Cyrus would say since honour doth sufficiently oblige one to conceal the secrets of another And since none are Master but of their own secrets I may with some justice complain of you for exacting from me an oath never to speak of what you will please to honour me with the trust Yet Sir to testifie how easily I can do what is my duty I will promise you with all the sincerity of a man who never uses to betray his trust never to speake what you shall impart After this Cyrus embracing Anaxaris asked him pardon for the wrong he did his vertue in not trusting him at first but my deare Anaxaris said he unto him did you but know what a contention there is in my heart between my love of Mandana and my love of honour and what turbulent agitation these two violent Passions do at this present cause in it doubtless you will excuse me especially if ever you were in Love But that you may ore clearly pardon me I must open my soule unto you and acquaint you with the cause of that injury which I have done unto your Fidelity After this he acquainted Anaxaris in few words with the promise he had made with the Assyrian King upon the Tower at Sinope and how he had since confirmed that promise at the Monument of Abradutes You may judge added Cyrus that such a secret as this ought not to be revealed Most true Sir replyed Anaxaris but he who discovers it may give the man who he trusts share with him in the glory by letting him partake of his perill That 's not my design Sir replyed Cyrus but the
ordinarily make use of Love Ambition and Jealousie to justifie their ill actions certainly some indulgency ought to be used towards Berisa who assuredly hath a passion in her heart which is as stronge as any of those I named and which many others are troubled with as well as she though they do not make it appear Oh Orcames sayd Istrina do not insult so upon the poor Berisa or accuse her of a Crime which she never thought of For my part replyed Intaphernes I think she may be supposed to have a thousand in lieu of one therfore Orcames I pray tell us what is the passion which Berisa is troubled with It is Sir replyed I an earnest desire to pass for a Courtier and I beleive this kind of envy to be a passion and a most violent one For my part I know women in the Town more sprightly and more amiable then Berisa who are haunted with this passion which doth so tyrannize over them as it makes as great an alteration in their hearts as Love Jealousie or Ambition could for they cannot abide any thing which is not of the Court and indeed men whose Professions are not Souldiers are insufferable unto them women of their quality make them ashamed they know not what to talk off and their passions are so strong as that they think they cannot live but where they ought not to be unless as I sayd before when they are called and invited thither for in that case I confess the Court is a very sweet and pleasing life and of what quality soever one be they may keep their Ranks with decency and honour However this will serve to excuse the poor Berisa since certainly the passion of the Court is more violent then you imagine However it be sayd Intaphernes unto Istrina you would do me the greatest favour in the world if you could banish her from the Princess of Bythinia for I cannot endure to see a person perpetually with her who never does any thing what she ought to do who is never where she ought to be who is still talking what she should not and who is more troublesom to me then any other though she is a continuall trouble unto all the Court And if you cannot banish her yet I beseech you do me the favour to talk with her alwaies when I am where you and she is for I profess I cannot endure she should talk to me or to the Princess whom I adore Istrina hearing Intaphernes speak thus did easily apprehend the reason why he hated Berisa so that not being able to forbeare laughing she told him by way of Raillary that Envy was too poor a Passion to be entertained in his heart therfore I pray let the poor Berisa quietly enjoy a happiness which she hath taken so much pains to obtain As Intaphernes was ready to answer the Princess of Bythinia entred and Berisa only followed her the rest of her women waiting in the outer Chamber Since the Princess Istrina was then in a laughing humour the sight of Berisa did so augment it that for all the reverence which she desired to pay unto the Prince of Bythinia she could not hold so that being obliged to a Complement I ask your Pardon Madam sayd she unto her for being in such a merry vaine as that I cannot express my joyes of seeing you more seriously I will very willingly pardon you replyed the Princess upon condition you will tell me the cause of your joyes and mirth for since you do not use to laugh unseasonably at nothing I am much mistaken if it be not worth the knowing I assure you Madam replyed Istrina and laughed still I should wish you knew it if I did not fear that the Prince my Brother would oppose it To prevent him sayd Berisa who would have her vie in every thing I will promise you to talk with him as long as you please you shall not need to take so much pains replyed he for since I cannot oppose the Princess in any thing I am willing she should know what she desires However replyed Istrina craftily you must needs entertain Berisa whilst I obey the Princess for you know I must not speak alowd all that she desires to know Intaphernes would have sayd somthing to put it off but the Princess of Bythinia imposed silence upon him and since she commanded him to talk with Berisa he must needs obey Thus poor Berisa not knowing that she herself was the cause of that secret which Istrina told the Princess of Bithinia began to talk with Intaphernes and employed all her wits and cunning to make him tell her what the matter was which you may be sure he did not impart But whilst he was weary of Berisa the Princess of Bithinia was very pleasant with Istrina for she hath since told that she made such a pleasant relation of the Conference which that Prince and I had with her as she never in her life passed away an hour more merrily Istrina related it in such a manner as let the Princess understand the principall cause of Intaphernes his hatred of Berisa thinking it to be advantageous to the Prince her Brother that she should know his affection to her caused his aversion unto that woman yet it proved not so advantageous as she imagined for the Princess of Bythinia desiring to avoid all occasions of being alone with Intaphernes resolved to cherrish Berisa more then she used though she did not acquaint Istrina with it at that time Yet to begin her torments upon him by Berisa she talked so long with Istrina that at last she pittied him and did admit him into their discourse Well Madam sayd he unto her do you find that I had reason to speak as I did I find sayd she that you had reason and that you were in the wrong also I assure you Madam sayd Berisa to flatter Intaphernes I can hardly think that the Prince Intaphernes hath not reason for every thing he sayth or doth and if I do guess right he is not in so much wrong as you imagine Alas Berisa sayd the Princess and laughed if you did guess right you would condemn him more then I do for I say he was right in some things but doubtless you would say he were wrong in all yet replyed she his Crime doth not much trouble you since you laugh so heartily Do not think sayd Istrina then that though the Princess condemns my Brother he is very Criminall since she condemns him unjustly though she have no interest in the business Berisa was exceedingly puzled to gess at the business She called to memory all that passed of late in Court but since she did not look into herself for the cause of Istrinas mirth and for the secret which she had imparted unto the Princess of Bythinia she was not like to find it so that the more she mused the more merry she made them In the mean time Intaphernes wondered to observe that the Princess of
her but onely at the instance of Clorelisa who told her husband that Artaxander was in love with her At first Artaxander did extremely dislike this Proposition But Telamires Aunt telling him that the whole Family did conclude it to be so and that Telamire was of the same opinion he consented that his happinesse should be deferred onely for eight dayes As soon as hee came home he diligently enquired where Tysimenes was and understood that he was not above thirty furlongs from Themiscyra but that he went away from thence by break of day So that without more delay though it was almost night he took horse and went to the place where Tysimenes was whom he found alone in his Chamber condoling his misfortunes he was so intent upon his sorrows that Artaxander was within a pace of him before he either saw or heard him but when he turned himself lifting up his eyes to heaven as if he would accuse it of his misfortunes that when he saw Artaxander he was so surprized that he went a step or two backward to look better upon him and to see whether or no he was mistaken But Artaxander advancing faster then he recoyled he embraced him and sighed for company I come my Dear Tysimenes said he unto him to beg your pardon for being the cause of your exile I come to hinder you from banishing your self and to assure you that Telamire after she had read your Letter did give greater commendations unto your Generosity then unto my constancy and that if she do love me more then she doth you yet she esteems you more then she doth me If Telamire had really esteemed me replied Tysimenes much surprized she would never have denied me the favour which I asked to conceal my weaknesse from you but I perceive she has a mind to be revenged upon me for my boldnesse by making me lose a friend and by depriving me of so much Consolation as to think that you should never know my infidelity For truely Artaxander I fancied some sweetnesse in my misery in carrying it so that Telamire might know of my love and that you should never hear of it lest you should withdraw your friendship from me but since she is pleased to crosse this my desire I must resolve to be hated both by my Mistresse and my Rivall Ah Dear Tysimenes replied Artaxander if I hated you I should never have told you that Telamire does esteem you If you do not hate me replied Tysimenes it is because you know Telamire will never love me and though I am your Rivall yet you value it not because you know I cannot hurt you any more then if I were not But however it bee you have done more then you ought and I should not do what I ought if I do not speedily depart from a place in which I cannot stay without envie at your happinesse For if I should how is it possible I should preserve both my love to Telamire and my friendship to Artaxander for I professe I have striven as much to keep in one as the other And to conceal nothing from you know Artaxander that I find in my self such strange suggestions and tumultuous imaginations in my heart as I will not promise but I may become your enemy if I once see you the possessour of Telamire But since I am yet as I ought to be unto you I conjure you to be a little indulgent towards me and by prosecuting my intentions of never returning unto Themiscyra let me strive against the affection which I bear unto her who is going to make you happy for truely my Dear Artaxander if I may yet call you so A Rivall that is abâ—ent and not loved is not to be feared and by consenting unto this you will give me so much satisfaction as to love Telamire without any wrong unto you I will consent Sir unto much more then you ask replied Artaxander for I consent that you shall see her and love her And I know the vertue of Telamire so well that I am able to continue your friend though you should continue to love her No no replied Tysimenes I will not accept your offer because I dare not trust my selfe nor think I am able to see you compleatly happy but I must either die or cease being your friend And therefore to preserve my love unto Telamire and my friendship to you I must prosecute my designe and banish my self for ever I should never make an end if I should relate the whole businesse of these two friendly Rivals for they talked together a whole night But as they were striving to perswade each other one came in and told Tysimenes aloud that a man who would not impart his name desired to speak with Artaxander So as imagining that it might perhaps be one from Belermis he was commanded to be brought in and he no sooner entred but he was indeed known to be the friend of Belermis so as Artaxander imagining his businesse went towards him to give him the better opportunity of speaking out of the hearing of Tysimenes but Tysimenes following and the friend of Belermis who was one of those Bravadoes by profession who spent their whole lives in Quarrels Duels and Punctilioes of honour seeing that he could not speak unto Artaxander but in the hearing of Tysimenes resolved rather then fail in his friends satisfaction to engage him as well as Artaxander in the businesse And therefore without more ado he told Artaxander that he knew him to be a man so well able to chuse his friends as he would dare to tell him in the presence of Tysimenes that Belermis knowing that he was gone out of the Town came out also and waited for him within a hundred paces of this house in hopes to see him with a sword in his hand to dispute with with him for the possession of Telamire Adding that if Tysimenes would bee more then a bare spectatour of the Combat he woud fight with him You may well conceive that Artaxander was very ready to give all desired satisfaction unto Belermis and that Tysimenes who wished for death would not fear a danger But Artaxander was very much against Tysimenes his fighting yet when he heard him say that he would fight with Belermis if he would not let him follow his fortune out of a point of honour he consented and so they went to the place where Belermis was I will not insist upon any relation of their thoughts for they are easie to be imagined nor will I describe the Combat the successe whereof was very fatall for Tysimenes kill'd the friend of Belermis but it was after himself was mortally wounded Yet Tysimenes had so much strength after he had vanquished his Antagonist to go towards his friend who after he had wounded Belermis had the misfortune to break his sword so as Belermis making a Passe upon him was ready to kill him when Tysimenes as wounded as he was came neerer and cried
it were weakness in her to deprive her self of the pleasure of talking in secret only because perhaps she may be talked of and it 's enough if She do nothing against the Laws of vertue for if She do love very well the pleasure of free discourse with him She loves 't will be above the talk of spiteful tongues One that hears you talk would say replied Noromata that you do not value honour and that you do not understand the sorrows of such as are injuriously dishonoured yet I assure you there is nothing more hard to be endured then stander when it reflects upon ones honour as that which reflects upon ones wit or beauty I am one who of all the world am least concerned for truly should they say of me that I am simple or ugly it would not anger me at all but should they say of me that I was addicted to Gallantry and a Gossiper this would most sensibly grieve me nor could I endure to be the Subject of any injurious Rallary To live after your mode replied Agatherses were to live more unto others then themselves It seems replied Noromata and laughed that in all your actions you would strive only to please your self without any satisfaction unto others Since others care not for contenting me replied he I never trouble my mind with contenting others for setting the interest of her I love aside and the interest of my friends which is ever dearer unto me then my own neither those who are above me nor those who are below me shall never hinder me from doing what I have a desire to do provided it be but honest and it is the greatest folly in the world to do every thing according to the fancy of all our acquaintance for Courtiers and Citizens see things with different eyes old men and young the like melancholy and merry men are of several minds Such as we call Libertines and pious people have thoughts quite contrary women who are fair and such as are ill-favoured have often very various thoughts So that whosoever will content all sorts of people at once will certainly spend their time to very ill purpose For my particular replied Noromata I should spend it much to worse purpose if all these sorts of people you speak of should unite themselves to wound my reputation as doubtless they would should I give them cause for certainly there is a kind of malignity that raigns in the minds of all the world in general which makes them apt to interpret in an ill sense all things that may receive an exposition of that nature But Madam replied Adonacris what hurt doth any ill exposition of any of your actions do you when it is spoken out of your presence and never to your face Though I should have no other grief replied She but to think that people will say the worst they can of me and to think they will say of me as they do of others it were enough to blast all the pleasures I should take in the presence of that person I loved best in the world However said Agatherses Do we live for others and not our selves Yes sure for our selves in the first place if so Why are we not contented with the secret testimony of our own consciences and never torment our selves at any people who love us not nor esteem us nor whom we know not let them think or say what they will The reason why I will live as I do intend to do replied Noromata is because we are to live for our selves for it is the strangest thing in the world that one should loose their reputation without a cause and my humour is such that I would sooner pardon the misbehaviour of a person whose manners are really irregular then I would the misbehaviour of one who is vertuous and truly I cannot conceive why one should manage their reputations carelesly when they know they deserve well nor why one should not take a little pains to appear so since it is easie to be done and dangerous not to be done Though you should appear never so good replied Agatherses yet all appearances are no armour against slander For as you know by experience that Menopea with all her vertuous appearances yet is not so So I could say if I would that all your actions are but dissimulations and that I know some things which do give all your actions the lye When I have done all I can replied She I cannot chide my self if my reputation be scandalized nor shall I be exposed unto a thousand dangers as those are who think themselves above all that can be said or thought for those who despise the thoughts of others will in time come to despise the thoughts of themselves However I must tell you Madam replied Agatherses your life will be extreamly tedious to you if you should live alwayes in a constrained course The example of Menopea and Orique do clearly shew it unto you for though Menopea doth both love and is beloved and by consequence enjoyes all that is requisite to make the happiest person in the world and enjoyes all imaginable pleasures yet her close reservedness which she observes to hide her correspondency with her Lover doth daily bring a thousand inconveniences upon her for she dares neither look nor speak unto her Lover but with most intolerable pre-caution and as She lives I am confident that She has not one hour of a thousand which is absolutely agreeable unto her wish but on the contrary Menopea though not in love nor in any particular correspondency with any yet She lives the most pleasant life in the world only because what She does She does without constraint If you be more a Lover of your Liberty then your glory replied Noromata you then had good reason for what you say but for my part since I value my honor above my liberty I have good reason for what I say and to maintain that a woman who cares not for her reputation but is contented with the esteem of her self not valuing the esteem of others She does deeply expose her self to do things against vertue more then one who sets a prize upon her honour Truly Madam said Agatherses you would have our Ladies more reserved then some of our Goddesses for I would you not speak thus against the reverence which is due unto the Gods replied Noromata not giving him time to tell on and if it be possible leave off that ill custom of using the name of the Gods alwayes to justifie every trifle I had rather you would swear by Agatherses and by Eliorante said She and smiled then by Mars and by Hercules were I of the opinion which many of our young Court Gallants are who scarcely think they were ever men much less Gods For ought I see Madam replied Agatherses and smiled also you think me an absolute Libertine No replied She for if I did think you so I promise you that should not be any friend of mine
according as Thomiris should say after the ambiguons answer which he would make her to put himselfe into the power of that Queen Provided she would both spare the life of that Princess and release her So that his heart being at some rest after this resolution taken he found himselfe able to think upon what answer he should send unto Thomiris which might spin out the time to a length And after he had well thought upon it he resolved to send Chrisantes the third day to tell this unjust Princess that before he would put himselfe into her hands it was requisite he should know what security she would give him for the life of Mandana declaring unto her that there was no other then to set her at liberty and send her to the King of Meades But to have two strings unto his Bow he intended to advance with his whole Army the same day which Chrisantes departed and quarter himselfe at the very entrance into the wood to the end the answer of Thomiris might be more moderate But though this Resolution was the most reasonable which he could take yet he was not satisfied with it and he thought that there was a better course to be taken though he knew not what it was so as relapsing into his complaints he was in a very miserable condition Mazares for his part his sufferings were incredible and they were the more sharp because he durst not let them be seen least by shewing his sorrows he should shew his love Intaphernes and Atergatis were full of inquietudes for they conceived that if businesse were more intangled the Princess whom they loved would not be over-safe in the hands of Thomiris Gobrias and Hidaspes had the very same thoughts for Arpasia the first concerned as a father the second as a lover Myrsyles in his affection unto Doralisa had much sorrow for since he knew Mandana loved her his love made him fearful that the revenge of Thomiris would fall also upon her So that whether out of interest and concernment or out of compassion upon the myseries of Cyrus There were very few in the whole Army who were not sufferers and full of sorrows But the time when Cyrus was to returne his Answer being come Chrisantes and Feraulas being ready to depart the first unto the Massagettan Queen and the other secretly unto her brother It was told Cyrus that a man taken at the entrance into the wood desired to speak with him from Ariantes At this very word Cyrus trembled not only out of hatred to his Rivall but out of feares to heare some sad news from the Princess Mandana So as being extreamly impatient to know what his enemy had sent unto him for he commanded him to be brought in and as hee was in this fearefull impatience desiring to know what he feared This messenger from Ariantes came unto him and speaking in a low voice did with much exactness and reverence deliver his message Sir said he unto Cyrus The Prince Ariantes knowing your affection unto Mandana was afraid â—east you should do as the Massagettan Queen desires out of your feares to hazard Mandanas life Therefore in acknowledgement of his obligations to you and out of his desire to serve the Princess whom he adores he hath commanded me to tell you that you must be sure to keep your selfe out of the power of Thomiris and as long as you did so he would answer for the life of Mandana But on the contrary if you did not then perhaps he should not be able to save her but Sir Least my message should be suspected I beseech you keep me in your custody until the servant of yours called Ortalgues returnes from the Tents Royall and acquaints you with the state of things and what the Prince Arcantes hath done for the Princess Mandana Since he is to returne this night added he I shall not be long in custody but will assure you that when you see him you will not doubt of the sincere advice which the Prince Arcantes gives you though he be your Rivall and your enemy Since I may very well doubt the honesty of a Prince who once deceived me in carrying away the Princess Mandana replyed Cyrus I will take you at your word and since Ortalgues in to returne this night I will set you at liberty againe to morrow morning after this Cyrus committing this Massagettan into the custody of those who brought him in resolved to stay the sending of Chrisantes and Feraulas unto Thomiris that night there being yet time enough to returne the answer hee had promised Though this Message from Ariantes might well have been a comfort unto him yet his inquietude redoubled for besides his mistrust of a Rivalls Message he was in extream unpatience untill Ortalgues returned so that he could not rest in any place And certainly he had great reason to desire the knowledge of what he longed for because passages at the Tents Royall might very well alter since the departure of Anacharsis and the messenger from Thomiris And indeed that unjust Queen had no sooner commanded Anacharsis to depart without speaking unto any but Mandanas Guards were doubled Ariantes unto whom the life of that Princess was so deere had rather Cyrus should enjoy her then to see her dye and therefore he went immediatly and made sure of her Guards and went to work so handsomly and happily that unknown unto Thomiris he was more Master of Mandanas Guard then Thomiris was a Mistris That which did much facilitate the design of the Prince was because he who commanded those forces which were designed for Mandanas Guard had a brother who was Prisoner unto Cyrus So that being concerned in the preservation of this Princess life Ariantes made it appeare unto him that his brother was lost for ever if Thomiris put Mandana to death so that either out of a resentment of honour or compassion or interest of his Brother or friendship unto Ariantes or all he promised rather to dye then Thomiris should put Mandana to death Ariantes being well satisfied with this he went and plotted with all his friends and endeavouring to make sure of some of those Captains whch had escaped from the Battell he told them all that was possible to make them abhorre this dismall intention of Thomiris and justified Cyrus as much as ever he could concerning the death of Spargapices to the end that the design of his Sister might appeare the more unjust Furthermore Ortalgues who was concealed in a friends Tent all the time he was in the Tents Royal he saluted the friend of Anabaris and Adonacris to oppose Thomiris So as there was a great hurley burley in their Court. Moreover Ortalgues going to visit Gelonide he incited her to serve Mandana But yet she could not deliver those Letters which he had for that Princess only promised him to perswade Thomiris unto reason with all the Arguments she was able to produce Ortalgues in this great disorder could not deliver