would be brim-full with a raging pang which would struggle for birth but in striving to vent all it could vent nothing but only stop the passage of her speech till at length her breath would be delivered of a Groan which capring thorow the Bowes and Leaves would be re-bounded to her Ears by Eccho which Glycera hearing the better to pass away the mournful hours of the night began thus to entertain a Dialogue with her which because the Knight thought worthy the relation to Pandion as well as I can remember I shall relate to you Who is that said Glycera derides my misery I said Eccho Who is that I Is it Eccho â—Tis Eccho What dost thou mock at woe No. No sure thy own woes might make thee pity mine Pity mine Thy griefs indeed would extort pity from the â—â—intiest heart but oh What grief 's like mine Mine â—Tis true thine might extract the tribute of a bleeding-eye I. But sure my sorrows need pity too Need pity too Tell me then Eccho must these griefs still perâ—â—ver Ever Ever That 's a sad doom what must my miseries alwayes proceed Seed What no sooner â—ipe and blown but Seed again Gain Gain indeed to exchange a few joyes for a million of sorrows but yet O that Heaven would release me of my Bargain Bare gain Bare gain certainly to sell my Soul for sighs and Tears but oh when shall I find release Lease What not till my lifes Lease is out But when that 's done whither shall I then fly High What to the Elizium of eternal bliss Yes When once arrived there what shall my Soul enjoy Joy What joyes are those that inhabit the Heaven Empyreal Real Mean time will not Heaven hear my cry Cry That I have oft done but yet had no reply Ply What if I should Ply it still what Medicine will Heaven apply to my Disease Ease What if I shall forbear vocal or mental Prayer Erre Why will not Heaven hear the shrill moans of distreâ—t Innocence No sense Why are there any cryes more shrill Ill. Ill cryes aloud for vengeance but oh the sweet perfumes that ascend from the chast Innocent No sent What can such sweet exhalations yeeld no sent No sent Why is it that such a redolent Balm as Innocencye which ascends to Heaven as a perpetual Sacrifice should yeeld without Prayer no sent Without Prayer nocent When the nocent prayes what return doth Heaven make to his desire Ire What Answer will Heaven return if the Innocent pray Ray. A Ray of Love or Light or both Both. Which of the Powers sublime can affect a Mortal All. When a beam of Love shines from Heaven into a Mortal what part doth it comfort Fort. The Fort or Life where the soul chiefly retires which is that part Heart How long will such Divine consolations stay Ay. For ay will they abide Bide Oh Heavenly newes But Echo how com'st thou to be of Heavens Privy-Counsel Didst e're fly so nigh the Gods as to read the Records of Destiny Nigh Thou art mortal as well as I art thou not Not. Art thou not born below among the Trees and Dens and Caves re-sounding when we hollow Low But prethee Echo tell me what made thee pine for coy Naâ—cissus love Love And what became of thy sweet body O dy Where went thy soul when thou grieving saw'st thy Narcissus tears so many shed Vanished What inchanted Charms were in his beauteous Face to effect so strange a transformation Ah shone And could his shining-beauty thee so soon annihilate Late What didst thou do when thou sawest him Metamorphosed into a Flower Lowre And what when thou heardst his last groan Groan And what did the Woods do when he pin'd with the sight of his own beauty in the Spring Ring And what hast thou done ever since Heaven did transmute thy shape Ape Since then thou art nothing but a Mortals Ape how knowest thou Heavens Decrees so well Well How canst thou pry into their Designes who all earth-born Mortals in wisdom so surmount Mount And will the Gods above none from their Counsels exclude Lewd Art thou not lewd that for fond Narâ—issu's love dost moan incessantly Lye Sure such unchast affection is not holy Oly. But I have vowed to live for ever chast Haste And doth not such a vow oblige to chastity Tye tye Well since it tyes me so I 'll hence be gone Be gone And through Heavens assistance perform what I have vowed to do Do. Thus did poor Glâ—cera sâ—rive to divert the thoughts of her misery somtimes by discoursing with Echo somtimes be â—oaning to her self her own hard fortune somtimes praying to Heaven for relief somtimes wishing for Death and if she chanced to heaâ— a whisâ—râ—ng wind flutter among the Leaves her sorrow would perswade her fancy to conceit it to be some Messenger of Heaven or Death to bring her the tidings of a reprival or removal from her state of woe and if a whispering blast chanced to re-bound to her from the Leaves presently grief would represent to her fancy Deaths Arrowes singing her Elogies as they flew to her obvious heart Thus did she spend that night in wayling weeping sighing sobbing grieving groaning till Titan's fiery Steeds had chased away the lesser luminaries that had usurped his Throne but yet no Day-break of hope dawned upon her with beams of comfort but in that woful despairing condition did she run through invious Woods rocky Desarts and hollow Caves where night kept house with mournful solitariness and over hills and mountains inhabited only by the Clouds until at length she came into a pleasant Vale incircled with a murmuring River which seemed with silent mutterings to repine at her sorrows and over-spread with a gloomy shade by reason of hanging Rocks that defended it from the Suns invasion seemed as it were dâ—essed in funeral-attire to mourn for Glycera's sorrows Glycera observing this Vale to be a fit place where she might bid her Adieu to the world and all sublunary contentments resolved there to sit her down and dye For of four dayes and nights that she had wandred through those Desarts had she not received the least sustenance and therefore her fainting spirits too weak Chains to fasten her Soul to her Body were oft ready to let loose their Prisoner By this River she sat down and prayed to Heaven to let loose the bands of Life and not to retard slow-pac'd Death any longer but to consort her among the shades that wander in the Elizium Plains And further begg'd That when Death should crumble her body to Atomes and resolve it into individual Units that then her soul might be united to the great and only Eternal Individual and dwell among those beatified Souls that float like Atomes in the Sun-shine of his resplendent glory This having said she laid her down upon the Brink of the mournfully-grumbling River and closed her Eyes thinking never more to behold the loathed Light and hourly expected the sweet Gaol-delivery
in his opinion so that as our love encreased our love diminished Beauty is like the Sun whose Beams darting upon a fire extinguishes it so its rays piercing the soul enkindles the flames of love and with their heat expels all other fires For as the heat of his own affection to Arritesia daily did augment so it caused the flames of our former Friendship to languish At length unfortunately it happened that we both met at once at Pirotes his house As soon as ever we saw each other anger and jealousie made our blood so boil within us as our passions were ready to over-flow the banks of civility and make us commit an Act of the highest rudeness to quarrel in our Mistresses presence which I feaâ—ing and also to avoid a future quarrel parted from them But Plivio who all this while viewed how Arritesia had fixed her eyes upon me as also how affectionately she desired my stay not being able to contain himself followed me and as I was mounting my Horse made me this challenge Athaluâ— said he now thy base unworthyness and unfaithfulness to thy friend is apparent which hitherto thou hast masked with hypocritical pretensions to Friendship Falsely with oaths making me believe that which thy actions contradict therefore know such injurious affronts I cannot but resent neither canst thou make me any satisfaction but by meeting me in the Field which if thou hast either worth or valour in thee thou wilt not refuse So I told him that for the accusations wherewith he charged me they were as false as dishonourable and that I wore by my side wherewithall to give satisfaction to him since nothing else could And so accordingly we appointed the time place and weapon the placâ— was where you found me beseâ— Now which shewed the least Worth Valour and Fidelity I leave you to Judge By that time Athalus had finished his story night had covered the Hemisphere with her dusky Manâ—le and all things look of an Aethiopian hue when suâ—â—er being ended they all retired to their lodgings Periander having spent some time with Athalus his wounds being cured he resolved to depart whom Athalus after many fruitless endeavours for his stay accompanied some miles of his way Having travelled some distance from the Castle riding thorough a wood on the sudden they heard behind them a noyse of Horses trampling and men discoursing thâ—t newly rushed from under the Trees like men that had lâ—id in Ambush and looking behind them they saw a Troop of Horsemen armed with Lances and Spears whom they took to be Huntsmen as indeed they proved but they were the prey they sought after for they were as soon taken as overtaken and no sooner overtaken but disaâ—med and bound Athalus and Periander amazed at this unexpected accident demanded what they meant they answered that they came to revenge the bloud of their Friends whom they had murthered and that nothing should satisfy them but their lives which they had no sooner spoken but one of them pierced Athalus body with a Spear so that he fell down dead before them Periander seeing this wounded in his soul with heart-breaking grief craved of them the freedome to perform his last obsequies to his friend I crave not my life said he for that I scorn now he is dead whom I prefer above it I only beg this small request which humanity cannot deny After many intreaties they granted Periander perceiving his hands at liberty suddenly snatched a Sword out of the Villains Scabbard that stood next and therewithall presently procured a Lance and then fiercely charging amongst them killed two of them with one shock The rest amazed with this sudden accident thought there had been a mutiny and were ready to oppose themselves against their enemies but who they were they knew not until they were informed by Perianders blows who had no sooner made some understand who was their Antagonist but he put them past all understanding At length the survivers animated with fury revenge and shame unanimously assaulted him with such violence that he noâ— being able to stand before such a torrent of fury was re-taken Valour it self may be over-pressed with the weight of multitude Now they resolve to execute upon him the most savage cruelty their inhumane minds full of revenge could devise Some counselled one thing others another all agreeing that he should dye a horrid death but all disagreeing in the manner of it thus extremity of cruelty was for a while a stop to their cruelty But as these barbarous Senators were thus sat in consultation a Stag swiftly rushed through the Woods which put them all into such a fright that disburthening themselves of their Arms they all fled leaving their condemned Prisoner behind them and happy was he that was swiftest Thus guilt makes all things seem to menace danger and like a false Medium represents every thing as in an armed posture ready to bid defiance to the guilty Periander seeing himself thus miraculously released arms himself and mounted pursues his jaylers and those whom he could overtake he sent to the inâ—ernal prison to answer for this their horrid barbarity But long he could not stay to satisfie himself with the slaughter of his bloud thirsty enemies but he returned to pay his last debt to his friend and to see whether the wound was wholly mortal or not but when he found the cruel Spaer had thrust his Soul out of his Body how did he fall down and embrace him and kiss his pale cheeks how did he sigh as if with those sighs he could breathe new life into him and groan as if with those groans he could awake him out of his endless sleep At length he was so overcome with grief that he fell down senseless upon his more senseless friend But he continued not long ere his spirits returned to the performance of their natural function and he thus bewailed his condition Hard hearted fate said he that wouldst suffer such vile miscreants to dislodge so brave a Soul what a spark of Honour hath this stream of Bloud from his side extinguished thus doth Fortune make me a mark to shoot her invenom'd Arrows at as if the separation from Florinda was not enough to torment we with endless and unsupportable torture but I must be robbed of my dear friend Athalus Ah Athalus can I sigh forth thy Death and not my Soul expire with the cadence of that deadly word better had it been for thee to have died before couragiously fighting when thy enemies carkasses would have been monuments of thy valour than thus to be barbarously assasinated by inhumane Villains more savage than the Beasts that inhabit this wilderness Oh why did my Spirits return from that pleasing trance to make me thus sensible of my miseries Fortune I see will compel me to survive the Funerals of my own happiness Periander laments for Athalus page 26. etc Periander whose sobbing Breast was filled with sorrow for the death of Athalus little
thus matched by a Youth inraged and ashamed that he should be so long in conquering one over whom though his valour should render him victorious yet he should not merit the title of a Victor summon'd together all his active powers and with united force gave such a blow on Pandion that all the protection he could receive from his well-managed Sword was to moderate the violence of the stroak which yet nevertheless lighted on the side of his Head with such a force that it dispossessed his memory of its bruised habitation and drove him some few paces from the place where he stood which Clausus perceiving resolved not to neglect such an opportunity but pursued him with redoubled blows and reunited power But Pandion as if his veins had been filled with Spirits as fast as they were emptied of Bloud mustring all his strength skill and courage together being to give a gallant Farewell like the last blaze of a dying light ran with such a vehement courage upon Clausus that he not aware but rashly prosecuting victorious Fortune the Sword run thorough his Heart or rather he ran his Heart upon it conqueâ—ing himself just when he was triumphing on the conquest of his enemy which when the Knights of the Castle pâ—rceived not regarding the Laws of Arms â—lew in â—o defend their Captain or rather themselves knowing that on the thrid of his Life hung all their Privileges which â—ut in two must needs fall to the ground which consideration made them fall inconsiderately on Pandion which Periandâ—r seeing enraged with contempt of their Dastardly baseness to set upon a wounded man gasping for Life and more to think that such cowards should be allotted him to be the Subjects of his valour and most of all to think that his friend and he should receive their Deaths from the hands of such miscreants Being near over-pressed with the multitude he rushed upon them with such a torrent of violence as drowned whomsoever he encountred withall in a lake of their own bloud though surrounded with them he could not avoid receiving some blows yet they served but to encrease his rage to the extremity so that with a mad violence or furious madness all the powers of his Soul and the Strength Dexterity and Activity of his Body transfer'd to the one arm he dislived some and disarmed others his valour being crushed between the two extremes necessity of preserving his Friends and his own Life and the difficulty of accomplishing it made it so swell within his breast with the madness of a terrible fury that to the destruction and admiration of his enemies he went beyond himself in his atchievements killing where he hit and hitting where he pleased separating some not only their Souls from their Bodies but their upper parts from their nether others that were aiming where to lodge their blow with the greatest advantage he deprived of blow and sight and all Whilst Pandion not able to assist his friend was forced to refresh his fainting body by resting himself upon the ground But they were soon assisted by the Knights imprisoned within the Castle who knowing that their Jaylors were imprisoned by Death and seeing Pandion bestrid by Periander and he beset with their enemies they unanimously assaulted them all agreeing in the means of their preservation their enemies destruction though all disagreeing in the end some fighting to preserve their own honour disdaining to be enslaved by such unworthy Villains others for their Ladies some out of Love to the Commonwealth to quit it from such a nest of Pestilent Fellows others out of hatred to their enemies so that in fine there grew a desperate combat as it must needs the Combatants growing desperate the Clausian Knights resolving rather to lose their lives by whole-sale on the point of the Sword than retail them out by the hand of Justice which they knew would befall them should they surrender grew fearless through fear so that Courage in the Valiant grew desperate and despair made the Coward couragious that at length the conflict grew so cruel that the very ground was overflown with a deluge of bloud and the earth that was wont to bury mens bodies mens bodies now buried the earth so that it seemed like Mars's sowing time the seeds of cruelty being implanted in each Breast and watered with Bloud but like Deaths reaping time such an Harvest of Bodies there lay in heaps serving as Bridges to transport over Rivers of Bloud that streamed in the pavement Hard it was to determine which way the ballance of victory would poize Fortune for a while carrying her self a Neuter till at length Periander being a too partial Umpire by the mediation of his valour decided the controversy sending such throngs of Souls of the Clausian Knights that were loth to answer for their unanswerable crimes before Melampus his Tribunal to receive their eternal doom that the small remainder yielded craving mercy which they found Then Periander receiving the Keys of the Gate gave the Captives that were the Keepers to the Keepers that were the Captives till Pandion whose right it was to command should otherwise order who appointed Sentinels on the wall and a watch for that night intending the next morning to march in triumph to King Melampus's Court. But no sooner had each man took his Station but their Ears were arrested with the crys of a Female voice which as well as they could understand demanded entrance the Gates being opened they all straight knew her to be Roxana their Kings Daughter who seeing the event of the Combat came with speed to the Castle to perform her last obsequies to Theon and to return thanks to Pandion and Periander for their hazardous adventure And being admitted into the Castle she was received with all respect and joy by all the Knights and Ladies there but especially by Pandion who blest her ears with the happy tidings that Theon was yet alive pointing where his Chamber was who would have said more but the transporting joy not only divorced all sorrow from her Heart but her Body from the place so that both his words and thoughts were prevented with her sudden â—light calling as she went Theon Theon her Tongue not being able any more to express her unexpressible passion but as soon as the eyes of Theon nay his Heart nay his Soul was ravished with the sight of Roxana as if her beauty had been some divine quintessential extract or some ray of that celestial fire that inspired life into Prometheus Image he felt a vigour infused into all his fainting limbs and the Darts of Beauty to triumph over the Darts of Death and her words to blow up the dying sparks of Life into a flame so that assembling all his powers together he cast himself into her Arms his Legs being unfaithful and feeble supporters of his Body But alas as their arms were linked each in other and their very Souls intwin'd by a sweet sympathy Theons Spirits that like the dying
Jewel which if I â—hought she would vouchsafe to honour with acceptance I 'de present her as a testimony of pure affection yet Amphigenia shall never make me unman my self and degenerate from my masculine aequanimity into a leaden feminine spirit whose embased flexibleness will bend and yield to every cross mischance that thwarts their desires And what though I love Amphigenia must I therefore do that that will make me hate my self No henceforth I am resolved to abandon all abject discontent and grief and leave whining despair to those dejected souls who conscious of their own small worth become Loves footballs and suffer themselves to be kicked and spurned by tyrannizing Beauty And though the imperious Mistress of my captived heart doth yet retain her austere reservedness yet she is a woman and if a woman light and unconstant as the fleeting Air or floating wave and therefore as the Air is now stormy and anon serene the wave now rough and anon calm so who knows how soon she may calm and smooth her stormy brow and be of a milder aspect it is but waiting till her gamesome vein surprize her and expell her rigid thoughts and then she will be as toyish as now she is coy But stay who is it that my thoughts thus malapeâ—tly presume to accuse of levity coyness retyredness and what not is it not Amphigenia Amphigenia the model of heaven the Paragon of Beauty the glory of Nature the worlds ornament the pride of Thessalia and the Mistress of my heart Amphigenia whose peerless perfections so far transcend the Criticism of Owl-ey'd judgement as that their dazling lustre renders them even unapprehensible much more incomprehensible and most of all uncontrovertible Can my dim-sighted soul then think to discern a spot in that resplendent Beauty whose refulgent rays though seen but by reflection in my thoughts obscure its purblind sight with a dusky mist what if she be coy and inexorable to the Petitions of her poor Love-sick suppliants it may be she is an Angel clad in flesh and if so her purity debats all thoughts of humane conjunction but if not she is a woman clothed with Angelical Beauty and that thought subverts all hopes of fruition Her body though framed by Nature of a marvellous Architecture yet is but a temporary Cell where her immaculate Soul for the freer and more uninterrupted commerce with heaven separated from all converse may reside exchanging sacred and sublime meditations the most pure offerings and sweet exhalations of a Chast uncontaminated mind for divine enthusiasms and inspirations Shall I then to purchase this transitory Cell sell my joys my life my rest my heart and all no my immaterial Soul will not admit of commixture with the most refined earth and therefore it is not her corporal part alone though moulded into an Angelical form that doth rapt my heart with a transporting affection but her Soul her vertuous Soul whose beams shining through her eyes as through a Crystal medium reflect round her face and exhale my affections but alas that 's too much wedded to Virginity and taken up with the ravishing delicacies of Chastity ever to be adulterated and ravished with passion so as to parturiate amorous desires the off-springs of love-enthralled souls Despair then henceforth shall be the sable hearse of my disturbing thoughts I 'le now compose my interior disordered by the jarrings of rebellious passions and make my irrational part resign and surrender up all her faculties to the governance and direction of my intellectuals And if my discourteous Stars have not destined me to that happiness to be linked in matrimonial union with such a superexcellent Beauty and to have our hearts dissolved into one with the ardent flames of pure affection I must frame a content and make my Soul acquiesce in heavens determination But if the kind fates have decreed the contrary I shall with unwearied patience await till the happy hour of Amphigenia's miraculous conversion Elixar-like shall turn all my tormenting thoughts and corroding anxieties into true bliss and contentation Thus did Danpion sacrifize the night to the vigils of a restless mind till about the dawning of the day when night grown gray with age began to flye with his train of Stars before Titansâ— flaming horses which were now climing up the gilded Horizon when leaping out of his bed he went down into the shady walks to solace himself in that Paradise of delights but he had not walked many paces ere his ear was arrested with a voice which according it self to a Lutes mollitious Aires was so harmoniously rapturous as none but would have thought it to have been some Seraphim who blest with a treble portion of Celestial joys in an extasie warbled forth his own happiness so far did it surpass the Pythagorean accents These heart-rapting strains could not but extort attention from Danpions ravished ear so that stealing neerer the more to satiate his avaritious ears with that vocal melody which was but parsimoniously conveyed unto him at that distance as if the niggardly Grove had treasured up those Soul-inchanting notes to inrich its winged inhabitants he heard this Song The Antiphone Chorus Sweet day so calm so cool so bright Thou hast expell'd the dusky night And Sol begins to mount on high And marry Tellus to the skie Each thing attir'd in 's best array Its purest sweets now doth display As if this was its bridal day Why should not we then court and toy And lovers purest bliss enjoy Treble In pearly drops the morning weeps And in this dew her sorrow steeps To see her self excell'd so far Base She blushes in thy Cheek to see So sweet a Crimson dy to be With which her tincture can't compare Chorus Thus we consume the Crystal day And hours and minutes fly away Whilst here we sit and court and toy And Lovers rapting bliss enjoy Chorus The Turtles chast with billings sweet Unite their souls whilst bills do meet The Rose unfolds its spicy sweets With them the purple morning greets And marrys her perfumes to th' Air The earth and skie now clad most rare Pride it like a new married pair Why should not we then Court and toy And Lovers purest bliss enjoy Treble The Rosie morn these drops doth shed As tears that Sol her spicy bed So soon will leave and from her go Base Oh no they fall to kiss the Roses Which thy pure Snowy Cheeks incloses And in that bed of Lilies grow Chorus Thus we consume the Crystal day And hours and minutes fly away Whilst here we sit and court and toy And Lovers rapting bliss enjoy Chorus The winged Angels of the Groves In shady boughs do chant their loves The early Larks to sing agree This sweet days Epit halamie Eccho transform'd by heavenly powers To ' a voice that haunts the Groves and Bowers Doth seek t' espouse her strains to ours Why should not we then court and toy And Lovers purest bliss enjoy Treble Look how the wanton
that runs through the whole machine of the universe seldom connives at the wrongs of distrest Vertue The bloody wretch had no sooner sent his Ponyard as a messenger of death to her but heaven stabbed his soul with horrors that in a frenzy he leaps from a Rock and dashes his body into as many pieces as his soul was torn with Fuâ—ies So apt a death did heaven prepare for one whose rocky heart had broke the neck of a Ladies chastity Polienus who as I said had been divinely informed of this Ladies misery awakens out of his dream and seemes to have a bloody mist before his eyes that represents all things to his surprized fancy horrid and tragical so that in amazement he arises slips on his morning Gown takes his sword in his hand and hasts he knows not whither to assist he knows not what But the heavenly powers who make use of earthly instruments to execute their reasonable decrees whilst men only act their own unreasonable passions and range humane disorders into a divine kind of order so ordered his disorderly steps as that in a short moment he came to a place where he heard a mournful groan which ushered in these words Heavens separate my spotless soul from this defiled body and as my life doth so oh let the extravagant follies of my youth pass out together Oh! Receive me where vertue shall ever be defended from all Villous invasions Polienus hearing this runs in a deep amazement some paces farther till he finds this poor Lady in a condition to have confirmed an Atheist but conâ—uted a Stoick by converting him into a weeping Heraclitus For she lay imbalmed in her own blood her hands entangled in her hair and in her shoulder there stuck a Ponyard that made a passage for such streams of bloud as deluged those beauties that inhabited her skin Polienus seeing this woful spectacle stood as if a profound sense of her misery had struck him into an insensibility At length recovering himself he runs to her snatches out the Steel that lay bathed in a fountain of blood and stops up the wound and feels her pulse to see if life had yet forsaken its fortress the heart where it last retires and perceiving the living bloud to move in her veins and sent as an Envoy from the heart to acquaint him that though life was streightly besieged in its Cittadel with squadrons of pangs yet it had not quite surrendered to the government of death he repairs the bloody breach as well as he could and runs home and fetched men from his Castle that conveyed her thither with all speed upon a downy Couch where her sent for Chirurgions with speed to her who with their extraordinary care and skill in a few days restored her to her primitive health and beauty When Polienus saw that she was recovered and no pretence of weakness could hinder his enquiry what should be the cause of her misery he using something more freedom of discourse than ordinary requested her to acquaint him whether some direful chance arm'd with merciless and inevitable fate or some accursed hand had endeavoured to put that untimely date to her life and happiness Glycera considering what great engagements he had laid upon her and that she might be justly thought ungrateful if she should deny so poor a request and therefore related to him the whole story of her misfortunes how she fled from the Nunnery in Thessalia to avoid the tedious Love of Pandion and how snatcht up by a Pirate who at Sea endeavoured to ravish her and then how in his rage being disappointed of his desires he threw her over-board but then how she was most miraculously preserved by a Dolphin that faithful friend to mankind in adversities upon whom she had rid up and down for the space of several hours without any hope of succour how she was relieved by a Fisherman and by him brought to Cyprus but when he had conveyed her hither how in all particulars he misused her not permitting her to go ashore and then to make amends for all his abuses how at last he sold her to a deformed Swain that carried her to his cottage and how the next day as she was going to be joyned with him by Hymens bands in Venus Temple a Knight came and rescued her from him but then what a tumult there was raised with the rusticks roaring and how that occasioned a combate between the Knight and others that thought to have forc't her from him as he had from Lacon how at length he was forc't to resign her up to them by that means to save himself but then how when they had obtained their prize they could not agree among themselves but fell upon one another with as much fury as before they did upon the Knight and how she perceiving an opportunity for escape fled into that Forest where she had wandered succourless and hopeless of succour for several days and nights But when she came to relate the dismall story of her dishonor poor Lady the tears fell from a cloud of sorrows that over-spread the heaven of her beauty just as if that transparent cloud that encircles heavens hollow arches had been condensed into â— Crystal shower and her faltring tongue left it to her countenance in sorrowful and yet bashful signs to declare her misery and there you might have plainly seen the pourtraicture of her bleeding honor adumbrated to the life in her blushing Cheeks Polienus observing her passionate grief grew more inquisitive about the cause so that with vehement importuning he scrued thus much from her in a broken manner that a villain would have forced her and would have killed her As soon as Polienus heard this he felt his heart even divided between the two passions of pity and revenge at length pity augmenting revenge gave that the soveraignty over his will so that in a fury he kneels down and implores heaven that the vengeance due to such an accursed act might light on him if he permitted that to the unrevenged and with that Glycera having given him a Character of him as well as she could he takes his sword and mounts his Steed and so rides out into the Forest in pursute of this wretch but ere he had gone a quarter of a mile he found him dead upon the ground having broke his neck with the fall from the Rock When Polienus saw this he was glad that heavens vengeance had found him out but sorry that any one had been the executioner besides himself but however he goes home to his Castle and commands his men to fetch the body and give it to his dogs Justice thus being done upon him Glycera began a little to allay the pangs of sorrow that daily had wont to stir up some great commotions in her brest and to entertain some small familiarity with miâ—th which had so long been exiled from her so that in a short time she was restored to her health and priâ—â—ine beauty
of my Cave and with all speed came running to me I was no less astonished at the beauty of the youth than amazed to see him in such an unfrequented place for during thirty years that I spent in this solitary place I never beheld the face of any here before him whom after my mean manner I have entertained for some years not being able to direct him to the Foresters habitation This story told with so much gravity and deliberation so moved Periander to compassion as that he resolved to accompany young Pandion into Thessalia and there by all means endeavor his restauration which however if he could not effect yet he would render himself renowned for his high Attempt and therefore blessed his Fortune which though hitherto had been adverse to him yet now had presented him with such an happy occasion and so fit a place for a Theatre whereon to Act the Heroick Exploits which were already transacted within his thoughts Neither was Athalus less desirous of acting a part in that honorable enterprise so much of his spirits had not steamed forth from those streams of bloud as to enfeeble both his body and mind but still he was as propense to embrace any action that required valour for its performance as ever but the weakness of his body would not permit him to undertake any thing proportionable to the greatness of his mind For though the care and diligence of the Hermit had brought him from a despair of life yet not out of danger of death should he be too negligent of himself so that with a seeming unwilling willingness he yielded to Perianders and the Hermits perswasions rather to return to his Castle and when necessity should require assist them with Forces from thence And though it was the wound uncured in his body that was the pretence it was chiefly the wound incurable in his heart that made him withdraw which nothing could heal but a Sympathetick Plaister applyed to the Dart that gave the wound and that was Matilda's Beauty and therefore to her must he return if he will ever find ease which accordingly he determined to do Having made these conclusions among themselves they walked abroad to refresh themselves and Athalus who for several days had not tasted the fresh Air the Hermit entertaining them with discourses one while of the vanity of Sublunary delights how that their greatest perfection is but imperfection and in their best injoyment attended with annoy and how â—â—itting transitory and fading and how unreasonable for a reasonable Soul of such a depurate immaterial and supercelestial Nature and therefore a fit soil for the most sublime thoughts and enravishing affections to spring up in to delight it self in such course embracements Then he would be lavish in the praises of a contemplative life the happiness and sweet repose of solitude how that freed from the worlds tumultuary distractions and Corroding cares the Soul doth mount aloft upon the Wings of Contemplation above the Star-glistring Heavens and satiate her self with Angelical delights that reside in a higher Sphere than Nature and thence descending taste what excellency Heaven and Earth will present which as a solemne repast after such transporting and rapturous delights fills and dilates the Soul with excess of joy and contentation Can any humane Artifice said he please and delight the eye as it doth the intellectual eye of the Soul to see with what unwearied swiftness the rowling Heavens whirl the sparkling Globes of light and with such violence as if it meant to sling them out of the Universe had not Nature there unmoveably riveted them to see how the envious Moon as it were repining at her brothers glories strives maliciously to obscure and hide them from the view of the admiring world by interposing her opake body between it and the Suns refulgent Beams and then how the Earth to requiâ—e that maligne interposition wrappeth her in a misty shade and makes darkness triumph over her and plunder her of all her resplendent lightsomness and render her invisible that gives visibility in the mids of darkness to all sublunary beings To read the events of all things written in Golden Characters by the hand of the All-seeing Deity To see how the revolutions and alterations of persons and actions depend upon their circumvolutions what earthly Palace can compare with that where the worlds great Monarch keeps his Court invironed with an Aethereal Wall whose ten arched stories borders upon the Empyreal Palace moated with a Crystalline Ocean guarded with hoasts of twinkling partizans whose gilded shields and glistering Spears reflect back the Suns radiant glances to see the flaming Courtiers clad in golden Treasses dance to the Musick of the Spheres roving and traversing the transparent floor with such confused order as if they measured each pace by the sweet Charmes of the Musicks modulations whose harmonious accents consist of disagreeing concords so they are most constant and regular when most irregularly inconstant Neither are there wanting Tiltings and Turnaments and feats of Chivalry for how often doth the Sun himself mounted in his glory-beaming Chariot sâ—od with burning bosses run the Celestial Ring with all his flaming attendants pursuing after in their full career through Heavens arched Galleries The Air is his Kitchin where his Cates are prepared the Clouds the steam that ascends from his boyling Caldron Thus they went the Hermit beguiling the time with his grave discourses till they came to the top of the Hill which proudly elevating it self above the humble valleys and levelling plains blest their Eyes with the most delightsom prospects the Country could afford there might you have seen Art and Nature joyn in Consort and strive to present a most beautiful Harmony to the eyes There were the natural Theatres of lofty Hills where the most refined gusts of air would dance to the warbles of the winged Choristers chirping under the green Canopies of shady Groves Vales treasuring up silver Rivers which gently gliding would steal away beholders senses by which the Shepherds would sit feeding their Flocks whilst the wanton Lambs would dance to the Musick of their Oaten Pipes Not far distant stood a pleasant Town on the side of a Hill compassed with green Meadows water'd with the â—ilver streams of little bubling Rivers that strayed to and fro in wanton Meanders the streets so intermixed with shady Trees seemed as if the Woods had left their melancholy retiredness and grown sociable meant to inhabit the Town or as if the Town had left its chearful sociablenesse and grown to a kind of civil wildness meant to inhabit the Woods or rather as a marriage between both Hither did Periâ—nder Pandion and Athalus repair to furnish themselves and Pandion especially with Armour and all acouttements fit for their intended undertakings having first taken leave of the good old Hermit and returned millions of thanks for his charitable kindness telling him that they counted their present unhappiness chiefly to consist in this that thereby
blaze of a Taper before gave such a sudden flash choaked with the smoke of that affection that gave them life suddenly fled from their battred dwelâ—ing Roxana amazed to see this sad unexpected adventure remained like one suddenly thrown from a high precipice who hath his breath stopt ere he know whence he fell or whither he is falling so was she rackt between the extrems of joy and grief all the powers of her Soul being overwhelmed with a sudden confusion Two extrems over-flowing Tides of contrary passions meeting together in one Breast must needs sink it in a Whirl-pool of amazement But she was recovered from that living trance by the recovery of Theon who did but by the shortness as it were counterfeit a Death that he might be buried in that Lilly vale beset with swelling Mounts of driven Snow What wanton reaks said Rozana doth Fortune play bandying me from one extreme to another no wonder that Vertue and Fortune rarely meet in one since that moves always in a mediocrity and this drunk with madness reels to extremes But her Farther speech was interrupted by the coming of Periander followed by a Gentleman that came from her Father who having first performed his duty to her and acquainted her of her Parents health told her how that the same of the Castles winning and of her being found had been blazed in her Fathers eâ—rs who knowing that the Eccho's that reâ—ound in her Temple are usually reduplicated and that her Translations and Comments seldome agree with the Original truth therefore had sent him to make a more strict inquisition that he might have certain intelligence intending if it was truth to send some of his chief Nobleâ— to honour that Hero that was their deliverer not only according to but beyond his ingagement And that he sent some of his principal Doctors and Chirurgeons to cure the wounded She returned him many thanks for his pains and for his acceptable news and requested him to send for a Chirurgeon to Theon whose wounds like gaping mouths seemed to beg for help But the Chirurgeon being called by means of a soveraign Balm that he had then with him he presently stopt those bloudy leaks and in a short time restored him to a great measure of health aâ—d no less did the other Chirurgeons effect upon Pandion and the rest of the wounded so that after the burials of the dead Pandion attending upon Roxana and attended with all the Ladies and most of the Knights excepting some few that he left in the Castle to keep it in the Kings behalf marched towards Melampus's Court but they were met by a glistring train of Nobles Knights and Gentlemen some coming in obedience to the Kings Commands others to meet their delivered Ladies and all to bring Roxana and Pandion to the Court with great solemnity having performed their dutiful salutation to the first they in the Kings name returned many thanks to the latter for his great service to the Kingdom acquainting him with what high acceptance his heroick Act was received by the King and bestowing large Encomiums on his valour who yet willing that Periander that was so great a partner in the victory might also share in the honour endeavoured to transfer the chief praise of the Action upon him extenuating his own part but extolling his to whom also they performed many Ceremonies All which being past they proceeded in their joyrny beguiling the time with delightful pleasancy till the end of their journy put an end to their discourse where they were brought to the Palace of the King being conducted into spacious Courts adorned with such beauty riches and pompous magnificence as transported Pandion who never beheld such State with an excess of astonishment that he thought Heaven and Earth could not have afforded so much glory Such was the glistring habit of the Nobles as seemed to contend with the golden Pillars which should reflect the Suns rays with the greatest lustre or rather with the Sun himself for brightness such the rich Attire resplendent Ornaments and admirable Beauty of the Ladies their Ornaments adorning their Beauty and their Beauty beautifying their Ornaments and both adding such particular graces to the solemnity that held the Eyes and Heart of Pandion and Periander dazled between contentment and admiration Being convened into the Kings presence he arose from his throne and after he had embraced his Daughter with joy and affection turned to Pandion and saluted him with as great Condescention as Majesty would permit telling him that he esteemed himself beholding to Fortune not so much for sending one who by his valour had rid his State from such a brood of Villains as honouring his Court by that occasion with the presence of a Person of so great worth as he approved himself to be and requested him to acquaint him with his name and what he was that he might know on whom as well as for what he should confer his intended Honour Pandion who had resolved to conceal his name knowing that to reveal it would be utterly destructive to his design and therefore agreed with Periander to go under the name of Danpion which is the same with his own the Letters being transposed in a different order made this reply Melampus the King with Danpion and Perianderâ— page 68. Much time they spent in pleasant discourse and viewing these delights and many more than my pen can describe till at length the Sun began to display his golden locks to the inhabitants of the other Hemisphere and the scarlet evening to fly over Heavens arched Roofs when Supper being prepared the King commanded to have it served into the Banquetting house where they sat down more curious to satisfy the appetiâ—e of their eyes than desirous to feed upon the various Cates that there were marshalled in stately order The Ladies darting amorous looks upon the two strange Knights no less admiring them for their beauty and comely deportment than for their valour and Pandion especially who though he had not such a Majestick manly and severe look as Periander yet of a more pleasant countenance and attractive grace his starry eyes shining with a radiant splendor like two Quivers filled with Darts of Love reâ—lected back their wanton glances with no less delight and admiration and rowled to and fro in that Garden of Beauties as if he Zeuxis like pickt out here and there a heavenly feature to compose a Posie and mixture of all excellencies and perfections But all this joy and contentmenr did but beget sorrow and discontent in Periander by bringing to mind despairing thoughts of Florinda from whom one smile were better to him than all those eye-pleasing delights one accent from her lips than all the ravishing warblings of those Angelical voyces that there sang to Lutes and Viols and other charming Instruments so that his dejected eyes seldome afforded any there a look as though they scorned to look on any since Fortune forbad them to look on her whom