others mishaps to beware for shee that loueth in hast oft times nay alwaies repenteth at leysure The Hippians anointing themselues with the fat of the Fish Mugra passe through most furious flames without any perrill The people called Psilli as long as the sacrifice vnto Vesta can be hurt with no venimous Serpents Telephus as he wore the counterfeit of Pallas shielde was inuulnerable and thou as long as thy minde is fraughte with the chaste thoughts of Diana canst neuer be fired with the haples flame of Venus arme thy selfe with reason and thou mayst passe through Cytheria without daunger let thy will and wit be directed with aduised counsaile and thou maist say Cupid I defie thée Ah Myrania things are soone promised but not so casilie performed it is easie to sound the victory but passing hard to obtaine the conquest all can say I would ouercome but few or none returne with triumph Beauty is therfore to be obeied because it is beautie and loue to be feared of men because honored of the Gods Dare reason abide the brunte when beautie bids the battell can wisedome win the fielde when loue is Captaine No no loue is without law and therefore aboue all lawe honored in heauen feared in earth and a very terror to the infernall Ghostes Bow then vnto that Myrania wherunto lawlesse necessitie doth bend be not so fond as with Xerxes to bind the Ocian Sea in fetters fight not with the Rascians against the winde seeke not with them of Scyrus to shoote against the stars contende not with Niobe against Latona nor striue not with Sapho against Venus for loue being a Lord lookes to commaund by power and to be obeyed by force Trueth Myrania but what then to loue is easie and perhaps good but to like well is hard a doubtfull chance fancie thy fil fond foole so thou bend not thy affection to thy fathers foe for to loue him who séekes his life is to war against nature and Fortune Is there none woorthy to be thy pheere but Arbasto the cursed enemie to thy Countrey can none win thy good will but the bloodie wretch who séeketh to bréed thy fathers bane can the Eagle the bird Osiphage builde in one trée will the faulcon and the doue couet to sit on one pearch will the Ape the Beare be tied in one tedder will the foxe and the lambe lie in one den no they want reason and yet nature suffers them not to liue against nature wilt thou then be so wilfull or witles as hauing reason to guide nature yet to be more vnnaturall then vnreasonable creatures be sure if thou fal in this thou striuest against the gods and in striuing with them looke for a most sharpe reuenge Tush I know this but hath not loue set down his sentence and shal I appeale froÌ„ his censure shall I deny that which the destenies haue decréed no for though Cydippa rebelled for a time yet she was forst at last to make sute to Venus for a pardon I may séek to hate Arbasto but neuer find where to begin to mislike him And with that such fiery passions oppressed her as shee was faine to sende foorth scalding sighes somewhat to ease her inflamed fancie which being sorowfullie sobbed forth she had begun a fresh to poure forth her pittiful complaints if her sister Doralicia beeing accompanied with other Gentlewomen had not driuen her out of these dumps whom shee no sooner spied but leauing her passions she waxed plesant couering care with conceits and a mourning hart with a merry couÌ„tenance least her sorowful lookes might giue the company occasion to coniecture somwhat was amisse But I alas which felt the furious flames of fancie to broile incessantly within my brest could not so cunningly dissemble my passions but al my Péeres saw I was perplexed for wheras before this sudden chaunce Pelorus mis-fortune procured my mirth now the foile which I reaped by affection draue me to a déeper misery In the day to the increasing of my care I spent the time in sollitarie dumpes in the night affected thoughts and visions suffered mee scarce to slumber for alas there is no greater enemy to the mind than in loue to liue without hope which doubt was the sum of my endles sorrow that in séeing my selfe fettered I could sée no hope at all of my fréedom yet to mittigate my misery I thought to walke from the Campe towarde the Cittie that I might at the least féede my eye with the sight of the place wherein the Mistresse of my hart was harboured taking with me onelie for companie a Duke of my Countrey called Egerio vnto whom I durst best commit my secrete affaires who noting my vnaccustomed passions coniecturing the cause of my care by the outward effects coueting carefully to apply a salue to my sore and to driue me from such drowsie thoughts wakened me from my dumps with this pleasant deuise Sir quoth he I haue often meruailed yet cannot cease to muse at the madnes of those men whom the common people thinke to honour with the glorious title of louers who wheÌ„ rashly they purchase their own mishap in placing their affection where either their disabilitie or the destinies denie successe to their suites doe either passe their daies in endles dolor or preueÌ„t misery by vntimely death If these passionate patients listned a litle to Venus allurments as I to Cupids flatteries few men shold haue cause to call the Gods vniust or women cruell for I think of loue as Mylciades the Athenian did who was wont to say that of all the plagues wherwith the Gods did afflict mortal men loue was the greatest in that they sought that as an heauenly blisse which at last they found their fatall bane Hearing Egerio thus cunningly and couertly to touch me at the quick thought to dally with him in this wise Why Egerio ê™ I dost thou count it a madnes to looue or dost thou thinke him rashe which yéeldeth vnto affection knowest thou not that loue is diuine and therefore commandeth by power and that hee enioyneth by destiny and cannot be resisted I am not of that mind with Mylciades that loue is a plague but rather I thinke hee is fauoured of the gods that is a happy louer Truth ê™ he but who is happie in loue he that hath the happiest successe no for I count him most vnhappy which in loue is most happy Why then Egerio ê™ I thou thinkest him vnhappy in that he loueth Or els may it please your highnes quoth hee I shoulde think amisse for shall I count him fortunate which for one dram of prosperity reapeth a whole pound of misery or shal I estéeme that louer happy whose greatest gaine is but golden griefe nay that is neuer to be called pleasure which is sauced with paine nor that good luck whose guerdon is losse Sith Egerio ê™ I thou doost thus broadly blaspheme against Cupid tell me why thou thinkest ill of loue Because sir quoth
preseruatiue I founde it a poyson and to bee solitarie I found it the sinck of all sorrow for then strange thoughts vnacquainted passions pinching fancies waking visions and slumbering watchings disquieted my head Me thought I sawe the counterfaite of Doralicia before mine eyes then the harmonie of her spéech sounded in mine eares her lookes her gestures yea all her actions were particularly deciphered by a secret imagination Wrapped thus in a laborinth of endlesse fancies when reason coulde not suppresse will nor wisedome controule affection but that wit though inueagled yet disdained the vse of a guide I then cast my cardes and found by manifest proofe that the lunatike fit which so distempered my braines was that franticke passion which fooles and Poets call loue which knowne blaming my selfe of cowardise that beautie should make me bend I fel at last into these termes Why Arbasto quoth I art thou so squemish that thou canst not see Wine but thou must surfet canst thou not drawe nie the fire and warme thee but thou must with Satyrus kisse it and burne thee art thou so little master of thy affections that if thou gaze on a picture thou must with Pigmalion be passionate canst thou not passe thorough Paphos but thou must offer incense to Venus doost thou thinke it iniurie to Cupid to looke if thou doost not looue Ah fonde foole knowe this fire is to bée vsed but not to be handled the Baaran floure is to be worne in the hand not chawed in the mouth the precious stone Echites is to bee applied outwardly and not to be taken inwardly and beautie is made to féede the eye not to fetter the hart wilt thou then swallow vp the baite which thou knowest to be bane wilt thou hazarde at that which can not bee had without harme no stretch not too far wade not too deepe vse beautie but serue it not shake the tree but taste not of the fruite least thou find it too hard to be disgested Why but beautie is a God and will be obeyed loue looketh to commaunde not to be conquered Iuno stroue but once with Venus and she was vanquished Iupiter resisted Cupid but he went by the worst it is harde for thee with the Crabbe to swimme against the streame or with the Salamander to striue against the fire for in wrastling with a fresh wound thou shalt but make the sore more daungerous Can beautie fonde foole bee resisted which makes the Gods to bow Loue himselfe yeelded to the feature of Psyche and thinkest thou thy fancie of greater force yea but what fondnesse is that Arbasto to soothe thy selfe in thy folly Thou didst come a Captaine and wilt thou returne a captiue thy intent was to conquer not to be vanquished to fight with the Launce not to be foilde with loue to vse thy speare not thy pen to challenge Mars not to dallie with Venus Howe doost thou thinke to subdue Fraunce which canst not rule thine owne affections Art thou able to quaile a kingdome which canst not quell thine owne mind no it will be hard for thée to goe in triumph which art not so much as Lord of thy selfe But Arbasto if thou wilt needes loue vse it as a toye to passe away the time which thou maist take vppe at thy lust and lay downe at thine own pleasure Loue why Arbasto dost thou dreame whom shouldest thou loue Doralicia what thy foe one that wisheth thy mishap and partly prayeth to the Gods for thy mis-fortune no sure thou art not so fond And with that as I vttered these words such thoughts such sighes such sobs such teares assailed mee as I was striken dumbe with the extremitie of these hellish passions scarce being able to draw my breath for a good space til at last recouering my sences I fel to my former sorrow in this sort Yes alas Arbasto it is the lucklesse loue of Doralicia and therefore the more lucklesse because thou loouest Doralicia that hath thus inchaunted thy affections Shée is not thy friend whom thou maist hope to get but thy foe whom thou art sure not to gaine for dost thou think she wil requite thy merit with méed or repay thy loue with liking no she hateth thée Arbasto as sworne Pelorus foe and her enemie Can she loue thée which séekest her fathers life nay did she loue yet could she think thou dost like which layest siege to her Cittie no vnlesse by loue shee were blinded with too much looue Sith then to fancie thy foe is with the Cockatrice to peck against the stéele subdue thy affections bee maister of thy mind vse will as thy subiect not as thy soueraigne so maist thou triumph and laugh at Cupid saying Fonde boy I was in loue what then I had no sooner sealed vp these secrete meditations with a sorowfull sigh but least being solitarie I shold fal into farther dumps I went out of my Tent to passe away the time with some pleasant parle thinking this the fittest means to driue away idle fancies hoping that hote loue wold be soone cold that the greatest bauin was but a blaze and that the most violent storme was euer least permanent Wel to sée how Loue and Fortune can play false when they list I was not so drowned in desires towards Doralicia as pore Myrania burned with affection towards me For Venus willing to shew she was a woman by her wilful contrarieties so fiered her fancies with the forme of my feature as the poore Lady was perplered with a thousande sundrie passions one while shee sought with hate to rase out loue but that was with the Déere to féede against the wind another while shee deuised which way to obtaine her desire but then alas she heaped coales vpon her head for she sawe no spark of hope to procure so good happe Driuen thus into sundry dumpes she fell at last into these termes Alas Myrania ê™ she happy yea thrice happie are those maides which are borne in the I le Meroe which in their virginity are suffered to sée none but him whom they shall marry and béeing wiues are forbidden by the Law to sée any man but their husbande vntill they be past fifty In this Country Myrania beauty is vsed as a naturall gift not honored as a supernaturall God and they loue onely one because loue cannot force them to like any other so that they sowe their loue in ioy and reape it in pleasure Would God thou hadst béen borne in this soile or brought vp in the same sort so shouldest thou haue triumphed ouer beautie as a slaue which now leadeth thée as a seruile captiue O infortunate Myrania and therefore infortunate because Myrania hast thou so little force to withstand fancie as at the first alarum thou must yéeld to affection canst thou not looke with Salmacis but thou must looue canst thou not sée with Smylax but thou must sigh canst thou not viewe Narcissus with Eccho but thou must be vowed to his beautie Learne learne fond foole by
he it is loue being such a frantick frenzie which so infecteth the mindes of men as vnder the taste of Nectar they are poysoned with the water of Stix for as he which was charmed by Lara sought still to heare her enchantment or as the Déere after once he brouseth on the Tamariske trée will not bee driuen away till hee dieth so our amorous louers haue their sencelesse sences so besotted with the power of this lasciuious God that they count not themselus happy but in their supposed vnhappines being at most ease in disquiet at greatest rest when they are most trobled séeking contentation in care delight in misery and hunting gréedily after that which alwaies bringeth endlesse harme This is but your sentence Egerio quoth I but what reasons haue you to confirme your censure Such quoth he as your highnes can neither mislike nor infringe for the first step to looue is the losse of libertie tying the mind to the will of her who either too curious little respecteth his sute or too coy smally regardeth his seruice yet he is so blinded with the vale of fond affection that he counteth her sullennes sobernes her vain charines vertuous chastitie if she be wanton he counteth her wittie if too familar curteous so besotted with the drugs of doting loue that euerie fault is a vertue and though euery string be out of tune yet the Musick cannot sound amisse resembling Tamantus the Painter who shadowed the worst pictures with the freshest colours The paines that Louers take for hunting after losse if their mindes were not charmed with some secret enchauntment were able either to kéepe their fancies from being inflamed or els to coole desire being alreadie kindled for the dayes are spent in thoughts the nights in dreames both in danger either beguiling vs of that we had or promising vs that wee haue not The heade fraught with fancies fiered with iealousie troubled with both yea so manie inconueniences waite vpon loue as to reckon them all were infinite and to taste but one of them intollerable being alwayes begun with griefe continued with sorow ended with death for it is a paine shadowed with pleasure and a ioy stuffed with miserie so that I conclude that as none euer sawe the Altars of Basyris without sorrow nor banqueted with Pholus without surfeiting so as impossible it is to deale with Cupid not gaine either spéedy death or endlesse danger As I was ready to reply to Egerios reasons drawing to a small thicket of trees which was hard adioining to the Cittie I spied where some of the French dames were friendlie sitting about a cléere fountaine of whom after I had taken a narrow viewe easily perceiued they were thrée Ladies accompanied with one Page namely Myrania Doralicia and their Nurse called Madam Vecchia which sudden sight so appalled my sences as I had béen appointed a new Iudge to the thrée goddesses in the valley of Ida yet seeing before my eyes the Mistresse of my thoughts and the Saint vnto whoÌ„ I did owe my deuotion I began to take hart at grace thinking that by this fit opportunitie loue and Fortune began to fauour my enterprise willing therefore not to let slippe so good an occasion I boldly paced to them whom I saluted in this sort Faire Ladies ê™ I the sight of your surpassing beautie so dazeled mine eyes as at the first I was in doubt whether I should honor you as heauenly Nimphes or salute you as earthly creatures but as I was in this dumpe I readilie called to mind the figure of your diuine face which béeing at my comming to your fathers Court by some secret influence most surely imprinted in my fancie I haue hetherto without any sparke of forgetfulnes perfectly retained féeling euer since in my hart such strange passions an vnaccustomed deuotion to your beautie and vertues as I woulde thinke the Gods and Fortune did fauour mee if either I might find occasion to manifest my affection or liue to doo you seruice Doralicia hearing mee thus strangely to salute her although she saw her selfe in the handes of her fathers foe yet as nothing dismaied with a coy countenaunce shee gaue mee this crabbish answer Sir quoth she if at the first looke ye tooke vs for Nimphes by the perfection of our diuine beautie it séemeth vnto vs that eyther your women in Denmarke are very fowle or your sight sore blemisht since your comming into Fraunce for we know our imperfections far vnworthy of such dissembled praise But Diomedes smiled most when hee pretended greatest mischiefe Scyron entertained his guestes best wheÌ„ he ment to intreat theÌ„ worst Lycaon feasted Iupiter when hee sought to betray him the Hiena euer fauneth at her pray the Syrens sing when they meane to enchant Circes is most pleasant when she presenteth poison and so you in praising our beauty séeke to spoile our blood in extolling our perfection to make vs most imperfect in wishing openlie our weale secretly to worke our death and destruction For your seruice you offer vs we so much the more mislike it for hys sake that makes the proffer for we are not so inueigled with selfe loue nor so senceles to conceiue but that wee thinke he little fauoureth the stems that cutteth down the old stock he little respecteth the twig that tendereth not the roote and he lightly loueth the child that deadly hateth the father Polixena counted Achilles a flatterer because he continued the siege against Troy Cressid therfore forsooke Troylus because hee warred against the Grecians and we cannot count him our priuie fréende which is our open foe Why Madame ê™ I did not Tarpeia fauour Tantius though a foe vnto Rome did not Scylla respect Mynos thogh he besieged Nisus Truth sir ê™ Myrania but the gaines they got was perpetuall shame and endles discredit for the one was slainâ— by the Sabynes the other reiected by Mynos The young Faunes cannot abide to looke on the Tyger the Halciones are no sooner hatched but they hate the Eagle Andromache woulde neuer trust the faire spéeches of Pyrrhus nor Dydo laughe when shee sawe Hierbas smile where the partie is knowen for a professed foe there suspicious hate ensueth of course and fond were that person that would thinke wel of him that proffereth poyson though in a golden pot Madame quoth I I know it is hard where mistrust is harboured to infer beleefe or to procure credite where hys trueth is called in question but I wish no better successe to happen to my selfe than in hart I do imagin to you al swearing by the gods that I do honor your beauties and vertues so much that if I had woon the conquest and you were my captiues yet I woulde honor you as my soueraignes and obey you as a louing subiect But I pray God quoth Madame Vechia you haue neuer occasion to shew vs such fauour nor we cause to stand to your courtesie for I doubt wee shoulde finde your glowing heate turned to a
chilling colde and your great promises to small performance In the meane time and with that she tooke Myrania and Doralicia by the handes we wil leaue you to returne to the Campe and we will repaire to the Cittie willing to giue you thanks for your good will when we finde you a friende and not before Nay Madame quoth I not so for construe of my meaning how you please or accept of my companie how you list I wil not be so discourteous to leaue you so slenderly guided as in the guarde of this little Page And with that taking Doralicia by the hand willing not to let slip so fit opportunitie I began to court her on this manner The choyse is harde Madame Doralicia quoth I where the party is compelled either by silence to die with griefe or by vnfolding his mind to liue with shame yet so swéet is the desire of life and so bitter the passions of loue that I am enforced to preferre an vnséemelie sute before an vntimelie death Loth I am to speake and in despaire I am to spéede in the one shewing my selfe a coward in the other weighing myne owne case For considering what loue is I fainte and thinking how I am counted a foe I feare But sith where loue commandeth there it is folly to resist so it is Madame that intending to be victor I am become a vassale comming to conquer I am caught a captiue seeking to bring other into thrall alas I haue lost mine owne libertie Your heauenly beautie hath brought me into bondage your exquisite perfection hath snared my fréedome your vertuous qualities hath subdued my mind as onely your curtesie may free mee from care or your crueltie crosse mee with calamitie To recount the sorrowes I haue sustained since I first was inâ—eigled with thy beautie or the seruice I haue vowed vnto thy vertue since thou dost count my talke though neuer so true but méere toyes were rather to bréede in thee an admiration then a beliefe But this I added for the time which the end shall try for a trueth that so faithfull is my affection and so loyall is my looue that if thou take not pittie of my passions eyther my life shall be too short or my miserie too long Doralicia hearing attentiuely my talk oft times chaunged colour as one in great choller being so inflamed with a melancholike kind of hate as shee was not of a long time able to vtter one word yet at last with a face full of fury shee burst foorth into these despightfull termes Why Arbasto ê™ she art thou of late become frantick or doost thou thinke mee in a frenzie hast thou béene bytten with the Serpent Amphisbena which procureth madnesse or doost thou suppose me fraught with some lunatick fits for thy speech makes mee thinke either thou art troubled with the one or that thou countes me combred with the other if this thy poisoned parle were in iest it was too broade weying the case if in earnest too bad considering the person for to talke of peace amidst the pikes sheweth either a cowarde or a counterfeit and to sue for loue by hate either frenzie or follie It is a mad Hare Arbasto that will be caught with a Taber a gréedy fishe that commeth to a bare hooke a blinde Goose that runneth to the Foxes sermon and shee a louing foole that stoopeth to her enemies lure No no think me not so fond or at least hope not to find me so foolish as with Phryne to fancie Cecrops with Harpalice to like Archemerus with Scilla to loue Mynos with carelesse Minions so far to forget my honor my honestie my parents and my Country as to loue nay not deadlie to hate him which is a foe to the least of these for experience teacheth me that the fairer the stone is in the Toades heade the more pestilent is the poyson in her bowels the brighter the Serpents scales bee the more infectious is her breath and the talke of an enemy the more it is seasoned with delight the more it sauoureth of despight cease then to séeke for loue where thou shalt finde nothing but hate for assure thy selfe if thou didst fancie as faithfully as thou dost flatter falsely yet the guerdon for thy looue should be only this that I will pray incessantly to the Gods in thy life to pesture thée with earthly torments and after death to plague thee with hellish tortures Although these bitter blastes of Doralicia had beene a sufficient cooling carde to quench fonde affection yet as the water causeth the seacoale to burne more freshlie so her despightfull termes far more inflamed my desire that I made her this friendly replie Alas Madame weigh my case with equitie if you hate me as I am foe to Pelorus yet fauour me as I am a friend to Doralicia If you lothe me as a conquerer of your Countrey yet pittie me as I am a captiue to your beautie If you vouchsafe not to listen to the lure of your enemie yet heare the passionate complaints of a perplexed louer who leading others in triumph yet he himselfe liueth in most haples seruitude If I haue doone amisse Doralicia I will make amendes if I haue committed a fault I will bothe requite it and recompence it as I haue beene thy fathers foe so I will bee his faithfull friend as I haue sought his bale I will procure his blisse yea I will goe against the haire in all thinges so I may please thée in any thing But as I was about to make a longer discourse she cutte me off in this wise In faith sir quoth shee so well doe I like you that you can not more displease me than in séeking to please mee for if I knew no other cause to hate thée yet this would suffise that I cannot but dislike thée be therfore my fathers friend or his foe like him or hate him yet this assure thy selfe that I will neuer loue thée And with that she floong from mee in a great chafe Replie I could not for by this we were come to the gates of the Cittie where though vnwilling I tooke my leaue of them in this sort I am sorrie Ladies that such is my luck and so vnhappie is my lotte that in offering my selfe a companion I haue greatly offended you with my companie yet sith I cannot striue against chance I think my selfe happy that Fortune hath honoured me with the fruition of your presence hoping when time shall trie my words no tales but trueth you will at last make me amends with crying peccaui in the meane while I commit you to the tuition of the Gods praying Fortune rather to plague me with all mishap then to crosse you with anie chip of mischance The thanks I had for this my friendly curtesie was a coy disdainfull looke of Doralicia and a churlish vale of the olde trot Vechia but Myrania as one stoong with the pricke of fancie bad me farewell with a more curteous gloze If
sir quoth she the secret intent of your friendship had beene agreeable to the outward manner of your curtesie wée had without rubbing our memories ere this yéelded you great thanks for your companie but sith you gréet vs with a Iudas kisse we thinke wee haue small cause to gratifie you for your kindnes notwithstanding least you shold accuse vs wholie of discourtesie we say we thank you whatsoeuer wée think and with that she cast on me such a louing looke as she seemed to play loth to depart Well they now returning to the Court and I now retiring to the Campe féeling my self déeply perplexed yet as much as I could dissembled my passions willing in loue not to be counted a louer iesting therefore with Egerio I thus began to draw him on How now Egerio ê™ I hath not the beautie of these faire Ladies brought you from your fonde heresie will you not be content for blaspheming of Looue in pennaunce to carrie a burning Faggot before Cupid me thought your eyes were gazing wheresoeuer your hart was gadding but tell mee in good troth is not Doralicia worthy to be loued Yes sir quoth he if shee were not Doralicia for as shee is beautifull shee is to bee liked of all but as shee is Pelorus daughter not to be desired of Arbasto least in séeking to gain her loue he get that which he least looketh for Why Egerio quoth I what ill lucke can ensue of loue when I meane not to venture but vppon trust nor to trust without triall Such quoth hee as happened to Achilles by Polexena and yet he feared Priamus But alas sir I sigh to think and I sorrow to sée that reason should yéeld to affection liberty to loue fréedome to fancie that Venus should beare the target and Mars the distaffe that Omphale shoulde handle the club and Hercules the spindle that Alexander shoulde crouch and Campaspe be coy that a warlike mind should yeelde to a little wauering beautie and that a Prince whose prowesse could not be subdued shoulde by loue become subiect at the first shot What Egerio quoth I knowest thou not that hee whem no mortall creature can controule loue can commaund that no dignitie is able to resist Cupids deitie Achilles was invulnerable yet wounded by fancie Hercules not to be conquered of anie yet quicklie vanquished by affection Mars able to resist Iupiter but not to withstande beautie Looue is not onely kindled in the eye by desire but ingrauen in the mind by destenie which neither reason can eschew nor wisdome expell The more pittie quoth hee for poore men and the greater impietie in the gods that in giuing loue frée libertie they graunted him a lawlesse priuiledge But sith Cupid will be obeyed Arbasto is willing to be obedient woulde God loue had either aimed amisse or els had not made Doralicia the marte I not vnwilling that Egerio shoulde be priuie to my passions tolde him that what I spoke was in iest and that if euer I did fancie as yet I knew not what it meant I would vse loue as the Persians did the Sunne who in the morning honor it as a God and at noone-tide curse it as a deuill Concealing thus my care the couered sparks burst into greate flames that comming to my Tent I was forst to cast my selfe vppon my bedde where I sobbed foorth sorrowfullie these wordes Alas Arbasto how art thou perplexed thou both liuest in ill hap and louest without hope thou burnest in desire and art cooled with disdaine thou art bidden to the feast by loue and art beaten with the spit by beautie But what then dost thou count it care which thou sufferest for Doralicia who shameth Venus for her hue and staineth Diana for her chastitie Yea but Arbasto the more beautie she hath the more pride and the more vertue the more precisenesse None must play on Mercuries pipe but Orpheus none rule Lucifer but Phoebus none were Venus in a tablet but Alexander nor none enioy Doralicia but such an one as farre exceedeth thee in person and parentage thou seest she hath denied thy sute disdained thy seruice lightly respected thy loue smally regarded thy liking onely promising this while she liues to be thy professed foe And what then fonde foole wilt thou shrinke for an Aprill shoure knowest thou not that a deniall at the first is a graunt and a gentle answere a flattering floâ—â—e that the more they seeme at the first to loathe the more they loue at the last Is not Venus painted catching at the ball with her handes which shee seemeth to spurue at with her feete Doth not the Mirre tree being hewen yéeld no sap which not mooâ—ed poureth foorth sirop and women beeing woed denie that which of themselues they most earnestlie desire The stone Sandrasta is not so hard but béeing heate in the fire it may be wrought no Iuory so tough but seasoned with Sutho it may be ingraueÌ„ no hawke so haggard which in time may not be called to the lure nor no woman so wilful which by some meanes may not bee won Hope the best then and be bold for Loue and Fortune careth not for cowardes Nay tush Arbasto what needest thou pine thus in haplesse passions or séeke for that with sorrow which thou maist obtaine with a small sute raise vp thy siege grant but conditions of peace shew but a friendlie countenance to Pelorus and he neither will nor dare denie thee his daughter Doralicia Doe this then Arbasto nay I will doe it and that with spéed for now I agree to Tullie that it is good Iniquissimam pacem iustissimo bello anteponere Well being resolued vpon this point I felt my minde disburthened of a thousand cares wherewith before I was clogged feeding my selfe with the hope of that pleasure which when I enioyed sholde recompence my former paine But alas poore Myrania coulde not feele one minute of such ease for she vncessantly turned the stone with Sysiphus rolled on the whéele with Ixion and filled the bottomlesse tubs with Belydes in so much that when shee could finde no meanes to mittigate her maladie shee fell into these bytter complaints Ah Myrania ah wretched wench Myrania how art thou without reason which sufferest reason to yeelde vnto appetite wisedome vnto sensuall wil and a frée mind vnto seruile loue but I perceiue when the Iuie riseth it wreatheth about the Elme when the Hop groweth high it hath need of a poale and when virgins waxe in yeeres they followe that which belongeth to their youth Loue loue yea but they loue expecting some good hap and alas both loue and liue without all hope for Arbasto is my foe and yet if he were my fréend he liketh not mee he looketh onelie vppon Doralicia Sith then Myrania thou art pinched and hast none to pittie thy passions dissemble thy loue though it shorten thy life for better it were to die with griefe than liue with shame The spunge is full of water yet is not seene The leafe
of the trée Alpina though it be wet looketh alwaies dryâ—â— and a wyse louer be she neuer so much tormented behaueth herselfe as though shee were not touched Yea but fire cannot be hidden in the Flaxe without smoake nor Muske in the bosome without smell nor looue in the breast without suspition Why then seeke some meane to manifest thy looue to Arbasto for as the stone Draconites can by no meanes bee polished vnlesse the Lapidarie burne it so thy minde can by no medicine be cured vnlesse Arbasto ease it alas Arbasto sweete Arbasto And with that she fetcht such a groaning sighe that one of her Maydes came into the Chamber who by her presence putting her from her passions sate so long by tyll tyred with drousie thoughts she fell into a slumber Fortune frowning thus vppon her as I supposed and fawning vpon me I set my foote on the fairest sands althogh at last I found theÌ„ most fickle thinking I must needes tread the Mesures right when Fortune piped the daunce but though I threw at all yet my chance was hard for Pelorus trifling for truce pretended treason making a shew of fear fought subtilly how to ouerthrow me by deceit saying that in ruling of Empires there is required as great pollicie as prowesse in gouerning an estate close crueltie dooth more good than open clemencie for the obtayning of a kingdome as well mischiefe as mercie is to be practised that better he had commit an inconuenience in breaking his oth than suffer a mischiefe by keeping his promise setting downe the staffe therefore on this secure periurie thus it fell out After two or thrée daies were passed accompanied onely with Egerio and a fewe of my guarde I went to Orleance determining both to conclude a peace and to demaunde Doralicia in marriage where no sooner I arriued and was entered in at the gates of the Citty but I found Pelorus and al his men in Armes which sight so appalled my sences that I stood as one trans-formed fearing that which presentlie I found true for Pelorus hauing his force inflamed with furious choller commaunded his Captaines to lay hold on me and to carrie mee to close prison swering that no lesse than the losse of life should mittigate his furie And raging in this choller after he had lodged me vppe in Lymbo he went with al his Armie to the Campe wher finding my soldiers secure as men little doubting of such mysfortune he made such a monstrous and mercilesse slaughter as of fiftie thousand he left fewe aliue those which remained he plagued with al kind of slauerie returning home with his shameles triumph hee commaunded that in the mids of the Cittie there should be made a great scaffold wherupon within ten daies I should be executed these heauie and haplesse newes béeing come to myne eares such sorrowfull passions perplexed my mind as after floods of brinish teares I burst forth into these bitter termes O infortunate Arbasto quoth I and therefore the more infortunate because Arbasto art thou not worthy of thys mishap which wilfully sought thine owne miserie canst thou accuse the Gods which didst striue against the Gods canst thou condemne Fortune which hast warred against nature and Fortune No no in suffering reason to yeeld vnto appetite wisedom vnto will and wit vnto affection thou hast procured thine owne death and thy Souldiers destruction Loue yea loue it is that hath procured thy losse beautie that hath bred thy bale fancie hath giuen thée the foyle and thine owne witlesse wil that hath wrought thy woe the more is thy paine and the lesse thou art to bee pittied was there none to like but Doralicia none to choose but thy foe none to loue but thine enemie O vile wretch fraught with carelesse follie And with that as I was readie to exclaime against my curssed destenie I heard the pryson doore open where I saw presently to enter Myrania Doralicia and Madam Vecchia who séeing me sit in such sorrowfull dumpes began to smyle at my dolor and to laugh at my mishappe which wilfullie thrust my selfe into such miserie thinking therefore to agrauate my griefe by rubbing a fresh my sore Doralicia began to gall me on this sort Hearing Arbasto quoth she that you were come to prosecute your sute playing the good Captaine that for the first foyle giueth not ouer the field I thought good to giue you a smiling looke in recompence of your flattering loue least if I should not be so curteous to so kind a Gentleman the world should account me ingratefull It is truth sister ê™ Myrania it séemes he is a passing amorous louer but it is pittie he hath verie ill luck he chooseth his chaffer well but yet is an vnskilfull chapman for if he buy at such an vnreasonable rate he is like sell howe hee can to liue by the losse Tush quoth Madam Vecchia he playeth like the Dragon who sucking bloode out of the Clephant killeth him and with the same poysoneth her selfe so Arbasto séeking to betray others is himselfe taken in the trap a iust rewarde for so vniust dealing and a fit reuenge for so rechles an enemie And yet ê™ Doralicia his purpose hath taken small place for whatsoeuer his mind was his malice hath waÌ„ted might wherin he resembleth the Serpent Porphirius who is ful of poyson but béeing toothlesse hurteth none but himselfe Surelie whatsoeuer his chaunce be hee hath made a verie good choice for he preferreth swéete loue before bitter death and the hope of euerlasting fame before the feare of momentarie mis-fortune he shall now for his constancie be canonized in Denmark for a saint and his subiects may boast say that Arbasto our King died for loue Egerio séeing that extremitie of griefe woulde not suffer me to vtter one worde not able anie longer to abide these frumpes crost her with this chollerick replie Gentlewoman ê™ he although I so terme you rather to shew mine own curtesie than to decipher your conditions it séemeth Nurture hath taught you very few manners or nature affoorded very smal modestie that séeing one in distresse you should laugh at his dolor and where the partie is crossed with mishap you would with bitter tants increase his miserie if he be your foe he hath now the foile he is taken in the snare his life hangeth in the ballance Though your father be without pietie yet in that you are a woman be not without pittie Hate him if you please as hee is your enemie but despise him not as he is Arbasto a king and your haples louer we are captiues not to a woorthy conquerer but to a wretched caitife not vanquished by prowesse but by periurie not by fight but by falshood who in our liues to thy fathers losse won continuall fame and by our death to thy fathers discredite shall purchase vnto him perpetuall infamie Doralicia not willing to suffer him wade anie further cut him short in this manner Sir quoth she if bragges could stand for payment I
present mee with gall doost thou say thou wilt cure mee with loue when thou séekest to kill mee with hate haue I redeemed thée from mishap and wilt thou requite me with miserie was I the meanes to saue thy life and wilt thou without cause procure my death haue I forsaken my Countrey betraied my father and yet wilt thou kill me with dyscurtesie O haples Myrania coulde not Medeas mishap haue made thee beware could not Ariadnes ill lucke haue taught thée to take heed coulde not Phillis mis-fortune haue feared thee from the like folly but thou must like and loue a stragling stranger Aie me that repentance shoulde euer come too late for now I sigh and sorrow but had I wist comes out of time follie is sooner remembred than redressed and time may be repented but not recalled But I sée it is a practise in men to haue as little care of their own othes as of their Ladies honors imitating Iupiter who neuer kept othe he sware to Iuno diddest thou not false Arbasto protest with sollemne vowes when thy life did hang in the ballance that thy loue to Myrania should bee alwaies loyall and hast thou not since sent and suâ—d secretlie to win the good will of Doralicia diddest thou not sweare to take mee to thy mate and hast thou not since sought to contract with her a newe match thou didst promise to bee true vnto me but hast prooued trustie vnto her what shoulde I say thou hast presented her with pleasant drinks and poysoned me with bitter potions the more is my penury the greater is thy periurie But vile wretch doost thou thinke this thy villanie shall be vnreuenged No no Egerio I hope the Gods haue appointed thée to reuenge my iniuries thou hast sworne it and I feare not but thou wilt performe it And that thou maist know I exclaime not without cause see heere the Letters which haue passed betwéen this false traytor and Doralicia The sight of these Letters so galled my guiltie conscience as I stood as one astonished not knowing what to do excuse my selfe I could not confirme my loue I durst not yet at last the water standing in mine eyes clasping her hanâ—e in mine I was readie to craue pardon if she had not preuented me with these iniurious spéeches Cleere thy selfe trayterous Arbasto thou canst not perswade me thou shalt not forgiue thée I will not cease therefore to speake for in none of these thou shalt spéede Egerio I saued thy life then reuenge my death and so content I die yet onelie discontent in this that I cannot liue to hate Arbasto so long as I loued him And with that turning vppon her left side with a gasping sigh she gaue vp the ghost which sight draue me into such a desperate minde that if Egerio and the rest had not holden me I had sent my soule with hers to the graue But béeing carried by force to my bed I lay for certaine daies oppressed with such sorrowe as if I had béene in a trance cursing and accusing my selfe of ingratitude of periury and of most despightfull disloyalty I lay perplexed with incessant passions Well this heauie and haplesse newes béeing noysed in France Pelorus taking the death of his daughter to hart in short time died leauing Doralicia the onely inheritour of his kingdome But yet sée how Fortune framed vp this tragedie who meant to cast Doralicia from most happie felicitie to most haplesse miserie for she séeing that no sinister chance coulde change my affection that neither the length of time nor the distance of place the spight of Fortune the feare of death nor her most cruell discurtesie coulde diminish my loue musing I say on this my inuiolable constancie Cupid meaning to reuenge séeing her nowe at discouert drewe home to the heade and strooke her so déepe at the hart as in despight of Vesta shee valed bonnet and giuing grounde sobbed foorth secretly to herselfe these words Alas I loue Arbasto and none but Arbasto Venus séeing that her boy had so well plaide the man began to triumph ouer Doralicia who now was in her dumps striuing as yet betwéene loue and hate till fancie sette in her foote and then ye yéelded vp the bulwark in these peaceable termes Why how now Doralicia quoth she dost thou dreame or dote Is it follie or frenzie melanchollie or madnesse that driueth thée thus into dumps and so strangly distresseth thée with dolor what fonde thoughts what vnacquainted passions what slumbring imaginations are these which perplexeth thée dost thou now féele fire to spring out of the cold flint heate to fry amids the chilling frost loue to come from hate and desire from disdaine Doost thou fare as though thou hadst béen drenched in the Riuer Iellus in Phrigia which at the first breedeth sorrow through extreame colde but foorthwith burneth the sinewes through raging heat Hath Venus nowe in despight of Vesta made thée vale bonnet the more poore wenche is thy mishap and the worse is thy fortune for loue though neuer so swéet cannot yet be digested without a most sharpe sauce faring like the golde that is neuer perfect till it hath past through the furnace Loue Doralicia but whom dost thou loue Arbasto what the man whom euen now thou diddest so deadlie hate hast thou so little force ouer thy affections as to fancy thy foe No no fond foole Arbasto is thy fréend and one that honoureth thée as a Saint and would serue thée as his soueraigne that loueth and liketh thée as much as thou canst desire but more than thou doost deserue who beeing bitterly crossed with discurtesie could neuer be touched of inconstancie but still remaineth like to Aristotles Quadratus which howsoeuer it is turned alwaies standeth stedfast Thou canst not then of conscience Doralicia but repay his loue with liking and hys firme fancie with mutuall affection he is beautiful to please the eye vertuous to content the minde rich to maintaine thy honor of birth to counteruaile thy parentage wise curteous and constant and what wouldest thou haue more Yea but alas I haue reiected his seruice and nowe he will not respect my sute I haue detested him and nowe hee will despise me I haue requited his good will with crueltie and he will reuenge me with contempt Better hadst thou then conceale it with gréefe than reueale it to thine owne shame for if thou aime at the white and misse the marke thou shalt bee pointed at of those that hate thée pittred of those that looue thée scorned of by him and falked of by all suffer rather theÌ„ poore Doralicia death by silence than derision by reuealing thy secretes for death cutteth of all care but derision bréedeth endles calamitie Tush dost thou think Arbasto can so harden his hart as to hate thée so maister his affections as to flée froÌ„ fancy that hee will become so proud as to refuse thy proffer No if thou sendest him but one line it wil more charme him than al
am sure you woulde not die in any mans debt but if your prowesse had béene as good as your prattle you needed not haue daunced within so short a tedder crauen Cocks crowe lowdest fearefull curs barke most and a hartlesse cowarde hath alwaies more tongue than a hautie Captaine But I heare with you for I doubt the feare of death and danger hath driuen thy Maister into a cold palsey and hath made thée either frantick or lunatick the one shewing his melancholie the other bewraying thy choller willing therefore as a friende you should passe ouer your passions with more patience wee will leaue you as we found you vnlesse you mean to be shriuen and then I will send you a ghostlie father Our confession good Mistresse quoth Egerio requires but a small shrift for wee haue very little to say but that Arbasto repents that euer he loued such a peruerse Minion and I that euer I trusted such a periured Traytor The Gentlewomen tooke this for a farewell passing merilie to the Pallace and leauing vs sitting sorowfully in the prison bewayling our mishap with teares and exclaiming against Fortune with bitter curses what our cōplaints were it little auaileth to rehearse for it would but driue thée into dumpes and redouble my dolour Suffise this that we were so long tormented with care that at last we were past cure counting this our greatest calamity that liuing euery houre we looke to die Wel as thus we were drowned in distresse so poore Myrania had her minde doubtfullie perplexed Nature claymed by due to haue the preheminence and leue sought by force to winne the supremacie Nature brought in Pelorus aged haires to make the challenge and Loue presented Arbastoes sweete sweete face to be the Champion tossed thus wyth two contrarie tempests at last she began thus to plead with her passions Ah thrise infortunate Myrania what strange fits be these that burne thee with heate and yet thou shakest with colde thy body in a shiuering sweat and in a flaming Ice melting like waxe and yet as hard as the Adamant it is loue then woulde it were death for likelier it is thou shalt loose thy life than win thy loue Ah haplesse Arbasto woulde to God thy vertues were lesse than thy beautie or my vertues greater than my affections so should I either quickly frée my selfe from fancie or be lesse subiect vnto follie But alas I féele in my mind fierce skirmishes betweene reason and appetite loue wisedome danger and desire the one perswaded her to hate Arbasto as a foe the other constrained him as friend If I consent to the first I ende my daies with death if to the last I shall leade my life with infamie What shall I then doe Ah Myrania either swallow the iuyce of Mandrake which may cast thée into a dead sléep or chewe the herbe Carysium which may cause thée to hate euery thing so either shalt thou die in thy slumber or dislike Arbasto by thy potion Tush poore wench what follies be these wilt thou with the Wolfe barke at the Moone or wyth the yong Gryphons pecke against the starres Doest thou thinke to quench fire with a sword or with affection to mortifie loue No no if thou be wise suffer not the grasse to be cut from vnder thy féete strike while the yron is hote make thy market while the chaffer is to sale Nowe Arbasto is thine owne now thou maist win him by loue and weare him by law thou maist frée him from miserie without thy fathers mishappe thou maiest saue his life without thy Fathers losse thou maiest grant thy good wyll vnto loue and yet not falsifie thy faith vnto nature Can Arbasto which is so curteous become so cruell but he wil requite thy loue with loyalty thy faithful fancy with vnfained affection No no he will and must looue thée of force since thou hast graunted him his life of fréewill hee will like thée in thyne youth and honour thee in thine age he will be the porte of prosperitie wherein thou maist rest and the hauen of happinesse wherein thou maist harbour without harme so that thou maist say of him as Andromache said by Hector Tu Do◠minus tu vir tu mihi frater eris Yea but Myrania yet looke before thou leape and learn by other mens harmes to beware Ariadne loued Theseus fréed him from the monstrous Mynotaure taught him to passe the Laborinth yea forsooke Parents and Countrey for his cause and yet the guerdon hee gaue her for her good will was to leaue her a desolate wretche in a deserte wildernesse Medea saued Iason from the daunger of the Dragons and yet she found him trothlesse Phillis harboured Demiphoon and Dido Aeneas yet both repaied their loue with hate Tush the fairest floure hath not the best sent the Lapidaries choose not the stone by the outward colour but by the secrete vertue Paris was faire yet false Thiestes was beutiful but deceitfull Vulcan was carued in white Iuory yet a Smith The precious stones of Mansaulous sepulcher coulde not make the dead careasse sweete Beautie Myrania is not alwaies accompanied with vertue honestie and constancy but ofttimes fraught with vice periurie What then if some were Traytors shall Arbasto be trothlesse if some were false shal he be faithles no his beautie and vertue hath won me and he himselfe shal weare me I will forsake Father friends and Countrey for his cause yea I will venture lim and life to frée him from danger in despight of froward Fortune and the destinies Myrania being thus resolute in her opinion began to cast beyonde the Moone and to frame a thousande deuises in her heade to bring her purpose to passe fearing euery shaddowe doubting euerie winde stumbling at the least strawe yet at the last pricked forward by fancie she thought to preuent all cause of feare in this wise The euening before shee meant to atchiue her enterpryse she secretly sent for the Iaylor by one of her maids to whom she durst commit her secret affaires who beeing taught by her Mistresse to play her part cunninglie brought the Iaylor into Myranias chamber by a posterne gate so that they were neither séene nor suspected of any where he no sooner came but he was curteously entertained of the yong Ladie who faining that she had to debate with him of waighty affaires called him into her closet were treading vpon a false boorde he fell vp to the shoulders not béeing able to helpe himselfe but that he there ended his life Myrania hauing desperatlie atchiued this déede she straite sought not to rob him of his coyne but to bereaue him of his keyes which after she had gotten and conueied his carcasse into a secret place she went in her night gowne accompanied onely with her Maid to the prison Arbasto and Egerio hearing the dores open at such an vnaccustomed houre began straight to coniecture that Pelorus sought to murther them secretly least his owne people shold accuse him of