know that which till then she had hid from her But Siluie although young yet full of iudgement to pacifie all things indeuoured to excuse Leonide what she could possibly knowing well that if her companion meant a despite and it should come to be knowne they could not but bring much shame to their Mistris And therefore she sayd vnto her after many words You know well Madam you neuer acquainted me with this businesse and yet I must tell you of these particulars you may not iudge me so ignorant as I seemed to be but my humour is not to thrust my selfe into things where I am not called It is some pretty while since seeing my companion so diligent about Celadon I suspected that Loue was the cause and not Compassion of his disease and because it is a thing that toucheth vs all I resolued to be assured before I would speake of it and after that I beganne to looke into her actions more narrowly then of wont and wrought so that yesterday I got on the furder side of the shepheards bed while he slept and by and by Leonide came in who by opening the doore waked him without knowing any thing After many cōmon discourses she came to talke of the loue he bareto the shepheardesse Astrea and Astrea to him But sayd she beleeue me this is nothing to the price of the affection that Galathee beares you To me said he Yes to you replyed Leonide and make it not so strange you know how often I haue told you yet is she greater then my words Faire Nymph answered the shepheard I can neither merit nor beleeue I shall haue so great happinesse Besides what should her meaning be to me that am a shepheard borne and desire to liue and die so Your birth returnes my companion cannot but be great since it hath giuen beginning to so great perfections O Leonide said then the shepheard your words are full of mockery but were they plaine haue you an opinion that I know not what Galathee is who I am I know it indeed faire Nymph and can well measure my meannesse and her greatnesse with duety True answered Leonide I thinke you will vse the measure that men doe that is good for them that will buy and sell And doe not you know that gifts will not be measured and Loue being nothing but a gift why will you draw it to the ell-wand of duty Doubt no more of that which I tell you and not to be wanting in your duty render her as much of loue and of affection as she hath giuen you I sweare vnto you Madam till that time I imagined that Leonide spake for her selfe and I haue no cause to lie from the beginning this discourse astonished me but since hauing seene with what discretion your actions haue beene carried I much commend the power you haue ouer them knowing very well that it is an harder matter to haue absolute commaund ouer ones selfe then ouer any other Mayd answered Galathee if you knew the occasion I haue to seek the loue of Celadon you would commend it and aduise mee to the same desseigne For do you remember that Druyde that foretold vs our fortune I remember it well said she it is not so long since You know continued Galathee how many true things he hath told you and Leonide also Now know withall that he assured me that if I married any otherthen Celadon I should be the most vnhappy person on earth and do you think it fit that hauing had such proofe of his predictions I should contemne them that touch me so neere And this is it that I finde such fault with that Leonide should be so much misaduised to march my pace making the same declaration to him Madam said Siluie enter not into that doubt for in truth I lie not And me thinkes you should not anger her too much for feare that in her complaints she discouer this dessigne to any other Friend said Galathee embracing her I doubt not of that you told me and I promise you I will deale with Leonide as you haue aduised me In the meane time that they discourse thus Leonide goes to seek out Celadon to whom she recited word for word the talke that Galathee and she had for his cause and that he was to thinke that the place where hee was bare the shew of liberty but indeede it was a prison which strucke him so to the quick that whereas before his disease he went but as it were creeping now it grew so violent that that very night the feauer took him againe so burning that Galathee being come to see him and seeing him so much impayred was in great doubt of his life The next morning his disease increasing so fiercely he swowned away twice or thrice betweene their armes and albeit these Nymphs were neuer further off but that the one was at the head and the other at the feete of the bed without other repose then that by broken sleepes extreme heauinesse came stealing on them yet so it was that he was very poorely attended hauing there nothing fit for a sicke man and not daring to fetch it else-where for feare of being discouered So that the shepheard ran in great hazard of his life and in such sort that that one night he felt himselfe in great extremity so that the Nymphs esteemed him as a dead man but in the end hee came back to himselfe and shortly after lost a great deale of bloud which weakened him so that hee desired to rest That was the cause that the Nymphs left him alone with Merill And being retired Siluie all afraid at this accident addressing her selfe to Galathee said Me thinkes Madam you are ready to fall into a great confusion if you take not the better order Iudge how great paine it will be to you if this shepheard perish in your hands for fault of succour Alas sayd the Nymph since the relapse of his disease I found it too true that which you say but what remedy is there We are heere altogether vnprouided of things necessary for him and to haue them from else-where if my life lay on it I would not doe it for the feare I haue it would be knowne Leonide whom affection had made more resolute then Siluie sayd Madame these feares are good when they touch not the life of a man but where it doth we are not so much to consider or preuent other inconueniences which may arise If this shepheard die thinke you his death can be kept vnknowne Since it can sort but to punishment you must beleeue the very heauens will discouer but let vs take it at the worst and that it be knowne the shepheard be heere What of that May you not couer it with the cloke of Compassion whereto Nature inclines vs all And if it please you to referre this businesse to me I assure my selfe to carry it so discreetly that no man shall discouer any thing For Madam I haue as
Galathee made choice of And therefore it is that being Lady of all those Countries and hauing yet a sonne called Clidaman she brings vp wiâ—h vs a number of maydens and daughters of the Druides and knights who beeing in so good a schoole learne all the vertues which their age will permit The maides go attyred as you see vs which is a kind of habite that Diana or Galathee vsed to weare and which wee haue alwayes maintained in memory of her See Celadon that which you desire to know of our estate and I make account before you goe away for I would you will see vs all together that you might say that our company giueth place to none other neyther in vertue nor yet in beautie Now Celadon knowing who these faire Nymphes were knew also what respect he was to shew them and though he had not beene accustomed to be among others then Shepheards his like yet such was the good breeding that he had that it taught him well enough what was due to such personages Then after he had done them the honour which he thought he was bound to But sayd he holding on I can not but be astonished to be among so many great Nymphes I that am but a simple shepheard and to receiue so many fauours of them Celadon answered Galathee in what place soeuer Vertue is it deserues to be loued and honoured as well vnder the habite of shepheards as vnder the glorious purple of kings and for your particular you are with vs of no lesse account then the greatest of the Druides or knights in our Court for you are not to giue place to them in fauour sith you doe not in merit And for your being among vs know you that it is not without a great mysterie from our gods which haue appoynted it as you may know at leisure whether it be that they will no longer that so many vertues remayne among the Sauages in the forrest and countrey townes or whether it be that they will worke a dessigne in you aduauncing you greater then you are to make most happy by you the person that loueth you Liue onely in rest and looke to your health For there is nothing you should more desire in the state wherein you are then health Madam answered the shepheard who vnderstood not the words well If I be to desire health the chiefe cause is that I may be able to doe you some seruice in exchange of so many fauours which it hath pleased you to doe me It is true that I neede not tell you that I came from the wood or pastures otherwise the solemne vow which our fathers haue made vnto the gods will accuse vs to them as vnworthy children of such fathers And what oath is it answered the Nymph The history replyed Celadon would be too long if I should tell you the cause that my father Alcippe had to hold it So it is that many yeeres since of a generall accord all those that kept along the riuers of Loyre of Lignon of Furan of Argent and of all other riuers after he had well vnderstood the discommoditie which the ambition of a people called Romanes made their neighbours feele out of desire of dominion assembled together in a great Plaine which is neere the mount Verdun and there by a mutuall agreement sware all to flie for euer from all sort of ambition for that it alone was cause of so much paynes and to liue they and theirs vnder the peaceable habite of shepheards and since that it hath beene obserued the gods so well liked this vow that none of them that made it nor their successors but he had trauell and paynes incredible if he obserued it not and among all my father is an example most remarkeable and most new So that hauing knowne that the will of heauen is that we should keepe in rest that which we haue to liue on we haue of late renewed this vow with so many oaths that he that breakes it shall become most detestable Truely sayd the Nymph I am well pleased to heare that you tell me for it is long since I heard them talke of it and I could neuer yet know why so many good and ancient Families as I he are there are among you imploy themselues out of the townes to spend their age in the woods and places most solitary But Celadon if the case wherein you are will suffer tell me I pray you what hath beene the fortune of your father Alcippe to make him take againe that kinde of life which he had so long time left for I assure my selfe the discourse is worthy to bee knowne Then though he felt himselfe yet euill of the water which he had swallowed yet he constrained himselfe to obey her and beganne in this sort The History of Alcippe YOu command me Madame to tell you the fortune most crosse and diuerse of any man in the world and in which one may learne that he that will worke trouble to another prepares a great part to himselfe But since you will haue it so and that I may not disobey you I will tell you briefly that which I haue learned by ordinary discourse from himselfe to whom al these things haue befalne For that we might vnderstand how happy we were to liue in quietnesse of spirit my father hath often recounted vnto vs his strange fortunes Know then Madame that Alcippe hauing beene bred by his father in the simplicitie of a shepheard had a spirit so differing from his education that euery thing pleased him better then that that sauoured of the village So that this young Infant for a presage of what he would come to and to which when he was in yeeres he addicted himselfe had no greater delight then to make assemblies of other children like himselfe whom he tooke vpon to set in order and to arme some with staues some with bowes and arrows whom he taught to draw right the menaces of the olde and wise shepheards not being able to diuert him The ancients of our Hamlets seeing his actions fore-told of great troubles in these countries and aboue all that Alcippe would be of a turbulent spirit that would neuer rest with in the limits of a shepherd When he came to the balfe part of his age by chance he fel amorous of the shepherdesse Amarillis who at that time was secretly wooed of another shepheard his neighbour called Alce And because Alcippe had so good an opinion of himselfe that he thought that there was not any shepheardesse who would not as freely entertaine his affection as he offered it he resolued to vse no great Art to tell her it so that meeting her at the sacrifice of Pan as she returned home he said vnto her I neuer thought I was of so small force that I could not resist the blowes of an enemy that wounds me vnawares She answered He that wounds by mistaking should not be called an enemy No answered he which rest not on deedes
fire of his loue nor the admirable beauties of those Romanes diuert him from the least part of what he had promised me O God with what contentment came he to meete me he besought me by his brother that I would giue him opportunity to speake with me I thinke I haue yet his letter Alas I haue more charily preserued that which came from him then himselfe And then she drew out letters which she had receiued from him and pulling out the first for they were all layd in order after she had wiped her eyes she read these words FArre Astrea my banishment hath beene ouercome of my patience God grant the like of your loue I went out with such griefe and am returned with so great contentment that not perishing neither in going nor comming I shall alwaies giue proof that one may not die neither of too much pleasure nor too much displeasure Let me then see you that I may recount my fortune vnto you that are my onely Fortune Faire Diane it is impossible I should remember the discourse which we had without wounding my selfe so that the least stroke is as greeuous to me as death During the absence of Celadon Artemis my Aunt and the mother of Phillis came to see her kinsfolke and brought with her this shepheardesse poynting to Phillis And because our fashion of liuing better pleased them then that of the shepheards of Alleer she resolued to dwell with vs which was no small contentment to vs for by this meanes we grew familiar and though the friendship was not so strait as it fell out afterward yet her humour so pleased me that I passed ouer many vnquiet houres reasonably well with her And when Celadon was returned and that he had some while conuersed with her he gaue so good a iudgement that I may truely say he is the ground of the strait amity which hath since beene betweene her and me It was about this time that he being of the age of seuenteene or eighteeneyeeres I of fifteene or sixteene we beganne to carry our selues with more wisedome so that to hide our loue I intreated him or rather I constrayned him to make loue to all the shepheardesses that had any shew of beauty that the suite he made to mee might be iudged to be rather common then particular I say I constrayned him because I thinke but for his brother Licidas he would neuer haue giuen his consent For after he had many times falne on his knees before me to call backe the charge I gaue him in the end his brother told him that it was necessary for my contentment it should be so and that if he knew no other remedy he might therein helpe himselfe by his imagination and when he spake to others he should conceit to himselfe it was to me Alas the poore shepheard had good reason to make such difficulty for he ouer-well foresaw that from it would arise the cause of his death Excuse me wise Diane if my teares interrupt my discourse seeing I haue so iust cause that it were impiety to forbid them me And after she had dryed her eyes shee renewed her discourse in this manner And because Phillis was vsually with me it was she to whom at the first he addressed himselfe but with such inforcement that I could hardly refraine from laughter and because Phillis thought he was in earnest and that she vsed him as they ordinarily doe him that beginneth to be a suiter I remember that seeing himselfe rudely handled he often sung this song which he made on that subiect A SONG VPon a certaine fountaines bankes Which moldy mosse all ouer-growes Whose water with a winding flowes Wandring through plaines in many crankes A shepheard gazing on the waue Sâ—â—g to his pipe these verses graue Cease one day cease too faire for me Before my death cruell to be Can it be that this grieuous paine Which I for louing you indure If gods be not cal'd iust in vaine At last may â—e no good procure Or can it be that such a Loue May neuer any pittie mooue The rather being great and true As that with which I honor you Those eyes whose wanton passages Haue often made me hope in vaine Full of so many forgeries Will they forsweare themselues so plaine They oft haue told me that her heart At last would rigor force to part Agreeing to which false report The rest of her faire face consort But how faire eies of shepheardesse Shall they to such false courses yeeld As are the Courtiers practices It seemes these beauties of the field Though without fucus on their skin Yet can they paint their heart within And learne a lesson in their schooles To giue but words the bane of fooles Enough it is high time O faire To end this ouer-cruell fit And thinke that beauty n'er so rare Which hath not sweetnesse mixt with it Is as an eye that wants day-light And faire that is without loue quite As most vnworthy of that cole Is like a body wanting soule Sister interrupted Phillis I remember it well you speake of and I shall make you laugh at the manner of his speech to me For for the most part it was with such broken language that we had need of an Interpreter to make vs vnderstand them and vsually when he was to name mee he would call me Astrea But see what our inclination is I knew well that Nature had in some sort preferred Celadon before Licidas yet not being able to tell you the reason Licidas was more welcome to me Alas sister sayd Astrea you bring to my remembrance the speech which he vsed about that time of you and of this faire shepheardesse sayd she turning to Diane Faire shepheardesse said he to me the wise Bellinde and your Aunt Artemis are infinitely happy in hauing such daughters and our Lignon is much bound to them since by their meanes it hath the happinesse to see vpon her shores these two faire wise shepheardesses And beleeue me if I know any thing they only deserue the amity of Astrea and therefore I aduise you to loue them for I perceiue by that little knowledge I haue of them that you shall finde great contentment in their familiarity Would to God one of them would vouchsafe to respect my brother Licidas with the like affection that I beare And for that at that time I had no great knowledge of you fayre Diane I answered that I desired he should rather serue Phillis and it fell out as I wished for the ordinary conuersation he had with her at the first brought forth familiarity betweene them and at last he loued in earnest One day when he found her at leisure he resolued to declare his affection with much loue and with the fewest words he could Faire shepheardesse said he you haue knowledge enough of your selues to beleeue that those which loue you can not but loue you infinitely It can not be that my actions haue giuen you any knowledge
nor any other accident will I refuse you euer For the apparances of that we desire will not suffer vs to please our selfe though from else-where we haue sufficient assurance Well brother since your will is so I will do that for you which shall not be small what hazard soeuer I thrust my selfe into And then she went on You know the likenesse of our faces of our stature and speech and but for our habit they that are ordinarily with vs would take vs the one for the other If you thinke the onely meane to come to your purpose is to conuerse with Diane without suspition how can wee finde one more easie or more secret then to change habits you and I For being taken for a mayde Filidas will neuer conceiue euil opinion how neere soeuer you come to Diane and I returning to Gerestan in your habit will tell him that Daphnis and Diane keep you there â—erforce and we must inuent some good excuse for me to get leaue of my husband to goe see them but I know not what were best since hee is as you know so hard to be intreated Indeed sister answered Filander I neuer doubted of your good nature but at this time I must consesse there was neuer a better sister and since it pleaseth you to take this paine I beseech you if I enioy her to accuse my loue which constrained it and to beleeue that it is the only meane to conserue the life of that brother whom you loue And then he embraced her with so great an acknowledgement of the obligation which hee hath had that shee became more desirous to pleasure him then before At last she sayd let vs leaue these words to those that loue lesse and let vs onely looke to set our hand to the worke For leaue sayd he wee shall easily get it dissembling that all the good cheere which was made mee by Filidas was to no other purpose then that Amidor had to woo the niece of your husband And because this charge will trouble him I assure my selfe it will be easie for you to goe if we giue him to know that you and Daphnis together may well treate of this marriage But what order shall wee take for our haire yours being long and mine ouer-short which will be a great inconuenience Trouble not your selfe for that said she if you suffer yours to grow a little it will be enough to serue vnder a coife as I vse and for mine I will cut them like yours But said hee Sister will you not be loth to clip your head Brother said she think not I hold any thing dearer then your contentment besides that I shall auoyd many importunities while you weare my clothes and not lying neere Gerestan so that if I must haue my head shorne I will not make difficulty to doe it With this word he embraced her saying that God would one day deliuer him of that torment And not to lose time Filander on the first occasion that he thought fit spake with Gerestan representing to him that alliance so easily to be compassed and so profitable that hee will suffer himselfe easily to be led But because Filander would giue time to let his haire grow he made shew to goe to giue order to his affayres and that hee would returne very shortly And Filidas no sooner knew of Filanders returne but she went to see him accompanied onely with Amidor and would not leaue him without bringing him to vs where he stayed seuen or eight dayes not hauing the hardinesse to shew himselfe to mee more then at the first During this time to shew how hard a thing it is to force nature long though Filidas counterfeited the man as well as sâ—â—â—e could yet was shee constrained to feele the passions of a woman for the courage and merits of Filander wrought the same effect in her that he desired they should in me But Loue which takes delight to turne the actions of the most aduised contrary to their purpose made him giue the blow on the side he least looked for So behold the poore Filidas so farre besides her selfe that she could not liue without Filander and wooed him with such apparent shewes that he was astonished at it and but for the desire he had to be neere me he would neuer haue endured that fashion of life In the end when he thought his hayre was long enough to put vnder a coife hee returned to Gerestan and told him he had made a good entrance to their businesse but that Daphnis thought fit before she spake that Amidor might see his neece in some place that they might know if she pleased him and that the better way was that Callire should bring her that so there might be a beginning of amity that could not choose but be auaylable Gerestan which desired nothing with more passion then to be discharged of his Niece thought this proposition very good gaue absolute coÌ„mandement to his wife who to egge him on the better made shew of not liking it well at the first propounding some difficulty in the iourney and seeming to be sorry to depart from him saying that shee knew well that such affairs wold not fal out as we would nor so readily as was expected and that in the mean time their affaires would speed the worse at home But Gerestan that would not haue her haue any other will then his was so earnest that three dayes after he caused her to goe with her brother and his Niece The first day she went to lodge at Filanders house where in the morning they changed habit which fell out so well for the one and the other that they which conuersed with them knew it not and I must tell you I was deceiued as well as others there being no difference betweene them that I could obserue But I may easily be deceiued since Filidas was so though shee looked but with the eyes of Loue which are said to bee more piercing then those of Linxe's For presently after their comming they left vs the fained Callire I would say Filander and led the true into a chamber to rest in As they were in the way her brother instructed her what to answer and especially informed her of the Loue-tricks shee should vse resembling said hee those that are in loue whereby both the one and the other were offended and though Callire were fully resolued to beare all his importunities for the contentment of her brother yet so it was that shee thinking Filidas to bee a man that it was no small horror to her that she was constrained to speake to him As for vs when we were withdrawn alone Daphnis I did all the kindnesses that are vsuall among women I meane among those where there is Loue and priuacy which this shepheard tooke and gaue with that transport that as hee since swore hee was quite beside himselfe If I had not beene a very child it may be his actions might haue made me
I haue of Carlis You say you do loue me If a more credible person than you should tell me so it may be I might beleeue him for I know well I deserue it But I that neuer lied assure you that I loue you not at all and therefore doubt not of it so should I seeme to haue small iudgement to loue an humour so contemptible If you finde these words somewhat tâ—o rude remember Hylas I am constrayned to the end you may not perswade your selfe that you are beloued of me Carlis is witnesse to me of the condition of Hylas and Hylas shal be of mine if at least he will at any time say true If this answer please you giue thankes to the prayer of Hermante if it displease remember you accuse none but your selfe Hermante had not seene this Letter when he deliuered it me and yet he had an opinion there was much coldnesse in it yet did not hee thinke shee should haue made it so strange neyther was he so much astonied as my selfe for I stoode like a man bereaued of his wits letting the Letter fall on the ground and after being come to my selfe I pulled downe my hat ouer mine eares cast mine eyes downe on the earth crossed mine armes ouer my brest and a great pace without speaking began to walke about the chamber Hermante stood immoueable in the middest not so much as casting his eyes towards me We stayed some time in this manner not speaking at last in an instant striking one hand against the other and making a leape in the middest of the chamber At her peril said I aloude let her seeke who will loue her that she may know if there want in Carmaine shepheardesses more faire than she and who wil be wel pleased that Hylas would serue them And then turning to him O what a foole is Stilliane said I if she thinke I will loue by force and I shall haue but little courage if I euer trouble my selfe for her and why thinkes shee her selfe better than another It is true she deserues one should suffer some paine for her I assure my selfe Hermante she resolued it while you talked with her and that could not be without making at least her eyes narrow without biting her lip and without rubbing one hand on another to make them white I scoffe at her fancies and her selfe too if she thinke I take more care for her than I doe for the greatest stranger in Gaule She knowes not how to reproch me but with my Carlis True it is I loue her and in despite of her I will loue her still and I make no question but she shall soone enough finde her want of wisedome but she must neuer hope that Hylas can loue her I spake such like words at which I saw Hermante change colour but I was then ignorant of the cause since I haue iudged it was for the feare he had that I might come againe into the good graces of his Mistris Yet made he no other shew but that he strained himselfe to laugh and told mee it would make them much amazed when they should see that change if I tooke that resolution as readily would I execute it and in that disseine I went to finde out Carlis of whom I asked a thousand pardons for the Letter which I had written to her assuring her that it was not want but transport of affection She that was angry with me as one may well thinke after she had heard me quietly at last answered me thus Hylas if the assurances you make to me of your good will be true I am satisfied if they be false thinke not that euer you can remoue the amity which for euer you haue broken for your humour is very dangerous She would haue sayd on when Stilliane to shew her the Letter I had written to her comming to visit her interrupted vs when she saw me by Carlis Wake I or dreame I sayd she all astonied Is this Hylas that I see or is it some fancy Carlis wel pleased with this meeting It is Hylas indeede companion sayd she deceiue not your selfe and if it please you to come neere you shall heare the sweete words with which he cries me mercy and how he vnsayes all that which he had written to me submitting himselfe to such punishment as shall please mee His chasticement answered Stilliane ought to be no other than to make him continue the affection he beares me To you said Carlis so farre is it that hee sware when you entred in that hee loued none but mee And since when added Stilliane I know well at the least that I haue a good writing that Hermante an howre since brought me in his behalfe and that you may not doubt of that I say reade this paper and you shall see if I lie O God what became of me at these words I sweare vnto you faire shepheardesse that I was not able to open my mouth for my defence And that which ruined me for euer was that by mis-hap many other shepheardesses came in at the same time to whom they told this tale so much to my disaduantage that I could not possibly tarry there any longer but without speaking a word vnto them I came to tell Hermante my misaduenture who had like to haue dyed with laughter as indeed the matter deserued This bruite so spred ouer all Carmague that I durst not talke to any one shepheardesse that cast it not in my teeth whereat I conceiued such shame that I resolued to goe out of the I le for some time You may see if when I was young I tooke such thought to be called inconstant I ought not at this houre to giue backe a step See what it is sayd Paris one must be an apprentice before he be a master It is true answered Hylas and the worst is wee must often pay for our apprentiship But to come to our discourse being no longer able to endure the ordinary warre which euery one made on me the most secretly I could possibly I gaue order for my businesse and referred the whole care to Hermante and after I put my selfe into a great vessell that lanched out with many others I had then no other purpose but to trauell and passe away the time grieuing no more for Carlis nor Stilliane than if I had neuer seene them for I had so lost their remembrance when I lost their sight that I had not the least sorrow But see how hard it is to crosse the naturall disposition I had no sooner set my foote into the Barke but I sawe a new subiect of Loue. There was among many other passengers an old woman which went to Lyons to render her vowes in the Temple of Venus which shee had made for her sonne and carried with her her daughter in law for the same cause and who with good cause might beare the name of faire for she was no lesse then Stilliane and much more then Carlis her name
the memory of your faithfull seruant from you but that it continually flyes back to the most happie abode where while I am so farre distant from you I leaue all my glory so that not being able to deny my affection the curiositie to know how my Lady doth after I haue a thousand times kissed your Robe I present you with all the good fortunes wherewith Arms are pleased to fauour me and offer them at your feet as to the Diuinitiâ— to which I acknowledge them If you receiue them for yours Renowne will giue them you in my behalfe which promises me as well as your selfe the honour of your good graces to your most humble seruant I care not then said Galathee neyther for him nor his victories he shall bind me more to forget me For Gods sake said Leonide Madame say not so if you knew how well he is esteemed both by Meroue and Childerick I cannot beleeue being borne as you are but you will make more of him then of a Shepheard I say a Shepheard that loues you not and whom you see sighing before you for the affection of a Shepheardesse You may thinke that all that I speake is out of cunning It is true presently answered Galathee Well Madame answered Leonide you may beleeue what pleaseth you but I sweare vnto you by all that may be most fearefull to the periured That in this iourney by great chance I saw that Impostor Clemanthe and that cunning Polymas talking of what happened to you and discouering betweene them all the tricks they had vsed Leonide added Galathee you lose time I am resolued what I will doe talke no more to me of it I will doe Madame what you command said she but suffer me to say one word What doe you meane to doe with this Shepheard I will haue him loue me said she Wherein replyed Leonide purpose you that this amitie shall be concluded You are ouer-busie said Galathee to wish me to know the things to come only let him loue me and then we will see what we haue to doe Yet continued Leonide though one know not what will happen yet in all our designes wee must haue some Butt whereto wee may ayme I thinke in all said Galathee except those of loue and for my part I will haue no other designe but that he loue me Then replyed Leonide it must be so for there is no likelyhood that you will marry him and not marrying him what will become of that honour which you haue preserued to your selfe for it cannot be that this new loue can blind you so but that you will find the wrong you doe to your selfe to wish for your louer the man whom you would not marry And you said she Leonide that are so scrupulous tell me true are you enuious that I should marry him I Madame answered she I hold him to be too meane a thing and I humbly beseech you not to thinke me of so small courage that I will dayne to cast mine eye on him And if euer there were any man that had the power to giue me feeling of loue I freely protest to you the respect which I haue borne you hath made me withdraw When was that added Galathee Then said shee when you commanded me Madame to make no more of Polemas O what grace you haue cryed Galathee by your faith did you neuer loue Celadon I will sweare vnto you by the faith I owe to you Madame answered she that I neuer loued Celadon otherwise then as if he had beene my brother And in that she lyed not for after the shepheard spake so plainely to her at the last time she found out the wrong she did to her selfe and so resolued to change the loue into amitie Well Leonide said the Nymph let vs leaue this discourse and that likewise of Lindamor for the Dye is cast And what answer said she will you make to Lindamor I will make him said she no other but by silence And what thinke you said she will become of him when the man hee sent returnes without Letters Let what may said Galathee become of him for for my part neyther his resolution nor any others shall euer be cause for me to make my selfe miserable Is it not then necessarie answered Leonide that Flurial goe backe No said she Leonide then told her coldly that there was a young man that would speake with Siluy and that shee beleeued hee was come from Ligdamon and he would not tell his message but onely to Siluy her selfe We must answered the Nymph send him where shee is wee must not thinke much to draw the Curtaynes of the Bed where Celadon lyes for I assure my selfe hee will be glad to heare what Ligdamon hath written for me thinkes you haue alreadie told him all their loues It is true answered Leonide but Siluy is so disdainefull and so loftie that without doubt she would be offended that the messenger should speake to her especially before Celadon Wee must said shee take her on the suddaine Onely goe before and will the shepheard not to speake a word and draw the Curtaynes and I will bring him in So parted these Nymphs And Galathee knowing the young man as hauing often seene him with Ligdamon demaunded whence hee came and what newes hee brought from his Master I come Madame said hee from the Armie of Mâ—roue and as for newes from my Master I must not tell them but to Siluy Truly said the Nymph you are very secret and thinke you I will suffer you to say any thing vnto my Nymphs which I shall not know Madame said hee it shall be before you if it please you for I haue that commaundement and principally before Leonide Come then said the Nymph and so shee brought him into the Chamber of Celadon where alreadie Leonide had giuen the order as she had appointed without saying any thing to Siluy who at the first was astonied but afterward seeing Galathee enter with this young man shee iudged that it was to keepe the shepheard from being seene The amazement shee found was great when shee saw Egide that was the young mans Name whome shee knew presently for though shee had no loue for Ligdamon yet shee could not exempt her selfe from all kind of good will shee iudged rightly that hee would tell her some newes but shee would not aske him But Galathee turning to the young man said See where Siluy is you haue no more to doe but to goe through with your Message since you desire that Leonide and I should be by Madame said Egide turning to Siluy my Master the most faithfull seruant that your merits euer wonne you hath commaunded me to let you know what his fortune hath beene wishing no other thing from Heauen as a recompence of his fidelitie but that one sparke of pittie may touch you since none of loue could come neere the yee of your heart How now said Galathee interrupting his speech it seemes hee hath made his
one attainted if he had any of his friends that would offer himselfe for him he proffered to fight in that quarrell that if he were ouercome he would set him at liberty that otherwise lustice should be done And to giue time to his kinsfolkes and friends he would keepe him a moneth in his custody that if none come within that time hee would giue him ouer into the rigorous hands of the Ancients of Roaâ— to be handled as he deserues and that there might be no aduantage to any he would this Combat should be fought with Sword and Dagger in their shirts But Lipandas being accounted one of the valintest men in all Normandy there was not one that had the hardinesse to vndertake this combate besides that the friends of Lidias not vnderstanding of it could not performe that good office Sir knight when I remember the contraries which shake me when I heard this newes I must confesse I was neuer more confounded in my life no not when this perfidious man forlooke me Then would Loue haue me know that the propositions made against him are more weake when he will then the waues that beat in vaine against the rock to make it shake for to pay the tribute of Loue you must run to the ordinary moneys with which his imposts are payd which are teares But after long and vaine bewailing the persidious Lidias I must in the end resolue of his safetie thogh it cost me both my restanâ—d honor And transported with this new furie or rather with this renewing of Loue I resolued to go to Callais with an intent to finde the meanes there to aduertise the kinsmen and friends of Lidias and giuing order with as great secresie as I could for my voyage one night I stole away in the habit you see me but my fortune was so hard that I stayd aboue fifteene dayes before I could find a ship that went that way I know not what became of my parents when they saw I was gone for I heard no newes of them since onely I know the old age of my poore father can hardly beare out this griefe for he loued me more tenderly then I did my selfe and hath euer so carefully bred me that I am oftentimes astonied how I could endure the discommodities which since my departure I haue borne and I must say it is Loue and not my selfe But to hold on our course after I had stayd fifteene or sixteene daies at the Sea side at last there came a ship in which I went to Callais when I had no more then fiue or sixe dayes of the Terme that Lipandas had giuen The tossing of the ship had so distempered me that I was constrained to keepe my bed two dayes so that I had no time to aduertise kinsmen of Lidias especially not knowing who they were nor where they dwelt If this troubled me you may iudge especially because me thought I was come at the time to see him die and to be present at his funerals O Gods how do you dispose vs I was so ouerlayd with this disaster that day and night the teares were in mine eyes At last the day before the Terme transported with a desire to dye before Lidias I resolued to enter into the combat against Lipandas What resolution or rather what despaire was this for all my life long I neuer tooke sword in my hand knew not well with which hand to hold the dagger or the sword and yet behold me resolued to enter into combat with a knight who all his life had bene vsed to that mysterie and who had alwaies wonne the title of braue and valiant But all these considerations were nothing against me that chose to die before he whom I loued lost his life And though I knew well I could not saue him yet was it no little satisfaction to me that he should haue that proofe of my loue One thing tormented me infinitely which I endeauoured to remedie which was the feare lest Lidias might know me and left that might hinder my designe because we were to fight vnarmed To remedy which I sent a scroule to Lipandas whereby after I had desyed him I desired that being both knights wee might serue our selues of the armor which knights vse and not like desperate persons Hee answered that the next morning he would be in the field and that I might come armed and so would he though he would haue it at his owne choyce after he had begunne the combat in that sort for my satisfaction to finish it for his owne as he had propounded at the beginning I that doubted not but in what sortsoeuer I was to die accepted what he would And with this purpose in the morning I presented my selfe in the field armed at all poynts but I must confesse the truth I was so combred with my armor that I knew not how to stirre They that saw me go staggering thought it was for feare of the combat and it was out of weakenesse Soone after behold Lipandas came armed and mounted to his aduantage who at his first setting out made them afraide whom the danger no way touched and beleeue you not that I was amazed But when the poore Lidias was brought on a scaffold to be present at the combat for the pitie which I had to see him in such case touched me so that I stayd long without being able to stirre At last the Iudges led me to him to know if he accepted me for his champion Hee asked me who I was then counterfeiting my voyce content your selfe Lidias sayd I I that am the onely man that will vndertake this fight for you Since it is so replyed hee you must be a person of valour and therefore sayd he turning to the Iudges I accept him and as I was going he sayd Valiant knight feare not but our quarrell is iust Lidias answered I I would you had no other iniustice and then I withdrew my selfe so resolued to dye that I hardly tarryed for the trumpets giuing signall of battaile Indeede at the first sound I set forward but my horse shooke me so sore that in stead of bearing my lance as I should I let it go as Fortune would so that in place of striking him I thrust it into the necke of the horse leauing the speare in his body whereupon the horse ranne at the first about the field in despite of his maister at last fell downe dead Lipandas was comming against me with such an eagernesse to do well that his ouer great desire made him misse his blow for my part my horse went whither he would for all that I could doe was to keepe my selfe from falling and stopping of himselfe and hearing Lipandas crying to me to turne him with many reuilings for that I had killed his horse I came backe when I had layd my hand on my sword the best I could and not without paine but my horse which happily I had spurred more then his courage would beare as soone