admitted fear for the hazard of my Life what could I do nay what acknowledgment might my thoughts be capable to fathom that might suit with the effects of such a bounty This put me in possession of the most glorious estate that my reason would let me wish for and though the Divine Mariamne was neither able nor willing to bow her soul to any sentiments which she judged unjust and criminal yet she let me have as much estimation and affection as innocence could part with All those to whom either good fortune or a long perseverance had given an entire possession of what they lov'd could not boast so dear a satisfaction as mine nor could I fancy so much glory and happiness in having the rerest beauties of the World at my feet as I found in kissing the Robe of Mariamne I say her Robe for I never kissed her hand but by surprizal and when I took that Licence it cost me the pains of many days to expiate the boldness The different effects of my passion produced as many varieties in her sometimes she laughed at the extravagancies which the violence of it forced from me but the cruelty of my sufferings still made her conclude with Pity Indeed she would take up an earnest anger when any word chanced to seape my Mouth that she thought favoured of impiety for the severity of her Religion which acknowledged but one Deity would not permit me to attribute any thing Divine unto her but when I did she would use all the authority she had to command me silence I received her words as I would do Oracles for she never spake any thing but what deserv'd an entire attention and an eternal memory Tyridates said she one day to me how commendable it would be in you and how much you might oblige me for my sake and your own to recover your self of this distemper which must be fatal to one of us and possibly may betray us both to destruction I suffer'd the beginning of it with an indulgence that cannot be excus'd and 't is that hath render'd me guilty both of your misfortunes and your faults Employ the same courage wherewith you vanquish'd Judea's enemies to combat this Domestick Foe I know you have virtue enough for the Design if you would use it try but to oppose it with all the Forces of your reason and you will carry an undoubted victory in which both you and I shall find our perfect repose and satisfaction I have yet by the Grace of my God led my life in innocence and taken no licence from the provocations of Herod to commit any act unworthy of my Birth do not desire Tyridates to blemish that in me which you prize highest because 't is undefiled to drop a blot upon my Fame which can never be washed off again if you have yet blinded the eyes of Herod do not dim you own with a hope of the same success for the future Salome hath an interest that will set Spies upon all your actions and soon discover enough to ruine you and if that cruel woman doth neither spare the clearest innocence nor the nearest alliance 't is but just you should fear her as a Stranger and a man who in her opinion is already culpable The fair Queen utter'd these words with a Grace wholly Divine but alas they found little inclination in me to be so wrought upon for what influence could she hope upon a spirit that had reserv'd no power to dispose of it self that could resent nothing in those sweet words but what redoubled the passion they disswaded and render'd it incapable of that rigorous complacence she demanded I shewed her this weakness of mine in as passionate and submissive expressions as my love could utter protested how impossible it was to obey her and forgot nothing that I thought might stir her goodness I say her goodness for upon that only I built all my Fortune But I had roved too much in a Calm too long belied my unfortunate Birth and the Science of those Astrologers that condemned me to so many misfortunes Till then I had so warily kept my passion under hatches as the King though of a most diffident nature had not perceived it but Salome that surveyed my actions with more design than all the rest who of her self was one of the subtilest Women in the World at first suspected and in the end by divers marks discovered the truth of it Of this she gave me some intelligence by the words she let fall at my departure for the Army and though they sensibly touched and taught me to carry more care in my behaviour for the future to lessen her suspition yet all those endeavours proved unfruitful and the Artifice I employ'd to disguise my Affection which in all likelihood would have gotten credit in any Soul but Salome's in her produced an affection quite contrary and confirm'd her in that mischievous belief she had already entertain'd when this was once established in her head Spight came and joyned so violently with it that in a short time I think Hatred flam'd higher in her heart than ever Love had done the Queen she alwayes mortally hated as well out of envy of her admirable qualities which had inspir'd all others with Love and Veneration as some disdain she apprehended in that great Princess who indeed could not so debase her spirit to smile on such as she deem'd unworthy of affability Besides her power was too great with the King and Salome that aim'd to be uppermost in his favour was stung with discontent at the Queens authority With these considerations she mingled her Jealousie which stirr'd up such impetuous storms in her Breast as made it capable of the foulest Treasons and blackest Crimes and if she hardly endured her disrespect and authority she could not look upon her as a Rival without resolving her ruine and with her to destroy that which a few dayes before her Affection had set at so high a value This change may appear strange unto you but it was so true that she no sooner believed me amorous of Mariamne but that Love with which she had before perplexed me was converted into such a Hatred as render'd her apt to entertain most violent resolutions and set her presently a hatching a design to involve me in the mischiefs she prepar'd for that innocent Princess she was so well acquainted with the King her Brothers spirit as she knew it to be of the same temper with her own and therefore doubted not but to make the least impressions she could give him powerful enough to destroy us By this way as the most assured and the least dangerous she resolved our ruine and began to labour it with all the subtilty that her Malice could invent she first began to observe the long stay I made in Judea notwithstanding that I might elsewhere find Sanctuaries of more assurance and that the Emperour Augustus an enemy to the King of Parthia had invited me to
beauty capable to stay you with us you who by the report of those who are acquainted with your inclinations are of an humour to transport your self into all places whither the occasions of honour and war invite you It is certain Madam said I to her that I have found their chains strong enough to captivate the freest souls and that all the power which the considerations of glory can have over our spirits is not capable to defend us against the prevalency of a divine beauty I hope answered Arsinoe that we should one day know the beauty which hath done us this good office and if we have not credit enough to learn it at this time from your own mouth time and your actions will discover it to us hereafter That shall be replyed I as late as possibly I can and if this too audacious flame doth not of it self bring to light the cause which kindled it my mouth will hardly dispose it self to betray it and to discover the secret of an heart which hath no way to establish the remainder of its repose but only in silence We had during the walk of the Princesses whom I had the honour to accompany till their return divers other discourses upon the same subject without any farther declaring of my self and the goodness of the Princess made me lose nothing of the respect and fear which kept my tongue in restraint From this day forward she questioned me a little upon what I had confessed but it was always with an obliging discretion and the marvellous moderation with which she regulated all her actions hindred her from pressing me for fear of creating me a displeasure In the mean while it was the pleasure of fortune that in the Court of Armenia there were Ladies by whom I was not hated and amongst those which were neither of a mean rank nor beauty there were some which gave me testimonies of their friendship whereof possibly any other but my self would not have been insensible but my soul being prepossessed and I being transported by the immoderate ambition which hath always elevated my thoughts above my self I dis-esteemed that which other persons in a condition like to mine would without doubt have looked upon with obligation Yet Cinthia a Lady really very beautiful of an excellent spirit and born of an illustrious family amongst the Armenians obliged me both by the proofs of her affection and the qualities of her person to consider her with more attention than others and remarking in her parts good enough to perswade them that might observe me that she was capable to make me love her I was not sorry that some small services which I rendred her served as covering to my true passion and took away all knowledge and suspicion of it from persons who without doubt would not have approved of it Cinthia not without reason being prepossessed with a good opinion enough of her self and flattered by the inclination she had for me easily believed that I loved her and to keep me in this humour she forgot nothing on her part which an honest Maid might contribute thereunto She was always near the Princesses and particularly engaged to Arsinoe who esteemed and favoured her above all the Ladies of the Court The merit of this Lady and the obligation I had to her gave me really particular considerations for her but as I have a soul incapable of all kind of dissimulation I never inclined my spirit to counterfeit transports and torments which she never made me suffer I should have had too much repugnance for this action and besides the impossibility which I have to disguise my self I should have thought it contrary to good breeding to abuse the spirit of a Lady worthy of other usage and of a real esteem but only having noted by divers very evident marks that she had affection for me I was willing to testifie unto her above all others that I was not ingrateful to her goodness I rendred her visits with great assiduity and gave her often to understand by my discourses the advantages which were remarkable in her person and if at any time I intermingled any thing which might seem to proceed from any other original than acknowledgment and esteem it was with so much reservation and so little engagement that she could find no reasonable ground to perswade her self that I was passionate for her Yet for all that she was apt to believe it and observing the difference between the manner of my conversation with her and my carriage towards others she easily imagined that she had produced in me part of that which was observed in the change of my humour I upheld her as I told you in this belief so long as I was not importuned upon that account and that it served to conceal my real passion and during this time there passed divers conversations betwixt us which I will not repeat unto you because the discourse would be too long and amongst the great things I have to tell you I hold it not important to the relation of my life but when she would appropriate all my cares to her self and have me quit all things to attend and serve her and that she her self made propositions to me of nearer engagement in relation to Marriage I made conscience of suffering her to continue any longer in her errour and endeavoured to put her out of it by the sweetest ways possible One day after she had made me a long discourse to oblige me to desire the consent of her Parents that I might be engaged to a tie to which I had no thought to submit my self Fair Cinthia said I to her methinks you should not use precipitation in an affair of such importance I have been so small a time in your sight and service that you hardly have any knowledge of my nature besides I am in a condition wherein without doubt your Parents will disapprove of my pretentions I am born without estate in a fortune disproportionable to yours and without any other advantages than what I may hope for from my Sword It hath begun to do me successful service and before the twentieth year of my age by that alone I find my self prompted to conceive the highest hopes let us attend some effect thereof with patience and give me leave to see my self in a condition to obtain the approbation of your Friends before I put my self in danger of being exposed to their dis-esteem You need not fear replyed Cinthia the dis-esteem of those who already esteem your person much more than riches for want of which you believe they might disdain you and besides that your vertue which is more considerable to me than all the advantages of fortune may produce the same effect in the minds of my parents they see you in such a degree of esteem with the King that by his favour you may aspire to the highest dignities If there be any apparent reason answered I to conceive these hopes let us
distemper'd than mine and had therefore more judgment at the Stern to apprehend how much the Civility I proffer'd might displease Herod and deeply endanger me she refus'd it and having no time to explain her thoughts she only made me a sign with hor Eye to retire I came back again to the King with much regret whom I had indeed displeased with this action but it was otherwise taken from me than it would have been from any one of his own Subjects he thundred still against the Queen in most bitter terms but seeing that without unmasking my inclinations it was in vain to speak in her defence with much constraint I silently heard all his injurious Language a few dayes after he was appeased by the powerful Ascendant the Queen had upon his spirit but he quickly relapsed again and their whole life was nought else but that continual Disorder which usually results from the incompatibility of Vice and Virtue In the mean time Salome had given so many clear proofs of her Affection as I could scarce any longer personate an ignorance and though she had still the power to foâ—â—id her self an open Declaration yet she had said enough and her actions had too well seconded her Discourse to permit me to doubt it I had sought all wayes to escape this discovery and when I was perfectly assured of the Truth yet I dissembled it as much as was possible Salome well judged by her actions and mine that I knew well enough what pinched her and this coldness kindled in her such a despight as in any Spirit but hers would have been capable to have quenched Affection We met one day at the House of Pheroras whom I often visited and who at that time was indispos'd after we had spent some time by the beds side Salome that longed to exchange some particular Discourse invited me to walk with her into an adjoyning Gallery pretending to shew me some Pictures I could not civilly avoid the snare and lending her my hand I led her thither where we entertain'd some time in perusing the Pictures wherein were represented the most memorable Events of the Judaick History there she shewed me so many admirable things as might pose the belief of all but those of their own Religion She pointed at some Captains which in the midst of their Battels with their Prayers staid the course of the Sun and gave a prodigious day to the Universe of others that opened the flanks of the Red-Sea for their Troops to pass through but she chiefly insisted upon the actions of David the greatest of their Kings and upon those of his Son Solomon which among them passed for a Miracle of Wisdom and relating in order the Life of that latter she particularly staid upon one Picture that represented a Beautiful Queen that fell so in love with the same of Solomon's Virtues as she abandon'd her Realm and travell'd a vast tract of Land to visit him Salome took occasion to assault me with this History having compriz'd it in a few words This Prince continued she was the wisest of all men and yet disdain'd not the affictions of a Prince that loved him but requited her with his to the satisfaction of all her Desires At these words Salome though in a little confusion beheld me with a fixed eye and by that action oblig'd me to answer her It was but just said I that a King so virtuous as you have spoken him should be flexible to so fair a Queen that had forsaken her Estate to eâ—â—pose her self to the hazard and inconvenience of a long Voyage to see him this enterprize was so considerable in the person of a great Princess as Solomon could not have been just as you have represented him 〈◊〉 he used her ingratefully You have said enough to convince your self said Salome and if these be your own thoughts you should consider what you owe to Princesses who 't is true have neither abandoned Realms nor traversed Provinces to see you but abandoned for your sake a Liberty more dear than Empires and trampled upon Obstacles more difficult to surmount than the incommodities of a Voyage This Discourse which I had alvayes feared put me to trouble past all dissembling and seeing my self oblig'd to reply I am too unfortunate said I to believe that ought can appear in the miseries of my Life but Subjects of Compassion the Affections of Princesses will doubtless find Objects more worthy of themselves and I am too far from imagining that a Wretch exiled from his Country persecuted by his King that hath no retreat upon Earth but what he owes for to the King your Brothers Bounty should triumph over those precious Liberties which are doubtless reserv'd for Persons more happy and for such as by the loss of their own with a long succession of faithful Service have deserv'd them Those that have bought them at a lower rate said Salome are more obliged than such as paid for them with Pains Blood and years of Service and without extream ingratitude they cannot prefer those things that have been dearly sold to such as have been liberally given them You are of this number Tyridates You evade the notice of Obligations that you may fly Occasions of Requital you are better esteem'd in Herod's Court than you desire to be and the Misfortunes of your Life are there less considered than the qualities of your Person You know this for truth though you force a cunning ignorance to disguise it You are too clear-sighted not to perceive it by a thousand actions and as many Discourses which have but too plainly declar'd it But disdain closes your eyes and ears and none but such a Soul as that you play the Tyrant with but would turn edge at your neglect yet she hath persevered many years in the same ardour and with much satisfaction would so continue her whole life time if you would let her hope that such a constancy should not go unrewarded While Salome pronounced these words her eyes let fall their looks upon the earth with all the signs of shame which she was not able to dissemble and indeed how should she when my self was so ashamed in her behalf as I had a harder task to hide it from her than to find words to answer her Madam said I after I had a while kept silence till now my Soul hath been so chain'd to the consideration of my Miseries as it hath not been capable of other thoughts and I have found so little appearance nay so little reason in what you have done me the honour to let me know as it could never have enter'd my imaginations 'T is this that must answer for the faults I committed and not a disdain which never grew in my Nature and which I should practise but unhandsomely The Gods have not given me those advantageous qualities to look up at a Fortune so little thought of and though it should offer it self indeed into my Arms in this wretched condition whereto
Marcellus nor your Love to Cleopatra I was only desirous to try the temper of your heart and now I have seen how well it guards the fidelity you owe your friend and Mistress it shall heighten my esteem of your merits She brought forth these words with a constraint that my Master easily observed and though she strove to hide it by entring a discourse upon other subjects yet she followed it in so much disorder and confusion as perceiving it would ask some time to undistemper her reason she bad Coriolanus good night My Master went away better instructed than he desired in Julia's inclinations and though by her last words which despight had utter'd she seem'd to retract what before she had too easily offered yet he was not so ignorant as not to discover the truth he since did me the honour to tell me that he never resented any thing in his life with so much anxiety sadly reflecting upon his own impuissance to satisfie the Princess desires but much more upon Marcellus interests whom he now perceived so lightly forsaken and foresaw how cruelly he was us'd by Julia's lenity nevertheless he was unwilling to acquaint his friend with this unwelcome news and there resolved to stay till Julia's humour should change or Marcellus learn it from some other mouth nor would his discretion give him leave to let Cleopatra know of it as well to conceal the shame of Caesars Daughter and his friends Mistress as to forbear a Discourse that might betray the least appearance of vanity In the mean time he carefully fled all occasions of meeting Julia alone and that Princess perceived it with a despight that might well have banisht him her breast had her power been proportioned to her anger but she had force enough to hide her flames for a time and treat my Master with a more reserved carriage than was usual however he abated her no respect but still paid her his Civilities in as specious a manner as her quality could challenge only he was careful to escape both her entertainment and her sight when the place was void of witness Julia for a time feigned her self very well satisfied and meeting him one day in a Gallery that belonged to Livia's Lodgings notwithstanding he was accompanied with two or three of his friends Coriolanus said she passing by him there is seldome safety in presumption you lately passed a serious construction upon what was meant in Jest pray disabuse your self and be not so lightly seduced by an erroneous opinion My Master would have replyed had she given him time but she passed by him so swiftly as he had not the leisure to shape an answer and he was a little troubled at the manner of these words though he found some cause of satisfaction in them Thus Julia persevered in her behaviour for some daies still treating my Master with a cold indifference and her Spirit wanting resolution to endure too much violence herinclinations got the victory of her anger and she began to speak at the eyes in such accents as soon gave Coriolanus intelligence her resentments were dissipated but as before he stop'd his ears at her words so now he shut his eyes at her glances and composed all his actions with so much Caution towards her as if her spirit were not hardy beyond Example she could never have had the confidence to bring her affection again into the Scene She repented of all she had said to revoke the first Declaration and desirous to repair that breach meeting him one day at Court she drew him to a window and when respect had drawn those that stood near to a greater distance advancing her head towards him in a languishing manner speaking so low as none could over hear her Coriolanus said she think it no more a mockery when you are told that Julia loves you for believe it 't is a perfect truth My Master was surprized at these words yet not so deeply as to be unfurnished of a ready answer Madam said he I am now grown so well acquainted with your intentions as I cannot be any more mistaken and since this sport does divert you I should be loath to oppose the pleasure you take in pursuing it Julia was sorry she had lent my Master weapons to defend himself against her and having now no time to explain her self further she only tryed to perswade him with a fiery blush that her words were serious and that she had displayed her naked thoughts but with too much truth However the Prince concludes to personate an ignorance arms her own discourse against her self and still feigns an interpretation of her words and actions as the effects of Raillery in the mean time as it became him as well in reference to her birth as Marcellus affection he still treated her with his usual deferrence and because in that point he deemed it not fit to disoblige her he could not so cunningly evade her company but she oft engag'd him in long discourses and then used so little skil in concealing her affection as few persons frequented their company that had not already discovered it Marcellus as the most interessed took the impression deeper than all the rest and receiving dayly symptoms from Julia's deportment that no longer permitted him to doubt her inconstancy the blindness of his passion made him stumble upon a Jealousie that Julia not only loved Coriolanus but was beloved again by him this belief had no sooner got credit with him but it produced effects that had like to have dragged him to his Tomb and when he called to mind those rare proofs he had given Coriolanus of his amity he could not reflect upon the ingratitude of which his thoughts had now pronounced him guilty without falling into a mortal Agony his cruel jealousie for some days made him flie the sight of that unfaithful friend and seek out solitude in the most untrodden places discoursing his woes to himself in the saddest fashion that grief could invent My Master who could never endure to be long out of his sight sought him on all sides and understanding one day that he was retired alone into those Allyes of the Pallace Garden that verge upon the Tiber he followed him thither without a companion and at last found him laid upon one of the seats of an Arbour in the most unfrequented part of the Garden At my Masters approach he suddenly started up and discovered such a wild troubled look as my Prince no longer able to suffer him in that condition Marcellus said he what strange change is this what sadness is it that sits thus lowring on your brow and why do you fly from the person of the world that loves you dearest At these words Marcellus only nodded his head twice without returning an answer keeping his eys still fixed upon the earth in so sad a posture as it put my Master into a grand confusion Coriolanus deeply touched at his behaviour took him in his arms and earnestly prest him
with a more sensible quiet than mine nor have the proofs of his intentions wrought any effects upon my spirit to your prejudice Tiberius appears not more amiable since Caesar supported him than he did before whose ingratitude to you if it be possible has shewed me more worth and beauty in those qualities that obliged me to love you My Prince bowing his head at this discourse with a profound submission Then Madam said he I am not utterly lost as my fear construed it by your Letter and the Emperours language for if your goodness still own me though all the world should declare for Tiberius he could not equal my condition Let Livia sollicite for him and Augustus openly profess his partiality they will both be too weak to stagger my fortune so long as my Princess props it and as her affection onely gives it a perfect being if I lose not that I can lose nothing else that is capable to afflict me He would have said more when the Princess desired him to give her the discourse between him and the Emperour Coriolanus repeated word for word in so passionate a manner as the Princess could not defend her heart from the same resentments but when she understood in what fashion he rejected the Emperours proffer of his Kingdoms for his sake she would not hide her acknowledgement and taking more kindness into her eyes than they exprest before You have sin'd said she against your interests in preferring me before your Fathers Crown yet in that act you have not deceived me since I ever believed you capable of dis-esteming the most advantagious conditions if they were once put into the other scale against your affection methinks this Generosity does well become the Prince I have given my heart to and to give you a Copy of the same Coriolanus I do here promise you that if Tiberius or any other more conformed to my inclinations could place me upon a Throne where I might sway the Universe I would despise it all for your sake since for mine you have refused the Crowns of your Ancestors my ambition shall lay away its wings and find a clearer satisfaction in your person than in the possession of Royalties and since fortune has taken away those that belonged to our Houses we cannot brave her better than by tying our affections to those things upon which she has neither Empire nor influence 't is she alone that helped Augustus to the power he has over me nor shall I break any modest rule in disobeying his command to love Tiberius or offend any other Laws than such as the Victors and the Fortune have imposed upon the vanquished and unhappy Oh my Princess cry'd my Master how generous are you how worthy to be the Daughter of so illustrious a Queen who sham'd our Sex by the Grandeur of her Courage but Madam what shall this happy unfortunate do whose condition you hold up against the puissance of the Empire in the highest place of humane felicity by what price shall he pay for the least part of these Divine bounties By a fidelity reply'd Cleopatra which I value above the Treasury of Augustus and by which you may preserve till death that affection whereon you establish your felicity If that be the means reply'd my Prince I will be happy to my Tomb and all the humane considerations shall never stagger me one moment in that inviolable loyalty which with new vows I do once more prostrate at your feet and which alone shall hold my Honour my Repose my Crowns and Dignities But Madam said he after pausing a few moments if I may have license to ask it how will you defend your self against the Emperours will and what order will you take to resist him when he commands you to love the Son of Livia as yet reply'd the Princess he has not serv'd himself with his authority to oblige me and the form of Government he affects besides the reputation he is desirous to acquire of a good and just Emperour does bid me hope he will never come to open violence with the Daughter of Antony and Cleopatra 't is true modesty forbids me an absolute declaration in your favour and in divulging my repugnance for Tiberius it will not become me to publish my inclinations for Coriolanus but since for our misfortune I am deprived of those persons to whom my birth gave the right of my disposal I will protest an obedience to the Princess Octavia's will who by her marriage with my Father the shelter she first gave me in her house and the Maternal care she has taken of us all may with reason challenge a Daughters obedience this will exempt me from all the reproaches I might else receive and if it gives you any fear because Octavia is the Sister of Augustus it ought to re-assure you because she is the Mother of Marcellus and such a one as ever cherished a high esteem of you with a great deal of affection I am yet oblig'd to keep my steps in this path by the absence of my Brother Alexander who has been long from hence and of whom we have heard no news ever since his departure out of Germany whither by the Emperours command he followed Tiberius my younger Brother Ptolomee has medled but little with my conduct which if the reasons that led me to this choice be scan'd aright can be no where more safely depos'd than in the hands of that vertuous Princess During this Discourse Marcellus came and joyn'd company and understanding Cleopatra's intention Sister said be for Octavia would have that appellation to be commonly shar'd among her own Children and those of her dead Husband I believe you cannot make better choice of a resolution for besides that it holds the best proportion with that modest decorum you would practise Coriolanus may make himself as sure of Octavia's good will as Marcellus friendship that vertuous and grand Princess added my Master has ever treated me with too much goodness to leave me the least scruple of trusting her power with my fortunes This Discourse was follow'd by divers others upon the same subject wherein Cleopatra and the two Princes were long a mingling their reasons which at last being brought to a conclusion they took their leaves to go visit the Princess Octavia to whom after Cleopatra my Master design'd the payment of his first respects that good Princess after she had received him with all the signs of a real amity and confirm'd her Sons words of the good opinion and high esteem she had of him protested that no consideration should ever menace or entice her consent to lean to his prejudice my Master kiss'd her hands with a great deal of submission and acknowledgment and taking his leave instead of retiring to his own lodgings he went and lay that night with Marcellus as well to satisfie his amity which would not permit so quick a separation as to take a more particular account from his mouth in relation to
and I. The Gods grant reply'd Candace embracing her you may receive as happy a release of all your sorrows as my wish can contrive for my own misfortune In the mean time since you have relished some pleasure in the beginning of my story I hope the part untold will much improve it because it contains adventures of more importance and much more worthy of your attention HYMENS PRAELUDIA OR Love's Master-Piece PART III. LIB II. ARGUMENT The politick practises of Tyribasus to play the double game of his Love and ambition He seizes the sinews of the Kingdom surprizes Meroe and secures Candace's person Caesario hastily advances with his thin Army to pluck the prey out of his hands defeats Antenor 's forces by the way and kills him Fights the gross body of Tyribasus Army with his handful of wounded men which is all cut off and himself after he had deeply hurt and unhors'd the Tyrant thrown to the ground among the dead The unhop'd intelligence of his miraculous escape stops the sourse of Candace 's tears for his loss by a secret combination he plots her liberty and the Tyrants ruine Surprizes the Pallace by night with 4000 Men and sends her down the Nilus to the City of Bassa She is taken in the way by the Pyrate Zenodorus Her strange delivery from the rage of his brutish lust by the successive assistance of Eteocles and Tyridates WHile Caesario reveng'd the King my Fathers death by spilling deluges of the Faithless Nubian's blood and by so many memorable victories was raising his renown to the highest sphere of Glory I staid at Meroe under the guard of Tyribasus and was long kept ignorant of my deplorable loss 't is true an extraordinary sadness that sat heavy upon my heart might well have hinted something to my fears but I still imputed all to the absence of what I lov'd and easily taught my self to believe that to be barred by so vast a distance from the company and comforts of a Father and a Lover was capable enough to wrap my Soul in the dull clouds of as deep a melancholly at first indeed I confess it was often intermitted by the frequent intelligence of their happy progress in the War nor could I receive young Caesar's letters or listen to the language of some that rung the report of his gallant actions through the City with a mean or trivial delight and yet that satisfaction was still subject to the checks of those continual fears that tendered his life and I never understood how bravely he had beat off the foregoing dangers without trembling at the thoughts of those that were were likely to follow At last necessity became my intelligencer of this fatal disaster and the arrival of the Kings body conducted with a solemn funeral pomp to Meroe left them no possibility to keep the mask any longer upon the face of truth Tyribasus whose authority allowed him the freest access to my person was he that first undertook to break the ice and acquaint me with it his recital of that lamentable Tragedy brought me to the saddest estate that any affliction of that nature was ever capable to reduce the weakest most womanish resistance besides the impressions of blood that still sink themselves very deep in a tender heart the memory of those particular indulgences and Caresses I receiv'd from the best Father in the world produc'd such doleful and almost deadly effects within me as begot a sad suspition in all those that came on purpose to bring me comfort that I would hardly be ever won to receive it complaints tears and sighs from which nothing was capable to divert me were the only company I was willing to keep and converse with for many whole dayes together and those that saw me assist at the Funeral obsequies of that great Prince with a face that gave colours of death law some reason for their fears that the Daughter would follow her Father too fast to the other world to charge the Court with a second mourning and yet I must avow that in my hottest fit of affliction I could not be insensible at a letter I receiv'd from Caesario since a sweeter Solace for my sorrows was wrap'd up in that papper than all other remedies were capable of giving it was put into my hands the next day after the Kings obsequies by a man of his whom he had commanded to stay the delivery till I had receiv'd the sad news from some other hand not willing that the first message of my misfortunes should come from him I read it so often over as my memory has kept the words ever since in the same order they were written and I think they were these or very little different Cleomedon to the Queen of Aethiopia MAdam the Gods have thought it fit to call away the King your Father from the society of men to shew them by your Example that even those persons that nearest approach their nature are not exempted from adversity and they permitted me not without the shame of surviving him to render you this feeble proof of the deep share I go in your affliction yet they are all my witnesses that if I had not endur'd my life for your sake I should scarce have suffer'd him to resign his Being from whom you had yours and dye alone without my attendance to the other world nor can I stay my thoughts upon the sad condition to which this deplorable news will bring you without relapsing into those woes that are little short of yours I dare not Madam dispute against the expence of some tears your piety will doubtless pay to so dear a loss which your interests here will not suffer me to come and wipe away before I have finished the sacrifice of that revenge I owe to my Masters Ghost and tam'd your disloyal people to an incapacity of raising new storms in the haven of your Government but my affection calls to your grief for a little moderation and alarms your High-born heart to arm it self in its own greatness for the encounter of these crosses that heaven prepar'd on purpose to try its Courage they are those that may raise you trophees upon fate it self who has only forc'd a misfortune to leap over some few years which at last you could never have avoided and they are only those if that consideration deserves the weighing that have power to appease the perturbations of a Spirit which must still be torn with mortal inquietudes so long as you are afflicted This letter did really sweeten my displeasures more than all the arguments of comfort could be rais'd by the whole company about me and since 't is but fit that I pass by those passionate and vain discourses which flow'd beyond all rule and measure from my head long grief I will refer them to the judgement of your excellent nature and only tell you that after I had render'd to the death and memory of my Father all that might
arrival of some order from the King of Parthia that might probably countermand these favourable intentions presently accepted the proposition and though his affection hotly disputed against the necessity of resigning me into anothers hands the impossibility to close the wounds of his broken estate and buy his liberty at a lower value confuted all the arguments it could urge and he immediately sent order to his Commanders in the City to draw out the Garrison and leave us as absolute Mistresses there as when it was first taken His orders were punctually obeyed the Medians quitted the Parthians entered the place and we saw our selves at the same moment free and reigning where we had so lately and so long been captives Tigranes had likewise his liberty restored him and retired with his men towards the frontiers of Media upon the Parole and with the Convoy that Artaban had given him to clear his passage through those parts of the Parthian Dominion that lay between him and his Medians After his departure the Triumphant Artaban whose valour had unâ—inion'd our liberty quitted his Camp to give us a visit in the City and his presence was then far dearer and more agreeable than when we first saw him the year before The Queen believing she should not offend her dignity by stooping it with a just acknowledgment to her Protector embraced him with tears of joy and if I made him Caresses that were lesse familiar at least I endeavoured to spread my face with as pleasing looks and put as obliging words into my mouth as might serve to let him see that my apprehension was in no arrears to his merit the Queen and I fell both upon the subject of his admirable valour and the exact observance of his word with Elogies that proved oppressions to his modesty the first part of our discourse was woven of nought but Praises and thanks on our part of Respect and Submission on Artaban's and after the Queen had amply declared him her resentments and was turned from him to receive some of the principal Commanders among the Parthians that were come with Artaban to render their dutious respects to her Majesty taking hold of that occasion You have entirely captived our Faith Generous Artaban said I to your future promises and taught us to believe that the world has not difficulty capable to retard their effects but if we be indebted to the brave performance of your word the King of Media's violation of his has more obliged us since if he had strictly observed his engagement to you in our behalf we only should then have thanked him for our liberty and his ingratitude had not blindly given us Artaban with it Artaban said I whose valour disposes the destiny of Empires and who from that groveling and deplorable estate to which he had once reduced it has lifted that of the Parthians to its proper sphere and made it shine again with the same lustre which his invincible arm had once sequestred Artaban returned an answer to these words with a flexure of his body as low as my foot and methought received them with a peculiar air in his looks that would not have worn that destruction to any other person making so many witnesses of all the actions and syllables that parted from him that the glories he had gathered from the honour of his employment in our service did far out-value all those advantages we had reaped from the effects of his valour Madam said he I could not miss of success in so just an enterprise and the interests of so divine a person as your self were too dear to the Gods to be left to the disposition of men by these invisible blows they struck in your quarrel the King your Fathers arms have obtained the victory upon the injurious detainer of so precious a liberty and 't is your interest in heaven that rebated the points and edges of your Enemies Swords against which no humane power is capable of resistance 't is to those Madam if the gain be estimable and not the fault of Tigranes that you owe your Artaban and such as he is you are more indebted to him for your self than all reasons and resentments that anger ambition or any other motion could infer to arm in the quarrel He broke off at these words with a fear that his tongue had been too livish and indeed had I seriously examined them I should doubtless have found out something that tasted of too much boldness From that day he scarce ever discontinued his attendance upon us at such hours as modesty might admit him and his expectation of some farther orders from the King to whom he had sent an express of what had passed with a desire to know how he would have him to steer his course made him a plausible pretence for his assiduity In the mean time the Convoy came back that he had sent to guard the King of Media and the Gentleman that Commanded it presented me a letter that Tigranes had given him at their parting which the Queen beckned to me to receive and having opened it in the presence of her and Artaban who was then in our Chamber I read these words TIGRANES King of the Medes to Elisa Princess of Parthia I Have paid for your liberty to the double loss of mine own and the same destiny that made you my Prisoner for a time decreed me yours for ever The rigour of my fate has rent me from you but I shall quickly supercede the decree and vanquish the distance betwixt us and you shall see me return in the Van of 100000 men tod emand you of my cruel Enemies that made the divorce betwixt us I shall not enter your Fathers Territories to such an Enemy as an injured Lover in that quality they that hide you behind their bucklers will not find it an easie task to resist me and those powers that might possibly retard others will prove too feeble to oppose my design of your reprisal The Queen listened to this language without Emotion nor did it much uncalm the quiet of my thoughts but Artaban heard it with a grand impatience and gave me notice by the blood that hastily leaped into his face how deeply he thought himself concerned in the Menaces and design of Tigranes as well in the quality of a lover as an Enemy Perhaps said he with an action that expressed a great deal of anger he may invade your Dominions to his own confusion and the two qualities he speaks of may prove equally fatal to his Life and Love that I think we shall be able to secure our selves from the angriest part of his Menaces and if the Kings orders do but hold proportion to my hopes it may be we shall give him so hard a task to defend his own Country as will save him the labour of bringing the Oar into yours After this day we tracked more resentment and animosity against Tigranes than we had formerly discovered and methought I read a kind
in his Port and visage or something so great and lofty as there was as much difficulty to misprize him for his face as his actions Pardon me Madam if I sin against the Majesty of your thoughts by shewing the easiness of mine 't is true I was too hasty to disband the forces of my judgement that should have resisted the batteries of his merit and affection but they lost the field at the first appearance all my anger presently tendered its arms and I felt my reason in too weak an estate to put a tongue to my resentments All my attendants staid in the Chamber and Artaban perceiving no body present but Urinoe and her Daughter the same you see with her here in my Chamber who he knew deserved his confidence as well as her Mother concluding he might safely take that liberty in their presence threw himself at my feet so hastily as I had neither time nor power to prevent him and kissed the lower part of my robe with an action wholly suppliant and indeed onely due for a meaner merit but unwilling to let him stay in that condition and recoiling a step or two from the place where I was Rise Artaban said I if I were not prepossessed with too much indulgence to your offences this prostrate action could not obtain their pardon 'T is true Madam answered Artaban raising himself that I could look for no less than death from any other judge but you and I vow by all that 's great and good if your anger has prepared me a condemnation to receive the fatal doom from your mouth with as perfect a resignation and obedience as the pardon I beg at your hands Believe it Artaban you will not obtain that so easily replyed I as your imagination flatters you and perhaps your own opinion has not taken your crime at the full proportion but I shall refer the punishment to your self in appealing to your judgement for the censure of your faults My faults replyed Artaban are worthy of all the pains that cruelty it self can invent and would be utterly of any hope of pardon if they could not borrow some excuse from the violence you have done me 't is not my will Madam that has offended you for the Gods are obliged to witness I levyed all the power against you that was likely to present any fruit to hope from a soul capable of knowledge and reason even in my greener youth which you know is apt to take home objects to the heart before it has weighed them I have endeavoured to fortifie my soul against the force of nature with an opposition under which I was like to fall your sacrifice I saw my resolutions cowardly turn their heads in the combat against you and though I called the knowledge that I ought to have of you and my self to re-inforce them at last I found an absolute impossibility to hold up arms any longer no Madam it was no blind presumption that thrust me headlong upon this attempt for I never found any thing in my person or services that might authorize my boldness 't is a restless constraint that onely labours to excuse me and my thoughts are clad in all the whiteness and purity of truth when I protest at your feet it was onely your self that forced me to offend you I should think my self very innocent of your faults replyed I if by forbearing to cut them off in the infancy I had not contributed to their nourishment 't is that has made me an accomplice in your crimes and had I timely given the consideration of my birth and duty the precedency of those services you have rendred us I had happily prevented the sequel of a mischief whereof I could not avoid the beginning but since it is not in my power to revoke what is past I will try to expiate a part of my errour by a better regulation of the future and I hope my prayers will prevail with your self to assist me by changing your aims to some other object No Madam said Artaban interrupting me let me beg you will never hope my consent to that if you desire my obedience ordain me any thing but ceasing to adore you since all your power and mine are too weak to effect it and 't is as possible that I should live without a heart as without a heart that is not entirely yours But what are the thoughts you foster answered I or what design can you level at the King of Parthia's onely Daughter that may promise any hope of satisfaction The same replyed Artaban of rendring you what we owe the Gods with a clearer submission and a warmer zeal than commonly composes those vows that are twice a day winged for the starry Palace the same of making your glory the mark rule and guide of all my thoughts and actions and the same of passing my life or finding my death in the affairs of your service But do you believe added I that the King whose will is the law of mine does approve your intentions or do you think that without his commission I can keep an unstained duty and still suffer them to run in the same channel I will not say replyed the hardy Artaban that such a Princess as Elisa can be merited by Man and I know too well that the gaining of a hundred Kingdoms and the loss of a thousand such lives as mine can infer but weak arguments to legitimate that ambition but I think I may safely say that if I rendered the services that Phraates has received of my sword to any other King than him that is Father to Elisa I should think I could not set them at a meaner value than the honour to serve his Daughter no Madam 't is the only disproportion betwixt your self and me leaving your birth out of the ballance and not betwixt my services and the Royal dignity that frames my presumption and if my vast distance below your personal merits were weighed up to an equality by your permission I would learn to hope that by greater conquests than that of Media I might become considerable enough to the King your Father to own a demand of that nature without blushes In this discourse of Artaban there was something that favoured of a great deal of arrogance and yet that arrogance appeared so well placed in him and indeed all things else speak so near an alliance and so perfect a conformity to the grandeur of his courage as instead of condemning I felt an affectionate impulsion to augment my esteem and I found my self utterly unable to hinder the confederacy of my words and actions with the treason of my love I avow said I that men of your condition may fasten very haughty and pregnant hopes to their courage and if Justice guided the hand of Fortune in the distribution of her treasury there could be nothing above you I know not how the thoughts of Phraates agree with this opinion but without his seal I can make no assurance
other object he felt his grief and anguish too weak to take off his eyes from the deep study of some old Ideas which that young face by the help of a natural instinct awaked in his memory Eteocles not exempted from such thoughts as these being got on horseback near the young unknown fell greedily to examine his features or rather to devour them at the eyes which observed by Caesario confirmed his opinion that he had not mistaken that face when his conjectures told him 't was not a total stranger to his knowledge As they were taking the glad account of these thoughts which yet they had not mutually imparted they arrived at the house where the young Gallant and the Lady were attended by some domestick Servants who in obedience to their commands received the Son of Caesar with a grand respect and served him with a great deal of care and affection he had not been long in bed before some Chirurgions they had sent for to the City arrived and presently searcht his wounds which they found very great but not mortal owning no other danger of the Princes life than what might be imputed to his loss of blood the two fair ones gave a glad welcome to these hopes of Caesario's recovery and imposed a care upon themselves to see him diligently served with all circumspection He was no sooner left alone with Eteocles but he asked him a hundred questions in a throng and whatever caution that loyal servant intended for his Masters health he could have no quiet till he had related all that befel the Queen since he first trusted her to his charge till her last surptizal it was well Eteocles had not seen the face of Zenodorus nor known it was he that carried Candace away for if the Prince had understood that she was faln again into the same rude hands that had stormed her honour so violently not all his wounds and weakness could have kept him from presently spending the miserable remains of his life to the last sigh in her succour he first began to hunt for comfort in the height of his unconquered courage capable to make good his defiance against the cruellest attacques of Fortune thence did his thoughts recur to the memory of those perils which Heaven against all appearing possibility had so often helped him to overcome and from this last consideration he learned to trust some hopes of Candace's safety to the same goodness besides these the anguish of his wounds did a little dull the sense of his inward sufferings and at last his Feaver became so violent as it scarce left him any judgement to reason with his misfortunes this inforced his obedience to the Chirurgions orders and the good Eteocles more passionately desirous of his Masters dure than he that wanted it that might oblige him silence resolved to answer him no more while some of the first days past away in this manner his beautiful entertainers discreetly paid him their visits at such seasons when their courtesie might not disturb him so shon as the remission of his malady gave them leave to see and discourse with him oftner they let fall no occasion to be civil and there were very few hours in the day wherein either the fair Lady or the handsome stranger were not still by his bed-side to keep him company without discerning the reason they felt a secret impulse of extraordinary affection one towards another and if in the manly and majestick mind of Caesars Son the noble youth met charms that taught respect and ingaged affection Caesario made himself acquainted with some resemblances in his that besides the obligation he received had got a very kind entertaiment in his heart they were both pain'd with an equal desire to know each other but because he had already try'd it upon Eteocles in vain discretion bridled the young mans curiosity and Caesario contented himself to be indebted to him for his life without naming a request that might oppress his civility yet at last he could not over-master some motions of tenderness that carried him beyond circumspection and as his suspitions were stronger and his conjectures grounded upon clearer appearances than any the unknown could frame to excuse his curiosity he was the first that ventured to put his desire into words and one day perceiving him near his bed where he still carefully rendered him such offices as are seldom found in so young a friendship after his eye had seriously perused his face Sir said he 't is just I should content my self with the knowledge that my life has lately been the gift of your nobleness without steping farther into fresh obligations or hastily exacting younger proofs of your bounty especially being newly laden with others so great and weighty but besides that Natures law injoyns all mankind to court the acquaintance of those that have ingag'd us methinks I see somewhat in your person that by a particular interest has inflamed me with another kind of curiosity than I ever yet resented if therefore my request be not too unwellcome pray let me know to whom I am indebted for my life and yet I had rather sit down unsatisfied than ever offer you the trouble of changing any resolution to keep your self concealed The young Cavalier that burned with an equal desire to Caesario's tenderly embrac'd that occasion to content him and willing to ingage the Prince by the insinuation of a free confidence to a requital by a like discovery Sir said he I shall not offend truth in affirming that I never felt a stronger passion in my life than to obtain the same favour from your self you demand for besides that I have taken an impression from your looks of something in you that is very great and sublime methinks I descry some resemblances there that time has not totally wiped away from my memory which do equally beget and awake within me the sense of a high respect and a tender love to your person I shall gladly know when you are pleased to reveal it for whose sake it is I have so suddenly conceived them in the mean time for you I shall get an easie victory upon my repugnance in breaking the design to keep my self concealed from other persons I am called Alexander Son to the infortunate Antony and the great Queen Cleopatera and born in the first year of their marriage at the same birth with my Sister the Princess Cleopatra Caesario confirmed by these words that had not guess'd awry was almost extasy'd with an intemperate joy and all those passionate workings of the soul that ever bubled the secret sympathy of blood at such encounters did then powerfully possess themselves of his with an excess of tenderness prompted then by the ripened beauties of his dear brother at the same moment did he call to mind what they were in their blossoms while they were brought up together in their age of Innocence at the Court of Alexandria nor had a ten years seperation spread
themselves towards Artemisa who was younger than Arsinoe by a year This Princess by a sympathy which powerfully acted in the beginning of our affections permitted at the first that I should contract all the amity with her that we were both capable of her beauty which gave at that time marvellous hopes of its future excellence already made impressions in the soul of a child of seven or eight years old and the sweetness of her spirit and the gracefullness which accompanied all her actions did so Captivate my heart that it was impossible for me to live without her I disdained all sorts of entertainment and all manner of company to enjoy hers and I had this happiness too that she expressed no greater inclinations towards her own brother and sister than she did to me If any from Anthony or Cleopatra enquired after the little Alexander they must look for him in the company of the little Princess of Armenia and they had so much ado to get him from her that she was fain often-times to follow him to the place whither he was sent for or otherwise they would have hardly got him thither without tears and grand expressions of his displeasure The Queen diverted her self sometimes with these innocent testimonies of our affection and causing us to play together in her presence she pleased her self to hear our conversations She heard me one day talking to her more seriously than my age did seem to permit Artemisa said I to her I am affraid you do not love me I love you said she as well as my Sister That is not enough replyed I for I love you much better than the Princess Cleopatra And how would you have me love you then answered the young Princess As you do your self said I As my self replyed Artemisa ah Alexander that will be impossible for I love nothing like my self and I am very sensible that when I take any hurt I could wish it to any person in the world rather than to my self but next to my self I will love you as much as any thing else in the world besides Artemisa answered I I protest to you that when I see you suffer any harm I resent it so much that I would willingly endure it my self to ease you If it be so said she I confess Alexander that you love me better than I have loved you hitherto but for the future I will do what I can to render you the like affection I humbly intreat you to do it added I otherwise I shall never be satisfied The Queen my Mother was much pleased to hear this discourse and having told Anthony of it he was pleased oftentimes to make use of the same diversion Jealousie too began already to mingle it self our affection and I remember that Anthony seeing me one day extraordinary sad and having asked me before the Queen and before Artemisa and her Sister who at that time was in the Chamber the cause of my sadness I am sad said I because that Artemisa hath not looked kindly upon me to day You have nothing to do with my looks answered Artemisa disdainfully and you are sufficiently satisfied with the caresses which my Sister hath rendered you all this day Artemisa replyed I your Sisters kindnesses do not please me like yours and if you would have me I will tell her in your presence that I love her not in comparison of you You will do me a pleasure briskly answered the young Princess for she hath hit me in the teeth all this day that you you have quitted me for her with disdain which hath angred me very much Arsinoe continued I turning my self towards her Sister if you have any such thought you deceive your self and I desire to acquaint you in your own presence that I love Artemisa much better than your self Arsinoe who in an age so full of innocence had a composed spirit and admirable knowledge troubled not her self at my discourse and Artemisa was so satisfied with it that from that moment she began to look more kindly upon me I am tedious in relating to you these petty effects of Nature but these beginnings of my life have been of such importance in relation to the last events which have happened to me that I am forced to make you a slight mention of them and to prepossess you with the opinion that I was really amorous of Artemisa at that time when by the priviledge of my age I was permitted to see her that you may be induced to excuse those things which the memory of these beginnings caused me to do at an age more capable of reason During this time as without doubt you have heard the war between Anthony and Octavius Caesar brake out into such a flame that all hopes of peace were extinguished and these two being Masters of the greatest part of mankind did so eagerly pursue each others ruine that nothing was capable to divert the destruction of him that was most unfortunate In the time of this war the King of the Medes the ally and friend of Anthony but an irreconcilable enemy to Artibasus continually importuned Anthony and Cleopatra to put him to death and offered them in requital his forces to serve them in the war against Caesar but they rejected his propositions and could not resolve to use so much cruelty to a great Prince who by his ill fortune had faln into their power they persevered a long time in this resolution and I believe they would have continued so still if her misfortunes had not exasperated or rather changed the inclinations of Cleopatra The famous battel of Actium was fought wherein by the Queens flight the fortune of our Family was totally ruined and the victorious Caesar found himself in a condition to pursue the remainder to the gates of Alexandria Then it was that the King of the Medes redoubled his solicitations for the death of the King of Armenia and sent to offer Cleopatra in the absence of Anthony the whole forces of his Kingdom for the head of Artibasus the pressing necessity of her affairs and the despair to which she saw her self reduced might make the Queen hearken to the propositions of the cruel Mede but yet she would not have disposed her self to grant him what he demanded nor have stained her memory with a blot which will never be wiped off if at that time she had not been informed that the eldest Son of Artibasus who remained in Armenia having declared himself King served Caesar with all his forces and did highly threaten to ruine Anthony and Cleopatra and be cruelly revenged for the injury they had done to his Family The resentments of this Prince were just but the spirit of Cleopatra being as I told you exasperated by her misfortunes she did that out of despight which she would never have done for any other interest and giving ear to the pressing solicitations of the King of the Medes out of a boyling precipitation which was too late repented of
since by reason of your misfortune I may do it without offending you to the utmost moment of my life I receive the precious gift you bestow upon me with all the acknowledgment which is due for such a present and I not only promise you that if I see Artemisa I will acquit my self of the charge you give me but that I will go within these three days to see her and I shall never be at quiet till I am in her presence and shall make her a faithful relation of the obligations she hath to your fidelity Artamenes having understood my resolution seemed a little astonished at it and continued a long time without replying keeping his eyes fixed upon the ground like one in a deep muse but a little after looking upon me Alexander said he you undertake no small enterprise and you affront all manner of dangers which possibly you have not foreseen but if you are fully resolved to see and serve Artemisa which in the present condition of your affairs you cannot do but in private I can facilitate the means to you by making you another present which is the faithful Narcissus whom I bestow upon you and of whom I desire at my death the same fidelity to you that he hath expressed to me in the whole course of my life he is of a very noble extraction among the Armenians and he hath acquaintance in that Court that will not be ungrateful to you you cannot find a more favourable adventure to advance your designs and I believe I cannot give Narcissus a better recompence than to leave him in your service I was about to thank Artamenes for his cares so full of goodness when he fell into a fainting before us and a little after breathed his last without being able to utter one word more I had really all the regret of the loss of a vertuous and obliging friend as he was and it continued a long time in my heart before I could receive any consolation the faithful Narcissus remembring his command threw himself at my feet and gave me the picture which his Master had given him and protested to me that if his service were acceptable to me he would never forsake me while he lived and that after the death of a Master who had been so dear to him he could receive no comfort but in me alone I found so much conveniency in this accident and Narcissus was so agreeable to me at the very first for the sincere and real grief he expressed for the loss of his Master that I received him with open arms and promised him whatsoever he hoped from Artamenes and from a Master much more affectionate Artamenes was interred according to his condition and Tiberius who assisted at his funerals with all the principal Commanders of the Army testified a great deal of regret for his loss his Equipage according to his order was parted amongst all his Servants and I employed my self to get them entertainment and engaged them to other Masters to hinder them from returning into Armenia where perchance they might meet me know me and discover me I took the greatest part into my own service but with a design to send them to Rome with my Equipage meaning to take no more with me into Armenia than Narcissus and two Squires whom I loved above all the rest of my Domesticks After this I dreamed of nothing more than my departure and having disposed all things to that purpose as well as I could desire I took my leave of Tiberius but I told him I was returning to Rome being obliged to make all possible hast thither by some Letters which I had received from Octavia which did not give me time to wait his return whereunto he began to prepare himself Tiberius made me a thousand caresses at my departure and protested that he would render me a testimony before the Emperour of the gallant actions that I had done and he forgot nothing that might serve to acquire him the brother of Cleopatra I parted from the Army and marched one days journey upon the way to Rome but afterwards in a place where we had lain pretending some small impediment I commanded all my people to go directly to Rome without staying for me by the way promising to be there within two days after them and telling them that for some reasons I was obliged to make this voyage without a train which might make me be taken notice of nevertheless I delivered to one of my Servants a Letter for the Princess Octavia thinking that I was obliged to render her an account of my actions for the good offices we received from her wherein I signified to her that a youthful curiosity engaged me to make a voyage into Asia with a design privately to visit some Provinces and to frame my self with the more conveniency to the forreign languages and manners and that I would return to her in a short time and ask her pardon for taking this little ramble without her knowledge After my Equipage was gone I took my way out of Dalmatia through Greece which I crost attended only by Narcissus whom Artamenes had given me and two Squires the one a Roman named Valerius and the other an Egyptian named Tideus the son of Androclion who was my governor and Master of this house where we are With this small company I came to Bizantium and having crossed the Hellespont I began to enter into Asia I fed my self during my Voyage with the most agreeable hopes I could conceive making no reflection upon dangers and obstacles which opposed my intentions An hundred times a day I opened the Case wherein the fair present of Artamenes was enclosed where I fixed my sight upon the beautiful visage of Artemisa with incredible ravishments oftentimes addressing my discourse to it as if it had been capable of giving me satisfaction I demanded of it the performance of the promises which the Princess had made me to love me as long as She lived I concealed nothing of my designs from Narcissus resolved to commit the conduct of them to him as I was necessitated to do it in a Country where I had no acquaintance but by his means and having taken notice in the frequent conservations I had with him of the excellency of his understanding and the address which he had to manage an affair of the same nature with mine I made no difficulty to communicate to him my most secret thoughts he gave me hopes which without him I should hardly have conceived and I promised him recompenses conformable to the greatness of the services which I expected from him But why do I trouble you with a relation of our voyage there happened nothing to us worthy of your knowledge and after we had seen divers Cities and crossed over divers Provinces without making any stay or receiving any hindrance by reason of the profound peace which those Provinces through which we passed began already to enjoy we entred into
so maturely deliberated upon I took my time one day when at her departure out of the same temple of Diana where I saw her the first time and where she visited almost every day the Virgins consecrated to that Goddess who dwelt there she was walking on foot in the fair alleys which are within the inclosure of the Temple into which access was permitted to all persons She had already taken some turns when Narcissus as we had agreed drawing near to one of the principal Officers of her train with whom he was very well acquainted he prayed him to present me to her and to give me the opportunity to entertain her some moments with a business of very great importance this Officer very courteously did so and having spoken a word to the Princess of whom he easily obtained the audience that I required he made me a sign to draw neer I did reverence to the Princess after the Mode of her own Country and when as I raised my head to look in her face I saw her eyes fixed upon mine with a sparkling vivacity which pierced me to the bottom of the heart I was so surprized that I had hardly any assurance left to finish what I had begun she went aside from her Gentleman-Usher and the Ladies which followed her about seven or eight paces to give me the liberty of speaking to her without being over-heard and after she had commanded me with a great deal of sweetness to declare what I had to say to her striving against all the fear which kept me tongue-tyed Madam said I Artaments whose Servant I was she interrupted me at this word Speak no more to me of Artamenes said she he is a man who hath offended me and you cannot say any thing to me on his part but it will displease me Madam said I if Artamenes were alive I would not speak to you of him knowing that in his life time he displeased you by his audacious thoughts but since he is no more amongst the living I thought I might without offence render to his memory what he desired of me at his death How answered Artemisa is Artamenes dead He is Madam replyed I and at his death he commanded me to assure you that he died without any other regret but for having displeased you and that having fought after death as the only expiation of his fault he received it with joy if thereby he might obtain your pardon for the fault he had committed against you The Princess out of the goodness of her nature was moved at this discourse and shewing some signs of sadness in her countenance Artamenes did offend me said she but the resentments I had against him did not extend so far as death and his fault was of such a nature as might have obtained its pardon of me by discontinuation and repentance without requiring any greater reparation I have as much regret for his loss as one can have for the loss of a very vertuous man and if I believed that I had contributed any thing to it I should be very sensibly troubled at it a long time It would not be just Madam replyed I that you should find a Subject of grief where he himself found his last comfort and his condition is much more happy in that he hath appeased by his death an indignation which made him hate and fly life than if he had lived to linger it out in torments which wou'd never have caused your compassion Time would have cured him added the Princess and that with the assistance of reason would without doubt have reduced him to a more comfortable condition Time and reason replyed I doth hardly cure evils like those of Artamenes and by good reason time would have wrought no effect upon him seeing that according to reason he could not raise his thoughts to a subject more worthy of his adorations These words escaped me with little discretion but I could not keep them in in the violence of the passion which transported me and the Princess in stead of taking my liberty ill took some pleasure in it and having a mind to oblige me to speak more after she had called one of her Maids she commanded me to relate the death of Artamenes I did it in the most passionate terms that possibly I could and I took notice that during my discourse wherein the Princess seemed to take extraordinary delight she kept her eyes fixed upon my countenance with a marvellous attention I had hardly finished but we saw the King arrive who with a numerous train of Courtiers and his guards came to the Temple As soon as he alighted he went to the Princess his Sister to walk with her in those allies and at his coming I went another way with Narcissus This was the first time I saw the King of Armenia he was about eight and twenty years of age of a comely proportion and a gallant mind but of a haughty carriage and a fierce aspect which partly denoted the roughness of his nature as I had no desire to make my self known to him so I came not near him but seeing that the Princess was engaged with him in a long discourse I retired home with Narcissus I was so contented with this first entertainment I had with Artemisa that I could not conceal my satisfaction and besides the beauty which the Picture and my ancient remembrance had figured to me I found a sweetness in her conversation and such rational resentments for the destiny of Artamenes that the force of my passion was very much augmented thereby Ah! without doubt said I she is not so cruel as Artamenes hath represented her to me and if Heaven be not mine enemy I hope we may yet have some access to her I find in her same goodness she had in her younger years and if she hath contracted any thing that is more stately and venerable 't is beauty and majesty that hath imprinted it in her countenance and not the change of her nature In the mean time I sought all occasions to be present at those places where most frequently she was as often as was possible and there hardly passed a day but I saw her and was seen by her always at her passing by I caused her to take notice of me by the profound reverence I made her and she being humble and courteous observed my respects and took them in good part One day I coming into her walk in a fair Garden which is without the walls of Artaxata and rendring her the accustomed salutation at her passing by she sent for me by one of her Maids named Leucippe who had been with her at Alexandria during all the time she had continued prisoner there I went to her being uncertain what the Princess desired of me and when I was come near her Of what Country are you said she and how long have you been in Artamenes his service I am an Egyptian Madam answered I born in the City of Alexandria
towards heaven O Artibasus cry'd he O deplorable Father of a Son who was too weak to give thee succour If hitherto thy Manes have been unsatisfied with my cares and if I have not been able to appeale them by part of that hateful blood behold me now in a condition to sacrifice to thee the most agreeable and most just victim that could ever be afforded to thee And afterwards turning himself towards me with an action full of terrour I am sorry said he that thou hast but one life to satisfie and if the Gods had bestowed more upon thee I might make a more agreeable sacrifice of them to the soul of a King whom against all manner of right thy Parents put to a cruel death since it hath been the will of heaven that the cruel executioners of the greatest King of Asia should escape my vengeance but not from that of the Gods who have brought them to an end suitable to their crimes I will take such as they please to send me and will make such an example of thee as all the world shall take notice of Artaxus spake in this manner but I was not at all intimidated by his threatnings and without being troubled I replyed Artaxus I will not justifie nor excuse my Parents actions before thee if they caused thy Fathers death 't is possible they were induced to it by some lawful occasion thou knowest I was then of an age that was capable to take little cognizance of it but if notwithstanding I was absolutely innocent of the displeasure done thee thou findest in me any matter to satiate the resentments follow the motions wherewith they inspire thee and do not expect that I should beg thee to reflect upon the birth of a man who is not born thy inferiour or upon the vicissitudes of fortune which may yet throw thee into the power of my relations as I am fallen into thine Neither the consideration of his birth answered Artaxus nor of the inconstancy of fortune to which Cleopatra her self was shortly after exposed could guard my Father from her cruelty and when she took off his head by the hand of an Executioner she had not the death of a Father to revenge as I have nor the least occasion to violate upon his account what is due to the Persons of Kings when upon so just a motive of revenge I shall do what she did out of a base desire to oblige the King of the Medes no Person will blame me and thou art not innocent because thou art the Son of the murtherers of my Father but to this reason which might give thee a thousand deaths thou hast added another by continuing disguised as thou hast done in my Dominions thou couldest not have continued concealed and unknown as thou hast done in the Court and near the Person of thine Enemy upon any good motive Tell us the occasion of this brave design and do not hide from us a truth that we shall force out of thy mouth if thou dost not make a voluntary confession of it I valued thy power too little replyed I to content thy curiosity out of fear of thy menaces and though the occasion which hath brought me into thy Dominions hath glory enough in it to justifie it to the World thou shalt be the last to whom I will make confession of it Young man replyed the King with a smile full of sharpness we shall see if this resolution will accompany thee to the last and then turning himself towards the Princess his Sister who had hearkned to our Dialogue more like a dead than a living person and by the divers changes of her countenance expressed a part of her thoughts Madam said he this Egyptian was not unknown to you whom I suspected at the first sight and whose part you took so earnestly If he had been known to me answered the Princess I should not have permitted him to continue so long so near an Enemy whose inclinations I was acquainted with If yours replyed the King were such as they ought to be you would have a resentment equal to mine against the murtherers of the King your Father but you sufficiently discover to me by your countenance your discourse your past actions that instead of a just enemy as you ought to be Alexander hath found you a person more affectionate than your duty did permit 't is you alone without doubt that have retained him with you and this intelligence you hold with him is the effect of that amity you contracted with him whilst your Father's head was cutting off These words sensibly touched the Princess but she having a courage that could hardly dissemble her thoughts and believing it a baseness upon this occasion absolutely to deny them made no difficulty in part to discover them and looking upon the King with a countenance void of fear I have contracted no amity with Alexander answered she wherewith I may fear to be reproached and I call the Gods to witness that during his continuance with me I knew him for no other than Alcippus but when I knew him to be Alexander the resentments which are common to us both against the culpable were not extended to the innocent and if upon my account he hath exposed himself to the danger whereinto he is fallen next to my honour I have nothing so dear that I would not have given to save him from it Artaxus became almost mad at this discourse of the Princess and not being able to dissemble his rage Madam said he since you are so pitiful to your Enemies you shall have matter enough shortly to exercise your compassion Carry him to prison continued be turning himself toward the principal Officers of his Guards whom be called by their names and upon pain of your Lives see that he be kept laden with Irons till by a publick spectacle I make all Armenia see their Kings revenge I did not vouchsafe a reply to these cruel words of the Armenian and only casting a look upon Artemisa where by I declared as much as possibly I could that I died for her without repugnance I marched in the middle of the guards that environed me towards the Prison whither they conducted me Thus as you see I passed from felicity to danger in an instant and that supreme happiness to which Artemisa some moments before had advanced me ought to be counterbalanced by some misfortune my projects hitherto had been crowned with too prosperous success and this too great a calm was without doubt the presage of a urious tempest I was according to the intention of Artaxus really conducted into the common Prison and not into those places of restraint for the custody of Princes or any persons of a considerable condition and though out of the respect or pity of those who had the command to do it I was not loaden with Irons as he had ordered yet I was kept under so severe and strict a guard that all my liberty had no greater
wounded whom they had taken with their swords in their hands endeavouring to force a way through the press to second Cepio in his generous intention I was much comforted to see them and to understand the effects of their fidelity but I much regretted the death of the generous and unfortunate Cepio and was ashamed to see my self alive after I had suffered that valiant man to die for my interests He had been somewhat imprudent in the conduct of his life but in all his actions he expressed an admirable courage and it was his courage capable of undertaking all things that Augustus feared and for that reason made him leave Rome the glorious end of his life did certainly deserve that I should make him a long Elogium but for fear I should trouble you with too long a narration I will speak no more of it and will only tell you that the memory of this man will never come into my mind without causing me a real affliction and though he had been the cause of all the danger wherein I had been and was then at the present he had so generously repaired his fault that all the resentment I had for it was changed into sorrow for his loss which would hardly admit of any consolation I had divers hurts but they were all such slight ones that they could scarcely oblige me to keep my bed and having that knowledge that I had of Artaxus's cruel intentions I should never have suffered them to have been looked to if they had been capable of sending me into another world yet there was great care taken of me by my Squires and by the faithful Narcissus who contrary to all appearances had still some hope of my safety 'T is a long time since I spake to you of Artemisa though she it is of whom I ought to make the greatest part of my discourse and it was she alone that had taken up almost all my thoughts in the midst of my greatest dangers I had heard no news from her since her last Letter and when I was returned into the prison I continued there divers days without receiving any The Keeper who was wont to deliver me her Letters could not render me that office any longer because Narcissus from whom he received them was prisoner with me and all that I could know by his means was that according to the common report the Princess almost died for grief that day upon which they would have taken away my life and that if her women had not hindred her she would have poysoned her self that since she had been indisposed and seen by few persons The Gods know with what inquietudes I passed the dayes of my last imprisonment not being comforted with the tokens of her remembrance as I had been in the former nor being able to gain any intelligence of my fortune which I made absolutely to consist in her affection sometimes I complained to my self and began to suspect her of a little forgetfulness but after I had made a reflection upon the testimonies I had received of her goodness and the fresh obligations I had to her condemned my complaints and suspicions as crimes and confirmed my self in the resolution of dying for her without regretting it or repenting of it In the mean time my hurts were almost cured in a few dayes and my servants were perfectly well and then I understood by those that guarded me that the King after he had wavered a while was diverted by them who had some credit with him from the design he had to make me dye in torments and was resolved then to make my head be cut off upon the Tomb they had built in Artaxata to the memory of Artibasus within four or five dayes upon the very day as it fell out of the King his Fathers death I received this news without trouble being already prepared for it and I resign'd my self as I had always done before to the will of the all-just and all puissant Gods I detain you with things of small importance and it is necessary that I should abridge this long discourse I had no more than two dayes remaining of the time they had prescribed to my life and it was about the middle of a night which I passed with an interrupted sleep as you may imagine that I was roused out of my slumber by a noise and a great light that appeared upon a sudden in my chamber by great fortune I had not made my self unready but being in my cloths upon the bed I leaped off as they entred into the Chamber the first persons that I saw appear were the Keeper that brough me the Letters and one of his companions carrying each of them a light after them came in Sarpedon their Commander who was put into Euriloohus his place and after him O Gods I cannot call it to mind without transport after him the Princess Artemisa her self attended only by Leucippe and another of her maids At this unexpected sight I certainly believed that I was asleep and saw but in a dream what was really presented to my eyes I opened them as much as I could to convince them of their error or to dissipate the mist which hindred me from perceiving the truth But when I had called all my sences and my reason into consultation I discovered my happiness and believed that I saw Artemisa without illusion my astonishment gave place to my joy and being seized as much by that passion as I was by the other before I threw my self at the Princesse's feet embracing her knees with such an ardency as deprived me of the liberty of speech The affection of Artemisa at this meeting seemed to be no less than mine and though Sarpedon my Servants and some of the guard were present at her action she made no difficulty before them whilst I was fixed at her knees to throw her arms about me and embrace me with all the marks of the greatest tenderness the tears streamed from her eyes abundantly and her countenance did every way express an uncommon passion After she had been a while in this condition when she was recovered from the troubles which the sight of me and her compassion had raised in her soul after she had given me her hand to raise me up Alexander said she that which you have suffered and the dangers to which you have been exposed for my sake cannot be recompensed either by the office I am about to do you or the price of divers lives such as mine I will not tell you then that the grief I had for you almost brought me to my grave nor that I come hither to free you from this prison out of which by Artaxus's good will you should never go but to your death but in acknowledgement of your services I will offer you something more worthy of your acceptation and will testifie unto you by the most real proofs that you can desire that possibly my affection is not inferiour unto yours She
I should not dare to express my curiosity any farther but I can really assure you that it is less upon that account than out of a desire of comforting you in your displeasures if it be possible for us that I desire this knowledge The Unknown at these words held his eyes a while fixed upon the ground and afterwards raising them up to Artemisa's face Since my misfortunes have made me said he I have not declared them to any person and besides that the secrecy of them hath been of importance to me in many places where I have passed 'T is somewhat sensible to me to recal to mind by this discourselthe cause of my displeasures but a person so unordinary as you may expect extraordinary differences from me and besides the obedience which those divine beauties may hope for from the most savage souls I know too well what I owe to your generous goodness which you have expressed both in the consolation and the assistance you have given me to avoid or neglect any occasion of complying with your desires I will acquaint you without dissimulation both with my name and birth but the relation of my adventures if you desire it should be any thing large it may possibly be of too tedious a length for you and I fear I shall put you to some inconvenience by detaining you here with a discourse in which you are not certain to find any divertisement Without doubt I abuse your patience replyed Artemisa in exacting this of you but you may pardon it if you please upon the account of the interest I take already in your fortune and if this place be inconvenient for the relation I desire of you there is a house hard by at your service where you may repose your self as long as you please and possibly find some consolation to your sorrows in very agreeable company The Unknown humbly thanked the Princess for this offer and after some words of obliging contestation The condition wherein I am said he doth not permit me to receive the favor you do me I can neither stay nor take any repose in the most agreeable companies in the world though such as you offer me so long as I am possessed with these tormenting cares but since you desire to understand the Fortunes of this miserable person if you please I will satisfie your expectation here in this place The Princess having accepted his offer the Unknown after he had called his two Squires which looked to his horses hard by and given some orders to one of them came back and sate down by her upon the brim of the Fountain Sarpedon Leucippe and Tideus did the same some paces from them by Artemisa's order who prayed the Unknown to give leave that they might be present at his Narration and a little after the Stranger having mused a while upon the discourse he was to make he began in this manner The HISTORY of PHILADELPH I Would tell you Madam that by the relation which you desire of me and whereunto I dispose my self without repugnance in obedience to a person for whom I feel so extraordinary a respect you go about to revive my resentments if I could not say with greater truth that nothing is capable to asswage them and that of all the moments of my life there is not one wherein they are not present to my memory neither my long travels nor those accidents which possibly would have produced this effect in a soul less prepossessed were ever able to do it and I shall infallibly cease to live when I shall part with a remembrance which entirely possesses me and whereunto all my thoughts are chained by an eternal obligation Tarchoudemus King of Cilicia well known for his puissance and the amity and alliances he had with Anthony as long as he lived is he that sent me into the world and not having any other children living by the Queen my Mother but the Princess Andromeda my Sister and my self I am now the lawful and sole heir of his Grown This reason hath obliged him to cause me to be brought up with such great care that never possibly had any Prince greater advantages in his education than I nor more means to second good inclinations if I received any from nature my first years whereof I might tell you the employments were it not for troubling you were spent for the exercises of the mind and body whereunto my youth was formed and when the King my Father thought that I had made a passable progress in them to frame my self to a greater perfection to renew the alliances he had made with Augustus after his coming to the Empire he was about to send me to Rome to spend some years there with divers young Princes which were brought up there and to refine me from the barbarism of our own Provinces but he was diverted from this design by a report of a War wherein he found himself strongly interessed Artaxus the young King of Armenia inheriting the hatred which had along time been between his Family and the Kings of the Medes made war against Tygranes newly come to the Crown and conserving the same resentments against him as he had done against his Father by whose sollicitations as they say the Queen Cleopatra was obliged to put Artibasus to death he began to enter his Dominions and to ruine all that came in his way with a great deal of cruelty Tygranes is the King my Father's Sister Son and besides this proximity there hath always been so streight an alliance between our Families that in the affairs that have happened to either there was never known a separation of interests After two years of the War which passed so equally that Tygranes had no need of our assistance in the third fortune began to be contrary to him and having reduced him to the necessity of our succour the King my Father went to aid the King his Nephew in person I attended my Father and in this War I served my first Apprentiship in Arms There were many Battels fought and many memorable Rancounters passed wherein I had the happiness to give good hopes of my future progress by my beginnings and success did so accompany our arms that we chased Artaxus out of Media and got very considerable advantages upon the frontier Artaxus being extraordinarily exasperated and of an inclination naturally very cruel wasted all he could without pity with fire and sword and more fully to express his humour two Princes of the greatest proximity to our Family being by fortune fallen into his hands without any regard either to their birth or to humanity it self he cruelly put them to death and sent their heads to Tygranes By this cruelty the King my Father was so enflamed with choler against the King of Armenia that he solemnly sware to be revenged and in all that passed afterwards he endeavored to execute it without any consideration At last the weakness of either side did somewaâ—aâ—swage
every day I did not think I saw her half enough and alwayes when I was constrained to part from her I could not dispose my my self to it without strange reluctancies and violences Nevertheless I desired to render to decency and duty part of that which they required of me and this was that which often times deprived me of that which I acknowledged to be my only felicity The King being sollicited by the Queen his Wife pressed me every day to serve Urania but he found no disposition in my spirit to obey him and though out of complacency to him I forced my self sometimes to express love to that Princess the violence I did my self was so easie to be taken notice of that those who were never so little clear-sighted might plainly have perceived it Urania who together with a rare beauty and a thousand excellent qualities which accompany it hath likewise an admirable Wit capable of making all manner of discoveries discerned my dissembling very readily and having a courage worthy of her birth she could not satisfie her self with a forced complacency in stead of that which in reason she believed she justly merited and upon this account seeing me often by some ill-composed discourse endeavour to perswade her to that which was contrary to my heart she received it in such a fashion as made me very well perceive that her obedience only made her endure it This continued a long time before we made any farther discovery to each other and I was sensible with a great deal of displeasure of the wrong I did to the beauties of that Princess affording her nothing but gross dissemblings in stead of an affection whereof I really judged her exceeding worthy But in fine her courage could not any longer submit it self to dissimulation and one day when I had made her some verbal protestations to which my heart gave no consent through which the violence I offered to my self might easily appear by reason of the little skill I had in the Art of dissembling the Princess shaking her head and looking upon me with a smiling countenance Philadelph said she You make me pity you a great deal more than you intended and this censtraint to which I see you cruelly exposed creates a real passion in me for you to please an unreasonable Father you conceal your thoughts but you conceal them in such a manner that it is easie for persons of ordinary perspicacity to observe them Offer no more violence to your self for the sake of a Princess who hath toâ— good an opinion of her self to thank you for the constraint you lay upon her self and you may believe that she would hardly afford that to your affections though real which such an obedience as yours is makes her bestow upon your dissemblings You shall never be forced in your inclinations for Urania 's sake and if you have so much esteem for me as to open your heart freely to me I promise you that for my part you shall never receive any opposition in your real affections I shall content my self without putting you to farther trouble with those devoirs which in obedience to the King you seemingly render me and I will not exact any thing of you wherein you may find repugnance and I very little satisfaction Urania spake in this manner to me and by this discourse she surprized me so that I was so far from returning her a present answer that for a long time I had not the confidence to look upon her I found so much reason and truth in her discourse that I could not disallow of it and though I could not repent my self of the passion I had for Delia I acknowledged that Princess so worthy of better usage than she had from me that a criminal surprised in the very fact could not appear more astonished than I seemed to be at that time At last this first perturbation being overblown and my eyes being open to the reason and freedom of the Princess which I could no longer abuse without baseness I resolved ingenuously to discover to her the condition of my soul and to excuse the faults I had committed against her by reason of my pre-ingagement Upon this design fixing my eyes upon the ground for I had not the confidence to look her in the face whilest I made this confession Madam said I It is not easie for me to conceal my confusion in a condition whereinto you have put me by a procedure so full of generosity and freedom and if I had not an absolute confidence in that goodness whereof you give me so many testimonies I should never have the courage to make a discovery to you which cannot handsomely be done but since you are pleased to give me so much boldness if the respect I owe you may give me permission I will tell you that I really acknowledge the admirable qualities of your person and that I am not ignorant of the glorious advantages I should receive in devoting my life entirely to your service I have had all the dispositions and all the desires to do it that I ought to have but I had not the liberty and since you give me leave ingenuously to confess my weakness I will discover to you Madam that for a long time I have not been at mine own disposing and that my soul being pre-ingaged in a passion which enentirely possesses it hath not found it self in a condition to receive those glorious impressions which without dispute you would form in all free souls It is easie for you to know so much by taking notice of your own powers and it would have been a difficult thing for me to have conversed with you so long without being captivated by your divine beauties if I had not been absolutely enflamed before by another object which hath hardly left me either eyes or understanding If I had had any remaining power over my engaged heart the Gods know Madam with how much satisfaction I should have submitted my self to your Empire and for how great an honour I should have acknowledged it to dedicate my dayes to your service according to the intention of the King my Father but Madam No no Philadelph said the Princess interrupting me do not justifie your self any farther I receive your excuses as favourably as you can desire and I shall no way hinder your former inclinations so as to oblige you to any constraint I shall find no great difficulty to quit the pretensions I have to you and I do not think you have perceived any other thoughts in me in relation to your person than of esteeming you as you deserve I might possibly in time have received other impressions if you had obliged me to it by your affection and services but that was not yet come to pass and I find my self as free as you can be and as much Mistress of my will as when I came into Cilicia In compliance to the King you may make what use of it you please
age could not possibly have charged on horse back more vigorously than my self nor have better come off from a troublesome piece of business wherein a strong constitution was necessary My father who was conscious of it feared lest I should give him the slip and possibly I should have done it after I had oftentimes unprofitably assayed to obtain his permission but at that time whether it were for this consideration or to find a retreat where he might peaceably pass his dayes or for other reasons to me unknown he quitted Egypt and led me into places where I could not be tickled by near occasions with a desire to take up arms whereby he was afraid to lose me he would not retire himself into any of the Kingdoms interessed in either of the two parties he likewise avoided all those which had any dependance upon the Roman Empire and taking our way along the banks of Nile he went to establish our abode in Ethiopia We arrived at Meroe where the Kings ordinary residence was and it was in this Court that my father made no difficulty to produce me believing through the affection wherewith he abused himself that I had qualities whereby I might advance my self and reap some fruit of the generous inclination which he believed he saw in me I was likewise so much favoured by Fortune that in a small time I was more favourably looked upon than I could expect from my condition and my Father by his acquaintance which his vertue easily procured him at Meroe having found a means to cause me to be presented to the King this Prince found me so much to his liking that after he had seen me divers times and marked in me as he said something above my birth by his special favour he placed me among divers young men of mine own age born of the noblest bloud amongst the Ethiopians which he particularly dedicated to the service of the Princess Candace his only Daughter and the Inheritrix of his Crown Tyridates who till then had heard and beheld the Unknown with great suspicions finding the confirmation of them in these last words I doubt no longer said he interrupting him but that you are Britomarus and I find in your fortune your humour and your person all things so conformable to the relation I have heard made of him that I take you for him with an almost entire certainty The Unknown though a little surprised with this discouse replyed to Tyridates without being moved It is true said he that my Father gave me the name of Britomarus something near his own and which divers persons of his Country and Consinguinity too had born but I never thought I should have found persons here who would possibly have known it It is sufficiently known replyed Tyridates and together with this name I know also the most remarkable adventures which befell you in Ethiopia and part of the first actions you did in other Countries but besides that the relation I have received is very confused the King of Mauritania understands nothing of it and you may if you please continue your narration without interruption though some things may be come to my knowledge I will obey you answered Britomarus and though the first action of my life may scarce be worthy your attention yet I will recount them unto you that you may comprehend the order of my Fortune which in the course of my whole life hath contracted an habit in my affairs from which she never departed I was no sooner in the service of the Princess Candace but that by all sorts of cares I endeavoured to merit the honour which I had received and though according to my ambition all things of my capacity seemed below me yet I found this Princess so worthy of all services which could be rendred her in all sorts of conditions that I made my lofty humour comply without repugnance to all the employments which my companions had near her There was none more astiduous nor more industrious to seek out occasions to please and obey her and though my inclinations carried themselves to arms a great deal more than to other employments they themselves in a short time engaged me in a place and to things which I had never staid upon but only in consideration of my Fortune Candace was really one of the fairest persons in the world and I would say she was the prime beauty of the Earth if some beauty had not afterwards appeared to my eyes which might equal it and possibly in some respect surpass it To the perfection of the body was conjoined that of the mind and all the qualities which might render a Princess accomplished I know not whether it were through the propension which we naturally have to love things beautiful that I suffered my self to be taken or through my pride which perswaded me that I could love nothing more low than the Daughter of one of the greatest Kings of the world This presumption was ridiculous in me and though alwayes in all the other actions of my life I may possibly have managed it with reason enough yet it was never possible for me to vanquish it Howsoever it came to pass I became really amarous of the Princess of Ethiopia and to accuse my self the more I will say that all the appearances whereby I might condemn my love were not strong enough to oblige me to resist it and that I never opposed my reason against the birth of a passion whereof I could not probably expect any good success I believed I might love Candace without offending her and I thought my self of as great a value as a Prince although the conditions of a Prince was elevated above mine What tyranny said I ought to oblige me to offer violence to a gallant inclination and what consideration can hinder me from loving Candace if nothing but she alone seem amiable unto my eyes If I have not birth I have a courage worthy of her and if by my courage I cannot supply the default of my birth it is better to perish nobly rather than to abase my thoughts What know we for what the Gods reserve us and why may we not hope all things if we find our selves capable to undertake all things In this sort I flattered my self in my audacious thoughts and if at any time by the reflection which I made upon the state of my condition I desired to regulate and submit them to more reasonable terms I repented a moment after and blushed for shame to have offended as it seemed to me that courage by which my desire was to equal my self with the greatest All the Ladies attending upon the Princess whom I might regard with more equality and amongst whom there were some who might pass for very beautiful if the brightness of their Mistress had not defaced theirs were not capable of possessing my thoughts for one moment and if at any time I turned my eyes upon them it was with so much indifferency or
attend some part of them to the end that I may with better grace offer to you and others a person more worthy to be presented unto you By these discourses I staid for a while the impatience of Cinthia and defended my self against her propositions not having confidence enough to declare unto her the small power I had to submit my self to what she desired of me but by the continuance of these pursuits though founded upon a very great appearance and by diminishing my addresses wherein she saw me grow the colder for her pressing me she began to open her eyes to part of the truth and to perceive that all the services I rendred her might proceed only from esteem and good will without my being possessed with any stronger passion for her She daily confirmed her self in this opinion with a very sensible grief and at last all her modesty could not hinder her from declaring to me with some earnestness the regret she had for it She had obliged me one day by a very pressing solicitation to fall into a discourse with her little different from that which I related unto you and this last time hearing me with impatiance Britomarus said she to me pay me no more with these reasons which I cannot conceive from you any longer as current after I have so much resisted them and alledge nothing to defend your self from the testimonies of my affection but the only want of your own there it is only that you can find your excuse and I should be stark blind if I did not clearly perceive that you never loved me These words at first surprised me but after I had digested them a little I was not altogether sorry that they gave me opportunity to free my self from a very great difficulty and having taken a resolution whereunto my mind did not apply it self without some trouble Cinthia said to her you may really believe that I love you and shall love you so long as I live as the qualities of your person and your goodness hath obliged me and when you shall see me wanting in this acknowledgement and resentment I give you leave to account me the most ingrateful and unworthy of all men This is a truth which I will seal unto you with my blood if you require it of me but Cinthia make an end said she interrupting me with impatience and tell me as I expect that I must be contented with a single acknowledgment and the good will only of a man which hath other pretentions I will not make my confession to you in these terms replyed I to her and I should not have courage enough to acknowledge the truth if you your self had not removed the difficulty but seeing you will have it so and that I esteem you too really to abuse you I will tell you that destiny rather than reason hath disposed of my soul and before that ever I had spoken to you I was in a condition to receive no other resentments for you than those of esteem respect and good will I made Cinthia this discourse with my eyes cast down and she was so touched with it that having beheld me sometime with all the marks of a violent regret and not having the power to express her self by any discourse she rose from the place where she sate and retired into her Closet and shut the door after her I was really moved at this displeasure which I noted in her action and her visage and all that day and divers others I was not able absolutely to free my self from some small remorses but in the conclusion I was not born for Cinthia and by my destiny I was ordained for other things than to pass my days with Cinthia In the interim this Lady transported with despight resolved to break off all kind of society with me and when I would have visited her again she oftentimes sent me word that she was indisposed and at last prayed me to render her no more visits though this order was not capable to afflict me much yet I received it with some trouble and I told the Maid that brought it that I would constrain my self to obey her Mistress and that all the repugnance she had for me should never hinder me from honouring and loving her and applying my self to her interests all the days of my life In the mean time seeing my self discharged of a trouble very contrary to my nature I pursued as I thought the motions of my love with more liberty and of two constraints being now obliged to one only I considered Arsinoe directly without diverting at all my thoughts from her O Gods what did I suffer by this rigorous violence which I was constrained to exercise upon my self and how often should I have had my mouth open to say unto the Princess I die for you if fear had not stopped me and taken away all the boldness which I received from Heaven For something she found in a conversation which did not please her she often did me the honour to discourse with me and in these agreeable moments if my tongue did not give my heart the succour which it demanded my eyes did express for it thoughts which Arsinoe being so intelligent as she was might easily have perceived if the dis-proportion between us had not diverted hers or if she could have imagined in me an ambition so little conformable to my life with some lustre and gave me hope of being advanced to the highest dignities if the actions I should do for his service should be answerable to the beginnings The Prince Ariobarzanes his Brother who was then about seventeen or eighteen years of age and in whom besides his beauty and one of the most sublime deportments of the world all admirable qualities were remarkable testified a particular affection unto me and let slip no occasion of rendring me all kinds of good offices He did me the honour to make me one in all the parts of gallantry which he performed either in courses on horse-back or the combats of divertisement and if he found that I came off with some address I must needs confess that his also not without reason was admired by the whole world and that in all particulars he gave marvellous hopes of his future excellency Artamenes and I were seldom asunder and at this time he acknowledged that he had unjustly blamed in me the effects which Love could produce without consulting with reason and what resistance soever he would have made at last he yielded himself to the powers of the Princess Artemisa and out of the confidence he had in me he presently discovered his passion to me and instead of condemning it I found therein matter of great consolation to my self I encouraged him to it as much as possibly I could and represented to him divers times that a good courage ought to fix it self upon sublime thoughts and that to despise common things and to aspire to the highest was the only means to
change hath left me in my justification and if by the inviolable fidelity which hath always engaged me to you I had not been obliged to use all my endeavours to die in the testification of my innocence I know not Madam whether I find you still in the same estate wherein you were when this miserable received his condemnation and possible it is that by the reflection you have made upon all the actions of my life or by the goodness of the Gods which never abandon an oppressed innocence you may have satisfied your self that I have not merited those miseries to which you have condemned me I speak to you Madam as a criminal in your thoughts and I had much rather submit my self to accusations against which my conscience fortifies me and against which the truth it self will defend me than to imagine that the change of my fortune proceeded only from the changing of your mind I have received too great proofs of its constancy to believe that it hath been capable of so cruel a revolution and I should conceive a thought which without doubt might offend you if I should judge that the fortune of Tyberius hath destroyed mine and attribute that to inconstancy which without doubt you have done for the reasons to me unknown The Prince had said more to this purpose if the Princess which till then had hearkned unto him without looking upon him had not lifted up her eyes and interrupted him in part of his discourse You have had reason said she to him to make this judgement of me and though you have been capable of a black infidelity yet you have been sufficiently assured that Cleopatra had an heart too well setled for being suspected of any such thing I ought not to have opened my mouth so much as to have spoken to you and whether it be chance or design which presents you again unto me contrary to my expectation and desire I should have fled from your first view as from the sight of my most cruel enemy but that I may render you yet more black and more criminal before the Gods and before men I will as unworthy as you are protest unto you once for all that if by your shameful perfidiousness you had not merited my hatred and my disdain in stead of that affection which I have blindly given you I should have despised not only Tiberius and all men besides but even the Empire of the Universe for you alone If it be so replyed Coriolanus and that by the infidelity wherewith you reproach me I have rendred my self unworthy of that fortune there is no death cruel enough for the punishment of my fault neither will I flie from it and you shall see me Madam to repair my crime in part fall upon the point of my Sword without repugnance and without any other resentment of my death than that I have merited it by my perfideousness But first Madam I beseech you by the memory of those former goodnesses which by your accusation I have so unworthily abused do me the favour to inform me what the crime is which by your accusation I have so unworthily abused do me the favour to inform me what the crime is which renders me so black and so odious Heaven is my witness that it is so far unknown to me that I could never so much as imagine the least subject of this reproach and it is but to learn this truth that I linger out my unfortunate daies and that I wander since I have the liberty into places where I may receive some knowledge of it I will not represent unto you to move you either with interest or compassion the condition wherein I am for the love of you It is a small thing that for your sake I have armed the powers which govern the earth against my self It is a small thing that having recovered for you only a very puissant Kingdom I have lost it again for want of ability to go and defend it in the condition wherein you had put me and it is a small thing to see me exiled stript of all a wanderer and vagabond in Countries which are all my Enemies without support without retreat and without Sanctuary against such great adversaries These evils are scarcely considerable for Cleopatra and they are too light to set before her eyes with any hope that she will make any reflection upon them but besides the loss of all that I might have acquired either by my Sword or by my Fortune besides the losâ— of my repose together with the loss of Cleopatra which expunges all the rest out of my soul to conclude my pitiful destiny with the loss of my life without having any knowledge without having any suspicion of the cause of my fortunes this is it which possibly is worthy of your pity and it is for this only that I will implore it with a final protestation that I will draw no other advantage thence but this to see my self condemed with reason by her whom at the last end of my life I neither can nor will accuse of any injustice The Princess Cleopatra as obdurate and pre-possessed as she was with a cruel opinion could not hear this discourse of Coriolanus without manifesting some marks of tenderness and the roots of the only affection she had had in her whole life were still too well fixed in her mind to leave her without pity and without resentment at the sight of this despairing Prince and the remembrance of those things which he represented to her Nevertheless she strove against passions and hardly retaining some tears which were ready to overflow her eye-lids Wherefore doest thou return said she to him wherefore doest thou return unfaithful Prince to renew my sorrows and oppose thy self to the repose which reason possibly had re-established in my mind What interest hast thou after thou hast so unworthily abandoned me to act the passionate lover before me afresh and needlesly to require new marks of that weakness which hath precipitated me into those disquiets wherein I have passed but too much of my life for thy sake and to plead both innocence and ignorance of a crime which thou hast endeavoured to publish to all the world As long thou wert faithfull to me my acknowledgement and my affection could never be moved by any consideration whatsoever and I as well as thou have opposed and incensed for thy sake alone those soveraign powers to whom the Gods having given an absolute command over me I had done more yet if by thy black infidelity thou hadst not too far dispensed with me and if fortune had replaced upon my head the Crowns which sometimes were in the disposing of Anthony thou shouldest have seen me use them more generously than thou hast done that which the Gods had restored to thee whilst thou wert innocent and which they have made thee lose since that by thy disloyalty thou hast rendred thy self unworthy of their protection It is by their
follow the destiny of your Father I see my self reduced by my destiny to hearken to discourses whereunto possibly at another time and amongst other persons I should not have been exposed but I support it with patience and it is just that I should suffer something from him who hath received so cruel a displeasure from my relations If by my discourses replyed I you suffer any thing the Gods are my witnesses it is not by my intention and it shall never be out of revenge that I give you my heart and despoil my self of my liberty Your powers are too well known by your self to let you find any strangeness in this change and though you have not contributed to it by your own design yet you will not be innocent of it if you do not look with pity upon the evil you have done me Cleopatra then composed her countenance to gravity and severity more than before and looking upon me with a coldness accompanied with some disdain You shall never be in a condition said she to me to have need of my pity and it shall never be my intention to reduce you to it I shall be very much obliged to you if for my sake you would abandon the desires of revenge you have conceived against the remainders of our family but if you please I will pass by that or if I require any effect of your goodness it is only this that you would cause us to be conducted to Alexandria the passage over thither is very short and there without doubt you shall receive thanks from Caesar for the good office you have rendred to persons who are not indifferent to him These word of Cleopatra did not presently receive an answer and the request she made to me was very unconformable to my intentions Fortune had put her into my hands by a too extraordinary adventure to make me lose all the advantage of it so quickly and if her beauty had freed her from my choler I could not consent that her return to her Friends should so speedily rob my love of her I saw that in the very place where she was subject to my power and where in respect of the danger she had run she had some cause to fear me she appeared little disposed to any compliance with my love and I had reason enough to fear that when she should be no longer in the place where I might serve my self with those advantages which fortune had given me near her she would reject my affections with disdain whereof I had noted some marks in her visage and her last expressions This consideration made me resolve not to have her back to Alexandria till I had better sounded her inclinations and judged whether I might hope for any acknowledgement of my love from her when she should be at liberty yet as my passion made me affraid to displease her I dissembled my design to her and after I had told her that I was disposed to obey her will I prayed her to pass out of her own vessel which was broken and unprofitable for navigation into mine which was in a condition to do us service The Princess passed into it with her Maids and the few men that were left the rest having lost their lives in the resistance which they would have made against us Of two Chambers that were in the vessel I left her the best where having intreated her to repose her self a while I retired my self into the other with my men and having caused those to be called who had the care of conducting the vessel I commanded them to sail slowly towards Alexandria but not to land and to keep themselves along the coast some furlongs from the City I caused them to take this way though as I told you my intention was not to go to Alexandria partly not to allarm the Princess and partly because the wind stood that way and was quite contrary to our return for Armenia A little after night came on and we having cast Anchor in a place where we found ground we passed the night at so near a distance that if the darkness had not hindred us we might have seen the walls of Alexandria Some while after I returned to the Princess from whom I could stay no longer without great constraint and being entred into some discourse with her she prayed me to inform her what displeasure I had received from Prince Alexander her Brother for whom she was extreamly in pain having heard no news of him since the arrival of his Equipage at Rome after his return from Pannonia I made some difficulty at the first to satisfie her desire fearing to incense her against me by the use I shewed to her Brother but because I naturally hate to dissemble I was willing to let her understand the truth and beginning to speak after a short interval of silence Madam said I I cannot give you a more perfect testimony of the power you have over me than in making the relation you require I fear truly that by recounting what I have done and what I would have done against your relations I shall incur your aversion and if you do not excuse me by the just subject of my resentments without doubt you will condemn them of effects contrary to clemency but seeing it is impossible to disobey you and my humour shall never be to conceal my most secret thoughts from you and lastly what I have done against your Brother is less criminal than that which I have undertaken against you I will inform you of all without any disguise After these words I related to her all that had happened to her Brother in Armenia in the same manner that I related it but now to you and though I endeavoured in some places to smooth over the roughness of my proceedings I could not do it so but that the Princess was troubled very often and found in the confession which I made to her great cause to hate me During my discourse I took notice of it divers times by the change of her countenance and by some exclamations which she made in those parts of my relation wherein she saw her Brother in the greatest extremity of danger but when I was at the end of my narration looking upon me with eyes wherein her new resentment was expressed whatsoever she did to disguise it I must needs tell you said she and I cannot hinder my self from doing it that to have been capable of what you have recounted to me you must have been the issue of a Lion or some thing yet more cruel and this perseverance to make an innocent Prince die a shameful death joyned with an obstinacy against pity which so many objects and so many reasons ought to have introduced into your soul expresses an harshness of nature which I should never have suspected in the Son of a King If my cruelty against your Brother replyed I merits the horrour which you express at it you will hardly excuse
of the children she left in the World as so tender an age that they were not yet capable to understand the loss they received Her cruel Enemies fearing lest that Herod should return to his right mind and making a rational reflection upon what was done should recall the inhumane sentence which he had pronounced hastened all things against all forms and gave no time to love and reason to produce the effects they feared Poor Sohemus and the miserable Eunuch were first sacrificed and Salome sent Executioners to strangle them in the Prison They say Sohemus died like a man of courage and protested the Queens Vertue and Innocence to his last gasp for whose death he expressed more sorrow than for his own Those which went into the Prison with the Queen to prepare her to die reported afterwards that she scarcely changed her countenance at their sad discourse and that she received news capable to daunt the most hardy spirits with such an assurance as shamed her Enemies and confirmed them to their confusion in the opinion they themselves had of her Vertue Nothing of passion appeared either in her countenance or discourse she never spâ—ke better sense or with more temper and there proceeded out of her mouth neither complaint nor word which might make one judge that she went to die unwillingly nay they who sometimes saw her passionate against Herods inhumanity when she was provoked by the death of her near kindred found her much more moderate as to her own and observed no new resentment in her for this last effect of his cruelty She only said to those who were present at her last actions Tell Herod that 't is this day that I begin to receive a good office from him and that I accept the present which he hath pleased to send me and with more joy and acknowledgment than ever I did all the testimonies of his love I can nevertheless protest before the God which we adore and I owe this justification to my memory and the blood from which I am descended that the repugnance which his cruelties have caused in me either to his manners or person never inclined me to the least thought of offending against my own honour or the duty of a Wife Tell him that the blood of Joseph and Sohemus which he hath shed will cry for vengeance against him and that if I be culpable at my death it is because that by my imprudence I have caused the ruine of those innocent persons As for Tyridates I thank God I feel no remorse of conscience that can accuse me of the least fault against my Husband and I hold no other thoughts for his person but of acknowledgment and esteem as due to his vertue Tell him that I beseech him if I may beseech him at my death that he would stop the current of his cruelties with me and look with more affection and pity upon the Children which Heaven hath bestowed upon us upon whom the rage of our Enemies may extend it self if he do not remedy it After this supplication I pardon him for my death with all my heart and I pardon Salome too for it though she might have contented her self to hasten the end of my dayes without blasting my reputation and I go without regret to render an account to God for my actions whether criminal or innocent After these words which drew streams of tears from them who heard them she gave some small orders for the recompence of those persons which had served her and having setled her mind in that respect she kneeled down in a little Oratory which she had in her Chamber where she prayed with an action nothing relishing of the world After she had bestowed a quarter of an hour in this pious employment she returned with a much more chearful countenance than before and after she had given the last embrace to her inconsolate Maids who melted into tears at her knees turning her self towards them who waited to conduct her to her death Let us go my friends said she 't is time to part Hyrcanus and Aristobulus call for me and I must go to find out those Illustrious Asmoneans who through the care which Herod hath taken preserve a place in Heaven for me With these words she gave her hand her self to him who was to lead her and having again with a look full or sweetness and Majesty taken her last leave of those who were about her she went out of the Chamber and passed into the Court where the Tragical preparation was made for her death Dispence with me Sir from telling you the last particulars it may be enough and more than enough for you to know that upon that mortal Scaffold the most beautifull head was separated from the fairest body in the world and the most vertuous the most innocent and the most couragious of all Women lost her life by the horrid command of a Monster thirsty after Illustrious Blood whereof he sacrificed the fair remains to the rage of its Enemies The Sun being at the latter end of his course gave light unwillingly as I believe to this sad adventure and the universal nature would have put on mourning if it had been capable of sense for the greatest loss it could ever suffer These last words of Arsanes were interrupted with sighs and sobs and not being able to go farther to finish what he had to relate concerning the remorse of Herod and some accidents which followed Mariamne's death he cast his eyes upon Tyridates to see what effect the conclusion of this pitiful narration had wrought upon him He was amazed and Marcellus too that there proceeded not one word from his mouth nor sigh from his breast but their amazement ceased when after they had looked near upon him they saw that he was fallen into a second swoon much deeper than the former Marcellus being touched to the quick with grief both by the pitiful relation of Mariamne's death whose eminent vertue and admirable beauty he had heard a thousand times highly extolled and at the condition wherein he saw the unfortunate Tyridates was hardly capable of giving him either succour or consolation and whilst Arsanes with the rest of Tyridates his Servants that were left in the house took care by all possible remedies to fetch the Prince out of his swoon he sate by him with his arms across and lifting up his eyes to Heaven as it were to accuse Fortune for the misâ—haps to which she exposes vertuous persons he made sad reflections upon the misery of men Tyridates came not to himself again a long time and the greatest part of the night was past before he recovered his senses Marcellus seeing himself very far from the repose and comfort that was promised him did not so much as seek for any in that desolate house and out of the excellency of his nature did so far interess himself in Tyridates misfortune that for a while he lost the memory of his own At last
sweetness as I could possibly I represented all things to him which might strike some horror of it into him with all the amity of a Sister and a rationality above my age But my endeavours were in vain and he parted from me protesting that death only should cure his love and that he would renounce his life if I would not preserve it for him by an affection equal to his own After this day he lived with me as a declared lover and though his Love partly blotted out of my Soul that friendship which nature had established there and began to render him odious to me as a man whose thoughts were detestable yet such was his Birth that I could not avoid him as I might have avoided any other person if I had had the design to do it and besides whilst I expected that time or reason or the Kings authority should procure some remedy I did all that possibly I could to conceal a thing of which as I thought half the shame reflected upon me and upon this consideration I could not openly express with what repugnance I received the Prince's visits because I would not divulge the cause yet I could not hinder it from being quickly known and he grew so blind in his passion that he lost all manner of discretion and by his ill conduct made all the court sensible of that which he should have concealed at the rate of his own life The King had knowledge of it by a thousand too visible marks and when I was no longer able to support the persecutions of my brother I took my last resolution to complain of him and to discover to my Father that which out of my care of his repose I had alwayes concealed from him When he was fully confirm'd in this knowledge and when upon the discourse he made me concerning it I was constrained to confess it my self to him he was transported with anger and testified his displeasure by divers marks which wrought no effect upon the Princes spirit He caused him to be called and after that he had signified to him with divers words full of sharpness the grief he had to see him fall into and persevere in so uncommon a crime he represented the deformity of it in such terms as were capable to reduce him to reason if he had been in a condition to hearken to them but after he had given a very quiet audience to the Kings discourse and surmounted the confusion which his reproaches might have caused in him making an effort upon the fear which the character of a father ought to have imprinted upon his Spirit Sir said he I wish with all my heart I were in a condition to testifie to your Majesty the submission I have to your will and I would strip my self of my strongest passions to render what is due from me to my Father and to my King if reason acknowledgment had preserved power enough over my spirit to retain it within the limits of its duty But Sir by the rigor of my destiny I see my self reduced to such terms that I have no power left to comply with you but only by making an end of my life if that be disagreeable to you 'T is true Sir that I love Olimpia and I love her in such a manner that nothing but death can free me from that passion which you condemn 'T is in this that my condition is more worthy of pity than reproach and seeing my self conducted by my ill Fortune to the love of a person of whom I am not beloved a love condemned as a crime by the King my Father I see no safety nor refuge for my self but in death alone nor will I seek it else where but since I am so unhappy as not to find pity neither in the Soul of a Sister nor of a Father I will escape by the only remedy wherewith my passion can inspire me from the long calamities to which it would expose my life if the course of it were not cut short by my final resolution He pronounced these words with so much violence that the King was so much troubled at them and feared some violent effect of his despair being well acquainted with his boyling and impetuous humour This fear made him act with the more sweetness to endeavor to reduce a Spirit which was not in a condition to be restrained by violence but all the things he could alledge to him to make him submit to reason were but in vain and his love as it seemed being spurred on by the resistance that it found grew stronger every day and by its augmentation augmented my displeasure I passed above a whole year in this condition that neither the treatments that I made him to extinguish his hopes nor the Kings dealing with him who from flattery when it was without effect oftentimes fell to threatning nor any humane consideration be able to remedy this disaster of our Family In fine the King believing that it was his last and surest expedient resolved to marry me to some one of the neighbouring Princes amongst whom there were divers that desired his alliance and he judged that by this separation from the eyes of my Brother his passion might be mortified and that all his criminal thoughts might be dissipated by impossibility when he had executed his designs I know not what would have happened thereupon if the poor Prince could have acted this resolution but to my misfortune it was hardly formed when he was seized by a violent Feaver which laid him in his Grave within ten dayes Before he dyed amongst divers instructions that he gave his Son for the government of the Kingdom he left him he exhorted him the most tenderly that possibly he could to quit himself of the love he had for me and threatned him with all manner of misfortune if he persevered in it Adallus seeing the King near his end dissembled his thoughts and feigning that he was moved with these expressions of his Fathers last will promised him all that he desired of him The King Preached to me too upon the same Text and expresly charged me never to suffer that his Family should be polluted with an incestuous Marriage But this command was not necessary and the horror of my Brothers intentions was so deeply engrave in my heart that I had no need of the King's sollicitations to dispose me rather to death than to his shameful consent The good King died to my great regret and his peoples grief whom he had governed with a great deal of Justice and sweetness I will not entertain you with the complaints which this loss caused me to make you may judge Ladies that they were excessive and besides the grief which the nearness of blood could not but make me sensible of in the loss of so good a Father I was particularly interessed by the loss of his protection who had till then defended me against the pursuits of my Brother He was publickly crowned in
going from me he laid his hand upon his heart to shew me the wound I had made there I awaked a little after so troubled with my dream that I could not recompose my self I knew not whether I ought to take it as a real advice from Heaven which amongst the vapours of sleep doth frequently acquaint us with future things or for an effect of those thoughts which had so strongly agitated me when I was awake Howsoever it was I could not hinder my self from being moved at it in such a manner that I had hardly any knowledge or use of reason and the Idea of that which was presented to me during my sleep was so strongly imprinted in my imagination that I could not dis-engage my memory for a moment After I had meditated a good while upon this not being able to quit my self of this pertinacious Image Ah! Gods said I within my self with a sigh can it be possible that my destiny should be such as ye tell me by the mouth of this enemy of mine and that ye have brought me out of my native Country and caused me to suffer shipwrack upon this Rock to see there the cruel effect of his threatnings If it be your intention great Gods I know it would be but in vain for me to resist it but till I am more fully informed by some other way than by a mouth which I very much suspect I will defend my self with all my power against the assaults of this presumptuous person who hath already so much confidence either in his merit or in his fortune This was then my intention and I really summoned to my assistance all the resentment and choler I could form against this audacious person which had so highly threatned me For all this it was impossible for me to sleep one moment longer but I felt my self so tired with watching and the persecution I had suffered from my importunate thoughts that I desired to bestow part of the day in reposing my mind and body and it was almost Noon before I thought of quitting my sorry Lodging Ericia coming to me about that time asked me if I would not rise and told me that the Unknown was at the entrance of my Cabbin and enquired how I did and if he might be permitted to give me Good Morrow My bloud was moved at Ericia's discourse and rallying up all the resentment wherewith I had fortified my self I cannot see him to day said I to Ericia tell him I am disposed and do you keep him company if you will for he cannot possibly expect mine These words escaped me before Ericia and I should have been very sorry if it had been before any body else but this Maid whom I have alwaies trusted with my most secret thoughts She was troubled at this discourse and at the action with which I pronounced it and fearing I had received some displeasure from the Unknown Madam said she have you any occasion to complain of this Man who is beholding to You for his life and expresses such great resentments of that obligation No said I but I cannot see him go and entertain him if thou wilt and leave me a little to my repose Ericia did as I gave order and a little after my Governess coming to me I told her that I was troubled with a pain in my head occasioned by my want of rest that night and I would try if I could take the other nap It would be a hard matter for me fair Princesses to represent to you what the agitation of my Spirit was at that time I know very well of all the passions which strove for place there choler took up the most room and I was so ill satisfied with my self for the weakness I observed in my self that I thought my self unworthy of my own esteem and amity What said I sighing what Olympia in one day and with a stranger too With a stranger repeated I and in one day Olympia These thoughts turmoiled me in such a manner all that day that my mind enjoyed not one moment of repose In the mean time Ericia as I had commanded her went to entertain the fair Unknown and she had no sooner acquainted him as she told me afterwards that I would not see him that day but she observed great signs of sadness in his countenance After he had kept his eyes fixed upon the ground a while looking this Maid in the face with an afflicted air Could it be possible said he that I should be importunately troublesome to your Lady or that I should be so unfortunate as to displease her by any of my actions No certainly replyed Ericia considering the manner of the conversation you have had with her it would be hard if she should have received any trouble or displeasure from you but she is a little indisposed and 't is wonder that considering what she suffered at Sea and endures still by her bad lodging her sorry bedding and the inconvenience of all manner of things which without doubt might alter a complexion much less delicate than hers If the Unknown was troubled out of fear of having displeased me he was no less afflicted with the opinion he conceived of my indisposition and looking upon Ericia with an action that signified to her that he took a great deal of interest in me already I would willingly render back said he this life of mine to the Waves from whence you have rescued it if any one of my actions hath been disagreeable to that Princess to whom I owe all both in respect of the infinite merit of her person and the preservation of my life But though that misfortune should not betide me I cannot but be very unhappy in the knowledge you give me of her indisposition and I cannot but be nearly sensible of all the ills to which a person so extraordinary and to whom I am so much obliged can be exposed Her malady is not very great replied Ericia she is only troubled with a pain in her head proceeding from want of rest all night If watching answered the Unknown and the loss of rest must produce this effect upon a complexion somewhat stronger than hers there are some possibly that would be more indisposed than the Princess is and without doubt they would have given something more precious than their health for the return and preservation of hers He had divers other discourses with her by which he discovered some disorder and alteration in his Soul till dinner time and then he dined with her and Eurilus and my Governess I keeping close though with a great deal of pain to the resolution I had taken not see him that day The succeeding night was as restless to me as that which went before and the next day endeavouring to make my spirit yield to the constraint which I had laid upon it the day before and to hinder my self from seeing the cruel enemy of my repose that in so small a time had made such strange
depredations in my soul 't was impossible for me to dispose my self to it and to deny Ericia the permission to see me which she desired on his behalf I saw him not without trouble and emotion I saw him as he appeared to me in my dream which came incessantly into my remembrance and I saw him in a condition capable to overthrow all the resentments that I had mustered up against him in my spirit He spake to me as I thought with a great deal less assurance than before and I believed that every time I spake to him I discovered some part of my own disorder I will not amuse you with the particularities of all our discourse which proceeded no farther yet than to things indifferent or at least very distant from those thoughts which took up the most room in our Spirits we talked concerning the incommodities and miseries of our shipwrack what hopes we had of our safety from Heaven and what resolution we ought to take to die couragiously if we received no succour before the little provision we had was spent and when we were upon this Subject I plainly perceived that the fair Unknown expressed more resentment for the danger which threatned me than for his own The more he proceeded in his discourse the more he spake to me with an assured countenance his words were alwaies accompanied with sighs and his looks which were sometimes fixed upon my face lost all their confidence when I looked upon him Though I had no design to engage my self to this Unknown person who probably was not of a Birth proportionable to mine and with whom in the evident danger we were I could not contract any friendship without the imputation of folly yet I confess my heart having made him way it was with some joy that I observed this alteration in his spirit and having been afraid till then that besides the disproportion of his birth he had but little disposition to love me I could not begin to dissipate that fear without some satisfaction I had a great desire to be informed by him of his Name his Country and Extraction but then I met with great difficulties and I no sooner opened my mouth to ask him about the business but it was stopped with the fear I had to understand something that might dsplease me He was not forward of himself to declare himself and I durst not venture to desire any fuller intelligence of him for fear of finding something in his extraction that might make me condemn the thoughts I had for him This fear really hindred me from expressing my curiosity and alwaies when this desire urged me this fear expelled it so that I had not the confidence so much as to enquire of Ericia to whom he might have discovered himself more familiarly than to me Divers daies passed in this manner I not daring to inform my self any farther and in the interim I found so many amiable parts in this Unknown or rather so many parts capable of surprizing the hearts and souls of persons less apt to receive the impressions of Love that neither the difference that I believed to be between our conditions nor the uncertainty of being beloved by him nor the apprehension of an approaching death wherewith we were so evidently threatned could hinder me fair Princesses I speak it with some confusion could hinder me I say from loving him It must needs be that this affection was decreed from above seeing it received its original by such extraordinary wayes and in a condition when according to all probability our Spirits should have been incapable of its impressions but in conclusion whether it were out of Sympathy which ordinarily produces such effects or by destiny which acted conformably to my dream in this adventure I began to love this Unknown to the prejudice of mine own interests and all the resistance I could make was not strong enough to defend the entrance of my heart I fear Ladies that you have not indulgence enough to pardon this weakness in me and that you have reason to find it a thing very much to be condemned in a Kings Daughter to have so hastily engaged her inclinations to a man of whom she had no knowledge but the good opinion she had conceived of his person one that she had never seen but a few dayes befoee and to whom she was not beholding for any service or obligation and truely I will not excuse it either by the extraordinary merit of the Unknown or by any of those reasons which are wont to be alledged in a justification of this nature but I will impute it only to the force of my destinie which as you will judge by the sequel of my discourse acted extraordinarily in this engagement of my soul 'T is true I began to love this fair Unknown whatsoever endeavours I used to the contrary but I conserved command enough over this growing affection to frame a very strong resolution never to make the least discovery of it till I knew that his condition was such that without any blame I might hope one day to receive him for my Husband if the Gods were pleased to prolong our daies by those succours which were necessary for us to get out of this little desart Island where in all likelihood we could hope for nothing but death and if it were my misfortune not to find him such as I might desire to suffer death rather than ever to declare to him my affection in which without eclipsing my honour and incurring reproach I could not rationally expect any good success This was my resolution and I found my self capable of putting it in execution a great deal more than I was to resist this passion which had assailed me with so much impetuosity and from this moment I began to curb my looks and to lay a restraint upon all things that might give the Unknown any intelligence of the advantage he had gotten upon my Spirit I entertained him as seldom as in civility I could and he observing that I retracted somewhat of that which I permitted him at first became a great deal sadder than ordinary and favoured my design himself more than I would have wished in seeking solitude in the most retired places of our little Island I confess for all that I was troubled at it and though I did all that I could possibly to avoid him yet my desire was that my distance only might separate us one from another without his contributing any thing on his part and I was well pleased thai he should look after me though I was sometimes troubled to meet him Yet the complacency I had with my affection made me suspect that it was not out of aversion that he kept from me and that I had possibly wrought something upon his Spirit which rendred him more circumspect in avoiding the occasions of displeasing me but the uncertainty I was in very much troubled me and the condition of my Spirit being strangely changed I was as
handsome and so capable of making it self beloved and of disarming my anger that when I thought to open my mouth to condemn his temerity with words of rigor my heart could never consent to it but stifled in my mouth the discourse I intended I turned away my eyes once more from his face to recall a resolution which this sight did too strongly oppose and I began to examine my self and study what discourse to make to reconcile my duty with my inclination or to comply with my inclination without offending against my duty I know not whether my silence and confused action did embolden him but after he had waited a while for my answer seeing that I opened not my mouth to reply I see very well said he that my rashness is condemned and 't is reasonable that I should expiate the offence I have done You with that which I owe to Your goodness I will willingly sacrifice it on that score and all the regret I can have in so doing will be that in parting only with my life I shall part with nothing that is mine for the reparation of my crime Command me Madam to restore back again to the Sea that which by a secret order of Heaven it threw at your feet or command me to take out of the World this object of your resentment by any other way that is capable of giving you satisfaction and if You find me slow in obeying you judge as you may have reason to do that I have undertaken to serve you with a courage too low for so high an enterprise or if Heaven which hath subjected me to you by so uncommon a way stirs up Your pity in my favour and disposes You to suffer my adorations as it suffers them it self do not oppose those pitiful inspirations and look with a gentle eye upon the most religious and submissive slave that ever your divine beauties could make conquest of Whilst he was pronouncing these last words I had a little recomposed my self but not so much neither but that there remained enough disorder and confusion in my soul to hinder me from forming any rational discourse I turned my self a little towards him and seeing him in that submissive posture which he had used all the time And who art thou said I that comest to assault my heart with such arms as oblige me to look upon thee as my enemy and one who in a place and a condition where and when we expect nothing but death endeavourest to trouble the tranquillity of my last days What is thy thought what are thy hopes what is it thou desirest of me I offer you replyed the Unknown I offer You a heart that was never offered to any but Your self and sacrifice unto You the most innocent thoughts that ever any mind conceived I onely desire You to allow of this respectful passion which fixes me at Your feet for that short time of my life which yet remains the fear of approaching death which You set before my eyes hath not been able to oppose its birth and if it please the Gods that our days receive their period in this place where we seem to be deserted by their assistance the glory of these last days when you have owned them will be more dear to me than all the time of my life I have passed hitherto in a more composed condition if I trouble the repose of Your days and make an attempt upon Your heart with arms too weak to make any impression there impute it to Your own powers which are too strong to find any resistance in a soul that is susceptible of love and to the destinies which have acted after an extraordinary manner in this engagement of my liberty Whilst he was speaking in this manner by little and little I inured my self to look upon him and hearken to him and to a mind prepossessed as mine was all things appeared in him so agreeable and so advantagious that I could no longer retain the motions of my inclination which urged me to let him know that I did not hate him In conclusion I could not be so much Mistress over them but that I blushed and expressed my self to him in such terms as quickly discovered my thoughts to him I see nothing in Your person said I but what appears to be worthy of esteem and your thoughts do not seem so criminal to me but that with a little indulgence they might be excused if they were accompanied with that which ought to authorize them but two obstacles are in the way which should have stifled such thoughts the hunger in which we are when probably such a passion as you represent to me could not but have an unseasonable birth and my extraction which ought to have extinguished all your hopes if You be not of a blood proportionable to Your designs I pronounced these words with so much shame that it hindred me from proceeding but the face of the unknown was filled in a moment with all the marks of joy and beginning to speak with an action full of transport As for the fear of death said he Madam I confess it hath not been powerful enough to blot out of my heart the fair image you have imprinted there and as for the consideration of your birth that hath not extinquished my hopes because I believed if I may say so with respect that the blood from whence I am descended is not inferior to yours I will no longer conceal from you who I am and if you had given me order I had discovered to you sooner a truth which possibly would have made you find less crime in my audacious thoughts I am Olympia would have proceeded when Ericia who stood at the entrance of the Arbor to hinder her from being surprized in her discourse gave notice that Cornelius was coming and immediately after the Princesses saw him approach attended upon by divers of his followers Olympia presently removed from the place where she was seated that she might not be taken for any other than a Slave both Elisa and Candace received a very sensible displeasure to see her narration interrupted when their curiosity expected most satisfaction and they would have been more troubled at it if they had not hoped to prevail with her to resume her discourse when they should be freed from Cornelius his company and in the mean time with some marks of discontent they rose up to receive him After he had given them the time of the day and by some expressions of civility wherein his looks spake particularly to Candace he had signified to them that the care he had of their repose and divertisement had held them that morning in some inquietude he obliged them to return to their appartments to take their repast and the hour being already come The Princesses could not contradict him and taking leave with their eyes of Olympia who with Ericia turned another way they not daring to make any greater demonstration for fear of
desires and vertuous inclinations About this time as you know the King my Brother prompted by a very just desire of revenge made war upon the King of the Medes your Allie and in the first year he had some advantages which made him hope the absolute ruine of his enemies 'T is true by what we could understand he dishonoured them by his crueltie and the Gods likewise to punish him for it stopt the course of his good fortune by the succours you gave Tygranes which changed his fortune and forced him to be gone out of the Dominions of your Allies 'T was at that time that he committed that action which hath been so much condemned by all vertuous persons to cut the throats of two Princes of your bloud prisoners in a just war and against whom he could have no lawful resentment This was that which made him lose the valiant Britomarus whose valour had been so favourable to him in the first year of the war and upon the relation which was made me of the generous quarrel he had with the King for the safetie of his prisoners what cause soever I had otherwise to blame the presumption of that young warrior I could not but have his vertue and greatness of courage in admiration and that esteem made me forget some part of the resentment I had against him Ariobarzanes who by the Kings command continued at Artaxata as well because of his Youth which as yet was not capable of bearing arms as to keep the Armenians in obedience whilst the King made war in forreign Countries wept for regret and grief at the relation of this crueltie and made all those judge who saw him at that time that his inclinations would be very different from those of the King his Brother I enlarge my self particularly upon this action of Artaxus because it was upon this account that the hatred of the King your Father was so violently exasperated both against him and his and it was upon the resentment of this action that he made an oath never to pardon any person of the bloud or Alliance of Artaxus whom fortune should cause to fall into his hands and it was upon this knowledge and out of the fear of this choler that I obstinately resolved upon so long a disguise in Cilicia You know better than I what were the last successes of that War and how at last it was ended by Augustus's authority who by the terror of his power made these Kings who were cruelly bent to ruine each other to lay down their arms and forced them to peace when the weakness of them both might sufficiently have disposed them to it if their hatred had not maintained the war rather than their forces 'T is true said Philadelph interrupting the Princesses discourse that the King my Father retired with so much grief and resentment against Artaxus for the death of Ariston and Theomedes his Nephews that to revenge himself of that cruelty there was no cruelty but he would have exercised and I believe if fortune had made you your self fall into his hands with this miraculous beauty and these divine graces which might have disarmed the rage of a hunger-starved Tygre he would have made you to have felt the effects of his indignation without any respect Do not think it strange then if I was afraid of him replied Arsinoe and do me the favour to believe still that the consideration of my life was not the cause of the greatest fears and I had not thought it due to my honour which in his indignation an implacable enemy might possibly have exposed to ignominy to take the more severe revenge upon Artaxus's cruelty I should not possibly have had this fear of a man born of a Royal bloud and of one that was your Father if it had not been confirmed in my Spirit by the knowledge he gave me of it as you shall understand in the sequel of my discourse You know that a little while after this forced peace Augustus sent to demand Ariobarzanes and my self to be brought up at Rome near him with divers Kings Children which were educated there in the same manner and were kept by Augustus near himself either to testifie his affection to their Parents or to have a greater assurance of their fidelity by means of those hostage Artaxus knew not presently what to judge of it but he durst not disobey Augustus's will of which in all probability this was an obliging effect on his part and having communicated to us the order which he had received he found us not unwilling to go the voyages Ariobarzanes being naturally amorous of great things joyfully received the proposition which was made him of going to that stately City Mistris of the greatest part of the Universe to pass some years in that pompous Court where almost all the Kings in the world came to pay their homage and besides he had small inclination to the severe dealings of Artaxus but being of a sweet and pitiful disposition he could not live without repugnance with a man so cruel and in exorable towards those who had offended him These were the reasons which obliged Ariobarzanes willingly to undertake the voyage to Rome and his good will easily gained mine without him I should hardly have ventured upon this enterprise but ever since we were little ones there was contracted so near an amitie between us that we could hardly live one without the other and I did more easily resolve to go all the world over with Ariobarzanes who was as dear to me as my self than to stay at Artaxata without him It would be to no purpose to relate to you the preparations for our Voyage and regrets which Artaxus and Artemisa expressed at our departure it will suffice me to tell you that all things were ordered as they should be with an equipage beseeming our birth we departed from Artaxata upon the way towards Italy and marched as far as the Egean Sea where we embarqued after we had crossed a good part of Armenia and coasted Licia and Pamphilia by land without any memorable accident From the Egean Sea in stead of passing over the Streight to descend into Macedonia and to take Shipping again upon the Adriatique Gulph as that was our most direct way fearing the tediousness of those long Voyages by land and wherewith we were already tired we turned upon the left hand towards Peloponnesus and descended into the Mediterranean Sea believing that though it would be the longer yet it would be the easier way not being obliiged to embark and disembark so often It was rather our destinies that would have it thus and the Gods who reserved Ariobarzanes and I for other adventures had not ordained that we should see the banks of Tyber We had been but a small time upon this Sea when we were seized upon by that furious tempest wherein we suffered that shipwrack which you have heard spoken of and lost our lives in the opinion of so many persons
I should meet you in that fatal wood whither our common destiny conducted us You know better than I all that befel me in Cilicia from that day till the day of our separation but you did not know part of the resentments and the thoughts which possessed my soul since that time I will give you a brief account of them before I proceed to the relation of that which befel me since your departure out of Cilicia Do not think Philadelph that I could look upon so many proofs of so pure and so perfect an affection from a Prince so highly accomplished as your self with that insensibility wherewith you have so often reproached me I had eyes as well as any other person open and clear-sighted in the knowledge of your excellent qualities I had a Spirit capable of resentment for so many good offices as you rendred me and I had a soul upon which this resentment and this knowledge might produce all the effects which are not contrary to vertue I did really esteem you as much as in reason you could possibly desire as soon as by a little experience I had observed the conformity of the exterior qualities of your person to the beauty of your interior perfections and this esteem was so strongly fixed in my Spirit that I did not believe there was any person in the world more worthy of it than your self I began at last to approve very well of your affection after that the purity of your intentions was made known to me and I could not see a great Prince as you were love an unknown Maid with so much sincerity and respect and with a design to make her his Wise without feeling my self tenderly obliged to such obliging intentions For a long time you gained nothing more upon my Spirit than this esteem and acknowledgment and besides that I believed that this was all I could in reason grant you till than my Spirit had never any disposition to engage it self in that passion which is a troubler of repose and which in my opinion how just a ground soever it may have is not absolutely permitted with decency to persons of our sex I had seen but one man in my life composed of admirable parts in whom I observed particular thoughts for my self and though his person was such that if his birth had been proportionable to mine I should have looked upon him without repugnance yet the inequality which was between us made me look upon his boldness with aversion and rendred all his good qualities useless to his intentions I had my Spirit free then when I came into your parts and this liberty Philadelph defended it self a long time against all the testimonies of your love You began at last to make some attempts upon it and it does not trouble me to make this confession to you when I call to mind that the most obdurate soul in the world would have been moved with so many proofs of your passion Yet I opposed my self divers dayes against the birth of these particular resentments till then unkown to my Spirit and to which my heart could not accustom it self I was offended at the weakness which I found in my Spirit and I endeavoured to fortifie it by calling to mind my former resolutions which till then had opposed all manner of engagement and by all the considerations which in the condition I was then might divert my inclinations from it The best remedy I could find for the defence of that which you too strongly assaulted was to desire leave of the Princess your Sister to be gone and to fly the occasions of engaging my self any farther by leaving of Cilicia I had other pretences enough without discovering that and besides the desire of seeing my native Country and our family which without doubt had resented my loss with some affliction and of getting out of a condition which was so different from that wherein I was born and the danger which threatned me if I was discovered in the King your Fathers Court the troubles which I raised there and the divisions which I innocently caused between the King and you were a sufficient motive to make me hasten my departure out of Cilicia This was that likewise which I oftenest alledged both to the Princess your Sister and your self when I prayed you both to consent to my return You know I pressed you very often to it and at last I had concluded upon it if I could have upheld my resolutions against the grief which you expressed at this proposition and the protestation you made with tears and oaths and with all the marks that might perswade a verity that you could not without dying endure this separation 'T was in that weakness Philadelph that I knew I loved you and you might have taken notice of it your self whatsoever intention I had to conceal it if you had considered that complacency onely was not capable of making me expose my self to so many disgraces as had almost ruined me through the indignation of the King your Father nor to make me continue in his Kingdom against the orders which he sent me to be gone and to put my self into danger of an eternal confinement and of poyson by which a little after you saw me reduced to the utmost extremities 'T was in this rancounter Philadelph that my soul received a very sensible impression for you and though I could accuse nothing for my approaching death but only your love in stead of having any resentment against you for it you did so move me with your grief that I was hardly sorry for the loss of my life but only for your sake and I should not at that time have desired the prolongation of it but only to bestow the rest of it upon you when the change of my condition and the consent of my friends would have permitted me to do it handsomely You may remember how that when I thought I had been at my last gasp I began a discourse by which you might probably judge that I was going to discover to you some things which till then you had been ignorant of and 't is certain that it was my intention to acquaint you with that then which I have declared to you to day and to free you at my death from the regret or shame which might remain to you for having debased your thoughts and your designs to a person unworthy of you in regard of her birth Alas cryed Philadelph interrupting the Princesses discourse with a sigh Alas Madam how well do I remember that passage of my life and how often hath it come into my memory since our separation as one of the most remarkable things and most worthy to be fixed in my memory 'T is true that when you were in a better condition you repented your self of the good intention you had had and though I urged you much upon it you made as if you had forgotten what you had so well begun But since that time
my self upon your word Having spoken these words Ariobarzanes held his peace expecting Adallas's Answer who upon that Discourse was fallen into a great perplexity and as he imagined seeing misfortune on every side knew not which way to turn himself to be least unfortunate The love he had for me could not without a great deal of violence permit him to bestow me upon another and it seemed to him that by this demand he was robbed of a piece of his heart but coming to consider that he was without a Kingdom without liberty and possibly upon the point to lose life as he saw there was a great deal of likelilihood he could not resolve to lose all and perish miserably by persevering in a detestable passion whereof he could never expect any good success possibly for a more hopeful love he would have quitted both Crown and life without consideration but at last he resolved or at least seemed to do so and after he had held his eyes a long time fixed upon the ground raising them up to Ariobarzanes's face Ariamenes said he or Ariobarzanes Prince or whosoever you are you reduce me to a cruel extremity and if the Service which you promise me and whereof I plainly perceive the necessity and the importance could be recompensed by one half of that Kingdom which you offer to restore me it would be much more easie for me to part with it to you without regret than to yield up Olympia to you and not dye But if you be resolved upon it and if nothing be capable to satisfie you but to give you Olympia well added he with a sigh since my ill Fortune and my Reason which my passion hath so much strugled with will have it so well then I promise you Olympia and engage my Royal word to you which amongst my other failings hath been alwayes inviolably observed that if you perform what you promise and if you be a Kings Son as you assure me you are I will render you possessor of Olympia It was not without expressing sufficient Testimonies of his grief that the King uttered these words and Ariobarzanes had no sooner heard them but turning himself towards those which came into the Chamber with him You are Witnesses my Friends said he That the King hath engaged his word to me and it highly concerns me to assure my self further of it by your Testimony There is no need of that assurance replied Adallas and what soever may befall me I will never fail in the performance of my word Since it is so added the Prince assuming a more pleasant countenance than before and that nothing is able to disingage you from your promise Know King of Thrace that I did not stay till I had your word before I rendred you the Service which you expect from me I am more generous in Effect than I seemed to be in our Conversation Merodates is dead by my hand and all your Enemies hear him Company you are the King of the Thracians now in peace and you may at this moment being free a Conquerour and absolute restore your presence and perfect peace to your Subjects Having made an end of these words Ariobarzanes obliged Euristheus who was with him to give the King a full Relation of all that had passed which he did at length and filling the Kings mind with admiration at the gallant Actions of Ariamenes he gave him a particular Account of the present condition of his Affairs by the death of Merodates and the defeat of all his Troops after which there was little probability that those that were left in the Towns which he hadnot taken would stay so much as a Summons the King upon this Discourse was assaulted with so many passions and so many different perturbations that it was hard to judge which of them would gain the Victory in his spirit At last after he had made long reflections upon the revolutions of his Fortune and had turned his thoughts from the loss of his Dominions his Imprisonment and the danger which had threatned his life to the advantagious change which he had received in his condition by the Valor of Ariobarzanes O immortal gods said he lifting up his eyes to Heaven for what reason have you thus subjected my Genius to Ariamenes that in all the misfortunes of my life I can receive no assistance from you but by his means After that turning himself towards him with an Action composed of a great deal of sweetness Be not offended said he if it be some Affliction to me to be so deeply indebted to you being so unable to requite Services of so high a value I acknowledge you though it be a little of the latest for my Benefactor for my Defender and for my perpetual Deliverer and whatsoever I suffer I will keep my word I doubt it not Sir said Ariobarzanes and I would not have taken so much care to have obtained your promise if I had not had an absolute confidence in it By this Action you will too happily recompence my Services and you will acquire the esteem of the whole Eeath by knowing how to subdue an Enemy more hard to overcome than Merodates was Let us speak no more of it added the King with a sigh let us speak no more of it I will keep my word After these words he continued a long time without speaking and in Conclusion endeavouring to express the satisfaction which was due to the change of his Fortune and to shew himself to his people in a condition which might recover their affection after some Discourse had with Ariobarzanes and those that were with him concerning the necessity of his Affairs and those things which were still left to do he went out of the House and the Town which had served for his Prison and went to shew himself to his Victorious Army which saluted him with loud Acclamations and gave him to understand That Misfortunes are sometimes advantagious to move and to recall those spirits which might be alienated by the miscarriages of Prosperity He viewed the Field where the Battel was sought where the marks of Ariamenes's victory were still fresh and though he beheld them with some confusion yet he could not choose but give that Prince part of the praises which were due to him and approve at least in shew the Ardor which his Subjects expressed in obeying him and fighting according to his Orders At the Request of Ariobarzanes the body of Merodates was used with a great deal of honour and permission was given to his Friends to carry it whither they pleased to rendâ—r it the honour of Burial Ariamenes likewise sent back all the Prisoners upon condition that they should pass to their Garrisons which were held still by their Companions and exhort them to retire within Fifteen dayes which was the time allotted by the King for their secure departure out of Thrace according to the Pass-ports which were delivered to them Thus was peace restored to Thrace with
but in the condition wherein you are and the great confidence which your excellent qualities may cause in you you have no need of those Fictions which Poetry might furnish you withall to express those thoughts which with more boldness than any other person you may openly discover I cannot agree with you modestly answered Agrippa in the flattering Discourse you make me and I find in my self but little reason for that confidence to which you would perswade me but though I were such as you represent me or as possibly our friendship would make you desire me to be I could not find any thing in the knowledge of it that might dispense with that which we owe to persons worthy of our respects and when our Soul is once made a Subject to the Empire of a Beauty and of a Beauty accompanied with all other advantages which may confirm its Domination that boldness which carries us through in Combats and dangerous Enterprizes doth not accompany us before those Soveraign Mistresses at whose feet our heart is disarmed of all its Forces The boldest man that is if his boldness be not vitious and do not pass the limits which reason ought to prescribe loses without doubt a good part of his Audacity when being upon the point to venture himself the Beauty which is predominant over his spirit darts him an imperious look wherein he may read the condemnation of his rashness or passes into such a coldness as freezes up all his hopes and stifles his expressions in his mouth Upon such an Account as this my dear Ovid 't is advantagious to have a particular Address to explain ones self and by this means a man doth not so rashly commit himself to Fortune which oftentimes is doubtful and makes us fall into displeasures which by a respectful silence we might have avoided T is certain said Ovid That by a respectful or timorous silence which tyes up the tongue upon these occasions one may secure himself from bad success but then he continues in a condition which possibly is not to be preferred before that which may be feared from a venturous Declaration yet it is not that I approve of an indiscreet presumption or think it convenient to manifest presently to the person beloved the passionate thoughts a man hath for her but in a little time and with a little Discretion one may easily find an opportunity and do that handsomly and seasonably which at another time would be inconvenient To this end I have alwayes thought it necessary to prevent the Declarations of our love by some Actions that may make it known to the Party beloved and to prepossess her mind by those services and effects of compliance which ordinarily are produced by that passion before we venture to express it by Discourse this way you are almost sure of the event before you put it to the hazard and if the person beloved be averse from your love and is afraid of a fuller Declaration of it than you have made by your Actions she will never give you way to put it to the venture but will so deprive you of all confidence and opportunities that if you have never so little prudence left you will never expose your self to it I do not doubt said the Queen Candace to Ovid interrupting him but you have often practised the Lessons which you give to others and have been sensible sometimes of that passion which you have so handsomly described in your writings 'T is certain Madam replied Ovid that I have not lived thus long without loving something and that I have not received so much dulness and stupidity from Nature as to have seen a great Number of considerable Beauties without any sensibility But if you have loved added the sad Elisa being of the humor that you are you did not suffer long before you discovered your love 'T is true Madam answered he That I have loved and have alwayes made my passion known to those persons who took notice of it and in this I have carried my self differently according to occasions according to the humour and sometimes according to the quality of the persons that I loved Tot hose in whom I observed most facility or most disposition to receive my love I discovered in almost before it was formed but when I was to deal with those that were more severe I waited till time and my serviees had wrought some effect upon them and if neither time nor my Actions rendred me that good Office which I expected I served my self as the great Agrippa lately told you with such inventions as my wit could furnish me withall Sometimes under other names I let them see whatsoever my passion for them inspired my Pen withall and when by little and little I had reduced them to approve of my thoughts and to grant me that the person for whom I had conceived and expressed them could not be offended at them I did insensibly acquaint them with the Truth and obliged them too to thank me for the respect I expressed to them by this Address Sometimes in Heroical Epistles upon which Argument I have composed some Elegies which I perswaded them to read in the passions of Theseus Achilles and Paris I let them see my own and when I knew that I had moved them to pitty Paris I desired them to bestow the same compassion upon Ovid. I made use of divers other inventions which do not deserve to be related to you but I may truly say without vanity that which way soever I went to work and though I never addressed my self to mean persons yet 't is certain for all that that of all the persons to whom I discovered my passion which possibly have been a great Number there was never any that was offended with it or at least that ever expressed any anger upon that Account that lasted above a day The Company could not choose but smile at this Discourse which Ovid made them with a great deal of grace and ingenuity and Cornelius taking a hint You were very happy said he and all persons that have loved and ventured to declare themselves as you did have not had the same success He spake these words looking upon the Queen of Ethiopia who not being able to be so far Mistress of her resentment as to forbear a Reply 'T was said she because they did not follow his Maxims and wait as he did till their Services had gained the heart of the Party beloved before they ventureed to discover themselves Prudence added Virgil who as yet had not interposed in their Discourse is none of the vertues which ordinarily accompany love and if Ovid had it either for the Companion or Guide of hie amorous Adventures his passions have not been very violent I have had replied Ovid those that were violent and those that were moderate and though possibly I have resented those which were strong enough to discompose that little prudence I might have received from Nature yet in
made at him at the same time yet 't is certain that as he was his Friends admired him and his Enemies feared him In the mean time Elisa more like to a dead than a living Creature and Candace very sensibly afflicted for her sake beheld the Combat with all the emotion that a deadly fear could create in them and sent up a Thousand cryes and vows to Heaven for the preservation of their Defenders Elisa might easily have secured her self from Tigranes by flight and Cephisa being not so couragious as she counselled her to do so but she could not endure to be told of leaving Artaban engaged in Combat upon her occasion and chose rather to expose her self to all the ills that threatned her than to the reproach of having ungratefully abandoned him She had reason a few moments after to repent her self of her commendable resolution if Repentance for a good Design could have found any room in her Soul and Tigranes plainly perceiving that the Victory was not so Cock-sure as he imagined and fearing that whil'st he obstinately pursued his vengeance against Artaban he might lose Elisa who might make an escape during the Combat after he had given order to the chief of his men not to let his Enemy escape and had told them the place where he should find him he rode towards the Princess with two of his men and making one of them alight he commanded him to take Elisa and lift her into his Arms. The Mede obeyed his Prince and the fair Elisa notwithstanding her exclamations and all the resistance she could make was carried from the place where she was and put into Tigranes's Arms. The King of the Mede departed with his prey being followed only by those two men who seconded him upon that Design and Elisa who was not of so strong a complexion as to escape out of his hands by strugling filled the Aire with her outcries and called both gods and men to her Assistance Tigranes held her fast betwixt his Arms and though with sweet expressions he endeavoured to qualifie the violence he did her yet he held her so that it was impossible for her to escape Artaban who heard her cryes and turned his Head that way from whence they came perceived with a mortal grief the loss he had or was likely to receive if he did not use some sudden remedy Great gods cryed he lifting up his eyes to Heaven Will you deny me your assistance in this extremity wherein I implore it And speaking these few words he began to cut out that passage which was denied him by a fatal blow which he gave to the forwardest of his opposers in the breast which instantly deprived him of life and seconding that blow with others no less furious than that at last he made himself way enough to run to the assistance of his Princess and never debating with himself whether he might with honour desert those men in a Combat wherein they were engaged for his defence he pursued Tigranes with all the speed that his Horse could make but the advantage which the King of the Medes had gotten before him was so great that it had been impossible for him to overtake him if he had met with no hindrance and he was gotten to the skirt of the Wood before that Artaban perceived that Elisa was carried away The fair Princess made the Woods to eccho with her exclamations and her outcyes were not in vain for they caused a man to turn his Head that way who was passing amongst the Trees on Horse-back and by the paleness of his countenance seemed to be in no better condition than Artaban This man had no sooner seen Elisa between the Arms of her Ravisher and lent some attention to her complaints but he understood the violence that was offered her and though he was called another way by very urgent Affairs and was in no good condition to pick a quarrel yet vertue prompted him to afford that assistance which was due to a distressed Lady and riding up to the place where Tigranes must needs pass to stop his passage Stay said he to him whosoever thou art and do not believe that I will endure the violence thou offerest Tigranes being enraged at this new obstacle and seeing that he could not clear his passage with his Sword without letting the Princess go he set her gently upon the ground and approaching his new Enemy with his Sword in his hand Thou hast sought thy death said he by hindering my Design And with these words he intended as he passed by him to run him into the body with his Sword but the unknown who had not yet drawn his closing up to him and seizing upon his Bridle gave him so strong a thrust that the Horse mounting before and Tigranes being a little intangled in the Reins the Horse fell backwards upon him and almost killed him with the fall The two Cavaliers that followed Tigranes instead of going to relieve him fell at once upon the unknown who receiving them without fear though he had no other Arms but his Sword thrust in into the throat of the formost with so much success that it came out at the other side of his Neck and seeing the second rush upon him with the same violence after he had put by with his Sword a blow that the other made at his Head he thrust his through the Visor of his Helmet and tumbled him dead upon the Sand. Having made this sudden execution and approaching to Elisa who had had no time to remove her self Madam said he What do you desire that I should do more for your Service Elisa was about to return an Answer when they saw Artaban come posting in with such an impetuosity as sufficiently signified the passion which animated him The countenance of the Princess expressed her joy at the sight and the unknown who perceived him having asked her if this was one of her Enemies No said she This is my Defender to whom you have rendred a considerable piece of Service by putting me again into his hands I will leave you with him then replied the unknown if you have no farther use of me for I have not so much liberty as to stay any longer with you if new occasions of doing you Service do not detain me With these words he was preparing to depart when Artaban came up close to him They had no sooner viewed each other but one knew the other and though the unknown had had such great quarrels with him as not to look upon him as a Friend yet he could not repent of the Service which he had rendred him and the Nobleness of his heart made him find all the satisfaction that he could receive by doing a good Action Artaban was going to accost him though the other retired with a great deal of impatience when he saw the two Troops coming up to him which he had left engaged in fight Tigranes's men being absolutely resolved to pursue him
and Agrippa's and Cornelius's men to defend him still as they had begun At the same time Tigranes being recovered from under his Horse and mounted again the Combat began more furiously than before and the King of the Medes being vexed at his bad Fortune which had laid him twice upon the ground and at the resistance that was made against his Design when he thought that nothing could possibly retard it encouraging his men with his voyce and example quickly caused the earth to be covered with divers bodies of either party 'T is true he could not choose but be afraid of Artaban's approaches and as couragious as he was he often grew pale at the mighty blows he saw him give And 't was not without reason that he feared him for if this redoubtable Warrior had been but Master of his ordinary strength and provided with good Arms all the obstacles he met with could not have hindred him from killing Tigranes in the midst of all his men and as he was he dispatched two of those whom their Prince loved best before his face with two furious blows he cut off a third mans Arm and gave Tigranes himself a blow which gliding down his Armor upon which his Sword did not fall right hit upon his Horses Neck and gave him a great wound wherewith he was quite covered with blood but almost at the same time his own Horse had received divers hurts under him and began to stagger being ready to fall Besides the Number of the Medes far surpassing those that defended Artaban and they being some of the bravest men of their Nation this valiant man was still in danger of his life when they saw a Body of above Fifty Horse coming from Alexandria and presently those that fought for Elisa cried out with a great deal of joy that 't was Agrippa and Cornelius And indeed they were the same persons whom the good Destiny of Elisa and Artaban had conducted forth to meet the Princesses and having met first with Queen Candace all in tears she gave them a short Account of Elisa's misfortune and the danger of those persons that fought in her Defence Agrippa having rendred what was due to the fair Queen and leaving the care to Cornelius to cause her to remount into the Chariot he flew in like an inraged Lion upon this occasion to serve the Princess whom he adored and immediately seeking for Tigranes as for an Enemy that would deprive him of that he loved he had no sooner discovered him but he charged him with a fury that was fatal to the first that came within the reach of his Sword Elisa seeing him do it did not forget to entreat his assistance but her requests were unnecessary at a time when he was sufficiently animated by his own interest though otherwise he had vertue enough to do only upon the motive of his Duty whatsoever his love could exact of him Tigranes seeing this storm falling upon him and finding himself incapable to resist it got presently out of the Throng and understanding that it was Agrippa that charged him he cryed out to his men to yield and desired to speak with Agrippa Agrippa whom no passion could transport beyound the bounds of his Duty stayed at Tigranes's words and commanding his men to do so too he gave Audience to the King of the Medes as he desired The Combat ceased almost in a moment and all the Combatants drawing up about their Masters Tigranes on the one side at the head of his Troop and Artaban on the other side with Elisa whom he accosted presented themselves before Agrippa Tigranes beginning to speak first and knowing very well that he spake to a man whose Name was venerable to all that acknowlegded the Roman Empire My Lord Agrippa said he I know not what offence we have done you to be treated thus as your mortal Enemies and to see you embrew your weapons in the blood of my men who have not by any Action merited either Augustus's or Agrippa's Enmity Though I appear here in a condition unconformable to my quality I am King of the Medes and I do not think you would deal with Princes of my Rank as with common persons Persons of your rank said Agrippa if you be indeed what you speak your self do not discover themselves by such Actions as drew our Arms against you and not knowing you otherwise than by the condition wherein I saw you I could not treat you otherwise than as a man whom I found shedding the blood of our men and violently carrying away a Princess who hath taken Refuge between Cesar 's Arms. The Princess that I would carry away replied Tigranes is my lawful Spouse whom the King her Father in the face of the whole World delivered to my Ambassadors after that the Marriage was publickly Celebrated So that I cannot believe that either Agrippa or Augustus himself should think it strange that I should take her as being her Husband to conduct her to the Throne where she ought to command And if I have killed some of your men not knowing them 't was because they undertook the Defence of an insolent Fellow who having no other Advantages but what he hath acquired by his Sword and what he hath received by the Favours I have done him hath taken the Queen my Wife out of the hands of my Ambassadors hath brought her by Sea into this Countrey where I have met with her and hath opposed the Design which I had to take her again as my own Tigranes had spoken more if the impatient Artaban had not boldly interrupted him That Fellow said he who hath no other Advantages but those of his Sword is the same that wearing that Sword in thy Service without being obliged to it by any considerations preserved thy Crown when it was ready to fall into the hands of the King of the Parthians and that by the breach of thy word being become thy Enemy shamefully chased thee out of the Countries which that Sword had given thee defeated thee in a pitched Field took thee Prisoner gave thee thy liberty which thou didst not deserve and seeing thee return again in Arms vanquished thee in divers Battels and snatched that Crown from off thy Head which he had formerly setled upon it if such a man be worthy of thy scorn and cannot boast of any other Advantages than the Favours thou hast done him I appeal to the judgment of the great Agrippa who is sufficiently known to all the World to make me believe that Vertue is no less considerable to him than the lustre of a Crown From the time that Artaban had begun to speak Agrippa had begun to look upon him with Admiration and not only the mine of this valiant person might cause the astonishment and attract the attention of all that beheld him but the great things likewise which hapned in the Empires of the Medes and Parthians by the Valor of Artaban being spread over all the Earth had
by reason of his evil treating the Africans as his negligence of so ill defending from the Prince the Countries under his Government feared that the Emperor would shew him no good countenance or rather severely chastise him but I know not by what good Fortune or intercession it was but he was well enough received and the Emperor seemed rather to compassionate than accuse him This bounty of Caesar was praised by all and the Friends of Volusius visited him and he again visited the most considerable persons of the Court. When became to kiss the hands of Octavia she was in my Chamber and there it was that she received his Visit I protest that knowing this man to come from Coriolanus that he had heen his Prisoner and one of the most signal marks of his Victory I could not behold him without greatemotion neither if I may with modesty speak it without taking some part of the advantages which my Prince had over him I expected with impatience to hear him speak of him nor was I long without this satisfaction for after the first discourses of Civility of his own accord he fell upon that of his misfortunes and though he spake of Juba as of an Enemy who had deprived him of all yet was it with so many Elogies that I could not but believe this man more sensible of the favours he had done him in the sweetness of his Prison and the gift of his liberty than of the injury he had suffered by the loss of so many men divers Battels and his Government for in the months of vertuous persons even their Enemies find their deserved praises I was possest with a marvellous satisfaction in hearing him relate the wonderful Exploits of my Prince with what order and prudence he had managed his design and with what prodigious Valor he executed it the Victories having been almost obtained by him only Volusius spake truly like a disinteressed person and as he made no difficulty to tell us how he was overcome and born to the Earth by the hand of Coriolanus who thundred upon him and assaulted him like lightning so nor did he forget to relate with what grandure of courage he received him and what care he took of the conservation of his life what treatment full of sweetness he had received whil'st he was in Prison and with how much generosity he gave him his liberty and lastly with what moderation he received the happy change of his Fortune The gods know whether these words of Volusius did not inflame the heart of the innocent Cleopatra and whether in finding so many great qualities in the person she loved she strongly confirmed not the gift she had made over of all her affections I was a little troubled to see that in all the Relation which Volusius had made of Coriolanus he mentioned nothing of me neither signified that he had the least word to say to me from him I took it for a very ill sign but at last I found my consolation in this belief that either the Son of Juba would not confer his secret with Uolusius or that Volusius himself in case he had any thing to tell me would choose a more convenient time to acquit him of his Commission than in the presence of Octavia and so many other Witnesses who might be suspected of no great correspondence with Coriolanus But if I retained the first opinion yet I quickly lost the last seeing many dayes pass without a Visit either from Volusius or a person of quality amongst the Moors named Themistales who came to Rome with him This I protest began to disquiet me and reflecting upon the long time since I received any Letters from Coriolanus though I believed it would be very difficult for him to find the means to do it with security I here found my self labouring under a king of fear which my good opinion of that Prince never till then had suffered to assault me I did my endeavours to chase it away and possibly it had produced no great effects had I not a few dayes after received an entire knowledge of what I am going to relate Volusius had been at Rome five or six dayes and I found my Soul a little agitated by those diffidences which Coriolanus's silence had produced when I observed in the generous Octavia who daily visited me in my apartment and from whence I was not permitted to go forth a melancholy which gave me some little inquietudes and taking the liberty to demand the cause My Child said she we cannot be alwayes satisfied and often when Fortune appears most favourable she is then preparing for us something most cruel Is it possible Madam said I that Fortune can disturb the Tranquillity of your life I complain not of her replied Octavia but I counsel you not to trust in her though I can assure you that you shall not be much longer a Prisoner and I believe nothing at all suspected by Cesar It is possible the would have said more but at the instant there came one from the Emperor to speak with her yet these few words cast multitudes of disquiet thoughts into my bosome and were the Subject of a porfound revery for part of that day being unable to imagine wherefore I should soon be unsuspected by Cesar unless he were perswaded of my disinterest in the Affairs of Coriolanus Tiberius failed not to see me that day but said nothing that could any thing enlighten my doubts and he was too subtile to let me understand from his mouth those truths which would be less suspected from another At last the gods would that I should have it from him from whom of all men I should the least have expected it for that Evening the Candles being lighted Marcellus entred my Chamber Though there was less light than at Noon-day yet was it enough to let me behold in the face of that Prince all the marks of grief or rather all the tokens of despair He blush't and waxed pale almost at the same time and from his eyes lightning sometime seemed to proceed and sometimes they were covered with darkness He remained a good while silent upon the Chair where he sate beholding me by turns with eyes full of grief and fury and in a posture which if it made me not fully devine my misfortune at least it sufficiently signified that some great misfortune was come upon him or that some disastrous News he had to tell me Presently a shivering ran through all my veins and his sadness communicating it self to me my face in all things resembled his I was about to have instructed my self further in what I ought to fear and had already opened my mouth to satisfie my timerous curiosity when breaking silence with violence Ah my Sister said he must Marcellus bring you the first News of the infidelity of Coriolanus And must he who at the peril of his Fortune hath hitherto defended him against the accusations of his Enemies be the first to accuse
more I could not but rejoyce at the News of the gallant Victory obtained by Sea against the Army of Enobarbus whereby it was believed that his Dominions were for ever setled against all the powers of the Empire and though I had no more reason to interest my self in his good and glorious success yet could I not resist this inclination of my spirit which could not behold them without emotion and a favourable opinion Let him overcome would I say let him triumph let him reign gloriously and let the Infidel prosper in all the designs that a just Ambition can inspire him with I will behold his Victories and the establishment of his Throne with wishes which my heart cannot refufe him and this heart which once was so sensible of his love can never be insensible of his interests I wish that his Crown whereof I ought to have part and for which he hath doubtless forsaken me may be so setled upon his Head that nothing may ever shake it and if I wish any trouble to this ungrateful man it is only remorse of Conscience when his Estates are peaceable This was my resignation which nevertheless could not prevent a lively resentment of all that grief could produce in a Soul so touched to the quick I forced my self to dissemble in those Companies wherein I was constrained to be but when I was at liberty I retained neither my sighs nor my tears giving a free scope to all the effects of my afflictions Alas how many cruel Hours how many Nights without sleep hath my sad thoughts made me spend how many whole dayes have I given to my solitudes to my complaints and sometimes to reproaches At last this sad course of life made the body partake of the spirit's disease and I lost in a little time with all my joy a good part of my plumpness and of that little beauty which I received from Heaven I became pale and lean and my eyes more sunk and dull than usual Those who loved me afflicted themselves more at this change than I did and sometimes when I beheld it in a Glass I could not but say with a sigh Ah! King of Mauritania how thou hast carried away the spoyles of the innocent Cleopatra How well thou knowest to triumph at once over the Arms of thy Enemies and the beauty of that unfortunate Princess Would to the gods this face had never been owner of greater Charms than these thy Infidelity hath left or that they had never been powerful enough to kindle those unfortunate flames which at this day are the cause of my deplorable destiny On this manner I lived when Augustus having received with impatience and displeasure the News of the last Victory of Juba resolved to leave Rome partly to send Forces into Africa and partly upon other Affairs which called him into Greece and from thence into the Provinces of Asia His departure was much sooner than was believed and because he desired that Octavia should take his Journey and I living with her as her Daughter had nothing that could dispense with my not following the Court Beside the Emperor treated me wonderful well since I was no longer suspected by him and the Empress to comply with him shewed much esteem and friendship to me and I went with no other repugnance than that of a multitude to my solitary disposition We departed from Rome with all the great persons of the Empire and took shipping and the first place we touched at after a prosperous Navigation was Sicilia where we made some abode at Syracusa where the beauty of the walks that are about that City gave me some divertisement In my walks I was ordinarily accompanied by my Sister Antonia and some of my Maids without greater attendance and it was in one of these walks that an adventure hapned unto me which cruelly opened all my wounds and an adventure so strange that it will be difficult for you to imagine it It was my dear Sister that whil'st I walked with Antonia and Camillia and in a little Wood near the famour Fountain of Arethusa entertaining my self with the Infidelity of Coriolanus what care soever I took to banish him from my remembrance That same Coriolanus whom I thought to be employed in gathering the fruits of his Victories and governing his new Monarchy That same Coriolanus from whom I thought my self a great distance presented himself before me I know Sister you are amazed how to understand this fickle effect of my Fortune Yes certainly I am astonish't replied Artemisa and I so little expected this Encounter that I cannot apprehend it without a great surprize You may believe replied Cleopatra that I was no less surprized at so unexpected a sight and that I often accused mine eyes of false information when they represented my Soul a face whose Character in spight of my just resentments I carried graven in my heart but that which amazed me yet more was that this Infidel accosted me with as much assurance as though he had been the most innocent man of the world speaking to me in terms as passionate as those he used at Rome Treating me at last after the same manner as though nothing had ever been heard or as if he himself had never so much in all his life as thought on the Treason which he committed Here the Princess related the long Conversation which she had with Coriolanus in the same manner as Emilia had related it a few dayes before to Tiridates repeating word by word all the Princes Discourse and forgat nothing of the cruel Answer which she gave him and the rigorous words whereby she thought she had banish't him her presence for ever and when she was come so farr she proceeded on this manner What just resentment sover I had in my Soul believe not my Sister but it was with some violence that I constrained my self to follow my just resolutions I was armed with a most legitimate anger and my wrath increased with reason at the sight of this perfidious man but w thall I could not behold that face formerly so beloved the suppliant face of Coriolanus neither hear the sound of that voice which once so sweetly charmed me without resenting extraordinary emotions and such as could not assault a Soul without making a great impression therein I retired with my Sister and Camillia into our Chariot rather dead than alive and having observed as I thought at our separation something deadly in the regards of Coriolanus I was possessed with a fear accompanied with tenderness that fill'd me with most cruel agitations So long as the way lasted to Syracusa I was not able to utter one word and my Sister and Camillia who saw me in a condition so little capable of converse kept themselves in the same posture and opened not their mouths to interrupt those thoughts tormented my heart but when we were in my Chamber wherein I locked my self with them without seeing any one else the rest of that day
and fair Houses and inhabit not Tents and Chariots but when they march in the body of an Army I will say no more of a people who have but a small part in this History and as it altogether for Alcamenes I will not enlarge but upon the recital of his particular actions During the non-age of this Prince the King Arontes his Father a great and redoubted Warriour who dyed lately and during whose raign the most remarkable of his Sons adventures happened had a long and bloody War with Decebalus King of Dacia and the fields of either King had often blusht with the blood of their miserable subjects The Kingdom of Dacia was formerly obscure and of an indifferent consideration But this at present very potent and its Princes may keep file with the greatest Soveraigns of either Asia or Europe To the ancient Dominions of the Dacians are added either by conquest or alliance the Getes and the Gelones and it was as I suppose about the Tribute that the Scythian King demanded of these Nations which bred the quarrel But be the original what it will the process was cruel and for some time doubtful but at length the King of Dacia sunk under the Arms of the Scythians and was killed by the King Arontes's own hand in a battel fought on the Frontiers of his Countrey Arontes after this Victory was in a capacity to have extended his Arms over the Dacian Territories but he contented himself with the advantages he had without seeking greater conforming his Ambition to the custom of his Predecessors who have alwayes believed they could not without a crime invade their Neighbours Possessions He therefore granted to the Widow of Decebalus the truce she demanded keeping himself peaceably within his own limits and governing his subjects with all justice and moderation But the Queen Amalthea that was the name of Decebalus's Widow retaining an inconsolable grief for the death of her Husband and breathing nothing but revenge was not appeased by the moderation of her enemy forgetting none of her resentments though the evil state of affairs forced her to dissemble them and also her impuissance to continue a war the success whereof had been already so mournful The only testimony of her marriage was a daughter then about five or six years old fair amongst the marvellous beauties of the universe and born with an extraordinary spirit and grandure of courage The afflicted Queen sought in this little Princess all her consolation and in her founded all the hope of her premeditated revenge supposing this growing beauty when it ripened to perfection would enslave all the Neighbour Princes and arm them in her quarrel The Princess whose high spirit made her easily consent to the resentments of her Mother refused not to make those advantages which she had received from Nature the incendiaries of that revenge they both equally breathed In this Hope was the young Menalippa educated with all that care could do to advance the design of making her a most accomplished person neglecting nothing that might acquire spiritual ornaments to accompany those of her beauty Like a young Lioness the Queen brought her up inspiring her alwaies with more of the Fierce than the Sweet and during her infancy she never heard the name of Arontes pronounced but with hatred and horrour Her recreations were framed after a sort little common to her sex and seeing she was of a vigorous strong complexion and an extraordinary stature they made her practise the most violent exercises to ride so soon as she was able to sit and chase the savage Beasts with bow and arrows and if she were not entirely an Amazon at least she was capable of those Martial women practices who till Alexanders time inhabited Asia with so much reputation Menalippa marvellously seconded the designs of the Queen her Mother fair to the admiration of all those that saw her her spirit tempered with all the Graces that excellent education can add to excellent Naturals her body accustomed to violent exercises with as much force as those of the strongest men her heart naturally high and proud easily received those fierce impressions from her Mothers inspiration and withal as much hatred to the person name and house of her fathers murtherer as she could desire when the Queen saw her such a one as she wished she concealed her intentions no longer but practizing for succour with her Allies and Neighbours to make a puissant expedition she proposed the fair Menalippa who besides the Marvels of her person was heir to a potent Monarchy the price of that vengeance she continually breathed not scrupling to promise her to that Prince who with the greatest power and most fortunate success would aid her against her enemy Whilst Menalippa was thus nurtured in Dacia the King of Scythia to whom the Gods had given but one Son older than Menalippa by two years this young Prince employed all his study to render himself conformable by education to those hopes were conceived of him and certainly it was not without reason that they expected Marvels from him since Heaven seemed to have inspired this young Prince with whatsoever might entitle him admirable I shall add nothing Madam to what you have said concerning his good Mine which certainly might dispute precedence with all those I have ever seen of great or majestick in the whole course of my Travels his spirit is excellent lively and active his soul adorned with all the vertues and form'd with the most beautiful and grand inclinations but you will know him better by my relation than any description I can make of him This young Prince so happily seconded the designs of the King his father that at the age of fifteen years he not only rendred himself more knowing in all sorts of exercise than his teachers but also appeared at these years the strongest man of Scythia in all exercises wherein address and force of body could shew it doing things which made all that saw him judge that at a more advanced age he would surpass all those whom antiquity had presented for the most famous But in a short time he gave more authentique proofs for scarce had he attained the seventeenth year when the King his father was obliged to march against the Masagetes who were in Arms through the inspiration of the Queen of Dacia and her Allies And being willing to teach his Son his trade gave him the command of a part of his Army he did in this Imploy things surpassing belief defeated the enemy in three or four Combats such as might pass for Battels testifying a marvellous Conduct and excellent intelligence in an occupation which he had but begun to practise he had alwaies the glory to have killed the Chiefs with his own hands at the head of their Troops and did things in his own person so astonishing that the Scythians compared him to Achilles Theseus and the fabulous Heroes of Antiquity and a little after the King his father being
his vertues shine beside the general esteem he gained in such sort the affections of the Queen that never favourite rendred himself more powerful over the spirit of any Soveraign than he did over that of Amalthea And as he gained the favour of all the world so none envied his fortune except the stranger Princes who pretended to the possession of Menalippa and seeing him so favoured by the Mother and the Daughter began to doubt whether the grandure of their birth and the possession of their Crowns would render them more considerable than the vertue of Alcimedon Euardes Son of the King of Bithinia and Phraterphernes Son to the King of Pont both drawa from their Countries by the beauty of Menalippa sighed equally for her in the Court of Dacia Merodates the most valiant of the three and withal the most proud thought not the most powerful felt the same fires and entertained the same pretensions Orosmanes Prince of the Basternes neighbour to Dacia breathed the same passion yet none of them had been able to touch the stately heart of Menalippa and though the Princes were all considerable for their valour and greatness yet this fierce haughty Princess had never favoured them with one regard which might afford the least hope the Reputation of her Beauty and the Declaration which the Queen her Mother had made to yield her to him that reveng'd her on the King of Scythia had called those Princes into her Territories and whilst at the feet of Menalippa they indeavoured to make some progress in her affection Levies were made in all parts of their Kingdoms for the Scythian expedition Those of Merodates and Orosmanes were bordering but those of Phrataphernes and Euardes were to be drawn out of Asia and required a larger time e're they could come none forgetting whatsoever might advance his particular fortune yet they had really done nothing and Merodates only by the repute of his valour could boast of some place in the esteem though none in the affection of Menalippa Alcamenes beheld with displeasure so many Princes Arm'd against his Father and unable to dissemble his resentments was notwithstanding the obligations he had to be pleasant perpetually fierce and contracted no friendship with them 'T is true that their love and pretensions to Menalippa rendred them more odious than their design to carry a War into his Country and as Rivals hated them more than as Invaders he beheld them with Aversion and would have done with Disdain had not prudence been an Enemy to his passion for knowing himself more rich in all sort of vertues and more great in the extent of Monarchy than them all he might reasonably have hoped for a better success than them all had not the hatred of the Mother and the Daughter powerfully opposed themselves to his hopes and been an obstacle greater than all the traverses of his Rivals Whilst this amorous Prince consum'd without discovering himself and by his regards only gave Menalippa cause to judge that his heart was wounded by those only he declared his torments to his fair Princess nor was this Language altogether unsufficient to make her apprehend part of the truth Menalippa over-born by her destiny submitted to that yoak which hither to she had despised and suffered nothing less than he yet not daring to permit her eyes to enter into so free a conversation as Alcamenes did his she lived in a greater constraint yet could not alwaies so command them but by some favourable glances she flattered his hopes and as he observed them with a particular interest in a short time he perceived a great part of his happiness This mute language prepared and all other circumstances seconded so well that these two illustrious persons no longer doubted a mutual affection and the haughty Menalippa who from so many Princes of birth equal to hers could never indure the least syllable of Love became now even afflicted that an unknown man and apparantly of Rank inferiour to hers kept a forced silence and spake not openly of his passion For in some moments she would continue in these thoughts but presently began to fear what she seemed to desire and sounded the bottom of her courage to find in what manner she ought to receive so hard a declaration from this unknown person Alcimedon though naturally hardy and knowing himself sufficient to believe that the greatest Princess upon Earth ought not to be offended with the declaration of his love was yet disquieted with cruel considerations and could not resolve to declare himself as an unknown or as Alcimedon without exposing his hope to an entire ruine To discover Alcamenes he could by no means yield supposing the little affection they began to entertain for Alcimedon was not comparable to the hatred they bare to his House and himself also and To declare his passion to the Princess in the disguise of an unknown person could boad no other than a bad success nor did he think such a Princess as Menalippa heir to a flourishing Kingdom and who might chuse out the greatest Princes of EUROPE and ASIA would behold but with disdain the passion of a man whose birth and quality were unknown though prepossest with much esteem and good-will towards his person He made on this subject many discourses too long to relate and in this posture many Months passed e're he could obtain from his courage the succours he demanded But at last as he is capable of the most hazardous enterprizes and as he saw himself more animated by the favourable treatments of Menalippa who sufficiently favoured his design and gave him often opportunities to entertain her with liberty he resolved notwithstanding his so many reasons to the contrary to ease his torment by discovering them or to ruine his hopes One day the Princess call'd him to her to walk in the Palace-Garden and having discharged her Squires to grace Alcimedon with the employment she made several turns and at last led him into a little Cabinet but her Maids entred not by reason it was but little but walkt in the Alley and left Alcimedon alone with the Princess He had already resolved by the Essayes he had made upon his Courage and the hope those favourable appearances had given him to lay hold on the first occasion to discover his passion So that he sought a way though trembling to enter with a good grace upon this discourse Whilst he was meditating the Princess through an open place of the Cabinet shewed him a Spring encompassed with some Trees from whence a Rivulet took its rise branching forth in many Channels through the Garden It was said the near such a place as this that I first saw Alcimedon and you may add Madam replyed Alcamenes 't was in that place that Alcimedon left his liberty at the feet of the divine Menalippa and charged himself with those glorious Chains which he will carry to his Tomb. He stopt at these first words and the Princess though she were
not angry yet blushed and became much disordered and keeping her eyes fixt on the ground as unable to lift them to Alcamenes's face she remained silent The Prince who stedfastly beheld her Countenance and finding nothing there of cruel but much more bashfulness than choler became more hardy than before and putting one knee to the ground some paces from the Princess Divine Princess said he if I have offended you ordain with what manner of death you will punish my boldness only grant me the favour as to believe that if our adorations offend not the Gods you can receive no injury from those my heart intertains for you This heart was yours from the first moment I saw you and shall be yours till the last moment of my life you may disapprove it you may condemne it but you cannot by death draw it out of this gloricus servitude Here he stopped and after Menalippa's example fastned his eyes on the ground and if the Princess had regarded his action she might have seen that fear took possession of his heart in this encounter which it had never been able to do in the greatest dangers Menalippa was joyful that he loved her and she loved him dearly yet knew not how to express her self or treat him She was not ignorant of the Rules of good manners and she had a natural disposition to punish with rigour faults of the like nature with this of Alcimedon yet had she no dissembling spirit nor could receive with appearances of dislike those things which she desired with all her heart This irresolution made her keep a long silence at length a little raising her eyes upon Acimedon whose humble posture helpt to gain her Stranger said she if I behold thy boldness with rigour I should judge it worthy of punishment but if I follow my inclinations I shall do thee no harm thy temerity alone is all I can dislike in thee but nothing of the rest is odious to Menalippa and if thou wilt have her tell thee any more first let her know who is this audacious man that without giving us any other knowledge than that of his Sword dares lift his eyes to the Princess of Dacia on the accompt thou givest her may depend a great part of thy destiny And I tell thee further thou wilt not disoblige Menalippa in letting her know thee to be such a one whose affection she may entertain without offence These words heightned the courage of the Prince of Scythia Divine Menalippa said he with more assurance than before death shall be less cruel to me than any occasions of disobeying you but I am constrained by a necessity which when you know you will certainly pardon for some Months to conceal both the Birth and Fortune of Alcimedon and the gods are my Witnesses that it is only my respect to you that causeth this difficulty in a short time you shall receive a knowledg of me confirm'd by the testimony of all EUROPE and therefore great Princess permit me to say that though in all sorts of great qualities I am infinitely your Inferior yet in Nobility of blood in Dignity and Dominions my House gives place neither to yours nor any in EUROPE and if you are satisfied with the person of Alcimedon that which ought to accompany him to render him worthy of you will be here sound more advantagiously than in all the other Princes who have taken upon them the honour of serving you In the Name of the gods and by your bounty pardon me if I can discover no more When the term of this cruel constraint shall be expired I will declare my self wholly to you without expecting a second command during which time I shall desire no further favour than those I have received from you nor pretend to any thing from your bounty which may in the least ingage you before these truths are sufficiently known and until the Queen your Mother with all the Court of Dacia do confess that Alcimedon is a Prince great enough to pretend openly to the glory of serving you Alcimedon finished not this Discourse but with much difficulty finding a strong aversion to disobey the command of Menalippa But this fair Princess was so intricated on all sides as if the were troubled in being unable to learn of Alcimedon that which she desired yet what he related concerning his Birth and Fortune did highly satisfie her and as she had too much confidence in his vertue to suspect him of a lye and of a lye which could but be unprofitable by his own conditions her contentment became so great that she could hardly dissemble it And beholding Alcimedon with an affectionate sweetness As I am more reasonable than many others said she and that visibly I act with more sincerity than artifice I will excuse for your Reasons the denial you make me but I beseech you not to abuse that good opinion which will have me believe that all you say is true Alcimedon falling on his knees and with Transports imbracing her feet My visible Deity said he if this heart were capable of disguising it self from you it were not that heart-burning for you with a passion the most holy a Soul can be inflamed with and I desire you to banish me your presence as that man of all the World the most unworthy to adore you if before I pretend to any other favour than this of imbracing your sacred knees I present not in the person of Alcimedon one of the greatest Princes of the Universe He uttered these words with an Action so passionate and Menalippa read so much love in his eyes that unable to master the motions of her affection after she had offered her hand with an Action full of sweetness and Majesty Friend said she if this be true Menalippa shall never be anie 's but thine but if to my unhappiness it prove false she shall never be to any one at all Finishing these words she carried one hand to her face to cover a blush and with the other locking upon that of Alcamenes and raising him Alcimedon added she you have gained my heart with too much facility but believe that it is my destiny and inclination which hath given it you rather than your Services and so carry it that I may never have cause to complain of the one or the other to day I will entertain you but no longer Finishing these words she went out of the Cabinet but it was in a condition and with a countenance so changed that had it been observed by the Company they might have feared some dysaster had befallen her But Alcimedon was so transported with joy that it was hard for those who saw him that day not to discern in his face the satisfaction of his heart and no sooner had he quitted the Princess by her command and recollected himself concerning his good Fortune but he found his felicity too great to be contained and scarce in the impetuous motions of his youth could he
her message to Alcimedon which after she had related with aggravation all she knew of the Princess grief seeing the Princess more capable of Conversation than the day before and presuming on the confidence her Lady alwayes had in her discretion took the liberty to demand the cause of her anger against Alcimedon saying it must needs be great having carried her to such an extremity against a man she so extreamly loved Menalippa unable to answer without some sighs ingenuously related the Subject of her Choler against Alcimedon and related without disguise all she learnt from Barzanes touching the pretended Marriage of his Daughter with Alcimedon Belisa no sooner heard this Discourse but striking her breast Ah! Madam is this all the cause of that great anger which hath banish't Alcimedon for ever And judge you not Belisa replied the Princess That I have reason to banish an unfaithful man who left me for the Daughter of Barzanes Ah! Madam replied Belisa What a cruel injustice have you committed and how have you exercised all your rigor against an innocent The poor Alcimedon before he came by his misfortunes to the door of your Cabinet whither I conducted him my self finding me in your Anti-chamber and knowing you kept nothing concerning him as a secret from me entertained me a great while concerning the intention of Barzanes and the offer he made of his Daughter but I can assure you Madam his intentions held no correspondence with those of Barzanes and that he negotiated with that Prince only out of Civility due to the Uncle of Menalippa He testified to me nakedly the trouble he was in how handsomely to evade the offer of Barzanes and entred your Cabinet with a design of conferring with you and receiving order and counsel thereupon Belisa thus spake the truth and Menalippa finding a likelihood in her Discourse began insensibly to be cured of her jealousie and more and more perswaded of Alcimedons innocency being a thing she more desired than her life she indeavoured all possible means to get out of this cruel Error for according to reason and common sense there was small appearance that Alcimedon should quit her for Alithea which opening her eyes to the Truth she began to accuse her rashness when to compleat the Victory they told her that Barzanes was at her Chamber-door waiting to give her the good morrow Though Menalippa was in no condition to be seen the respect she bare her Uncle and much more the design of clearing Alcimedons innocency from his mouth which begat her suspition she commanded they should bring him in Barzanes being at the Bed-side took a Seat by the Princesses command and after the first Discourses of Civility the impatient Menalippa wanted not pretence for her design but put the Prince her Uncle upon the Discourse of his Daughters Marriage and desired him to acquaint her sincerely with what had passed touching that Affair and what testimonies he had received of Alcimedon's love to Alithea and after what manner he had taken the boldness to demand her in Marriage Barzanes who was a Prince sincere and without artifice told the Princess ingenuously that Alcimedon had never spoken to him concerning his Daughter and would have been less hardy to demand her in Marriage but having considered vertue and preferred it above all other establishments he could expect or wish her and supposing thereby to render an important Service to the State in detaining Alcimedon he intended to give him his Daughter and made no difficulty to offer her to him Alcimedon testified no particular design towards this alliance but received the favour with great respect and many testimonies of acknowledgement which would not permit him to fancy he had any repugnance to this Proposition and although Alcimedon had loved Alithea yet the disproportion of their Fortunes might well hinder its discovery The more Barzanes talked the more Menalippa was confirmed in the knowledge of the Truth and ere her Uncle left the Chamber she doubted not but that Alcimedon had only acted out of Civility and the respect he thought due to a Prince that loved him and who was Uncle to his Princess Her Soul quickly resumed its former Seat and that violent passion which had dislocated it deceding to the pity she conceived at the Report of Belisa of those marks of grief she saw upon the face of Alcimedon began now to repent the rigor of her proceeding when a little after Barzanes was gone Belisa presented her with the faithful Squire of Alcimedon to whom that Prince had delivered a Letter to Menalippa The Princess who knew him having often seen him with his Master changed colour so soon as he entred her Chamber but when she beheld in his eyes all the appearances of a mortal sadness and some tears which the afflicted man could not retain she felt her heart beat exceedingly and with great trouble commanded him to draw near and acquit himself of his Commission The Princesses Command made Leander more confident and having excused the liberty which his obedience to his Master had necessitated him to he presented her with a Letter which she received without speaking and opening it with an action full of tenderness and repentance read these words ALCIMEDON to the Princess MENALIPPA Divine Princess I Shall not endeavour my justification since you have forbidden it and Alcimedon must needs be criminal since his just and soveraign Princess hath thought him so only I protest my Crime is unknown to me for since my glorious destiny conducted me to your fect I know not wherein I have failed no not in the least thought of that adoration which I owe you I obey without murmur the arrest you have pronounced and depart with as much love and veneration for you as if this Exile to which I am condemned were meant an act of grace and recompence of my Services That relique of my life which is left me shall be alwayes yours though not acknowledged by you and death from whom alone I can receive the remedy of my misfortunes shall never be able to alter or alienate my affections I beg not the return of that felicity which I have lost as I gained and which good and bad Fortune hath given to and taken from me without any merit or crime known to me but only if this prayer may be permitted that you would not shut your eyes against the Truth if favourable to me and that you will not hate after death the memory of Alcimedon The Truth which already intirely appeared to the spirit of Menalippa needed no such puissant succours to convince her for it had produced such effects on the tender heart of the Princess that Leander and Belisa easily perceived it her tears which bedewed the Letter gave the first signal and sighs and sobs which followed them confirmed their perswasions after a little pause addressing her self to Leander she ask't him where his Master was And the disconsolate Esquire had no sooner related his precipitate
could not dissemble her satisfaction Alcimedon said she I know very well that the greatness of the peril cannot divert you from a glorious enterprize and upon the knowledge I have of your valour I know you rejoyce to understand that your Lot is to desie the Prince Alcamenes to a single Combate and to deprive the Scythians by your courage of the succours of so powerful a friend These words so troubled Alcamenes that not knowing what answer to make or what resolution to take in so strange an adventure he remained a great while quite confounded searching some invention to draw himself out of this phantastique Labyrinth wherein fortune had shewn how capricious she could be at last fearing lest his silence and the astonishment which appeared on his face might be ill interpreted he endeavoured to compose himself and beholding the Queen with as much assurance as he could possibly Madam said he I have been perhaps too slow in testifying the joy I conceive for the honour you have procured me yet have I for a few moments entertained some doubts that in case the Prince Alcamenes be as scrupulous as these Princes he will difficulty be drawn to measure his Sword with that of a man who passeth but for a private person But I know the spirit and courage of Alcamenes and I assure my self he will receive me as though I were known to be the Son of a King and will not hope for less honour from me than from a King of the Nomades or a Prince of Bithinia I cannot make a longer stay here being call'd away by an affair for the rest of this day which very much concerns me I beseech you therefore Madam to send a Herald to the Scythian Camp to defie Alcamenes and I will not fail to morrow an hour after Sun-rising to render my self upon the place of Combate by you appointed the Judges such as you shall chuse and the conditions such as you desire The Queen approved the discourse of Alcimedon and understanding more particularly that an important necessity forced him to leave the Camp for the rest of that day she took upon her the charge of defying Alcamenes and providing things necessary for the Combate The news was spread over all the Camp that Alcimedon was come and that it was he that must fight with Alcamenes on the morrow and as the valor of Alcimedon was known with admiration amongst the Dacians they all praised the justice of Fortune but there were some who comparing the grand actions of Alcimedon performed against the Sarmates with the terrible efforts of Alcamenes against them the day before were in doubt from which of the two to expect the Victory and were unassured of their Champion in so dangerous an enterprize Alcimedon having taken leave of the Queen by some words and of the Princess by a passionate regard went out of the Tent and finding Cleomenes at the Gate he took Horse and with difficulty dis-ingaging himself from the imbraces of those whom the name of Alcimedon and the love they bare him drew thither from all parts he left the Queens Tents and traversing the Camp where by reason of his known Arms he was saluted by all as he passed he made towards a high Wood which he saw some thirty stades from the Camp He had recourse to divers intentions whereby he might keep his word as Alcimedon and save his honour as Alcamenes without discovering Alcimedon for Alcamenes against whom he had observed so much hatred in the Queen and Princess that he could see no reason to discover himself his spirit laboured so much unable to imagine what to resolve on but after a long meditation he thought he had found a good way to draw him out of this intricacy and upon this consideration turning towards Cleomenes My friend said he I have need of thy assistance in one of the greatest extremities of my life and I confide sufficiently in thee to believe that I may escape through thy means Cleomenes having upon this discourse given him new assurances of his fidelity the Prince related punctually all that had hapned and having acquainted him that he was ingaged to fight against himself My friend pursued he having well considered the difficulty of this affair there is presented to my thoughts one only expedient Thy make is very like mine thy face resembles mine very much thou must take these Arms which I wear which all Dacia knows for those of Alcimedon so that when thou art covered with them no one can know thee from him with these Arms thou shalt go and lodge this night in some place of this Wood where thou mayst lye concealed and tomorrow render thy self upon the place of Combat assigned between the two Armies I will be there also but I will aim my Javelin so and so carry my blows that they shall not wound thee after the Combate hath continued some time on this manner I will take thee in mine arms and after some appearance of resistance bear thee to the ground where thou shalt yield the victory and render thy self my Prisoner I will carry thee along with me to our Camp till thou art out of the Dacians sight then feigning to render thee thy liberty e're thou see the King thou mayest retire and quit these Arms where thou thinkest fit so shall I have the liberty to see Menalippa as Alcimedon and serve the King my Father as Alcamenes This invention is a little deceitful but my adventure is so also and having sufficiently meditated I can find no other means of assistance in so strange an extremity Alcamenes would not lose time but having sought the most retired part of the Wood he alighted he disarmed himself of his own Arms and covered Cleomenes with them under which he appeared so like Alcimedon that Alcimedon himself might have been mistaken The Prince armed himself in the Armour of Cleomenes and when all things were in the condition they ought to be Alcamenes having imbraced Cleomenes with transports which seemed to foretel some sinister accident and having again instructed him how to carry himself in the Combate took leave and followed the path to the Scythian Camp but would not enter till 't was late because the Herald of Amalthea might have performed his office before he came fearing lest the Herald should know him what care soever he could take to conceal himself and it hapned as he desired understanding as soon as he came to the Kings Tent that a Herald from the Queen of Dacia had been there to defie him and that the King had returned him without an answer Alcamenes was highly satisfied that it hapned thus but the King would not by any means consent to the Combate alledging to the Prince his Son that Alcimedon was an Unknown against whom a Prince of Scythia could not draw his Sword without offence and that he could not without an extreme imprudence permit his only Son to expose himself to an uncertain event without
King no apparent hopes saying only they had seen greater wounds cured and that it was not impossible but that the Prince might be saved You may imagine they employed all their Art about a cure of that importance and as they were the most experienced of all Scythia they made use of those remedies which were indeed the most capable of preserving the Prince's life for a long time they could not recover his lost senses and when by the force of remedies they returned it was with so much weakness and so little knowledge that it increased the general fear They drest also his other wounds which he received from Merodates but they were inconsiderable The King who alwayes remained with him full of an unconceivable displeasure and who by all his Courage could not render himself Master of his mortal grief was obliged at last to quit the Chamber leaving the wounded Prince to his necessary repose and passing into his own apartment he there committed himself to the most violent effects of his afflictions The remainder of this day he gave to tears and sighs and past the whole Night in a sutable occupation but the next Morning to his tender grief succeeded a just resentment and a desire to know who was the person guilty of so great a Crime that he might study a proportionable vengeance both for him and his Abettors therefore though against the ordinary forms and customs of Kings who are leldom seen by Criminals judging that an Adventure so little common ought to be proceeded in after an extraordinary manner he sent for the Assasine of Alcamenes to examine him himself not confiding in his Judges upon an Affair of so great importance they obeyed his Command and a few moments after he saw the Criminal enter in the midst of the Guards with two others who voluntarily offered themselves Prisoners and who confest themselves guilty of the same Fact The King notwithstanding all his moderation could scarce contain himself from running on them to strangle them with his own hands instead of an examination But had he not been arrested by the Dignity of his person the beauty which surprized him had been a sufficient stop to the torrent of his passions which at the same time struck and fill'd him with admiration and astonishment The Garments of the Criminal had been abused and torn by those that had taken him and his body so loaded with Irons that he could scarce stand under them but through the vail of this misery shone a beauty so inflaming and eyes brighter than the Planet under which they were born casting beams so quick and piercing that the Soul of the afflicted King pre-occupied as it was with grief and rage could not refuse to this imperial object its due respect he remained quite confused and non-plust then fixing his eyes awhile upon this fair face and comparing Menalippa's cruel hate together with so much of her face as he had seen in her former Combat with Alcamenes he suspected it was she her self but from suspition he quickly past into a certainty when this fair person perceiving his astonishment permitted him not to open his mouth but beholding him with an assured eye Orontes said she our offences are equal Thou hast slain my Father and I thy Son This Discourse will inform thee that I am Menalippa I have executed a vengeance due to my hand only and committed a Crime in thy opinion whereof I neither can nor will repent give that then to the revenge of thy Son which I have given to a person more dear to me than ever Alcamenes was to his Father spill my blood I have spilt thy Sons and thou shalt see I will implore thy Clemency neither by word nor sigh but if thou thinkest any thing due to the dignity of my Birth and Sex suffer me no longer to languish under these shameful Irons wherewith I am laden and preserve at my death that honour which I have inviolably kept through the most unhappy accidents of my life Thus spake Menalippa with a countenance which made Orontes judge that the fear of Death was the least of her care and he was so moved by her looks and Discourse that had Menalippa been guilty of any other Crime than the assasination of Alcamenes she had overthrown all his resentments against her but Alcamenes was too dear to Orontes and the Act of Menalippa appeared too cruel to suffer him to submit so soon to those tendernesses which she might have raised in another heart And beholding her with eyes wherein were represented the different motions of his passions Cruel and inhumane person said he What fury could stretch thy barbarous Arm against the bosom of the unfortunate Alcamenes And what offence hast thou received from a Prince who gave thee his heart at that time when thou didst assault his life with so much inhumanity T is with too much injustice that thou sayest our offences are equal thou hast slain a Prince who adores thee and who notwithstanding the efforts thou hast made against his life breathes not but to love thee And though I took away thy Fathers life it was when he assaulted mine his Sword in his hand in a Battel and in a posture which hath left no reproach upon my memory nor to thee or thine any just occasion of resentment but if there remains any why fell it not upon Orontes but on the innocent Alcamenes And wherefore sparedst thou not that heart-burning for thee to carry thy rage against thy Fathers Murtherer Ah! doubtless the loss of my life was not capable of satisfying thee and thou hast with reason fancied that in taking away my Sons thou shouldest deprive me of mine with a double portion of torment I have offered thee this unfortunate Prince whom thou hast taken from me and with him my Empire in a time when I could have made thee perish with the reliques of that Army which misguided Rage had conducted into my Countrey possibly this offer had not been disadvantagious for Menalippa and Alcamenes was great enough both by his Actions and Birth to have found in any other heart save thine another manner of acknowledgment The afflicted Father spake thus and would have extended his reproaches to a further length if Menalippa who truly touched with compassion for him though her unhappy Error suffered her not to be so for Alcamenes had not interrupted him wiping away some tears which sprinkled her Cheeks King of Scythia said she though I will not seek an excuse for the action which I have done yet I protest to thee before the gods that it was not to be revenged on Orontes that I punisht Alcamenes and that I never entertained any hatred against thee which was not guided by reason or which was capable of carrying me to any particular designs either against thine or thy Sons life but know that I have punisht Alcamenes for his own fault and that I had never assaulted his life had he not taken out of
fortifie them so as to entertain with constancy the first idaea that presented it self to their imaginations of the misery they were to expect Artemisa having been awake some few minutes and bestowed her first reflections on the memory of her Alexander turns to the Princesse Cleopatra and putting forth her arm to embrace her she felt her give a little start and turning from her to the other side with a certain action wherein she observed no small disturbance Thinking her self obliged to be as tender of the concernment of that dear Sister of hers as of her own she hastily asked her the reason of it and the fair Daughter of Anthony ushering in her answer with certain sighs Sister said she to her the affliction I am in does not only disturb my reason but it is as unmerciful to my senses and my deluded imagination having while I slept entertained me with the idaea of Coriolanus hath brought in to my ears the sound of his very voice and caused me to hear certain words which I should be confident could proceed from no other mouth than his were I not now satisfied to my confusion that it is onely to my imagination that I must attribute these deplorable effects of my affliction Inexorable and yet unfortunate Princess saies that known voice I must then be content to lose you for ever These few words are all I heard or to say better thought I heard but the sound I have some time been so well acquainted with hath made such an impression in my hearing that with all the assistance of my reason I can hardly be perswaded that I have not heard the very voice of Coriolanus 'T was with that reflection that I started as you felt and turning to you that I looked wish'dly about me through that remainder of the impression which my errour had left in my thoughts Such was the discourse of Cleopatra and Artemisa approved her opinion but it was not long ere she fell into another imagination which might have added very much to her affliction had she fastned her thoughts on it for she imagined for some minutes that Coriolanus killed in the combat wherein she had left him ingaged it might haply be that his spirit wandring about that which he had some time dearly loved had entertained her with those passionate words This reflection found at first some little entertainment in her mind and might have done abundance of mischief there had she afforded it any long entertainment but that being such in her as was not capable of ordinary weaknesse that extravagance was soon dispell'd by the light of her reason and communicated to Artemisa who gave it more credit then she had done For the Armenian Princesse was easily drawn in to think the opinion very probable and soon perswaded that if it were true that Cleopatra had heard certain words pronounced by a voice like that of Coriolanus 't was questionlesse the spirit of that unfortunate Prince dead in the combat wherein they had left him with little assurance of his safety that spoke them to the Princesse he had so dearly loved while he lived and whom haply he still loved even after his death From the opinion she had conceived of the death of Coriolanus she derived all the affliction her vertue could give her for a Prince whose extraordinary endowment deserved a better fate and the friendship she had for Cleopatra for a man who how angry soever she might seem to be and how highly soever she might disguise her sentiments was much dearer to her than her life Certain it is that what sense soever she might have of her own misfortunes it abated nothing of what she conceived for so great a losse so that to the tears she shed for her own unhappinesse she added some for the death of Juba's son But when reflecting on her fortune she passed from one consideration to another and was satisfied that she might mind her own interest with those of others without any breach either of friendship or generosity she thought that if Coriolanus were for certain dead an accident she neither could nor would conceive without an extraordinary affliction it might occasion no inconsiderable alteration in Cleopatra's condition and her own and that it being not impossible Cleopatra's inclinations might change when the object of her affections were in the grave if she could consider the love of the King her Brother with other eyes than she had done before and be perswaded by time and necessity to marry him that Prince how exasperated soever he might be against Artemisa and Alexander would not onely pardon them for Cleopatra's sake but would no doubt confirm their marriage and suffer them to enjoy in quiet what they had sought with so much trouble and danger To this happinesse would be added also that of having Cleopatra for whom she had a passionate affection her Sister two several wayes insomuch that this reflection flattered her into a hope that was not unpleasant True it is that she could not raise it to that height as to reflect on the death of Coriolanus without grief but rather that she was content to seek out some comfort in her misfortunes without intrenching so much as to the least wish upon what she ought the vertue and friendship of Cleopatra Yet durst she not communicate this reflection to the desolate daughter of Anthony conceiving not without reason that such a Discourse would not be delightful to her but she felt her resolution growing stronger and stronger by that glimpse of hope and betrayed in her countenance more setlednesse and lesse sorrow than she had done the day nay indeed for some minutes before This little alteration happened in her thoughts at the same time that those of Cleopatra met with such another for that fair Princesse out of motives quite contrary to those of Artemisa had just then fastned on resolutions worthy the Cleopatra's She had hardly well fixed on them but not able to disguise them either by her countenance or her discourse she embraced Artemisa with a gesture lesse sad than all the precedent and letting her read in her eyes part of what passed in her soul Sister said she to her Let us not weep any longer but rather hope from the assistance of the Gods and our own Courage the remedy of our misfortunes it may be our unhappinesse will not be so great us we were afraid it may and if our hard fates reserve us for what we fear as most insupportable we shall not want the assistance of our vertue either to overcome or to entertain it as we ought For your part Sister I hope it will be no hard matter to pacifie the King your Brother and I think it not impossible you and Alexander may come together and for me I can easily contemn whatever may happen to me when I do life it self Ever since the cruel confidence I have had of the infidelity of Coriolanus I value it so little that I should not
time since we have either seen or heard of him that we have acted hitherto as if there were no such person in the World His beginning discovered him not to be unworthy the blood of Anthony and all things in him were great enough to rescue him from the oblivion of his neerest relations But before I acquaint you with the first beginnings of his life and the strange accident whereby we lost him I shall tell you what condition the unfortunate Anthony left his family in when he dyed though I doubt not but you have heard somthing of it from Alexander I am easily perswaded Sister you are not to learn how that Anthony left seven children by three wives by Fulvia who was the first Antillus and Julius Antonius by Octavia Caesar's Sister the two Princesses Agrippina and Antonia and by Queen Cleopatra Alexander Ptolomey and my self For the two daughters by Octavia and for us the issue of Cleopatra we all had our education together in the house of that Vertuous Princesse with all the civilities and kindnesses that could be expected from a most affectionate mother and as to the two children of Fulvia Antillus was killed not long after the death of our Father by Caesar's Souldiers his fate having proved not unlike that of our Brother Caesarion whose first eruptions and the great inclinations he discovered raised some jealousie of him in Augustus who for that reason took away his life and Julius Antonius was provided for as we were by the indulgent Octavia and not long after possessed of the house of Fulvia and all the estate belonging thereto with an addition of somewhat out of Anthony's To be short his condition was such that he needed not envy the fortunes of any Roman whatsoever and though he had not those Kingdoms at his disposal which had been at his Father's yet did he keep up our house in the greatest lustre it ever was in before the death of Julius Caesar and before Anthony and Augustus made themselves Masters of the Empire He was elder than Alexander and my self by seven or eight years insomuch that within a short time after our misfortune and while we were yet brought up as children by Octavia he was numbred among the young Princes that pretended to employments and opportunities of acquiring fame He was certainly born to all the noblest and greatest endowments and though he were not so fair as Alexander yet had he a high and majestick look was of a proper stature and wanted not any of those advantages either of body or mind which could rationally be wished in him With this his inclinations were absolutely noble he was wholly disposed to the acquisitions of vertue and an earnest suitor to those opportunities which lead a man to glory We cannot indeed complain but that he expressed as great affection towards us as we could expect from a Brother and him a vertuous one but in regard we were of several venter's lived in several houses nay that ours was in some sort divided between him and us and that even among the kindred of Fulvia there was no small aversion for the name of Cleopatra certain it is that our familiarity was so much the lesse with him and that he concerned himself lesse in our Affairs than if our family had not been dis-united which is the reason that you have had so little mention made of him in the first beginnings of the life of Alexander and mine Whence yet I would not have it thought as I told you that we can reproach Julius Antonius with any backwardnesse to do all the civilities and good offices we could expect from his friendship but that when any great emergencies interven'd he was no longer among us and it is upon that account that I have been destitute of his assistances in all those occasions which the love of Coriolanus hath furnished me with to make use of them and of which I have already made you a relation You have I question not understood from Alexander as also from me all the particularities of our youngery ears but to give you an account of Julius Antonius I am to tell you that after he had attained perfection in all those exercises that are proper to persons of his birth he was no sooner arrived to an age fit to bear arms but he sought out the wars with much earnestnesse and ingaging himself in the armies of Dalmatia Pannonia as also that which Marcus Crassus conducted against the Basternes and having gone through all employments and charges suitable to his age with all the good success imaginable he acquired a noble same and gave the World ground to conceive as glorious hopes of him as of any other whatsoever Being after several years spent in travel returned to Rome he setled there and was honoured by all nay wanted not from Caesar himself more then ordinary expressions of esteem and affection He was at first established at the Court among persons of the highest rank so far that onely Marcellus and the children of Livia particularly favoured by Caesar seemed by reason of the advantage of their fortune to aim at higher pretences His expence was noble and magnificent his disposition inclined to do civilities and to oblige and his whole deportment such as all the World approved and were satisfied with Accordingly he soon got him a great number of friends and those onely excepted whom the divisions of Rome and the distractions of the Triumvirate had made irreconcileable enemies to our house there were very few of the Roman Nobility who had not a particular esteem for him and courted not his friendship When he went to Augustus's Palace he was attended by a gallant retinue of young Gentlemen In all publick shews and all Assemblies that met either at the Empresses or at the young Princesse Julia's he alwayes had the general acclamations and it was already the ordinary talk in Rome that if Fortune were any thing favourable to him he would raise the house of Anthony to the height of lustre it had been in some few years before But it was not the pleasure of the gods he should continue long in that condition and the quiet that he himself lost after a very strange manner proved the occasion of our losing of him to our no small grief Now Sister shall you hear something which you will haply be astonished at as to the parallel you will find there is between the fate of Alexander and that of Antonius whence you will haply imagine that fortune treating them as Brothers would needs have some conformity between their adventures Among those exercises of the body he was most addicted to Antonius was the greatest lover of hunting and used it very often To that end being gone adays journy from Rome on the Tusculum side where the Country is very pleasant and very fit for that kind of divertisement he passed away certain dayes there with abundance of satisfaction The last of those he intended to bestow on that
not obliged to afford my enemy Or wilt thou in requital force me once more to quit Rome to avoid what is to me of all the earth contains most abominable These words pronounced with a shrill voice and after a manner absolutely imperious struck Antonius like a Thunder-clap and put him for a while to such a loss of spirits that he knew not what to say At last rallying all the courage and resolution he had about him to stand out this encounter Adorable enemy said he to her whom I do adore though I do not know and to whom I am odious yet am to learn the reason why mistake not for a persecution or any want of respect for your Divine Beauties those effects that proceed from a cause absolutely contrary No these are the expressions of my gratitude and a passion full of veneration and respect which I fatally conceived for you at the very moment I became obliged to you for your assistance Then it was that I became yours much out of a consideration of the assistance you afforded me but infinitely more through the violent impression which your celestial beauties made of a sudden in my heart which there upon absolutely yielded to be yours without the least resistance I have tenderly nay indeed but too too tenderly for my own quiet preserved the memory of the obligation you put upon me and the glorious wound I received and therefore you ought to be the lesse offended if I am at some pains to sind out the opportunities both to acknowledge your goodnesse and to see again those fair eyes that had hurt me If my eyes have done you any hurt replies the Unknown Beauty somewhat angrily they have done me such an injury as I shall never be able to pardon them and if what you say be true you will find your self very unfortunate in your addresse to a person who cannot otherwise then by hatred and aversion make any return to your affection I am indeed easily perswaded replied the amazed Antonius that I deserve this cruel aversion by reason of some defects in my person since I am confident I could never have merited it by any action or thought I have ever been guilty of I see then replyed she much displeased with him that I am still unknown to you and were you not ignorant whom you speak to I am confident you would not speak to me at all Certain it is said he to her with a very submissive gesture that I am to learn whom I speak to and whom I have be stowed my self on unlesse there be no more requisite to know you then to have well observed the divine qualities of your admirable person all the endeavours I have used to gain a more particular knowledge of you have proved ineffectual so that I am now at a losse what I ought to learn or what I ought to desire since the knowledge of your person is of no lesse concernment to me then that of your aversion You shall know both together replies the Unknown Beauty and you will be no longer to seek why I shun you when I have told you that I am Daughter to Cicero and you remember that you are Son to Anthony and Fulvia his Executioners With these words she goes out of the Closet into Emilia's Chamber and out of that into another where she locked up her self for fear of further pursuit But indeed there was no necessity she should take all that pains for he whose pursuit she was so much afraid of was at such a losse and so surprized at the discovery she had made to him of her self that he hardly knew where he was No that from his understanding that she whom he loved was Cicero's Daughter he felt any diminution in his love nor yet that being his Daughter she appeared lesse amiable but that all the hopeshe might have conceived vanished away in an instant And when it came into his mind not onely that Anthony had caused Cicero to be put to death but also that Fulvia his Mother had caused his head and his hands to be fastened to the Rostra where he used to make his Orations and had committed a thousand cruel indignities on the reliques of that great person whose memory was so precious among the Romans he had no more to say for himfelf and could not blame his Daughter for the horrour she had conceived against the Son of Anthony and Fulvia For though indeed divers persons had lost their lives during the proscriptions of the Triumvirate which yet occasioned not eternal enmities between families yet it is certain that in the death of Cicero there had been some circumstances so cruèl and Fulvia naturally inclined to bloud had used him with so much inhumanity even after death that my Brother whose memory was of a sudden burthen'd with all those things and whose inclinations were absolutely vertuous could not think on them without horrour Woe is me cryed he at last rising up from the place where he had continued all this while and turning to Scipio and Emilia who had been witnesses of all that was passed the Daughter of Cicero hath indeed reason to avoid the Son of Fulvia hath not his own destiny at his disposal and cannot forbear loving whiles he lives the Daughter of Cicero With these words he at the entreaty of Emilia sate down and lay under such a dark cloud of affliction that for a good while he was not fit for any conversation During that time he understood from Emilia without any desire of his to be informed that Tullia was a neer Kinswoman of hers and that her Mother Terentia was of the family of the Scauri that the beauty and excellent endowments of that young Lady had made no great noise in Rome and that her person had not been known there so much as in all probability it ought to have been by reason that while she was yet very young and that during the time the house lay under disgrace her Mother had carried her to a Country-house neer Tusculum where she had spent her life in solitude without ever returning to Rome and that haply she had not come thither so soon if upon occasion of her Mothers death which happened not long before her Brother Quintus Cicero who lived at Rome after a very noble and high rate and had been nominated Proconsul in some part of Africk had not some few daies since sent for her Emilia further acquainted Antonius and Scipio that Tullia besides the perfections of her body had a many admirable endowments that she had cultivated an excellent disposition with an excellent education and that during the time of her solitude being addicted to the study of the nobler kind of Sciences she was grown perfect therein that she discovered abundance of courage and vertue that she was not subject to the weaknesse of our Sex and that she was of a conversation infinitely pleasant when she was among persons to whom she was pleased to communicate
already acquainted you with Are you so much in love with my grief as to be delighted with the unhappy demonstrations I give you of it Or would you have me out of a reflection upon so many acknowledgements as I have made of my unhappiness weaknesse and cowardice to dye for shame and confusion before you If it must be so my dearest Emilia I am content and since you are and ever shall be while I have a minute to breathe the onely person to whom I shall discover my misfortune I am willing my most secret imaginations should passe out of my heart into yours and wish you may be moved with pitty for the misery which my inflexible destiny hath forced me into I say my destiny Emilia for it is that onely that I can justly charge with all the misfortunes I am fallen into Do not imagine it any effect of the celestial vengeance upon me for the rigour I expressed towars Julius Antonius Though I have contribted very much to his absence and am charged as the occasion of it yet have I not been troubled with the least remorse for any deportments of mine towards him Being Cicero 's Daughter I could not upon the first addresses of his affection to me be obliged to entertain any such thing from him and reflecting on the death of Cecinna whom being to be my Husband within three daies he killed in my sight upon my account I was certainly dispensed from whatever the expressions of his love might require of me in his favour And yet the powers of Heaven are my Witnesses that I never hated him that I never wished him any ill fortune that I have acknowledged his great worth and that I do at this day confess notwithstanding my present sentiments that he is as great as to point of merit and as amiable as to his person as Ptolomey is himself So that there is no ground to imagine that the gods should inslict all this as a punishment of my cruelty but that it proceeds meerly from my destiny which in this emergency acts against me as it hath done through all the misfortunes that have happened to our house But my dearest Tullia replied Emilia since you would not be flattered in your passion may it not be represented to you that the same reasons which you alledged against the love and merits of Julius Antonius before he became an impardonable criminal by the death of Cecinna might with much more ground be urged against the affection which you have conceived for his Brother since that not being obliged to him for any the least demonstration of love you cannot but look on him as the Son of Anthony which he is you know no less than his Brother I am no question replyed Tullia obliged by the same reasons to do the one as the other at least in some part for yet I might tell you did I stand upon my justification that Ptolomey is not by his birth such a criminal to us as his Brother was since that he is Son to Queen Cleopatra who contributed nothing to the death of Cicero and not to Fulvia who alone engaged Anthony in that design and exercised her cruelty upon the body of my Father even after death by a many abominable indignities but such was my misfortune that I could not make use of them and I need not tell you that in those of this nature the assistances of reason are not always infallible You may further argue that I have hardly seen Ptolomey above once that he is a Prince younger than my self by five or six years and a person that neither does nor haply will love me while he lives All the answer I have to make to these Objections is That my misfortunes are so much the more to be bemoaned and that the rather out of a consideration that I have not contributed any thing thereto my self and have endured this violence to tyrannize over my heart without the least complyance of my will Pitty me then if you please Emilia and charge me not with an offence which I see no reason I should take upon me T is not in the power of either Vertue or the Study of Philosophy to make us uncapable of passions but onely teach us how to struggle with them and if they have not been able to make good the little garrison of my heart against the assaults of that which now disturbs my quiet they will so weaken it as that it shall not produce therein any effects that may stain my reputation at the present or my memory hereafter I have been able to look on the Son of Anthony but it seems under an unhappy constellation which made me indeed but too sensible of what I thought amiable in his person I have been able to preserve the remembrance of it too dearly for my own quiet I cannot think of him without tenderness I can speak of him with delight I can communicate my sufferings to you I can sigh and as you see weep and bewayle this sad exchange of my condition But this Emilia is all that this destructive passion can work in my soul so that all the tempests it is able to raise there shall not eclipse those lights of wisdom which it is not in the power of any blindness to extinguish I can pine away yet conceale from all the World Emilia only excepted the reason why I do so and if I must endure even to death it self I can easily do it not onely rather than open my lips but rather than become guilty of a wish that should any way stain my reputation or cast a blemish on the former part of my life But when all is done replies Emilia to speak sincerely could you not wish that Ptolomey loved you or can you with all your Wisdom and Philosophy oppose such a wish To this Tullia could not for some minutes make any positive answer but having a little after shaken off that suspence and reassuming the discourse with a certain blush wherewith Lentulus could perceive her face all covered The desire of being loved said she by that which one loves is a thing so natural in us that I durst not tell you that I did not wish my self loved by Ptolomy but you are withal to assure your self that this wish is so innocent as not to injure my vertue nay I must adde thus much that though it should prove effectual yet would not my condition be any thing the more fortunate and that Ptolomey himself though he should love me should not know while he lived that I ever had any affection for him I should avoid him as an enemy though he were dearer to me than my own life nay though it shoúld cost me this very life I should keep to the last gasp from the knowledge of all the earth those sentiments which have broke forth to that of all the Romans But what is then your meaning replyed Emilia what course do you intend to take in order to your own
since his coming into the ship he had lost some part of that aversion which he had for life or at least that he would not prove his own executioner as he had intended the day before The unknown person made him answer that as to matter of Life it was no dearer to him then it had been when he had endeavoured to rid himselâ— of it but that having called to mind certain obligation that lay upon him to continue it till such time as he should be disengaged from it he had resolved to make one attempt more to meet with some opportunity to do it and consequently not die with a regreet of having omitted any part of his duty That discourse ended the King asked him whether he would goe along with him in a voyage he intended to make with the first fair wind or if he had no inclinations to that whether he had in some other design any occasion of his assistance The unknown person made answer that not able to imagine how he could do him any service by reason of the despicable condition whereto fortune had reduced him and satisfied on the other side that being unserviceable he must needs be troublesome he made no proffers of his company but entreated him that e're they set saile thence he would order him to be set somwhere ashore Some further complements past between them but at last the King remembring where he was to go and impatient to see the Princesse put a period to the discourse and having left the unknown to his rest which he seemed very much to want he went to the chamber where Cleopatra was He came to her with a countenance wherein through the Love it discovered was visible some part of the discontent he was in and not able to dissemble the occasion of it All things Madam said he to her are câ—ntrary to me all things oppose me while you are against me nay the winds themselves which seem to depend of another power than yours will never turn to do me any service while I am hateful in your sight You may thence also infer replied the Princess the injustice of your designes since that where there is a want of the assistance of men the very Elements fight a-against you We must not alwaies replied Artaxus measure the justice of the intentions by the easiness of the obstacles which we meet within the execution of them and if you lay that down as a general rule without any exception you must consequently reconcile Fortune and Vertue who are seldome found to be very great Friends I am of your mind as to that replies the Princess and if Fortune did take part with justice and afford her assistances to Vertue 't is out of all question that you had been e're this punished for the violence you do me oâ— at least I should not be your Captive Ah Madam saies the King of Armenia do not call her my captive who her self hath me in chaines and dispofes of me with a severaign power I pray give me leave only to dispose of my self saies Cleopatra interrupting him since that there 's no Law in the world that gives you any power over me The Laws of Nations replies Artaxus are of much less authority than those of Love and it is only to these latter that men such as we are that like so many stars of the greatest magnitude are of the highest quality ought to submit themselves By this law of Love whatever my passion puts me upon is justifiable and all that I could alleadge as concerning the affronts and injuries I have received from your house hath much less of argument in it than this imperious reason It was with no small trouble that Cleopatra endured not only the discourse but even the presence of the King of Armenia and notwithstanding her reservednesse no question but she had treated him with a great deale of scorn and contempt had it not been out of a consideration of Artemisa whose condition pitied her no less than her own and a conceit withal that there was no way to keep Artaxus within the bounds of civility and respect but by an excesse of patience Supper was brought them in and the King to express his complyance permitted them to eat alone as knowing they would look on it as a favour and endeavouring by such behaviour to dissemble the resolution he had taken to make use of his power when he were gotten off a little further from a Countrey where he was not over-confident of the safety of his prize He spent some part of the night in discourses of the same nature with the precedent and when he thought it time to leave the Princesses to their rest he withdrew into his own chamber before he lay down gave order that a good strong guard should be set in the ship to prevent all designes the Princesses might have to get away in the dark The two Princesses passed away this night as they had done the precedent save that they were in a much greater fear of their sudden departure than before if it were not prevented by some unexpected assistance from Heaven and the kindness of the winds which did them all the favour they could Artaxus tormented with his Love and a fear of losing his beautiful prize could sleep but little The unknown person disburthened himself of frequent sighs which were heard by some in the Vessel that were nearest him And Zenodorus bursting almost with grief and rage for the losses he had received had much adoe to find any rest The day hardly began to appear when upon the first dawning of it those who were upon the watch discovered a Vessel which being gotten somewhat neer them while the darkness was not yet dissipated made all the saile she could towards them as having a very good wind that indeed in a manner forced them upon the shore They immediately gave the alarme and all being prepared and in expectation of an engagement with the other ship all that were able to bear armes took them and came up upon the deck in order to a fight There were much more armes in the ship than were requisite for the number of men that were in her insomuch that the Sea-men who minded only the conduct of the ship could not as she then lay be any way employed as being in such a posture as they were loath to quit by reason of the advantage of the place which was so advantageous that the enemy could not assault them but by one onely side Zenodorus and Megacles having put all into armes and there being as I told you but one side to make good they fortified it with men and put it into such a posture of defence that it was as defenlible as if they had had a far greater number of men This charge did Zenodorus and Megacles take upon them because of the wounds which the King had received not long before whereby he was still a little indisposed and would fain
have had him kept his bed but he would by no means take their advice by reason of the great concernment which he had to make his party good and accordingly starting out of his bed upon the first alarme he called for armes and came up upon the deck in the posture of a man that wanted not either courage or confidence Zenodorus and Megacles walked up and down the ship putting all things into good order and Artaxus shewing himself among his own people in a posture of fighting personally with them endeavoured to encourage them as well by example as by words He omitted nothing of all that he thought might any waies animate them to fight and promiseth them extraordinary rewards if they behaved themselves gâ—llâ—â—tly and came off with honour During all this time the other Vessell drew nearer and nearer and when it was come within a compâ—ent distance Zenodorus discovered by the â—â—â—g that it was one of those ships that beloâ—â—ed to the Prâ—â—or Câ—rnelius and which ordinarily lay in the port of Alexandria This â—â—scovery exâ—sperated him not a little as calling to mind the wounds he had received â—â—â— the great losses he had suffered by the same enemies and thereupon he told Artaxâ—â— that he â—eed not queâ—â—on but he would be set upon and that infallibly it was one of tâ—e 〈◊〉 ships purposely set out by him in the pursuit of those that had carried away Clâ—â—â—â—tra Upon this discourse which made some of the company tremble Artaxâ—◠〈◊〉 the entreatâ—eâ— he had made to them to defend themselves to the utmost and they all promised him though possibly with unequall resolution that they would stand to him to the last drop of their blood The two Princesses who had awakened at the first noise that was madâ— and had from what they had distinctly heard through the ship easily imagined the truth of what had passed got immediately out of bed and betaking them to their devotions prayed the Gods to send them those assistances whereof they then began to conceive some hopes In the mean time the vessel of Egypt being come up to the Armenian the person that commanded it shewed himself upon the deck very well armed and having made some sign to shew that he was desirous to speak with those of the other vessel before they engaged asked him that commmanded the Armenian vessel Artaxus having shâ—wed himself to be the man and asked him what his businesse was with him My businesse said he to him is to find out the Princesse Cleopatra and these that have carried her away and if you are any of these you are either to restore the Princesse or prepare to fight Artâ—â—us would have been glad to avoid fighting as not conceiving himself â—trong enough to deal with his enemies who very much exceeded him in number and accordingly making him answer though not without sâ—ame and some repugnance Those whom you seek said he to him are not among us and there is very little likelyhood that any people having made such a prize should stay so neer Alexandria What you say replies the other may possibly be true but we shall not take your word and therefore must search your ship which we are empowered to do by the orders of the Praetor and the authority of Caesar Artaxus exasperated at this discourse and perceiving there was no way to avoid fighting I am not a person to acknowledge any orders said he nor kâ—â—w I any authority that should force me to commit a base action and therefore if it be fighting that thou desirest prepare thy self for it without seeking any other pretences These words were spoken so loud that they were distinctly heard by the Princesse Cleopatra and out of a fear that she was in least Artaxus might perswade those of the other vâ—sseâ— with fair words and divert them from their intended design she would needs shew her self to them Finding therefore the chamber door fast she ran to a little window that was on one side of the ship and opening as hastily as she could she shewed them her beautifull countenance which seemed to shine a new day upon the waves and lifting up her voice so as that she might be heard Here generous men cried she here is Cleopatra whom you look after I expect my Liberty from your assistance and I beg it of you out of the compassion which my misfortune may have raised in your Soules There needed no more to satisfie all parties so as to resolve upon what was to be done insomuch that she was scarce delivered of these words but the Egyptian vessell had fastned her grapling irons in the other The fight upon the first onset was very terrible and so much the more cruel in that they were come to handy blowes those that â—â—re come to rescue the Princesse having it seems purposely forborn to make use of arroweâ— out of a fear they might hurt them There being therefore on both sides a many gallâ—nt men and those animated by considerable interests and concernments they all fought with abundance of valour insomuch that within a few minutes the waves were dy'd with the blood of both parties With the first raies of the rising Sun were seen the swords glittering and the blowes falling at the same time either on the Bucklers opposed thereto or on those unarmed places where the steel found its passage to dispatch life And whereas Artaxus and his men were onely upon the defensive and stood to their businesse close and covered with their bucklers it was very dâ—fficult to force them and so to board the vessell The first that came on of the enemies was cast over-board and there fell more then one by the hands of Artaxus himself He was gallantly seconded by Zenodorus and Megacles though this latter fought with some regret upon so unhandsome a quarrell But after some dispute the number of their enemies being still greater than theirs and being also better armed then they and commanded by no lesse valiant men and that of Artaxus's side there were but twenty fighting men and the rest onely ordinary Seamen whom they forced to fight both against their wills and their custome Fortune began to turn to their side who fought for the liberty of Cleopatra and their Commander having with an unmerciful blow upon the head laid Zenodorus groveling on the ground and gained the places which he had forced him to quit his companions took encouragement by his example and victory seemed to declare her self for their side Things were come to this passe when the unknown person who rested himself upon his bed in the bottome of the Vessel and perceived that through the rest he had taken he had recovered his strength having heard the noise and at length understood the truth of what was done immediately got on his cloaths And though he seemed a person little concerned in what was done in this world yet his generosity being not quite extinguished by his misfortunes he thought himself obliged
manner you got off from that bloudy battle which with a handful of men you gave the great and numerous army of Tirabasus and where you were left for dead and passed for such in my apprehension as you did in the general opinion of all the World till the day that I saw you again in the garden at Meroe And though you since told me something of it yet was it so confusedly that as well for that reason as that I thought not fit to confound that discourse with the perfect relation I had to entertain the Princesse with of other things I made not the least mention thereof So that it shall be your businesse to acquaint her with that particularity which is all she wants of your adventures to your return to Meroe and then we shall be glad to know what hath happened to you since my departure thence The discourse you have to make you will I know contract what you can by reason of the disturbance I shall be in if you make any long abode in this place where I cannot look on you without fear as knowing what danger you expose your self to With these words the Princesses having called Urinoe who onely remained in the Chamber entreated her to take such order as that there should not come neer them any of the slaves that had been appointed to wait on them and to have a care with Clitia that they might not be surprised After this precaution given the Prince having seated himself between them as the Queen had commanded him after a recollection of some few minutes to recal into his mind the things whereof his discourse was to consist began it at length in these terms The continuation of the HISTORY Of CAESARIO I Must needs confesse that in the battle wherein with 16000 men the greatest part wounded and unfit for service I engaged with an Army of 100000. I did not do like an experienced General or a man that had before commanded Armies and gained Victories But it is also to be acknowledged that it was not out of any hope of victory that I came into the field but meerly out of a desire to dye proceeding from the despair whereto the misfortunes of my great Queen had reduced me and to endeavour even at my death to shake if not overthrow the perfidious usurper of her Crown and Liberty Besides having considered all things I found my self not in a condition to make my party good by retreating before the army of Tiribasus which was come of a sudden upon us into that very field where not many dayes before I had defeated 35000 men and killed Antenor the Brother of Tiribasus by whom they were commanded I shall not therefore spend any further time to justifie that action which will be thought more pardonable among persons prepossessed by a violent passion such as was that of mine then among persons experienced in the business of war and consequently shall onely tell you that I was not fortunate enough to effect what I had undertaken though I had the happiness to see Tiribasus fall in the midst of his men with two or three wounds about him had this comfort in my misfortune that with the losse of my own I saw the field covered with a number of carkases three times greater then that which I could make when I first came into it At last it was my lot to fall loden with wounds amongst those that covered the ground with their carkases and as my good fortune would have it my faithful Governor Eteocles who still kept as near me as he could having fought it out a little longer fell also not far from me with such wounds about him as had deprived him of all sence and apprehension The enemy spent the remainder of the day in shipping the dead and in burying or burning their friends but in regard that about that place where we were the air was grown a little infectious by reason of the precedent battle the Generalls thought not fit to make any longer stay there and thereupon marching all away in the night they encamped at a good distance thence upon the way to Meroe insomuch that there were none left in the Fields but the dead or at least what were thought such by those that left them Now the wounds of Eteocles proving not very great and that his weaknesse proceeded not so much from their danger as the great losse of blood he had undergone he made a shift to to recover himself assoon as it was night and I am in this extreamly obliged to him that e're he had bestowed many minutes to reflect on the condition he was in himself he came to see what was become of me He sought me out and with much ado found me notwithstanding the darkenesse because I was not far from him and crawling along as he could to get a little nearer me he came and felt me all over trying by all the waies he could whether there were any life in me The cold air of the night stayed the bleeding of my wounds insomuch that Eteocles finding me cold as ice all over his first apprehensions concluded me absolutely departed this world but at last laying his hand on my breast he found by the palpitation of my heart that there were some small remainders of life in me The weak hope which this unexpected discovery raised in him filled him with all the joy he could in that condition be capable of and though he took abundance of paines about me to recover me to some degree of sensibility yet all his endeavours proved ineffectuall insomuch that the whole night which at that time of the year was of the shortest was over e're he could do any good with me He many times endeavoured to get upon his feet and to go seek out some help but his weakness was such that he was not able and e're he could half get up he fell down again by me I shall not trouble you either with the complaints that fell from him or the grief it was to him that he could not effect what he desired and it were but to make my relation the more tedious to insist upon such frivolous particulars The Sun was gotten into his Chariot when I first began to open my eies and to breath in such manner that Eteocles perceived it He immediately creeps neerer my face almost out of himself for joy gave me so many kisses and spoke to me with so much earnestness that at last he absolutely recovered me to life again I began to feel and to see but had not the power to stir and though I saw Eteocles yet did I not perfectly know him but as it were by some broken remainders of an Idaea half forced out of my memory In the mean time he perceived it was impossible for him any way to relieve me and though he saw I was come to my self yet did he in a manner put it out of all question that I would die for want
not take occasion to prolong my discourse upon the astonishment of Oristhenes and Teremachus when I had discovered my self to them and when they sound me living after they had bewailed my death They gave me thousand of expressions of their joy and friendships and continuing still as well affected and as zealous for the service of their Queen as ever they had been they very cheerfully entertained the proposition I made to them of attempting something against the Tyrant and proffered of themselves to go and secretly sollicit all her faithfull Servants and Subjects into some engagement and to get together such a Body as might undertake some remarkable enterprize They acquainted me Madam how you had been secured and guarded and gave me an account of your admirable constancy in opposing the sollicitations of Tiribasus who was not yet come the utmost violences but had gone so far as to put your most faithful Servants into some fear that he would not long continue in those termes I communicated to them the design I had to wait on you and they were perswaded that considering how I had disguised my self I might come even into the presence of Tirâ—basus without any danger I came to Meroe where I had not the happinesse to see you the first time but the second when I came into the Garden I was more fortunate and seeing you again I laid as an offering at your feet your faithful Cleomedon whom you had honoured with your tears and who through the excesse of your goodnesse and favours still lives in your memory The end of the First Book HYMENS PRAELUDIA OR Loves Master-peice Part. X. LIB II. ARGUMENT CLeomedon prosecutes the continuation of his History He draws to his party 4000 men with whom he forces the Palace at Meroe forcing Tiribasus into the City and sending Queen Candace along the Nile to Bassa He maintains the Palace till the supplies raised by Oristhenes and others were come into the City whereupon sallying out to joyn with them and jointly to engage Tiribasus he meets with a party commanded by Asanor defeats it and kills him He relieves Oristhenes hard set upon and consummates the victory by killing Tiribasus Having secured the reduction of the City by a new oath of allegiance to Queen Candace he goes after thinking to find her at Bassa but meets there with a probable report that she might be taken by the Pirate Zenodorus whom thereupon he makes a fruitlesse search after till at last he was by a tempest cast ashore near Alexandria Renewing his search after her upon Land he meets accidentally with Artaban they fight but are interrupted by Zenodorus passing by who is pursued by Artaban They both fight against Zenodorus and his men till that weakened by wounds and losse of blood he is relieved by Eteocles and brought by Alexander to a house where he hath a sight of his Sister Cleopatra but discovers not himself to either By the mediation of Candace and Elisa he is induced to an inclination of friendship with Artaban Olympia and Arsinoe come to visit Candace and Elisa Philadelph goes to visit Tigranes to whom he presses his vain pursuit of Elisa and reproaches him with his former affections to Urania Olympia and Arsinoe are made acquainted with Artaban who know him to be the same Britomarus who had sometime had some inclination for Arsinoe and had rescued Ariobarzanes out of the hands of the Pirates Ariobarzanes and Philadelph are made acquainted with Artaban and acknowledge their great obligations to him under the name of Britomarus Agrippa entertains Ariobarzanes Philadelph and others with the losse of Cleopatra upon which the Princes that were present take occasion to discover what they had every one contributed to that adventure THE fair Princesse of the Parthians and the Queen of Ethiopia had hearkned hitherto with great attention to the relation of Cleomedon without offering to interrupt him but when he was come to that passage Elisa looking on the Queen with a smiling countenance You were very much to blame Madam said the to her not to have discovered to me this particular of Caesario 's life because in my judgement it is none of the least important But I withal percieve that you purposely avoided all occasion of giving me any account of the Love of Eurinoe out of a fear you were in that I might observe in your discourse some glimspes of the jealousie you may have conceived at that adventure You force me to a protestation Madam replied the Queen with an action wherein she seemed to be as indifferent and as little earnest as the other which is that the greatest part of those things which he hath related was not come into my knowledge and therefore whether it were for the reason you alledge or for some other yet unknown to me Caesario had given me but an imperfect account of that adventure and had not discovered the particulars thereof that were of most consequence You are very much in the right Madam replies Caesario for indeed I should gladly have avoided giving you any account of it could I well have done it and the little inclination I have to engage my self in a discourse of this nature might have exempted me from doing it now had you not laid your absolute commands upon me to that purpose I have therefore made a shift to get through the first and longest part of my narration since you have already acquainted this great Princesse with the entertainments that passed between us in the garden as also all that happened even to the day on which after I had brought in four thousand men of those I had drawn into our party by the means of Telemachus and Oristhenes I forced the palace and that Tiribasus having saved himself by getting into the City I led you through the garden to a vessel which I had provided to carry you along the Nile to the city of Bassa a place then at our devotion Of all these things replyed the Queen I have given the Princess an exact account all you have yet to inform us of is what hath happened to you since our separation Though this replied Caesario be the shortest part of my relation yet is it that of greatest consequence and I cannot but extreamly wonder you should not be more impatient to know whether you have not still a Crown to dispose of After I had brought you to the vessel there left you though not without much violence to my self to put the design we had undertaken in execution which we had in some part effected in as much as concerned your liberty but as to what was yet to be done were in a very ill posture by reason of the escape of Tiribasus I returned to the palace where I found all my men absolutely resolved to make good what they had gotten and to fight for your interest to the last gaspe I encouraged them in that design by all the words I thought might any way animate
horses for that day that the next day towards the evening finding himself a little stronger he got out of his bed with an intention at the same time to seek out both Candace and Cleopatra and was got to one of the windows wheâ—ce casting his eye upon the adjoining wood he had seen a Chariot passing by wherein he had perceived the Queen with the fair Princess of the Parthians whom he knew not that upon that happy sight joy taking its former place in his soul friendship had submitted to love and the losse of Cleopatra troubled him the lesse by reason of the recovery of Candace That he wold immediately have run after her but not long after Eteocles coming into the room and having communicated that good news to him had intreated him to have a little patience and to give him leave to run alone after the Chariot to find out the truth of that adventure That accordingly Eteocles got on horseback and followed the track of the Chariot and those that conveyed it into Alexandria whither having got in undiscovered he had informed himself so well of all things that he understood how the Queen was in the Palace with the Princesse of the Parthians that she had been rescued out of their hands that had carried her away by the Praetor Cornelius and that she was attended with all manner of respect though she had discovered her self onely so far as that she was a Lady of great quality born in Ethiopia that these tidings reâ—toring him as it were to a new life had also restored him in some measure to his health and strength and that having that very day sent Eteocles into the City to speak with her if he possibly with any convenience could he returned some time after with news that he had seen her getting up into a Chariot wherein she went out of the City to take the air along the river side and would come within a small distance of the house where he was That upon that news he was not able to keep in any longer and that notwithstanding the reasons alledged by Eteocles who would by all means have hindred him he got on horseback and rid forth into the wood in hope of some opportunity to see her out oâ— a confidence he should not meet with any one that knew him That it was as he crossed the wood up and down upon that design that he first heard certain out-cries and afterwards saw the Princess Elisa in the hands of Tigranes That though he knew not who she was he had done her that service which he ought her and that he had not sorsaken her had he not seen Artaban and a company of men on horseback coming behind him That being unwilling to be discovered by them he withdrew but that he had taken particular notice of Artaban and that looking on him as the most concerned in the relief of the Princesse he was very glad that he had done him that good office as well out of a consideration of the satisfaction a man takes in doing what he is in honour obliged to as out of a remembrance that in the engagement they had had together against the Pirate Zenodorus and his men Artaban had relieved him and helped him on horseback after his own had been killed under him That afterwards he had wandered up and down the wood in hopes to see the Queen but that having observed some appearance of Agrippa and Cornelius with their Troop he would not by any means be met with by them and thereupon retired til night at which time through the help of the darknesse he made a shift to get into the City and knowing what part of the Palace the Queen was lodged in he without any difficulty sound her out having once gotten upon the terrace where he had met with Clitia Thus did Cesario put a period to his relation and when he had given over speaking the Queen looking on him with a countenance wherein her thoughts were in some measure legible Caesario said she to him you have had your traverses and extremities and we badours which I shall not trouble you with any relation of because you have understood them already from Eteocles If I have suffered much for you I must yet confesse you have endured more for me besides that by your attempts and valour you have regained me a Kingdom which I gave over for lost It is but just it should be a present made to you as it were in some sort to reward your care and conduct and might it please the gods I had any thing to present you with that were more considerable and more precious that I might requite as I ought to do those so many noble demonstrations of your affection Madam replies Caesario it is beyond the merits of my blood nay indeed of my life to deserve the expressions I receive of your favours and goodnesse and I am very much ashamed to expect so many great things from my noblest Queen when I am able to offer her nothing but a miserable wretch discarded and despailed of that which now makes up so many Monarchies and a ............ T is enough saies Candace interrupting him let me hear no more of that discourse if you have not a set purpose to displease me and take it for granted that your person is of a value high enough to be preferred by the greatest Princesses in the Universe before that of the â—super who is now possessed of your Fathers Palace Having by these words engaged him to silence she fell upon some other discourse wherein she discovered to him what trouble she was in for the danger whereto he exposâ—d himself by coming into Alexandria where he must expect no lesse then death if he were once known as also her displeasure to see him so carelesse of his health as being not sufficiently recovered as might be seen in his countenance to venture on horseback and take such pains as he did The Prince after he had thanked her for the afflictions she was in for his sake as being the pure effects of the tendernesse she had for him For the hazard whereto I expose my self said he to her it is not so great as you imagine it and besides the difference there is between the face of a child of fourteen years of age and that of a man of four and twenty the report that is scattered up and down the world of my death hath taken such root and is particularly so much credited by Augustus that it were no small difficulty to perswade people to the contrary and for my health I find that through the joy which the gods have been pleased to afford me by meeting with you again I have recovered my strength in such a measure that within three or four dayes I shall be in as good plight and condition as ever I was either to do any thing in point of arms or to waite on you by sea into Ethiopia Eteocles hath within
thought it not fit to lodge her out of the Palace but had appointed her certain rooms within that which had been designed for Octavia And Candace either to leave the more room for the Empresse or that she could not be without the company of of Elisa was upon the desires of that Princesse gone along with her and had left her lodgings void so that Cornelius finding none more convenient for the Princesse Cleopatra changed his former resolution and disposed of her into the place which before had been taken up by the Queen of Ethiopia When the two Princesses were alighted out of the Chariots they met at the bottom of the staires with Elisa Candace Olympia and Arsinoe with Ariobarzanes and Philâ—delph coming to meet them Agrippa immediately shewed Elisa and Candace to Cleopatra to whom he had spoken of them before in the Chariot and those two Princesses coming up close to her she saluted them with sentiments not much different from that admiration which they expressed at the sight of her divine beauty She knew Elisa to be sole heir to the Empire of the Parthians and looked on Candace as a Princesse of the royal progeny of Ethiopia and accordingly made the return of civility to both which upon the sight of their countenance they might have chalenged from all the World and at the same time Artemisa saluted Olympia who knowing her to be Sister to Ariobarzanes was through a forwardnesse of affection come up to her Artemisa entertained with very much civility the effects of an affection whereof she yet knew not the cause But when after she had disengaged her self out of her embraces and received those of Candace and Elisa whom she first met in her way she was going towards Arsinoe who stretched out her arms with a cordial friendship to entertain her and at the same time cast her eie on her countenance as also on that of Ariobarzanes who stood close by her she was seized by such an astonishment that had it not been for Artaban who was not ignorant of the cause thereof and came forward purposely to hold her up she had fallen all along on the ground In the mean time Arsinoe kissed her and embraced her with much tendernesse yet was not able to bring her to her self nor make her apprehend that what she saw was real Whereupon Ariobarzanes after he had saluted Cleopatra whom Agrippa had acquainted with his name as also with that of Arsinoe taking Artemisa out of his Sisters hands after he had begged the pardon of those great Princesses to acquit himself of the civilities he ought his Sister saluted her at last with all the demonstrations of an affectionate friendship and perceiving that that Princesse astonished at the unexpectednesse of the interview could not be recovered out of her amazement What Sister said he to her will you not know Arsinoe and Ariobarzanes Artemisa with much ado coming at last to her self again and looking on them one after another for some time before she would venture to speak Alasse said she at length I very well see the countenances of Ariobarzanes and Arsinoe but I question whether I may trust my eyes so far and I find it no smal difficulty to be satisfied whether they are shades that present themselves to me after their death so wel known throughout all Asia or whether they appear really before me and without any illusion Assure your self Sister replyed at the same time Ariobarzanes and Arsinoe you see us really and you may embrace us without any fear since we are truely living and have not been dead but in the opinion of men Artaban who stood neer Artemisa gave her further satisfaction as to that truth acquainting her in a few words how they had both escaped shipwrack and when the Princesse was convinced and that the caresses of her brother and Sister had dispelled all her doubts she in the first place gave way to certain tears which a tender joy would needs adde to those which the death of Artaxus still forced out into her face And then instead of returning the caresses she had received from Ariobarzanes suitably to their ancient familiarity she cast her self on her knees before him and taking him by the hand and bathing it with her tears Since it is certain said she to him that you are Ariobarzanes alive and that I am now absolutely at your disposal be pleased to pardon the unfortunate Artemisa what too too justifiable a gratitude hath obliged her to do for the safety of Alexander she embraces your knees to obtain that favour at your hands and she hopes the gods have not restored you to life to raise in you a severe and an inexorable judge of my actions Ariobarzanes astonished at the deportment of Artemisa from whom he expected those caresses that spoke more familiarity raised her up with much ado and discovering how much he was surprised at it in all his looks Sister said he to her I apprehend not what you mean by this kind of behaviour towards me and besides that the crime you charge your self with descraves rather to be commended then blamed and that I should have done no lesse my self for the safety of Alexander it is to the King our Brother and not to me that this submission is due from you If it be due to my King replies Artemisa it is to my King that I make this submission and since I am the first of your Subjects that hath demanded any favour at your hands I am also the first that brings you the news that you are King of Armenia These words put Ariobarzanes to such a losse that he had not the power to make any present reply thereto and during the silence he kept by reason of the astonishment he was in Agrippa assuming the discourse acquainted him with the particulars of Artaxus his death as he had not long before understood them from Cleopatra and in the relation he made thereof he forgot not to insist very much upon this that his death was purely the effect of his own rage and exasperation and that his enemies had been so far from contributing any thing thereto that they endeavoured all they could to prevent it Artaxas had no doubt been a very inhuman Prince one for whom it could not be expected that the inclinations of Ariobarzanes and Arsinoe should be very violent by reason of the great disproportion there was between their dispositions yet being both of excellent good natures the grief they conceived at that unfortunate accident was for the present so great that It could not be abated by the purchase of a Crown in the apprehension of Ariobarzanes nor by the hopes of a more happy condition of life in that of Aâ—sinoe For Philadelph and Olympia if they were astonished in some measure at the first hearing of that news assoon as it was dispersed joy took its place and there was no reason it should give way to any thing in their apprehension it being
behalf she managed it to my best advantage with much earnestness and omitted nothing which out of the compassion she had for her and me and her Friendship towards both she could or ought to have said In the mean time I was come home to my own house orewhelmed with affliction no less for Tullia's sufferings then my own And I was hardly retir'd into my Chamber but Ptolomey was brought in coming to give me a visit How great Friends soever we might have been I could not look on him that day but as the Author of my misfortunes though I was not unsatisfied of his innocency and he had not said many words to me but interrupting him with some precipitation Ptolomey said I to him there is no longer any mean for me in the extremity whereto I am reduc'd and you must of necessity either love Tullia or be the death of Lentulus You may indeed wonder to see me seek to those remedies for the preservation of my life which in all probability are more likely to hasten my death but know that Tullia's life is much dearer to me then that of Lentulus and that I die much more cruelly by the miseries of Tullia then I can do by my own While I have had any hope to deprive you of the heart you so much disdain I could not have desir'd nay was in some fear you should have lov'd Tullia but now I find that nothing can divert her from the Love she hath for you and that the aversion you have for her onely makes her the more unfortunate without contributing any thing to her recovery of two Evils which my malicious Fortune presents me with I ought to choose the more supportable since it were better for me to be unfortunate through the aversion Tullia hath for me or rather the incapacity she is in to bestow on me a heart which is yours then the regret I must conceive to see her unhappy without making any advantage of her unhappiness That miracle of her Sex for understanding wisdome and excellent endowments hath lost all forgotten all for yoursake and that Beauty which was considerable even rmong the greatest is defac'd by affliction and moulders away to utter ruine Love Ptolomey love the amiable Tullia both for my sake and your own There cannot any thing under Heaven be more worthy your affection since your Brother a person as great in all things as ever any among the Romanes did not onely judge her worthy his own but did that for her aversion which I desire of you for her love Ptolomey was so much amaz'd to hear me talk after this rate that he knew not at first how he should take my discourse But perceiving with what earnestness I spoke he concluded my words proceeded from my heart Yet was a while to seek what answer he should make me but at last putting on a more serious countenance then he was wont to do in any thing concern'd me as conceiving it more suitable to the condition he saw me in then stood with his divertive humour Lentulus said he to me I should be much troubled the misfortune which disturbs your Reason should make a breach in our Friendship and since I am so unhappy as to do you any prejudice contrary to my intention I will do all lies in my power to serve you in all the good offices you can hope for from the best of your Friends I should find it a difficulty to make any serious answer to your discourse were I not from many discoveries satisfi'd that you feel no less affliction then you express in your words but I should find it much more to believe that you really desire me to love Tullia were I not assur'd of your being a great Lover of sincerity and truth I cannot promise you I shall love Tullia and besides that it will haply be prejudicial to your quiet you know that these inclinations are not in our power and that it is not unlikely it would be as hard for me to love her as you find it not to do so My Soul is not much subject to Passions of this nature and if it could be you know that what hath passed between me and Marcia and the great obligations cast upon me by Octavia are such that it should be in some measure my care not to shew my self unworthy thereof by my ingratitude For these reasons but indeed much more out of a respect to the Friendship I bear you I should not put you into any hope that I shall love Tullia But this I dare promise you That if you desire it my behaviour towards her shall be much otherwise then it hath hitherto been that I will visit her if you think fit and that I shall have as much compliance and civility for her as a man can express towards those persons he most highly esteems Nay I might tell you that I would pretend to love her for your sake but that you know dissimulation is wholly inconsistent with my disposition though I did not make it a conscience to abuse a person you love nor believe it against your interest that Tullia should be perswaded I had any affection for her This was the tenour of Ptolomey's discourse to me and I found so much Prudence and Reason in it that I thought I could not rationally desire more of him and before we parted I took him upon the promise he made me that he would see Tullia if she desired it either at her Lodgings in case she could oblige Cicero to allow his Visits or at Emilia's and do what lay in his power to flatter her affliction and restore her to her former enjoyments He made me this promise telling me that I knew not what I desired and that it was not for my advantage he should express any submission to Tullia But I reiterated to him what I had already said and protested that loving Tullia much beyond my self I would endeavour her satisfaction though with the loss of my own and would much rather be unfortunate alone then see her perpetually such The next day Emilia sent a Message to me to come to her to be acquainted with something she had to say to me I presently imagin'd it was about the words I had written in Tullia's Letter and so went to her with an intention not to conceal any thing from her that she should be desirous to know I was no sooner come but she related to me all that had passed at Tullia's since my coming thence intreated me with the same ingenuity to acknowledge not whether I had written the words for that she doubted not but I had but by what means I could have learn'd the engagement of Tullia's inclinations and how I could have concealed my knowledge of it from her if it were true that I had known it any considerable time I made her answer with a freedom suitable to her own and after I had begun my discourse with a complaint I made to her that
exceed ordinary formalities to find out some way to comfort me Upon this account having one day taken me alone consulting my own pensive thoughts and walking along a row of Trees which as a kind of Hedge parted two Walks he would needs discover his mind to me and observing on my countenance the track of certain tears which I had shed not long before What Lentulus said he to me are you resolv'd ever to live at this distance with the best of your Friends and never to gratifie either their intreaties or the grief they take at your change with the least compliance It is replyed I one of the most cruel effects of my unhappiness to communicate it to my Friends as if it were not sufficient I should be miserable alone but the persons that of all the world I wish most happiness to must be within the lash of my miseries These words fell from me with an action so dolefull that Cicero was extreamly mov'd thereat and in that condition not able to keep in any longer what till then he had out of some consideration of civility concealed Lentulus said he to me the condition I see you in troubles me so much that I cannot be any longer stav'd off by ordinary consideration since they are contrary to the intentions I have to ease you if it lies in my power nay though I should run the hazard of being thought by you an indiscreet and rash person yet can I not forbear acquainting you with my thoughts and charging you with a groundless obstinacy in suffering me to be so much a stranger to yours at a time when you cannot urge any reason obliging you to that reservedness after the good offices I have received from your Friendship 'T is generally believed and my opinion is consonant to that of the many that you are in love with Tullia and that it is from the affection you have for her that this change in you proceeds whereat all your Friends are so much cast down Besides the general opinion I think I have observed it by several marks which it were to disclaim had you any such design Having this confidence I cannot but extreamly wonder at your carriage towards me and knowing as no question but you do the esteem I have for your person the obligation I stand in to your Friendship and all the other motives which should engage me to approve your inclinations for my Sister I cannot comprehend upon what ground it is that you choose rather to languish miserably and to suffer as you do if appearances may credited then to open your mind to me as your Friend and Tullia 's Brother and let me know the necessity you may stand in of my assistance to prevail with a Sister who hath ever had a religious submission for my disposal of her You cannot from any circumstance or reason imagine I should any way oppose you nay though I were not as I am oblig'd to you I must needs be sensible that out of considerations of the nobleness of your bloud and the worth of your person the affection you have for Tullia cannot be otherwise then advantageous to her Give me then some account of your reservedness and dissidence and assure your self that if the power I have over my Sistor may help to dispel this cloud of sadness that afflicts us you shall have reason to be as much satisfi'd as ever you were in your life To this effect was Cicero's discourse to me to which he added several other things full of affection and whereby I perceived that it was to no purpose for me any longer to conceal a truth which he was fully acquainted with I therefore resolved to acknowledge it though without any hope of comfort from that acknowledgement or advantage from the offers he made me So that having continued in suspence a good while without making him any answer Cicero said I to him at last there is as much generosity in your proceeding as you imagine to your self there is strangeness in mine as indeed there might be in effect if I had not reasons strong enough to excuse it But to answer you with a freedom equal to your own I shall acknowledge that you have believed nothing but truth when you believed that I adored your Sister and that the Passion I have for her hath occasioned all the change you have observed in my person 'T is true Cicero I am infinitely in love with the fair and vertuous Tullia and I shall with an inviolable fidelity prosecute that Love to the last gasp Nay I will tell you further that in the Love I have for her there is nothing that required so great secrecy or that should oblige me to conceal it from you that I have had so far a confidence in your Friendship as to believe you would further my design and that I have expected the consumation of my happiness in the enjoyment of Tullia from your onely assistance But this supposed I shall further declare to you since I needs must That having made it my main design to conquer Tullia 's heart I had resolved to do it purely by the batteries of my Love and respect and receive it from her affection rather then your assistance which I would not by any means desire of you while I thought it contrary to her inclination These I have endeavoured to render favourable to me before I implored your assistance and have had that respect for Tullia as by my services to gain her favour before I employed the authority of her Brother My endeavours have indeed met with little success and all the demonstrations of my Passion have not been able to move a mind which I would gain by Love and submissions If Fortune hath been contrary to my design or rather if I have not had those endowments which might deserve Tullia 's affection it is but just I should smart for it and not seek my happiness by such ways as she might take offence at And though what you offer is to be preferred before the Empire of the Universe yet ought I not to make any advantage thereof since I cannot entertain a thought to do it without considering that I make unfortunate a person I adore and whose sufferings I should be much more sensible of then what you now see me exposed to Quarrel not therefore at my silence since it proceeds but not from the tenderness I have for a quiet a thousand times more dear to me then my own if you love me bewail my fate instead of proffering me an assistance I cannot accept The period of my misery draws nigh and therewith consequently that of my life and I shall have the satisfaction to have suffered even to death without charging Tullia with any thing or embracing any advantage that might displease her to compass my own happiness Cicero hearkened to my discourse with much astonishment and when I had given over speaking Your procedure says he to me hath too much
she should never have been any man's but yours had I not designed her for Marcellus or that he were not living to enjoy her Be not then discouraged at these difficulties but confident there 's nothing you may not overcome by your own great merit with our assistance Augustus added to this much other discourse full of the greatest expressions that could be of a tender Friendship and Agrippa who had hearkned to them with such transports and resentments as he was not able to express would have cast himself at his feet if the Emperour who had long before forbidden him all such carriage had not prevented it Agrippa made his acknowledgements with the greatest demonstrations of gratitude declaring withal that rather then be thought unworthy the honour he designed him for he resolved never to see Elisa again and to endavour by an eternal absence his own death or recovery But Caesar knowing he could not take any such resolution without doing too great a violence to himself such as haply might have proved fatal to him would by no means hear of that proposition and thereupon telling him that he should be no less in his affection if he married Elisa then if he were matched to Julia he said his commands on him to joyn endeavours with him in order to the purchase of his own quiet and to hope all things with his assistance Agrippa submitting himself to the will of Caesar and complying with his desires My Lord said he to him now is it that I am of all men the most unfortunate in that the assistance of Caesar from which I might promise my self all things I can upon this occasion make no advantage of as not being able to employ it against the fortune of a man for whose vertue I have so much respect Did not the affection I have for Elisa over-ballance it I should never have been induced to cross his designs The reflection I make on the merit of Artaban and the advantage he hath over the inclinations of Elisa discourages me more then all the pretensions of Tigranes 'T is a Rival whose admirable endowments upon the first sight of him forced my esteem and affection and it is out of sincere respect which I have for him that I have solemnly promised Elisa not to dispute her affections against him otherwise then by Love and Services without offering the least violence by any authority derived from Caesar Thus am I disarmed of whatever I might hope of assistance having nothing but merit and services wherewith to oppose a man who by those wayes hath already deserved all things I may very well doubt the issue of a combat which I undertake against him with so much disadvantage 'T is true replied the Emperour after he had continued silent a little while take all mankind it will be hard to pick out such a dangerous Rival as Artaban or one more worthy the affections you would despute against him and I shall tell you withal that out of the esteem I have conceived for his worth I could wish it were any other man's fortune that we were to crush but when Agrippa 's safety and satisfaction lies at the stake all other considerations vanish We will endeavour to find out some other wayes to satisfie Artaban 's ambition since we must oppose him in his Loves and conditionally he will quit his pretensions to Elisa I will pamper him with those Honours and Dignities which shall give his very desires a surfet It was imprudently done to engage your self to refuse my assistances and though you have promised not to receive them you cannot hinder my design to afford them you No my Lord replies Agrippa I cannot frustrate the effects of your goodness the expressions I receive whereof are too precious and too glorious not to be acknowledged but it is not in my power to make any advantage thereof as resolved to keep the promise I have made Elisa as well out of the respect I have for her as the violence it is to my nature to take the advantage of my fortune against a man who for his vertue is more worthy of it then my self It speaks a more then ordinary generosity in you replies the Emperour but not over-much reason Go and take some rest if you can and let me take that care for you which you will not for your self Upon these words he bid him good night unwilling to hear what he would have said further against himself on the behalf of his Rival Agrippa withdrew with a soul engaged in a tempest of different reflections not knowing whether he should rejoyce or not at that kindness of the Emperours who desirous contrary to his intentions to make him happy would have in some sort engaged him to a breach of his word and the generous resolution he had taken Being in this uncertainty he passed away the night with a certain reciprocality of hope and joy which though his Vertue would not admit yet could not his Love but entertain them with some delight All the illustrious Persons that were then in Alexandria passed it also diversly according to their several conditions and Candace was one of the least satisfied as having not seen her Caesario that night as she had done the precedent and foreseeing it would be much more difficult for him to wait on her during the time she intended to stay in Alexandria then it had been before The next day as soon as the Emperour was to be seen all the Princes and the most considerable persons were expecting his appearance The King of the Medes was one of the first to wait on him out of a design to have some discourse with him about his own concernments before the press would be too great And the Emperour having entertained him with a seeming kindness he in a long discourse acquainted him with what had all this while lain so heavy on his heart He in the first place represented the great desires he had ever had to serve him as he in duty ought and the submission he had had for his commands as well in the differences there had passed between him and the King of Armenia as upon all other occasions that had offered themselves Then he comes to complain of the injustice had been done him by forcing and still detaining from him against all right and all appearance of reason a Princess whom by his Ambassadors he had married and that with the consent of her Father To this he added the satisfaction he conceived to find her in a place where he feared not any injustice nor yet any prejudice on the behalf of his enemies so concluded with adesire that he would do him that justice which he never refused any order his Spouse to be delivered to him as he would do for any though ever so inconsiderable upon the like occasion Augustus gave him the hearing with much patience but being now engaged to promote the passion of Agrippa and that withal he thought it
Queen lifting up her eyes to Heaven how infinitely am I obliged to your goodness that after so many dangers and hardships not easily supportable by our sex ye once more grant me a sight of my Elisa alass added she embracing her again how dear is this sight to me and with what excess of joy do I now see what I had lost with so much grief She continued for a while her discourses of that nature and received from the Princess the like discoveries of transportation and tenderness and at last turning to the Spectators whose quality she knew she made her excuses to them in the Roman language which she had a great command of and entreated them to pardon out of a respect to the affection of a mother the faults it might have made her guilty of She after this dismissed Elisa to the embraces of the women that were come along with her and she did the like to Urione and Cephisa who fell at her knees and whom with much acknowledgment she commended for their fidelity towards their Mistress These things thus passed while they were yet abroad Drusus and Mecenas whose particular charge it was took occasion to remonstrate to the Queen that the convenience of the City and Palace were to be preferred before those of the Ship and thereupon intreated her to go ashore to be conveyed thither in the Chariots they had brought along with them to the Port. The Queen gave one hand to Drusus and the other to Mecenas and was by them conducted to land and with the Princess was put into one of the Chariots the rest were for the Ladies of her attendance and the men got on horseback and guarded them to the Palace The Emperour came to receive the Queen at the Palace gate and the Empress the Princess Julia and several others of their attendance expected them them at the bottom of the stairs This reception was performed with the ordinary Ceremonies though it had seldome if ever happened that the Emperour of the Romans and the Queen of Parthia had been seen together and after the Emperour had assured the Queen of her welcome into his Territories and that she found him inclined to do her the civility she might expect from him she gave him thanks for the protection he had afforded her daughter and assured him of her own acknowledgements and those of the Parthian State This discourse of the Queens though not mentioning ought of the King her husband and the mourning which all the persons of her retinue were in gave the Emperour occasion to suspect Phraates might be dead but though it were an acccident sufficiently of importance to be generally known yet did not he conclude any thing certain upon that opinion so that after the Queen had received the civilities of Livia and returned her own with expressions of reciprocal respect the Emperour conducted the Queen to her Lodgings and entreated her to rest her self for the remainder of that day to recover the inconveniences she might have endured upon the sea and told her that when she pleased afterwards she might acquaint him with the occasions of her coming though he were satisfied as to somewhat that might have induced her as conceiving there could not be any thing so dear or of that importance with her as the sight of the Princess her daughter Whereupon the Queen was left the freedom of her own Lodgings and all those who would have visited her seeing the day far spent deferred their visits to the next Elisa obliged to stay with the Queen sent her excuses to Cleopatra and Candace whose company she quitted not especially in their affliction whereto those two fair and disconsolate Princesses returned that assoon as the Queen had recovered her weariness they would come and acquit themselves of the civilities they ought her and that the affliction they were in should not hinder them from congratulating the happiness befallen her The Queen thus left to her self she again embraced the Princess several times and perceiving that Artaban would out of respect have retired with the rest she entreated him to stay telling him that he was haply no lesse concerned in her coming thither then the Princess her daughter Artaban obeyed not onely out of submission but with a joy at the words he thought so happily ominous and when she saw there were in her chamber only such persons as she durst well trust It is but just said she addressing her speech to the Princess and Artaban you should have an account of the State of our affairs with the occasions of my undertaking this voyage and though the revolutions that have happened in the Parthian Empire are of great importance yet will not the discourse thereof prove so long but that I may give it you my self my wearinss and the inconveniencies I have endured being not such but that I may well go through with it besides that I shall gladly take the advantage of this little time we have free to our selves to inform one another of our conditions and according to the State of our aftake those resolutions that shall be most expedient With those words having seated the Princess by her she commanded Artaban to sit down He would not a good while but at last the Queen having laid her absolute commands upon him and the Princess having made a sign to him he was forced to obey Whereupon the Queen addressing her self to Elisa Daughter said she to her you may by the habit you see me in imagine the change of our condition and the mourning you see all of our house are in may satisfie you as soon as my discourse that the King your father is departed this world I doubt not continuing she perceiving Elisa's eyes giving way to the tears that were issuing out but nature will produce in you an effect which there might be several reasons no disallow and though Phraates hath been a cruel person to all of his own House and to your self in particular yet was he your Father and it is hard the death of a Father and that in an extraordinary manner effected should not raise sorrow in a person of a good disposition but in fine though he wer your Father you should for your own comfort receive it after another manner then if he had expressed himself in his actions as he was by nature especially since it is looked on by all his Subjects as an effect of divine justice for reparation of so much bloodas he had cruelly spilt These things I speak not to blast the memory of my Lord Husband but in some measure to alleviate an affliction which hath wrought its effect on me as it now doth on you and which on me must needs have been more violent through the presence of many objects which might render it more sensible and pressing Having so said the Queen was forced for some time togive way to the tears of Elisa whom neither a reflection on the cruelties of Phraates for which she
thereto To that end he sent away one of the trustiest instruments of his cruelty in the head of a party whom he was confident of with a recommendation to the King of Media for the delivery of Artanez if need were While the Queen continued her discourse Artaban was in no small torment through the respect which hindred him from interrupting her insomuch that at last not able to Master the disturbance he was in Ah Madam said he to her will you not pardon the affection which obliges me to interrupt you to ask you whether it can be possible I should be so unhappy as to occasion the ruine of Prince Artanez I am not a little glad at that disturbance says the Queen to him as much confirming what we have been inform'd and what I am to acquaint you with though you know it better then my self had no great reason to conceal it from us You are then to know Daughter and you also Artaban that the King expecting Artanez to be brought in continued the massacres of all those whom he discover'd to have held any correspondence with Artaban insomuch that he was grown so exorbitant in his cruelty that the Parthians began to to murmur to threaten and at last to rise and particularly several Officers of the Army who had lost their Friends by those bloudy executions and who daily themselves expected the same fate At last through the indignation of Heaven the business came to that height that one day the greatest part of the Inhabitants of the City Praaspa where we then were together with the Souldiery seeing one of their companions carried to execution furiously took up Arms killed those that conducted the Prisoner and march'd violently towards the Palace The King having notice brought him of this Insurrection slighted it but being a man soon fired into displeasure he immediately went out of the Palace attended by his ordinary Gaurds and march'd towards the place where the Insurrection was with a design to put all the Traytors to the Sword But the Gods had otherwise ordered things to come to pass and thought fit that having met and charg'd them in a spacious place he was mortally wounded with two Arrows whereof one had taken him in the throat the other in the heart so that he fell down dead among his own who discouraged at his fall fought but little after The people who were encouraged by this and who after the death of their King were not deliberate what they were to do run upon the instruments of Phraates's cruelty and of those that came within their reach few escaped their fury They had haply been heightned to some more cruel resolutions it being no easie matter to quiet a Populace by just grounds forced into Arms if some eminent persons such as for whom they had no aversion had not interposed themselves and represented to them that they had no more enemies to engage against nor further subject to exercise their fury on that all then left in Praaspa were their Friends and that by death of the King and those inflexible creatures of his who had served him in his barbarous intentions they were sufficiently revenged for the loss of their Friends and and Kindred that of the Bloud-Royal there was not any person left on whom they might with reason exercise their revenge that their Princess was absent and worthy their services and respects rather then of their resentments and that for the Queen her Mother and Widow to the King they had killed they knew what a disconsonancy there was between her nature and her Husband 's how dearly she had ever loved them and to what dangers she had many times exposed her self to appease the King on their behalf The People and Souldiery contrary to their ordinary carriage hearkened to this discourse and were beginning to submit themselves thereto when Prince Artanez conducted by those who were employed to take him and had fortunately executed their Commission was brought to Phraaspa His conductors finding the face of things altered cast themselves at his feet begging their lives which they easily obtained of him but with much ado of the People who would needs punish them for the readiness of their inclinations to execute the cruel Orders of their Prince Artanez being respected by them as one of the Blood-Royal of their Kings loved by them for his vertue and that so much the more by reason of his being hated by the King and ready to be delivered up to execution as their Friends and Kinred whom they had revenged had they surrounded him with acclamations calling him Arsacian Prince worthy the Bloud of Arsaces and declar'd their readiness to obey him Artanez finding them so good an humor entreated them to lay down their Arms promising them upon that condition impunity for what had past and with the assistance of Timagenes and other considerable persons who before his coming had endeavoured to pacific things he managed all so successfully that before night all the people were gotten into their houses and the City was as quiet as if nothing had happened Artanez who had looked on that day as the last of his life and by a revolution which he could not attribute to any thing but divine Justice saw himself followed by all the Parthians with applause used his good fortune with much moderation and generosity and having caused the Kings body with much respect to be taken up and given order for the burial of the rest comes to the Palace where notwithstanding the aversion I had for the Kings death I was ore-whelmed with the grief which so unexpected an accident must needs have raised in me and where I stood in expectation of death through the fright I was in to see an armed Populace which had not spared the life of their King I trouble you not with a discourse of what I felt during that time because it would not onely prove tedious but not any way requisite in order to the discovery of those things which I am yet to acquaint you with Having received a punctual acount of what was done by the care of Zoilus Timagenes and divers other faithful persons who had provided for my safety and endeavoured to comfort me I knew that Artanez was innocent as to the Kings death and afterwards understood what pains he had taken to appease the exasperated multitude and the respect he had expressed towards the Kings memory though he might well have a just resentment against him so that seeing him coming in the posture not of a Prince of the blood of Phraates but of the humblest of his Subjects I embraced him with much affection acknowledged his generosity and recommended to him the memory of the King my Lord and the concernments of my daughter Artanez assured me that all the mischief was over that it was to be looked on as a stroke from heaven and that there was nothing to be feared provided the promise which he with Timagenes and divers
lover who passed not away the evening with the person he particularly loved even to Tigranes who with some confusion renewed his addresses to Urania There seemed to be some rub in the happiness of Philadelph by reason of the scruples of Arsinoe who made some difficulty to marry him though she infinitely loved him before he were assured of his Father the King of Cilicia's consent whom she knew to be much averse to the Alliance of Armenia but as good fortune would have it the next day after these great accidents had happened there arrived at Alexandria certain Deputies from the Kingdome of Cilicia whose business it was to acquaint the Prince with his Fathers death and his being King of Cilicia so that Philadelph having rendred to nature what might be expected from him resigned himself absolutely to the embraces of his amiable Delia and proffered her with his person the Crown which was then fallen to him The Emperour made also some difficulty to bestow Ismenia on Arminius as being Daughter to an Allie of the Romans and one that mortally hated Arminius conceiving he should not do an Allie such a displeasure as without his consent to bestow his Daughter on his enemy but Julia and Agrippa who much concerned themselves in the enjoyments of those two Lovers took away that obstacle by obliging Arminius to make an Alliance with the Romans and protest he would court that of Segestes as of his Father Arminius promised friendship and service to the Romans Varus only excepted who had made him a Gladiator with whom he desied all reconciliation and assured the Emperour that he would never engage in any War against his subjects conditionally he would never send Varus into his countrey which if he did he would not undertake to lye quiet but by all manner of wayes Prosecute the aversion he had against that cruel enemy who of a soveraign Prince had made him a Gladiator Augustus excused the earnestness of his resentment and was content he should upon these terms marry Ismenia before he left Alexandria assuring himself that he would engage Segestes s consent thereto He had some intentions also to defer the marriages of Marcellus and Drusus till his return to Rome where he would have them celebrated in the sight of the People of the City with that of Agrippa whose indisposition suffered him not to think so soon of marriage But those two Princes cast themselves at his feet and made it so earnestly their suit to him that their felicity might not be deferred any more then that of all the rest that at last he was content and would honour the City of Alexandria with the marriage of his Daughter as also with those of all the most considerable persons upon earth But to what end should I spin out any longer the closure of these adventures At last after the impatient expectation of so many illustrious Lovers the happy and so much desired day being come the City of Alexandria saw the greatest solemnity that ever any City in the world did and the Temple of Isis was made celebrious by the noblest assembly and most important ceremony that ever had been seen in any age There it was that the indissoluble knot was ty'd between Coriolanus or Juba for with a Crown he resumed the name of his Ancestors and his divine Cleopatra Artaban and the excellent Elisa Caesario and Queen Candace Marcellus and the Princess Julia Drusus and the fair Antonia the King of Armenia and his Olympia Philadelph King of Cilicia and his amiable Delia Alexander and Artemisa the King of Capadocia and the vertuous Andromeda the King of Media and Urania and the valiant Arminius and his dearest Ismenia Never certainly had the Universe seen so solemn a festival never had so many Beauties appeared together before that glorious star which shed on them that fortunate and remarkable day and never had there been such a Conjuction of Beauty Love Vertue Valour dignity and real worth in one City and in the same age The City of Alexandria prouder of the glory it had received that day then what it derived from it's Founder saw with joy the happiness of so many great Princes who after so many traverses of fortune found within its walls the sweet recompence of their sufferings and met with the enjoyments of those Beauties for which they had sighed so much Their felicity can better be conceived then represented and more may be learnt from Imagination then discourse The Emperour deferred to be celebrated at Rome with the marriage of Agrippa that of Domitius with Agrippina that of Ptolomey with Marcia though the young Prince discovered but little forwardness thereto and that of Lentulus with his fair Tullia As for Julius Antonius whom the rigours of Tullia had made insensible of any amorous inclinations he would hear nor talk of marriage and it was a long time after that he married one of the Emperours Neeces Augustus with his own hands crowned Juba King of the two Mauritanias Artaban received the Crown of Parthia from the hands of the Queen Mother to Elisa and Cesario that of Ethiopia from his fair Queen The Emperour invested Alexander in a great part of Egypt with the City of Alexandria in soveraignty dependent on the Empire left Petronius his Lieutenant in the rest of Egypt The Kings of Parthia and Scythia solemnly confirmed the alliances which Alcamenes had proposed the like was done with the Kings of Mauritania and Ethiopia and since inviolably observed What time these illustrious persons stayed afterwards in Alexandria was wholly spent in divertisements magnificence and confirmations of so many great and important Alliances And when they were to separate to resign their soveraigns to the Nations which expected their return upon the same day Augustus with the Kings Marcellus and all the Romans took their way towards Rome and all those great ones with their fair conforts went their several ways towards their Kingdomes to govern and felicify the people under their jurisdiction Their governments were excellent and flourishing as we have received from the Historians of their times but the design I have proposed to my self not to exceed the limits of my scene suffers me not to wait on them in their several travels homeward nor to give my Readers any account of the glorious reign of Artaban over the Parthians among whom to comply with the desires of Elisa he passed for the son of Artanez and was content the world should believe him descended from Arsaces nor of that of Juba over the Moors whom he governed with admirable lenity and made dreadful to all Africk nor that of Caesario over the Ethiopians and the happiness of his fair Queen whom many years after Heaven was pleased to illuminate from above as we find in sacred Historians Nor am I to say any thing of that of Ariobarzanes over the Arminians of Philadelph over the Cilicians of Archelaus over the Cappadocians and those of so many other Nations that lived happily under their jurisdiction In like manner must I be silent as to the marriages that were celebrated at Rome the happiness and glory of Drusus who not long after came into great reputation by his gallant actions as also the consequences of the noble friendship between Marcellus and the King of Mauritania which no doubt the world had heard much more of had it not been soon after terminated by the death of that illustrious Roman the marriage of Agrippa with Julia after the death of Marcellus and the fulfilling of the predictions of Thrasyllus by Tiberius's attainment of the Empire I think I have done enough to bring so many illustrious Lovers into the Haven after so many storms whereby their noble Lives were crossed and to have haply with success enough considering the greatness of the undertaking put a glorious and happy period to the adventures of my Cleopatra The End of the twelfth and Last Part of CLEOPATRA FINIS
Aegypt and privately marries her THe Barbarous Phraates seeing he could neither prevail with Herod to give me up into his hands nor put me to death which he had often solicited and being otherwise his mortal Enemy sent thirty thousand Parthians upon his Frontiers under the Command of Barsapharnes one of his Lieutenants and the very same that some years before had taken Hircanus and Phaselus Prisoners Barsapharnes did all the mischiefs in Judea that Hostility could exercise and made all that stood in his way without distinction feel his impartial Sword Yet his March was not kept so secret but before he entred Judea Herod that like a most prudent and vigilant Prince alwaies kept store of Spies in pay had a timely notice of it which made him rally his Forces with such diligence that before the Parthians had made any considerable progress he was grown strong enough to oppose them He would gladly have marched in Person but Mistrust the ordinary companion of Tyranny made him fear some palpitations in the heart of his Estate if he absented himself and therefore resolv'd to send one of his Lieutenants I had too much interest in this War not to seek the employment and all the regret I suffer'd to leave Mariamne was swallow'd with the greedy desire of glory and vengeance which drew me at the feet of Herod to ask the conduct of his Army He was very well satisfied with what I had already done in his Service and weighing the propriety I had both in the Motive and Success of that War he concluded he could not put his Forces into better hands than mine and therefore freely bestow'd the Command upon me So soon as my Equipage was ready I disposed my self to part from that place where I left the better part of my Soul The Queen who could not hate me though my Passion still perplext her was well pleas'd to hear the King had given me this Employment and told me in most obliging terms She had an opinion that I would bring home a fair encrease of Honour But when at the Even of my departure I desir'd she would give me a particular Audience and permit me to take leave of her in her Chamber without any further witnesses but those we suspected not she was deaf to my Prayer and after she had begun with some sharp words to shew me how much the Request displeased her No Tyridates pursu'd she with a milder look this Conference is not necessary I know already all you would say nor are you ignorant of what I have to answer you cashier these unjust desires if it be possible and believe it If a high esteem of your Virtues and a thousand wishes for your Happiness may requite your affections you shall never have cause to call me ungrateful Though these words were perfectly innocent yet the Queen fear'd they betray'd too much Favour and could not let them go without a blush wherein I read so much ravishing sweetness and fancied such advantages for my self that I found nothing in my condition that might patronize complaint I did all that was possible to obtain leave to write to her At first she return'd me a mild refusal but in fine she absolutely forbad me any further importunity I submitted to her without repining and being constrain'd to take leave of her in the presence of the King and the chief Courtiers I render'd the same respects to Salome who was then in the presence by this means avoiding a troublesome Discourse in which a particular farewel might probably have engaged me She well understood my intention and adding this to her former quarrel she could not keep her spight from breaking into her looks but when I bow'd to salute her after the Jewish mode she lifted up her head and thus whisper'd as low as was possible Signior Tyridates your Carriage is fair but somewhat dangerous I had no time to reply to this and indeed it had put me into so much disorder that I should hardly have found out fit words for an answer and this she understood so plainly by my looks as it powerfully served to confirm her suspition Thus I parted from Hierusalem and putting my self in the Head of the Army which attended my coming we marched towards Samaria where Barsapharnes had made some progress and already burnt some Villages with some little Cities that were not able to make resistance Madam I suppose you willing to learn the events of this War in a few words I shall endeavour therefore to contract a Narration that may sound too harsh to your tender Ears and only tell you that I advanced by great Marches towards Barsapharnes and being arriv'd within two dayes March of the place where his Army was encamped I sent to offer him Battel and to let him know that Tyridates himself had brought his Head into the Field and if he could get the good will of Victory he should reap that desired fruit of his Enterprize with the entire satisfaction of his Master Barsapharnes who was espoused to the cruel disposition of his King gladly accepted the Battel and trusting in the Parthian Valour quitted his Quarters to advance towards ours Upon the second day the Armies came in view and both being ranged with as much care as we were capable to carry there began a most cruel and bloudy Battel The Parthians were doubtless much better Souldiers than the Jews and their numbers full as great as ours but the Gods favour'd the Justice of my Cause and we so happily made good our choice of some local advantages as after an obstinate dispute which cost us five or six thousand lives Victory came and lighted upon our Banners The hatred which the Jews bare to the Parthians made it more bloody than I desired and though the unnatural Phraates had deeply provoked me yet in the pursuit I us'd all the power I had to spare the Parthian Bloud and to draw those out of the Victors hands that had not yet felt their fury A Jew presented me with the Head of Barsapharnes and though the view at the same time gave me horrour and compassion yet I thought it fit to send it to the King of Parthia in stead of that which he demanded and to let him know by that present in what manner I was able to defend mine against his inhumane pursuits The Prisoners I sent freely home again by this gentle usage obliging them to detest the cruelty of their King and after we had repair'd the damages the Parthians had made upon the Frontier and put the Fortresses there in a better condition of resistance I triumphantly return'd to Hierusalem where I was receiv'd by the people with great Acclamation by Herod with extraordinary Caresses and my fair Queen bad me welcome with an aspect that assur'd me the importunity she receiv'd from my Passion could not wipe out her interest in my success But Oh! the pride of my Content when I learn'd from her fair mouth that she had