in pursuing the end of thy servid and honest Love Thus agitated betwixt divers purposes and lacerated by various skirmishes of different affects I knew not to which part either of hope or of desperation to betake my self but like a ship in the main Ocean tost by the winds and assaulâ—ed by the Waves I lived incloistered in the solitude of my Lodgings without ever going out of the storm of my sadnesse grief and sorrow I obscured by the Clouds of sundry perturbations all light of the knowledge of my unhappy state and bereft my self of all the directions of reason to arrive to the Port of Consolations by the unsafe complacency I took in my Enemie's beauty Arnaldo or the Injur'd Lover Book II. FOr as much as the King saw me not to appear any more in Court and understanding in part my new affliction thinking perhaps to please me he elected me maintainer of a Justing which he had proclaimed for the approaching feast of the Spring And though I was at that time more disposed to retirednesse then to the company of Gallants yet because I would not displease the King I accepted of it Thereupon my Soul flattered with I know not what gale of alacrity I not onely prepared my self to the designed enterprise but communicated my resolutions to a certain number of youthful Knights and we agreed upon a most capricious Mask to present at the feast which the night following the Turnament should be celebrated in the Royal Hall But for as much as the desire of glory did not ease my heart so much of the weight of its afflictions that they did not still presse me down to the center of melancholly being got up with the Aurora of that fatal day I would have the sadnesse of my habit accompany into the field the sorrow of my mind So mounted on a Thracian Courser I appeared in a military posture armed with black Arms with a Cassock of black Velvet imbroidered with studs of Pearl an embleme of my tears The creft of my Helm was dignified with no other ensign than a mournfull Plume of sable feathers But in my shield I had caused to be depainted a Limbeck from which did drop-in divers parts of the distilled water with this Motto And within burneth Now whilst the elected Knights prepared to the course I vaulted upon my Horse before the Scaffold of the Queen and raising my eyes by chance I saw my fair Lucinda which upon an adjoyning Scaffold wrapt in her mournfull Mantle in those Countreys they wear the mourning for their Parents a compleat year darted through those Clouds the luminous rayes of her Divine face and menaced with death who ever through too much boldnesse should have attempted to fix their looks on the immortal Sun of that glittering beauty What befell me upon so unexpected and astonishing a sight if ever you have been a Lover you are able to judge I think I should never have remembred the affair that had called me into that place I was so besides my self if Lucinda taking notice of my stupefaction with a sudden fiction of talking with another Lady of her acquaintance had not in depriving me of the serenity of her face made me to forsee the tempest which began to rise in my heart which calmed in part by the consideration of my duty in so great an occurrence I in the end gave beginning to the Tilting of which as the incounters and accidents were various so it would be necessary I should expatiate in a superfluous discourse if I should recount them all It shall suffice to tell you that my successe in that adventure was such as I was not able to desire more with my vows to Fortune for the increasement of my glory if love of glory had been able at that time to open a way in that breast which knew no other affect then the love of Lucinda The Turnament being concluded with the day and accompanied with the applause of all people to my house I disarmed and masked my self with the rest of the Knights my companions and came into the Hall appointed for the Ball where in the presence of the King the dances were begun My consorts each of them having took out his Lady to dance I withdrew my self apart more then ever troubled with my fears and distracted by my griefs to see my self poor in that good of which I had so much need and rich in that evil which I did so much abhor Yet finally thrust forward by that desire which enkindling in my Soul did set me all on fire I drew near also with trembling feet to my fair Lucinda to invite her to dance with almost a certain credence of being refused And truely the suspension of that Lady confirm'd my belief But yet in the end constrained by generosity and by the accustomed frequency of such passages she courteously gave me her hand But what passions did not torment my wretched heart seeing my felicity so nigh me and the remedy of my infelicity so remote The dance being ended which made me with its turns to experiment in my Soul the turning of Ixions wheel to torment me Lucinda perhaps annoyed with my presence sate her self down so near the Queen that it was impossible for me to speak a word to her wherefore withdrawing almost in desperation into a Ward-robe of the Kings I assum'd a resolution to try my Fortune again by writing And thus amidst the confusions of my spirit I indited upon the Paper these confused words Arnaldo to Lucinda LUcinda If I was granted as well the means to redressing my misfortunes as I have occasion of expressing them I am certain I should be more contented than now I find my self agrieved But seeing you have bereft from my heart all feeling of consolation though not from my mind all sense of good judgement have patience also I beseech you if I write to you that which doth not please you But what can I write since I have written and said so much already of my passions and miseries Let it suffice you to know that except you be in the end moved with commiseration of my passion and sufferings you shall in a short time see the date of my life terminated in my death And yet alas you might with more ease if you so pleased collect the infinity of my sufferings from my words and from my tears which abound in my eyes the speaking mirrours of inamoured and languishing minds I am truely miserable since the more constant my fidelity is the more remisse you are in vouchsafing it a recompence And whereas you think that by giving peace to my life you must proclaim War against your virtue I will not desire you to do any thing nor will I speak any thing that may offend you It shall content me if you but onely vouchsafe sometimes to cast your eye on my torments so that the sweetnesse of your looks may allay the sharpnesse of my sorrow for by this slight
of a Launce So that this Work having encountred so universal an Acceptation whil'st imperfect in comparison and being now Ornify'd by the Polite Pen of one of the most refined Wits of Italy it cannot misse of a Correspondent welcom as it is now a second time compleated for English Perusal But this by the way from him that hath been at the pains of this last Translation That it is against both his Opinion and Custom to multiply this kind of Reading which ought to be used moderatly as Sauce not substantial food the end of Romantick Poetry being 1. Either to attract the Curious and Carelesse Eyes of such who can be no otherwayes induc'd to cultivate their wits and inform their Minds or 2. To Recreate not without some profit the over-intense Spirits after more serious Reading or 3. To Reprove Powerfull Vice without danger to the Mythologist or 4. Lastly to Affect those with Vertue thus set off by Fable whose Luxuriant Fancies cannot descend to the looking on more plain Morality This from the Authority of my Honoured Lord Broghill and the Apologies of the two Renowned Knights Sir Philip Sidney and Sir John Harington is the substance of what can be said in behalf of this kind of Poetry Which Rules being observed the pains I have been at may be admitted this Publication and the Reader 's perusual with equal safety and delight I could tell thee what Affinity this Fiction hath to our present Revolutions in State and instance in the Maxims here and there scattered for thy search but that were to Anticipate thy Curiosity and pervert the primary design of Thy Friend T. S. ARNALDO OR THE Injur'd Lover BOOK I. THe day had already began to dawn upon the Mountains tops when getting out of the poor Lodging wherein I had past the precedent night with reasonable tranquillity I began my journey and the Sun had not increased so far as to make a full disclosure of his face to mortals when finding my self at the entrance of a very spacious Forrest into which my Horse thrust himself and through abstruse and disconsolate tracks penetrated into its most secret retirements I set my self in the heat of that illustrious Planet's Meridian-rayes under the leavey-shade of a lofty Platan to repose me near the pleasant murmure of a little rivelet which dilated into sundry windings sought to empty it self into a River with which the Forrest was in a manner wholly inviron'd It was not long that I had there sate before the pleasant whisperings of the Aire and Brook had reconciled my eyes to sleep and that I made my head to lean on the Root of that Platan and scarce had I given up my brows to a languid slumber when sleep represented to me the appearance of a young Lady I fancied that with a behaviour sufficiently obleiging she enquired of me my name quality and the occasion of my journey But I not having oppressed by an unusual lethargy knowledge or power to find words to satisfie her demand the Apparition offended at my fatal taciturnity smote me on the breast with a Serpent Thus saith she shall I be sure to know who thou art and suddenly disappear'd I by this time awaking with a lowd cry found my heart perplex'd by a cruel passion and my face no lesse covered with tears than with sweat Having therefore deposed the muddinesse of my face in the clearnesse of the water and forded the delightfull rivolet I felt my passions augmented to that heighth that they oppress'd my spirit and equally set at liberty the reins of my Horse and those of my Reason nor took I any other food then what my griefs administred to whose mercy fortune had abandoned me Thence just at the time that Sol leaving the lownesse of the Valleys retreated his rayes to the tops of the Hills I came into a place that had an Ascent from which there represented it self to my eye the prospect of a great Plain in form of an artificial Theater which incircled on every side by the Forrest dignified its Center with a stately Pallace berounded with a well proportioned fronte of little Cypresses which expected the favour of time to increase with their umbrage the melancholinesse of that Seat which covered with black Marble made a fair but mournfull disclosure of its Grandure I therefore fix'd my eye full of admiration upon that strange Edifice and whil'st the curiosity to know the inhabitants of so lugubrious a place led me out of my former track I saw issue out of the opposite part of the wood a Troup of men which in the sadnesse of their habits and langour of their deportment declared themselves very much grieved There went before this company a Knight who by his own appearance and by the Garb of his followers might be presumed Lord of the rest as with his sighs and the abundance of his tears he made himself believ'd more then all others afflicted He breathed from his pale and meager face a most lamentable pensivenesse which tormented the hearts of the beholders so much the more forcibly by how much the more unsuteable so mournfull a look appeared to so courteous an aire In the mean time the melancholy Knight drawing near to the place where I for the unexpectednesse of the incounter had made a halt and raising his eyes to steal a look he discover'd me although at the first accost he appear'd somewhat mov'd yet with a gracefull smile he clear'd up the tempest of his face constraining me with a sweet violence to take in his Heremetical habitation a short repose Thereupon taking me by the hand he conducted me with a very slow pace towards the gates of his house over which I who being a stranger made curious observations of the things of the place saw a gilded scroul in which with black Characters was ingraven these words O man that chance or curiosity Hath drawn this most unhappy lodge to view Know 't is own'd by such who onely death persue And dying every moment cannot dye Having with mine eyes run over and with my mind lightly considered these Verses we entred into that disconsolate Mansion wherein all things represented objects of heavinesse and grief since the Hall and Chambers hung onely with black furniture wrought in the heart a sad melancholy which almost bereaving a man of himself in despight of all he could do did constrain him to shed tears Over the Nieces of the doors of each room there hung after the use of Italy several goodly pictures but in as much as the representation that they made of Tragical Loves did in a great measure impair their delightfulnesse the eye might not be fix'd on them without the prejudice of the mind offended by the strange sight of those miserable occurrences Being left for a little space by the courteous Knight to repose my body in a Chamber lesse-sadly furnished he returned himself in person to invite me to Supper which by reason of the hot season I
forthwith left me and seeing my self lost in a Love upon my own advice without hope I began wholly to abandon the care of my health So that in a few dayes I seemed wholly altered from my self in the eyes of the world I sometimes attempted to suppresse that fervent amorous passion which did afflict me but the more I forced my self to conceal it the more invigorating it self did it blaze out with greater impetuosity whence my malady continually increasing I saw my self in a little space reduced miserably to perish in the arms of melancholy and desperation But Necessity the discreet inventer of healthfull contrivances would have me live for my hurt suggesting to me that I ought not utterly despair of my health since that though the sight of and speech to Lucinda was not by fortune permitted me I might notwithstanding easily be able to penetrate her meaning finding among my Pages a youth which by being formerly a servant to her father had accesse to the house with much liberty and without suspition Whereupon I made known to him more with tears which unawares betrayed my constancy then with words the internal grief of my heart and I desired him he would follow his wonted visits more frequently and report to me what he could discover of the person and wit of Lucinda The Page obeyed me with sufficient discretion and modesty and observing for some time what seemed to him opportune to my interests he thrust me on finally with his perswasions to write a Letter to my fair Enemy in this manner I had rather most lovely Lucinda that you should draw the truth of those griefs which inviron my Soul from the sight of me than in the dead Letters of this Paper you should discover their appearances But although the black lines of the ink cannot sufficiently expresse the abundance of the tears which the bitternesse of my dysasters distil from my heart I shall at least attempt thereby to manifest to you in some part the cruel passions of my Soul which heretofore transfused into your beautifull breast stands expecting from your goodnesse some gale of grace which may suffice to keep it alive Be therefore pleased to know Madam that from that day which you celebrated in the Temple the exequies of your most worthy father I remained in such manner fettered by the inchantments of your Divine beauty that when you returned to your house to consumate with flouds of tears the paternal funerals I retired to my Chamber to commence with the deluge of my plaints the celebration of the grief of my heart which I had left inclosed in the radiant Sepulcher of your fair eyes I will not deny Madam but that I have striven to force my self to cast off the yoak of servitude which the Soveraign Majesty of your looks hath imposed by vertue of Love upon the liberty of my spirit but in sum the insuperable power of your beauty binding my Reason with Adamantine cords would have me follow chained the Chariot of its triumphs I set my self therefore to love you because destiny hath commanded it and will love you eternally because my Inclination imposeth it I request no other of you Madam but onely that you would please to accept the sacrifice of my affections which all contracted in one sigh of Love I offer to the Idol of your super-humane beauty and that you would not at least deny me the happiness of your presence that I may in the consolation of your celestial remembrance sweeten the bitterness of my sufferings and that you may discover in my mortified looks the lively pledges of my fidelity ARNALDO Having written this Letter consigned it to Diffilus the Page and instructed him in the manner with which he should transact the message to Lucinda I retired into the solitude of my Closet strongly assaulted by fear and hope to expect the issue Diffilus went and by good fortune observed that Lucinda accompanied by a Girle her slave was busied about her feminine imployments he suddenly accosted her giving her my Letter intreating her to receive it But she presently clouded her face to which the mind imparted the sudden motions of its displeasure and beholding him with a fierce look commanded him presently to get himself out of her sight and never dare to do the like to her as he tendered his life But the cunning Groom that knew the anger of a beautifull woman to be just like the stop of a Noble Courser not a jot affrighted by those angry appearances multiplied his intreaties with no lesse affection than discretion whereupon Lucinda seeing her self importuned with so much prudence and being unwilling to yield to so affectionate an assault arose to retire into some more private room where it was not permitted Diffilus to follow her Whence he perceiving of her intention just as she was rising up to depart cast the Letter into her bosom with so civil a behaviour that she was necessitated to take it An unhappy necessity for me since as if it had been a Viper she presently tore it reducing it to smoak and ashes This unhappy accident related to me by the Page gave me easily to understand what I might expect from this my unfortunate Love My torments therefore did in such manner increase that I esteemed nothing but death able to deliver me Thence I became so much an Enemy to my self that my pain become familiar to me left me to fall irrecoverably into a Gulf of desperate thoughts among which miserably consuming my dayes there came to me one morning Diffilus a curious observer of the actions of Lucinda to tell me she would be the following night in an adjacent Temple to celebrate the rites of a grand solemnity It ran in my mind that I might peradventure be able hid amongst the nocturnal umbrages and covered with womans apparel to weave a pleasant snare for my proud enemy from which if I should get no other I should at least with discourse in some part vent my grief and perhaps that Love would second with greater successe the lively force of my words than he had done the dead Characters of my Letter This proposition being resolved on and the night desired being come I drest my self in a sute of Belisa my sister and with the onely attendance of Diffilus who in like manner habited did conduct me into the Temple and just in the place where he knew Lucinda would sit he placed me And though the tendernesse of my age which then scarce passing the eighteenth year had not yet covered my face with the first down and the uncertain twilight which in the nocturnal darkresse the burning Tapers formed did exceedingly favour our design I kept neverthelesse with pretext of the coldnesse of the winter-season my face covered with a Vail to avoid the curiosity of the eyes of them who frequent the Temple for no other end than with their looks to lay siege to Ladies Scarce was I setled in that place when
Lucinda appeared accompanied with so numerous a train of servants that I esteemed it a thing almost hopelesse to get any occasion to speak to her Now while she was approaching to my seat me-thought that my heart skipping within me would have leapt out of my breast and they that at that time had observed my face would have judged me mortally wounded it was at that instant overspread with so strange a palenesse Yet in the end Lucinda was come close to me and by the singularity of my dresse and deportment believing me to be a Lady of great quality courteously saluting me she sate down close by me But what I answered to her civil Salute I cannot remember my spirits being at that time lost in consideration of the presence of her who was the sole cause of all my enthusiasms so that they were disabled to all external functions Yet recollecting by little and little my banished forces more by the benefit of the nights obscurity than by any violence I knew how to offer on my self being assisted also by the sollitude in which Lucinda remained the croud of her servants being withdrawn into several parts of the Temple I began plainly in this manner to expresse my mind Dear Lucinda if Fortune shall but grant me as much ability to expresse my torments as you have power to make me feel them I should repute my self no lesse fortunate then you be fair It will therefore concern your affability not to regard the confusion of my speeches but to consider the afflictions of my heart that compels me to pronounce them I know not courteous Madam what profit you can expect from my ruin nor what good you can extract from my evil The tearing of my Letter was truely an impetuous motion of an offended mind but the continual rending of my heart can be imputed to no lesse then an excess of cruelty If this agree to a beautifull Lady I leave you your self to judge And what excuse can you find that may stand you instead to defend the severity of your treatment towards him who loves you above his own life or rather that as to his Terrene Goddess consecrateth upon the Altar of his fidelity his heart in a perpetual Holocaust You might easily Madam openly discover in my languishing looks what be the torments occasioned no less by your beauty then by your rigour and yet the suffering them grieves me not a jot I am onely displeased that you are not pleased to accept my sufference Sweeten I implore you with the drop of some favour the bitterness of such severity for that Lady spots not the candor of her honesty which with a single syllable of courtesie favours the affects of a noble Cavalier her Adorer Other favour Madam I request not of you than verbal It sufficeth me you be still served by honouring me with the Title of your Slave and some declaration that my services are not indifferent to you blessing me now and then with a compassionate look It 's but a poor word it 's but a transient glance to one whom it may recal from death to life Thus proceeded I with a languishing voice intermingling my prayers with my tears But Lucinda I believe that indignation would not permit her before to reply when she perceived me thus run on with a trembling and discomposed voice a sign of great agitation of spirit thus interrupted me Arnaldo I answer at this time to your propositions to the end you deceive not your self in the judgement you may passe upon my intentions and lest perhaps presuming upon my silence you may not nourish some fallacious hope to your prejudice and my own dishonour I shall know of a truth that you love me if with desisting from your unadvised enterprize you will cease to trouble me It is not for me to teach you what means you should use to cure this amorous infirmity but if you be but as discreet in your desires as with your sighs you pretend to make me believe you are passionate you would be able of your self to investigate the same I use not to you that tigour which I ought because I reverence your birth but provoke me not in coming in this form for you shall draw with security little satisfaction from your boldnesse Consider therefore and remember that deceivers are wont to fall into the Nets of the deceits they intended for others This answer of Lucinda was like Oyl which powred upon my burning heart made the flame of my dolours to soment the more since the more her words diminished my hope the more they increased my desire of possessing her Thence by considering the Divine beauty of her countenance and by hearkning to the grace of her celestial discourse ravisht out of my self I retained not in me any part of life but onely Memory which attentively waited if it might be able to draw any thing of benefit from that congression But she neverthelesse having done speaking and making as if she would be gone if immediatly I did not obey her I retired most disconsolate out of the Temple and being returned to my house I shut my self into my Closet and there reasoned to my self Miserable Arnaldo What hope can be able still to flatter thy disconsolate heart to mislead thy tormented spirit Perceivest thou not O wretch that thy unbridled desire having led thee too high menaceth thee with some miserable precipice And canst thou with open eyes behold this ruin without procuring to thy self at least that assistance which reason offers thee of freeing thy self from the snares of this perfidious Love which onely to render thee unhappy is come to disturb thy peace with his importunate furies Alas Alas too vain are my thoughts and too rash my purposes It 's impossible that I can ever heal this amorous infirmity if beauty it self which bred it in my breast do not cure it But not daring to hope that what remains but that I miserably perish My disconsolate spirit wherefore stayest thou any longer in this thy miserable abode now that it is become a ruthlesse Hell of uncomfortable afflictions Unfortunate Arnaldo When thou beginnest to want strength thou beginst to augment thy torments and instead of seeking a Salve to thy evils by the constancy of a generous Cavalier thou losest thy self in the weaknesse of vulgar Lovers And how long hast thou served Lucinda that she ought to give thee her Love With the price then of a few moneths of servitude wouldest thou go about to purchase the reward of her favour The gifts of Love are not obtained with so little labour And again Ladies desire to try the fidelity of their servants with slighting them but after the Tempest of contempts follows the serenity of favours which they concede to their faithfull Lovers Love therefore thy Lucinda and since thy passions are not of a kind that do offend the Laws of the World or of Heaven hope that the World and Heaven ought to assist thee
his ingratefull Lucinda So then subjoyned Argosthenia I am doubly obliged in my life and in my contentment without having done any thing to oblige you to so generous and endearing favours It 's the duty of all high-born Souls said I to procure the benefit of another especially of Ladies of your quality When you please therefore Arnaldo shall be your husband and I a servant to you both Brother rather said Argosthenia for to a Gentleman of so noble and generous qualities a title so ignoble vile as that of servant doth not agree But how may I believe you excuse my indiscretion being transported beyond my self that Arnaldo commissionated you to such a treaty I suddenly replied Behold here Madam this Ring and presented it to her which you have often seen on his finger and this he presents you as the pledge of his passion The Lady took it with a smile saying Now my obligements to you are so incomparable that I want a conceit to apprehend them and language to thank you for them Tell Arnaldo that Argosthenia was born either to be enjoyed by Arnaldo or else onely by death Choose he what he pleaseth for I am content whether it be with him or with it You shall do me the favour to carry back to him this Collanet and pulled it from her neck with my Picture that he may keep it so much the neerer his heart as he is the heart of my breast the spirit of my Soul Then in giving it to me she stayd her hand on mine adding Sir Argosthenia cannot give you a greater proof of the obligations she professeth to owe you I then kist that hand of this courteous and ingenious Creature acknowledging such honours to be infinite favours assuring her to the utmost of so inconsiderable a fortune and ability a perpetuall observance and fidelity to her person and to the Knight her Spouse Whether it was the obscurity of the night become greater by a little misling shower which began to bedew the tracks of the Forrest or else the apprehension of the things we discoursed of I know not but so it happened that Argosthenia led us out of the way nor did she perceive it till that being tired by the walk she took notice she was nigh to the murmure of a Brook which begirt the Forrest about whereat being surpriz'd with a chilnesse she said Sir by my carelesnesse we are so wandered out of our way that we are above seven miles from the house of Olympia and four from that of Arnaldo To return at this hour and from this place into the Forrest would be an exposing our selves to a manifest peril of our lives being we must passe through some great Valleys inhabited onely by Wolves and if we would crosse the Brook and walk towards the house of Olympia we must also wander three miles in the Forrest along the Banks of this River before we can find a place to ford it it being very large as you see and full of quick Sands and Rocks in these parts Pardon me I intreat you this errour committed casually against my will and do me the favour to lend me something to cover my head that the rain may not ulcerate my wound which I find to be already much swelled Hearing her say so I pulled from under my Coat a large Taffaty Scarf and presented her with it and also a Handkerchief expressing my grief not to be so much at the missing of the way as at the pains which thereby she was put to Upon which the Lady replied Yet cannot I do any thing to shew the sense your obligements impresse in me though I would willingly dedicate the better half of my dayes to return part of that acknowledgement which the Laws of gratitude doth with justice exact for so supream a favour and so high a content as your presence hath possest me of But that which adds to my grief is that you having need of repose and remedy to your wounds do by this foggy aire of the night exasperate them afresh Whilst she was talking thus and her hands were imployed about the binding up and covering her head her foot slid by reason of the slipperinesse of the ground occasioned through the excessive rain that had faln and so she tumbled into a deep plash of water made by the rising of the Current in that part It was the goodnesse of Heaven that she should fall directly upon her feet otherwise she had ran the danger of bruising her self on certain splinters of the stump of a tree cut down upon the bank of that river And it was also a happy turn that the charity of the neighbouring stream did reflect some little duskish light in the aire that I might thereby find out the way to recover her from that precipice The which I finally did though with great difficulty for she through the fright of the fall was so bereft of force that she was altogether unable to walk Being forced therefore by necessity as if she had been a little Child I took her in my arms and she weeping with tendernesse for her faster-sitting put her left arm about my neck saying to me Sir Necessity violates all Laws I am in your arms but I am Arnaldo's spouse Let it please you therefore that this imbracement be of a sister to her brother to whom she confesses to owe her life a thousand times I being moved with pity and the generosity together of the young Lady was almost ready to weep replying I know very well Madam what a Gentleman's duty is towards a Lady of your merit and to a friend of the quality of Arnaldo Make the same accompt of me as if I were truely that which you please to term me your brother since age consents not that I call you daughter So I will I asssure you answered she and resting for feeblenesse one cheek upon my head made me think her so light that I scarce felt the weight of her body Walking in this manner about half a mile my ear was alarm'd with a slow murmur of humane voices whereupon hearkning towards that part I perceived they were fisher-men which casting baits to the fishes stood silently expecting that they would run to the same to swallow them Making therefore to the brink of the Brook I called them to waft me over to the Champain They like rude and simple people very unwillingly consented to it as loath to deprive themselves of the sorry prey which they expected in their Nets Whereupon perceiving this their wretched avidity I invited them by a promise of rewarding them with a benefit more worth then a hundred such fish They hearing that turned their Boat to the place where we were to our misfortune landed us on the other side To our misfortune I say for having with the dawn of the new-born day discovered at a little distance from us the Towers of a Castle founded upon a little Hill just when that Argosthenia having received
you are and what I do Speak no more of it nor trouble me for I know you would sooner dye than fail in your fidelity to Arnaldo or in your respects to Argosthenia Here ending our discourse we made up that breach in the wall the best we could and tempering the lime in water so daubed up those bricks on my part that the fraud was very hard to be discovered Which done because the Lady was half dead with famine and I was slightly served by reason of my wounds she was constrained for that time to content herself with a few slices of Cytron and a little water By which being reasonably refreshed she lay down to sleep with a wonderfull Modesty and honesty on one side of the bed and seeing me about to rest my self on the contrary part she would by no means permit me to do it protesting to me that if I did she would perpetually stand upon her feer Hereupon not to contend with her I also took a part of the bed confining my self between the bounds of modesty and honour not so much as to look towards that fide which she had made choice of for her repose We past away eight dayes in this manner with much felicity for Diambres necessitated by his wound not onely to keep himself retired but also free from the air there resorted none to my chamber but onely a Page at the hours of dinner and supper and a Chirurgion once a day In which time which I ordered to be very short Argosthenia lay hid in a chest or under the bed Withall I had so wholly indeared the Page a boy of fifteen years of good extraction of a facetious Genius and great Soul that he used me with all the civility that I could desire He delighted above measure to hear me relate the singularities of strange places and had an ardent desire to travel for some time into Italy And because I on the other side extolled for merit not for adulation his Composures in Verse and Prose he could have been content to have been continually talking with me But I excused my self by the necessity of rest to which I pretended my wounds obliged me and I kept him for Argosthenia's consideration at the greatest distance I could I omitted not nevertheless for those few moments which he staid with me to ask him of the news of the place and came to know that I could not tell how news was carryed to Arnalod's ear that the Lady he sought could no-where be found he not being able to learn the Tyranny of Diambres and that he accused me of her rape and was gone to Athens whither Diambres to cover his own villany had caused it to be given out that I was gone This blow of injurious calumny striking at my faithfulnesse and the honour of Argosthenia transfixed my Soul with great anxiety whereupon to clear my innocence and comfort Arnaldo with the possession of his Mistresse I resolved to bestir my wit to free me from that in just and wretched captiviâ—y I began in order thereunto to under-feel the Page if when Diambres should restore me to liberty he would accept of my company to transport himself into Italy I would it would please Heaven replyed he I might be so happy And were it so subjoyn'd I that Diambres for his own interests would not free me from this misery would you find in your heart to see me alwayes thus unhappy Euristhus sighed and said When there may be found any way that without prejudice to my reputation I may leave this service there should not be that thing in the World which I would not do for you I will content my self with little enough answered I and I will so dispose of things that you shall not onely depart with a Salvo to your reputation but also with a considerable augmentation in your honour and fortune And to omit that the being instrumentall in delivering an innocent Cavalier unjustly oppressed by a barbarous Tyranny might acquire you the commendation of a more than vulgar generosity I am able to participate to you the glory of an act of such a grandure that you your self will confesse your incapacity of such a felicity But because I love not to use many words where works of valour and fidelity are expected resolve with your self to be my companion in a grand Enterprize which though it should succeed unhappily will have you heir of an immortall renown and then let us consult of the manner to effect it Sir said Euristhus I am at your devotion Command and you shall be obeyed Than said I it would be necessary you provide me some deaf files to file the barrs of a window and silk enough to make a ladder to reach to the Mote of the Castle stick not at the cost for I can re pay you to your full satisfaction Here the youth re-joyn'd Sir My condition of a Page in another mans house permits me little ability of serving you according to the generosity of my spirit receiving so poor a stipend from my Father and Master that it hardly sufficeth to buy me clothes I will receive therefore what you please to consign me with assurance of a faithfull disbursment What need more words Before three dayes past with the help of Euristhus and of our coin we were furnished with tools and silk sufficient for our design The files we sawed the grates with and of the silk by the help of Argosthenia we composed the ladder for our escape Euristhus I instructed to go forth of the Castle without any alteration in his deportment and to expect me about midnight on the bank of the Mote Which he most punctually obeyed And seeing that although the gates were shut yet there was neither guard no centinel in that Castle when about the fourth hour of the night we heard the signal of his arrival we absolutely removed the bars of the window Then fastning the ladder to a hook and instructing Euristhus in holding of it stedfast to the earth Argosthenia was the first which descended howbeit she courteously contested with me to have had me gone down first She succesfully descended to the middle of the ladder but lighting there upon a beam accidentally jetting out from a window she so intangled her person and garments that she could not possibly go up nor down Seeing so unlooked-for a dysaster I was almost in dispair of saving her for if there should any rumour be raised in that part she could not have been able to escape in such a conjuncture from a second and more grievous captivity to the indangering of her life To call and instruct Euristhus how to assist her I might not for fear of being over-heard Where upon I resolved to venture my self to relieve her So that tying my Arms which Euristhus had privately conveyed into my chamber to a long string of silk I let them down to the ground to be ready at hand upon any occasion then I nimbly made another