answere this I cannot well replie Let it suffice thee that the lest suspect Of any harme thou hast doth make me die And worse then death torments me in effect Deere Lady then I would not haue thee prooue The cruell shaft of angrte Nemesis For first let each infernall power mooue Their plagues against me of eternall Dis. But now I would be glad if thou wouldst tast The sweete and golden flight of Cupids powre Bicause my torments which are gone and past Pitie thou might'st and those I feele this howre For if thou knew'st my paines and pitious case With pitie and teares thou wouldst my life deplore Not for my merits which are very base But for my loue which well deserueth more Each thing that is created heere so fit An equall hauing in a diuers kinde In such like kinde a paiment doth admit By measuring the debt that is behinde But as fell loue no equall doth containe In such a diuers kinde and different By selfe same thing it paies it selfe againe Loue must be paid with loue of good intent Then since it is most euident and cleere That I doe prize thy loue at such a rate Thou must requite my loue againe so deere If Nemesis ingratitude doth hate But if thou dost not purpose to requite The loue that I haue borne and beare thee still And with like loue to ease my heauie plight And greeuous paines for thy procuring ill My hands of life shall then vndoe the chaine But not of loue by death to ease my death And so requite me when no other meane Is left to make me still enioy this breath For sure if that my life be of this sort My life is death and dying is my life My death is sweete a pleasure ioy and sport Lining in such a world of amorous strife But now I cease my teares fall in such store And painfull soule for greefe can write no more O how wisely hast thou done Martandrus said Lord Felix by warning vs to be attentiue for this letter doth well beseeme the person of a discreete and enamoured Gentleman with what modestie and feare did he write it And how true is that said Danteus which is almost in the end of it That all things in this worlde in a different kind may be paide as grasse with sheepe sheepe with cloth and finally all with money but onely loue the which bicause with no other thing it hath neither equalitie nor proportion cannot but with loue be recompenced againe For touching my selfe I know that though my Shepherdesse Duarda would giue me all that she hath in the world yet she could not pay me that she owes me if she denied me her loue Felismena preuenting Duarda that was about to answere him said Let vs leaue this for this time And as you loue your selfe Sir tell on bicause we may know what this Ladie did with such a letter for I know not what she was able to answere againe but to yeelde her selfe to his loue whereupon I thinke she durst not take in hand to answere so wise reasons Not so Ladie said Martandrus for I assure you that Dardanea is not such an one that the high sence and stile thereof could put her to a non-plus in proofe whereof you shall see it by her answere But bicause we may not discontinue so sweete a discourse I will proceede This letter was of so great effect in Dardaneas tender hart that now in euerie point she perceiued her selfe yeelded to Cupids forces The which her cristalline teares that issued out of her cleere eies did make so manifest that she was vnable to stay them although many times in vaine she laboured the contrarie But as she could not satifie her selfe with reading it once or twise ouer the more she read it the more her loue encreased For knowing Disteus his vertues and valour to bee great and therewithall considering the qualitie of his person and with what milde modestie and discretion he wrote this letter the well conceiued words thereof were so forcible in her minde imprinted that they strangely disposed it to entertaine most louing thoughts of him that wrote them Her kinde and tender hart was no lesse pierced with pitie and compassion when she vnderstoode in what extremities his loue consisted since by the sequell of his letter she perceiued how abruptly he ended whereby he manifested the forcible passion that he had in writing of his paines and sorrowes To all which no meane motiues in her conquered minde this moreouer occurred that he offered to expose himselfe to any danger of death for Sagastes his mortall enemie onely to do her seruice that neuer yet had shewed him the least fauour in the world So that loue assayling her on the one side which till then had not notably signorized in her and her honour and vertuous reputation which she had euer religiously obserued pressing her on the other droue her vsetled thoughts into such suspence and troubled her doubtfull minde that being ignorant what course to take or what remedie to choose out for the best since she would neither offend this could not choose but obey that she was between two contraries so mightily assaulted that to yeelde to one without preiudice to the other shee would in a manner haue lost her deerest life which sorrowfull thoughts hiding in her secret breast and the letters in her amorours bosome she went to her chamber where casting her selfe vpon her bed and lying flatling vpon her pillow thus shee lamented to her selfe O what shall become of thee Dardanea being assailed by two such opposite enimies O heauenly Diana O inuincible Venus How haue you both with your diuine powers seised on my yeelding soule How could you being so great Goddesses make your habitation and seat in so humble a sublect and in so base and little a house as this is And being so contrarie and capitall enimies how haue you determined to your content and my losse to deraigne a hard and mightie battel in such a tender and weake field Why will you execute your vnresisted forces in the feeble breast of a yeelded and captiue woman Faine would I not open the gates Diana whose name I honor to thy cōtrarie but pardon me since I haue not my wonted forces for importunate Venus knowing how strongly this tower of thinc was defended being driuē many times from it hath now emploied all hir force in the enterprise and conquest of it O noble Disteus if thy words be fained which the Gods forbid then is my death certaine But why should I thinke so when as thou are Disteus whose name includes all generous virtues and I Dardanea whose minde such thoughts doth ill beseeme Alas poore Gentleman how vngratefully doth Palna thy nurse requite thy fauours which she confesseth thou hast bountifully bestowed on her since from thy first desire a matter but of small consequence she so bitterly repelled thee by denying to giue me a letter which to her hands
Alanius ALthough my quiet it doth let Rather then blame discredit me For God forbid that I forget Let me with wrong forgotten be Not onely where obliuion raineth There is no loue nor can be none Nay where there is suspicion There is no loue but such as faineth Great harme it is to loue where set In bootelesse hopes the minde they free But God defend that I forget Forgotten though a iest it bee If that I loue why then loue I To sport or leaue to loue at all For what more honor can befall Then die for that for which I die To liue therefore and to forget Is such a shamefull life I see That I had rather loue one yet Forgotten though to death I bee When I had made an ende of my song the Shepherdes teares but those especially of faire Ismenia were so many that of force they made me participate some of her greefe which thing I might well haue left vndone for no fault could iustly haue bene attributed to my great mishap as to all those that were there it was sufficiently knowen After this euery one of vs went to their owne towne bicause it was not meete for vs to be out of them at such inconuenient and late howers And the next day my father without telling me the cause why caried me out of our towne and brought me to yours placing me there in the house of Albania mine aunt and his sister whom you knowe well where I haue remained a few daies since my comming hither not knowing the cause of my sudden exile but haue heard of late that Montanus hath married Ismenia and that Alanius was about to marrie a sister of hers called Syluia whereupon to conclude I wish that he may liue since it was not my good fortune to haue him as ioyfull a life with his new spouse that nothing may want to the full accomplishment of their content and happinesse For the loue which I beare him will suffer me no lesse then to wish him all the felicitie of this life When Seluagia had made an end of her sorrowfull tale she began to weepe so bitterly that both the Shepherdes being a kinde of friendly dutie wherein they had no small experience began also to helpe her with their teares and after hauing spent a little time in this sort Syrenus saide vnto her Great is thy greefe faire Seluagia and yet I iudge thy patience and discretion greater Take example by other mens harmes looke into their paines consider their woes if thou wilt the better support thine owne And bicause it growes now towardes night let vs be iogging towardes our towne and to morrow passe away the heate of the day neere to this cleere fountaine where we will all three meete Let it be as thou saiest said Seluagia but bicause betweene this and the towne there is a pretie way let euery one of vs to passe it away with some thing sing a song befitting the condition and qualitie of his loue The Shepherdes answered if she would begin they would follow which Seluagia did all three going on softly towardes the towne SHepherd who can passe such wrong And a life in woes so deepe Which to liue is to too long As it is too short to weepe Greeuous sighes in vaine I waste Leesing my affiance and I perceiue my hope at last With a candle in the hand What time then to hope among Bitter hopes that euer sleepe When this life is to too long As it is too short to weepe This greefe which I feele so rife Wretch I doe deserue as hire Since I came to put my life In the handes of my desire Then cease not my plaints so strong For though life her course doth keepe It is not to liue so long As it is too short to weepe With a burning sigh that came from her afflicted soule Seluagia ended her song saying How vnfortunate alas am I that see my selfe buried in iealousie despaire which cannot in the end but bring my life to no other passe then to that which is infallibly expected of them After this forgotten Syrenus to the tune of his Rebecke began to sing this song following WEepe not my dolefull eies But if you weepe thinke at the lest They tolde no trueth but lies And then it may be you may rest Since that imagination Doth cause so much in euery state Thinke that she loues thee as of late And thou shalt haue lesse passion And if you will mine eies Haue ease imagine then the best And that they told you lies And so perhaps you may haue rest Thinke that she loues as well As euer she did heretofore But this sad men caunot restore To thinke what once befell Then mournfull eies where lies Your helpe Yet thinke of some at lest If not weepe still mine eies Or make an end and you shall rest After that sorrowfull Syrenus with many teares had made an end of his song despised Syluanus began his thus MY life yoong Shepherdesse for thee Of needes to death must post But yet my greefe must stay with mee After my life is lost The greeuous ill by death that cured is Continually hath remedie at hand But not that torment that is like to this That in slowe time and fortunes meanes doth stand And if this sorrow cannot be Ended with life as most What then doth this thing profit me A sorrow wonne or lost Yet all is one to me as now I trie A flattring hope or that that had not bene yet For if to day for want of it I die Next day I doe no lesse for hauing seene it Faine would I die to end and free This greefe that kils me most If that it might be lost with me Or die when life is lost And in this sort the two Shepherdes went homewardes in companie of Seluagia departing from one another with accorde to meete the next day following at the same place The end of the first booke of Diana The second Booke of Diana of George of Montemayor NOw did the Shepherdes which fed their sheepe in the fieldes of Ezla begin to shew themselues euery one with his flockes along the bankes of those cristalline waters each Shepherde knowing choosing out the best place before the Sun did rise the better to passe away the burning heate of the day when the faire Shepherdesse Seluagia came down from the hil which frō her towne did leade to a thick wood driuing her gentle sheepe and lambes before her who after she had put them amongst the lowe shrubs which grew very thicke thereabouts and seeing them busie in knobbing the yoong and tender boughes to stanch their hunger went directly to the fountaine of the Sicamours where the day before in companie of the two Shepherds she had passed away the noone-tide heate and seeing the place so agreeable to melancholie and contemplation of her sorrowes she thought it not amisse to take the opportunitie of the time and place and to sit downe
Syrenus with a cold And trembling feare thou didst protest Thy greefe to me within thy brest If then thy hart so cruell now Is mollified by falling teares How melts it not for greefe and how Consumes it not with many feares At this occasion so vniust To leaue my comfort in the dust Then Shepherd weepe not for in vaine Thy plentious teares and sighes are spent For he that doth lament the paine In whom it lieth to preuent I thinke he is not sound of wit If such a folly he commit But my Syrenus pardon me If my sharpe wordes thine eares offend And giue me leaue to speake with thee In this faire meade where cruell frend Thou leau'st me not one little how'r With my poore selfe nor in my pow'r For I will not nor yet in iest Shepherd from thee my selfe absent Then goe not wilt thou say at lest And to these eies that euer lent Such helpe to thee some pitie keepe And sorrow now to see them weepe Syrenus answered her againe Alas thou canst not choose but knowe By all these teares I spend in vaine If that I doe desire to goe But thou commaundest me to stay And my hard hap to goe away Thy matchlesse beautie when I see Mistresse then am I euer bound Willing at thy commaund to be But wofull Shepherd when I found My hap to beare so great a sway Of force I must the same obay Then my departure forced is But by no fault that I did make And credit me sweete Nymph in this That all the world I would forsake In these faire meades with thee to wende Where now I see my ioyes doe ende My Master that great Shepherd is He that doth make me to depart Whom I may see and wish that his Exempted thoughtes and freest hart Braue loue may punish with such paine As at this parting I sustaine I would to God my going hence Onely to pleasure thee this day By shewing of my iust pretence Lay in my power any way As Mistresse in thy fairest handes My life and death at mercie standes But credit me it is in vaine To that which euer I doe trie And that thou think'st as much againe That neuer in my handes did lie Ought in the world that might but giue Any content to make me liue Another course well might I take And leaue my flocke to stray about I might my Shepherd to forsake And seeke some other Master out But if the end I marke and see This with our loue doth not agree For if I doe forsake my flocke Which vnto me he did commend And take in hand some other stocke Of cattell or of sheepe to tend Tell me how can I come vnseene Without thy harme vpon this greene And if the force of this great flame My willing presence heere detaines It is a signe that I doe frame My thoughts on thee and so it staines Thy honour which to saile is sent Onely sweete life for my content And if they say I doe imploy Faire Shepherdesse my loue on thee And that againe I doe enioy Thy loue so frankly giuen me Thee they condemne thou dost sustaine The onely losse and I no gaine The Shepherdesse at this same season This answer with great greefe did make O Shepherd tell me now what reason Thou hast my presence to forsake Since that in loue there is no sound Of any reason to be found A signe it is not good to vse By daily proofe we see the same That he that can so well excuse His absence from his louing dame If he were gone out of her sight He would account the same but light Ah greefe since going now away I knowe not what will chaunce to thee And forced if I am to stay Nor then what shall become of me Nor there if thou wilt thinke my deere That one did see another heere I knowe not if I am deceau'd By hauing laide before thine eies This painfull greefe that hath bereau'd Me of my ioy where now it dies But that which to my harme must be I knowe shall be most sure in me Thou greeu'st not at my little ease Go Shepherd then take shipping now With brittle barke the Ocean seas In steede of these greene fieldes goe plow Since of my teares these seas alas So quickly thou dost ouerpasse The heauens from stormes thy barke defend From rockes from wrecke and swallowing sand And that thou mai'st my sweetest frend Safely arriue in wished land And fortune better deale with thee Then at this time thou dost with me Alas for very greefe I die Seeing mine eies to take their leaue Of all their sweete contents whereby This greefe and teares doe so bereaue My toong of speech that faine I would Speake more vnto thee if I could And Shepherd I doe wish besides That these two eies which weepe in vaine Before that death my life deuides May see thee heere yet once againe And though their harme thou dost procure They wish thee yet all good be sure He answered her my Mistresse deere A mischeefe neuer comes alone A mortall greefe doth not appeere Without more companie and one That is more mightie then the rest And this it is that wounds my brest For though I see I must depart From my sweete life since from thy sight Not halfe so much it greeues my hart At seeing thee in such a plight For my departure and sustaine Such greefe indeede and cruell paine But if those eies I doe forget The mirrours of my happinesse I wish that God aboue may let Me not this wished life possesse Or if my thoughtes imploied be Sweete life on any but on thee And if that any beautie else Shall make new motions in my minde Though it be neuer so excelse Or in the same content I finde For one small howre of such content I wish eternall punishment And if my firmest faith for strange And forren loue that may befall Or my sincerest loue I change I wish that fortune may recall Me to a life most desperate Throwing me downe from this estate O sweetest Mistresse of my hart Prescribe no time for my retourne For it doth kill me to depart And I shall neuer cease to mourne And passe the greatest greefe and paine Vntill these eies see thee againe She answered him my deere Syrenus If that I shall in any day Though now our destinies doe weane vs Forget thee then I wish the May And freshest flowers in this meade May die when on them I doe treade And if on any man aliue But onely thee my loue I thinke I wish that when my sheepe I driue Vnto the riuer streames to drinke Comming vnto them at my sight The waters may be dry'd vp quite Shepherd receiue this little string Made of my haire for thy sweete sake Bicause by seeing of the thing Thou maist remember thou did'st take Possession of my louing hart And them with which thou doest depart And this ring with thee thou shalt beare With hand in hand as
sees her must commend her Who them can praise her well and not offend her The Lady Isabell Borâ—… here doth stand Perfect and absolute in euery thing Behold her face her fine and dainty hand Ouer whose head the nightingales doe sing Our age she honours and th' Hiberian land Of grace and vertuâ— she 's the onely spring And those to whom nature did beautie giue She staines as fairest that did euer liue She that her haire hath hanging downe and speed Abroad and tide with golden third behinde And that faire face that hath so often led So many harts to bondage of the minde Her Iuorie necke her ties in beautie bred Faire modest gray not looking out of kinde Her famous name is Lady Iuliana That honours â—…ere the Temple of Diana She whom you there doe see whom nature made So curiously at neuer like before Since that her beautie neuer seem'd to fade Nor that a faire one can desire more Whose great deserts and wit doth still perswade Fame to the world her praises to restore Is called Lady Moncia Fenollit To whom Loue yeelds himselfe and doth submit The song of renowned Orpheus was so pleasant in Felismenas eares and in all theirs that heard it that it held them in such a suspence as if they had passed by no other thing but that which they had before their eies Who now hauing particularly viewed the rich chamber of estate with euery thing in it that was woorth the seeing as all was the Nymphes went foorth by a certaine dore into the great hall and by an other out of the hall into a faire garden the beautie whereof stroke no lesse admiration into their mindes then the strange things which they had seene before for amongst the fruitfull trees and sweete flowers were many sepulchers and tombes erected of diuers Nymphes and Ladies which with great puritie had kept their chastitie due to the Goddesse thereof inniolate and vnstained Some of the tombes were adorned with coronets of knottie Iuie others with chapplets of sweete Myrtles and some with garlands of greene Laurell There were also manie Allabluster fountaines in the garden some of Iaspar marble some of other mettall seated under vines which with artificiall arches and wreathes aloft did spred foorth their branches depressed with clusters of coloured grapes The Mytrhe trees grew in manner of fower walles with embattlements and pinnacles on the tops of them and on the sides aboue them were certaine Terrasses and walkes reared vp whereon as ouer all the garden besides did growe many sweete flowers of sundry colours as white Iesmins Woodbyne and many more delightfull to the insatiable eie In the hiddes of the garden stoode a Ieat-stone vpon fower brazen pillers and in the thids of it a tombe framed out of Iaspar which fower Nymphes that were wrought out of white Allablaster did hold vp with their handes and about it stoode manie Tapers of Virgine waxe burning in massie candlestickes of bright siluer that were made in artificiall manner About this tombe stoode certaine Lordes and Knights some fashioned out of stone and mettall other som out of Iaspar marble and other matter Which figures shewed such great sorrow by their countenances that they filled Felismenas hart and all theirs that were looking on the tombe with no lesse greefe then admiration But viewing it narrowly they sawe in a table of shining golde which at the foote of the sepulchre a dead and pale mattone held betweene her hands this Epitaphe subscribed HEere Lady Katherine entombed lies Of Aragon and Sarmient whose fame Doth mount with praise vnto the loftie skies And sounds from North to South her woorthy name Death kil'd her to reuenge the sacrifice Of those she killed when she was a dame Her body 's heere her soule in heauen with pleasure The world vnwoorthy to possesse such treasure After they had read this Epitaphe they sawe an Eagle of blacke marble with displaied wings on the top of the tombe with a golden table betweene her tallons with those verses in it EVen as O death the Planets should remaine Without Apollo and Diana bright The ground without mankinde and beasts againe The Marriner without the North-starre light The fielde without faire flowers grasse or graine The mornings showe without the dewe of night Vertue and beautie so remaine and die Without the dame that in this tombe doth lie When they had read both these Epitaphs and Belisa had vnderstoode by them what the Nymph was that was buried therein and how much Spaine lost by leesing her calling therewithall to minde the vntimely death of her deere Arsileus she could not but with teares breath out these sorrowfull wordes O death how far am I from thinking that thou maiest comfort me with other womens harmes The small time that the world enioyed the great beautie and wisedome wherewith they tell me this Nymph was endowed doth not a little greeue me bicause as she was not her-selfe in loue so did not any deserue she should be so For had she beene I would then account her for so happie a woman by dying as my selfe vnfortunate by seeing how small reckoning thou makest of me cruell death since taking from me all my good and the onely ioy of my life thou dost not leaue me heere but onely to feele the neuer-ceasing paine of this heauie want O my Arsileus O rare wisedome in such yoong yeeres O the most faithfull louer that euer was and the finest wit that the heauens could euer infuse into so braue an ornament of nature What eies may without inundations of reares behold thy sorrowfull absence And what hard hart suffer thy vntimely and difastrous end O Arsenius Arsenius how smal a time wert thou vnable to endure the violent death of thy vnfortunate sonne hauing more occasion to suffer it then my selfe Why didst thou make me cruell Arsenius participate of two deathes Of both which to preuent the least that did greeue me I would haue giuen a thousand liues Farewell happie Nymphe the light and honour of the royall house of Aragon God giue thy soule eternall glory and deliuer mine from so many woes and afflictions wherinto it is so deepely sunke After that Belisa had spoken these wordes and after they had seene many tombes more very richly erected they went out by a backe dore in the garden into a greene meadowe where they found the sage Ladie Felicia recreating her-selfe alone and walking vp and downe who seeing them comming towards her receiued them all with a ioyfull countenance And whilest it was time to go to supper they went to a pleasant walke in a groue of Sicamours harde by where the Nymphes of the sumptuous temple were woont many times to go and disport themselues where sitting downe in a little plat of greene grasse that was encompassed round about with leauie Sicamours they began to discourse one with another of that which did best please their fancies The Lady Felicia called the Shepheard Syrenus and Felismena to
good but iust no more Then it is meete for them to haue Fauours I craue by heapes of thee That thou wouldst giue me Shepherdesse But yet perhaps they may kill me For little force I doe possesse It hurts the driest field and meade As much to cast in them great plentie Of water as if they lay deade Of water and of moisture emptie So fauours in the selfesame sort If that they haue no rule nor measure Suffice to make ones life more short As wel as scornes hates and displeasure But in the end and howsoeuer Take thy full ioy although I die Whether it be with death for euer Or with my life I care not I. Mocke and with me doe what thou list And happen will what happen may My will thy will shall not resist But thy commaund shall still obay Commaund me then to be thy loue Commaund me in thy loue to end And he that rules and is aboue All harts commaund thy hart to bend Since mightie Loue commaunds my hart Of force thy louer I must bee Ioine thou with loue and take his part Then all the world shall honour thee But I haue written to be plaine Enough since thou hast not thy fill By giuing me continuall paine Desiring yet to serue thee still But in the end now will I cease Although my torment doth not end Desire is conquerd by the feare I haue thy patience to offend When Syrenus had made an end of reading this letter the Shepherd tooke it out of his hands without staying any longer went his waies singing That which he sung whilest they could heare him giuing great eare vnto him was to the purpose of that which he had told them before he shewed them the letter A Sonnet I Plaid with Loue Loue plaid with me againe I mocked him but I was mockt in deede He would not let my hart his art exceede For though a Boy yet mocks he doth disdaine A friend he is to those that doe not faine My iestes it seemes doe true affection breede And now if Loue is not reuenged with speede My hart can witnes that with earnest paine Goe louers then to iest it out apace With this God Cupid but a boy and blinde And you shall see if it be good or noe Thinking to haue delight you shall haue woe Seeking cold water fire you shall finde Who plaies with boies comes often to disgrace They maruelled not a little at the sweetenes of his song were no lesse sorrie bicause they knew not what Shepherd he was but seeing it was not then possible to know him they went on their nighest waies Some haste they made to passe away the heate of the day in that Iland where they found the desperate Shepherdesse Belisa taking the same to be a more fresh and pleasant place and more quiet for their recreation then any other Whereunto being come they saw how a little brooke couered almost all ouer with sweet and smelling herbs ranne gently thorow a little greene meadow amongst a ranke of diuers trees that were nourished and maintained by the cleere water vnder the shadowes of which as they were now determined to rest themselues Syrenus said Let vs see if you thinke good from whence this little spring doth issue foorth It may be the place is more fresh and cooler thereabouts if not or if we cannot finde out the fountaine from whence it flowes we will come hither againe It liked his company well and so they desired him to leade the way Euerie place and part that all the brooke vpwards they troad on inuited them to pleasant rest being all alike to the verie fountaine whereupon Seluagia said If we cannot finde out the beginning of this spring we shall not finde at the least any discontent for our selues or suffer any trouble in returning backe againe since so conuenient places as better and more pleasant we cannot wish for our desired rest in going vp higher are offered vnto vs. Hauing now gone vp a little along the running brooke and not found out the head and that euerie step as I said presented vnto them a pleasant place of rest they went staying somtimes somtimes reasoning with themselues where they might sit one of them saying This place is more fresh and another answering no but this let vs sit downe heere for this is more pleasant no but here said another So that the pleasant obiect of euerie place held them in such suspence that none of them could choose out the best But resoluing at the last vpon one they tooke the scrips of their shoulders and passing their sheepehookes from their left hands they tooke them in their right to lay them downe to rest when they saw that with greater quantitie of waters and fresher shades of green trees the brooke ranne vp higher so that for a new hope a new aire and place was obiected to them They had not yet scarce begun to goe vp a little farther when the brooke forsaking her right course towardes the left hand made them turne their steps backe againe where they discouered a great thicket and spring of diuers trees Comming to the which they saw a very narrow entrance and somwhat long whose sides were not of wals fabricated by artificiall hand but made of trees by nature the mistresse of all things so that the wooddy place was no lesse enobled and imbelished with the naturall verdure then the stately chambers with embossed gold For there was seene the deadly Cypresse the triumphant Laurell the hard Oke the low sallow the inuincible palme the blacke and ruggie Elme the Oliue the prickie Chestenut the high Pineapple one amongst another whose bodies were bound about with greene Iuie and the fruitfull vine and beset with sweet Iesmines many other redolent flowers that grew very thicke togither in that place Amongst the which many little birds inhabitants of that wood went leaping from bough to bough as in scornefull cages making the place more pleasant with their sweete and siluer notes The trees were in such order set togither that they denied not the golden sunbeames to haue an entrance in betweene the boughes and leaues to paint forth the greene ground with diuers colours which reuerberated from the flowers that were neuer steadie in one place by reason that the mooueable leaues did disquiet them This narrow way did also lead to a little greene couered all ouer with fine grasse and not touched with the hungrie mouthes of deuouring flockes At the side of it was the fountaine of the brooke hauing a care that that place should not drie vp sending forth on euerie side her flowing waters The water of this cleere fountaine came out of a stony rocke which a great Oke with his hard rootes did imbrace on either side whereof stood two great Laurell trees This fountaine did rise towards that place where the sunne beginnes to mount declining somewhat to the septentrionall part The same rockie stone whereby the water ranne out
for the great force and desire they haue to weepe It was so said I for I would haue thought they had opened my brest Crimine with a gracious smile who is no lesse in all she doth began to iest a little with me and vnlacing my bodie looking into my brest said Truely thy dreame hath not shewed thee any thing contrary to the truth for it is open and hath beene to receiue into it there all possibilitie of beautie And yet if thou wilt giue me leaue I will tell thee more She had little neede to aske me leaue that tooke it of her-selfe so frankly to tell me what shee did But tell me what thou wilt saide I. Although thy brest said she is open yet hath Delicius his more open to receiue thee in But rather thine saide I to locke vp Parthenius in it That would not greeue me said she if this might be truely affirmed of thee and him but knowest thou what is come into my minde that we spent too short time yesterday in seeking out the rest of the song that was written in the tree Why what remained said I This would I know saide Crimine Dost thou not remember that the last verse of it said that bicause that tree was not able to containe any more he went to write it in some other tree It is true indeed said I. Now hast thou come said Doria to the point which we all desired to know but Stela said on As thou louest thy felse therefore said Crimine let vs goe a little sooner to day and we will seeke out the place where he wrote the rest and to reade againe that which we found yesterday Let it be as thou please said I. And so with this determination we went betimes to the place where we had beene the day before and began againe to read the song that we had read but not without manie teares where by and by not far from thence we found out a great Sicamour whose tender and white barke serued him for paper for this which he wrote in it AH well away how firme and suer ar Torments and paines in each true louers hart For when I thought that I did wander far And changed place this fierce and amorous war And wounding greefe would from my soule depart Yet now in fine by proofe too well I knowe That greefe and sorrowes absence doth not kill As some doe say but makes them more to growe And wit so deerely bought with double woe Is bought I needes must say against my will I goe from place to place and neuer yet My haunting greefe and cares doe goe away I am so diuers in my wandring wit That in one place I neuer rest nor sit Yet still the same are sworne with me to stay My fainting legs my drooping bodie beares From place to place and yet fierce paine sustaines It is so seasoned with my swelling teares That since my Life of late my loue for sweares All comforts that I offer it disdaines My cruell paine wherewith my life is spent I would contemne and would but little make If that my Mistresse would in minde consent That I should beare this ceaselesse punishment Onely for her for her most sweetest sake But that which makes so wide and deepe a tent Of greefe within my hart and makes it die As often as I thinke how she is bent Is that to that she neuer will relent Where remedie nor any helpe doth lie After that loue so strong and firme a fort Had built within my brest vnto his minde Louing a death I rather would support Then now to liue after another sort Or for my selfe in libertie to finde For speedie death I knowe must be my fate With such a life as now I doe endure With mine owne handes to end this hard debate To cruell death I will set ope the gate And in my brest will lodge it most secure Who doubts that if but once she came to knowe My greeuous paines and passions which I feele But that to me some pitie she would showe Though in her brest where pitie yet may growe She had a hart harder then any steele Who doubtes if that she did but knowe the smart Her louer feeles his plaintes and endlesse mone But that she would with milde and gentle hart Pitie his case although she had each part Of it as hard as craggie Dimond stone Orpheus when descended into hell For faire Euridice his wife and past The triple-headed-dog that did not yell Nor barke the Fiends that in Auernum dwell Made not so milde at his sweete sound agast As my tormenting passions and my paine Would mooue the hardest hart to heauinesse And euery hart in all the world againe And not without great reason nor in vaine But that of my most cruell Shepherdesse Ah woe how haue I thus deluded beene How haue I liu'd deceiued in this art Since that so simply I did ouerweene That there could be no difference betweene Her fairest face and her most cruell hart What man betwixt the cope of heauen and hell Is there of wit so simple and so slender That could but thinke or once imagine well That such a hard and cruell hart could dwell In such a daintie bodie and so tender What humane wit O greefe that I doe see it Would euer thinke that crueltie possest Her hart or such a Tygresse hart to be yet Placed in her whose outward shew to me yet Should promise peace and in so milde a brest Who would haue thought it almost was in vaine That from her toong distilling honie drops So fierce an answere should proceede againe And wordes she vtterea with so great disdaine Bittrer to me then gall or wildest hops And that I am deceiued in this ground Of my faire Nymph I ioy with all my hart Bicause I would not thinke there could be found In so great good a thing that should redound To so great ill and to so bad a part It shall be therefore best for me ywisse Not to suspect in her so foule a crime That she is hard or that she cruell is But my mishap that euer went amisse Euen from my birth-day to this very time Bicause my paines should neuer be aboue My ioies and care before my sweete content Should come I am most constant in my loue Sans widowhood like to the turtle doue That losse of her companion doth lament In liuing and in louing too amaine I thinke I goe beyond her euery howre But yet I am not like to her againe In that I did not first a sweete obtaine Before I tasted of a bitter sowre All that my wofull minde should recreate The water that is christall pure and cleere I cannot choose nor otherwise but hate Bicause I would not see so bad a state And such a haplesse body wander heere Like as the snake or adder that doth bite I flie with hastie foote and doe not stay In any place where greene may giue delight For this doth
these effects should arise And so they inuented the name of Loue calling him a God bicause he was of many nations and people feared and reuerenced and painted him in such sort that whosoeuer sawe his figure had great reason to abhorre his fashions They painted him like a Boy bicause men might not put their trust in him Blinde bicause they might not followe him Armed bicause they might feare him with flames of fire bicause they might not come neere him and with wings because they might knowe him vaine and inconstant Thou must not vnderstande faire Shepherdesse that the power which men attribute to Loue is or may be any waies his But thou must rather beleeue that the more they magnifie his might and valour the more they manifest their weaknes and simplicitie For in saying that Loue is strong is to affirme that their will is weake by suffering it so easily to be ouercommed by him To saie that Loue with mightie violence doth shoote mortall and venemous arrowes is to include that their harts are too secure carelesse when that so willingly they offer themselues to receiue them To say that Loue doth streightly captiuate their soules is to inferre that there is want of iudgement and courage in them when at the first bruntes they yeelde nay when sometimes without any combate they surrender their libertie into their enimies hands and finally all the enterprises which they tell of Loue are nothing else but matter of their miseries and arguments of their weakenes All which force and prowesse admit to be his yet are they not of such qualitie that they deserue any praise or honour at all For what courage is it to take them prisoners that are not able to defend themselues What hardines to assaile weake and impotent creatures What valour to wounde those that take no heede and thinke least on him What fortitude to kill those that haue alreadie yeelded themselues What honour with cares to disturbe those that are mery and ioyfull What woorthie deede to persecute vnfortunate men Truely faire Shepherdesse they that would so much extoll and glorifie this Cupid and that so greatly to their cost serue him should for his honour giue him better praises For the best name that amongst them all he gets is to be but a cowarde in his quarrels vaine in his pretences liberal of troubles and couetous in rewards Al which names though of base infamie they sauour yet are those woorse which his affectionate seruants giue him calling him fire furie and death terming Louing no better then to burne to destroy to consume and to make themselues fooles and naming themselues blinde miserable captiues madde inflamed and consumed From hence it comes that generally all complaine of Loue calling him a Tyrant a Traytour vnflexible fierce and vnpitifull All Louers verses are full of dolour compounded with sighes blotted with teares and sung with agonies There shalt thou see suspicions there feares there mistrustes there iealousies there cares and there all kindes of paines There is no other speech amongst them but of deathes chaines darts poysons flames and other things which serue not but to giue torments to those that emploie their fancies in it and feare when they call vpon it Herbanius the Shepherde famous in Andolozia was troubled too much with these termes when in the barke of a Poplar with a sharp bodkin insteed of his pen in presence of me wrote these verses following HE that in freedome iets it proude and braue Let him not liue too carelesse of himselfe For in an instant he may be a slaue To mighty Loue and serue that wanton elfe And let that hart that yet was neuer tamed Feare at the last by him to be inflamed For on that soule that proudly doth disdaine His heauie lawes and liues with loftie will Fierce Loue is woont t' inflict a cruell paine And with most sharpe and dire reuenge to kill That who presumes to liue without his power In death he liues tormented euery hower O Loue that dost condemne me to thy iaile Loue that dost set such mortall coles on fire O Loue that thus my life thou dost assaile Intreated ill tormented by thine ire Hencefoorth I curse thy chaines thy flames thy dart Wherewith thou bind'st consum'st and kill'st my hart And now let vs come to Syrenus Sonnet whereby he seemes to make men beleeue that the imagination of Loues enterprises sufficeth to ouercome the furie of the torment For if his operations be to kill to wound to make blind to burne to consume to captiuate and to torment he shall neuer make me beleeue that to imagine things of paine doth lighten the griefe which must rather as I thinke giue greater force and feeling to the passion For when it is more in imagination it remaineth longer in his heart and with greater paine torments it And if that be true which Syrenus did sing I much maruell that he receiuing so deepe a taste in this thought hath now so easily changed it by meanes of so cruell obliuion not onely of loues operations but also of thy beautie which ought not for any thing in the world to be forgotten Alcida had scarce finished these last words when Diana lifting vp her eies for she suspected somewhat perceiued her husband Delius comming downe from the side of a little hill bending his steps towards the fountaine of the Sicamours where they were togither whereupon cutting off Alcidas discourse she said vnto her No more gentle Shepherdesse no more for we will finde fitter time hereafter to heare out the rest and to answer thy weake and common arguments For behold my husband is comming downe yonder hill towards vs and therefore I thinke it best to turne our talke to some other matter and with the tune of our instruments to dissemble it and so let vs begin to sing bicause when he is come neere vnto vs he may not be displeased at the manner of our conuersation whereupon Alcida taking her Cytern and Diana her Bagpipe began to sing as followeth Prouencall Rythmes Alcida WHile Titan in his Coach with burning beames Ouer the world with such great force doth ride That Nymphes and their chaste companies abide In woods and springs and shallowe shadowed streames And while the prating grashopper replies Her song in mourning wise Shepherdesse sing So sweete a thing That th' heauens may bee By hearing thee Made gentle on their owne accord to power Vpon this meade a fresh and siluer shower Diana Whiles that the greatest of the Planets staies Iust in the mids betweene the East and west And in the field vpon the mowers brest With greater heate doth spread his scorching raies The silent noise this pleasant fountaine yeeldes That runs amids these fieldes Such musicke mooues As woonder prooues And makes so kinde The furious winde That by delight thereof their force they stay And come to blowe as gently as they may Alcida You running riuers pure and christalline That all the yeere doe make
the worlde that might haue suruiued not onely to performe the due of my last obsequies but to continue my line and memorie must now miserable man perish in their deerest companie O my deere children who would haue thought that my life and yours should ende at one time and by one misfortune Faine woulde I poore soules comfort you but what can a sorrowful father tell you in whose hart there is such aboundance of greefe and want of consolation But comfort your selues my children by arming your inuincible soules with patience and lay all the burden of your sorrow vpon my backe for besides that I shall once die for my selfe I must suffer so maine deaths more as you haue liues to leese This did the olde and sorrowfull man abruptly deliuer with so many teares and sobbes that he could scarce speake embracing first one and another and then altogither for his last farewell before the very point of danger and death was fullie come But now to tell thee of Alcidas teares and to recount the greefe that I endured for her sake were too difficult and long a narration Onely one thing I will not omit to tell thee that that which did most torment me was to thinke that the same life which I had offered vp for her seruice should now be iointly lost with hers In the meane while the forlorne and tossed ship by the force and violence of the fierce westerne windes which by the streights of Gibraltar came blowing as they were madde sailed with greater speede then was expedient for our safetie and being battered on euery side with the cruell blowes of enuious fortune by the space of a daie and a night vnable also to be guided by the skill and ceaselesse labour of the marriners ran many leagues in the long Mediterranean sea wheresoeuer the force of the waues windes did carrie her The next day following Fortune seemed a little while to waxe more calme gentle but on a sudden turning againe to her acccustomed crueltie she droue vs into such danger that nowe we looked not for one halfe hower of life For in the ende a fierce and mightie tempest came so suddenly vpon vs that the ship driuen on by the force of a boisterous blast that smit her on the starboord was in so great danger of turning bottome vp that she had now her forepart hidden vnder the water whereupon I vndid my Rapier from my side espying the manifest and imminent danger bicause it might not hinder me and imbracing my Alcida leaped with her into the Sciffe that was fastened to the ship Clenarda that was a light and nimble damsell followed vs not forgetting to leaue her bowe and quiuer in the ship which she esteemed more then any treasure Polydorus imbracing his old father Eugerius had also leapt in with him amongst vs if the Pilot of the ship with another mariner had not beene before him But at that very instant when Polydorus with olde Eugcrius were next to them preparing themselues to leape out of the ship a mighty great blast of winde smiting on the larboord brake the cockboate from the ship and droue them so far asunder that those miserable men that were in her were constrained to tarrie there still from which time vnlesse a little while after we lost sight of them and knew not what became of the ship but doe verily thinke that it was either swallowed vp by those cruell waues or else smiting vpon some rocke or sandes neere to the coast of Spaine is miserably cast away But Alcida Clenarda and I remaining in the little Sciffe that was guided by the industrie of the Pilot and of the other mariner went floting vp and downe a day and a night attending euery minute of an hower apparant death without hope of remedie and ignorant in what coast we were But the next morning finding our selues neere to land we made towardes it amaine The two mariners that were very skilfull in swimming went not alone to the wished shore but taking vs out of the boate caried vs safely thither After that we were deliuered from the perils of the sea the mariners drew their Sciffe to lande and viewing that coast where we arriued knew that it was the Iland Formentera woondering not a little that in so small time we had run so many miles But they that had so long and certaine experience of the casuall effects which outragious tempests are woont to cause maruelled in the end not much at the preposterous course of our nauigation Now were we safely com to land secure from the dangers of passed fortune but yet surcharged with such sorrow for the losse of Eugerius Polydorus so ill intreated by greef care so weakened by hunger cold that we had no lesse sure hope of our safety nor recouery of our liues then ioy of our passed perils I passe ouer with sileÌ„ce faire Shepherdesse the great complaintes that Alcida Clenarda made for the losse of their father brother bicause I wold quickly com to the period of this lacrymable historie to the haples successe that befell to me since I came to that solitary Iland For after that in the same I was deliuered from FortuÌ„es crueltie Loue enuying that poore content of mine became my mortall foe so extremely that sorrowing to see me escaped from the tempest with a new and greater greefe when I thought my selfe most safe he tormented my scarce reuiued soule For alas wicked loue wounded the Pilots hart whose name was Sartofano and so enamoured him on Clenardas beautie that to come to the end of his desire by imagining and hatching in his wicked hart a strange and inopinate treason he forgat the lawe of faith and friendship And thus it was That after that the two sisters had with bitter teares and lamentations offered vp the sorrowfull effectes of their louing harts as obsequies to the ghostes of their deceased parents it fell out that Alcida wearied with the long greefe and troubles that she had passed laide her selfe downe vpon 〈◊〉 sand and being ouercome with deepe melancholie fell fast asleepe The wâ—… when I perceiued I said to the Pilot. My friend Sartofano vnlesse we seeke out somthing to eat or if in seeking our hard fortune will not conduct vs where we may finde some foode wee may make full account that we haue not saued our liues but rather changed the manner of our death Wherefore I pray thee my good friend to goe with thy fellow marriner to the first village thou canst finde in this Iland to seeke out some victuals for the sustenance of our hungrie bodies Whereunto Sartofano answered Though Fortune hath sufficiently fauoured vs by bringing vs safe to lande yet thinke not Marcelius to finde any thing heere to eate this being an Iland of townes desert and of people inhabited But to comfort you againe I will tell you a remedie how to saue our selues from dying for hunger For see you yonder little
begin to sing Not long after we sawe old Turia come out of a deepe caue with a great pot very curiously wrought vnder his arme his head crowned with a garland of Oke and Laurell his armes all hairie his white beard long and slimie And sitting downe on the grounde leaning vpon his pot and powring out of it abundance of christalline waters he cleered vp his hoarse and hollow voice and sung as followeth The Song of Turia WAter faire Springs and purest running streames This fortunate and most abundant soile Comfort the meades and trees and pleasant aire Defend the flowers from Titans burning spoile So with the fauour of the highest beames I will maintaine my bankes so fresh and faire That these shall haue great enuie of my crowne The Father of flouds Rosne Myncius and Garoune Whiles that you goe thus hastening of your course Winding your streames by many a crooked way And ioy Valencia fieldes that sweetely smell With sauourie liquours in the hottest day My weake and feeble breath I will enforce With my diuining spirit to foretell And sing of those good haps that shall befall By fauour of the heauens vnto you all Shepherds and Nymphes within these louely dales Whose names resound vnto th' Arcadian fieldes Giue eare to me But of the painted flowers Nor pleasure that the springs and medowes yeeldes Nor woods nor shades nor warbling nightingales I will not sing nor of the countrie powers But of those famous men and worthy peeres That shall be heere not after many yeeres And now I see two Shepherds first in place Calixtus and Alexander whose fames Surmounting the great Cesars chiefe renowne From Atlas vnto Maurus sounds their names Whose liues the heauens adorning with their grace Shall make them both to weare a reuerend crowne And saue from losse with their industrious heede As many flockes as in the world doe feede Of whose illustrous stocke I see arise That man whose hart base feare cannot rebuke Well knowne for armes and many martiall feates The Roman Cesar and Valencian Duke A minde that mounts aboue the hautie skies Whom yet a cruell fate with murder threates That that rare strength braue hart and noble breath Must haue an end by rawe and bloodie death The same likewise must in a moment end The glory of Don Hugo de Moncades With valour good successe and happy praise Leauing the Moores subdued by Spanish blades For Charles his blood most willing he shall spend After the winning of a thousand daies And fight he shall with strong and conquering hand Against the French and barbarous Affrican But ill it doth be fit to talke of those Whom furious Mars doth kindle with his heate When learned lampes doe grauely come in place For heere they shall arise and shine in great And glorious blaze as far as Europe goes The darkest corners shall their lights imbrace Viues shall liue as long as Daphnes louer Aboue the world with golden wings doth houer Whose highest skill and learning shall inherit Iohn Honorate and clime to honours hill Teaching the mightie Emp'rour of our land The Muses with great woonder he shall fill Whom now me thinkes I see with greatest merit Bearing a Bishops Crosier in his hand O that such famous Shepherds all my sheepe And lambes might feede and plaines and pastures keepe About that time Nunnez with praise shall flourish Who for deepe learning in his tender yeeres Shall be compar'd vnto the Stagarite Demosthenes giues place where he appeeres And doth declame whose eloquence doth nourish His owne and strangers But O vile despite And most ingratefull place whom thou shalt make For Ebrus banks thy countrie to forsake But who shall tell you of that musicall Which many a Poet straining foorth his voice Along my bankes so sweetely shall resound Heere doe I see how all of them reioice With fauours that Apollo giues them all For singing with a spirit most profound They shall enlarge this happy countries name From Pole to Pole with endlesse golden fame And now I see that man whose name shall bee Bruted with liuing praise in euery part Whom I may well for golden verse compare To Phebe to Mars in armes and martiall art Ansias March who flowring meade of thee Loue vertue and death shall sing with verse most rare Taking for honorable and his iust emprese To celebrate the vertues of Terese Well shall he shew himselfe to be the sonne Of Peter March who both in peace and war Learned in verse in armes most mighty heere Shall make his countrie famous very far Whose noble linage when that they are done Where in renowned valour doth appeere Shall giue a Iayme and Arnau in those daies Poets whom heauen shall fauour many waies Giorgio del Rey with verse most high and stately My banks shall honour and with garlands crown'd By all my fairest Nymphes that shall imbrace him His name with double ecchoes shall resound The gentle Planets fauouring but lately His fellow Poets in such sort shall grace him That Italie shall woonder at his verse And die for spite his sweete songs to reherse Now Fraunces Oliuer that with thy voice Lifting thee vp vnto the Azur'd heauen Dost wound the same And thee renown'd Figueres Whose verse shall be most pleasant fine and euen And thee Martin Garcy that maist reioice That mauger death thy fame time neuer weares And Innocent of Cubels I doe see Who well deserues a crowne of Laurell tree Shepherdes you shall haue heere a man of woorth That with the vertue of his secret skill And herbes shall helpe your languors and your smartes And mend your liues with verses at his will Then Nymphes strow flowers and sweetest herbes powre foorth Vnto great layme Royg with thankfull hartes Crowne him with Bay with Parsley and with Tyme For famous skill in phisicke and in ryme And great Narcis Vinnols that to the skie With loftie verse did blaze his woorthy praise Make him a crowne of Laurell faire and greene Whose fame shall not though all the world decaies Another for a personage most high Whose verse shall reach as high as may be seene He shall be matcht with him that loued Laura His name the famous Crespi Valladaura Me thinkes I see an Earle most excellent The noble Lord surnamed of his Oliue Which while the world shall last amongst his owne And strangers it shall flourish and suruiue His comely verse shall shine most orient With perfect light which he deriues alone From heate that from his Centelles doe arise Shining as bright as stars in cleerest skies And Nymphes when that the heauens shall ioy you all With Iohn Fernandz as now but with supposes There shall no place be voide in all this land Where sowe ye may not Lillies and fine Roses And thou light fame stretch out thy flight and call Thy mighty powers and vse them heere at hand And giue him that surname most souerayn Thou gauest vnto the famous Mantuan And now I doe behold that Poet rare Iayme
thousand torments in exchange All the while that Ismenia was singing and before and after she neuer cast her eies off her beloued Montanus But he who was somewhat ashamed of his fonde conceit wherein he had liued so long to the great griefe of his wife durst neuer looke on her but by stealth and at euerie turne of the daunce when she could not see him againe the reason whereof was bicause when sometimes he went about to looke her in the face he was so much confounded with shame of his folly that was yet so fresh in his memorie and was so much ouercome with the light of those two radiant eies of her which with great affection continually beheld him that he was forced to cast his downe to the ground Whereby seeing that he lost a great part of his delight by not looking on her whom he accounted his chiefest felicitie and making this the occasion and matter of the song he sung to his beloued Ismenia in manner following TVrne thy faire eies wherein my shame I see faire Shepherdesse aside For looking on me with the same To looke on thee I am denide With thy two sunnes so dost thou giue And cast me beames with pearcing eie That though by seeing thee I liue Yet when thou look'st on me I die Eies that are of such art and frame Thou must beware to keepe aside For looking on me with the same To looke on thee I am denide Like as the snowe vnto the sunne And as the marke vnto the fight As cloudes are with the windes vndone As waxe before the fires light So doe thy fairest eies with shame Confound me and my soule deuide For looking on me with the same To looke on thee I am denide Behold what mightie loue is bent To doe and fortune doth ordaine To make my sorrowes still augment By the sweete guerdon of my paine Thine eies doe feede my amorous flame And sight of them my life doth guide But if thou view'st me with the same To looke on thee I am denide Melisea who was all this while dauncing against her will with Narcisus whom she could not abide with a disdainfull song thought to be reuenged on this griefe and iust to the purpose of those paines and griefes wherewith the Shepherd said he died euerie daie for her sake making but a mocke and iest of them did sing thus YOng Shepherd turne aside moue Me not to follow thee For I will neither kill with loue Nor loue shall not kill mee Since I will liue and neuer fauour showe Then die not for my loue I will not giue For I will neuer haue thee loue me so As I doe meane to hate thee while I liue That since the louer so doth proue His death as thou dost see Be bold I will not kill with loue Nor loue shall not kill mee Narcisus tooke no meane griefe to heare the cruell song of his deerest Loue but encouraging himselfe with the hope that Felicia had giuen him and forced by the constancie and fortitude of his enamoured hart he answered her with two staues which he adioyned to a certaine old song that said thus IF to belou'd it thee offends I cannot choose but loue thee still And so thy greefe shall haue no end Whiles that my life maintaines my will O let me yet with greefe complaine Since such a torment I endure Or else fulfill thy great disdaine To end my life with death most sure For as no credit thou wilt lend And as my loue offendes thee still So shall thy sorrowes haue no end Whiles that my life maintaines my will If that by knowing thee I could Leaue of to loue thee as I doe Not to offend thee then I would Leaue of to like and loue thee too But since all loue to thee doth tend And I of force must loue thee still Thy greefe shall neuer haue an end Whiles that my life maintaines my will Melisea was so hardened in her crueltie that Narcisus hauing scarce ended the last words of his song and before another did sing she replied in this manner ME thinks thou tak'st the woorser way Enamoured Shepherd and in vaine That thou wilt seeke thine owne decay To loue her that doth thee disdaine For thine owne selfe thy wofull hart Keepe still else art thou much to blame For she to whom thou gau'st each part Of it disdaines to take the same Follow not her that makes a play And iest of all thy greefe and paines And seeke not Shepherd thy decay To loue her that thy loue disdaines Narcisus could not suffer Meliseas song to passe without an answer and so with a milde grace he sung these new verses vpon an old song that said SInce thou to me wert so vnkinde My selfe I neuer loued For I could not loue him in my minde Whom thou faire Mistresse dost abhor If viewing thee I saw thee not And seeing thee I could not loue thee Dying I should not liue God wot Nor liuing should to anger moue thee But it is well that I doe finde My life so full of torments For All kinde of ills doe fit his minde Whom thou faire Mistresse dost abhor In thy obliuion buried now My death I haue before mine eies And heere to hate my selfe I vow As cruell thou dost me despise Contented euer thou didst finde Me with thy scornes though neuer for To say the truth I ioyed in minde After thou didst my loue abhor The contention betweene Narcisus and Melisea delighted them all so much that the generall reioycing of that feast had beene greatly augmented by it had it not bin diminished with the manifest apparance of the rigor that she shewed Narcisus and with the pitie that they had of those paines which he suffered for hir sake After Narcisus had made an ende of his song all of them turned their eies to Melisea thinking she would haue replyed againe But she held her peace not bicause she wanted nipping and cruell songs to encounter and vexe the miserable Louer with nor will to reply but bicause she would not be troublesome to all that merie companie Seluagia and Belisa were afterwards requested to sing who excused themselues by alleaging their in sufficiencie Nay that were not well said Diana that you should goe from the feast without paying your shot And this must not so smoothly passe away said Felismena without the consent of vs all heere who meane to participate the sweete delight of so delicate voices as yours are We will not be slacke said they againe to do you anie seruice little though it be in this solemnitie but pardon our singing I pray you for in all other things we will be willing to do our endeuours I will not for my part giue my consent saide Alcida to exempt you from singing or at the least that some others shall sing for you Who can better do it said they then Syluanus and Arsileus our husbands The Shepherdesses say well said Marcelius and it
if thy sorrowes greeue me not let me neuer haue end of mine and in such sort that as soone as Diana was about to marry if it killed not my hart with thinking that her marriage and thy death should haue bene both at one time let me neuer enioy any other estate and condition of life then now I doe Canst thou then thinke Syrenus that I would wish thee ill bicause Diana loued thee And that the fauours that she did thee were the occasions to make me hate thee What man my faith was neuer so basely poysed but that it was euer so seruiceable to my Mistresse humour not onely in louing thee but in louing and honouring all that euer she loued And yet thou hast no cause to thanke me for this care and compassion of thy greefe for I am so dissolued into cares that for mine owne good I would be sorie how much more then for other mens harmes This straunge kinde of the Shepherd Syluanus his greeting caused no small admiration in Syrenus and made him for a while in suspence with himselfe woondring at his great sufferance and at the strange qualitie of his loue that he did beare to his Shepherdesse But remembring himselfe at last he said Hast thou Syluanus happily bene borne for an example of patience to those who know not how to suffer the aduersities that fortune puts before their eies Or may it be that nature hath giuen thee so strong a minde that it is not ynough for thee to suffer thine owne but thou wilt needes helpe others to support theirs I see thee so conformable to the hard condition of thy fortune that promising thee no helpe of remedie thou doest aske no other then that it hath already giuen thee I tell thee Syluanus that time shewes well by thee how euery day it discouers nouelties and straunge conceites beyonde the compasse of mans imagination O how much more then ought this vnfortunate Shepherd to emulate thee by seeing thee suffer thy greefes with such content which thou mightest rather haue done to him when thou sawest him so happily enioy his merry times Hast thou not seene how greatly she fauoured me and with what sweete and gracious wordes she manifested her loue vnto me Didst thou not see how she could neuer goe with her flockes to the riuer or take her lambes out of the folde or in the heate of the day driue her sheepe into the shades of these Sicamours without my companie But for all this I wish I may neuer see the remedie of my greefe if I euer expected or desired any thing at Dianas hands that was repugnant to her honour or if any such thing did euer passe my thought For such was her beautie her braue minde her vertue and such vnspotted puritie in her loue to me againe that they admitted no thought into my minde which in preiudice of her goodnes and chastitie I might haue imagined I beleeue it well saide Syluanus sighing for I can say as much by my selfe and thinke moreouer that there was neuer any that casting his eies on Dianas peerelesse beautie durst desire any other thing then to see her and to conuerse with her Although I knowe not whether such rare and excellent beautie might in some mens thoughts not subiect to such a continent affection as ours cause an excessiue desire and especially if they had seene her as I did one day sitting with thee neere to you little brooke when she was kembing her golden haire and thou holding the glasse vnto her wherein now and then she beheld her diuine figure though neither of you both did perhaps knowe that I espied you from those high bushes neere to the two great okes keeping yet in minde the verses that thou sungest vpon the holding of the glasse whiles she was addressing her resplendant tresses How came they to thy handes saide Syrenus The next day following saide Syluanus in that very place I founde the paper wherein they were written and reading them committed them to memorie And then came Diana thither weeping for the losse of them and asking me if I had found them which was no small ioy and contentment to me to see my Mistresse powre foorth those teares which I might speedily remedie And this I remember was the first hower that euer I had a gentle and curteous word of her mouth how greatly in the meane time stood I neede of fauours when she saide vnto me that I might highly pleasure her to helpe her to that which so earnestly she sought for which wordes like holy relikes I kept in my minde for in a whole yeere after I tooke no regarde of all the woes and greefes that I passed for ioy of that one onely word which had in it but a small apparance of ioy and happinesse Now as thou louest thy life saide Syrenus rehearse those verses which thou saidst I did sing since thou hast them so well by hart I am content saide Syluanus and these they were FOr a fauour of such woorth In no doubt I doe remaine Since with selfe same coyne againe Mistresse thou art paide right foorth For if I enioy with free Pleasure seeing before me Face and eies where Cupid stands So thou seeing in my hands That which in thine eies I see Let not this to thee seeme ill That of thy beautie diuine Thou see'st but the figure shine And I natures perfect skill Yet a thought that 's free and set Neuer yet in Cupids net Better then the bond beholdes Though the one the liuely mouldes Th' other but the counterfet When Syrenus had heard the song out he saide to Syluanus I wish that loue gentle Shepherd with hope of impossible felicitie may remedie my greefes if there be any thing in the worlde that I would sooner choose to passe away my sorrowfull life with then in thy sweete and gracious companie and if it greeues me not now to the hart that Diana is so cruell vnto thee that she hath not which well she might haue done once thanked thee nor showen thee a fauourable and gratefull countenance for all thy long and loyall seruice and for so true loue that thou hast shewed therein I could with a little content me saide Syluanus sighing if my angrie fortune would perswade Diana to giue me some hope which she might well affoord without staine to her honour or breach of faith to thee But so hard harted is she that not onely when I craue it she denies it me and flies from me when I come in her sight but to comfort me with any small signe or token whereby I might imagine or hope hereafter to enioy it she would neuer yet consent Whereupon I saide many times to my selfe It may fall out that this stonie harted and fierce Tygresse may one day conceiue some displeasure against Syrenus for reuenge whereof and to despite him she will perhaps shew me some fained fauour for so disgraced and comfortlesse a man as I am would be glad but
the riuer in the heate where resting her With great care she was telling yet and heeding them After if that she was alone deuesting her Thou shouldst haue seene the bright sunne beames enuying her Resplendant hayre to kembe them manifesting her But on the sudden meeting and espying her My deerest friend Syluane how oft incended was Her fairest face with orient blushing dying her And with what grace how mildly reprehended was My staying long which she did aske correcting me Which if I greeu'd with blandishments amended was How many daies haue I found her expecting me At this cleere fountaine when that I was seeking her Along that thickest hedge to greefe subiecting me All paines and troubles what so ere in meeting her Of sheepe or lambes we straight way were forgetting them When she sawe me or when that I was greeting her Some other times Syluane we tun'd in setting them Our Bagpipe and the Rebeck which we plaied on And then my verses sung we nothing letting them After with bowe and arrowes we estraied on Sometimes with nets and she neuer refraining me And came not home without some chase we praied on Thus fortune went by these meanes entertaining me Reseruing for some greater ill and tendring me Which hath no end but by deathes end restraining me Syluanus Syrenus that most cruell loue engendring me Such greefe stints not nor hindreth the perswading me Of so much ill I die therein remembring me Diane I sawe but straight my ioy was failing me When to my onely sight she was opposing her And to my greefe I saw long lift inuading me How many tymes haue I found her in losing her How often lost in finding and espying her And I my death and seruice not disclosing her My life I lost when meeting I was eying her Faire louely eies which full of anger cruelly She turn'd to me when that my speech was plying her But her faire haire where Cupides in their fâ—…ll lye When she vndid and kemb'd vnseene then leauing me My ils return'd most sensibly which rue well I. But pitilesse Diana then perceiuing me Turn'd like a cruell serpent that in winding it Assailes the lion thâ—… my life be reauing me One time false hope deceitfully but blinding it My hart maintain'd ewen for my comfort choosing it But afterwardes in such an error finding it It mocked hope and then it vanisht loosing it Not long after that the Shepherdes had made an ende of their sorrowfull songs they espied a shepherdesse comming out of the thicket neere to the riuer playing on a Bagpipe and singing with as sweete a grace and delicate voice as with no lesse sorrow and greefe which by her countenance and gesture she so liuely expressed that it darkened a great part of her excellent beautie Whereupon Syrenus who had not of a long time fed in those vallies asked Syluanus what she was who answered This is a faire Shepherdesse that hath sed but a fewe daies since in these medowes complaining greatly of loue and as some say with good cause though others say that she hath bene a long time mocked by the discouerie of a deceite Why saide Syrenus lies it then in her to perceiue it and to deliuer her selfe from it It doth saide Syluanus for I thinke there is no woman though neuer so much in loue whose wits and senses the force and passion of loue can so much blinde that may not perceiue whether she be beloued againe or not I am of a contrarie opinion saide Syrenus Of a contrarie saide Syluanus Why thou shalt not flatter thy selfe so much for the affiance which thou hadst in Dianus wordes hath cost thee deere and yet I blame thee not considering that as there is none whom her beautie ouercomes not so is there not any whom her wordes deceiue not How knowest thou that since she neuer deceiued thee by word nor deede It is true saide Syluanus that I was euer if so I may terme it vndeceiued by her but I durst by that which hath hitherto fallen out that she neuer meant any deceit to me but only to deceiue thee But let vs leaue this and harken to this Shepherdesse that is a great friend to Diana who is well worthy for the commendable report of her wisedome and good graces to be harkened vnto But now was the faire Shepherdesse comming towards the fountaine and began to sing this Sonnet following A Sonnet MIne eies once haue I seene you more contented And my poore hart more ioyfull I haue knowne thee Woe to the cause whose greefes haue ouer growne thee And yet whose sight your comforts once presented But as this cruell fortune hath inuented Sweete ioy to roote thee vp where she had sowen thee So now Seluagia she hath ouer throwen thee Thy pleasures scarce begun she hath tormented Let me to time or to his changing take me Let me with motions out of order leade me Then I shall see how free my hart is to me Then will I trust in hopes that not forsake me When I haue staide her wheeles that ouertread me And beaten downe the fates that doe vndoe me After that the Shepherdesse had made an end of her song she came directly to the fountaine where the Shepherdes were and while she was a comming Syluanus smiling saide Marke but those woâ—… and the burning sigh wherewith she ended her song what witnesses they are of her inward loue and greefe Thereof I haue no doubt saide Syrenns for I woulde to God I could so speedily remedie her sorrowe as I beleeue to my great greefe all that she hath by dolefull song vttered And talking thus together Seluagia was by this time come and knowing the Shepherds curteously saluted them saying What doe you in this greene and pleasant medow despised Shepherds Thou saiest not amisse faire Seluagia by asking vs what we doe saide Syluanus for we doe so little in respect of that we shoulde doe that we can neuer conclude and bring any thing to passe that in our loues we desire to haue Maruell not thereat saide Seluagia for there are certaine things that before they ende they that desire them are ended True saide Syluanus if a man puts his rest in a womans disposition for she will first ende his life before she will ende or determine to giue him any fauour that he is still hoping to receiue at her handes Vnhappy women are these saide Seluagia that are so ill intreated by your wordes But more vnfortunate are those men saide Syluanus that are worse handled by your deedes Can there be a thing more base and of lesse account then that you are so ready for the lightest thing in the worlde to forget them to whom you haue borne the greatest loue For absent your selues but a day from him whom you loue well and then shall he neede to commence his suite new againe Two things I gather saide Seluagia by thy speech which make me wonder not a little The one to see thy toong goe so much
by the fountaine whose waters seemed with her swelling teares to increase where after she had a great while busied her selfe in diuers and sundrie thoughts she began thus to say May it be possible Alanius that thou art the man whose eies I neuer saw dried vp from teares in presence of mine And he who falling downe so many times at my feete with louing and pitifull wordes craued mercie and clemencie at my handes the which to my great harme and greefe I so gently bestowed on thee Tell me Shepherd the falsest that liues on earth is it true that thou louedst me to cloy thy minde with my fauours and so soone to be wearie of the loue that thou didst beare me Thou mightest imagine that it was no lesse in my power to forget and despise thee as thou hast forgotten me For it is the part of those that handle not their matters of loue so well as they shoulde to thinke that their Mistresses may play the like partes with them as they haue done before though some vse it for a remedie and policie to make their loue encrease the more And others that iealousie the occasion whereof most commonly they faine may so captiuate their Mistresses mindes that as they make them beleeue they are not able to settle their affection in any other place whereupon most of them come by little and little to manifest all that they fained before whereby more cleerely they discouer their disloyaltie All which extremes at last result to the greefe and preiudice of vs poore soules who not considering how the endes of such things commonly fall out doe so deepely sinke into that kinde of assured affection that we neuer leaue of to loue you nor you to requite vs with ingratitude and inconstancie as thou dost that loue disloyall Alanius which I haue borne and doe still beare thee So that which of these thou hast bene I cannot coniecture But wonder not Seluagia that thou vnderstandest so little in matters of disdaine that art so well practised in loues affaires Thou didst euer beare an honest and vertuous pretence by thy wordes whereby I neuer looked for lesse by thy deedes which made me thinke that that loue whereby thou mad'st me beleeue that thy desire extended to wish no more of me then pure loue againe should neuer haue an end for if any further drift had bene in thy desires I woulde neuer haue suspected firmnesse in thy loue O wretched woman how soone haue I begun to know thy intentions and yet how late to preuent my harmes Come thou to me my pretie Bagpipe and with thee will I passe the time away for had I spent it onely in thy exercise and delight it had bene better for me and after she had plaied a while on it she began to sing this Sextine following WAters that fall from top of these steepe Hils With such a noyse into these lowe deepe Vales Why thinke you not of those which from my Soule Continually distill my wearied Eies And what 's the cause of them Vnluckie Time In which hard fortune robbed all my Ioy. Loue gaue me hope of such a golden Ioy That ther 's no Shepherdesse in all these Hils That had such cause to praise a happy Time But after he did put me in these Vales Of swelling teares that fall from both mine Eies Not to behold such greefe as kils my Soule Such is the paine that wounds a louing Soule That in the end I know what thing is Ioy O where shall I then turne my wearied Eies If that the medowes woods the plaines and Hils The pleasant groues and fountaines of the Vales Still to my thoughts present so sweete a Time Who would haue thought that such a happy Time Should be so fierce a torment to my Soule Or cruell fortune banish me the Vale Wherin all things were obiects of my Ioy Vntill the hungrie woolfe which to the Hill Ascending vp was pleasant to mine Eies But fortune now what may my drenched Eies Behold which saw their Shepherd many a Time Driuing his lambes before him downe this Hill Whose name for ay shall rest within my Soule O fortune foe vnto my former Ioy How doe I languish in this irkesome Vale But when so pleasant and so fresh a Vale Is not delightfull to my wearied Eies And where I cannot finde content and Ioy And hope not now to haue it any Time See what extremes enuiron then my Soule O that he came againe O that sweete Hill O highest Hils and fresh and pleasant Vale Where once my Soule did rest and both these Eies Tell me shall I in Time haue so much Ioy About this time Syluanus was with his flockes in a thicket of Mirtle trees neere to the fountaine musing and imagining diuers things in his minde but when he heard Seluagias voice awaked as it were out of a slumber he gaue attentiue eare to the verses that she did sing But as this Shepherd was cruelly intreated of loue and contemned of Diana so his passions made him wander a thousand times out of his wits as that he now spake ill of loue and by and by praised it sometimes merrie and other times more pensiue and sad then the most sorrowfull man in the world to day speaking ill of women to morrow extolling them aboue all mortall creatures And thus did this sorrowfull Shepherd leade a life which as to all so especially to those that are free from loue would be tedious and difficult to describe But hauing heard Seluagias sweete verses and obtained leaue of his sad thoughts he tooke his Kit and to the tune thereof began to sing that which followeth TO heare me wearied is the cleerest riuer Tedious I am to euery vale and mountaine And now to heare O loue my sorrowes giuer My plaining wearied is each cristall fountaine The Sicamour the Oke and Elme are wearie Spring Sommer Autumne and the winter season Hearing my cries are sworne not to be merry With teares I melt these rocks and yet all reason Of pitie Tigresse thou dost still deny me When trees and stones for greefe are dying by me A bondslaue of a freeman thou hast made me And of a man of reason cleane contrarie With life and death by turnes thou dost inuade me And to tormenting greefe my soule dost carrie Of affable and one that liu'd so gayly Made me thou hast to frowards disdaining Of one that did conuerse with all men daily Made me thou hast their company refraining Eies had I once now blinded with desire I was a man of flesh but now of fire What 's this my hart thy torments dost thou double Tell me mine eies and are you still a weeping My soule sufficeth not my passed trouble My teares and are ye yet in riuers steeping My wandring wits and are you not molested More then ynough with such incessant sorrow And are ye not my senses also wrested From your right course resting not euen nor morrow How know I then weepe see
three Nymphes in so great distresse and the effray betweene the two Sauages and the Shepherdes who now looked for nothing more then present death by putting quickly a sharpe headed arrow into her bowe with no meane force and skill she shot it at one of the Sauages leauing it halfe hidden in his hard brest whereby the arrow of loue that pearced his hart lost the force and the Sauage his life Neither was she slowe in putting another in her bowe nor lesse skilfull in shooting it for with the same she as well ended the enamoured passions of the second Sauage as of the first But setling her selfe to shoote at the third that was keeping the three Nymphes she could not so soone effect it but that he came running in to her within the length of his club and had surely dispatched her with one blowe if the faire Shepherdesse by lifting vp her knottie staffe as he was discharging vpō her had not taken it vpon the iron point whereby his club brake in two peeces and immediately requited him with another vpon the top of his crowne wherewith she made him stagger on his knees and then running a thrust at his face and with such force and aime it was that pearcing his eies her staffe made speedie passage thorow his braines so that the fierce Sauage yelling out a horrible and lowde grone fell downe dead to the ground The Nymphes seeing themselues deliuered from so great violence and the Shepherdes and Shepherdesses from expected death whereunto they were so neere and how by the admirable valour and strength of that Shepherdesse not onely they but the Shepherdes had escaped they were in a traunce for a while and could not afterwardes imagine her to be any humane wight But the Shepherdesse comming now vnto them began to vntie their handes saying They deserued no lesse punishment then that they haue faire Nymphes that with these rude and rough bonds durst presume to binde such white and delicate hands whose beauties are fitter to binde tender and relenting harts Accursed be such proude monsters and ill befall to such senselesse and beastly men but Ladies they haue their hire and I my desire by hauing done you this small seruice and comming in so good a time with speedie remedie for such an outrage although these hardie Shepherdes and faire Shepherdesse deserue no lesse thankes for hazarding their liues in your defence who woulde no doubt like my selfe haue thought them well emploied and themselues well appaied if in so good a quarrell and for such woorthy personages they had ioyntly lost them The Nymphes were no lesse amazed at her rare beautie and wisedome then at the courage and force that she had shewed in their defence whereupon Doria with a gratious semblant answered her thus againe Faire Shepherdesse if thou art not as by thy approoued valour and braue minde thou seemest to be the daughter of inuincible Mars yet for thy beautie which is celestiall thou must needes be the daughter of louely Venus and faire Adonis and if of neither of them it cannot then otherwise be but that Minerua must be thy mother since such great wisedome cannot proceed from any other part although it is most true that nature hath endowed thee with the principall of them all And since for so strange a curtesie and good turne that thou hast done vs extraordinarie and great must the seruices be wherewith they must be requited we hope that at somtime or other occasion may be offered wherein thou maiest knowe what earnest desire and entyre good wils we haue to repaie so singular woorthie a fauor But bicause it seemes thou art wearie let vs go to the fountaine of the Sicamours neere to yonder wood where thou maist rest and refresh thy selfe Let vs goe ladie said the Shepherdesse not so much to ease my wearied body as to talke of other matters wherin my soules health and the summe of my content doth chiefely consist That will we do with all possible diligence said Polydora since there is not any whom we should with greater reason endeuor to content then thy selfe But faire Cynthia turning to the Shepherdes said The debt faire Shepherdesse and stout Shepherds wherein you haue perpetually bound vs to you your selues know well ynough which though we are neuer able to acquite yet we will not cease to wish that some occasion may heereafter fall out wherein we may shewe the earnest will and affection we haue to discharge it according to our great desire These thankes faire Nymphes answered Seluagia and your gentle offers are more due to these two Shepherds then to me that could do no more then praie for your safe deliuerie But is this the Shepherd Syrenus said Polydora so much beloued in times past as now forgotten of the faire Diana And is this other his corriuall Syluanus They are the same saide Seluagia Then am I glad said Polydora that you are such kind of men whom we may in some part recompence the great good will you shewed and the perill you passed to set vs free Doria woondring at that she had heard said And is it true that this is Syrenus I am very glad that I haue founde thee and that there is an occasion ministred me to seeke out some remedie which I hope shall not be small for thy great cares and sorrow Nor sufficient ynough for so great griefe if it be small saide Syrenus Let vs go to the fountaine saide Polydora where we will at large discourse of these and other matters To the which when they were come the Nymphes placing the Shepherdesse in the middes of them sat them downe and the Shepherds at the Nymphes requests went to the next towne to prouide some victuals bicause it was now somewhat late and that they all had an appetite to eate But the three Nymphes remaining all alone with the vnknowne Shepherdesle faire Doria thus began to say vnto her It is no lesse strange to vs to see such an one as thou art most valiant and faire Shepherdesse of such valour and strength in these plaines and woods sequestred from all popular concourse then to thee I thinke to see three Nymphes heere all alone and without companie to defend them from the like assaults But bicause we may knowe what thou art which is our chiefe desire we will inforce that fauour with this small desert by telling thee first what we are for the better knowledge wherof thou shalt vnderstand couragious Shepherdesse that this Nymph is called Polydora that Cynthia and my selfe Doria we hauing our mansion place in Dianas wood where sage Felicia keepes her stately court whose course of life and onely exercise is to cure and remedie the passions of loue We going to visit a certaine Nymph her cousin that liueth on this side of the Gallician hils came by chance to this pleasant and shadowed dale where seeing the place fit to passe away the heate of the noone day vnder the shadowe of these
a little to heare them Twenty daies I was in going thither at the ende of which being come to the desired place I tooke vp mine Inne in a streete lest frequented with concurse of people And the great desire I had to see the destroier of my ioy did not suffer me to thinke of any other thing but how or where I might see him To inquire of him of mine host I durst not lest my comming might perhaps haue bene discouered and to seeke him foorth I thought it not best lest some inopinate mishap might haue fallen out whereby I might haue bene knowen Wherefore I passed all that day in these perplexities while night came on each hower whereof me thought was a whole yeere vnto me But midnight being a little past mine host called at my chamber doore and tolde me if I was desirous to heare some braue musicke I should arise quickly and open a window towards the street The which I did by and by and making no noise at all I heard how Don Felix his Page called Fabius whom I knew by his voice saide to others that came with him Now it is time my Masters bicause the Lady is in the gallerie ouer her garden taking the fresh aire of the coole night He had no sooner saide so but they began to winde three Cornets and a Sackbot with such skill and sweetenesse that it seemed celestiall musicke And then began a voice to sing the sweetest in my opinion that euer I heard And though I was in suspence by hearing Fabius speake whereby a thousand doubtes and imaginations repugnant to my rest occurred in my minde yet I neglected not to heare what was sung bicause their operations were not of such force that they were able to hinder the desire nor distemper the delight that I conceiued by hearing it That therefore which was sung were these verses SWeete Mistresse harken vnto me If it greeues thee to see me die And hearing though it greeueth thee To heare me yet do not denie O grant me then this short content For forc'd I am to thee to fliie My sighes do not make thee relent Nor teares thy hart do mollifie Nothing of mine doth giue thee payne Nor thou think'st of no remedie Mistresse how long shall I sustaine such ill as still thou dost applie In death there is no helpe be sure But in thy will where it doth lie For all those illes which death doth cure Alas they are but light to trie My troubles do not trouble thee Nor hope to touch thy soule so nie O from a will that is so free What should I hope when I do crie How can I mollifie that braue And stonie hart of pittie drie Yet Mistresse turne those eies that haue No peeres shining like stars in skie But turne them not in angrie sort If thou wilt not kill me thereby Though yet in anger or in sport Thou killest onely with thine eie After they had first with a concent of musicke sung this song two plaied the one vpon a Lute the other vpon a siluer sounding Harpe being accompanied with the sweete voice of my Don Felix the great ioy that I felt in hearing him cannot be imagined for me thought I heard him nowe as in that happie and passed time of our loues But after the deceit of this imagination was discouered seeing with mine eies and hearing with mine eares that this musicke was bestowed vpon another and not on me God knowes what a bitter death it was vnto my soule And with a greeuous sigh that caried almost my life away with it I asked mine host if he knew what the Ladie was for whose sake the musick was made He answered me that he could not imagine on whom it was bestowed bicause in that streete dwelled manie noble and faire Ladies And when I saw he could not satisfie my request I bent mine eares againe to heare my Don Felix who now to the tune of a delicate harpe whereon he sweetely plaied began to sing this Sonnet following A Sonnet MY painefull yeeres impartiall Loue was spending In vaine and booteles hopes my life appaying And cruell Fortune to the world bewraying Strange samples of my teares that haue no ending Time euerie thing to truth at last commending Leaues of my steps such markes that now betraying And all deceitfull trusts shall be decaying And none haue cause to plaine of his offending Shee whom I lou'd to my obliged power That in her sweetest loue to me discouers Which neuer yet I knew those heauenly pleasures And I do saie exclaiming euery hower Do not you see what makes you wise O Louers Loue Fortune Time and my faire Mystresse treasures The Sonnet being ended they paused a while playing on fower Lutes togither and on a paire of Virginals with such heauenly melodie that the whole worlde I thinke could not affoord sweeter musick to the eare nor delight to any minde not subiect to the panges of such predominant greefe and sorrow as mine was But then fower voice passing well tuned and set togither began to sing this song following A Song THat sweetest harme I doe not blame First caused by thy fairest eies But greeue bicause too late I came To know my fault and to be wise I neuer knew a worser kinde of life To liue in feare from boldnesse still to cease Nor woorse then this to liue in such a strife Whether of both to speake or holde my peace And so the harme I doe not blame Caused by thee or thy faire eies But that to see how late I came To knowe my fault and to be wise I euer more did feare that I should knowe Some secret things and doubtfull in their kinde Bicause the surest things doe euer goe Most contrarie vnto my wish and minde And yet by knowing of the same There is no hurt But it denies My remedie Since late I came To knowe my fault and to be wise When this song was ended they began to sound diuers sorts of instruments and voices most excellently agreeing togither and with such sweetnes that they could not chuse but delight any very much who were not so farre from it as I. About dawning of the day the musicke ended and I did what I could to espie out my Don Felix but the darknes of the night was mine enimie therein And seeing now that they were gone I went to bed againe where I bewailed my great mishap knowing that he whom most of al I loued had so vnwoorthily forgotten me whereof his musicke was too manifest a witnes And when it was time I arose without any other consideration went straight to the Princesse her pallace where I thought I might see that which I so greatly desired determining to call my selfe Valerius if any perhaps did aske my name Comming therefore to a faire broad court before the pallace gate I viewed the windowes and galleries where I sawe such store of blazing beauties and gallant Ladies that I am not able now to recount
they thinke by any meanes to receiue it If I should tell thee faire Shepherdesse that I could helpe thy greefe what doth it auaile if the same will not giue thee leaue to beleeue me To tell thee that in thine owne iudgement and discretion thou dost help thy selfe I know thou hast it not so free that thou canst do it Of one thing yet good Shepherdesse thou maist be assured that there is no meanes in the whole world to rid thee from this painfull life which I would not giue then if it lay in my power And if this good will deserueth any thing at all I beseech thee for their sakes that are heete present and for mine owne to tell vs the cause of thy greefe because there are some in this companie that haue as great neede of remedie and whom loue hath driuen to so narrow a streight that if Fortune do not succour them the sooner I knowe not what will become of their liues The Shepherdesse hearing Doria speake these wordes came out of her melancholie cell and taking her by the hand carried her vnto a fountaine in a little greene meadowe not farre off Whither the Nymphes and Shepherdes went after them and about the same sat them downe altogither when golden Phoebus had made an end of his diurnall course and siluer Diana began hers with such brightnes as if it had beene midday Where being in such sort as you haue heard the faire Shepherdesse began to tell this which followeth AT that time faire Nymphes of the chaste Goddesse when I was free from loue I heard once a certaine thing the experience whereof did afterwardes beguile me finding it cleane contrarie to that which I heard reported For it was tolde me that there was no kind of greefe but by telling it was some lighting ease to her that did suffer it I finde that there is not any thing that more augments my mishap then to call it to memorie and tell it her that is free from the like For if I thought otherwise I durst not beleeue me recount vnto you the historie of my annoies But because it is true that the telling of it to you shall be no cause of comfort to my balefull soule which are the two causes most abhorred of me giue eare and you shall heare the most strange and haples accidents that euer fell in loue Not farre from this valley towards that part where the sunne doth set there is a village in the middes of a forrest neere to two riuers which with their currants do water and giue life to the greene trees whose shadowed bowes are so delightfull and thicke togither that one house may hardly be discerned from another Euerie one of them hath their limits rounde about them where the gardens in sommer time are decked with fragrant flowers besides the aboūdance of pleasant orchards which are there naturally brought foorth though helped by the industrie of them which in great Spaine are called Freemen by reason of the antiquity of their houses linage In this place was the vnfortunate Belisa borne for this name I tooke from the funt where I would to God I had left and lost my life Heere liued also a certaine Shepherd one of the chiefest for birth and riches that was in all that countrey called Arsenius and married to the fairest Shepherdesse in all her time but vntimely death because her destinies woulde haue it so or else for auoyding some other inconuenience that her beautie might haue caused did within a fewe yeeres after she was married cut asunder her vital thred The greefe that Arsenius felt for the death of his beloued Florida was so extreme that he was almost in danger of loosing his life the which yet he preserued by the comfort of a sonne she left behinde her called Arsileus whose beautie and comely feature so farre excelled others that they matched the gifts so highly commended and descended to him from Florida his mother And yet did Arsenius for the losse of her leade the most sorrowfull and desolate life that might be But seeing his Sonne in sufficient yeeres to set him to some vertuous exercise knowing That idlenes in boyes was the curse of vices and an enimie to vertue he determined to sende him to the famous Academie of Salamanca with intent to haue him learne those sciences which make men mount vppe to higher degrees then men and so sent him thither indeede But fifteene yeeres being nowe past since the death of his mother it fell out that I going on a daie with others of our neighbours daughters to the market kept in a prettie towne not farre from ours vnfortunate Arsenius to his owne harme and alas to mine and to the preiudice of his haplesse sonne by chance espied me This sight kindled an extreme kinde of loue in him as it appeered afterwardes by the strange effects he shewed for he endeuoured to make me know it sometimes in the fielde as I was going to carrie the Shepherds their dinner sometimes againe as I was going to the riuer to rince my clothes and somtimes for water to the fountaine where he neuer missed of purpose to meete me But I that was till then but a nouice in matters of loue although by heare-saie I vnderstoode some of his disordinate effects sometimes dissembled the matter as though I vnderstoode not his meaning and sometimes made but a mocke of them and was angry to see him so importunate and earnest But my wordes were not able to defende my selfe from his continuall suites nor the great loue he bare me suffered him to leaue of to woe me more and more And in this sort I passed away more then fower yeeres in which space he left not of his fond attempt nor I to resolue with my selfe to giue him the lest fauour in the worlde About this time came his haplesse sonne Arsileus from his studie who amongst other sciences that he had studied was so brauely seene in Poetrie and Musicke that he excelled all others in his time His father tooke such exceeding ioy in him that he could neuer be out of his sight and not without great reason bicause Arsileus was such an one indeed that he deserued to be beloued not onely of his father whom nature constrained to loue as his sonne but of euery one else in the worlde And so in our towne he was so much esteemed and regarded of the cheefest and vulgar sort that they talked amongst themselues of no other thing then of the great wisedome graces gentilitie and many other good parts more which beautified the flourishing prime of his youth Arsenius was so secret to his sonne that by no meanes he would let him vnderstand any thing touching his loue whom although Arsileus had seene on a day very sad yet he durst not aske him the cause of his heauines but rather thought those passions to be the reliques of that sorrow which yet for the vntimely death of his faire mother remained in his
artificiall tower Comming to the portall they staied a little to behold the strange workmanship and the imagerie that was so liuely grauen in it that it seemed rather a naturall then artificiall worke or wrought by humane industrie wherein were two Nymphes of massie siluer that stood on the tops of two pillers and helde vp betweene them a polished table of smooth Ieat with golden letters grauen in it that saide thus WEll let her life that enters heere be waighed And if she hath not chastitie estranged And she that loues or Loues lawes hath essaied If for anothers loue she hath not changed And if from former faith she hath not straied And kept her first true loue and hath not ranged May enter heere into Dianas temple Whose soueraigne grace to such appeeres most gentle When faire Felismena heard this she saide to the Shepherdesses Belisa and Seluagia I thinke we may safely enter into this sumptuous Palace without breach of the lawes that this table doth depaint vnto vs. Syrenus answering to that saide But faire Diana coulde not doe so bicause she hath not onely gone against them but against all that good and honest loue commaunds to be obserued Be not angrie with her Shepherd saide Felicia for before many daies hence thou shalt wonder that thou wert so much angrie and laugh at this harde opinion thou hadst of her And so handes in handes they went into the sage Felicias chamber which was richly hanged with cloth of golde and tissue of inestimable value And by and by after they were come in supper was made ready where fine white clothes being spred on the tables and furnished with daintie cates euery one was placed in order Felismena was set next to the sage Lady Felicia and the Nymphes tooke the Shepherdes and Shepherdesses betweene them whose talke at the boord was full of modest mirth and delight There were the rich tables of Cedar and stooles framed out of Iuorie with cushions of fine needle worke wrought with golde and siluer many cups goblets and glasses of diuers formes and mettals were common there and all of no small price some of them artificially made of strange glasse others of fine Cristall with the feete and handles of pure golde others all of golde and siluer most richly garnished with precious stones of inestimate value They were serued with such plentie of sundrie daintie dishes as is almost impossible in order to set downe After that supper was ended three Nymphes came into the hall one of them playing on a Harpe another on a Lute and the third on a base Vial de gamba but with such sweetenesse and melodie that they that were present were as it were enchaunted and rauished with it They placed themselues in one side of the hall and the Shepherdes and Shepherdesses being louingly requested by the three Nymphes and by sage Felicia placed themselues right ouer against them on the other side with their Rebeckes and a Bagpipe whereon Seluagia sweetely plaied And then the Nymphes began to sing this song and the Shepherdes to answere them in manner following The Nymphes THe authours of subiections Fortune and Loue and of most peeuish fashions Aboue the moone affections Doe place and hard reiections And in the same extremest paines and passions The Shepherdes Lessemay he vaunt and boast For ioy whom Loue did neuer yet molest Then he that loueth most And fauours euer lost Since they that suffer more are euer best The Nymphes If Loues extremes releene you And did not gainsay reason as we view them Perhaps we would beleeue you But seeing how they greeue you Happy are we that can so well eschew them The Shepherdes The hardest things the stoute And valiant persons euer take in hand And that of greatest doubt Braue courage brings about For t' is no honour small things to withstande The Nymphes The Louer well doth see To fight it out it is not Loues intent With magnanimitie In torments he must be Of those that suffring them are most content The Shepherdes If any ioy we sought By any ill of Loue which we obtaine It cannot be the thought Vnto the passion brought But he 's more happy that endures more paine The Nymphes The best estate and fare Where he doth see himselfe that loueth best Brings nothing els but care And yet doth neuer spare With flames to burne the dame and seruants brest And he that 's fauour'd most Is changed in the twinkling of an eie For with disfauours tost And in obliuion lost It kils his hart and makes his ioyes to die The Shepherdes To leese a good estate By falling from it is a greefe and paine Blamelesse is Loue but fate It is and Fortunes hate That no exception makes from his disdaine Vniust and far vnfit Is death if Loue doth say that we shall liue If death it promis'd yet No fault he doth commit For in the ende his promise he doth giue The Nymphes Fierce Loue they doe excuse That finde themselues entangled with his fetter And blame those that refuse Him but of these to chuse The blamed mans estate is far the better The Shepherdes Faire Nymphes it is denied The free and bond with one toong to debate Liue men and those that died The loued and defied All speake according to their owne estate Sage Felicia and the Shepherdesse Felismena gaue attentiue eare vnto the musicke that the Nymphes and Shepherdes made and to the sundry opinions which on both sides they shewed by singing And Felicia smyling on Felismena saide to her in her eare Who beleeues not faire Shepherdesse but that most of these words haue touched thy soule to the quicke who with a milde and sober grace answered her againe Such were the words good Lady that whose soule they did not touch the same should not be touched with such loue as mine is Felicia then lifting vp her voice a little higher saide vnto her In these loue matters I note a certaine conclusion which I finde for the most part true That the generous minde and delicate witte by many degrees excelleth him in affection that hath not these gifts Because as loue is a vertue and vertue doth euer choose her being in the best place it is cleere that persons of valour and dignitie are more enamoured and as they are properly termed better louers then those of baser condition and estate The Shepherds and Shepherdesses hearing what Felicia saide seemed to be somewhat angry in their mindes which made Syluanus to thinke that her words ought not to escape without an answer who therefore saide thus vnto her Wherein good Ladie doth a noble minde and fine witte consist Felicia who by and by perceiued to what purpose the Shepherd demanded this question because she woulde not giue him anie occasion of discontent saide In no other thing but in the proper and sole vertue of him that loues as to haue a liuely and quicke witte a mature and good iudgement a thought tending to high and stately things
of Spaine The end of perfect beautie and of grace A royall hart that euer doth maintaine Valour and bountie in a vertuous race That looke so modest and so sweete againe Adorned with so faire and milde a face Giuès Lady Anne of Aragon such fame That Loue himselfe is captiue to her name Her sister Lady Bettrice that you see Is next if that you can behold such light Whom none can praise for this is onely shee Whom none can praise according to her right That Painter that did make her so must bee Her praiser and her giftes he must reeite For where all humane wit cannot attaine My poore conceite doth labour there in vaine The Lady Frances of great Aragon Shew you I vvould but she is alvvaies hid Her svveetest beauties leaues not any one With life for so her starlike eies forbid Our mortall sight to vievv the same alone In life and death her vertues euer did Subiect each hart to loue and admiration As fame can tell in euery forrain nation Now Lady Magdalene you may reueale Sister vnto those three which I haue showne Behold her well and see how she doth steale Her gazers harts and subiect liues to none Her peerelesse beautie threats and in a chaine Leades little Cupid turn'd into a stone None see her but they die and none there ar But she doth conquer without armes or war Those two bright stars that heere and there doe vaunt Their shining beames that dim the starrie skie And making that illustrous house of Gaunt In all the world with high renowne to flie This day their wisedome and their beauties daunt Each humane thought and euery mortall eie For who sees Magdeline and Marguerite That doth not die for loue at such a sight But will you see the thing that hath vndone All wits and made them all to wonder so Behold a Nymph more faire then orient sunne Or louely rose or lilly hard by Po This Phoenix name that through the world doth runne Is Lady Caterine Milane for so Valencia cals her and the world doth say She is as faire and wise as liues this day Lift vp your eies faire Nymphes and now behold The Lady Mary Pexon çannoguere How by the riuer banks her locks of gold She kembes adorning of her shining heare Whose beautie wisedome and braue giftes are told For rarest in our Europe euery wheare Behold her eies her faire and Cristalline face Her sweete demeanour and her heauenly grace Those two behold the rest that doe excell Inperfect wisedome and in quicke conceate And for braue beautie beare away the bell A paire sans peere whose starlike eies doe threate Despaire and death to those that view them well For there sits Cupid in his proper seate Their blessed names doe with their nature fit Faire Bettrice Vigue and Bettrice Fenollir What time Diana went to sport and play With her most soueraine face and more diuine Amorning star arose in moneth of May Like to that Star that neere the Moone doth shine Which when she sawe so glorious euery way A famous place to her she did a ssigne Her beauties tell you if her name you seeke That she 's the peerelesse Lady Anna Vigue Faire Nymphes behold the Lady Theodore Carroz that is great Lady and the Queene Of such braue beautie neuer seene before Wisedome and grace as like was neuer seene Each thing of hers enamours more and more The brauest mens deserts haue neuer beene Such as they durst attempt or euer sought By them to place in her an amorous thought See Shepherdes Lady Angelas braue grace Of Borja looking on Diana bright And how to her the Goddesse turnes her face To view those eies that all eies doe inuite And mightie Loue himselfe weeping apace And how the Nymph derides his conquer'd might And laughes to see the cruell Tyrant lying Wrapped in chaines to her for mercy crying Of that most famous stocke of çannoguere A flowre sprung out so perfect and so pure That liuing yet but yong she neede not feare Any that may her beauties blaze obscure Her mothers heire she is for she doth beare The praise which she did with her giftes procure So hath Lady Hieronyma you see In grace and wit obtain'd the high'st degree Now in a wonder Nimphes will you remaine And see what fortune gaue to her alone How wisedome beautie and the goodly traine Of vertues make in her the chiefest throne Lady Veronica Marrades see againe For onely by her figure it is knowne That she hath all and nothing wants to serue her Vnlesse it be that none can well deserue her The Lady Luise Penaroje we see In more then humane beautie and in grace In euery thing most excellent is shee All beauties els she staines and gaineâ—…pace Loue dies for her and he will not agree That any should behold so sweete a face Who sees it dies vnlesse he see it againe And seene it then his sight augments his paint Now see I Nymphes that you are seeing her On whom my thoughts continually deuise And yours perforce from her can never stirre Cupid for robs and in her loue he dies See how her beauties make the world to erre See but beware such light blinde not your eies The Lady Iane Cardona that faire star It is to whom loues powres subiected 〈◊〉 That beautie which exceedeth humane thought Which you doe see if that you can behold it She whose estate was blest esteeming nought Of fortune time or chaunce that could enfold it She to the world that such rare giftes hath brought She that 's my Muse and Parnasus vntold yet Lady Ione Anne of Catalane The end She is of all that e're I did commend Neere vnto her there is a great extreme In purest vertue high and sublimate In comely grace the fairest in this Realme Her golden haire her necke most delicate Each gracious eie a firie pointed beame A noble wit and name of heauens estate The Lady Angela Fernando named Whom nature to her name like gifts hath framed Next to her sits the Lady Marian Who hath not in the world her paragon Neere to her sister fairer then the swan In cristall streames or fine Vermillion Proud is our age of both of them that can In tender yeeres haue no comparison For wisedome for so much they may presume As thousand toongs can tell or golden plume The two fine sisters Borjas which you see Hyppolita and Isabell so faire With grace and giftes that so adorned lee That Phebus brightest beames they doe empaire And see how many liues that once were free Their beauties conquers Cupids onely snare Behold their haire their countenance and eies This gold that sweete and those like stars in skies Behold the Lady Mary Cannoguere Who wow is Lady of sure Catarasse Whose beautie and sweete grace doth euery where Conqueâ—… 〈◊〉 with vnrepaired losse Fame on her wings â—…row out the world doth beare Her vertues rare that shine like gold to drosse Since each one them that
as it strooke the Nymph in a great admiration so likewise in no lesse compassion of his paines but when she vnderstood that vndoubtedly he was Arsileus the ioy that she conceiued thereof was so great that with words she could not tell it and thought her selfe vnable at that present to do any more but with inward sence to surfet on the sweet ioy of such happie newes Behold then what might be expected of comfortlesse Belisa when she should vnderstand of these gladsome tydings The Nymph therfore casting hir eies on Arsileus not without teares of inward gladnes said vnto him I would I had thy ripe wit and fluent toong Arsileus to make thee know what infinite pleasure I conceiue by the good successe that Fortune hath solicited for my Belisa because I might otherwise be deceiued by thinking that so simple a conceit and barren wordes as mine are could declare it I euer thought that the coutinuall griefe of my Belisa should be at length conuerted into great gladnes induced thereunto by the great deserts of her singular beautie wisdome faith that she hath euer kept firme and inuiolate but did euer feare on the other side that Fortune neuer made account to giue it her so amply and in such sorte as I did desire it bicause it is her condition for the most parte to bring her effectes to passe cleane contrarie to their desires that loue well Happie maiest thou call thy selfe Arsileus since thou didst deserue to bee so well beloued in life that couldest not bee forgotten after death And bicause the deferring of such great ioy for a hart that needes it so much may not be too long giue me leaue to goe and carrie so good newes to thy Shepherdesse as those of thy life and of her deceiued minde And depart not from this place vntill I come againe with her whom thou dost so much desire and most deserue to see As I can expect nothing else saide Arsileus from such excellent wisdome and exceeding beautie as thine but all ioy and contentment whatsoeuer euen so faire Nymph bicause thou dost so greatly desire to giue it me thy will be done whereby I hope to gouerne my selfe as well in this as in all things else that shall ensue thereof Whereupon they taking leaue of one another Polydora went to tel Belisa these inopinate newes Arsileus remained still tarying for them vnder the pleasant shadow of those green Sicamours who to entertaine the time with something as they are wont to doe that are attending some ioyfull thing tooke out his Rebecke and to the tune of it began with sweetest voice to sing these verses following NOw Loue and fortune turne to me againe And now each one enforceth and assures A hope that was dismaied dead and vaine And from the harbour of mishaps recures A hart that is consum'd in lurning fire With vnexpected gladnes that adiures My soule to lay aside her mourning tire And senses to prepare a place for ioy Care in obliuion endlesse shall expire For euery greefe of that extreme annoy Which when my torment raign'd my soule alas Did feele the which long absence did destroy Fortune so well appaies that neuer was So great the torment of my passed ill As is the ioy of this same good I passe Returne my hart sur saulted with the fill Of thousand great vnrests and thousand feares Enioy thy good estate if that thou will And wearied eies leaue of your burning teares For soone you shall behold her with delight For whom my spoiles with glorie Cupid beares Senses which seeke my star so cleere and bright By making heere and there your thoughts estray Tell me what will you feele before her sight Hence solitarinesse torments away Felt for her sake and wearied members cast Of all your paine redeem'd this happy day O stay not time but passe with speedie hast And Fortune hinder not her comming now O God betides me yet this greefe at last Come my sweete Shepherdesse the life which thou Perhaps didst thinke was ended long ago At thy commaund is ready still to bow Comes not my Shepherdesse desired so O God what if she 's lost or if she stray Within this wood where trees so thicke doe growe Or if this Nymph that lately went away Perhaps forgot to go and seeke her out No no in her obliuion neuer lay Thou onely art my Shepherdesse about Whose thoughts my soule shall finde her ioy and rest Why comm'st not then to assure it from doubt O see'st thou not the sunne passe to the vvest And if it passe and I behold thee not Then I my vvonted torments vvill request And thou shalt vvaile my hard and heauie lot When Polydora went from Arsileus not far from thence she met with the Shepherdesse Belisa who was going to recreate her selfe in the greene wood in the companie of the two Nymphes Cynthia and Doria who seeing her comming in such haste began to be afraid thinking that she ran away from some thing from the which it behoued them also to flie away But now when she came neerer vnto them the ioy that they perceiued by her milde eies and countenance did warrant them from danger and being come to them she went presently to the Shepherdesse Belisa and imbracing her with great ioy and gladnes saide thus vnto her If thou knewest from whom this imbracement came thou wouldst with greater content faire Shepherdesse receiue it then now thou dost It can come from no part faire Nymph said she where I may more ioyfully accept it then from thine owne selfe since he from whom with the supre most ioy in the world I should entertaine it is not now in the world And I would desire to liue no longer if I were now altogither depriued of the content that this miserable life may at some times affoorde me which onely I account faire Nymph thy friendly and gracious companie This life saide Polydora from henceforth I hope thou shalt enioy with more content then thou canst imagine And bicause thou maist knowe how let vs sit vnder the shade of this greene Sicamour and I will acquaint thee with such matters as shall reuiue thy spirits and decaied soule Belisa and the Nymphes sat them downe taking Polydora in the mids who said to Belisa Tell me faire Shepherdesse how certaine art thou of the death of Arsenius and of Arsileus Belisa vnable to stop the sudden eruption of her violent teares answered So certaine as one that beheld that tragicall spectacle with her owne eies the one shot thorow with an arrowe the other killing himselfe with his owne Faulchion But what wilt thou say to one that will tell thee that these two whom thou didst see dead are aliue and in perfect health Her would I answere saide Belisa that told me this that she had a desire to renew my teares and to bring those to my thoughts againe whose remembrance is my death or that she tooke a delight to sport her selfe with my greefes
thee my deere Arsileus were but little if with words it might be told Let it suffice thee to know in what continual panges and dangers of my life thy supposed death hath put me and by that thou shalt see what a world of ioy thy renewed life hath brought to this my mournfull soule At the ende of which words by reason of an issue of swelling teares ascending vp from the center of her sorrowfull hart into her eye brinkes she was not able to vtter out the rest of her minde which the tender harted Nymphes being mollified with the milde and pitifull words of both these louers to one another did helpe and accompany with theirs And bicause night was comming on they went all to Felicias house telling to each other the discourse accidents of their liues which till then they had both passed Belisa asked her Arsileus for his father Arsenius who told her that as soone as he knew she was gon he went to one of his Farmes not far from thence where he liues as quiet and contented a life as he could wish hauing put all mundane affaires in obliuion whereat Belisa was verie glad and so they came to the Palace of sage Felicia where they were welcommed with great ioye and feast whose hands Belisa kissed many times saying euermore that shee was the cause of her good Fortune And so did Arsileus to whom Felicia shewed an earnest will to do euer for him what lay in her power The end of the fifth booke The sixth Booke of Diana of George of Montemayor AFter that Arsileus was gone Felismena staied still with the Shepherdesse Amarillis that was with him demaunding of one an other the course of their liues a common thing to them that finde themselues in like places And as Felismena was telling the Shepherdesse the cause of her comming thither a iolly Shepherd came to the Coate though very sad by his countenance and gate When Amarillis sawe him she rose vp in great haste to be gone but Felismena taking hold by her garment and suspecting what the cause of her sudden departure might be said vnto her It were not reason Shepherdesse that I should receiue this discourtesie at thy hands who desires so much to serue thee But as she striued to be gone from thence the Shepherd with many teares said vnto her My desire is Amarillis hauing respect to that which thou makest me suffer not to see thee sorie for this vnfortunate Shepherd but to consider what belongs to thy wisedome and beautie and that there is nothing in the worlde worse beseeming a Shepherdesse of thy braue qualities then to intreate one so cruelly that loues thee so entirely Beholde these wearied eies Amarillis that haue shed so many teares and then thou shalt see what reason thine haue to shew themselues so angrie against this miserable man Alas that thou fliest away from me not seeing the reason thou hast to abide my presence Stay Amarillis and harken to my complaints and to my iust excuses and if thou wilt not answere me at all yet I will be content so that thou staiest still What can it hinder thee to heare him whom it hath so deerely cost to see thee And looking vpon Felismena with many teares he besought her not to let her goe who with sweete and gentle wordes intreated the Shepherdesse not to vse him with so small pitie whom he shewed to loue more then himselfe or that she would at the lest harken vnto him since she could not hurt hir selfe much by doing so litle But Amarillis said Intreat me not faire Shepherdesse to giue eare to him who beleeues his thoughts more then my words For behold this Shepherd that stands in this fained sort before thee is one of the most disloyall men that euer liued one of them that most of al troubles our simple louing Shepherdesses with his false deceits dissimulatiōs Then said Filemon to Felismena My onely request and desire is faire Shepherdesse that thou wouldst be iudge in the cause betweene Amarillis and me wherein if I am found culpable or the iust prouoker of that anger and ill opinion that she hath wrongfully conceiued against me that then I may loose my life and if she be that I may haue no other thing for satisfaction but her confession how much she hath iniured and owes me To leese thy life said Amarillis I am sure thou wilt not bicause thou wilt not wish thy selfe so much harme nor me so much good as for my sake to put thy life in aduenture But I am content that this faire Shepherdesse be iudge if it please her betweene vs to consider of our reasons and to declare which of vs both is more worthie of blame Agreed said Felismena and let vs sit downe at the foote of this greene hedge neere to the flourishing meadow before our eies for I will see what reason you haue to complaine of one another After they were all three set downe vpon the greene grasse Filemon began thus to say I trust faire Shepherdesse if thou hast at any time beene touched with the force of Loue that thou shalt plainly perceiue what small reason Amarillis hath to be angrie with me to conceiue so ill an opinion of the vnstained faith I beare her which makes her surmise that which neuer any other Shepherdesse hath euer yet imagined of her louing Shepherd Knowe therefore faire Shepherdesse that the fates not onely when I was borne but long before determined that I should loue this faire Shepherdesse which fits before thy faire my sorrowfull eies whose intents I haue answered with such effect as there is no loue I thinke like mine nor any ingratitude like to hers It fell out afterwardes that from my childehood seruing her in the best manner I coulde there are fiue or sixe moneths past since my mishap brought a Shepherd hither called Arsileus who went vp and downe seeking a Shepherdesse called Belisa which by some ill successe of Fortune wandred like an exile heere and there amongst these woodes groues And as his sorrow was very great it fell out that this cruell Shepherdesse either for great pittie she tooke of him or for the little she had of me or for what cause else she knowes best herselfe woulde neuer be out of his companie To whom if by chance I did but speake thereof she was ready to kill me with anger for those eies which thou seest there procure death no lesse when they are angry then life when they are milde and gentle But now when all my sences were thus occupied mine eies with teares my eares with hearing denials my thoughts with a bitter taste of sorrow my soule with a rare and vnspeakeable kind of affection and my vnderstanding with the greatest iealousie as the like neuer any had I made my complaint to Arsileus with sighes and to the earth and these groues with pitifull and bitter lamentations shewing them what iniuries Amarillis did me Her deceiued
then thinke that a poore vnfortunate Louer that loues wel is able to do what griefe thinkest thou he passeth when he knowes that his Shepherdesse is in the armes of her new married husband and he bewailing and weeping his disgrace and ill Fortune in the streete And this is not all the torment when such a mischeefe and death remaines yet thereof that he must not complaine of it at all but must suffer silly man and holde his peace bicause by complaining he shall be thought no lesse then a foole or a madde man a thing as contrarie to his rest as may be For if the iealousies were of some other Shepherd that serued her by complayning of the fauours she doth him and by hearing her excuses the Louer might better passe away his greefe but this is such a kinde of torment that in an instant one shall loose it if he haue no stay in his desire Leaue of this talke said Diana for thou hast no neede to loue nor to be beloued In respect of not hauing it to loue saide Syrenus I am glad in not hauing it also to be beloued Strange is thy libertie said Diana but stranger was thy forgetfulnes said Syrenus if thou dost remember well the words thou spakest to mee at my departure But let vs as thou saiest leaue of to speake of things which are past let vs thanke time and Lady Felicia for those that are present And thou Syluanus take thy Pipe and I will tune my Rebecke to it and let vs sing some verses togither although so free a hart as mine cannot sing of anie thing that may giue content to thine that is of another qualitie I will giue thee a good remedie for this saide Syluanus For let vs imagine that we are both in the same case as this Shepherdesse made vs liue when we filled these hils and dales with our amorous complaints Syluanus deuise liked them all well but Seluagia was a little displeased thereat who for that time bicause she would not seeme to be iealous where she was ascertained of so great loue helde her peace And the Shepherds began to sing in manner following Syrenus IF teares cannot with tendernesse relent thee How can my song thy cruelty assured Since nought of mine could euer yet content thee What hart was euer that so much endured That to deride thou neuer canst suffice thee Agreefe that hath the worlds wonder procured Ah blinde conceite let loue nor time disguise thee And such a thought of change that neuer told me But to thy good and my content a duise thee Ah wilt thou in such cares and greefes enfold me Fierce Shepherdesse and in such lamentations To spend my dolefull yeeres wilt thou behold mo A hart that 's thine dispos'st thou in such fashions Intreat'st thou thus a soule to thee affied That the lest greefe it is to suffer passions Syluanus Loue such a knot that 's endles thou hast tied That 's blinde and thou and I more blinde intended She is blinde for whom my life 's denied For I sawe not my life and pleasure ended Nor she how I for her to death imploy me Nor thou that I in flames am thus incended Fell Loue shall faire Diana now destroy me With absence then conclude since hate surrounds it To end my life and fortunes that annoy me Ioy 's slowe time flies and with his shortnes wounds it Hope dies an amorous thought liues still augmented Loue shortens it prolongs it and confounds it To speake I am ashamed thus tormented And though it greeues me yet with ceaslesse payning Without the same I cannot liue contented Syrenus O soule forsake not now thy dolefull plaining And you my wearied eies Cease not in swelling teares my cheekes to steepe Since you haue learn'd to weepe And waile the chiefest cause of all my cries Syluanus And waile the chiefest cause of all my cries Yet cruell Shepherdesse Sometimes they were of my most sweete content O thoughts in sorrow spent How small time lasts a ioy and happines Syrenus How small time lasts a ioy and happines And that sweete gracious smile Fortune wherewith I sawe thee not accoyd Now all is well imployd In him whom time doth counsell and beguile Syluanus In him whom time doth counsell and beguile Loue works his behest But in his things who can him well aduise Or his deceites who spies O cruell Shepherdesse O cruell brest Syrenus O cruell Shepherdesse O cruell brest Whose crueltie is no Whit lesse then her braue beautie and her grace And my mishap and case How to my cost my sorrowes doe I knowe Syluanus My Shepherdesse in white and red more cleere Then both those roses pluckt in May we see And brighter then the sunne beames sent From their coruscant Orient By morning that vpon thy foldes appeere How can I liue if thou forgettest me My Shepherdesse thy rigour then impaire For crueltie becomes not one so faire Syrenus My faire Diana more resplendant then The Emerauld or Diamond in the night Whose beautious eies doe cease My sorrowes that increase if gently that perhaps to me they bend So maist thou with thy flocke so faire and vvhite Come to my shadovved sheepefold in the heate That such a vvretch thou vvould'st not ill intreate Syluanus My Shepherdesse when that thy yellow haire Thou combest in the beames of shining sunne Dost thou not see the same obscured My pride andioy by them procured That am from hence beholding it so faire Woon now with hope now with despaire vndone But so maist thou thy beautie braue enioy As thou wouldst giue ameane in such annoy Syrenus Diana whose sweete name in all these hils The wilde beastes tames and crueltie rebates And whose surpassing beautie to it Doth subiect fortune and vndoe it And feares not loue but wars against his wils Respecting not occasion time nor fates To thee thy flockes and folds such ioy may giue As carelesse of my greefe thou wouldst not liue Syluanus The heate is past Syrenus and doth cease The Shepherds to their folds begin to goe And wearie grashoppers doe hold their peace The night will not stay long which hid belovve Is comming in vvhile Phoebus in our skie Doth heere and there his vading light bestovve Therefore before the darkest shade shall lie Vpon the ground and vvhile the vvren doth sing In top of this greene Sicamour on hie Our vvandring flockes together let vs bring And driue them vvhere Diana novv doth stay For vs vvhile in the vvoods our voices ring Syrenus My friend Syluanus goe not yet avvay Since all his beames not yet the sunne doth hide And that vve haue sufficient of the day There 's time for vs and for our flocke beside And time to driue them to the riuer cleere For in this meade to day they shall abide And Shepherd let my song be ended heere All the while that the Shepherds were singing the Shepherdesse Diana was leaning her faire face vpon her hand whose sleeue falling downe a
answered him thus If it be true Danteus that there is any loue in the world I haue borne it thee and as great as thou thy selfe knowest Neuer any of these Shepherds that bring their flockes to seede in the fieldes of Mondego and to drinke in these cleere waters obtained so much as one onely word of me whereby thou mightest haue occasion to complaine of Duarda nor of the loue that she hath euer showen thee Thy teares and burning sighes haue neuer touched any neerer at the hart then me The day mine eies beheld thee not could not see anything that pleased them The bullocks that thou didst keepe were of more account to me and I had a greater care of them then of mine owne And for the most part fearing least the keepers of this delightfull Champaine might hinder their feed I went to the top of this little hill to see if I could espie them whereas I brought mine in place when they could not feed the grasse of these faire riuer bankes without feare of being impounded And I was not afraid to put my selfe in this subiection and danger to put thee in assurance and safetie I know well that of this my subiect and apparant kind of loue thy affiance did arise and of thy affiance that which thou dost Thou did'st marie Andresa whose soule is now in glorie a thing that in times past made me to die for griefe but I prayed to God that I might see my selfe at last reuenged of her and thee and after thy marriage I haue suffered that which thou and others sufficiently knowe And in the end my Fortune hath concluded that thine shall giue me no more paine and care Let me then inioy my libertie and hope not to regaine that with me which by thine owne folly and default thou hast so fondly lost The Shepherdesse hauing made an ende of her sharpe answer and Felismena beginning to arbitrate the matter between them they heard a great noise in the other side of the meadow like to the sounde of blowes and smiting of swordes vpon harneies as if some armed men had fought togither so that all of them with great haste ranne to the place where they heard the noise to see what the matter was And being come somewhat neere they saw in a little Iland which the riuer with a round turning had made three knights fighting against one And although he defended himselfe valiantly by shewing his approoued strength and courage yet the three knights gaue him so much to do that he was faine to helpe himselfe by all the force and pollicie he could They fought on foote for their horses were tied to little trees that grew thereabouts And now by this time the knight that sought all alone and defended himselfe had laide one of them at his feete with a blowe of his good sword which ended his life But the other two that were very strong and valiant redoubled their force and blowes so thicke on him that he looked for no other thing then death The Shepherdesse Filismena seeing the knight in so great danger and if she did not speedily helpe him that he could not escape with life was not afraide to put hers in ieopardy by doing that which in such a case she thought she was bound to performe wherefore putting a sharpe headed arrowe into her bowe shee saide vnto them Keepe out knights for it is not beseeming men that make account of this name and honour to take aduantage of their enimies with so great oddes And ayming at the sight of one of their helmets she burst it with such force that the arrow running into his eies came out of the other side of his head so that he fell downe dead to the ground When the distressed knight sawe two of his enimies dead he ran vpon the third with such force as if he had but then begun the combat but Felismena helped him out of that trouble by putting another arrow into her bow the which transpiercing his armour she left vnder his left pap and so iustly smot his hart that this knight also followed his two companions When the Shepherds and the knight beheld what Felismena had done and how at two shootes she had killed two such valiant knights they were all in great woonder The knight therefore taking off his helmet and comming vnto her saide How am I able faire Shepherdesse to requite so great a benefite and good turne as I haue receiued at thy hands this day but by acknowledging this debt for euer in my gratefull minde When Felismena beheld the knights face and knew him her sences were so troubled that being in such a traunce she could scarce speake but comming to her-selfe againe she answered him Ah my Don Felix this is not the first debt wherein thou art bound vnto me And I cannot beleeue that thou wilt acknowledge this as thou saiest no more then thou hast done greater then this before Beholde to what a time and ende my fortune and thy forgetnesse hath brought me that she that was woont to be serued of thee in the citie with Tilt and Tourneyes and honoured with many other things whereby thou didst deceiue me or I suffered my selfe to be deceiued doth nowe wander vppe and downe exiled from her natiue countrey and libertie for vsing thus thine owne If this brings thee not into the knowledge of that which thou owest me remember how one whole yeere I serued thee as thy page in the Princesse Cesarinas Court and how I was a solicitor against my selfe without discouering my selfe or my thoughts vnto thee but onley to procure thy remedie and to helpe the greefe which thine made thee feele How many times did I get thee fauours from thy mistresse Celia to the great cost of my teares and greefes all which account but small Don Felix in respect of those dangers had they beene vnsufficient wherein I would haue spent my life for redresse of thy paines which thy iniurious loue affoorded thee And vnlesse thou art weary of the great loue that I haue borne thee consider and weigh with thy selfe the strange effects which the force of loue hath caused me to passe I went out of my natiue countrey and came to serue thee to lament the ill that thou did'st suffer to take vpon me the iniuries and disgraces that I receiued therein and to giue thee any content I cared not to lead the most bitter and painefull life that euer woman liued In the habite of a tender and daintie Ladie I loued thee more then thou canst imagine and in the habite of a base page I serued thee a thing more contrarie to my rest and reputation then I meane now to reherse and yet now in the habite of a poore and simple Shepherdesse I came to do thee this small seruice What remaines then more for me to doe but to sacrifice my life to thy louelesse soule if with the same yet I could giue thee more content and if in lieu
sing and bicause thou art such a friend to wailing and sadnes it were not meete thou shouldst sing at my will and pleasure but to leaue it to thine own But yet let vs tune concord with these Shepherds and aske them what thou shalt sing Thou commest too late to agree and concord with vs now said Syrenus but bicause it pleaseth thee so entreat him to expresse by his song the cause of his sorrow and passions Let him sing what thou wilt saide Diana and what hee will bicause thou maist not say that I neuer knew how to consorme my selfe with thee Then did Firmius take his Rebecke and began to sing in manner following SHepherds giue eare and now be still Vnto my passions and their cause And what they be Since that with such an earnest will And such great signes of friendships lawes You aske it me It is not long since I was whole Nor since I did in euery part Sreewill resigne It is not long since in my sole Possession I did knowe my hart And to be mine It is not long since euen and morrow All pleasure that my hart could finde Was in my power It is not long since greefe and sorrow My louing hart began to binde And to deuoure It is not long since companie I did esteeme a ioy indeede Still to frequent Nor long since solitarily I liu'd and that this life did breede My sole content Desirous I wretched to see But thinking not to see so much As then I sawe Loue made me knowe in what degree His valour and braue force did touch Me with his lawe First he did put no more nor lesse Into my hart then he did view That there did want But when my brest in such excesse Of liuely flames to burne I knew Then were so scant My ioies that now did so abate My selfe estranged euery way From former rest That I did knowe that my estate And that my life was euery day In deathes arrest I put my hand into my side To see what was the cause of this Vnwonted vaine Where I did feele that torments hied By endlesse death to preiudice My life vvith paine Bicause I savve that there did vvant My hart wherein I did delight My deerest hart And he that did the same supplant No iurisdiction had of right To play that part The iudge and robber that remaine Within my soule their cause to trie Are there all one And so the giuer of the paine And he that is condemn'd to die Or I or none To die I care not any way Though without why to die I greeue As I doe see But for bicause I heard her say None die for loue for I beleeue None such there bee Then this thou shalt beleeue by mee Too late and without remedie As did in breefe Anaxarete and thou shalt see The little she did satisfie With after greefe The Shepherdes gaue a diligent eare to Firmius song to see if by the same hee would giue some light of the loue that he did beare to Diana but he was so vigilant to the contrarie that though hee reported the cause of his passion yet they could vnderstand no more then they did at the beginning It was needlesse for the three Shepherdes to know Firmius passion by hearing him sing who wished rather that he had manifested it by words that he might not afterwards denie it or to say better confesse it when any such speech shoulde bee offered thereof For whensoeuer they tolde him of it he spake of it so obscurely that hee neither confessed nor denied that he loued her And so to this intent he finely cloaked with Syrenus that Diana by his meanes should demand the cause of his sorrow thinking with himself that for any thing that might ensue being demanded by her he woulde not deny to manifest it vnto her But if he could haue concealed his loue as well by deedes as he did by wordes the Shepherds might haue beene as wise as at the first for euer knowing it But it fell not out so to Diana who vnderstood well by his last verse that all the rest were onely ment of her for it answered to the latter end of her speech when they both talked so secretly togither And so she made great account of Firmius for his wittie and short answer Euery one commended his singing and Diana as well for this and for that which he sung on the Baggepipe as also for that which he had spoken to Syrenus was somewhat enclined to like him thinking verie well of that which he had sung and spoken Considering besides that the trouble which the Shepherd felt being in her presence was no small cooling carde and a sharpe bridle to his toong For this feare which Diana cleerely perceiued was for her sake she soone tooke away bicause Firmius might be more accepted of her if there were at the lest any thing acceptable or pleasant to one that found her-selfe in so miserable an estate as she was But when the song was ended Diana said she would depart bicause she had staied there a great while and would go seeke out her husband Delius who would not willingly haue beene one moment out of her sight and companie Being determined therefore to depart Syrenus entreated her to take her Baggepipe againe with her if so it pleased her bicause none other should vnwoorthely enioy such a sweete Trophee as Firmius had made of it She tooke it bicause she thought thereby to shewe some especiall fauour to Firmius And taking it from the tree she said vnto it God knowes I do not carrie thee as a meane to ease or mittigate my passion and sorrow my intent being cleane contrarie for though I might seeke some fauour and helpe to sustaine them being so many as they are yet will I not aduantage me with any such remedy but I do take thee with me bicause those Shepherds might not haue an occasiō to blame me for discurtesie When she had spoken this she turned to them and asked them when they would depart who told her in the morning for now they had set all things in good order and durst not stay any longer bicause Felicia about that time would looke for their comming whom they had promised to returne assoone as they had set their flockes in good order and in the custodie of some faithfull Shepherdes Their departure greeued Diana not a little though she woulde not manifest so much but saide Since it is then so the Gods be fauourable vnto you and be your guides They thanked her againe and praied her not to sorget to looke to their affaires as they would be carefull for hers and charged her besides to thinke vpon Firmius and his busines and to supply his wants if in their absence he stoode in need of any thing And that the pleasures and fauours that she did him they would esteeme as much as if she had bestowed them on themselues since hee remained there to keepe and
not fauoured with some remedie I know well faire Shepherdesse pardon me for saying so that reading these ill compacted lines thou wilt be in suspence to know the man that shewes himselfe so much appassionate for thy sake if any such thing occur to thy thoughts demaund it I beseech thee of a hart which thou hast lately got into thy subiection for that shal tell thee so sincere and pure a truth as here by a sencelesse wit simply set down Alas for me that going to visite one wounded with a knife I returned from thence wounded by thy Iuorie hand thou going to comfort a weake man in bodie did'st leaue me wounded in soule Behold therefore if being compassionate with him thou hast not beene cruell to me Thou wilt say perhaps thou didst not thinke any such thing would fall out which I beleeue verie well when as the same did as little fall in the compasse of my thought But yet thou canst not be iustly excused from fault and punishment since no lesse then her that with suspitious and priuie weapons armes her selfe thou art woorthie of both Who then can carrie about her such secret weapons as thou hast done assayling my soule vnarmed then and without defence with such a victorious and wounding hand I will not trouble thee any more with my vnpolished simple reasons vntil the string of my iarring fansies be tuned by thy most soueraigne hande which the immortall Gods defend with their mightie handes as thou maist me with thy milke white hand This letter being short and sententious pleased the Shepherdes verie much But when it was read out Faustus said Behold here good Shephedes the estate wherein I am attending the sentence of my glorious death or happie life written by that incomparable white hand Entreat gentle Shepherdes the Amorous God of loue if your sacrifices be acceptable to him to wound her like my selfe with his golden headed arrow and hide his leaden one from her If the seruants of this little boy enamoured Shepherd said Seluagia may preuaile any thing to obtaine such fauour of him thou shalt be soone deliuered from these passions by the milde entreaties of my Shepherd Syluanus here and of my selfe But it is needlesse to make this Shepherd Syrenus a meane and intercessour for thee bicause he is the most iniurious rebell to loue that dwels in these villages here abouts O Iupiter said Faustus Is it possible that I inioy the thing before mine eies that next to my most soueraigne Shepherdesse I desired to see whose loues haue wearied fame so much in euerie place I was about to aske you who you were and which way you trauelled wherein it onely remaines for you to satisfie my desire since of the first I am not ignorant Although first I would rather aduise thee Syrenus for keeping my promise to Cupid and pray thee besides hauing mature consideration to his inuincible might to follow and obey him and to beware to rebell against his soueraigntie bicause thou maist not say that I haue not warned thee before I thanke thee for thy good will said Syrenus but for thy coūsel I care not Well said Faustus herein I haue discharged my duty thou maist do what thou thinkest best But yet take heed least somtimes hereafter thou beest not punished like my selfe But then Syrenus bicause he would not haue him talke any more of that matter told him whither they went but could not tell him of their returne I am sorrie for that said Faustus bicause at your returne I would willingly goe with you to see the vngratefull Shepherdesse Dians whom I haue heard woonderfully commended for beautie and fine graces and to behold in what hart such forgetfulnes could harbour hoping that if for the great desire I haue to see her I stay here till your returne to accompanie you home thou w◅ not be angrie Syrenus Not I said Syrenus but as I must warne you to take heed so must I tell you that this counsell is better for you then that which you gaue me In these and other speeches they passed the time away vntill the hower of their departure came wherein with profered courtesies and gentle offers on both sides they went euerie one his way With some small force yet went vermillion Apollo shining ouer the face of our old mother when the three Shepherds comming neere to the Iland where they had beene before at their last departure did see a companie of people together and as they came neerer to them knew it was Felicia some of her Nymphes with Don Felix and his Lady Felismena Not a little amazed thereat they staied and perceiued how they came guiding their steps towardes them But they maruelled verie much to see them come so silent and not talking a worde But Felicia being come and the Shepherds hauing in dutifull sort saluted her and the rest asked her the cause of their comming that way and of their vnwoonted silence Whom she answered saying The desire I haue my friendly Shepherds to pleasure Lord Felix and Felismena and the loue I beare to you to giue you all possible content hath mooued me to bring them hither against your comming bicause you might in so delightfull a place as this recreate your mindes altogither The cause of my comming in such silent sort and without any singing of these louers or of my Nymphes is bicause their noise may not depriue both them and you of a sight woorthie the marking which shal by by ensue wherby you shall know that as you your selues are not onely in loue so all alone you do not suffer troubles and sorrowes for your deerest loues And therfore I will you all to follow me as softly as you can The Lady then going vp with her companie along the Spring in the Iland the way which I said before did lead to the pleasant meade where the fountaine of the Laurell trees was came vnawares to the very entrance of it The which Lord Felix and his beloued Ladie not hauing seene that place before imagined it to be some earthly paradise or that they were in the pleasant fieldes of Elysium although they were not suffered to take any other delight therein but only the pleasant view therof with their wandring eies bicause for the strict silence inioyned them with wordes and woorthy praises they durst not extol that place of paradise nor had leaue to demand any thing concerning the same At the entrance of it Felicia sat her downe and all the rest after her who staied there a pretie while not daring almost to breath and sawe no more then the trembling Sunne-beames that with force seemed to passe betweene leafe and leafe amongst the greene trees that grewe neere togither whereupon their thoughts went wandring and musing of many matters and their harts were constrained to bite on the bit of forced patience And faine they would haue changed in their iudgements the pleasure to see that which Felicia promised them to
for the Shepherd was yet sleeping and the old man and the other Shepherdesse were still embracing each other Lord Felix comming to them both said Thou shouldest haue enough noble Lord of these vnfit embracements Whereat Felicia laughed to her-selfe to see how much in their mindes they disdained the Shepherdesse But the old man said Nowe may yee O Gods conclude my many daies with their last period since you haue granted me this vnspeakeable fauour to see my deerest daughter now may yee make an end of my wearied yeeres hauing before mine eies my onely beloued Stela for so was the Shepherdesse called that spake vnto him Stela mine onely hope my ioy and comfort of my life To this end my praiers tended to lengthen my decaying life and to see this ioyfull day This was the white whereat my petitions oblations and sacrifices aymed for prorogation of my death And now let it come when it wil since I haue her in my presence who in despite of death maintaines my life but yet gentle death rather then by any other misfortune that may ensue I might be depriued of her againe come and bereaue me of this common light O my deerest daughter who did take thee away from me for I coulde neuer beleeue that of thine owne accord thou wouldst haue left me without first taking leaue of thy louing father Woe befall to thee false Shepherde that liest there asleepe and an ill end betide thy friend wheresoeuer he be if he hath it not yet already Bende not thy eares O Iupiter saide the Shepherdesse to this cruell petition but rather turne it vpon me a thing more requisite for my miseries and not on them whose goodnes neuer deserued any ill at all I will not consent good Father nor be content to heare them accursed that in all points are so faultlesse Lo Loue she would haue said hath erred if modestie and maidenly shame had not staied her toong in the middest I haue erred or rather my Fortune to speake more truely hath beene to blame by granting me no meanes to take my leaue of thee Felicia who knewe the cause of the Shepherdesse her greefe said Let these excuses now cease And Parisiles forsake thy sadnes since now thou inioyest thine onely desire Who turning to sage Felicia and marking with what graue auctoritie she spake vnto him said vnto her Whosoeuer thou art noble Ladie whether thou dost recken thy selfe in the number of mortall women or art registred in the Catalogue of the immortall Gods for such an one thou seemest to be pardon me if hitherto I haue not done my obliged duetie and reuerence hauing so pitifull and condigne a cause of pardon in euerie thing hereafter I am wholy at thy deuotions and subiect to thy commaund whatsoeuer It is well said Felicia we shall thinke of that hereafter And bicause I will make thee more ioyfull then euer thou thoughtest to be for from him thy comfort shall proceed of whom thou dost most complaine let vs goe to rest vs vnder the shadowes of those Laurell trees neere to the siluer fountaine brincke and that thou maist beleeue my words to be true know that I am Felicia if euer my name hath sounded in thine eares Parisiles then with the Shepherdesses fell downe on their knees to kisse her hands saying Who of all those that honour our immortall Gods is there that is ignorant of the portion which thou hast with them Felicia lifted them all three vp and would not suffer them to do her such honour and taking one of the Shepherdesses by the hand called Crimine said to all the rest Go you my Sonnes to the fountaine and rest you there while I talke with this Shepherdesse and with that Shepherd a word or two And thou my friend Parisiles with thy deere daughter shalt keepe them company and tell them some famous historie or antiquite vntill it be time to go in to dinner Then taking Crimine by the hand she went towards the Shepherd that was yet sleeping all this while and shaking him by the shoulder awaked him said He should sleep but a little that comes as a guard to two faire yoong Shepherdesses Whereat the vnknowen Shepherd awaked and not seeing Stela without making the sage Ladie any answere with a sudden sursault of griefe said O Crimine where is Stela Be not afraid said Felicia for she is not far from hence Thou mightest do better to looke more aduisedly to thy selfe when as but euen now thy temporall slumber had verie neere cast thee into thy last and endlesse sleepe They of whose liues and honours they chose thee their onely ampare had more care to faue thy late endangered person then thou hadst of thy selfe or them And bicause thou maist see vnto what extremitie thy fates had almost brought thee knowe that it is not long since the knife was at thy throate readie to cut it The Shepherd could not imagine what she meant by these words nor what companie that was that sat about the fountaine where turning his eies about to see Stela he espied her but Crimine secretly admonished him to doe his duetie to Felicia who then making low obeisance vnto her craued pardon of her Felicia then told him in order what had passed and how Parisiles forgetting his aged weaknes and ayded by the force of his furie would haue killed him how they would not let him with that that folowed In the end the Shepherd was verie sad when he knew that old Parisiles was there not for feare of him but bicause he now thought to loose his beloued Stela which sage Felicia perceiuing said vnto him Abandon Shepherd these sorrowfull thoughts for all shall redound to thy content and ioy for now thou art in such a place where thou shalt haue no wrong and where thy passed troubles those of thy sweet company deerest friends shall be better ended then thou art able to imagine To all this the Shepherd could yeeld no more but humble thankes though it was not sufficient to comfort him bicause he was absent from a deere friend of his whom he loued more then himselfe and who euer requited him with no lesse loue againe as by manie proofes most often it appeered For well might they two haue been the thirde number annexed to the onely two paire of friends that after so manie thousande yeeres were accounted in the world for the greatest But the Lady Felicia assured him how she would finde out some meanes to haue him thither out of hande At which words he fell downe on his knees and kissed her hands for any thing that she could do the contrarie In these and other speeches they went talking vp and downe a pretie while But God knowes how Crimine was ashamed of her-selfe before Felicia though it was not long for Felilia did remedie that by and by hauing taken her aside to no other ende from the rest of the companie While these three were in these speeches Lord
With gentle words proceeding from a minde Incensed more within then outwardly To his braue termes this speech he did reply Too proud thou hast thy selfe Apollo showen In speaking such vile words vnto my face Such rather I embrace With honour and I vse them not but saying Nothing at all in such a wrongfull case I do such things as like were neuer none Hearke then how I am knowen By word of mouth and how much I am swaying After by deed I will bring thee to obaying Neptune and Ioue and Vulcan I do keepe Vnder my mightie will Few Gods there are that with their skill Do free themselues but vnto me do creepe The Goddesses do weepe To heare my name and yeeld with mere consent Vnto my gouernment And Venus though my louing mother be Cannot escape with partiall libertie What man is he neuer so strong in armes That hath escaped in my amorous field Here bootes not speare nor sheeld Nor Mars his weapons nor his strong defence In vaine he fights whom I will haue to yeeld Learning and wisedome here procure but harmes And flie at my Alarmes And staying do imprint a deeper sence Of louing passions and with more offence Women mine ornament do euer hide What neuer was concealed For flames are hardly vnreuealed The birds and sauage bcastes my hands hath tide Vnto my yoke beside That Nature doth her selfe my chariot follow Then tell me now Apollo If that thou think'st to get such puissance As that with these thou shouldst not come to dance Thou dost reioice bicause these armes are due To thee for killing of that monster fell But harke and I will tell How these belong more iustly to my might Although thy shaft in wounding doth excell It neuer yet but beastes and venison slew Apollo this is true But mine shall wound thy soule both day and night And thou shalt sweare mine is the onely flight So that how much each beast not me In mgiht thou dost exceede And gett'st most glory by this deede So much more famous shall my conquest be But now thy follies see In saying that this quiuer and this bowe Did me dishonor so For thee Apollo better had it beene If with my selfe the same thou hadst not seene Thou saist I nill deserue this ornament Bicause mine eies are blinded with a band And therefore that my hand Must needes shoote false bicause that I am blinde And yet besides I tell thee that they stand Against all reason and intendement Harke now to what intent And how this comes so fitly to my minde Then tell me if thou think'st it out of kinde For any God to burne in feruent loue Of any woman heere That more his greefes and paines appeere The more sheshould from him her liking mooue If blinde such things I prooue And studie to reuenge me with my flight Tell me were it not right Then take good heede since thus my bowe doth kill And makes thy reason subiect to my will This said he would no longer with him stay Nor harken more to answeres nor replies Nor did Apollo care to answere him Esteeming nought his childish wordes and threats But Cupid wounding with his golden wings The loftie aire that burned as he went Without delay he gaines the shadowed top Of mount Parnasse where looking round about He staies and waites the meanes to venge himselfe At pleasure of Apollos proude contempt Wherefore out of his quiuer he doth take Two wounding headed arrowes fatall both In colour diuers and in their effects For th' one procureth loue with burning fire The other hate with cold and frozen ice Golden is that that causeth feruent loue Leaden is that that causeth frozen hate And talking with them both as though they did Conceiue his wordes in this sort he did say Come speedy out my louing friendes And shew your valour and your force so high In you my trust and hope doth lie That you will shew whereon my strength depends Beate downe Apollos pride That heere our honour did deride That he may know how well my words agree With earnest deedes as shortly he shall see Since thou that art so sharpe and tride With kindling fire in each louing brest Thou shalt Apollos hart molest That cruell paines and smartes he may abide And thou that art of bluntie lead Strike thou some womans hart so dead In cruell hate that she shall neuer feele The sense of loue no more then stone or steele Apollo there remained very glad Calling the heauens the elements and beastes The trees the meades the springs the birdes and fish To ioy with him in his renowned spoile And victorie by Pythons death he got For in this sort with ioyfull face he said O heauenly frame Whose course and sweete accents Giue earthly things their life that ar Of natures name You circled elements So contrarie in secret war You beastes that far And neere in earth doe make your dwelling place You birdes that in the skie With hastie wing doe flie You fishes that the christall streames imbrace For my braue deede Come shew your selues content in ioies agreed You shadowed treene An ease of sweete delight And fence from Titans burning heate Faire meades and greene And waters sweete and bright This forrest that with liquours weate Greene Iuies seate That liuest still and dy'st not in thy kinde And wind'st about the tree That still vpholdeth thee For this braue deed Come shew your selues content in ioies agreed Apollo being in this ioyfull moode Behold where comes a fine and tender Nymph And fairer then Aurora in her prime Laden with spoiles she got by hunting late A Nymph endow'd with vertues high and rare The father oft vnto his Daphne saide For so they say this fairest Nymph was call'd And Pene was her aged fathers name Daughter to me thou ow'st a sonne in lawe Daughter to me some nephewes thou dost owe. But with a teint like the Vermillion Rose Bespred vpon her face as white as snowe To see her father would haue wedded her The chastest virgine with her tender armes All Lilly white about the louing necke Of her deere father sweetely then did hang Requesting him that he would giue her leaue To leade her life in spotlesse chastitie And liue therein as she had liu'd before Her louing father graunted her request But yet before to hinder her intent With graue aduise vnto her he did tell How heate of youth and wealth and beauties lure Were contrarie vnto the chastest minde And how that each of them alone is able To worke the tender hart like melted wax How much more easie then when all in one Were found as in faire Daphne they did raigne Yet though she did excell in all these giftes She would not leaue to put her chaste intent In practise and Dianas grace to serue And saying it was true her father spake And said if that she had such cause to vaunt That she was rich and faire and nobly borne That it was tenfold deerer vnto her
how much thy departure greeues me but onely to content and please thee for heere will I staie vntill I know what the immortall Gods will determine with me Scarce coulde my louing brother stande vpon his feete when from mine owne mouth he heard that I was enamoured of the faire damsell bicause he had also no lesse then my selfe as by a strange chance I afterwards knew it yeelded vp to her his loue and libertie But bicause it was either my good or ill happe to manifest my passion first Parthenius dissembled his in lieu that I might carie the guerdon away So that on the oneside he was very glad that one thing offred it selfe whereby I might receiue the first fruits of his true friendship and was sorrie on the other to see that his greefe was remedilesse Which perfect function of amitie I would in very truth haue no lesse performed towards him if he had first opened his loue of her vnto me as afterwards I did though yet for all this I must remaine his debtor But bicause I might not perceiue the great good turne he did me and he by disclosing it haue lost the merite thereof he did not onely dissemble it right-out but by words and demonstration made as if no such matter had beene And albeit he striued with himselfe not to loue Stela yet was he not able to performe it but as I saie hidde it in such sort that it might not be perceiued Whereupon to that which I had saide he answered thus The Gods neuer suffer me to profite nor pleasure my selfe with such a leaue deere brother For thou art my father mother to forsake thee I meane not to seeke them out Let them pardon me whosoeuer they be for since they left me in my infancy perhaps without iust occasion it shal be no part of impietie for me to denie them in their old age being warranted by so iust an excuse Many other friendly speeches passed betweene vs both that wheron we concluded was this To go to the next town bicause itwas late there by som other course if at the least some happie meanes did obuiate our desires to informe vs what that Damsell was thereupon to aduise vs what was best to be done Comming therefore neere vnto a little towne not farre from that place we espied this reuerend old Parisiles almost in the very same robes that he now weares who turned his eies on euerie side to see if he might perceiue her comming for whom it seemed he had long looked and lamented To whom in the end a certaine raunger that a farre off came crossing ouer the lawnes appeared who being come vnto him spake some fewe words togither but what we could not heare for we had hid our selues a prettie way off and fewe they were For by and by the sorrowfull old man with a pitifull outcrie fell into a great swoune The raunger seeing him in such a trance thinking he was dead and fearing least his sudden death as he thought might haue beene laide to his charge ran presently away as fast as euer he could when as we all in vaine called and cryed out alowd vnto him so that for that time we could not know the cause of the good old mans sorrow One thing I haue noted in thy disoourse saide Lord Felix that thou euer with reuerence and humanitie entreatest olde Parisiles who as not long since it seemed would haue killed thee And with great reason answered Delicius to whom I doe not onely wish well because he is Father to faire Stela but honour him for his high deserts But returning to my discourse seeing the ranger would not stay we went to the noble Parisiles who was lying as abouesaid distraught of his sences and perceiuing that he came not to himselfe again we both went to seeke out some water to sprinkle on his face ech of vs going a sundry way to bring it the sooner to him Which when after too long seeking as we thought we could not finde we returned backe againe and before we came to the place where we left him we heard him lamenting in this sort O World false world and like to hell belowe Alake of fi lt hinesse and puddle mud A sea where teares and miseries doe flowe A trauell without ease or hope of good A pit of sorrow and of endlesse woe A region full of brambles thornes and brakes Ameadow full of adders toades and snakes A ceaslesse greefe afalse delight and pleasure Of men that goe on wheeles and dancing scope Of him that counteth thee his trust and treasure And of thy worldlings false and vainest hope A heape of woes that hath no end nor measure A hideous hill of care and dwelling place Of monsters and of paine an endlesse race A poison sweete a hony full of gall A dungeon of despaire a dismall field Of wretchednes of seruitude and all Infections that ten thousand deathes doth yeeld A hell a filth a miserie and thrall A care a greefe a paine a plague a sore A slauerte a death and what is more Many that haue endur'd thy yoke of paine Haue gone about in colours to depaint Thy wicked slightes with which thou still dost traine Distressed soules vnto an endlesse plaint And weeping where my cleerest light is hid There wretched man my life I meane to rid By this lamentation whereunto we gaue an attentiue eare we vnderstood the cause of his complaint That the Woodman belike had told him how Stela flying from Gorphorost had cast her selfe into the riuer but not that which afterwardes succceded We were no lesse glad to heare the newes of that we so much desired to knowe as to giue him good tidings whom it behooued vs to make as much beholding to vs as we could for seruing our owne turnes But as we were now determined to goe and talke with him my brother said Let vs stay for if this be Father to thy new Mistresse it is not best that he should now knowe vs when we our selues knowe not what we haue to doe nor how our matters not yet well commenced will fall out And since he saide he will goe to the riuer there to be the minister of his owne death I thinke it best for vs to follow him and demanding what he seekes and whither he goes to tell him what hath passed which I also thinke best to be done when it is somewhat darke bicause speaking to him then he may not knowe vs another time whereas if it might afterwards auaile vs by knowing vs to be the same men that brought him these good newes we shall not want meanes to tell him that at our owne pleasure We thought this to be good counsell and did therefore put it so well in practise that the good olde man being thereby comforted vp a little went backe againe and in requitall of these good newes offered me that was the teller of them his lodging that night Which courtesie of his
with thankes repaying I made an excuse that I had some busines another way and bad him farewell wherewith I went backe againe to Parthenius and the olde man homeward to his house The next morning for there we passed away the same night we went to the place where Stela had cast her selfe into the riuer attending there her comming foorth and being come foorth to see if we might talke with her But before we came we espied the virgins olde Father walking vp and downe along the riuer bankes And going neerer vnto him to see if he offered to cast himselfe into the riuer we sawe how wearie of walking he sat him downe and then with as lowde a voice as his greefe would giue him leaue heard him in this sort singing to his deerest daughter DAughter that in this deere And christ all riuer hast thy dwelling place With Nymphes O har ken heere To me a little space Parisiles thy wofull fathers case Deny not him thy sight Who euer did for thee himselfe despise The absence of thy light And heauenly shining eies Vnto his soule a bitter death applies Which so consumes his breath That liuing thus his life he doth defie For such a life is death And he would rather die Then leaue to liue without thy companie Ioy now and doe not stay An aged man consum'd with greefe vnlesse That thou wilt haue him say The loue thou didst professe To him was all but fain'd as he may gesse Why dost thou stay so long A wretched soule with comfort to sustaine O come and breake this strong And mourning vale in twaine Of his affliction miserie and paine My soule thou woont'st with glee To heare this voice but either I am not As once I woont to bee Or thou art chang'd I wot Or thy poore father els thou hast forgot But first I pray to God Then such obliuion in thy brest should bee My vitall period May finish not to see My selfe forgot of her that loued mee Come then my hart and cleere Thee of this doubt this fauour let me trie If not this riuer cleere Shall hide me by and by For there with thee I meane to liue or die If the waues of the riuer and the neighbour sea being mooued to ruthe and pitie seemed to stay and the noise of them both with his dolefull voice made gentle and calmed ceased a while that his tender complaints might be the better heard how much more would you haue iudged our harts being wrought with pitie and compassion to be mollified with the amorous plaints wherwith the pitifull old man did cal vpoÌ„ faire Stela For it might be wel vnderstood by his impatience how much he loued her when as he thought euery moment he staied there a thousand yeeres But there passed not much time when the waters being gently opened out of the middes of them rose a faire companie of Nymphes with garlands of diuers colours vpon their yellow haire in the middes of which appeered faire Stela like chaste Diana amongst her gracious quire of Nymphes At whose sight old Parisiles for the incomparable ioy he had to see his desired daughter and we to see our new beloued Mistresse fell all downe to the ground but raised vp againe with the sweetenes of a Set-song a consort of heauenly musick which the Nymphes had made amongst themselues we harkened to that which was sung as followeth PArisiles thy dolefull song and playning Thy piteous sighes and weeping without measure To comfort thee haue made this goodly quire Leaue their aboades and stately seates of pleasure Afflict not then thy selfe but cease thy paining And let thy wearied soule to rest aspire Let plaints begun retire And be in ioy and happy gladnes ended And be not now offended Parisiles or carefull for thy daughter For hither we haue brought her In good estate for thee to see her knowing That more then this to both we all are owing If that the Gods are iust in any wise Then are they bound to helpe those that doe pray To them for helpe and in their seruice liue Then since that you your selues did euer giue To follow them and choose the better way In honouring vs by deede and sacrifice The best we can deuise Of all good turnes that may your loue requite Belongs to you of right Parisiles the Gods in heauen doe knowe In sea and earth belowe Thy things and haue of them a greater care Then thou maist thinke and of thy happy fare For which thing they themselues had first ordeined That Stela the most monstrous Shepheard flying Should cast her selfe into this cleerest riuer For knowing what her fates and stars would giue her Their influence with all their helpe denying By secret meanes her fortune they restrained And such a signe that rained Ouer her head that threat'ned to destroy her And present to annoy her They therefore will she liue within our bowres Vntill these lucklesse howres Doe passe and while this signe and fate expires Vnwoorthy her deserts and high desires The Sonne of Goddesse Cytherea shall Heer after be the cause of her despaire The cruell wounding her with doubtfull loue And so this loue that shall so doubtfull fall Great strife in her and many wars shall moue Not knowing which to choose that is most faire Her brest loues sweete repaire Continu ally shall wauer on two men Inclining now and then Her loue to one then to another straight Poore soule she shall await In this suspence not knowing to define To whether of them both she should incline And thinke not that th' immortall Gods intended To bar these loues that heere I am declaring Nor their successe would euer haue denied For being to a vertuous end applied Either of both they would not haue suspended Alas it is their fate such woes preparing Not one nor other sparing Both for one cause in one loue shall be chained And both alike be pained But yet the Gods shall euer be procuring That Stela then enduring These â—ardest haps shall not with those be placed Whom Fortune alwaies checkes and hath disgraced But thou must comfort thee aboue the rest If of these three the hard and cruell fate Cannot be shunn'd their ioies that must adiourne After these woes Fortune shall make them blest Shewing her face milde and propitiate Gentle and sweete Then shall they cease to mourne Forâ—…e her wheele shall turne Annoyes to ioyes their sighes to sweetest songs Shall turne and all their wrongs Shall cease Their woes their miseries and teares Their sorrowes greefes and feares Shall be one day conuerted into ioy Which neuer after Fortune shall destroy Thy daughter then Parisiles imbrace And so restore her to this place againe The heauens must haue their race Then let them run And cease to mourne in vaine This beuie of faire Nymphes when they had ended their propheticall song came to the riuer side and with a maruellous sweete consent did put into Parisiles armes his welbeloued daughter Betweene whom
sit downe by them It is not for that saide Felicia but for great respect of loue and dutie that he beareth to the yoonger who in her presence could neuer finde in his hart to sit but onely when others were in companie from whom he thought it best to conceale his passions Why is he so sadde saide Seluagia for as I remember and coulde gather by his letter his Shepherdesse could not doe nor say anie thing wherein he tooke not great ioy and contentment I but Fortune hath nowe turned her wheele saide Felicia for then and euer since for the reward of his loue he onely enioyed the presence and sweete company of his Shepherdesse the force from whence his ioyes and comforts sprung but now for some certaine daies he is forced to depart from her which farewell breedeth no lesse his present greese sorrow And that which giues him greater paine is that he knowes not when hee shall see her againe But harke and giue attentiue care for now they command him to sing whereupon they sawe him take his Rebecke out of his scrip and with a playning voice began thus to sing PHillis my faire yoong Shepherdesse That from thee by and by I must depart O heauinesse O that no but woe that I. O from the world that now I might depart Since that I must my ioy forgo thy sight For now I liue too long Then kill my hart Mishap if thou wilt grant me so much right Or fatall sisters now consent That she or I might die I craue it to a good intent O that no but woe that I. Pardon it is not I that doe desire Thy sudden and thy wrongfull death not I. It is my loue my hot and burning fire That made my toong so much to goe awrie And feare it is that mooues my hart And thoughts of iealousie Since thou dost stay and I depart O that no but woe that I. Such iealousies they are not thou must thinke That thou some other loue wilt entertaine For I doe knowe that loue can neuer sinke Into thy brest vnto my cruell paine But iealousie thou wilt forget Heereafter and denie That one did see another yet O that no but woe that I. But if thou dost faire Shepherdesse suspect To burie me in Lethes lake let greefe Before thou shouldst so ill my loue respect Consume my life let death be my relcefe Then thou shouldst thinke but such a thought First faire one let me die Although it shall be deerely bought O that no but woe that I. To rid my selfe from such n cruell paine I would destroy my selfe and purchase rest But then to kill thee I doe feare againe Bicause thou dwellest heere within my brest Doe then a noble deede my life From thence with speede to flie That then I may conclude this strife O that no but woe that I. Bargaine with me let me this fauour craue To leaue my hart that so thy harme doth dread Thy place againe then after thou shalt haue If thou maist come to it when it is dead For if thou once goest foorth I will To death with courage hte And then my vitall powers kill O that no but woe that I. As if it lay within thy handes and powre Sweete Shepherdesse forsake my wofull hart But yet thou canst not goe from thence one howre Neither can I although I would depart Nor yet I would not though I might I say I would not die But yet bicause I loose thy sight O that no but woe that I. If that I am in any thing to thee Gratefull this fauour then of thee I pray Thou wouldst when I am gone remember me And say where is my Shepherd all this day Then would I count my greefe but small If thou wilt not deny This thing or thinke of me at all Woe that no but O that I. Then say but I although it be in iest And neuer meanst thy promise to maintaine Thou shalt thereby procure some little rest Vnto my parting soule which I will faine Little I craue to ease my hart And paines yet let me trie This fauour Then I will depart O that no but woe that I. As he thus made an end of his song they rose vp and the yonger called Phillis made a signe to the Shepherd with her singer to reach her vp her scrip and Sheepehooke that lay on the ground at whose hands though in most dutifull manner he did it she receiued them with no more thankes or shew of courtesie then if one of hir swaines had giuen it her And then with a word or two of the Shepherdesses but with his many teares the mournefull Shepherd tooke his leaue whereat Phillis being mooued to some small sorrowe and to no lesse greefe for his departure tooke out of her scrip a fine little spoone the same perhaps that she her selfe did eate with and gaue it him wherewith the Shepherd did somewhat mitigate his helpelesse sorrow and then they went out of the meadow one way and the Shepherd another Might it not be well done saide Felismena to Felicia to talke with those Shepherdesses before they goe Not now answered Felicia for heereafter you shall knowe all when their due time shall come wherein you shall then take as great delight to see and conuerse with Phillis and Castalius for so is the Shepherd called that was with them as now perhaps some little greefe for their departure whereas besides it is not now so conuenient bicause I knowe we should make them not a little ashamed The Shepherdesses therefore being now gone out they went into the little meadow to the christalline fountaine where in set daunces and sweete songs accompanied with pleasanthistories and gracious speeches they spent the time till Felicia thought it good for them all to goe to the Temple when she came to warne them Who it seemed did neuer awake or take care for any other thing then where and after what maner she might best delight that noble companie Whereupon she caried them sometimes to the goodly plaine before the Temple other times to another pleasant meadow neere to the wood and sometimes to the Laurell fountaine Truth it is that to haue all possible ioy Don Felix and his faire Lady Felismena Syluanus and his louing Shepherdesse Seluagia needed not to seeke it out in exteriour things since their inwarde ioy to see themselues all fower with mutuall affection so happily beloued was so great that all others in respect of this were but meere shewes and shadowes Syrenus tooke a singular pleasure to beholde the contentment of them all whom so vnfainedly he loued The Nymphes not onely procured it for themselues but to delight them all in generall And Parisiles his anger being now past with that which Felicia had told him and shaking off his former sadnes by enioying the presence of his daughter was no lesse ioyfull then the rest But Stela and Crimine were in suspence betweene solace and sorrow comfort and care being cheered on
my cheefest intent was to see Parthenius and not to helpe him which to get the good will of both was no good way at all I coulde giue thee other reasons faire Nymph but let this suffice But returning to that I was telling when I asked for Parthenius Delicius saide he was gone to Gorphorost and tolde me of the new friendship lately begun between them both whereof though I was somewhat afraide yet I could not thoose but thinke well of his policie to tary the safer and longer time in those parts I would haue stayed for him vntill he had come to haue counselled him how he might haue conuersed and behaued himselfe with that fierce Shepherd But I must needs go bicause Delicius told me that he would not come so soone againe for that Gorphorost was determined to shewe him the Iland and the Caue where he dwelt The next day before our accustomed hower chalenging Stela for her promise I carried her with me to the wonted place the which a Nymph to whose lot it befell that day watched as I said to see if any danger was at hand We going on therefore that way and Stela seeing the shadowes to be but narrow said We go too soone for the Shepherds be not yet come and admit they were it is not decent nor conuenient for vs to go before our accustomed howers bicause they might not thinke that being so desirous to see them we preuented our wonted time If therefore friend thou thinkest good let vs goe into the thickest of the forrest here to walke vnder the shades while it is fitter time to go I told her I was content bad her leade the way But going in this sort from tree to tree we might perceiue in the tender barke of a great and tall ashe from as high as a man of more then a meane stature might reach from the ground certaine verses written verie small and close togither and comming to the same to see what they were I began to read them as followeth SInce all my fortunes are so ouerthwart And so vnequall to my iust pretence That where dame Nature Mistresse of her art Did make an end to frame each beauties part There all my ils and sorrowes did commence Auguish and woes fierce torments griefe and paine With their braue force my soule doe ouerrunne That they doe worke it to their onely vaine As blustring windes vpon the cloudes and raine Or as the snowe that meltes before the sunne And then since that my wet and wearied eies Were woont to be enuious once to see Bicause they sawe the seate where nature lies With all her treasures and the chiefest prize Of beautie that in all the world might be Now shall they onely seeke and wish this hire Continually in bitternes to weepe Now shall they burne in swelling teares like fire And now in lieu of seeing that desire My cheekes in them shall neuer cease to sleepe Since th' absence of the Nymph I loue so much Hath deyn'd to beare me company of late Then needes my life must languish and be such That greefes and sorrowes will not also grutch To follow absence as their chiefest mate And since my Star is hid and gone away Whereby my life and senses I did guide I cannot choose but erre and goe astray And liue in senselesse darknes euery day Finding no light wherein I may abide And now exiled shall my body flie Since hard mishap the same did so oppresse But yet my soule shall euermore be nie And shall be neuer absent though I die From the sweete body of my Shepherdesse And so if that my vitall powers quaile Or bodie die by wandring heere and there Impossible it is my soule should faile Or death or danger should the same assaile Accompanying her body any where My soule for euer doth in her remaine My body but for absence doth lament That though my wretched body now is faine To wander heere yet doth my loue restraine My soule to stay that neuer would consent Then miserable body once begin This sorrowfull departure with no wonder To feele with paine and greefe And neuer lin To waile the cruell torments thou art in With soule and body parting thus asunder You shall my drenched eies no lesse then this Feele this great miserie that greeues me soe Your companie heere shall not be amisse Since that you were the onely fault ywisse Of all my troubles and tormenting woe Then seas of teares begin to drowne your marge And weepe for your attempt so rashly done Let weeping be your office and your charge And care no more to looke so much at large Let it suffice you sawe another sunne The intellectuall and inward eies Shall onely haue this charge and care to see And you my corporall with mournefull cries Bewaile my harmes in which no comfort lies Onely to you this office I decree And those which are impassible at all Shall see at length and in succeeding time Impossible and strange things to befall And you as passible heerafter shall Weary your selues by meanes of such a crime For you they shall with double sight behold That shining blaze that braue and glorious sight Without the feare of hurt and shall be bold With great delight their senses to vnfold On that which did your lookes with harme requite They shall behold that now I am and was Condemn'd without the course of iustice lore For if I did offend to loue her as My selfe then I confesse this fault did passe To make me suffer what I can no more And of this thing I meane not to repent For happen will what happen shall to prooue Each amorous torment I am well content And with good will with meere and franke consent I yeeld vnto the harme that comes of loue In louing her I doe all what I may Though to my minde it falleth out amisse I promise to forget her euery way And that my loue for euer shall decay If she would leaue to be what now she is Alas she cannot leaue to be the same A thing it is her minde that well doth please Hauing no peere in cruell beauties fame Nor I cannot but still maintaine this flame Nor t' is a thing conuenient for mine ease And if she said to me with little loue That it were best for me to hate and scorne And should finde ease if I began to prooue The same I answere that it doth behooue Me still to choose the worse to worser borne My piteous wordes she did condemne with fell And angry lookes for telling her mine ill Infernall greefe and to my soule a hell That with such crueltie she should repell Me so bicause I did obey her will She bid me tell her O accursed day If that my torments were for her or no And if I lou'd her so as I did say She did commaund Alas I did obay Why angry then if she will haue it so Weepe eies of earth O weepe and weepe no more My miserie and
whether it doth tend Eies of my soule behold and then deplore My wretched state what I was once before And what I am and what must be my end O wofull life O poore afflicted hart Tell me poore soule how canst thou not but faile In Passions of such torments paine and smart With such a thought how dost thou not depart And perish when no succour can preuaile O haplesse louer wretched and forgot Though happy once and happy but of late To day thou diest but yet thy loue cannot To day thy greefes begin their gordian knot To day thy ioy doth end and happy state To day thy woes and sorrowes doe appeere To day thy sadnes and thy paines are knowen To day thy sweete content doth finish heere To day thy dismall death approcheth neere To day thy firmest loue and faith is knowen What doe you now mine eies what doe you rest Let out your flouds whose streames in greefe doe swell For it may be you may within my brest Quench out this burning flame or at the lest Coole this great heate that burnes like Mongibelle But woe is me I striue but all in vaine Against the streame For golden Tagus streames Nor Duerus floud nor Iberus againe Can quench this heate or mitigate the paine How then my teares Alas these are but dreames And in such sort bicause it doth hoffend My hart that burnes like to the smithie flame For it doth more increase and doth extend And more it doth with sparkling flames incend The more that water 's cast vpon the same And now since want of hedgrow faileth me And that I feele increase not want of paine I thinke it best for me to goe and see If I can finde some other hedge or tree To write that there which this cannot containe With the taste of this sorrowfull song I will now leaue of which me thinkes is of great substaunce whether the affection I beare the Shepherde that wrote it makes me thinke so for by the wordes thereof you may vnderstand it was written by Delicius or that then the reading and now the recitall of it whereby the miserable estate of the poore youth was then and now represented vnto me doth make me iudge it to be no lesse I know not Assuring you that then for a little I woulde not haue made an ende to read it out though I had sought it in euery place if the teares which fell so fast from mine eies to see the greefe of so faire and vnfortunate a yoong Shepherd had not let me Tell me no such thing saide Lord Felix for if I thought thou hadst not as well read the other which he saide he went to write in another tree I would intreat thee to recite this once againe but we shall haue time enough if it please the Gods to heare out the rest But what will you say said Crimine if I should tell you that we neuer remembred to seeke out the other Therein I beleeue thee not answered Lord Felix for so smal care should not me thinks befall in women of so great respect and in thee especially who didst loue him with such tender care and affection Not to deceiue thee therefore nor thy imagination saide Crimine know Lord Felix that we sought and found it out O how hast thou reioiced my hart saide Felismena but take heede heereafter Crimine what thou sayest and if wee shall continue friendes I praie thee mocke vs no more in this sort for thou hadst not a little troubled my minde by making mee beleeue that thou hadst not sought it out But state yet saide Doria for I am not of your opinion that she shoulde recite this other song so soone as you woulde haue her Why saide Lord Felix Bicause I woulde first knowe saide Doria if it be such an one as the last for if it be not she did well to leaue of her tale at such a point for it is not the condition of my palate to remaine with an ill taste when it hath once a good one Verie true said Felismena What answerest thou therefore Crimine to this I haue not perhaps the same taste said I that she hath so that it may be that what is sweete to her may seeme bitter to me or contrarie for in tastes there is no small difference But for my selfe I can say that the rest to come pleaseth me no lesse then that which is past Then by this reason said Lord Felix thou maist tel it which I beleeue thou wilt not otherwise choose to do with the condition that Doria alleaged vnto thee Since you haue faire Ladies saide Polydora staide your selues more then I would in questions and answers I will also propound mine Of which I dare lay a wager you will confesse that one of them wil seeme better to you then all the rest And for this I wil not cal any other to be iudges but your selues and in faith not to appeale in any time from the sentence giuen Thou takest much vpon thee said Felismena and more leauing it in the arbitrement of these that be contrarie to thee Nay rather little said Polydora for I know well that for your credits you dare not but pronounce it in my fauour Tell it then to trie said Lord Felix You all take vpon you said Polydora not meanely to be in loue and praysing not without good cause the song and hauing heard Crimine confesse that she could not make an end to read it for pitie she had of Delicius what is the reason that you haue not asked any thing what he did or what Stela felt or what impression it made in her These are questions more woorthe the asking of louers then to bee so precise in demaunding if it were written or not and if shee sawe the other or not It would haue greeued mee being no louer if she had not beene condolent for him who was put in such anxieties and you that affirme it to be so seeme not to be sorrowfull for this passion whereby it seemes you haue no desire to helpe him with so much as a worde Polydora gaue them all great delight with her friendly anger which shee shewed in iest of whom there was not anie that thought not but that she was in good earnest if in the ende she had not laughed Then all with one voice saide that the verdict should passe on her side Euery one holding their peace to see what Crimine would answer to it she began thus to saie Thou hast so highly considered the matter Polydora that if thy demand had come ioyntly with the quesions of these Gentlemen I would to haue satisfied thine with pardon be it spoken haue left theirs vnanswered And truely if loue had not required of Stela a narrow account of the hardnes of her hart then thine also had beene without an answer bicause I thinke you would not giue any credite to my speeches not seeming a possible thing that where all vertues are laid vp pitie
should there be wanting in whom I assure you was no more shewe of mercie then signe of heat in snow Whereat if I tooke any greefe wishing the Shepherd so much good for the reason that I haue alleadged thou maiest faire Nymph coniecture But I promise you now that I haue no occasion to complaine for loue hath as well paied me for the offence which then by her crueltie she gaue me that I may iustly complaine of too great pitie which she vsed towards him since being such it hath beene too cruell for me in this behalfe And for this time I will cease as well for that I wearie my selfe and you as also for that Felicia and the rest come in very good time who comming neere vnto them Felismena saide Lay thy hand of punishment vpon me Lady Felicia for I confesse I deserue it affirming that thy comming hath made me sorie hereof I know well who is in fault The same all the rest said Say you so said Felicia Then I sweare to morrow you shall be all punished for it With this they went to supper and to rest If I should set downe in order the braue daunces and songs that after supper were plaied and sung it would be an endlesse peece of worke The end of the fourth booke The fifth Booke of the second Part of Diana of George of Montemayor THe next day in the morning the three Nymphes that were rescued by the Shepherdes being there when the Sauages ranne vpon them desirous to giue them all the pleasure and contentment they could tolde them all what Crimine had discoursed vnto them before euen vnto that very point where Crimine by Felicias and their comming was interrupted which made Syrenus to say Did Felismena then say it grieued her for this bicause Felicia came Not for any other thing saide the Nymphes God neuer helpe me said Seluagia if euer I goe one foote from Crimine before she haue made an end of her historie and I hope Syluanus and Syrenus will doe the like We meane no lesse said they Dinner being done Lord Felix Felismena and the Nymphes desirous to knowe the rest of that which Crimine had begun the day before consulted togither to get her out of the companie she was in Which sage Felicia perceiuing and what they went about bad Lord Felix be content and told them that she would doe the best to fulfill their desires A little while after she went from thence to passe away the time with Parisiles and Crimine and left Stela with them all to tell out the rest bicause Crimine could not tell that which followed so well as Stela whereof Felicia informed Lord Felix When dinner was done Delicius went as he was woont to walke vp and downe in the woods spending those miserable daies in sorrowfull thoughts and teares So that Felicia Parisiles and Crimine being gone Lord Felix Felismena the Nymphes and the Shepherdes remained with faire Stela to whome Felismena began thus to say From that very instant most excellent virgine when first thou didst discouer to vs thy vermillion and snow white face we cleerely knew that for singular beautie thou didst get the prize and honour amongst the fairest wheresoeuer and till yesterday that Crimine shewed the hardnes of thy hart we had not knowen that thy exceeding crueltie deserued the palme and victorie amongst all mortall women Renowned Ladie said Stela cutting her off I thinke it will not greeue thee if I answere thy needelesse wordes after a rude sort since thou wilt giue me that but in wordes which thou hast deserued in deede I speake it concerning thy more rare beautie For as for being cruell I denie not but that I haue deserued a reward though I am now more worthie of a greater for being on the contrarie so pitifull as thou seest Thereof said Felismena we know the first and of the seconde being ignorant doe vs therefore the fauour to rid vs out of this false opinion of thee All of them with one voice likewise charged her with the same demaund For many respects said Stela I cannot woorthy companie denie your earnest requests for one bicause I was commaunded thereunto by sage Felicia to whom I owe all obedience and respect of dutie for another to fulfill your commaunds which I will not disobey and for the third bicause I take a pleasure in recounting mine owne passions to trie if with the greefe which I shall haue in telling them death will deliuer me once from them which though for this respect I chiefly desire yet life is pleasant to me onely for no more but to enioy the sight of my yoong Shepherdes to whom mine honour reserued I haue sacrificed my deerest libertie Other reasons I omit that mooue me to satisfie your mindes And now bicause you are informed to that point where my deere friend Crimine left from that I will take my beginning and proceede vnto the present estate that we are now in aduising you by the way that I durst neuer open my mouth with such boldnes to tell you of my loues if of mine owne part there had euer beene the lest staine or thought of impuritie in them The which thing affirmed as well by Crimine as by that which I will rehearse shall soone appeere And as I will also tell you which my companion could not but that which she did openly see what I did and spake with my selfe alone so cannot I report vnto you what she or the Shepherdes did or spake when they were by themselues alone And if I shall tell you any thing that I haue not seene it shall be after their owne report to me Giue eare therefore for now I begin CRimine could scarce pronounce the words of the song written in the tree and recited by her for pitie of Delicius which we knew well by the tenor of it to be his for if they had held out longer she could not haue made an end of them but hauing read them she said Woe is me how different are they in mind that are so like in face for now you know how Crimine died for the loue of Parthenius and how she had told me it Delicius burnes in loue and Parthenius is cold in the same Me thinks it were good that both of them should loue like faithfull companions or that Stela and I like good friends should hate O Stela thou mightest well agree with Parthenius who in condition of cruelty is so like vnto thee and shouldest forsake Delicius so like to me I assure you Gentlemen that the pitifull verses that Delicius wrote in the tree penetrated deepely into my soule but the words that were fixed in Crimines sorrowful breast mooued me without comparison to more ruth The perswasions that Crimine oftentimes vsed to me to induce me to loue Delicius were of great force but this last was so strong that it wrought more effectually with me then al the rest Delicius his singular parts and
leese his hew and vigour quite Where hope begins to faile and to decay If musing all alone by chaunce I stay Vpon my greefe that smallest ioy denies And see some spring or fountaine in the way I flie and softly to my selfe I say Let that suffice that runneth fro mine eies And if in taking some poore little pleasure If pleasure in a haplesse state I take And view the greene the countries hope and treasure I flie and say that hope of death must measure My minde with ioy that doth my pleasures make According to my life in great disgrace And miseries euen from my mothers wombe I thinke and as I am in such a case That if I follow death with happie pace Death will not yet vnto my succour come I thinke sometimes alas weake is my might To giue my selfe some comfort and some rest But they doe flie from me by day and night In me poore wretch they can take no delight And so my paines doe double in my brest It wearies me for greefe doth euer range To be so long together in a place Yet my vnwearied greefes doe neuer change Their place but still my seldome ioies in strange And cruell manner from my breâ—… doe chace Heere stay my song and tell the world my smart And let this tree with thee haue neuer end For with me shall my haunting greefe depart For it will neuer leaue my wofull hart Like to a trustic good and faithfull friend Lord Felix as soone as Stela had made an ende of the song turned him to Polydora saying Art thou now satisfied So much said she that for a little I would not sticke to say that it is better then the first But knowest thou what I thinke of it said Syrenus That the first is finer pretier this more sententious witty with this I am pleased and it came finely in when he said very wel that first the ill came to him before any good since without widow-hood he suffered like griefe to the Turtle Doue for he esteemed it but a meane sorrow to be a widower bicause it was a signe of sometime enioying the thing he loued But it seemed a most greeuous thing vnto him not hauing at any time the possession of the thing he loued to be depriued of it Truely said Felismena thou art much beholding to him Stela being so hard vnto him as thou wert to cleere thee of all fault and that none might be laid vpon thee he said Thou wert not cruell onely attributing his disgrace to his ill fortune But in one thing said Doria he shewed his infinite loue more then in any thing else when he said he rested not in any place I might well haue noted something said Syluanus but that I would not hinder so pleasant a discourse Tell on therefore faire Stela as the Gods graunt thee thine owne desires Hauing made an end of reading this that was in the Sicamour said Stela prosecuting her tale neither of vs could speake for a good while Crimine for pitie and I for greefe But afterwards Crimine said Dost thou thinke Stela that I had not reason to helpe thy great need What had become now of Delicius if thy rigour and hardnes had lasted till this time That which is now I answered and if any other thing had happened I would not haue greatly cared Say not so said Crimine for therein thou dost offend thy self After this we went to the accustomed place to the Shepherdes bicause we thought it was no time And being there in their sweete and gracious company my companion said I am euer when I am with you my friendly Shepherds not a little troubled in minde They asked why so Bicause to know you distinctly saide she some outward token and signe must be apparant whereby I may know how to make a difference betweene you whereas otherwise I am as much deceiued and know as little as they that haue frequented your companie lesse then I for if I turne but my head I returne to the selfe same doubt if happily in the meane time you haue chaunged places For the cleering whereof and for the friendship that is betweene vs I pray thee Stela giue one of them a token whereby we may know how to be assured of either of them and not need to be troubled any more with this doubt If thou hast then so great a desire said I what needest thou require this at my hands but that thou maist do it as well as I. Thou knowest now said Crimine that it was first demanded of thee and if it had not beene it might suffice that I request it againe of thee I deny not this said I but assure thee that of this great likenes and deceit which troubles thy minde so much I take great pleasure And it was so indeed for as I loued them in equall sort so my desire was to haue them not onely like in their exteriour shewes but all one in their interiour soules I say as touching my selfe so that I knew it bicause I was then far from knowing the loue that Parthenius did secretly beare me and not onely desired as I said to haue them still like to one another but that in truth they had beene both one It must not euer be to thy liking said Crimine for it must sometimes please mine a little Let it be as thou wilt saide I and choose since it makes so much for thee Good Lord saide Crimine how frowarde art thou Stela Heereaster I will not request thee to doe any thing I will be gone and tarie thou heere if thou wilt if not doe what thou wilt for I knowe not nowe to what ende it will come Staie staie saide I Goe not away and bee not so angrie for all shall bee done to thine owne desire In faith if it were not for these yoong Shepherdes sakes saide Crimine I thinke thou shouldest see me no more heere If then the matter be so said I harke but one worde that I shall say vnto thee and taking her aside I saide vnto her I would not by any meanes in the world giue more fauour to one then to the other by giuing one a signe and the other none lest his wings to whom I giue it growe bigger then the others Thou must therefore either giue me some time to thinke of it or else counsell me how I must doe it The wings to serue thee she answered are now growen in Delicius so that to him onely thou maiest giue thy fauour for as Parthenius will not care for it so much at thy handes so it likes me best that thou giuest him none at all Crimine thought not by speaking these wordes that she did cut me to the very hart but God knowes how much I felt them yet dissembling the matter the best I could I answered Though it likes thee not yet will I giue to Parthenius his difference as well as thy selfe and I was not then in iest
knowe is not vaine The God Hymen not beeing hatefull to mee I coulde perhappes submit my selfe to this onely fault But I beseech the Gods the earth may first swallowe mee vp and Iupiter with his thunderbolt smite me to the mournfull shades of Acheron and perpetuall night before I violate thee O chastitie or breake thy holy bondes The chaste minde that euer I haue borne shall accompanie me to my graue But I know it offends me not by thinking to which of both I shoulde encline if my firme intent should turn to any side which of them both excels the other in disposition feature and beautie to loue the one more for that and forsake the other for this I cannot discerne who are so like that if they themselues beheld one another they could not knowe the one from the other Great is the goodnes of Parthenius for euen to the hazard of his life he offered it for safetie of his friend What wittie and readie answeres for Delicius What wisedome to make my companion helpe his and me not to forsake him and that fierce Gorphorost might not hurt him Parthenius in the end deserued well my loue but yet I thinke he goes not beyond Delicius who needed not the fauour of his brother to helpe him and could no doubt haue done no lesse then he And though he neuer had occasion to shew the sharpnes of his wit his pithie wordes and wittie answeres from the which he was cut off from the very beginning yet how cleerely by all his sweete songs and ditties that he made did he manifest it What verses did he carue in the tree or rather in my hart how modest by refraining not to offend me to speake of that which concerned him most O God and what great reason haue I then to loue him But who beleeues not that Parthenius if he had also loued me would not haue done as much Alas then for me to whether of them shall I incline Must Delicius be despised bicause he loues me and for desiring so much my loue againe Must I consent that he die bicause he desireth to liue with me Must he be guerdoned with vnworthy death for so high a desert of his great loue O haplesse Delicius I would I had neuer seene thee or thou not cast thine eies vpon me Thou well deseruest my loue if I had not vowed chastitie and if my importunate destinies had not threatened me with marriage But must Parthenius be reiected bicause he loues me not as Delicius doth For this he is more woorthie to be admitted into my loue It imports but little that he loue mee not so I loue him that hath so many good parts in him woorthy to be beloued That which most of all forceth me to his loue is that I cannot suffer with patience that Crimine should loue him But whither do I range in these wandring thoughts what need I take such care for them after so many whom I haue despised Why doe I thus torment my selfe Their beautie mooues me not and yet the same might well do it who are but yet boies They themselues mooue me not but their yong and flourishing youth But let them go hence in a good hower now that of mine owne free will I haue counselled them and the rather since marriage is denied mee Let them go and seeke forth some other loues since none that are wise will reiect them But alas for me this leaue is too harde With these last words not able to passe on further though many other things remained still in my minde I held my peace my toong was silent but my hart did still speake And with these and like wordes and praises poore soule without knowing what I did and rude in such affaires I loued without the sence of loue I conceiued the fire without seeing it and nourished a wound in my vaines without feeling it Three or fower daies passed in the which we went not to the Shepherds bicause Crimine came not foorth for seeing herselfe disdained of Parthenius she endeuoured to forget him by her absence which kindled her fire the more So that I would haue beene now glad that Parthenius had loued Crimine in lieu of seeing him and Delicius For the which I many times importuned her that we might go see them by putting her in mind of the hope that Delicius had giuen her but for all this she forced herselfe not to come before him There remained now but two daies to come of the time prefixed for Parthenius departure when not able to endure so long an absence I spake thus vnto her It might not a little reioice me deere sister if we went to see the Shepherds bicause I promised to speake with Parthenius before he went Crimine desiring the same no lesse then I as I imagined answered me saying Thou maiest go good friend although I will not denie that I desire to see mine enimie But this haplesse loue is so cruell that I cannot choose in the end but tell thee the truth that my going this time will auaile me as little I know as other times before Behold thou canst not tell Crimine saide I what Delicius hath done for thee in recompence of the good turne he owes thee for the promise he made thee and if this were not so remember that certaine daies past my selfe hauing lesse occasion and will to go yet onely to content thee I went thither So that thou art bounde now to performe my request when I was then so willing to do thy command Thou hast ouercommed saide she I will nor cannot gainsay thy forcible reasons Whereupon we went to the Shepherds whom when I espied gone aside for on purpose they were talking very earnestly togither I saide to my companion They should now talke of some great matters and it may bee Delicius is talking about thy affaires Nay about thine answered she againe And it was true indeed For both of them were in counsell togither as afterwards we knew it Being come to the Shepherds we found such an alteration in them that it seemed very strange to vs. What will you more but that Delicius seemed to haue changed the loue that he did beare me to bestow it on Crimine when he had greatest reason to loue me Who at the last time when I spake to him got more of me then euer he did before I coulde not by any meanes know the cause of this sudden change Truth it is that as I had perceiued Delicius loue to Crimine to be but colde as that I also held him for such an one who would not change without great occasion and not able to coniecture it by any fault of mine owne I haue suspected and Crimine thinkes no lesse but that Delicius by some waies should know of Parthenius secret loue to me and by sayning that he had forgot mee it was to giue place to his deere friend in my loue Which if it be so as we beleeue
no wight deserues to knowe For into seas infinite With small barke it were to goe And that labyrinth sans light Wherein Theseus they did throwe I not hauing in this plight Threed as he his guide from woe I will onely sing and write How in happines I flowe That thy seruant I doe hight Praising Fortune and Loues bowe Thanking him that so did smite She bicause she was not slowe In her throne my paines to quite Loue for like a friendly foe Wounding thee with golden flight And for shooting many moe Into my soule whose paines shal seeme but slight If with thy grace their woūds thou wilt requite Sagastes would haue the dittie make mention of this last point bicause as Marthea gaue him to vnderstand no lesse so he beleeued not any thing to the contrarie This song being ended he began to doe that he promised which was to praise God Cupid and Fortune with so great delight of the hearers as the end of the first had taken it away from them But their beginning as it was told me was not without the vnpleasant iarring of their discording instruments I beleeue it well said Lord Felix that this discord was not any whit pleasant to them there when the recitall thereof heere is displeasant to mine eares and therefore I pray thee without any more circumstances tell vs what was sung besides for I doe greatly desire to heare how he praised Fortune an apter subiect of blame then fit to be praised If it be your pleasures said Placindus giue eare to my words and note the meaning of it for this is the song HE that doth Fortune blame And of God Cupid speaketh ill Full little knowes he that his will Is subiect to the same And that he doth procure his proper shame Held for a foole and one of simple skill Who speakes he knowes not what Is thought to be a very Sot For good of them who speaketh not And I suspect that that Same simple one doth lay a formall plat To be reputed for an Idiot He knowes not Fortunes might Nor knowes the mightie God of Loue She rules beneath and he aboue For she doth sit by right Amongst the Goddesses with shining light And he amongst the Gods his might doth prooue The Boy I will omit Since that his great and mighty name Giues him great praise and woorthy fame Being who knowes not it The God of Loue whose praise I will forgit To sing of Fortune that most noble dame The foole on Fortune railes Bicause she neuer doth repose The first and highest sphere and those Adioyning neuer failes In that which all the world so much auailes I meane in motions which they neuer lose In their perpetuall course Their essence and foundation lies And in their motions neuer dies Our life from them their source Doth take and vnto death should haue recourse And cease if they should cease to mooue the skies They vse to paint her blinde Bicause the highest and the lowe She reares and after downe doth throwe Respecting not the kinde Of persons nor the merits of the minde The King she doth not from the Collier knowe Fortune heerein they take For agreat Goddesse and with right For Goddesses doe not requite With partiall hand and makes No difference of persons for their sakes And partially doe neuer vse their might They call her also mad Bicause her works they doe not knowe Nor any path where she doth goe But all her waies so bad That to exempt themselues they would be glad From them for feare of their ensuing woe But such are made indeede That make a reason so vnfit For when did euer humane wit Knowe what the Gods decreed Or how they meant with power to proceede Or their intents which men could neuer hit t fitteth not my song o deigne to answere with direction en of such wit and small perfection hat offer her such wrong For Fortune doth onely to those belong That haue the vse of reason and election The Ancient otherwise Did thinke for they did make of her A Goddesse and they did not erre To whom sweete sacrifice And temples in her name they did deuise As in their bookes they doe no lesse auerre When this song in the praise of Fortune was ended then in dispraise of time for now as I tolde you the answere of his marriage was deferred for one moneth and euery short hower seemed a long yeere vnto him he sung this Sonnet But I will goe on with my discourse and will not tell it you bicause I shall but trouble you I thinke with recitall of it as it hath done me by seeing it so imperfect and not ended In faith thou art too extreme in thy opinions said Lord Felix and though I had diuers occasions offered me to aske thee many questions yet I haue held my peace vnto the end bicause thou mightest proceede without interruption and it seemes of purpose thou seekest many digressions to depriue vs of that wherein we take no small delight Then doe vs so great a pleasure as to tell vs the song that was begun and why it was not ended and heere we will endeuour if we can to supplie the wants of it Since you offer me so faire said Placindus I will tell it you but I thinke it will be somewhat hard for you Then lend a patient eare to the vnhappie Sonnet which I thinke will not please you so well ALl you that haue vnwoorthily complained Of Loue and Fortune each a mighty powre On Time that doth your sweete contents deuowre Turne them For more heereby is to be gained For time is false For if content vnfained It giueth thee it passeth in an howre But still it staies if it begins to lowre It comes not wisht for nor doth stay obtained Time hath no friend in any thing created For euery thing it wasteth and consumeth And doth not spare so much as any body c. The Boy was yet redoubling the foote of the last verse when Beldanisus who serued Marthea came suddenly vpon Sagastes and marred all the musicke hauing left his brother and three of his cosins in reareward to helpe him if any came foorth in Sagastes defence Disteus that now c. Stay a little said Lord Felix for it shall not be amisse with leau of this good company that I cut off the thread of this discourse when as so often it hath beene broken off And before I forget it declare vnto me but halfe of one of those verses aboue that begins thus It fittteth not my song c. The meaning whereof I doe not vnderstand no more then the words To answer your demaund Lord Felix said Placindus it is requisite I had beene brought vp in the Academies of the Grecian Philosophers and as it is in prouerbe in the Peripateticke schooles But since you will so faine knowe the exposition of it I will shew it you written with his owne hand that made the verses who at my request did it
and I carrie it alwaies about me bicause I like it well And heere it is But will you heare me reade it vnto you or reade it your selfe Thou hast wisely asked me this question said Lord Felix for of this point I haue seene diuers good conceites and from whence the cause proceedes I knowe not but let it goe For of conceites and opinions they say there is no disputing But I take more pleasure to reade it my selfe to stay and studie vpon that which likes me best and to vnderstand it the better Read it therefore aloude said Placindus that euerie one may vnderstand it and that I may tell you when you must leaue I read it said Lord Felix and therefore giue attentiue eare for thus it saith It fitteth not my song To deigne to answer with direction Men of such wit and small perfection That offer her such wrong For Fortune doth onely to those belong That haue the vse of reason and election For declaration whereof we must presuppose the learning and opinions of the Peripatetickes That Fortune is an accidentall cause which doth seldome happen and comes onely to them that worke by election ordained to some end It woulde be too long a labour to expound euery particular part heereof and tell how it is vnderstood and if it be distinguished from the fower causes which the Philosophers doe assigne and if it be not distinguished bicause then there should be fiue to which of the fower it is reduced and what difference there is betweene Chaunce Fortune and Fate and many other things touching this subiect But to fulfill our purpose it sufficeth to vnderstand That if one did dig or turne vp the ground to sowe or burie some thing and digging did finde some treasure this digging should be termed Fortunate which was the cause of finding the treasure And it is called the Accidentall cause bicause that digging was not ordained to finde treasure but to burie a dead thing For if it had beene knowne that it was there and he had digged to that end it could not be termed Fortune It came to one that vsed election for it lay in his choice to digge which he might haue left vndone if he would considering besides howe finding of treasure doth seldome happen It must be called good Fortune if the effect be good as finding of treasure ill if the effect be naught as when he found treasure he found a viper that bit him It may be called great if the effect be great little if the effect be little Whereupon it may begathered for our purpose or intent for they vse all in one signification for this present disputation that it may be called Fortune So that in fooles and children that haue no reason there is no Fortune Whereupon you shall vnderstand that if the stone whereof they make the aulters or the woode whereof they make the statues of the Gods they poetically call Fortunate it is by a figure called Metaphora or likenes that those stones and woode hath in respect of others with fortunate men and those which are not But there is one thing to be noted that insensible things participate of Fortune passiuely as obiects by meanes whereof men are fortunate Giue it me againe said Placindus to Lord Felix for you go too far that which is read is sufficient for the vnderstanding of the foresaid verses Truely said Parisiles it is learnedly handled and I thinke that the point which Lord Felix desired to know is sufficiently vnderstoode and that he cleerely shewed it by that which he read considering the obscuritie of the matter I am satisfied said Lord Felix but I should take great pleasure if now the sence of the verse taken with the intent were quadrant to my minde I am content said Placindus to tell it Hauing said in the beginning if you remember that whosoeuer speaketh ill of Fortune was a foole answering to his reasons he prooues himselfe to haue no reason whereupon that it is inferred in that staffe which you aske that since they haue no reason at that time when one entreates of Fortune it is not meete to talke with them nor they to meddle with things of Fortune Since Fortune onely commeth to him that hath reason Nowe that I am resolued said Lord Felix returne to your Historie againe You made an end in telling how Beldanisus had interrupted the musicke leauing his brother and cosens in the reregard I brake it off at this worde Distcus that now And since I interrupted your continued discourse it is reason that I helpe you to knit it and reduce you to it againe Well then from that place I will begin said Placindus Disteus that now had come somewhat neere desirous to taste of that dainty musicke euen then when he saw violent hands laid on Sagastes although he hated him mortally yet to do his Lady Dardanea seruice he ranne in and stept betweene Eeldanisus and Sagastes for he had now also drawne his sword saying Keepe out Lord Sagastes and receiue this small peece of seruice for my Mistres Dardanea your sisters sake Beldanisus was so wroth to see Sagastes taken away that like an angrie Beare despoiled of her yoong ones with enraged furie he ran vpon Disteus to wreake his anger wholly vpon him and thinking he had beene but of small courage and partly incensed with violent despite and choler without any feare he ranne within him and lifting vp his sworde with all his strength did manfully discharge it vpon him But Disteus like a stout and couragious Gentleman knowing it was no time to dally when he sawe such a furious blowe comming before it was discharged by closing with him tooke it vpon his buckler wherewith he thumped him so strongly on the brest that he felled him to the ground where hauing knocked his head by the terrible fall he lay senceles for a space and was not able to rise vp againe Sagastes and his page would haue come in to helpe Disteus but that Beldanisus brother and his cosens seeing swordes drawne in Sagastes fauour two of them fell vpon Disteus thinking it had beene Sagastes with intent to haue made but a short peece of worke of it bicause they could not stay long about that busines for so the fower had concluded betweene them and the other two fell vpon Sagastes and his page whom they thought to be Sagastes men But it fell out cleane contrarie and in vaine came they in so soone for Disteus had now smitten Beldanisus to the grounde where his brother seeing him lie without a worde thought verily that he was slaine Wherefore determining either to die or to reuenge his death with one of his cosens he assailed Disteus who without any signe of feare or cowardise manfully receiued them both But yet he sawe him selfe narrowly beset bicause they were both hardy youths besides that the wrath and desire of reuenge to see Beldanisus on the ground made them desperate But they were not able to
to seeke him at his owne house where finding the doore open knewe he was not come and therefore staied for him there vntill he came But when he had awaited there a good while in vaine he suspected he had taken some of his friends houses and therefore went home againe to his sisters lodging vowing to be well reuenged of Disteus though he would faine haue that night satisfied his vnruly anger which was not a little augmented when hee founde neither Dardanea nor Palna maruelling verie much to see howe quiet all his sisters seruants were and howe strange they made it all when Sagastes demaunded the matter of them Disteus that was going home to his house when hee sawe a farre off a great number of people before his doore it made him thinke as it was true indeed that Sagastes was waiting for him whereupon he went to my house whereby he made me knowe what great affiance he had in my friendship which I accounted no small credit vnto me I doubt not Gentlemen but any that hath beene attentiue to my tale will aske me how Sagastes came first to his enemies house since Disteus went before out of the mans house which he was constrayned to take for refuge Wherevnto it may be easily answered that Disteus going as you know almost naked and therefore leauing the open and common streetes to goe about by lanes and secret places came later then Sagastes But when Disteus vnlooked for came into my house without calling but shutting the doore after him least any had followed him he came into my study And his hap was so good that he found me al alone I did not a little woonder to see him in such sort and therefore demaunded the cause of his comming in such a manner Who answered me that he had no time for so large a report but prayed me to giue him some apparell and a horse and what else was needfull for him which I onely denied him not but also preparing my selfe to beare him company he would in no wise let me for he meant to conceale vntill he could no longer his secret loue and affection from me He therefore being apparelled and furnished with the best offensiue and defensiue weapons he could choose out went to helpe Dardanea least her harebraine brother in his furie might haue laide violent hands vpon her or else to die in the quarrell before she should suffer any harme at all Going therefore about this matter he met with Placindus that was comming to seeke him out by his Aunts commaundement whom he asked if he knew any thing Placindus told him how he should finde Dardanea and Palna in his house and that he should goe thither quickly bicause Dardanea was the most sorrowfullest woman in the world for his danger Disteus went thither out of hand but knowing that place to be nothing so conuenient and secret as their present necessitie required bicause by missing Palna Sagastes would out of hand come thither he brought them to my house willing Placindus to lye still and take his rest bicause he might thereby make them beleeue that he knew nothing of the matter All three might come secretly to my house bicause as siths that was not farre from Placindus lodging so were they both out of the concurse of people and walke of neighbours and also bicause Sagastes was gone to the King to complaine of the iniurie that Disteus had done him whom he requested to commaund a search to be made in all suspected houses that were thought most fit to harbour him and Dardanea and Palna The King not only granted hereunto for as you know he desired to haue the least occasion whereby he might throw downe Disteus partie to pleasure Sagastes but tooke this matter vpon him as his owne and sware to behead Disteus and as many as were culpable and euerie one that afterwards helpt him And therefore to fauour him the more made Sagastes himselfe iudge in his owne cause bicause he might take the greater reuenge at his own pleasure Who when he saw so good a means for his desire without more ado beset Disteus house with a priuy watch hauing first searched it all thorow where missing him he went straight to seeke out his sister They emploied all diligence and labour they thought needfull to bring their purpose to effect but my house they ouerslipt bicause as it was not pliable enough to Disteus his partie nor I my selfe held for his friend so was I free from all suspicion that I kept him But when they could not finde him he commaunded a proclamation to be made that euery one vpon paine of his head that harboured them or knew where they were should bring them foorth and afterwards apprehended Anfilardus and Placindus and as many as they suspected could tel of them threatning them to cruel torments yea and putting some in practise though all in vaine to their purpose It could not choose but kill Disteus his hart to see the ruine of his house and the imprisonment of his friends and familie who did neuerthelesse comfort himselfe not a little bicause it was for his Lady and Mistresse sake whom he had nowe in happie possession the which thing he forgot not by many sweete and louing words to manifest vnto her who could not for all this be comforted though she made him not priuie to her inward greefe when she thought of the vniust and ill name a thing that greeued her more then death that was spred abroad of that which she esteemed more then life and when she entred into consideration and feare of the imminent danger wherein her beloued husband was by meanes of the great searching and awaites that Sagastes had laide in all places to finde them out Wherefore taking him aside she saide thus vnto him I know well my Lord that my Fortune would not leaue me without some sorrowfull occurrent in so sweete an estate nor to doe lesse with me then euer turne most bitterly against the pretence of my content It greeues me to see thee take and taste some part of my sorrow wherein yet I do comfort my selfe againe that I shall not be the last in offring vp my life for the least danger for thy sake since I was the first in sacrificing my soule to thy will obtesting almightie God that as I had no force with my feeble iudgment to gainsay thy desire I had also sufficient valour with my life to deliuer thee from these most wrongfull turmoyles I see thee heere in great extremities for mine owne I account but small and therefore my opinion concurring with my desire is that since for many daies we are neither safe heere nor in any other part of the kingdome are like to be no lesse thou wouldst resolue to conuey vs into any place where wee might in more safety ouer passe this cruell storme of Fortune assuring thee my deere Lord that if I sawe thee free from danger I would not take care for the rest
a little greeue you to see Syrenus matched with such dangerous corriuals as these two Shepherds are Syluanus and Seluagia though Delius death did a little greeue them forgot not most humbly to thanke Felicia not onely for her good will and friendlie aduise but also for the approoued affection and desire she had to helpe their beloued friend Syrenus And thereupon said vnto her We cannot but obey your command good Lady although we would be faine heere when Coryneus and his companie comes Well well answered Felicia this Shepherd is not so nigh nor cannot come back so soon nor you so far off but that you may be certified when they are to come Since it is then so said Lord Felix with your leaue good Lady I will take Felismena with me and accompanie these Shepherds in whose amorous strife and riualitie which you but euen nowe spake of I shall take no small pleasure and delight The same affirmed Martandrus Placindus Danteus and Duarda with one voice If it please you so said Felicia on Gods name let it be but it behooues you Gentlemen and thee faire Felismena no lesse least the bashfull Shepherds estrange themselues from your companie to borrowe for a while their pastorall habite and condition the which being no sooner agreed vpon but put in practise they went to Syluanus charging him to carie all in remembrance that passed betweene the corriuals the better to report it afterwards when they should meete all togither Whosoeuer therefore is desirous to see the funerall of Delius the riualitie of Syrenus Firmius and Faustus and be at all their meetings and takes any pleasure to know who Stela is and woulde faine knowe what her troubles and those of Crimine Delicius and Parthenius haue beene and to what ende they came as also the loue of Agenestor prince of Eolia and of Lustea daughter to Disteus and Dardanea let him attende me in the third part of this worke which shall come to light out of hande La vita il fin e'l di loda la sora THE FIRST PART OF ENAMOVRED DIANA made by Gaspar Gil Polo To the most noble and vertuous Lady Don̄a Maria de Austria y fuentes IF you were my singular good Lady that heauenly muse and diuine fire from whence this little creature hath borrowed life and light being most happie that it was borne vnder such a constellation whose beames and influence haue guided and indued it with those perfections which now it presumeth by vertues thereof to possesse Reason and dutie then it were to offer vp vnto your woorthines all the seruice it may and humbly to craue of the same That since now it commeth abroad to euery ones view it may in the forhead carie the imprinted golden character and warrant of your noble and renowned name wherewith being protected it feareth not any malignant spirit that may bite it And little though this be which my zealous and dutifull affection which I haue euer borne to you and your honorable house from whence many gallant personages and rare and learned wits haue sprung out can present to such great bountie and vertue the which nature hauing placed in a most beautifull and christalline figure in euery part spread foorth their beames with loue and admiration Yet respecting the minde of him that offers it and the good will wherewith like bookes haue beene receiued by Kings and great Lordes I hope faire Lady you will not condemne me of too much presumption by dedicating this vnto your high patrocinie when as the affiance which I haue in your gentle Graces noble minde and sweete perfections inforceth me heereunto the which duly to be recommended and recounted require a finer wit and fitter place Which if at any time heereafter my happy fortune shall grant me in nothing else so iustly it shal be imploied then in the deserued praise and seruice of your Ladiship whose illustrous person and house our Lord defend and prosper many yeeres with increase of all happinesse From VALENCIA the ninth of Februarie 1564. The first Booke of Enamoured DIANA AFter that appassionate Syrenus by the vertue of the mightie liquor which sage Felicia had giuen him was now deliuered out of Cupids handes Loue working after his accustomed maner wounded anewe the hart of carelesse Diana reuiuing in her brest forgotten loues bicause she should be captiue to one that was free and liue tormented for the loue of one who from the same was most exempted her greefe being thereby the more augmented when it occurred to her thoughts that the small regard that in times past she had of Syrenus was now an occasion of his forgetfulnes of that great contempt that he did beare her She was not only with these griefs but with many more so fiercely assaulted that neither the holy bonde of matrimonie nor the reynes of seemely shame and modestie were able to staie or mitigate the furie of her immoderate loue nor remedie the sharpnes of her cruell torments vntill with lamentable complaints and pitifull teares she mollified the hardest rockes and sauage beasts Wherefore being by chance on a sommers day at the fountaine of the Sicamours about that time when the Sunne was eleuated to the Meridian point and there calling to minde the great content that in that very place she had many times receiued of her beloued Syrenus and counting her passed delights with her present greefes and knowing that the beginning of her sorrowes and the fault was onely in herselfe she conceiued thereof such greefe and anguish of minde and was with such dangerous affrightes sursaulted that euen then she thought desired death would haue made an end of all her troubles But after she had recouered some small vigour yet the force of her passion the violence wherewith loue reigned in her brest was neuerthelesse so great that it compelled her to publish her torments to the simple birdes which from the greene boughes were listening to her and to the branchie trees that seemed to take compassion of her greefe and to the cleere fountaine that with the solemne murmur of the Christalline waters accorded with the notes of her dolefull song And so to the sound of a sweete Baggepipe which commonly she caried about her she began to sing these verses following LOng haue I felt a silent paine of sorrow Cruell by that my senses it importunes To such extremes that I am forc't to borrow This last releefe against my heauie fortunes To publish them vnto the windes that stay them Thorow out the world with pitie to conuay them Then gentle Aire performe this due of pitie Let euery region know my greeuous anguish Breath out my paines and tell in euery citie The life of her that in Loues want doth languish Forgotten of a Shepherd that disdaines her Who once did die euen for like loue that paines her O that this ill death to my vitall powers Hardly maint ain'd amids these cruell fashions Springs of my late obliuion and those howers
to so faire a dame as Alcida and to so faithfull a louer as my selfe Vnto this passage my good fortune conducted me thus high she reared me vp to throw me downe afterwardes headlong into the depth of miseries wherein wretched man I still remaine O transitorie good mutable content vading delight and inconstant firmenes of mundaine things What greater ioy could I haue wished for then that I had alreadie receiued and what greater crosse am I able to suffer then this which I now carie about me Oh faire Shepherdesse entreat me no more to molest thy eares with so large and lamentable a historie nor to pierce thy compassionate hart with recitall of my ensuing calamities Let it content thee that thou hast knowen my passed felicities and desire not to search out farther my present greefes bicause I assuredly know that as my long and pitifull historie will be tedious to thy eares so will my continued disgraces alter thy reposed minde To which Diana answering said Leaue off Marcelius these excuses for I would not desire to know the successe of thy life onely thereby to reioice my minde with thy contents without sorrowing for thy calamities but woulde rather heare euerie part of them to bewaile them also in my pitifull hart How greatly woulde it please me faire Shepherdesse saide Marcelius if the good will I beare thee did not force me to content thee in a matter of so great grief And that which greeues me most is that my disgraces are such that they must needs fill thy hart full of sorrow when thou knowest them for the paine that I must passe by telling them I reckon not so great but that I would willingly suffer it in lieu of thy contentment But bicause I see thee so desirous to heare them out although they shall force me to make thee sorrowfull yet I will not seeme to leaue thy will herein vnsatisfied THen Shepherdesse thou must knowe that after my vnfortunate marriage was agreed vpon the Kings licence being now come her old father Eugerius who was a widower his sonne Polydorus and his two daughters Alcida and Clenarda and the haplesse Marcelius who is telling thee his greeuous accidents hauing committed the charges left vs by the King to sufficient and trustie Gentlemen embarked our selues in the port of Ceuta to goe by sea to the noble citie of Lisbone there to celebrate as I saide the marriage rites in presence of the King The great content ioy and pleasure which we all had made vs so blinde that in the most dangerous time of the yeere we feared not the tempestuous waues which did then naturally swel rage nor the furious boysterous winds which in those moneths with greater force violence are commonly woont to blow but committing our fraile barke to fickle Fortune we launched into the deepe and dangerous seas heedlesse of their continuall chaunges and of innumerable misfortunes incident vnto them For we had not sailed far when angrie Fortune chastised vs for our bold attempt bicause before night came on the warie Pilot discouered apparant signes of an imminent and sudden tempest For the thicke and darke cloudes began to couer the heauens all ouer the waues to roare and murmur and contrarie windes to blow on euerie side O what sorrowfull and menacing signes said the troubled and timorous Pilot O lucklesse ship what perils assaile thee if God of his great goodnes and pitie do not succour thee He had no sooner spoken these words when there came a furious and violent blast of winde that puffed and shooke the whole bodie of the ship and put it in so great danger that the routher was not able to gouerne it but that tossed vp and down by this mightie furie it went where the force of the angrie waues and windes did driue it The tempest by little and little with greater noise began to increase and the rauing billowes couered ouer with a fomy forth mightily to swell The skies powred downe abundance of raine with throwing out of euerie part of it fearful lightnings threatned the world with horrible thunders Then might there be heard a hideous noise of Sea monsters lamentable outcries of passengers and flapping of the sailes with great terrour The winds on euerie side did beat against the ship and the surges with terrible blowes shaking her vnsteadie sides riued and burst asunder the strong and soundest plaunchers Sometimes the proud billowe lifted vp vs to the skies and by and by threw vs downe againe into deepe gulphes the which also with great horrour opening themselues discouered to our fearfull eies the deepe and naked sandes The men and women ran on euerie side to prolong their ensuing and haples death and did cast out some of them dolefull sighs other some pitifull vowes and others plentie of sorrowfull teares The Pilot being appalled with so cruell Fortune and his skill confounded by the countenance and terrour of the tempest could now no more gouerne the tottered routher He was also ignorant of the nature and beginning of the windes and in a moment deuised a thousand different things The marriners likewise agast with the agonie of approching death were not able to execute the Masters commaund nor for such lamentations noise and outcries could heare the charge direction of their hoarse and painfull Pilot. Some strike saile others turne the maine yarde some make fast againe the broken shrouds others mende and calke the riuen planks some ply the pompe apace and some the routher and in the end all put their helping hands to preserue the miserable ship from ineuitable losse But their painfull diligence did not helpe them nor their vowes and teares profit them to pacifie proud Aeolus and Neptunes wrath but rather the more the night came on the more the winds blew and the storme waxed greater and more violent And now darke night being fully come and angrie Fortune continuing still her seuere punishment the olde Father Eugerius being past all hope of helpe and remedie looking on his children and son in lawe with an appalled and altered countenance felt such great sorrowe for the death that we had to passe that his greefe and compassion for vs was more bitter to our soules then the thought of our proper and present misfortunes For the lamenting olde man enuironed on euery side with care and sorrowe with a pitifull voice and sorrowfull teares said thus Ah mutable fortune common enimie to humane content howe hast thou reserued so great mishap and miserie for my sorrowfull olde age O thrise blessed are they who fighting in the middes of bloudie battails with honour die in their yoong and lustie yeeres bicause not drawing foorth their line to wearied old age haue neuer cause with greefe to bewaile the vntimely death of their beloued children O extreme sorrow O balefull successe who euer ended his daies in so heauie a plight as I poore distressed man that hoping to haue comforted my naturall death by leauing them to
That like a sturdie rocke it standes Against the cruell raues Though fencelesse in the naked sandes Of beating windes and waues And how much more with conquering hand my hart she doth controule By so much doe I adde more heate vnto my burning soule Berardus The woods and mount aines doe not beare Woolues of such crueltie Whose howling threats I feare not theare And yet aiealousie Doth make my hart to quake for feare And yeeld most cowardly I am not able to defend My weake and feeble brest From thousand feares where they pretend To build their strongest nest And with their entrance driue away my hopes my ioy and rest There they commaund and gouerne all And proudly tyrannize And there my soule to endlesse thrall And bodie sacrifice O cruell Loue whom cruell death must needes at last succeede O why with such consuming tortures die I not in deede Taurisus Neere to this Christall fountaine on a day I sawe Diana sitting with her spouse And as by chaunce I crost the woods that way Espied them behinde these hasell bowes Dying with greefe impatience and despite To see which I would not haue seene that sight Nothing he spake but with his clownish hand Did rudely touch and claspe her round about Her tender corpes the smallest in this land Too daintie and fine for such a homely lout And so he sat and did not stir In this vnseemely sort with her But when my iealous eies so basâ—… thing espied With mortall rage I burn'd and cruell enute died Berardus To walke the woods in sweetest moneth of May When winter hides his hoarie head for shame Diana with her husband on a day The glorie of the fairest women came A vaile of Lawne vpon her golden haire With siluer pins enfolded euery where A thousand sportes and pastimes did I see How she found out his minde to recreate And as I lurk'd behinde a Poplar tree How louingly she dallied with her mate Whom I did see reach foorth his hand Vnto her necke as white as swan Wherewith he did vndoe her vaile and loose her shining haire Which sight did kill my hart with feare enwrapped in despaire The Shepherds after they made an end of singing began to gather their flockes togither that went feeding vp and downe the woode And comming towardes the place where Marcelius and Diana were they could not otherwise chuse but see them for they had no handsome shift to hide themselues although they woulde faine haue stept aside At which ioyfull and vnexpected sight they receiued no meane content gladnes And though Berardus was somwhat altered and appalled thereat yet inflamed Taurisus to see the cause of his griefe before his eies kindled more and more his hot desire They curteoufly saluted the Shepherds and requested them not to denie them their companie to the village since good fortune had made them all so happely meete togither Diana whose custome was neuer to be coy nor discurteous was well content to do it So that Taurisus and Berardus praied the other Shepherds that were with them to come after by little and little with their flockes that they had now gathered vp togither towards the village whilest they in companie of Diana and the other Shepherds went on before which they willingly performed Taurisus by the way as he went praied Diana to answere verse for verse to the song that he would sing which she denied him not to doe and so they sung as followeth Taurisus THe cause why that thou dost denie To looke on me sweete foe impart Diana Bicause that doth not please the eie Which doth offend and greeue the hart Taurisus What woman is or euer was That when she looketh could be mou'd Diana She that resolues her life to passe Neither to loue nor to be lou'd Taurisus There is no hart so fierce nor hard That can so much torment a soule Diana Nor Shepherd of so small regard That reason will so much controule Taurisus How falsit out Loue doth not kill Thy crueltie with some remorce Diana Bicause that Loue is but a will And free will doth admit no force Taurisus Bebold what reason now thou hast To remedie my louing smart Diana The very same bindes me as fast To keepe such danger from my hart Taurisus Why dost thou thus torment my minde And to what and thy beautie keepe Diana Bicause thou call'st me still vnkinde And pitilesse when thou dost weepe Taurisus It is bicause thy crueltie In killing me doth neuer end Diana Nay for bicause I meane thereby My hart from sorrowes to defend Taurisus Be bold so foule I am no way As thou dost thinke faire Shepherdesse Diana With this content thee that I say That I beleeue the same no lesse Taurisus What after giuing me such store Of passions dost thou mocke me too Diana If answers thou wilt any more Goe seeke them without more adoo It greatly contented Taurisus that Diana sung with him whereby though hee heard the rigorous answers of his Shepherdesse yet he was so glad in his minde that she deigned to answer him that it made him forget the greefe which by the crueltie of her wordes he might haue otherwise conceiued But nowe timorous Berardus forcing his heauie hart and casting a pittifull eie on Diana not vnlike the sorrowfull Swanne that a little before her death singes sweetely in the cleere and christall brookes lifted vp his faint and fearefull voice which came foorth with great paine out of his panting brest and to the sound of his Baggepipe sung these verses following ENd now my life with daily paines affrighted Since that for all that I haue wept and greeued My teares are not requited And trustie faith not any whit beleeued I am in such a haplesse state of sorrowe That I would be content and so releeue me Vniust rewardes and scornes of her to borrow Onely that she would credit and beleeue me But though my life is thus with woes despited And though to be most constant neuer greeued My paines are not requited And trustie faith not any whit beleeued After that Berardus had ended his song both the Shepherds cast their eies vpon Marcelius and bicause he was vnknowne to them they durst not entreat him to sing But in the end bold Taurisus praied him to tell them his name and if it pleased him to sing them a song wherein they would thinke themselues beholding to him for either curtesie At which words Marcelius looking vpon Diana and making her a signe to touch her instrument without giuing them any other answere with one song pleased them both and satisfied their desire Whereupon fetching out a great sigh he began thus AH such an one I euer was since that My Shepherdesse so cruell I did see That now I knowe not who I am nor what My hap shall be or shall become of mee I knowe right well that if I were a man Greefe had my life consumed long agoe And if a stone I am most certaine then That dropping
treacherous counsell she gaue her husband as also for her dishonest loue and life that she leades with Alanius may likewise receiue due correction Filenus had scarce ended his tale when there arose such a noise amongst the people that all the towne seemed to haue suncke And the harts of all the Shepherds and Shepherdesses were so much altered at these words that they conceiued a mortall hatred against Montanus Some saide that he deserued to be stoned to death others to be throwen into the deepest place of the riuer Duerus others that he should be cast forth to be deuoured of hungrie woolfes so that there was not one almost amongst them all who allotted not his doome and manner of his death It mooued them also not a little to despite to heare that which Filenus falsely reported concerning my life but they were so incensed with anger and hate against Montanus and his pretenses that they had no leysure to thinke of mine When Montanus vnderstoode how his Father had openly before all the towne accused him of this deed and of the hurly burly and awaite that was laide to catch him he fell into a woonderfull desperation And besides this knowing what his Father had told of me before them all he tooke such a deepe conceit and griefe thereat that the like was neuer heard of From hence did all my sorrowes rise this was the cause of my perdition and here did my painfull life begin For my beloued Montanus knew that in times past I had loued Alanius and was beloued of him againe and imagining that old and mortified loues might oftentimes be reuiued seeing Alanius whom now for his sake I had quite forgotten to be in loue with me as much as euer he was by making daily suites to me for my loue with those kinde of pastorall feasts and sports that louers are woont to please their Shepherdesses withall he vehemently suspected that the false report which his Father Filenus had told of me was true and the more he thought of it the more he beleeued it to be so indeed In so much that waxing almost mad and desperate for the treacherie that Sylueria had wrought him and for that which he suspected I had done him he fled from the towne and countrey thereabouts and since was neuer more heard of And I then who knew of his departure and the cause thereof by the report of certaine Shepherds his friends whom he fully acquainted with his vnfortunate estate left also our town to seeke him out and while I liue will neuer leaue seeking vntill I haue found my deere husband to acquite my selfe of this crime which he suspectes although I shoulde die by his owne handes for my labour It is a good while since I haue gone vp and downe wandring and enquiring after him and for all that I haue sought in the cheefest townes and amongst all the Shepherdes and cottages Fortune neuer yet gaue me any notice of my Montanus The greatest accident that in these my trauels chanced vnto mee since I forsooke my towne was that I found the trayteresse Sylueria who knowing the voluntarie exile of Montanus went vp and downe following to tell him the plot and drift of the secret trecherie that she had done him and to aske him forgiuenes for it being verie penitent that she had committed such abhominable wickednes But as yet till then she had not spoken with him and when she sawe me she told me openly howe the matter stoode which was no small ease vnto my minde to know the maner how we were betraied I thought with mine owne handes to haue killed her though I was but a weak woman yet I did it not bicause it lay in her only to helpe my greefe by confessing her owne wickednes I praied her to seeke out my beloued Montanus in all the haste she could to certifie him of the matter and how it stoode and so I left her to seeke him out some other way I came hither to day to this woode where being inuited by the pleasantnes of the place I rested mee to passe the heate of the day away And since that Fortune for my great comfort hath brought you hither and that it is now the hottest part of the day I beseech you let me enioy your gracious companie while the heate of the sunne shall last Diana and Marcelius were glad to heare the historie that Ismenia tolde them and to knowe the cause of her greefe It pleased them also well to heare the discourse of her life who then gaue her some comfort to ease her greefe promising her all the fauour and helpe that they might possiblie bestow on her for remedie of her paine and trauels They praied her also to go with them to Felicias pallace bicause it was most like that there she should finde out some kind of comfort to make her glad againe And they both thought good to passe the time away there while the heate of the Sunne did last as Ismenia requested them But bicause Diana was very skilfull in that ground knew very well the woods fountaines forrests and the pleasant and shadowed places of it she told them that there was not farre from thence a more delightfull and pleasant place then that was for it was not yet full midday So that all three of them rising went a little way and came by and by to a forrest where Diana led them which was as pleasant coole and delightful a place as any of those hils or fieldes that euer was with fame renowned in the pastorall Arcadia There were in it faire and greene Sicamours Sallowes Ashes Byrch and Beech trees which round about the brinks of the chrystalline fountaines and in euery part thereabout being softly blowen with a coole and sweete winde made a pleasant and gentle noise There the aire did so sweetely resound with the tuned melodie of the little birdes which went skipping vp and downe the greene boughes that it cheered vp the minde with a gracious kinde of welcome It was couered all ouer with greene and small grasse amongst the which were many faire and coloured flowers which painting the place with knots in many places did with their sweete sinell recreate the most sorrowfull and melancholike spirits There were the Hunters woont to finde Heardes of fearefull Harts wilde Goates and of other little beasts in which games and sports they tooke no small pastime and delight They came into this forrest following Diana their guide that went in first for she went before to seeke out a little thicke groue of trees that she had marked out in that place where she was woont to resort to rest and refresh herselfe many times And they had not gone farre when Diana comming neere to the place that she thought the most pleasant of all the wood and where shee minded to haue passed away the heate of the daie putting her finger to her mouth she made signes to Marcelius and Ismenia to come on softly
without making any noise The reason was bicause she heard amongst those thicke trees certaine Shepherds singing By their voices they seemed to be Taurisus and Berardus both extremely tormented in pursute of her loue as it is saide before But bicause she would be more sure of it stealing on neerer vnto them betweene certaine bushes she was harkening to them to see if she knew them and she perceiued that they were the very same and that they had in their companie a faire yoong gentlewoman and a gallant and woorthie gentleman both which although they seemed to be somewhat troubled in minde and wearied by much trauell shewed neuerthelesse in their gesture and disposition notable tokens of valour and vertue After she had viewed who they were she went backe againe bicause she woulde not be seene And now was Marcelius and Ismenia come and all three togither began to sit them downe behinde certaine Hasels where they might not bee seene but where they might distinctly heare the Shepherds songs whose voices resounding ouer all the forrest made a singular sweete melodie as you shall heare in the Booke that followeth The end of the second Booke The third Booke of Enamoured DIANA THe treacherie and malice of an iniurious and enuying stepdame is commonly woont to enterprise so detestable acts that it would discourage the stoutest hart not onely to doe them but make it tremble to thinke of them And that which is worst is that Fortune is so great a friend in changing good and prosperous estates that she sheweth them all the fauour she may in their vniust attempts for she knoweth that most of them endeuour to stirre vp strange nouelties and mutinies and to be the occasion and meanes of much sorrow and trouble The crueltie of Felisarda was great when by her vile and suttle slightes she made the father so mortally abhorre his owne sonne and a husband to forsake his louing wife the one deceiued by an â—pparant shewe of loue and dutie misconstrued the other by a false report and with a vaine and simple suspect stinged but yet her happe was the better that brought her malicious and wicked purpose to that effect that she herselfe desired And I speake not this to make men thinke the woorse of all such kinde of women but bicause euerie one may liue aduisedly by taking good heed of such as Felisarda was which are but fewe I hope since so many of that noble sexe are the glorie of the worlde and the lanterns of life whose sinceritie faith discretion and vertues with golden verses deserue to be eternized For proofe whereof Diana and Ismenia may giue sufficient testimonie Shepherdesses adorned with singular beautie chastitie and wisedome whose histories do blazon foorth their infinite and woorthie praises In following the discourse whereof you must vnderstand that when Marcelius and they were sitting behinde the Hasels they heard that Taurisus and Berardus did sing as followeth Berardus THe coole fresh winde Taurisus that inuiting vs Amongst the trees the leaues is gently shaking Our sences ioying and with ease delighting vs The Cotes and Sicamours sweete shadowes making The Cristall fountaines that in copâ—ous swelling Doe flowe our thirst with sauourie liquours slaking The coloured flower whose sweete and fragrant smelling To banish melancholie greefes sufficeth Which makes the hart from sweet content rebelling His might that all despiseth Cannot subdue nor malice nor the brauerie Of that most cruell king whose sway doth wearie vs Whose punishment and slauerie Is absolute vniust and meere imperious For amorous greefes to hels of paines that ferrie vs No remedies haue yet beene salutiferous But still the poison fuming Infects my soule with torments most pestiferous Taurisus He that in loue is euermore consuming Is neuer glad for such an euill tires him Liuing in greefe in greefe his death resuming Loue giues him paines and most with torments fires him When most he seekes his pastime and his pleasure For then with furious thoughts he most inspires him Those few times when a soule entoies her treasure Greefe doth succeede in place whose balefull souenaunce Makes it returne to playning without measure Loue will enioy his couenants And whom he conquers kils or prisoner taketh He thinkes by him to get most famous glorie His prisoner now that quaketh He giuâ—… to Fortune with his Fortune sorie Or sels to greefe whom euermore it shaketh And paints in him her dire and tragicke storie And him that 's burning in his hottest fires He quite consumes the cruell he retires Berardus The whole man waxeth sicke as he intreates him He turnes each hart from former ioy to sadnes Still killing him that liuing is and threates him That is most free with bonds the scourge of gladnes Since then my soule thou knowest too well how cruell This Tyrant is be patient and content thee That such a place containes thy amorous fuell So high a place Take greefes and now present thee To all those harmes and paines he shall enure thee Enioy thine ill and in thy greefes maintaine thee Bicause by how much more thou shalt procure thee A meanes to rid thy selfe from that that paines thee The more thou shalt enwrap thee in his briers And shalt be furdest from thy cheefe desires Taurisus Loue findes in me so well disposed matter And such a minde to amplifie his glorie That mongst all those whose mournfull flockes doe scatter On both Hisperias plaines in loue so sorie My daily greefes are euer more augmented Salt showers of teares mine eies haue euer rained And more then wretched Biblis malcontented When turned to a fountaine she remained Strange is my good my paine is proper to me Faine would I see Dianas face but twenty And twenty deaths in seeing her vndoe me I die for want neere to the fount of plenty Her presence doth with paines and torments fill me Her absence doth with desperation kill me Berardus The woods doe murmur and the meadow smileth And iugging nightingales are sweetely singing But death to thousand woes my hope exileth Taurisus The blooming trees smell sweete that now are spinging The grasse growes greene with many a painted flower But I remaine O woe in sorrowes stinging Berardus My woes my wits haue slaine in such an hower That now I haue no power To say by hart ten verses all along Taurisus My toong doth cleaue euen in my very song Wherefore my friend prolong The time no more but sing that sweetest dittie Which interrupted with thy sighes of pitie And teares in euery citie And countrie towne so highly did commend thee Berardus Singing with thee it shall no whit offend me But ease and pleasure lend me Then answer me But now what shall I sing Taurisus Sing that that saieth The radiant star doth bring Or that Loues teares doe spring c. Or that I knowe not well how it doth say Which thou sung'st on a day Dauncing with faire Diana on a greene Berardus No Tigresse nor no lionesse haue beene But with compassion
mooued Of all my torments able to despaire one But not that cruell faire one The fierce deuouresse of my life approoued Taurisus The fierce deuouresse of my life approoued My peerelesse Shepherdesse As fell in hart as she is faire in face How then in such a case Can I escape O greefe but die without redresse Berardus Can I escape O greefe but die without redresse With deathes of racking passions But when I see Diana faire her sight my griefes asswageth Yet then my soule enrageth The more I haue to doe with loue the lesse I knowe his fashions Taurisus The more I haue to doe with loue the lesse I knowe his fashions His seruants he neglecteth And he that flying seeketh to escape his mortall chaine With thrise redoubled paine He wounds and with his furious plagues his wretched soule infecteth Berardus Faire Shepherdesse whose face the heauenly powers Haue graced with more beautie then the Roses And sweeter then the purple golden flowers That deckes our meades and virgins brestes with poses So may the heauens powre downe in copious plentie Vpon thy flockes their fauours most abounding And thy faire ewes with double twins not emptie In numbers swarme in profit still redounding That to my soule which my demerit pesters Thou wouldst not shew sterne lookes nor angrie gestures Taurisus Faire Shepher desse that with thy neighbour dwelling Dost cleere thy fieldes bedight with Daffodillies The driuen snowe in whitenesse far excelling In beautie Gilloflowres and stately lillies So prosper may thy fieldes in euery season In corne and fruit which thou maist taste at pleasure Thy peares and plums and apricocks so geason By handfuls maist thou pull in plentious measure That thou wouldst looke vpon thy swaine so sorie For of thy sight depends his cheefest glorie About this time the yoong Gentleman and Gentlewoman that were harkening to the Shepherds songs did cut them off and gaue them many thankes for the delight and recreation which with so sweete musicke they had giuen them And after this the Gentleman turning to the Gentlewoman said Didst thou euer sister in the magnificent and stately Cities heare musicke that pleased the eare and delighted the minde like this Truely saide she againe these pastorall and country songs being full of simplicitie and plainnes please me more then the delicate voices set togither with curious skill and full of newe inuentions and conceits in the braue pallaces of Kings and Princes And when I thinke this melodie to be better then that you must the rather beleeue it bicause I haue been present at the best musicke that in any Citie of the world or Kings Court was euer heard For in that happie time when Marcelius was a sutor to our sister Alcida he did some nights sing to the tune of his Lute so sweetely that if Orpheus made so solemne musicke I did not maruell then if the Birdes and Beastes did follow him and that he brought backe his deere wife Euridice from darke hell Ah Marcelius where art thou nowe Ah where art thou Alcida Ah most haplesse woman that I am how often doth Fortune surcharge my memorie with obiects of greefe when she sees me enioy the least content and pleasure in the worlde Marcelius heard the talke of the Gentleman and the Damosell which were with the Shepherds behinde the shrubs and bushes and when he perceiued that they named him and Alcida he began to bee somewhat altered He scarcely beleeued his owne eares and was doubting with himselfe whether it was another Marcelius and Alcida whom they named He rose vp by and by out of his place and to cleere himselfe of all doubt comming neerer he knewe that they were Polydorus and Clenarda brother and sister to Alcida Wherupon he ran suddenly to them and with open armes and abundance of teares somtimes embracing Polydorus sometimes Clenarda he stoode a great while before hee could speake for inward greefe Polydorus and Clenarda wondring at this noueltie could not coniecture what accident it was bicause Marcelius going in a Shepherds habite was vnknowne vnto them vntill his sobs and teares giuing him leaue he saide O deere brother and sister care not nowe for my ill fortune paste and to come since I am the happiest man in the world in seeing you Ah why is not Alcida in your companie Is she perhaps hidden in any part of this thicke woode O let me know some newes of her if you can tell me any to ease my cruell greefe and to satisfie my desire In speaking these wordes they knewe Marcelius and embracing him very affectionately and weeping for pleasure and greefe they saide vnto him O happie day O vnexpected ioy O deere brother of our soules what cruell Fortune hath bin the cause that thou dost not enioy the company of Alcida nor we her sight Why dost thou dissemble thy selfe with this new habite O cruell fortune in the end there is not full content of any good Diana and Ismenia on the other side seeing that Marcelius had so on the sudden gone to the place where the Shepherds did sing went after him and founde him talking with Polydorus and Clenarda as you haue heard When Taurisus and Berardus saw Diana the ioye that at so sweete and sudden a sight they tooke cannot be tolde And so Taurisus shewing a maruellous kinde of gladnes in his hart and words said vnto her This is no small fauour of fortune faire Diana to make her that continually flies our companie by vnexpected and happie chances to come so often where wee are That is not the cause of Fortune woorthie Shepherds saide Diana but rather bicause you are so excellent in singing playing on your instruments for there is no place of pleasure where you are not and where your sweete musicke songs are not heard But now since I am come hither though ignorant of your being heere and that the parching Sunne is now in the highest way I shall be very glad to passe away the heate of the daie in this pleasant place and in your good companie and though it standes me vpon to go quickly to Felicias pallace yet will I not thinke the time long to staie heere with you to take part of the coole and greene grasse and to harken to your delightfull musicke Prepare your selues therefore to sing and plaie and to all kinde of honest myrth for it will not become this place and braue assemblie to be without such kinde of pleasure And you Gentleman and faire Gentlewoman surcease your teares a while bicause you shall haue time enough heereafter to tell to each other your Fortunes and aduentures and to bewaile or reioice at the ill or good successe of them All of them liked well of Dianas speech and so they sat them downe vpon the fine greene grasse rounde about the Fountaine That was the pleasantest place in all the wood and more then any of those that were celebrated by the cleere Bagpipe of Neapolitan Syncerus in famous Parthenia There was in
thou shalt offend For want they shall on whom to worke thy spight Oh then how seemely shalt thou seeme to grone And wounded see Thyselfe with thine owne griefes and then thine owne Captiue to be For thou at last thy selfe shalt not forsake If that thou wilt a secret Louer take Then maist thou giue to Louers double smart And then I will forgiue thee all the care And amorous paines thou didst to me impart When that thy selfe fond Loue thou dost not spare And if I blame thy deedes or do reprooue thee Then shalt thou say But to thy selfe that reason yet did mooue thee To make away Thy selfe and for thy selfe thy death to take Sweete life do not my secret loue forsake All of them liked well of Taurisus song but Ismenia especially For though it touched Diana most of all bicause it spake of those women that were ill married yet the comment vpon it which were complaints against loue was common to all those that were tormented with it And therefore Ismenia who blamed Cupid for her paines did not onely like of those reprehensions that Taurisus gaue Loue but she herselfe to the sound of her Harpe sung a song to the same effect which Montanus was woont to sing when he was a suter vnto her A Sonnet HAuing no cause why in the deepest sound Of amorous seas my fraile barke dost thou swallow O Loue I 'le make thy crueltie to sound Swifter from East to West then flying swallow Though gales of windes doe bluster in my sterne Yet from the gulfe my ship shall neuer part Of thy braue might so furious and so sterne Vntill my sighes doe helpe to blowe a part If being in a storme my face I turne Then my desire is weakned by thy might Thy force controuces my force that striues in vaine I neuer shall arriue with happy turne Into the port and therefore if I might I would let out my life in euery vaine Marcelius deferred not his answere long after them with another song made to the same purpose and of the same forme sauing that the complaintes that he made were not onely against Loue but against Fortune and himselfe A Sonnet STep after step I followe death in sight Through euery field and hill and troden vale For euerie day my spirits he doth cite And warnes my selfe to shrowde me in his vale O death that once thou wouldst consume this light That still deducts my life in blisselesse bale Now that my hope hath past away so lgiht And ioies condemn'd to torments without bale That Goddesse whose continuall frownes I beare And loue that all my ioies asunder teares And I my selfe are foes vnto my hart She praying on me like a hungrie beare He chasing me like to the wounded Hart And I that doe increase my bootelesse teares The desire that Diana had to go to Felicias pallace would not suffer her to staie any longer there nor harken to any more songs but when Marcelius had ended his she rose vp And so did Marcelius Ismenia and Clenarda vnderstanding Dianas mind although they knew that Felicias house was nigh at hand and that they had time enough to be there before night After they had taken their leaue of Taurisus and Berardus they went from the faire fountain that way that they came in and walking thorow the wood at their leysure enioying the pleasures and delights of it at last they came out of it and then they began to go thorow a great and wide plaine passing goodly to behold where they went thinking howe they might recreate their mindes with some myrth while they were going on their waies and euery one told his opinion concerning that matter But Marcelius who had euer the figure of Alcida engrauen in his hart and thoughts tooke no greater delight nor other ioy then to marke the sweete behauiour of Polydorus and Clenarda and to harken to their talke And therefore to delight himselfe fully with this desire he said I beleeue not faire Shepherdesses that all your pastimes are comparable to the delight that you may haue if Clenarda would discourse vnto you any of those things that she hath seene in the fieldes and bankes of Guadalajar I passed that way in my peregrinations but tooke no pleasure in those delights bicause my minde went musing on other matters But bicause wee haue two large howers our iourney being but halfe an howers worke to go to Dianas temple we may therefore walke on softly and she if it please her may tell vs somthing of that goodly and pleasant countrey Diana and Ismenia seemed to be very glad shewing by their amiable countenances that they longed to haue her beginne although Diana was very desirous to come betimes to the temple but bicause she would not make it knowne to them she concealed the great passions of her desire by accommodating her will to their pleasures Clenarda then entreated by Marcelius following on her way beganne to saie in this manner Although I shall offend your daintie eares and offer great iniurie to the worthines of the kingdome of Valentia with a rude and disordered relation to recount the ornaments rarities and pleasures of it yet bicause I will in some part fulfil your gentle requestes I will say something that I haue heard and seene therein I will not make any particular narration of the fertilitie of the yeelding soyle the pleasantnes of the flourishing fieldes the beauties of the shrubby hils the shadowes of the greene woods the sweetenes of the cleere fountaines the melodie of the singing birdes the coolenes of the fresh and calme windes the riches of the profitable flockes of sheepe and goates the fairenes of the populous townes the good nature of the louing people the strangenes of the sumptuous temples nor of many other things more for which that countrey is famous thorow out the worlde bicause it requireth larger time and a better toong But bicause you may knowe the cheefest glorie of that countrey I will tell you that which I heard renowned Turia the principall riuer of that land sing Polydorus and I came on a day to his bankes to aske the waie to Dianas temple of the Shepherds thereabouts bicause they coulde best tell it in those parts and comming to a cottage where certaine herdsmen were wee founde them sweetely singing We asked them that we desired to know and they verie louingly informed vs at large of all we demanded and afterwards tolde vs that since we came in so good an hower that we should not depart from thence vntill we had heard a most sweete song that the famous Turia would make not farre from thence after halfe an hower We were well content to heare it and so we staied to go with them After we had staied a little while in their companie we went vp along the riuer bankes vntill we came to a wide fielde where we sawe a great companie of Nymphes Shepherds and Shepherdesses euery one attending when famous Turia would
a delightfull and coole shadow defending them from the heat of the radiant sunne which was with some heate mounted vp the Hemispheare Whilest Marcelius Don Felix Felismena Syluanus and the Shepherds were talking togither of these matters at the other end of the garden neere vnto the fountaine as it is saide before were Eugerius Polydorus Alcida and Clenarda Alcida had that day left of her pastorall weedes as Felicia had commanded and was now apparelled and adorned very richly with costly garments and iewels that she willed shoulde be giuen her But as Syrenus was also there Montanus Arsileus and Belisa singing and sporting togither they maruell ouslie delighted Eugerius and his sonne and daughters that were harkening to them And that which did most of all please them was a song which Syrenus and Arsileus did sing one against another in dispraise and fauour of Cupid For they sung with an earnest will and desire in hope of a braue christall cup which Eugerius had promised for a reward and prize to him that did sing best And so Syrenus to the sound of his Rebecke and Arsileus to the tune of his rurall Baggepipe began to sing in maner following Syrenus OEies that are not now as once tormented When first my star enueagled and disguis'd you O ioyfull thoughts and quiet minde absented O carelesse hart now will I once aduise you That since you made Diana discontented To see loue thinke on you let this suffice you That I doe hold your counsell best of many In vaine to see nor loue nor thinke of any Arsileus O eies that haue to greater light attained Looking vpon that sunne your onely treasure O toyfull thoughts in thousand ioies distrained O happy hart the seate of secret pleasure Although Belisa would haue once disdained To see to loue or thinke on me at leisure Yet hold I this a heauen as like was neuer To see to loue and thinke on her for euer Syrenus would haue replyed to Arsileus answer if he had not beene interrupted by Eugerius who said Since you must iolly Shepherds receiue your reward at my hands it is good reason that you sing in such sort as may best content me Sing thou Syrenus first those verses which thy muse shall dictate vnto thee and then thou Arsileus shalt sing as many againe or those which thou shalt best thinke good of It pleaseth vs well said they and then Syrenus began thus Syrenus LEt now the goodly spring tide make vs merie And fieldes which pleasant flowers do adorne And vales meades woods with liuely colours flourish Let plentious flockes the Shepherds riches nourish Let hungrie woolues by dogs to death be torne And lambes reioice with passed winter wearie Let euery riuers ferrie In waters flowe and siluer streames abounding And fortune ceaslesse wounding Turne now thy face so cruell and vnstable Be firme and fauourable And thou that kill'st our soules with thy pretenses Molest not wicked loue my inward senses Let countrie plainnes liue in ioies not ended In quiet of the desart meades and mountaines And in the pleasure of a countrie dwelling Let Shepherds rest that haue distilled fountaines Of teares prooue not thy wrath all paines excelling Vpon poore soules that neuer haue offended Let thy flames be incended In hautie courtes in those that swim in treasure And liue in ease and pleasure And that a sweetest scorne my woonted sadnes A perfect rest and gladnes And hils and dales may giue me with offences Molest not wicked loue my inward senses In what law find'st thou that the freest reason And wit vnto thy chaines should be subiected And harmelesse soules vnto thy cruell murder O wicked loue the wretch that flieth furder From thy extremes thou plagu'st O false suspected And carelesse boy that thus thy sweetes dost season O vile and wicked treason Might not thy might suffice thee but thy fuell Of force must be so cruell To be a Lord yet like a Tyrant minded Vaine boy with errour blinded Why dost thou hurt his life with thy offences That yeelds to thee his soule and inward senses He erres alas and fowly is deceiued That cals thee God being a burning fire A furious flame a playning greefe and clamorous And Venus sonne that in the earth was amorous Gentle and milde and full of sweete desire Who calleth him is of his wits bereaued And yet that she conceaued By proofe so vile a sonne and so vnruly I say and yet say truly That in the cause of harmes that they haue framed Both iustly may be blamed She that did breede him with such vile pretenses He that doth hurt so much our inward senses The gentle sheepe and lambes are euer flying The rauening woolues and beastes that are pretending To glut their mawes with flesh they teare asunder The milke white doues at noise of fearefull thunder Flie home amaine themselues from harme defending The little chicke when puttocks are a crying The woods and meadowes dying For raine of heauen if that they cannot haue it Doe neuer cease to craue it So euery thing his contrarie resisteth Onely thy thrall persisteth In suffring of thy wrongs without defences And lets thee spoile his hart and inward senses A publike passion natures lawes restraining And which with wordes can neuer be declared A soule twixt loue and feare and desperation And endlesse plaint that shuns all consolation A spendlesse flame that neuer is impaired A friendlesse death yet life in death maintaining A passion that is gaining On him that loueth well and is absented Whereby it is augmented Aiealousie a burning greefe and sorrow These fauours louers borrow Of thee fell Loue these be thy recompences Consuming still their soule and inward-senses Arsileus after that Syrenus had ended his song began to tune his Bagpipe and after he had played a little while vpon it answering euerie staffe of his Competitor in order he sung as followeth Arsileus O Let that time a thousand monthes endure Which brings from heauen the sweete and siluer showres And ioies the earth of comforts late depriued With grasse and leaues fine buds and painted flowres Eccho returne vnto the woods obscure Ring foorth the Shepherds songs in loue contriued Let olde loues be reuiued Which angrie winter buried hath of late And that in such a state My soule may haue the full accomplishment Of ioy and sweete content And since fierce paines and greefes thou dost controule Good loue doe not forsake my inward soule Presume not Shepherds once to make you mery With springs and flowres or any pleasant song Vnlesse milde loue possesse your amorous brestes If you sing not to him your songs doe werie Crowne him with flowres or else ye doe him wrong And consecrate your springs to his behestes I to my Shepherdesse My happie loues with great content doe sing And flowres to her doe bring And sitting neere her by the riuer side Enioy the braue springtide Since then thy ioies such sweetnesse doe enroule Good loue doe not forsake my inward
sonne Polydorus bicause they would not be depriued of that merrie song which they expected at Belisas handes said vnto her The praise faire Shepherdesse and defence of women is iustly due vnto them and no lesse delightfull to vs to heare it with thy delicate voice repeated It pleaseth me well said Belisa if it like you for there are many sharpe and stinging inuectiues if I could remember all the verses in it but yet I will begin to recite them bicause I hope that in singing them one will reduce another to my minde Then Arsileus seeing that Belisa was preparing herselfe to sing began to tune his Rebecke at the sound whereof she sung the song that she heard Florisia in times past sing which was this Florisias Song FLie storming verse out of my raging brest With furious anger malice and despite Indigned spirits once at my request Powre foorth your wrath and pen prepare to write With scornefull stinging and inuectiue stile Against a people brutish base and vile Avile peruerse and monstrous kinde of men Who make it but their pastime and their game With bar barous mouth and with vnciuill pen To slaunder those who lest deserue the same Women Imeane a work manship diuine Angels in shape and Goddesses in minde Thou wicked man that dost presume too hie Of thy perfections but without desart False man I say accustomed to lie What euill canst thou thinke within thy hart Or speake of her whose goodnes more or lesse Doth fill the world so full of happinesse But onely this that woman was the cause Though not alone of one exceeding ill In bringing foorth constrained by natures lawes A man whose mischiefes all the world doth fill Who after that he is conceiu'd and borne Against his mother proudly liftes his horne Whom if she had not borne poore silly dame With fewer greefes her life she might haue lead For then he should not slaunder thus her name And such a crowe she should not then haue bred That being hatch'd her dam would thus despise And daily labour to plucke out her eies What man in all the world did euer knowe Although the tendrest father he had beene Those cares and greefes that sorrow and that woe Which wiues haue for their husbands felt and seene And how the louing mother for her sonne With sorrow hath beene oftentimes vndone Behold with what affection and what ioy What gentlenes and what intensiue loue The mother dothintreate her little boy Which after doth a Traitour to her prooue Requiting ill her paines and loue so kinde With powring sorrowes still into her minde What iealous feares what fearefull iealousies Doe haunt the mother for her cruell sonne What paine when that in any paine he lies What greefe when that with greefe he is vndone What perfect gladnes and what sweete content When that he is to any goodnes bent Alas how pensiue and how sad they ar If that their husbands suffer any paine What sorrow when they trauell somewhat far What moane when that they come not soone againe A thousand greefes to heare their losse of wealth Ten thousand deathes to heare their want of health But men that are so full of false deceate Our daily sorrowes neuer doe requite Or thinke of them though they be neuer so great But rather such their malice and despite Is that our louing cares both great and small Vniust suspects and iealousies doe call The cause of which surmise is onely this That as these wicked and detested men Of custome are enclined to stray amisse And in false loue their wits and wealth to spend Do thinke it now a burden to their liues To be belou'd so truely of their wiues Then since in louing them we euer finde Our selues a payde with hatefull scorne and blame I thinke it best for easing of our minde Quite to forget their nature sexe and name Or else to leaue our ioies in looking on them Or if we looke not once to thinke vpon them But yet it is a pretie iest to see Some kind of men whose madnes is so great That if the woman will not wholly bee At their desires then in a franticke heat They call her Tygresse cruell and vnkinde And trasteresse vnto a louing minde Then shalt thou see these men vnseemely call The modest women whom they would haue naught Coy and disdainfull to conuerse withall And her that 's chaste vnmanner'd and vntaught Those that be wise and sober full of pride And cruell those whose honesties are tride I would to God that those dishonored names Did fit them all as well as all the rest Then none of them should bide so many shames Nor be deceiu'd by men that loue them lest For being cruell proude and rusticall They would not loue nay could not loue at all For if the thing which they so faine would haue By any meanes they cannot once obtaine Then do they wish for death or for their graue But yet the same no sooner they attaine But make it but a sport and merie game And straight forget that ere they lou'd the same They faine themselues most sorrowfull and sad And wearied with a long and painfull life They still do tell the paines that they haue had And other lyes which are with them so rise They call themselues vnhappie poore and blinde Confounded slaues yet all but words of winde O how they can make Oceans of their eies And terme their flames their torments and their paines And breath out sighes like vapours in the skies And belch out sobs like Aetnas burning vaines In many things the greatnes of their minde They shew contemning base and doubtfull feare As those whose tender loue hath beene so kinde Vnto their husbands when they liuing were That all their moanes and sorrowes for their death They ended soone by stopping of their breath And if for vertue and his chaste intent Hippolytus deserued any praise On th' other side behold that excellent And noble Roman Matrone in her daies With stabbing dagger giuing vp the ghost I meane faire Lucrece for her honour lost It was no doubt great valour in the youth As neuer like hath beene in all the rest Who vowing to his father faith and truth Deni'd his stepdames foule and fond request All which admit Hippolytus is but one But thousands of Lucrecias haue beene knowne Giftes haue we more our beauties set aside For in good letters famous haue we bin And now to prooue our iudgements often tride And sharpnes of our finest wits therein Let Sappho and Corynna well suffice Who when they liu'd for learning got the prise And learned men doetherefore banish vs Their schooles and places where they do dispute For feare if we should argue and discusse With praise we should their arguments confute Too proud therefore they would not by their will That women should excell them in their skill And if some authors scorned in their loues Haue written ill of women in their hate Not this our credits any whit
greene Sicamours and Laurell trees and emulating the harmonie of this running spring which passeth thorow this greene medow we tooke our instruments to see if we could imitate the same And our hap or rather mishap it was that these Sauages long since captiuated as they say in our loues by chaunce came hither who importuning vs many times with their brutish requestes to graunt them our loue and seeing that by no meanes we gaue them any hope thereof with violent hands determined to put their beastly intents in practise and finding vs heere all alone did that which faire Shepherdesse thou sawest whē so fortunately thou camest to our rescue The Shepherdesse hearing what faire Doria had told her with plentious teares gaue an euident testimonie of the inward greefe which her afflicted hart felt and looking vpon the Nymphes she began thus to say Loue is not such a qualitie faire Nymphes of the chaste Goddesse that the person whom it holdeth in captiuitie can haue any regarde of reason neither is reason a meanes to make an enamoured hart forsake that way wherein the cruell destinies will conduct it For proofe whereof experience is at hand for though you were loued of these cruell Sauages and that the lawes of honest and pure loue doth prohibite all iniuries and whatsoeuer might offend you yet on the other side that headlong disorder comes wherewith it workes such strange and sundrie effectes that the same men that should serue and honour you seeke to spoile and hurt you And bicause you may knowe that I am not vrged to say this as onely induced by that which now at my comming I haue seene in this vallie I will tell you that which I thought to conceale from all the world but onely from him to whom I yeelded vp long since the freedome of my hart if euer time and fortune grant mine eies such fauour that they may see him once againe whereby you shal see how in the schoole of mishaps I haue learned to talke of loues consequences and of the effectes which the traitor works in their sorrowfull harts that are subiect vnto him You shall therefore knowe faire Nymphes that great Vandalia is my natiue countrie a prouince not far hence where I was borne in a citie called Soldina my mother called Delia my father Andronius for linage and possessions the chiefest of all that prouince It fell out that as my mother was married many yeeres and had no children by reason whereof she liued so sad and malecontent that she enioyed not one merry day with teares and sighes she daily importuned the heauens and with a thousand vowes and deuout offerings besought God to grant her the summe of her desire whose omnipotencie it pleased beholding from his imperiall throne her continuall orisons to make her barren bodie the greater part of her age being now spent and gone to become fruitfull What infinite ioy she conceiued thereof let her iudge that after a long desire of any thing fortune at last doth put it into her handes Of which content my father Andronius being no lesse partaker shewed such tokens of inward ioy as are impossible to be expressed My mother Delia was so much giuen to reading of ancient histories that if by reason of sicknes or any important businesse she had not bene hindred she would neuer by her will haue passed the time away in any other delight who as I said being now with childe and finding her selfe on a night ill at ease intreated my father to reade something vnto her that her minde being occupied in contemplation thereof she might the better passe her greefe away My father who studied for nothing els but to please her in all he might began to reade vnto her the historie of Paris when the three Ladies referred their proude contention for the golden Apple to his conclusion and iudgement But as my mother held it for an infallible opinion that Paris had partially giuen that sentence perswaded thereunto by a blinde passion of beautie so she said that without all doubt he did not with due reason and wisedome consider the Goddesse of battels for as martiall and heroicall feates saide she excelled all other qualities so with equitie and iustice the Apple should haue bene giuen to her My father answered that since the Apple was to be giuen to the fairest and that Venus was fairer then any of the rest Paris had rightly giuen his iudgement if that harme had not ensued thereof which afterwardes did To this my mother replied that though it was written in the Apple That it should be giuen to the fairest it was not to be vnderstood of corporall beautie but of the intellectuall beautie of the mind And therfore since fortitude was a thing that made one most beautiful the exercise of arms an exterior act of this vertue she affirmed that to the Goddesse of battels this Apple should be giuen if Paris had iudged like a prudent vnappassionate iudge So that faire Nymphes they spent a great part of the night in this controuersie both of them alledging the most reasons they could to confirme their owne purpose They persisting in this point sleepe began to ouercome her whom the reasons and arguments of her husband coulde not once mooue so that being very deepe in her disputations she fell into as deepe a sleepe to whom my father being now gone to his chamber appeered the Goddesse Venus with as frowning a countenance as faire and saide I maruell Delia who hath mooued thee to be so contrarie to her that was neuer opposite to thee If thou hadst but called to minde the time when thou wert so ouercome in loue for Andronius thou wouldest not haue paide me the debt thou owest me with so ill coine But thou shalt not escape free from my due anger for thou shalt bring forth a sonne and a daughter whose birth shall cost thee no lesse then thy life and them their contentment for vttering so much in disgrace of my honour and beautie both which shall be as infortunate in their loue as any were euer in all their liues or to the age wherein with remedylesse sighes they shall breath forth the summe of their ceaselesse sorrowes And hauing saide thus she vanished away when likewise it seemed to my mother that the Goddesse Pallas came to her in a vision and with a merry countenance saide thus vnto her With what sufficient rewardes may I be able to require the due regarde most happie and discreete Delia which thou hast alleaged in my fauour against thy husbands obstinate opinion except it be by making thee vnderstand that thou shalt bring foorth a sonne and a daughter the most fortunate in armes that haue bene to their times Hauing thus said she vanished out of her sight and my mother thorow exceeding seare awaked immediately Who within a moneth after at one birth was deliuered of me and of a brother of mine and died in childebed leauing my father the most sorrowfull
man in the world for her sudden death for greefe whereof within a little while after he also died And bicause you may knowe faire Nymphes in what great extremities loue hath put me you must vnderstand that being a woman of that qualitie and disposition as you haue heard I haue bene forced by my cruell destinie to leaue my naturall habit and libertie and the due respect of mine honour to follow him who thinkes perhaps that I doe but leese it by louing him so extremely Behold how bootelesse and vnseemely it is for a woman to be so dextrous in armes as if it were her proper nature and kinde wherewith faire Nymphes I had neuer bene indued but that by meanes thereof I should come to doe you this little seruice against these villaines which I account no lesse then if fortune had begun to satisfie in part some of those infinite wrongs that she hath continually done me The Nymphes were so amazed at her words that they coulde neither aske nor answere any thing to that the faire Shepherdesse tolde them who prosecuting her historie saide My brother and I were brought vp in a Nunnerie where an aunt of ours was Abbesse vntill we had accomplished twelue yeeres of age at what time we were taken from thence againe and my brother was caried to the mightie and inuincible King of Portugall his Court whose noble fame and princely liberalitie was bruted ouer all the world where being growen to yeeres able to manage armes he atchieued as valiant and almost incredible enterprises by them as he suffered vnfortunate disgraces and foiles by loue And with all this he was so highly fauoured of that magnificent King that he would neuer suffer him to depart from his Court Vnfortunate I reserued by my sinister destinies to greater mishaps was caried to a grandmother of mine which place I would I had neuer seene since it was an occasion of such a sorrowfull life as neuer any woman suffered the like And bicause there is not any thing faire Nymphes which I am not forced to tell you as well for the great vertue and desertes which your excellent beauties doe testifie as also for that my minde doth giue me that you shall be no small part and meanes of my comfort knowe that as I was in my grandmothers house and almost seuenteene yeeres olde a certaine yoong Gentleman fell in loue with me who dwelt no further from our house then the length of a garden Terrasse so that he might see me euery sommers night when I walked in the garden When as therefore ingratefull Felix had beheld in that place the vnfortunate Felismena for this is the name of the wofull woman that tels you her mishaps he was extremely enamoured of me or else did cunningly dissemble it I not knowing then whether of these two I might beleeue but am now assured that whosoeuer beleeues lest or nothing at all in these affaires shall be most at ease Many daies Don Felix spent in endeuouring to make me know the paines which he suffered for me and many more did I spende in making the matter strange and that he did not suffer them for my sake And I know not why loue delaied the time so long by forcing me to loue him but onely that when he came indeed he might enter into my hart at once and with greater force and violence When he had therefore by sundrie signes as by Tylt and Tourneyes and by prauncing vp and downe vpon his proude Iennet before my windowes made it manifest that he was in loue with me for at the first I did not so well perceiue it he determined in the end to write a letter vnto me and hauing practised diuers times before with a maide of mine and at length with many gifts and faire promises gotten her good will and furtherance he gaue her the letter to deliuer to me But to see the meanes that Rosina made vnto me for so was she called the dutifull seruices and vnwoonted circumstances before she did deliuer it the others that she sware vnto me and the subtle words and serious protestations she vsed it was a pleasant thing and woorthie the noting To whom neuerthelesse with an angrie countenance I turned againe saying If I had not regard of mine owne estate and what heereafter might be said I would make this shamelesse face of thine be knowne euer after for a marke of an impudent and bolde minion But bicause it is the first time let this suffice that I haue saide and giue thee warning to take heede of the second Me thinkes I see now the craftie wench how she helde her peace dissembling very cunningly the sorrow that she conceiued by my angrie answer for she fained a counterfaite smiling saying Iesus Mistresse I gaue it you bicause you might laugh at it and not to mooue your pacience with it in this sort for if I had any thought that it woulde haue prouoked you to anger I praie God he may shew his wrath as great towards me as euer he did to the daughter of any mother And with this she added many wordes more as she could do well enough to pacifie the fained anger and ill opinion that I conceiued of her and taking her letter with her she departed from me This hauing passed thus I began to imagine what might ensue thereof and loue me thought did put a certaine desire into my minde to see the letter though modestie shame forbad me to aske it of my maide especially for the wordes that had passed betweene vs as you haue heard And so I continued all that day vntill night in varietie of many thoughts But when Rosina came to helpe me to bedde God knowes how desirous I was to haue her entreat me againe to take the letter but she woulde neuer speake vnto me about it nor as it seemed did so much as once thinke thereof Yet to trie if by giuing her some occasion I might preuaile I saide vnto her And is it so Rosina that Don Felix without any regard to mine honour dares write vnto me These are things Mistresse saide she demurely to me againe that are commonly incident to loue wherfore I beseech you pardon me for if I had thought to haue angred you with it I woulde haue first pulled out the bals of mine eies How cold my hart was at that blow God knowes yet did I dissemble the matter and suffer my selfe to remaine that night onely with my desire and with occasion of little sleepe And so it was indeede for that me thought was the longest and most painfull night that euer I passed But when with a slower pace then I desired the wished day was come the discreet subtle Rosina came into my chamber to helpe me to make me readie in dooing whereof of purpose she let the letter closely fall which when I perceiued what is that that fell downe said I let me see it It is nothing Mistresse saide she Come come let me