he might from out the window see passing by his old Camerade Erinnio his somtimes fellow-waiter in Lucano's Chamber upon this he hems and spits to make him cast up his eye The other not knowing him with a close-shaven beard in such an habit seeing him make signes to him to come up and make no words of him beheld him more observantly till by a peculiar gesture of Olmiro he came to know him Glad then that it was he he likewise made signes that hee was comming up to him Now some of Lucano's meaner servants were sometimes wont to goe drinke in that house so as it was an easie matter for Erinnio to finde an excuse to goe thither to aske for a horse-keeper But being answered by the Hoast that none of their houshold had beene there since their Lords death he affirmed that he had seene him at the window The Hoast assured him that hee was mistaken praying him withall in case he beleeved him not to goe himselfe up and see telling him that all the roomes above-staires were open without any other living soule in them save a poore pilgrim Erinnio gotten up the staires in great haste told him at a breath that he could not speake with him there but wish'd him to come at two a clock at night to the secret doore that lead to their Masters Lodgings where he should finde him ready to let him in And then returning downe he told the Hoast that he was indeede in the right howbeit that the pilgrim from a farre off resembled much the horse-keeper who wore his beard close shaven as this man had his Olmiro missed not the houre appointed the first thing he ask'd Erinnio was How he got to stay in the house after the death of their Lord My Lord answered him Erinnio is God be thanked yet alive ' though hee can leade but a dying life till such time as he recover the Princesse and accommodate their affaires Olmiro rapt with unexpected joy with a countenance of one transported beyond himselfe gladsomely replies Is it possible my deere Erinnio that my Lord is yet alive oh let mee blesse mine eyes with the deere sight of him bring me oh bring mee quickly unto him and I 'le bring him newes of the Princesse for shee it was that sent me hither Erinnio embracing him anew lead him the way in having already made the Duke acquainted with his comming Ascended that they had the staires they found him with a vissage pale and wanne laid all along on a low velvet couch Olmiro knew not whether hee were awake or no or if he were yet did Lucano Erinnio the Chirurgeon that stood apart and the very house it selfe seeme in his extasied eyes to bee visions and ghosts howsoever his joy was such as hee falling flat to the ground lay melting himselfe for meere over-joy into brinish teares deprived of the power of stirring from thence Lucano more yet transported than hee had not freed his speech for a long time from the prison of a more than extazied passion if his impatient desire of knowing how the Princesse did had not burst open the gates of his silence Olmiro acquainted him with all that had befallen her the place shee dwelt in the griefe that tyrannized over her the daily selfe-wasting life shee lead her dreames of him and imaginations that the wind was his spirit come to see her of his beloved name's being call'd upon invoked and cried out unto both in light and darkenesse with the orders given him to goe learne what had happened since her departure That in case Lucano were according to the relation of signes alive hee might then come to finde her out and if dead that shee might begge of death the favour of being joyned with him In summe Olmiro forgot no one particular to make even cruelty it selfe become compassionate and the direct hatred well-affecting But all was God wot but superfluous for Lucano to whom the sufferings of Corianna were aggravations of hearts griefe he could not endure to heare the end of her story so rent was his affectionate heart with what hee had already heard of it though by fits eased by the hope hee conceived of corresponding her obligements with equivalent gratitude The relation being ended Olmiro said hee I will not thanke thee for thy fidelity because honest men as thou art pretend not such a foundation for their merits nor yet for the toyle thou hast endured since I perswade my selfe that the love thou hast ever borne me not onely takes away the irksomnesse of it but withall makes it pleasing and delightsome unto thee I only thanke thee for having endeavoured to keepe me whom thou thought'st to be dead alive in the life of her for whom alone I desire to live or dye I thanke thee for the good newes thou brought'st me and for having taken me out of the jawes of a more-than cruell death which was the not knowing where she was But first of all I render hearty thankes unto the immortall powers that have raised mee up so benignely from so low a fall But tell me Olmiro shall we goe now presently And with that starting off his bed hee hastily walkes the round of the Chamber love causing him to make that way in an instant which lay subject to the measure of time But Olmiro that saw him so heart-sick of an heart-burning feaver of affection that hee raved with desire thus answered him Our parting shall be when it shall please you my Lord. Wee cannot sollicite it so much as for the Princesse sake we should an houre to her is an eternity Time as your selfe have found by proofe is in consolations and pleasures most swift in afflictions and hopes slow if not immoveable Yet should I for all that be sorry to see harme done by seeking to doe good which cannot but happen in case you being not I doubt me as yet well recovered should hazard your life in too soone undergoing this voyage the same Erinnio also told him But hee still standing constant to his determination of parting suddenly was at length disswaded by the consideration of the want of a fit habit to goe disguiz'd in and the necessity of referring the resolution thereof to the will of his Mother for not causing her to fall from one griefe into another Here seeing how impatiently-desirous Olmiro was to know how hee was brought to life againe I will recount unto thee my selfe said he the things succeeded since Carildo and thou parted'st leaving me to your thinking dead The clashing noyse of the swords awoke the Captaine of the Castle who thereupon came downe and finding us both slaine could not imagine how wee came by our deaths much lesse how wee entred into the Castle so as he being thereat no lesse amaz'd than afrighted grew to bee yet more afraid when he found the gate to the sea-ward wide open which because none save the Princesse had any key of hee went instantly to her lodgings where causing her
his purpose he bought it ministring thereby matter to the poore Alchimist to waste his braines about his endlesse search of his rich gold-hatching Elixar though the others conscience made him esteeme this water farre more precious than the Philosophers-stone itselfe yet never was he favoured with the opportunity of making use of it all the time of his long imprisonment in Sardinia nor yet in Arelate till the very night that should have preceded his ignominious death But then being cast into a low prison not much pestered with company as in sundry places is usuall and ordinary to the end the condemned may dispose of what they have and prepare themselves for death he having by his waters vertue made brittle and beaten to pieces first his manacles and shackles and then his heavy boults escaped sheere away And then not knowing either whither to goe or what course to take his worse than bad inclination depriving him of the least good thought brought him to rob on the high-way but being weary of the Gaules he passed the Alpes and got into the faire Provinces of Ausonia where growne to be for his infamy famous he in a short time assembled all the murtherers and theeves of that Countrey by whom he being proclaimed king of the fields usurp'd the authority of commanding often contributions and exactions not onely from Villages and Castles but even from walled Townes and strong Cities till such time as being desirous of a staid life he entred into the pay of the Eugaenean Republick entertained by them to confront other theeves like himselfe that pestered their sea coasts but hee neither obeying them in any thing committed to his charge nor going whither he was by them directed and sent but busying his braines about the sacking of Cities that he might afterwards retire againe to his wonted haunts and sheltering groves was ere he could execute his purpose set upon unawares by the Generall of that noble people and constrain'd to flie away with but sixteene of his consorts leaving the rest a prey to the fish and Vulturs whereof when sixty of them were hang'd the rest were reserved for the galleyes Hee in the meane time chanced to be wind-driven into Ericusa where lighting on a Barke that launching out of the Illirian Bay was bound for Peucetia laden with horses he robb'd her of them and then mounting thereon his confederates was as hee stood busied in putting them in order to disorder the Iland unexpectedly arrived on by his old betrayed Master Don Elcimos whose physiognomy and countenance though not seene by him long time before neverthelesse so stung his horrid conscience with a feeling of his owne infamous treachery as his eyes unable to endure the justice-menacing-lookes of his betrayed Lord forced him to fly his presence but was as speedily pursued by him who with prompt counsell mounted on one of the very same horses and fiercely chased him till the hapning of what hath beene already related Iust that very morning had Feredo put off his habit of Priesthood so as it was now lawfull for him in his comming downe to buckle on his armour which hee alwayes kept in a by-roome for that purpose thinking nor did he therein thinke amisse that such a store was no sore as might steede no lesse a peaceable man in conserving his quiet than a man of a contrary inclination to a contrary use Yet had hee now no occasion to make use of them the troupe of theeves being before he came put to route and forced to yeeld so as he needed to take no other care than about Don Elcimos wounds which though not very deepe did yet somewhat trouble him in minde because he had not wherewithall to cure them but the patient himselfe making no reckoning of them for having beene used to be his owne Chirurgion courteously thanking them all for their carefull loves suffered himselfe to be convayed to the house where with Turpentine incorporated with the yoalke of an egge an easie and soone made medicine hee in a few dayes cured himselfe Causing in that meane space to be brought before him all Catascopo's companions and enformed by them at full of their quality and beeing he determined to let them goe free for not knowing what to doe with them now that he had already restored the horses and barke to the Merchants that owned them Having therefore admonished and perswaded them to leave off that wicked course of life he licensed them to depart when one of them speaking for the rest after having humbly thanked him for so great a favour said thus unto him My life's Lord we have promised you to leave off the wicked life which hitherunto we have led and that surely with a sincere and fraudlesse intention because if nothing else induced us so to doe our very being wearied therewith necessarily enjoynes us thereto besides the being impossible that fortune also be not as much wearied in conserving us But yet no man can be bound to doe more than he can doe wee are now in such a case as wee cannot live anywhere safe since that the eye of justice being bent towards our past life will without making any reckoning of our present internall repentance punish us wheresoever we be resident The proposition therefore of reducing us to a civill life is though weebe most obsequious thereto a thing even unpossible for us to performe since we enjoy not the least assurance of our secure living by such a life our offences being innumerable our enemies infinite there being no Prince by us unoffended and our selves though accustomed to toylsomnesse and sufferings yet be not enured to the miserablenesse of poverty or want the sole motive that compels many men to take leude and desperate courses of life Nay give me leave to tell you yet further that any he of us that shall have the greatest desire to be reduced to a good course of life cannot attaine thereto but by wicked meanes and that is by the murthering of one or more of us his companions without whose deaths it is certaine he is sure not to obtaine the impunity of his delicts therefore as it lay in your hands to give us both life and liberty so may you also if you please conserve those lives of ours to a good use without suffering them to be the meanes of greater misdeeds You have here Catascopo dead his head so your goodnesse be pleased to give it us is of a value sufficient not only to restore us to our liberties and procure us our free pardon in our owne Countries but also to raise us to a competent estate which may serve us to live honestly withall it being worth many talents which shall be among us equally shared This request of their 's no whit displeased Don Elcimos who freely granting it gave them leave to depart with it and use it as they pleased Whereupon they taking it off the trunke emblamed it to preserve it from putrefaction and then carried it to
though enclined to all kinde of mischiefe he became to be in outward shew vertuous for not falling at the fall or decease of his brother from that state wherein he in his conceit liv'd happily And my father knowing that as hee was the instrument of his greatnesse so he might be also the like for his depression stood so in feare of him as he doubted he would be angry if he followed not his counsels having a perpetuall eye to the good opinion the King of Persia and many great ones had of him to whom he was become gracious by his nature pliable to all humours so as Cameleon-like he with the good would appeare in the best colours and with the wicked in the worst Nerea my Mother an hundred for one more malicious and mischievous than my Father and that for her owne ends had esteemed his brother more than he entertaining him with the carriage rather of a strumpet than a sister-in-law and salving her husbands jealousies with the selfe same cunning endeavouring to make him beleeve that so shee must have done to save them both from being undone Reasons at first perhaps good but no longer now after the disaster of his sonne doubting and with reason too that shee carried her selfe towards him as shee had done towards her other husband observantly therefore examining her demeanour towards his brother he considered it to be the fabrick of his danger ruine All my Mothers wit was after the death of her sonne employed in expugning the interessed continencie of Timocle which being once battered shee hoped to be whole directresse and commandresse of all Much adoe shee had in assaulting it but at last shee wonne it Timocle as wylie malicious and mischievous as so many more subjecting himselfe by degrees to the webbe of the ill-warpt thread of a worser spinster The businesse went not far onwards because my Father was now resolved to make sure worke of them who considered that the Principality being to him and his heires tooke from all others all pretext thereunto as long as he and I stuck together not without forethinking that womens disability to tyrannie an engine to bee managed with forces and terrours conditions farre distant from the nature of their sex and my being horribly detested of every one would have brought him no small disadvantage Yet howsoever having no other prop to leane upon hee choosed this for his present ends any shade serving his turne that lyes scorched by the Sunne And though that innovating might goe neere to spoyle all and move on to a certaine end uncertaine perils yet thought he it not his best course to put it in doubt since preventing a mischiefe and surprizing the mischiefe-plotter is better than to be prevented and surprized Hee therefore began to honour mee using me as presumed heire with much respect by participating to mee his affaires calling me into counsell and giving mee a Family and among them some of the best reputed and honestest Matrons of Chio perswading me to vertue good conditions and more especially to a modest and honest course of life framing himselfe also to the same in outward appearance so punctually as hee now seemed to be no more that first Pridale And to the end that Nerea and Timocle might prove the authors of their owne ruine hee seemed to be hoodwink'd at their actions by cherishing and making more of them now than before making an account that their becomming odious unto the world would preserve him in his Principality for doubt of a worse if not for choyse of the better Timocle penetrating his brothers thoughts by his behaviour considering how the government had wonne him many all favours having beene done either mediately or immediately by him and all rigours and injustice imputed and conceived to be Pridale's although his conscience told him that he was ever hated but in an equall degree with himselfe who was a murtherer a betrayer of his Countrey and good men a complotter of tyrannie an adulterer and an incestuous miscreant abandoning therefore all domestick hopes hee fastned on forraigne better founded and more certaine Hee wrote to the Persian Court and complain'd of Pridale not in termes of enmity but as a well-meaning man proposing the dangers of sedition in the people who were like enough so they but once recovered their liberty to breake the hedges not onely of Ionia but even of all the Provinces of Greece That therefore order should be given for some number of good Souldiers and Galleyes to keepe the I le in awe Hee obtained as much as he desired upon a conformable letter of Farnabazzo Lievetenant Generall in Asia an ancient friend of Timocle's and conserved such by presents and by the common opinion of the Peeres that hee was rather a Persian than a Grecian My Father looked pale at the hearing of the order of sending him Galleyes and Garrisons And seeing himselfe in such a streight resolved to clip his brothers ambition's wings by having him guided to the precipice of his downe-fall Hee surprized Timocle and his wife together on the fact or as wee say with the manner whilest they were more carelesly licentious for thinking themselves secure enough from him and shewed them in the act both to the Principall of the City and to the Persian Captaines and Officers and then speedily convicting them put them to death the most welcome accident that had befallen Chio since shee had lost her liberty which shee judged to be a very good beginning Faine would my Mother have seene me before her death but that last boone of hers was not granted her Having stepped this irrevocable pace my Father not knowing how to refuse the destinated milice bethought himselfe of sending me into Persia that I serving for a silent hostage might more handsomely excuse him thereof hoping that my beauties were sufficient to obtaine of the King Court all that I knew how to demand Having received my instructions we gave out to vaile with a modest pretext this till then unheard-of feminine embassie that I went to be entertained in the Queenes service till I married againe Come to Asia accompanied with a Noble Family of Knights and Ladies I came to speech with Farnabazzo I stood not to praying but commanded him so much authority conceived I to have over him in an instant to forbeare to send the forces either of men or galleyes destinated for Chio till he had further order from the Court I was obeyed passing afterwards from place to place without any expence besides my being gratified by all even till I came to Susa reserving all the while apart my naturall conditions to the end the coyne of my beauty being conserved in its full weight might be the more currant to steede mee where I went to spend it I arrived in Court with a noble conduct of such as beyond any expectation of mine came to meete mee by the way although indeede I strongly relied on my winning qualities Being presented to the King
reason to love him no more This said hee stopt his speech which upon her not answering he thus continued I beseech your Highnesse to tell me if rather than to have Lucano dead you would bee contented to have him alive mistake me not not yours but a woman's whom he keepes and enjoyes before your face here in this Iland whilest you live like a serpent under ground for love and long of him and where because you could not dye with griefe you strive to kill your selfe with the rotting humidity and maligne exhalations of the dankish earth But be pleased I beseech you my Lady and Princesse whom I know to be discreet to tell me Is it not a strange thing that the Duke of Lucania who before was dead should be now risen againe to life who before a lover should be now a loather of his deservedly-beloved object and who formerly was a noble and loyall Gentleman should as for certaine hee now is become most perfidious and ungratefull Corianna become clay cold thereat had not the power to answer him the Dutchesse also with the Gentlewoman astonished at these strange newes stood mute like so many statues till shee her selfe at length having first dried her beteared cheekes thus said Lucano then is not dead but lives and yet is no more mine And is it possible that Lucania could bring forth and foster such cruelty and ingratitude No no the world will not beleeve it no more doe not I. Thou dream'st alack thou dream'st Carildo the constantly-good-gentle-carriage of Lucano is a cloth died in graine incapable of either spot or staine But hereupon Carildo's distinct relation of all he had seene taking for the right Lucano the true Almadero shee flung her selfe on the ground tearing her haire clothes and face and had doubtlesse kill'd her selfe in that passionate fury had not the discretion of her attendants hindered and crost that her so desperate intention Lucano on the otherside being by his loyally-loving servants conducted to the place where he landed and whither Carildo was wont to come to buy provision and to espie for the landing of any shipping was in a poore lodging provided of a poorer bed with small hope of life his griefe augmenting his feaver whilst his spirits hourely wasted Resolved then to dye he yet resolved first to be the death of the Knight that was the cause of his death Olmiro and Erinnio did by turnes the best they could to bring him out of the imminent desperation hee was in from which they could not thinke of a better or more powerfull diversion than the loathing of Corianna shewing him withall that in respect of loves being engendred by love the one should surcease to be upon the ceasing of the others beeing A correspondence in their judgement every way just for that if the hazarding ones life for any ones love was an effect not onely of affection but also of duty wherefore then since we have all of us reason to respect ever chiefly our owne good and to love our selves best should any man so love any one that loves him not as to hate himselfe to death with further telling him that amorous constancies were poeticall fables and if not that yet they could not be vertues their effects being vitious and against reason That that which was constantly to be liked and lov'd in a woman was constancie honesty modesty shamefastnesse and the like and not their opposites and unlike But Lucano arguing the case according to his passion returned them this answer My well-meaning friends the priviledge of men in health is to judge of sicknesses as they conceive of them and not according to the sicke mans paine Would not yee hold me for a madde man if I being well and you sick went about to perswade you that it is ill done to be sick and contrary to the reasons of loving a mans owne good and content with adding that your being sick makes your friends sorry disquiets your family and leades you the high-way to death and that therefore your best course were to bee well againe which if you please you may be Yet yee now perswade your selves that I can doe what I cannot thinkign that passions should bee ranked among things indifferent whereas indeede true love hath ever beene a supreame Commander and to this day exerciseth his Soveraignety not onely over reasonable men but also over reason itselfe how much more powerfully then must I needs bee tyrannized over by mine that hath beene already possessed of its sweetes and since in an examplelesse manner suspended from them by time and sufferings Thinke you that a thing so precious acquir'd with the hazard of my life and losse of my state and fortunes can be by me given over and resigned to another onely because my will and resolution you say should be to doe so You would perswade me to it out of charity to my selfe for sooth but I pray you tell me how can I expresse my selfe more charitable to my selfe than seeing a necessity of my death to dye quickly and willingly To love no more Corianna is unpossible for me nay more the meere instincts of love yet perswade mee shee is innocent and the Law wee live under enforces me to beleeve her such Againe that shee hates me I cannot beleeve nor yet dared yee tell me so Is shee having heard of my death obliged to languish perpetually Or doe the Lawes deny marriage to faire young orphan-widowes and in a plight so miserable as shee was in Corianna was borne to love me out of her voluntary noblenesse to cause mee to be slaine yea and slay mee too but innocently Corianna hath for my sake forsaken both Father and Countrey nay lived too like a worme under ground through my doings till occasion was offered her that a gentle Cavalier moved to compassion at her sufferings freed her thence and shee poore Lady was faine to accept of his courteous offer now that shee liv'd for loving me excluded and deprived both of Realme and honour Nor can I but acknowledge my selfe in some respect obliged to her Knight her new servant and am sorry that I cannot requite him since that Corianna being mine cannot be his too nor have two husbands at the same time living I therefore am necessitated to slay him with my owne hands or if he chance to kill me I shall then Heaven be my witnesse dye contentedly and dying wish him that felicity which my owne heart desired I should enjoy with my deere Corianna The disconsolated Princesse slept not all that night but spent it in bemoaning Lucano living as shee had before lamented him dead resolved the next morning to goe finde him out her selfe which because Carildo disswaded her from as both a thing unworthy of her and a subject of favour to Lucano and of triumph to the Princesse of Feacia shee bade him spare his speech and get her a few new-laid egges shee having not eaten any thing all the day before In
I beseech you to give us leave to carry you to the cave that I may then after hye me speedily to him to give him life and bring him to you Whilst Lucano stood as a by-spectator of this part of a Tragecomedy he might see displayed from out the wood another scene The Princesse of Feacia whom he before had taken for Corianna not knowing that her Almadero was otherwise busied was met by him whom shee had espied from the hill top And Polimero with his company seeing the three Squires comming out of the wood went another way to finde them out Whilst Lidomia being told by Almadero that he had strangers at home goes her way Lucano at first sight was almost deceived againe nay he had questionlesse so beene if the lamentation of the foure had not pointed him out the true Corianna And now seeing those Knights goe that-a-way he made a stand though his heart drew him out of the ambush he lay in as free by then from jealousie as more than ever sick of love and pitty Corianna now that shee was somewhat able was about to speake in answer to Olmiro when shee saw stand over her the five Knights and a litle after Almadero Lindadori forgetting her designe of passing for a man sate close by her like a young Girle conforting her with the prettiest words that could be When Almadero by this time come greeted her with these speeches Madame it hath pleased you see the Gods to chastize you for the disfavour you to your owne prejudice did me in refusing to accept of a short repose in my poore house I hope you will now oblige me with that favour sithence these noble Gentlemen joyne with me to entreate you to suffer your selfe to be carried up there to continue till such time as you have recovered strength enough to goe on your intended voyage But shee not being yet able to speake much with a low voyce thanking him told him that those her three servants would carry her very well to her Barke and with that calling to her Olmiro shee whispered him in the eare to goe for the Duke and bring him presently to the cave Lucano who standing aside observed all seeing him part and imagining that hee went for him stept out to Olmiro a joyfull man to see him whom he was already bethinking with himselfe whither to goe to finde out who now told him in two words all the businesse by him before hand sufficiently comprehended That done Lucano suddenly breaking through the circle of Knights prostrated himselfe before her and then taking her by the hand and bathing it with his teares he affectionately kissed it Shee presently knew him and at the very sight of him instantly recovered her full strength her soule then returning to its proper mansion and her spirits executing their severall offices Clasping then her armes about his neck forgetting the nice decorum of her sex and the at other times blush-procuring presence of so many Knights shee parenthesing her words with greedy kisses thus bespake him And what God restores you to me now my sweete Lucano what spitefull death alas tooke you from me deerest life of my soule Dye I or live I now I shall live or dye contented for seeing you alive and too withall not anothers but mine But tell me I beseech you are you indeed Lucano or the sweete spirit that was in him No no! you are my true loyall Lucano Spirits I see are not dissolv'd by the blowes of Fortune This your languishing palenesse is a marke infallible of your love and a most glorious trophey of mine But my deere soule you are in some sort recompenced for it since your tombe hath not any either more worthy Epitaph nor your Hearse any Elegy that expresse your disasters more lively than doth this face of mine whereon so you but cast your eye you may there reade in sad characters the deposition of my affection To this Lucano after he had first as a preludium to his speech vented a few profound sighes thus answered The life Madame that at this present I receive is the hight of so great a glory that the death and now past calamities that I suffered come exceedingly short of meriting it Happy therefore were I if for better expressing my loyaltie and to doe you further service I might often reiterate the sufferings of my disasters For though that your favour to me-wards ever the same doth ever warrant my content from becomming subject to alteration neverthelesse Fortune's so various accidents make me now that I have prov'd and felt them adverse relish better my happinesse than before when I knew nothing of its spitefull effects Onely I affectionately begge of you to adde this one favour more to the summe of my obligations which is that you will presently cheere up your spirits and live otherwise I protest unto you that I may well resolve to dye my selfe but not to endure to see you leade me the way to either death or griefe which said he embracing her affectionately nourished by the assistance of their close-joyned lips her weakely-panting with his fresh-vigorous spirits and then shee having first bestowed such time as was necessary for recovering her intercepted breath bethought of getting her selfe up and to be gone to her retiring-place her cave For furthering of which her desire the Dutchesse to strengthen her fainting spirits presented her with a morsell of restorative conserve which shee had brought with her purposely to revive her but could not perswade her to take of it before because of her then resolution to starve her selfe or otherwise set a finall period to her dayes Now also afterwards shee was by importunity wonne to taste of a litle conforting wine which together with other dainties Almadero caused to be brought downe for her and now presented her withall not without letting her know how sorry hee was that her diffidence extended so farre as to Cavaliers who were obliged to serve her Eromena lighting now on an occasion conforming with a determination of hers concluded on by her husband and the Count of Bona of taking her along with them thus greetes her Madame I know you by your high birth noble spirit and disasters ere e're I had the honour to be acquainted with your person and now that I have the happinesse to know you that occular way too I thanke the Heavens for favouring me so much as to finde you out in such a time or plight as I may any way steede you And to the end you may be excuselesse for not commanding me I am Eromena More she would have said but that name scarce exprest bred such joy in Corianna that she interrupted her with saying And how happy a day is this for me Madame wherein Fortune hath beene so liberall as to restore me my Lucano that so both he and I might personally tender our service to you whom we so much honour and desire to serve But Eromena observing her speake with a great deale of paines made her this sudden reply Sweete Madame let us I pray you lay aside all complements and thinke of some meanes of conveying you hence to take some conforting-cordiall-simples for I conceive you have need of them Besides you may honour me by voutchsafing to be acquainted with Polimero my Lord and Lindadori my daughter who are also come here to serve you together with these two Knights the one of them which is this shewing her the Count of Bona having chanced to espie you out before hathconducted us hither expressely to bring you along with us to Sardinia where we shall with your greater advantage treate of your reconcilements And then after complementall courtesies replied on all sides Almadero would by all meanes have Corianna carried up which favour shee accepted not of but in excuse thereof said Courteous Sir I may not accept of your much-obliging proffer not because I dislike of it but for that I cannot conforme the necessity of my occasions to the desire I have to obey you in explanation whereof I must tell you that I am though I presume you hitherto know not as much your neere neighbour and have at home a young sucking babe that expects me and therefore I shall make bold to begge of you one undeniable request which is that you would bee courteously pleased to leave to my Lucano and me with our company the use of my cave whereunto seeing her resolution so fixt they all assented so as shee was seated and carried thitherward in a chaire accompanied though against her will with all of them who when they came to see that subterranean habitation though adorn'd with royall furniture they could not refraine from weeping But more than all the rest Lucano though he afterwards passed from a sea of teares to an Ocean of joy upon sight of the babe whom Lindadori would needs feede whilst Eromena having first excluded all the menkinde helped Corianna to bed and then soone after re-admitting them shee with some soveraigne restoratives by then prepared her by the noble mayden both conforted and restored her enfeebled forces Full fifteene dayes entertayned they themselves all of them in Ericusa For the Prince of Feacia being informed of their qualities went in person to conduct and lodge them in a delicious house of his pleasingly-scituated on the sea side where upon Corianna's recovering her former beauties they were observed although in apparance the same with Lidomia to bee animated though with different spirits onely so farre alike as tooke away all marveile of their being taken the one for the other Lucano rather was a greater subject of amazement since betweene him and Almadero could not be discerned any sensible difference of favour or making other than in certaine gestures and those too rather habituall than naturall Many complementall ceremonies passed betweene Eromena and Corianna touching their going together till at length upon the later her accepting of the invitation the old Prince furnished them with a Galley Leaving then Almadero protested-unto of a perpetuall amity they fetching about Sicily prosperously arrived in SARDINIA FINIS
for an inapprehensive and simple fellow yet still neverthelesse persevering in observing him the heedlesse Princesse gave him occasion to build a great suspition on the foundation of her carriage for being allured by the sweete baite of his love and by their secret matrimoniall knot shee might be easily perceived by one that were a curious observer to entertaine Lucano with termes both of love and respect whereupon the other's envie increasing and his jelousie ingendring an indelible hatred himselfe having had the boldnesse to love her too in private and not enduring that another man should possesse what he durst not somuch as aspire to he resolved to sound the depth of his designes by his nightly frequenting the wals of the Pallace which he had not done the second time ere the Princesse under pretence of enjoying the prospect of the water and of going privately to take the benefit of the fresh sea-aire in a Barge was retir'd into a Castle scituated on the sea-shore the more conveniently to flie away from thence having altered her first resolution upon the feeling of her selfe to be quick with childe and upon the comming of her pretended Bride-groome from Sicily in person to fetch her away Lucano in the meane time had unknowne to his Mother secretly mortgaged so much of his lands as had rais'd him a great summe of money wherewith with the addition of his Iewels and those of the Princesse over and besides some other few but precious houshold-furniture hee made account to leade a contented life which may perhaps be lighted on by such who depending on the supply of their owne meanes and living free from the tyranny of affections especially of those two disquieting ones Covetize and Ambition have the fortune to live either alone or in company conformable to their proper humour and wayes But alas we see it but too frequently fall out that humane designes prove altogether deceitfull when the execution of them wholly relies on the favour of content-thwarting fortune The Dutchesse who was Corrianna's governesse seeing her thus precipitate her selfe the love shee bare her having by this time wrought an alteration in her minde determined now that shee saw no other remedy to participate both of her weale and woe especially seeing her to be with childe little for her owne particular regarding how the world would censure her yet repenting though now too late that shee had not in time revealed all to the King not without fearing the being punished for them all in case shee stayd behinde them Lucano glad of this company so necessary and acceptable to the Princesse by the meanes of a most faithfull servant of his provided himselfe of a pinnace that by chance then anchored in the haven ready to way anchor and hoise up sailes for the East and causing him to goe and stow their baggage aboord her he gave order that shee should ride at anchor just but so wide off the Castle as shee might well heare the signall that should be given which was the throwing of a stone into the sea in a direct line towards her The Princesse immediately after midnight came forth at a private doore where Lucano stood all alone expecting her comming and on her waited onely the Dutchesse her Gentlewoman and I loaden with a burden of apparell scarce were wee come to the doore which stood to the sea-ward when the Gentlewoman opening it and looking out at it all afrighted skreech'd out to the Duke Looke to your selfe my Lord I see people approaching And true it was indeede for three men came making hastily towards us upon this the Duke having made all of us to get speedily aboord the pinnace being by this time already come without any signall at the noise of the unbolting of the doore knew one and the foremost of them to be Fridone Now he by vertue of his Constables office might come and goe any where unquestioned yet not without speciall occasion into that Castle reserved then being a time free from all suspition of hostile invasion to the sole use of the Princesse so as Lucano's comming thither was alwayes by stealth even so was he also faine to use the like meanes for his entrance and now come neere Lucano was by him thus greeted What 's I pray you the best newes Cozen And if it may without offence be knowne whither away wend you so late To chastize thee for thy treachery answered the other With that word their swords were suddenly drawn out Lucano set upon by three at once made short work to rid himselfe of two of them whose so unmanly assault hee with two blowes so repulsed that they lay prostrate at his feete without hope of ever rising more to requite the curtesie he had done them being left now hand to hand with the Constable he thrust at him with his point wherewith he ran him quite through the body with this he feeling the pangs of death seaze on him advanced on so forwardly with a desperate passage that his mortally-wounded brest came to touch his enemies hilts and then throwing away his sword he with his dagger stab'd Lucano that hee fell to the ground himselfe having the precedencie of falling before him All this was done in a moment and I beleeve there passed not above foure Stoccadoes of a side but all mortall for I having hastily laid aside my burthen accompanied with the Dukes servant came in as speedily as I could to his succour but found him groveling on the ground with a whole streame of blood gushing out of his fainting body yet was hee alive and as yet unforlorne of either sense or memory for seeing us busied about him hee said Leave off now oh leave off Carildo sithence to employ any care about me is but labour lost I am alas a dead man with that laying his hand upon the wound in his throate as though he would a little while have kept in his latest breath he proceeded Carildo leade away the Princesse and that quickly too it will be easier for her to obtaine her pardon and reconcilement being a free-woman than a prisoner so shall shee avoide the imminent calumnie and be timely delivered of her burden Conjure her by vertue of our true immaculate love to support with a generous courage this my untimely death for my part I cannot choose but joy that I dye in her service The supreme powers have beene pleased to let her by my death see that I was not worthy of her Assure her also that if in the other world I shall finde any measure of compassion I will then procure a licence to passe the Acheron to come and hover about her peradventure that favour will not be denied me my case being but too compassionable besides the priviledge of lovers to continue after death in the perseverance of their affections There is nothing that makes me diffident therof but the meannesse of my deserts which cannot choose but fall short of the merit of so great a
glory yet hope I with her merits helpe to obtaine it beauty being such a power as it once forced Pluto to wander out of his infernall dominions And to the end shee be not affrighted to see me appeare all imbath'd in blood tell her I will come transformed into a gentle breath of winde and will without either affrighting or annoying her softly steale under her vaile and so solace and sport my selfe in her beloved bosome which as oft as shee feeles tell her it is I and pray her to receive me joyfully Tell her also But here his spirits failing him his last will remained unexpressed to my so great griefe that I had undoubtedly kill'd my selfe in the place had I not more deerely tendred my Ladies welfare than my owne despised life But now danger not affording us the leisure to vent our griefe in teares I ranne to call away the mariners with an intention to beare him away with us whatsoever came on 't when my companion comming running after me hastily told me he descried people approaching and true it was indeede Wherefore wee highed us aboord crying out to the mariners to launch out which they suddenly did their pinnace being mann'd with fourteene good Oares The Princesse having heard the clashing of the swords and comprehending by our feare by our being alone and by our faces all besmeared with the blood that spowted out of the Dukes throate the disaster that had befallen us incontinently swounded the wofull-hearted Dutchesse in a plight not much better used for reviving her the best meanes shee could which soone after successefully effected shee all enraged with passion upon her comming againe to her selfe burst out into these speeches And what a Gods name meane you to doe to contend with the cruelty of fortune and to overcome it or to procure me a sensibility thereby to make me become more lively sensible of death Carildo how left you Lucano I miserable wretch had not the power to finde out on a suddain fit words to sweeten so great a bitternesse whereupon shee seeing me so silent ask'd me if he were dead But I weeping afresh knew not how to expresse so dolorous an affirmative whereat tearing her haire and face shee proceeded Hast thou then so forsaken me Lucano No no it is indeede I that have forsaken thee Pardon me oh pardon me I beseech thee my deerest lover when once I come againe where thou art I will never leave thee more but will ever follow thee and be anew joyn'd inseparably unto thee With this shee would have desperately flung her selfe headlong into the sea had not her garments the tacklings of the Barke and all we that stood about her hindred her from executing her so desperate an intention The Dutchesse supporting her betweene her armes comforted her the best shee could but alas possibility it selfe hath no possible arguments availeable in extreame calamities onely this one good effect it wrought which was the procuring her to be silent so as the mariners understanding litle or nothing of our language could not comprehend our case or being And although the suddennesse at first and afterwards the renewing of our lamentations made them curious in better observing of both our words and actions yet did the ignorance of both the fact and persons keepe them afarre off from the conjecture of the truth Shee in the meane time never ceased from weeping depriving her selfe of all refreshing refection either of sleepe or sustenance so as her body was reduced to such a weakenesse and her throate waxen so dry that shee was scarceable to speake any more yet did shee for all this pronounce the name of Lucano with such a compassion-meriting passion as was able to enforce even cruelty it selfe to beare a share in her sorrowes Greived to the heart was the good Dutchesse to see her in so wofull a plight yet seeing she could not perswade her to use any restorative means to her body already disposed to pine it selfe away shee bethought her selfe to assay if shee could any way cheere up her drooping spirits with the more soveraigne medicines of the minde wherefore with a no lesse ardent than compassionable affection shee thus bespake her Madame the time now presents you with an occasion to manifest the greatnesse of your worth oh then I beseech you be but pleased to consider that Nature having bestowed on you a talent larger than that of any other woman as you may therefore jusly esteeme your selfe to be singular among all those of your sex so may shee as justly accuse you to be above all other women living singularly ingrate if you make not an opportune use of her benefits True it is that your crosses exceede those of any one of your sex nay though all their severall disasters were added together yet could they not amount to the summe of yours for you have not onely lost your husband but also utterly abandoned your countrey your fortunes your state and parents yet me thinkes that shee that had the resolute boldnesse to hazard such inestimable losses should not want the courage to endure and slight them with a magnanimous patience Fortunes game Madame is like that of dicing at which no body should venture other than such a stake as hee cared not whether hee wonne or lost yours was I confesse an unlucky cast nor is it any marvell that your losse was multiplied upon the by since that your hazard was a thousand to one But will it not be yet worse if you having lost that thousand should meerely out of a desperate folly throw away all the rest of your stock without reserving any thing if not to hazard another time at a more indifferent lay yet at least wise for setling the foundation of some better advised course of life Remember Madame I beseech you that the afflictions which the Gods send us should serve us and you in particular for favourable admonitions since they are the meanes of recalling us into their love and favour which if they seeme so greivous unto you now that they are but the emblems of their anger how terrible will they then appeare when they shall be transformed into the effects of their unappeaseable fury It lies you know in their power to reduce you to a more miserable plight than you yet are in They have not their hands so shortned as that they cannot lengthen them at their pleasures Although wee cannot with the weake eyes of humane judgement discover the manner how which is the onely argument that makes for your comfort But if for your corporall crosses you will needs have a corporall comfort then doe but looke into your selfe and remember that you are a bearer of a burthen that will doubtlesse prove an abortive if you in time desist not from your grieving fasting and watching Vp up deere Madame and be confident that if worldly fortune hath disfavoured you the heavenly will not faile to glaunce a favourable looke on your distressed state
the rest of the whole Iland yet did the Royall House as farre againe surpasse that way all the Families of that Kingdome as the condition of a Subject is exceeded by one who borne to superiority beares the Royall thereof which are titles and Crownes The elder they waxed in yeares the more grew they though borne all of one and the same body and sprung all from one and the same seede to differ in qualities affections and inclinations to falsifie the common tenent that arguments of the body can determine any ones wit and disposition vertues and vices being here individually devided insomuch as looke what portion of good was owned by some of them even so much possessed the others of evill and because there was a disparity in the number badnesse would without any nay seize on the greater part so as two of them being wholly inclined to vertue the other three gave themselves altogether over to all lewdnesse and dishonest abominations The bringing up of them was in every respect equall or if otherwise yet but so much unequall or different as was due to the difference of the disequality of the sexes since for the rest as time direction and yeares the one enjoyed not any priviledge more than the other Their vertuous Father thinking it unfitting to bee partiall in the breeding of his children sithence Nature had given them him without partialitie in bringing them into the world The last borne among the males was call'd Feredo the very same you in a Druid's habit saw with me erewhiles of the other two the first-borne was named Edmondo the other Galfrido Scarce was Feredo full eighteene yeares of age when Gelinda his eldest sister fell in love with him whilst Edmondo and Galfrido blinded with the like affection doted on their younger sister named Adeligia Full glad was the King to see his children so loving each to other whilst hee good man was farre mistaken for conceiving himselfe blessed in that which made him afterwards an example of misery to all Fathers Gelinda nourished her fire so covertly that none could perceive it nor durst shee indeede discover it to her brother whose integrity which was a naturall inclination to goodnesse curb'd if not terrified her besides her owne conscience accusing her of the deformity of her love â—â—ine would shee have shaken it off when it shewing her the sweets of its delights ever also multiplied by imagination deprived her of the sight of her internall lights no servant had Feredo more diligent about him than was his sister for were he disposed to exercise himselfe in any feates of Chivalry his officious sister not trusting his Squires would with her owne hands arme him if arm'd hee hapned to be before shee forsooth must goe â—â—ite him and if disarmed 't was shee that rub'd and dri'd him were he 〈…〉 ride a hunting shee would never leave him but be his perpetuall companion no Roe-buck nor Grey-hound was to be found that for velocity surpassed her or her swift Courser no precipice could stop her careere If descending shee were shee seemed to precipitate if running to flee In affronting wilde beasts shee alwayes prevented him though then ever with a panting heart too for being still jealous and fearefull of her owne in anothers life In fine shee so behaved her selfe that Feredo had beene stupid if he had not perceived the occasion of all these curtesies instructed therein no more now by a vulgar prudence but by the love of the other two brothers towards Adeligia for which hee abhorring them abhorred also Gelinda for the selfe same regard conceiting with himselfe that the very thought of an affection so abominable was able to attaint him with guiltinesse For the first remedy hee determined to shunne her society without taking on him to conceive her designes so as hee continued to ride a hunting but without her company whereat when he saw her grieve he excused himself with displaying before her the inconvenience that time had laid before his consideration how that a Princesse ambuscadoed betweene hunters and savage beasts incurr'd continually manifest hazard of her life beseeching her therefore to stay at home or if shee would needs goe he wish'd it might be when her mother and sister went This so over-chary circumspection pleased not well Gelinda especially when shee once penetrated into the cause thereof And hee on the other side seeing that obstinate courtesie is wont to argue discourteously in who-so denies to accept it knew not how to disenvelop himselfe otherwise than by the hope he had of weaning her from it by litle litle without discontenting her The other Brothers in the meane while hotly sollicited Adeligia whose shunning them could not serve her turne Edmundo the elder and bolder of the two had the audacity to expresse himselfe unto her one day in these speeches I know not wherefore I affecting you Adeligia farre more than a sister you love not mee somewhat more than a brother Whereto shee answered My Lord if I lov'd not you I should surely hate my selfe yet if in loving you I surpassed the limits of a sisters love I should then neither love my selfe nor you but were worthy of both your hatred and scorne The Prince could as then make her no reply for his sister favoured with the occasion of her mothers comming who the very same instant entred into the chamber was rid of him for that time though it steeded her not much sithence hee still made use of any opportunity of meeting her but much lesse Galfrido for being the occasion of depriving him of the meanes of ever speaking to her any more A resolution irkesome and heavy to one but mortall to the other two for the Brothers gone one day out on hunting and in chasing the Hart happening to be severed a good distance off the rest the Prince made a stand that Galfrido might passe before him and then suddenly running him with his sword through and through bare him sheere off his saddle alighted that hee was off his horse to dispatch him hee might perceive him starke dead before Return'd home alone the Father who some dayes before had observed both the misaffections and disaffections of his sonnes ranne with his imagination to the very truth and giving thereupon order to some few but trusty Gentlemen to goe in search after him he was the selfe same night found out and carried into his chamber I will not take on me the taske of expressing his heavinesse because the tongue is not a pensill to pourtray the griefe of a Father to whom the death of one sonne may give just occasion of becomming cruell against the other Having therefore called before him the Prince he shewed him the corps with asking him if he had slaine him but seeing him deny it in away that argued somewhat of guiltinesse he said unto him he that makes no scruple to murther a Brother will surely make no great conscience to tell a lye the blood that at thy appearing
this the King calling him hee left her preparing himselfe to begin the morrow following his journey towards the Kingdome of Logria But shee to whom brotherly admonitions were reproaches courteous language abuses and promises of a rich dowry an unappealeable sentence of death putting on a manly courage and laying aside all appearance of griefe could so farre temper nay command her passion as with unbeteared eyes to see him at parting yea to salute him and bid him her last farewell and that in so free a way too as made him thinke her an altogether altered woman whereby he became so consolated as hee could not refraine at his departing to drop some teares for meere unlook'd for joy though gaz'd on by all the Ladies that stood by her and accompanied a good while on his way by the flowre of the Nobility But no sooner lost shee once the sight of him than that shee remained as a statue cold senselesse and immoveable Recovered out of her stupifying fit shee retir'd to her bed-chamber too too delicious God wote for a sceane of so lugubrous an act The returne of such as had sent Feredo on his way was the passing-bell that rang out her knill of death the recommendations sent her from him shee received with disdaine and contempt and then presently not having the patience or power to stay till night shee put off her cloathes and laid her downe where being as shee thought all alone shee burst forth into these termes It is now time Gelinda for thee to free thy selfe from the tyrannie of thy insulting enemy Love 't is high time that thou now revenge thy selfe on this thy neither brother nor lover Come thou must die and that 's no newes to thee death shall not seize on thee at unawares Thou shalt have the oddes of the rest of mortals in being thy selfe thine owne Iudge so freeing thy selfe both from the judgement of others and from the qualities and diversities of deaths being conditions that make unexpected death looke on the dying wretch with an aspect so fearefull and horrid A great spirit as thine is will flight it to be by it cruelly revenged on him that no lesse cruelly than ungratefully hath injured thee This said shee would have kill'd her selfe but thinking it too short a preamble for so dolefull an end her despairing soule roaring from within her with an horrible and gastly noyse shee proceeded Implacable Dieties yee infernall Powers to you have I forlorne wretch recourse to you doe I bequeath and consecrate this reâ—â—â—ed life of mine in recompence where of I desire no more than that I may persue and haunt the ingratefull Feredo whithersoever he goes put me no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implore the heavens or their influences for if mortals subject to the hâ—â—vie clog of a body and by consequence ignorant and feeble can domineere over them what may then the immortall soules doe which being separated from these imperfections must needs be more powerfull in respect of their habits corresponding to that privation I grant too that humane judgement and discretion may perhaps shunne them yet mighty yee whose power hath no paragon are able I am confident either to corrupt or alter them But alas if it prove not so to be how ill then am I advised yet how can I that despairing hope be possibly well advised whilst I beleeve revenge to have place among the infernall miseries which to the damned might prove happinesse and glory if glory and happinesse had any accesse to those dismall horrors Die I will were it but to spite and grieve Feredo But what place I wonder among the disordered confusions there shall the order of my uncouth affections hold Shall it be possible that among those eternall disorders there the soule be not confounded with all its parts especially the intellect and that also the order which I prefix to my revenge be not in danger to be broken But oh that the web I warpe here might be there spunne for then would I thinke hell were blessed and all would then goe thither But who will assure me thereof yet doubtlesse thy death Gelinda will grieve Feredo will it so dye then meerely to vex him But soft too too foolish were such a revenge as but makes an addition to the avengers proper prejudice But said I not that hell observes no order then no reason neither by reason of that disorder If so to what end tend then so many considerations they are needlesse and superfluous 't is true yet let them be dispenced withall in priviledge of being my last farewell Here respiting a while to vent out the anguish of approaching death shee with a heavy groane spake on Happy thee Gelinda had'st thou never beene borne since that being borne thou wast borne for hell whose first torments thou proved'st when first thou fell'st in love Yet if I deserved so much misery had it not beene a greater paine for me not to have beene borne at all if true it be that such had beene greater than to be borne to be damned as I was But ah me if this were true sure then I had never beene borne for if among all the things that I am none of there had beene but one that in privation of being had exceeded the not being of others then surely that same one thing had beene Gelinda Therefore Gelinda to her greater anguish beleeves that such a thing cannot be Besides the Gods were unjust if they punished such as were not any way blemished with as much as originall sinne Enough then let these be my last meditations Dye I must and will Feredo will none of mee no more will I him now and for not having him I must goe else-where The passage is I confesse hard the issue doubtfull but whatmatters all that I 'le even venture and runne with the rest the Furies of hell shall direct mee nay I 'le make one among them they shall adopt mee and I 'le be the fourth of those Eumenidan Sisters which if it cannot otherwise steede me it shall then suffice me that the diseâ—â—â—â—teous Feredo be troubled in his sleepe and in his repose desire death the sole remedy to his heart-wasting miseries and besides that in his loves never woman beloved by him may ever love him that some untimely end betide her not More shee would have said when one of her women that all this while had attentively observed her ranne towards the bed at the first trampling noise of whose feere Gelinda stab'd her selfe under the left pap with a long silver bodkin where with shee used to righten her haire but by her destined for this fatall effect which succeeded her desire so well if a man may say well in so ill a case that slipping betweene her ribs it pierced her heart which prov'd now as tender to the force of hand as it had before done to the dart of love The Gentlewoman that faw no signes of any violence done and by consequence not suspecting any such
rest satisfied with such reasons neither would the other manifest unto him his secrets yet so much did he by the order and manner of his speech discover that the Prince might penetrate somewhat into his new love or at least free himselfe of the suspition he had of him before observing now in him those joyes which cannot easily be concealed in those enamoured hearts which confidently hope for the full fruition of their desires so as laying aside all doubts he bestowed on him the house with all that was therein with no other obligation but to acknowledge it the Prince of Feacia's so gladsome was the Knight of this gift that he would by all meanes kisse his hands for so noble a favour As they two stood pleasantly conferring together of divers subjects their discourse was interrupted by the trampling of two horses who prick'd hotly on thought by the swiftnesse of their course to shunne the sting of the spurre the one fled from the other and the foremost being not able to rule his suffered him to runne his brest against the wall and his fore-feete into a window of a house that stood erected on that plaine but thence fell downe so neere the wall that his rider tumbling down topsie-turvy with his head undermost ding'd out his braines and remained stone-dead in the place The second that pursued him being already alighted seeing him quite dead remounted on horse-back without doing him other harme but turning back to encounter a great troupe of high-way the eves that made after him and giving no eare to the Prince who courteously welcomed him thither hee furiously galloped downe the hill and rushing in among them made of them so great a slaughter that by that time Feredo arrived who with the others came in speedily to his succour the greater part of them lay dead in the field the rest knowing themselves inferiour in force and seeing no possibility of running away yeelded to the vanquisher who being weary and in some parts of his body wounded went and laid himselfe downe on the ground to recover his then well-neere-forlorne breath Before I tell you who this was give me leave to let you know how that the Princesse Elenia staid a great while in Sardinia with Eromena for being so fond each of other as they could not part company till at last the multiplied messengers from Elenia's father her duty and desire of seeing him after so many yeares induced her to take her leave shee parting obliged beloved and presented with rich gifts Her tenderly-loving father that in her misfortunes had refined his love by the experimented confirmation of the constant opinion he had of her goodnesse welcomed her with all those expressions of a fatherly affection which could be shewed towards an onely beloved and vertuous though litle fortunate daughter Her step-mother having first heard of and afterwards seene the reality of her merits conformed her selfe in her entertainment both to her husbands will and her owne inclination Don Eleimo was seene of her with such an eye as generous Princes are wont to behold with such as have loyally served them shee thinking it withall no shame to publish her obligation and confesse her engagement to him for which shee could never satiate her selfe in rewarding his merits and gratifying him though indeed shee thought all money too light for such an use But to Don Eleimo seemed it on the contrary that so great and accumulated favours brought in some sort a prejudice or blemish to the greatnesse of his generous minde and living perpetually in some measure tormented with an extreame desire of going to seeke after Don Eulavio whom he feared to be in a weake and succour-needing fortune he made suit to depart obtaining at length by his assiduall importunity leave though with much adoe which but for that sole occasion he could not have obtained And so away hee goes to travell seekes him over all such countries as his Genius directed him to and at last after the spending of many yeares in the search of him found him out and brought him to the Court of Aquitaine where he resolved to make a period of his travels and to spend the remnant of his dayes not trusting to the Catalan's promises but refusing them hee banishing the too-tender affects to countrey and kinred resolved to let the world see that he could live any where and that a sincere innate goodnesse is more acceptable in forraine countries than in its owne Needs would Don Eleimos by all meanes beare him company in his exile to recompence in some measure his accompanying him in his misfortunes the sole occasion of his so living a banished man Impossible it were to describe a happier life than this of theirs both of them being ennobled Gentlemen of one and the same Countrey nurst up with the milke of one and the same Court banished for the selfe same cause both alike magnanimous in enduring misfortunes and in counting them instruments of their felicity for having beene the meanes of joyning them together the one serving to the other for father and brother having but one and the same purse one interesse and one heart But Don Eulavio fortuning to dye a litle after the other deprived of so desre a friend seeing fortune not yet satisfied to have loaden him with perpetuall vexation of spirit thought to lighten it with toyling exercises of his body In accomplishment whereof when hee had sought after death through all the warres of the Westerne Northerne and Southerne parts of the knowne world and yet not found it he resolved to seeke then after new enterprizes in those parts where the Sun riseth but being by a storme wind-driven into Ericusa he happened as he walked along the sea-shore to light on that good bird Catascopo That villaine was fled from Arelate the very day before he should have made a miserable spectacle of himselfe unto the popular eye by paying with his death the debt due from the deeds of his mischievous life Hee had about him in his clothes a flat-fashioned bottle of a certaine water of so strange a vertue that it made all the iron it but touch'd become instantly as brittle as glasse which he had got from one that having spent all his substance in alembicks in hope of finding out the richest transmutation of mettals had by chance lighted on this rare secret Nor is it a thing to be wondred at for such men happen sometimes after many losses and much time and coyne spent in vaine to meete by the way with many excellent things without being therefore beholding either to other mens doctrine or their owne proper judgement And this purchase came in that archcaitive his way just as returned from the Pyrenean Mountaines he lived in doubt how to dispose of himselfe when he had counterpoyzed in a just ballance his Masters nature with his owne foule demerits Having then oftentimes experimented the secret and found it by proofe to be right and good for
towards his to him unjust and ungratefull Countrey had resolved to end there his dayes yet in such a condition as he might not dye there obscurely And that as the swan if it be true that he dyes singing publisheth his death with the melody of his song even so desired he also to have his actions appeare to be such as might leave a good name behinde him so as death should gaine nothing by him save his bones onely Full well pleased was Polimero with so accomplisht a spirit remembring that contemners of fame are commonly despisers of vertue and though the desire of eternizing it be indeede in some respects a most vaine affect yet is it nothing so in such as consider the branch whence bud forth those generous acts which make a man become beneficiall to the community of humane society Beholding him therefore more observantly hee might see his upper garments and bases all over slasht and shagg'd rather with swords than with any instrument of ingenious invention so as in an habit of simple shew his quality promised very much and that too very contrary to the present being he then appeared in but in his face being the paper wherein Heaven imprints the character of good and evill might be read a constant noblenesse There also might be discerned lampes of heroicall inclinations so as neither poverty nor destiny were able either to remove the one or obscure the other wherewith Polimero was so taken as he would by all meanes beare him company to some secure place no more now for pitties sake but to satisfie the ardent desire hee had to enjoy his company Being both then come with no meane toyle to a Countrey-farme and there informed how they were by then come past Memphi to the seaward in the confines of Arabia subject to the Egyptian Polimero told him that for his part his affaires made no distinction of Countries seeing that Knight-errantry governing it selfe from one accident to another was neither observer of dayes nor provident storer for after-times and that therefore since he was come on so farre he now intended to see whether the further Arabia enjoyed with just title the surname of Happy The young Knight with his cogitations parted betweene perturbation and pleasure stood pawsing a good while without making him any answer till after having by the examination of his judgement found him to be neither Araba nor Egyptian but rather of those countries where himselfe was bred in and by consequence not to be suspected hee thus bespake him Noble Sir if you had not already so much obliged me to your merits you then had at this instant bound me to be eternally yours by this your resolution which but for doubt of arrogating too much to my selfe I should conceive to bee done in favour of mee But bee it as it bee will it cannot but constraine me to kisse your hands for it beseeching you to beleeve it employed on one that shall serve you whilst he breathes Or if I be deceived in so flattering my selfe and that you have a desire to survey those parts meerely for your pleasure and mindes sake Behold me then most ready and willing to attend and serve you If neither that nor this but that this dayes example or your pittying my youth and weakenesse moves you to leave me not unaccompanied be pleased then worthy Sir to give me leave to tell you that the profession I am of wills mee to beseech you to spare your selfe that labour Polimero having from the beginning of his suspension observed in him some concealed suspition and in its progresse many reasons which denoted a kinde of a strange reservednesse in his demeanour desirous to know what he was fram'd him this reply I cannot Sir Knight deny my going for Arabia to be a new resolution conceived in this very instant though I shall entreate you to beleeve me that to goe thither rather than else-where is to me a thing indifferent my businesse consisting wholly on the passing away of two or three moneths time nor will I tell you that my desire to wend that way is sprung from the gust I conceive from your company which I would not confesse unto you to be so though it were lest you whom I see so repleat of courtesie might pretend your selfe beholding to me for it onely this much I affirme that these countries make me hate solitarinesse and since that fortune hath made me so happy as to light on your company I would not willingly forgoe the benefit content of enjoying it but rather heartily offer for the accomplishing or furthering of any affaire of yours my person at your free dispose and service The excellent Polimero had in expressing himselfe a naturall efficacie accompanied with a kinde of winning behaviour farre from any dissimulation a quality as noble againe being discreetly employed as prejudiciall being used indifferently to all men this was it that perswaded the Knight not onely to accept but desire his company That night they reposed themselves riding the day following towards Arsinoe during which time Polimero by taking a particular survey of all his actions observed how in his discourse his minde would be often alierated from the subject treated of and then a litle after recover it selfe againe which gave him occasion oft-times to tell him smiling that surely love should be the occasioner of these abstractions in which point the other forbore a while to satisfie him yet could not at length after divers excuses and new demands choose but returne him this answer Worthy Sir I acknowledge and judge my selfe over-discourteous in concealing from you my being and affaires yet feare my proving much more injurious in drawing on perhaps by acquainting you with-them your forward goodnesse to beare a share in my perils I beseech you then to beleeve that this was the sole cause of my being hitherto silent and the obligation of obeying you the onely spurre that now pricks mee on to reveale unto you the true and whole story of my life and beeing albeit I yet know you for no other than for the most courteous Cavalier living Heere Polimero suddenly interrupting him answered Gentle Sir your knowing me in so favourable a construction is too too courteous wherein if you bee mistaken which I would bee sorry you should yet shall you not be deceived in knowing me for Polimero of Mauritania Prince of Sardinia who if before he were inquisitive of your being onely to be acquainted with you desires now to know you to the end hee may lend you his assistance in any thing he may steede you in wherein I pray you spare mee not for I assure you that the greater the danger which you propose me shall be the more shall I thinke my selfe favoured by you The young Knight exceeding glad of this offer excused himselfe in the best termes he could imagine for not having borne him the respects due to the eminencie of his quality with promising that he would yet make him
the difficulty of beleeving what is ardently desired But if it so be indeede that your words are true interpreters of your heart resolve I conjure you then to stay here with me for the company of my sonnes and the excuse of expecting to heare some newes from your home will give a sufficient colour for the occasion of your abode here This advise of hers being by our mutuall consent growne to the ripenesse of a resolution wee after having first taken such order as was requisite for the fruition of our loves returned in gladsomely disposed delaying no time of confirming our words with actions to the so passing content of both of us as there was no degree I am perswaded of joy and delight that could exceede that of our furtive conversation The darkenesse with us was light our sunne eyes its beames amorous glances our sincere affection the faire weather heaven our bed and its truer influences dalliance and kisses so as the large scope of our imaginations could not comprehend any felicity or condition more desireable than ours And I though of yeares but greene burned yet in love so vehemently that the more I enjoyed her the more ardently found I my selfe enflamed whereas shee being of fully ripened yeares and therefore consequently capable of enjoying its pleasure at full found her selfe so ravished with its delicious sweetes as for not being able to endure the tedious longsomnesse of the day which deprived her of them shee would often come with divers excuses to take mee away from her sonnes for engrossing me to her selfe alone so had her affection blinded her as shee neglected or rather forgot both the dignity of her place and quality of her person But after that love had reduced us both to one onely heart taking from us all other distinction except to make us the happier that of our persons and sexes it lay then no more in my power to conceale from her either Coralbo or his birth or harsh fortunes which wrought in her a confirmation if not augmentation of her affection But tormented afterwards with the Idea of my States privation reason perswading her that the recovery thereof was necessary shee would oft-times sigh to thinke of it with proposing mee divers proffers for the accomplishing by other mens meanes what none but my selfe could well effect but comprehending every proposition defective as hatcht by the blindnesse of an extreame affection rather than by any perfect rule of a prudent judgement shee assented to the reasons that contradicted her but dissented againe when to put them in effect the discording string of my departure was to betouched Her designe was to give me martiall forces under pretext of employing them in some secret enterprises but the consideration of the way being for distance farre and for passage difficult and through the dominions of sundry Princes stopt even in its very source the current of any such counsell But admitting that both all those difficulties were removed and all these wayes levelled yet alas what could they have done without me she proffered me a great summe of money to leavy souldiers in those parts by my mother or some other yet made not this neither for the purpose as well because no man could put a hand to the enterprize without mee as also for that the principall meanes for the recovery of a State consists not either in forreine forces or expence of treasure but chiefly if not wholly in the love of the subjects which onely being wanting all other meanes would prove no leste vaine than superfluous In the meane time shee seeing me desirous to be knighted would by all meanes procure my content the age of her sonnes become now capable of the like honour therefore sent shee all of us to Parthenope to receive the Order of Knighthood with the occasion of the marriage of the Princesse Corianna the Kings onely daughter which was then shortly to bee solemnized accompanied with a traine of many noble Knights among them the Lord of Canne who thought by this service to manifest the continuance of his affection towards her with the opinion of meriting it or to shew the constancie of his affections to be such as could not be blowne downe by any blast of small hope Arrived at Parthenope wee were all three of us dubb'd Knights the Court favouring us though ill satisfied with the Dutchesse for not comming thither shee being knowne to be the fairest Lady of the whole kingdome But the reason indeede of her not comming was an agreement betweene us that I being to part away from my company under the colour of some secret enterprize shee should take on her to be sick that so shee might expect me at her house whither I was privily to retire my selfe for the enjoying of each other free from the scanning of so many eyes especially of those of her sonnes which troubled her more than the rest The Prince of Sicily was expected to come and espouse the Princesse when one night shee fled out of a Castle that lyes on the Sea whither feigning her selfe sicke shee was retired and where were many found slaine the Duke of Lucania the Lord high Constable two of the chiefe Peeres of the Realme together with two servants of the later The originall ground of which accident could not bee possibly learnt out There was not a Knight that set not himselfe in the search of her and among the rest the two brothers my companions I taking for an excuse of not following them a blow of a launce which the day before had both beaten off my helme and bruised my head which me thought hapned very fit for my purpose The Lord of Canne who with rather enamoured than squint-eyes had noted something betweene me and Crisanta seeing me now stay behinde resolved to doe himselfe the like and then watching the time of my parting dogg'd me a-farre off till upon his observing my way tend towards the Sannits hee assaulted me unawares with calling mee unworthy villaine and base traytor I unused to be so stiled answered him with sword in hand The fight lested a good while both of us being armed and each of us resolved to kill the other of my death his valour and my youth made him confident till my agility depriv'd him of that hope for being because of the wearinesse of our horses driven to alight I then so tired him as he was glad to fall from pursuing me to defend himselfe The danger and earnestnesse of this our combate could not for all that withdraw my thoughts from musing what should be the occasion of this affront seeing him therefore stand in neede of a breathing-time I besought him to heare mee a word whereunto when he condescended I ask'd him why he had so assaulted me and called me traytor he answered Because I had violated the bonds of hospitality by enjoying a Princesse whom I was not worthy as much as to name whilest others farre worthier than my selfe were of her
be done and yet are not done for being thought unexpedient which I beleeve beares a great stroake over you in the consideration of this our case I for my part was borne a Prince and am by Order a Knight it behooves mee then to dye like whom I was borne and doe like whom I am if dangers had wherewithall to binde our hands there would then never any thing be done in the world Besides that security and danger sometimes so neerly resemble each other and are in humane actions so confused as it were that they glide through our hands undistinguished in so much as we often take or rather indeede mistake the one for the other so as if reason will that wee take hold of this the selfe-same commands us not to despaire of that How many from out of lothsome prisons hourely expecting the deadly stroake of the executioner have beene happily transferr'd to the possession of honours and crownes And how many againe swaying Royall Scepters have by their owne guards in whom they reposed the safegard of their lives and persons beene cruelly butchered and inhumanely murthered A Prince's heart therefore should never be either elevated with felicity or deprest with misery but ever indifferent though in farre different fortunes never beleeving destiny to be growne so powerfull that valour back'd by discretion can no more countermand it and though no other benefit could be reaped from it yet will it in all the seasons of his age be for a mans honour and commendations to dye valiantly a faire death His mother observing he had thus set a period to his speech with a gravely-sad smile thus replied I see then you answer me not in jest Coralbo since in steede of reasons you give me sentences yet alas did you but know how easie they are in their explicating and how hard in their experimenting you would then I am perswaded have omitted the reading them Action and speculation doing and speaking are as nature and pourtraiture the one really makes what the other but visually represents And although those first reall bodies be not in that degree of perfection as the exactnesse of the unfallible Art of the Mathematicks would require yet are they neverthelesse both lively and necessary whereas the second being either meerely imaginary or at the best but the brats of fancie are but inanimate and superfluous The Philosophers humanities picture-drawers have indeede drawne many pictures of her without being for their hearts able to adde to her other beauties than such as are apparant in her face covering the members whereunto they knew not what proportion to give with side garments which they called habits but if Nature had not her selfe given them their true proportions which are good inclinations bootlesse then and vaine were their habits well might they vaile but never take away their imperfections a Maske we know may well cover a face but never cleere off it one litle mole or scarre and the bodies habit by the selfe same reason cannot by any meanes take quite away the halting of a broken legge though it be never so neatly rejoyn'd and knit together I could therefore wish that vertue were considered by you Coralbo not according to the imaginary abstracts of the theorick but reall experience of the practick These ideall transcendent vertues are proper solely to God and such men as abandoning humane actions pretend to seize on them by maine flight come tumbling downe with them to the earth where they burst their necks with the fall The world hath its generall rules and with honest men profit and honesty goe hand in hand Let us then square our case by this rule and by it examine our resolutions To this Coralbo knew not well what he were best answer for that hee before thought his mothers words would prove to be such as might by some critick had they beene a subject to a poeticall pen have beene censured for not observing a decorum as though there could not be among women either that hight of subtilty of spirit and wits acutenesse as to apprehend things well or that supreame degree of copious and sweete language as were requisite to expresse themselves in the best and most elegant manner but shee standing so seriously attent to her conceits that shee nothing heeded her sonnes admiration held on her speech I once said shee in my happier yeares knew a decrepit Prince whom both the graces and heavens had endowed with the best gifts that lay in the power of their bestowing a memory which of mee shall be ever honoured though unpleasing this Prince gave for his devise a Leopard his motto I either take or surcease taken from the propriety of that beast which as soone as he conceives that he cannot overtake the beast he hath in chase gives over his pursuite so could I wish that you without a bandoning your swan weare that Leopard For applying of whose sense to our occasions I say That if to suffer ones-selfe to be carried away to great but possible enterprizes be greatnesse of spirit then surely to attempt things impossible is meere temerity and presumption If the kingdomes title were to be tried by a suit in Law and we withall sure to have justice then needed we not doubt of its recovery or though the title were uncertaine yet should we doe well to try if the uncertainty of the Iudge's owne judgement his inclination towards us or some other humane affect in him might any thing availe us for then without hazarding either our selves our honours our friends or servants we might well adventure being at the very worst the hazard of the better But alas who can hold plea with a tyrant Prince who being entred into our possession by fraude and force thinkes he deales fairely enough though he say he will have no other Iudge than his owne conscience a judgement in Law unreversable since for having no conscience at all he hath no Iudge to condemne him this way of justice to private men open but to us 〈…〉 up inforces us either to retire us or to passe through a way so full of the thornes of dangers as we shall wish we had for who-so would recovere kingdome should have at his devotion first some strong Hould for a reiltring-place and next supplies of men money and munition together with a strong faction of friends interest in neighbouring Princes and dependance and inclination of its subjects For the first alas we have beene already treacherously expelled from Cardamina for money you have beene robb'd of the treasure in Capraia and I bereft of that in Cardamina save onely the more unfit for such imployments the gold remaining there which for its weight and massinesse I choosed rather to leave behinde me than to be with it made a prize my selfe Friends we have now no more the old friendship being now changed for a new with the altering by a new potent Prince of the old into a new government Besides if we duly consider the present
new thoughts for being caught with the graces of the faire Princess without daring to manifest it upon examination with himselfe of her tender yeares and customes both those and these being incapable of any such affect And withall which seemed most averse to him of a nature farre from an amorous inclination a contemner of men and a mortall enemy of such of her sex who for conforming to their lovers passions shewed themselves any thing pliable to their loves And though hee hoped that time might alter her yet did the suspence of the selfe-same time also torment him for being unable to suffer the agony of such long-expecting and uncertaine hopes hee being but a traveller without either state or meanes deprived of any certaine place of abode yea and of all power to resolve of any thing excepting such as fortune might favour him withall But being unable to contrast with heaven upon re-examined deliberation with himselfe hee determined to serve her in a somewhat more than usuall manner and withall to smoother his flames by assaying if approached her they could by any meanes without her knowledge warme her Or in case nought else come of it yet should he not neede to despaire wholly were it but for the content that he hoped to receive from her most lovely presence and yet more lively because unparalled gestures and though the worst that could happened yet should hee not be the first that for nourishing his amorous hopes had beene voluntarily deceived for not yeelding himselfe up to deaths tyrannie The princely Mayden on the other side far God wot from any such thoughts beheld him with an indifferent eye onely fretting her selfe for his being such as shee could not hate Her youthfull spirit ruminated on nought else save warre and death with cruell revenges of wrongs which poore women every day as shee conceived received from men She held the subjection of her sex to be tyrannicall and conceiv'd that both Nature and the Law were therein deceived and that onely for being abased by tyrant custome it shew'd not its native vertue That it was now high time to let the world see it and by reacquiring their lost liberty to make the so inured female sex if not superior equall and companion to the other in favour whereof shee was egg'd on by examples Well knew shee that in Egypt where shee then abode the Kings had effeminated the men put them to domestick services to the distaffe and spindle to free themselves from dangers and suspitions shee had also read the Amazon's valorous enterprizes and thereupon contemplating the greatnesse of her owne spirit was confident of accomplishing the full of her intentions Wherein shee perceived but one sole difficulty which was to deprive women of their naturall feares though she beleeved them to be rather habituall than naturall Her selfe shee knew to be valorous not so much by the force of her body as by the courage of her heart shee comprehended that valour consisted in being neither carefull of ones person nor incumbred with the feares of death That the sensibility of wounds enfeebles the forces and blunts the edge of courage seeing it is the sole cause that makes it effeminate and backward in assailing and disadvantagious and slow in defending Shee therefore concluded them onely to be more valiant than the rest in whom had taken deepest roote the indifferencie of either living or dying confirmed in such an opinion by the nature of irrationall animals whereof the fiercer are not the stronger but the more courageous Since that for being endued with more force than men they would merit the title of fortitude rather than they if such vertue had its seate in bodily force that then since women were equally capable of the conceits of the minde wherefore then not of their effects too Such were her internall discourses which if they sometime tooke a turne about any passages told her of divers effects of love shee then ever sparkled out disdaine against the shee-lovers and could have found in her heart to have torne in pieces such of her sex as being rejected or slighted tormented themselves with love an affect to her thinking neither necessary nor necessiting but a simple proposition of free will an incompatibility by consequence unnaturall to love one that hates the person loving which if it be not conceiv'd shee a frensie must needs be an infirmitie of the braine to be cured with penance and fasting The day being come and the horses saddled the young woman there waited in a readinesse with her coates gathered up for the better trudging a-foote which the Princesse abhorring and failing to perswade her to make use of the benefit of the channell was therefore faine to consent that shee came along with her upon the importunity of her entreaties accompanied with such a quantity of teares that never mother shed so many for the losse of her children Causing her therefore to be put on horse-backe behinde Carasio shee asked her who shee was and whither shee meant to goe having already understood how shee was found and runne-away from Carasio she considering that no evasion could any thing steed her resolved now though not without being thereof ashamed to recite in the termes of truth the story of her selfe in such like words I redoubted Sir am the most miserable woman that ever was yet borne since whereas others miseries proceede from fortune mine spring meerely and wholly from my selfe so as though but too unworthy in all other respects yet in this above all I deserve to be pittied of no man in so much as if the unfained repentance of my faults had not enabled and prepared mee for supporting the pennance due for them with an intention to impose on my selfe others somewhat greater I should then not onely finde my selfe to be in a desperate case but should also have together with a perverse minde a lying tongue that in steede of faults and dishonour would blazon my merits and honours not so much to conceale from your knowledge my dishonesties which should indeede be buried in the center of the earth as to finde pitty in you and to gaine your better opinion At the hearing of these words the Princesse kindled as fiery-hot embers was about to make her hold her peace till upon her becomming more pliable because of Coralbo's expectation and shortning the longsomnesse of the way shee gave way to her relation My name said shee is Diatistera by Nation a Grecian and by birth of the noblest blood in Chio not because my Father possessing himselfe of its liberty became tyrant thereof but for that no other one Family in all Ionia is of more ancient memory than ours nor any ancestours more remarkeable for vertue nor renown'd for trophies than are our Forefathers I was conceived in a private estate my father then conformable to the stiles of republiques being himselfe but a Citizen though in greater estimation than the rest yet marked with no titulary dignity of
which as it attoned all my mothers kindred so was it the occasion that those of Rotildo retired for absenting themselves from the City the time of that marriage to my Fathers exceeding content for being so secured from any more contrasting untill the full accomplishment of his designe Timocle being advertized of what he had to doe parted one night arriving at Chio so suddenly as her Citizens had not time to shut their Gates And my Father gathering together his old and new kinred and alliance and guarded with a great squadron of arm'd followers as himselfe was too from head to heele hee bade them cheere up their hearts since that Fleet was come thither at his request Heere without staying for any answer they being bid follow him did so nor had they indeede time to consider of a deniall His Brother he met at the Gate without the City who accompanied with many Captaines salutes him by the title of Prince pitching with that the colours royall of Persia on the Walls of the City and publick Pallace wherein the new Soveraigne immediately lodged expelling thence the Magistrate and altering the Orders of the Government over which he placed Timocle President Vnexpressible was the amazement of the Citizens seeing themselves baffled with the most maligne and envenomed hypocrisie that ever was heard of the justest honestest and most zealous among them having bin under pretext of justice and zeale betrayed and put to death whilest the other complotted such a businesse by wayes twice as wicked as wylie who yet had made them beleeve yea and see too the contrary in the contrary and gotten himselfe to be deemed the best whereas he was full of all imaginable wickednesse and villany and was whilest hee tooke on him to bee the sole vindicator of the Common-wealth's liberty a-mounting up to the throne of his tyrannie at the cost of their simplicity and folly And yet their evils had beene lesse if they had here ended But the Persians being departed after having first left him secured by a strong band of their old milice hee called before him the Citizens the greater part whereof hee caused in divers Temples to bee put to death by sundry torments But I will passe over this relation serving now no more for my purpose it behooving me to come to the story of my selfe I was borne the fourth moneth after that the Matrimony was contracted by my Parents they adding to the summe of their former hatred and infamies that of adultery before not publickly knowne which for declaring me theirs was by them themselves most shamelessely published The Gods were pleased to shew in me their Omnipotencie in my creation by giving mee the fairest body and the foulest soule that ever creature in this world was composed of I grew in beauty and with it in the worst conditions my parents having no other ayme than to please mee nor I other examples than their dishonesties At three yeare old I was mistresse of shamelessenesse Growne to sixteene my brother borne a yeare after mee was my sweete-heart and lover but we had both of us rivalls I my mother and hee my father wee therefore had runne away together so worried were we with their importunity hinderances that they brought us if they perceiving it had not given us way I conceived almost presently the occasion of providing mee for husband the Tyrant of Samo's sonne who a few yeares before had also usurped that Principality by my Fathers meanes The young man came and married me with an intent to bring me home immediately but I for being gone by then five moneths of my time would not assent to goe for feare of subjecting my selfe in case I were discovered to the dangers of any mans passions The first night that we came together I shew'd my selfe a daughter worthy of him that had begotten me There was not any species of simplicity that I counterfeited not affectately nor teares seconded with sobbes skritches that I seemed not to showre abundantly and act to the very life The toyle and adoe he had to possesse himselfe of mee were sufficiently manifested by his sweating and wearinesse There was not the least marke nor symptome of untouch'd virginity to be desired in me that I had not sufficient to beguile the best experientest living in that kinde Nay I was not ashamed with my crying and frequent skritches to turne the house topside-turvie In runnes my Mother as was before betweene us accorded on to act her part of the tragicomedy and shewing how I was forsooth swounded shee revives me by besprinkling me with vineger and odoriferous waters My time of childe-birth being come as I was laid a-bed upon the very point and instant of my delivery in came my husband so as I was forced with compressing my cries and teares to bring forth my burthen under the quilt in his presence smothering the babe with my knees lest its crying might bewray me I called my disease fits of the Collick And the very fame night supped as I was wont to doe out of my bed and had so impudently bold was I layne with my husband too but for my mother who said shee would sleepe with mee her selfe to helpe mee with medicines if my fits returned Hee in the meane time all enflamed with love of me could not endure the want of mee nor beleeve mee to be his as long as I abode among my owne kindred Every day would I promise to goe along with him but the incestuous blinde love of my brother had mored my anchors so fast that my ship could not be loosened from those shores and my husband impatient of my stay did the more importune mee for conceiving this brotherly affection to bee of another sort than that of them which were borne of one and the same wombe Hee therefore began now to open his eyes better though better it had beene for him that he had not For chancing to come suddenly into a chamber and finding us there together in an act not of the honestest hee drew out his sword my brother doing the same with his and so there being no body to part them miserably kill'd one another in my presence my brother dying suddenly to whom I ranne and affectionately kissing him reviled my expiring husband with such injurious language that had but for my being in the highest degree impudent beene capable to make me for a third dye for meere shame But being used to care for nothing this disaster being past I cared litle for it and lesse for my brother whom I had lov'd meerely for my pleasure which failing with him I was to supply by others This disaster was as others were masked by the subtilty of my father and mother who considering how prejudiciall my presumption might in time prove began to hate me upon the aggravation of Timocle's perswading them either to curbe or kill me All affections in him though in all vices extreame ceded to that only one of reigning so as
descended the downe-hill ever almost running till hee came to the place where the affray was where seeing the Knights that had parted them he courteously saluting them was againe in the same manner re-saluted by them when Carildo said to Olmiro God be praised that thy Master is now come to thee to participate of thy triumphs since that by his owne testimony these Gentlemen may judge whether of us is the Traytor Olmiro having seen Almadero before though he had not in the wood well observed him had now also taken him for Lucano if his healthfull plight and habit had not assured him of the contrary But Carildo noting him yet more now than before turning towards him thus boldly bespake him And is it possible my Lord Duke that crosses and adversity which in others quell rebelling humours and refine their mindes by bringing them to a better temper should worke such a contrary effect in you as you become strangely ungratefull doe not onely take pleasure at the death of your noble Lady and Princesse but that to trample the more on her calamity you upon your reviving must also come hither so contemptuously to wrong her without so much as once voutchsafing her the favour of comming to see how shee languisheth for death Nor yet herewithall content but that you uphold or for ought I know command your servants to accuse me with those treacheries which are meerely yours and theirs in particular Olmiro who growne to be confused in minde at the appearing of this new Lucano and who for knowing what plight he had left the true one in tooke not this for him could not for all that upon more serious surveying him choose but beleeve him to be the very same notwithstanding that reason convinced his fancie stood thereat so amazed as he had not the power to utter a word Almadero on the other side perceiving these new injuries to spring from the old equivocation of her whom hee before had met with Corianna could not refraine from smiling thereat and had made good sport of it too but that hee duely considered the importance of the case as it stood whereupon he used this milde language Honest friend if your adversary hath no greater cause to be offended with you than you have to be angry with him for my sake you will then I am sure be both soone wrought to an accord for I tell you I am not that Duke you say I am neither is hee here my servant as you take him for I never saw him I protest to my knowledge till now nor is it long sithence I was taken for one Lucano whom I know not What is he I pray you Is hee dead or alive Here Carildo felt himselfe struck to the heart upon the conceiving of his mistake whereupon hee crying him mercy would needs runne to embrace Olmiro who more enraged now than before thrust him off him with threatning to be his death if hee but came neere him doubting indeede of some new stratagem for that hee could not beleeve that either Carildo tooke Almadero for Lucano or that Almadero knew not Carildo since he knew him for the very same that was in the wood with the Princesse of Feacia whom hee tooke for Corianna But being entreated to bee either friends with him or to tell them his reason why he would not be so he answered that a friend to him he would never be and that to tell his reason openly he neither could nor needed since the other knew it but too well Every of these replies were so many deaths to Carildo there was never a word of them that pierced not the very center of his heart Beleeve mee Olmiro said hee at length thou wrong'st me to accuse me as thou doest I have not I vow to thee offended other than God and that too by sinnes that concerne no other than my selfe and since thou wilt not talke with mee in the presence of these noble Gentlemen be but pleased by their good permission to retire a-part with me For I assure thee that as I would have sworne that this noble Knight was Lucano and on that mistake without imagining that I lyed would not have stucke to accuse him of treachery as well as thee so likewise shalt thou finde thy selfe every way deceived in me wherein if thou finde me any way faulty or short of my word I now here deliver my selfe into thy hands to bee punished at thy pleasure The Knights perswaded him to content himselfe with this his so reasonable proffer and so left them alone Whereupon Olmiro said to the other Well now how canst thou excuse thy selfe of having beene the instrument that the Princesse is given for a prey under what title I know not to that Knight there whom thou takest on thee to have mistaken for Lucano whereas Lucano and others besides my selfe have seene her with him in the wood Carildo's heart so leap'd for joy to heare Lucano was alive indeed whereof hee was till then uncertaine in respect of his mistake that Olmiro who expected to see him amazed marveiled at a contrary effect when Carildo lifting up his eyes to heaven-wards thus bespake him Alas Olmiro how strangely and dangerously are we reciprocally mistaken 't is but a litle while sithence this Knight came hither as thou shalt shortly know neither saw I him ever till the day that I tooke him for Lucano and yesterday in the wood where he courted the Princesse of this Countrey who for resembling Corianna as you shall see deceived you and he againe favouring very much Lucano beguiled me who beleeved that forgetting and slighting the Princesse he had given himselfe over to this new love Therefore deere brothere mine if the Duke lives in such torment as indeed he hath reason to doe let us goe and free him of it and that quickly too sithence I have left also the Princesse in a case so desperate for the same mistake as it is an even lay whether shee be by this time alive or no Vp̄on this Olmiro beleeving now the case to stand as indeed it did with lovingly embracing him heartily cried him mercy But because the then-dangerous state of the businesse required something else than words they returning speedily to the Knights told them they were now accorded with beseeching them to dispence with the relation thereof till another time not without yeelding them infinite thankes for the courteous office done them but for which they had undoubtedly kild one another By this time Almadero had invited the Princes to come lodge with him wherefore he answered them that he would expect them at his house out of the curiosity he had to know the end of that businesse and more especially to understand how hee was taken for another wherein the Squires promised not to faile him and with that taking their leave return'd to Lucano's lodging where they held it best that Olmiro should first enter so to take from him the occasion of venting his passion on