thee my deere Arsileus were but little if with words it might be told Let it suffice thee to know in what continual panges and dangers of my life thy supposed death hath put me and by that thou shalt see what a world of ioy thy renewed life hath brought to this my mournfull soule At the ende of which words by reason of an issue of swelling teares ascending vp from the center of her sorrowfull hart into her eye brinkes she was not able to vtter out the rest of her minde which the tender harted Nymphes being mollified with the milde and pitifull words of both these louers to one another did helpe and accompany with theirs And bicause night was comming on they went all to Felicias house telling to each other the discourse accidents of their liues which till then they had both passed Belisa asked her Arsileus for his father Arsenius who told her that as soone as he knew she was gon he went to one of his Farmes not far from thence where he liues as quiet and contented a life as he could wish hauing put all mundane affaires in obliuion whereat Belisa was verie glad and so they came to the Palace of sage Felicia where they were welcommed with great ioye and feast whose hands Belisa kissed many times saying euermore that shee was the cause of her good Fortune And so did Arsileus to whom Felicia shewed an earnest will to do euer for him what lay in her power The end of the fifth booke The sixth Booke of Diana of George of Montemayor AFter that Arsileus was gone Felismena staied still with the Shepherdesse Amarillis that was with him demaunding of one an other the course of their liues a common thing to them that finde themselues in like places And as Felismena was telling the Shepherdesse the cause of her comming thither a iolly Shepherd came to the Coate though very sad by his countenance and gate When Amarillis sawe him she rose vp in great haste to be gone but Felismena taking hold by her garment and suspecting what the cause of her sudden departure might be said vnto her It were not reason Shepherdesse that I should receiue this discourtesie at thy hands who desires so much to serue thee But as she striued to be gone from thence the Shepherd with many teares said vnto her My desire is Amarillis hauing respect to that which thou makest me suffer not to see thee sorie for this vnfortunate Shepherd but to consider what belongs to thy wisedome and beautie and that there is nothing in the worlde worse beseeming a Shepherdesse of thy braue qualities then to intreate one so cruelly that loues thee so entirely Beholde these wearied eies Amarillis that haue shed so many teares and then thou shalt see what reason thine haue to shew themselues so angrie against this miserable man Alas that thou fliest away from me not seeing the reason thou hast to abide my presence Stay Amarillis and harken to my complaints and to my iust excuses and if thou wilt not answere me at all yet I will be content so that thou staiest still What can it hinder thee to heare him whom it hath so deerely cost to see thee And looking vpon Felismena with many teares he besought her not to let her goe who with sweete and gentle wordes intreated the Shepherdesse not to vse him with so small pitie whom he shewed to loue more then himselfe or that she would at the lest harken vnto him since she could not hurt hir selfe much by doing so litle But Amarillis said Intreat me not faire Shepherdesse to giue eare to him who beleeues his thoughts more then my words For behold this Shepherd that stands in this fained sort before thee is one of the most disloyall men that euer liued one of them that most of al troubles our simple louing Shepherdesses with his false deceits dissimulatiōs Then said Filemon to Felismena My onely request and desire is faire Shepherdesse that thou wouldst be iudge in the cause betweene Amarillis and me wherein if I am found culpable or the iust prouoker of that anger and ill opinion that she hath wrongfully conceiued against me that then I may loose my life and if she be that I may haue no other thing for satisfaction but her confession how much she hath iniured and owes me To leese thy life said Amarillis I am sure thou wilt not bicause thou wilt not wish thy selfe so much harme nor me so much good as for my sake to put thy life in aduenture But I am content that this faire Shepherdesse be iudge if it please her betweene vs to consider of our reasons and to declare which of vs both is more worthie of blame Agreed said Felismena and let vs sit downe at the foote of this greene hedge neere to the flourishing meadow before our eies for I will see what reason you haue to complaine of one another After they were all three set downe vpon the greene grasse Filemon began thus to say I trust faire Shepherdesse if thou hast at any time beene touched with the force of Loue that thou shalt plainly perceiue what small reason Amarillis hath to be angrie with me to conceiue so ill an opinion of the vnstained faith I beare her which makes her surmise that which neuer any other Shepherdesse hath euer yet imagined of her louing Shepherd Knowe therefore faire Shepherdesse that the fates not onely when I was borne but long before determined that I should loue this faire Shepherdesse which fits before thy faire my sorrowfull eies whose intents I haue answered with such effect as there is no loue I thinke like mine nor any ingratitude like to hers It fell out afterwardes that from my childehood seruing her in the best manner I coulde there are fiue or sixe moneths past since my mishap brought a Shepherd hither called Arsileus who went vp and downe seeking a Shepherdesse called Belisa which by some ill successe of Fortune wandred like an exile heere and there amongst these woodes groues And as his sorrow was very great it fell out that this cruell Shepherdesse either for great pittie she tooke of him or for the little she had of me or for what cause else she knowes best herselfe woulde neuer be out of his companie To whom if by chance I did but speake thereof she was ready to kill me with anger for those eies which thou seest there procure death no lesse when they are angry then life when they are milde and gentle But now when all my sences were thus occupied mine eies with teares my eares with hearing denials my thoughts with a bitter taste of sorrow my soule with a rare and vnspeakeable kind of affection and my vnderstanding with the greatest iealousie as the like neuer any had I made my complaint to Arsileus with sighes and to the earth and these groues with pitifull and bitter lamentations shewing them what iniuries Amarillis did me Her deceiued
answere this I cannot well replie Let it suffice thee that the lest suspect Of any harme thou hast doth make me die And worse then death torments me in effect Deere Lady then I would not haue thee prooue The cruell shaft of angrte Nemesis For first let each infernall power mooue Their plagues against me of eternall Dis. But now I would be glad if thou wouldst tast The sweete and golden flight of Cupids powre Bicause my torments which are gone and past Pitie thou might'st and those I feele this howre For if thou knew'st my paines and pitious case With pitie and teares thou wouldst my life deplore Not for my merits which are very base But for my loue which well deserueth more Each thing that is created heere so fit An equall hauing in a diuers kinde In such like kinde a paiment doth admit By measuring the debt that is behinde But as fell loue no equall doth containe In such a diuers kinde and different By selfe same thing it paies it selfe againe Loue must be paid with loue of good intent Then since it is most euident and cleere That I doe prize thy loue at such a rate Thou must requite my loue againe so deere If Nemesis ingratitude doth hate But if thou dost not purpose to requite The loue that I haue borne and beare thee still And with like loue to ease my heauie plight And greeuous paines for thy procuring ill My hands of life shall then vndoe the chaine But not of loue by death to ease my death And so requite me when no other meane Is left to make me still enioy this breath For sure if that my life be of this sort My life is death and dying is my life My death is sweete a pleasure ioy and sport Lining in such a world of amorous strife But now I cease my teares fall in such store And painfull soule for greefe can write no more O how wisely hast thou done Martandrus said Lord Felix by warning vs to be attentiue for this letter doth well beseeme the person of a discreete and enamoured Gentleman with what modestie and feare did he write it And how true is that said Danteus which is almost in the end of it That all things in this worlde in a different kind may be paide as grasse with sheepe sheepe with cloth and finally all with money but onely loue the which bicause with no other thing it hath neither equalitie nor proportion cannot but with loue be recompenced againe For touching my selfe I know that though my Shepherdesse Duarda would giue me all that she hath in the world yet she could not pay me that she owes me if she denied me her loue Felismena preuenting Duarda that was about to answere him said Let vs leaue this for this time And as you loue your selfe Sir tell on bicause we may know what this Ladie did with such a letter for I know not what she was able to answere againe but to yeelde her selfe to his loue whereupon I thinke she durst not take in hand to answere so wise reasons Not so Ladie said Martandrus for I assure you that Dardanea is not such an one that the high sence and stile thereof could put her to a non-plus in proofe whereof you shall see it by her answere But bicause we may not discontinue so sweete a discourse I will proceede This letter was of so great effect in Dardaneas tender hart that now in euerie point she perceiued her selfe yeelded to Cupids forces The which her cristalline teares that issued out of her cleere eies did make so manifest that she was vnable to stay them although many times in vaine she laboured the contrarie But as she could not satifie her selfe with reading it once or twise ouer the more she read it the more her loue encreased For knowing Disteus his vertues and valour to bee great and therewithall considering the qualitie of his person and with what milde modestie and discretion he wrote this letter the well conceiued words thereof were so forcible in her minde imprinted that they strangely disposed it to entertaine most louing thoughts of him that wrote them Her kinde and tender hart was no lesse pierced with pitie and compassion when she vnderstoode in what extremities his loue consisted since by the sequell of his letter she perceiued how abruptly he ended whereby he manifested the forcible passion that he had in writing of his paines and sorrowes To all which no meane motiues in her conquered minde this moreouer occurred that he offered to expose himselfe to any danger of death for Sagastes his mortall enemie onely to do her seruice that neuer yet had shewed him the least fauour in the world So that loue assayling her on the one side which till then had not notably signorized in her and her honour and vertuous reputation which she had euer religiously obserued pressing her on the other droue her vsetled thoughts into such suspence and troubled her doubtfull minde that being ignorant what course to take or what remedie to choose out for the best since she would neither offend this could not choose but obey that she was between two contraries so mightily assaulted that to yeelde to one without preiudice to the other shee would in a manner haue lost her deerest life which sorrowfull thoughts hiding in her secret breast and the letters in her amorours bosome she went to her chamber where casting her selfe vpon her bed and lying flatling vpon her pillow thus shee lamented to her selfe O what shall become of thee Dardanea being assailed by two such opposite enimies O heauenly Diana O inuincible Venus How haue you both with your diuine powers seised on my yeelding soule How could you being so great Goddesses make your habitation and seat in so humble a sublect and in so base and little a house as this is And being so contrarie and capitall enimies how haue you determined to your content and my losse to deraigne a hard and mightie battel in such a tender and weake field Why will you execute your vnresisted forces in the feeble breast of a yeelded and captiue woman Faine would I not open the gates Diana whose name I honor to thy cōtrarie but pardon me since I haue not my wonted forces for importunate Venus knowing how strongly this tower of thinc was defended being driuē many times from it hath now emploied all hir force in the enterprise and conquest of it O noble Disteus if thy words be fained which the Gods forbid then is my death certaine But why should I thinke so when as thou are Disteus whose name includes all generous virtues and I Dardanea whose minde such thoughts doth ill beseeme Alas poore Gentleman how vngratefully doth Palna thy nurse requite thy fauours which she confesseth thou hast bountifully bestowed on her since from thy first desire a matter but of small consequence she so bitterly repelled thee by denying to giue me a letter which to her hands
a delightfull and coole shadow defending them from the heat of the radiant sunne which was with some heate mounted vp the Hemispheare Whilest Marcelius Don Felix Felismena Syluanus and the Shepherds were talking togither of these matters at the other end of the garden neere vnto the fountaine as it is saide before were Eugerius Polydorus Alcida and Clenarda Alcida had that day left of her pastorall weedes as Felicia had commanded and was now apparelled and adorned very richly with costly garments and iewels that she willed shoulde be giuen her But as Syrenus was also there Montanus Arsileus and Belisa singing and sporting togither they maruell ouslie delighted Eugerius and his sonne and daughters that were harkening to them And that which did most of all please them was a song which Syrenus and Arsileus did sing one against another in dispraise and fauour of Cupid For they sung with an earnest will and desire in hope of a braue christall cup which Eugerius had promised for a reward and prize to him that did sing best And so Syrenus to the sound of his Rebecke and Arsileus to the tune of his rurall Baggepipe began to sing in maner following Syrenus OEies that are not now as once tormented When first my star enueagled and disguis'd you O ioyfull thoughts and quiet minde absented O carelesse hart now will I once aduise you That since you made Diana discontented To see loue thinke on you let this suffice you That I doe hold your counsell best of many In vaine to see nor loue nor thinke of any Arsileus O eies that haue to greater light attained Looking vpon that sunne your onely treasure O toyfull thoughts in thousand ioies distrained O happy hart the seate of secret pleasure Although Belisa would haue once disdained To see to loue or thinke on me at leisure Yet hold I this a heauen as like was neuer To see to loue and thinke on her for euer Syrenus would haue replyed to Arsileus answer if he had not beene interrupted by Eugerius who said Since you must iolly Shepherds receiue your reward at my hands it is good reason that you sing in such sort as may best content me Sing thou Syrenus first those verses which thy muse shall dictate vnto thee and then thou Arsileus shalt sing as many againe or those which thou shalt best thinke good of It pleaseth vs well said they and then Syrenus began thus Syrenus LEt now the goodly spring tide make vs merie And fieldes which pleasant flowers do adorne And vales meades woods with liuely colours flourish Let plentious flockes the Shepherds riches nourish Let hungrie woolues by dogs to death be torne And lambes reioice with passed winter wearie Let euery riuers ferrie In waters flowe and siluer streames abounding And fortune ceaslesse wounding Turne now thy face so cruell and vnstable Be firme and fauourable And thou that kill'st our soules with thy pretenses Molest not wicked loue my inward senses Let countrie plainnes liue in ioies not ended In quiet of the desart meades and mountaines And in the pleasure of a countrie dwelling Let Shepherds rest that haue distilled fountaines Of teares prooue not thy wrath all paines excelling Vpon poore soules that neuer haue offended Let thy flames be incended In hautie courtes in those that swim in treasure And liue in ease and pleasure And that a sweetest scorne my woonted sadnes A perfect rest and gladnes And hils and dales may giue me with offences Molest not wicked loue my inward senses In what law find'st thou that the freest reason And wit vnto thy chaines should be subiected And harmelesse soules vnto thy cruell murder O wicked loue the wretch that flieth furder From thy extremes thou plagu'st O false suspected And carelesse boy that thus thy sweetes dost season O vile and wicked treason Might not thy might suffice thee but thy fuell Of force must be so cruell To be a Lord yet like a Tyrant minded Vaine boy with errour blinded Why dost thou hurt his life with thy offences That yeelds to thee his soule and inward senses He erres alas and fowly is deceiued That cals thee God being a burning fire A furious flame a playning greefe and clamorous And Venus sonne that in the earth was amorous Gentle and milde and full of sweete desire Who calleth him is of his wits bereaued And yet that she conceaued By proofe so vile a sonne and so vnruly I say and yet say truly That in the cause of harmes that they haue framed Both iustly may be blamed She that did breede him with such vile pretenses He that doth hurt so much our inward senses The gentle sheepe and lambes are euer flying The rauening woolues and beastes that are pretending To glut their mawes with flesh they teare asunder The milke white doues at noise of fearefull thunder Flie home amaine themselues from harme defending The little chicke when puttocks are a crying The woods and meadowes dying For raine of heauen if that they cannot haue it Doe neuer cease to craue it So euery thing his contrarie resisteth Onely thy thrall persisteth In suffring of thy wrongs without defences And lets thee spoile his hart and inward senses A publike passion natures lawes restraining And which with wordes can neuer be declared A soule twixt loue and feare and desperation And endlesse plaint that shuns all consolation A spendlesse flame that neuer is impaired A friendlesse death yet life in death maintaining A passion that is gaining On him that loueth well and is absented Whereby it is augmented Aiealousie a burning greefe and sorrow These fauours louers borrow Of thee fell Loue these be thy recompences Consuming still their soule and inward-senses Arsileus after that Syrenus had ended his song began to tune his Bagpipe and after he had played a little while vpon it answering euerie staffe of his Competitor in order he sung as followeth Arsileus O Let that time a thousand monthes endure Which brings from heauen the sweete and siluer showres And ioies the earth of comforts late depriued With grasse and leaues fine buds and painted flowres Eccho returne vnto the woods obscure Ring foorth the Shepherds songs in loue contriued Let olde loues be reuiued Which angrie winter buried hath of late And that in such a state My soule may haue the full accomplishment Of ioy and sweete content And since fierce paines and greefes thou dost controule Good loue doe not forsake my inward soule Presume not Shepherds once to make you mery With springs and flowres or any pleasant song Vnlesse milde loue possesse your amorous brestes If you sing not to him your songs doe werie Crowne him with flowres or else ye doe him wrong And consecrate your springs to his behestes I to my Shepherdesse My happie loues with great content doe sing And flowres to her doe bring And sitting neere her by the riuer side Enioy the braue springtide Since then thy ioies such sweetnesse doe enroule Good loue doe not forsake my inward
a little to heare them Twenty daies I was in going thither at the ende of which being come to the desired place I tooke vp mine Inne in a streete lest frequented with concurse of people And the great desire I had to see the destroier of my ioy did not suffer me to thinke of any other thing but how or where I might see him To inquire of him of mine host I durst not lest my comming might perhaps haue bene discouered and to seeke him foorth I thought it not best lest some inopinate mishap might haue fallen out whereby I might haue bene knowen Wherefore I passed all that day in these perplexities while night came on each hower whereof me thought was a whole yeere vnto me But midnight being a little past mine host called at my chamber doore and tolde me if I was desirous to heare some braue musicke I should arise quickly and open a window towards the street The which I did by and by and making no noise at all I heard how Don Felix his Page called Fabius whom I knew by his voice saide to others that came with him Now it is time my Masters bicause the Lady is in the gallerie ouer her garden taking the fresh aire of the coole night He had no sooner saide so but they began to winde three Cornets and a Sackbot with such skill and sweetenesse that it seemed celestiall musicke And then began a voice to sing the sweetest in my opinion that euer I heard And though I was in suspence by hearing Fabius speake whereby a thousand doubtes and imaginations repugnant to my rest occurred in my minde yet I neglected not to heare what was sung bicause their operations were not of such force that they were able to hinder the desire nor distemper the delight that I conceiued by hearing it That therefore which was sung were these verses SWeete Mistresse harken vnto me If it greeues thee to see me die And hearing though it greeueth thee To heare me yet do not denie O grant me then this short content For forc'd I am to thee to fliie My sighes do not make thee relent Nor teares thy hart do mollifie Nothing of mine doth giue thee payne Nor thou think'st of no remedie Mistresse how long shall I sustaine such ill as still thou dost applie In death there is no helpe be sure But in thy will where it doth lie For all those illes which death doth cure Alas they are but light to trie My troubles do not trouble thee Nor hope to touch thy soule so nie O from a will that is so free What should I hope when I do crie How can I mollifie that braue And stonie hart of pittie drie Yet Mistresse turne those eies that haue No peeres shining like stars in skie But turne them not in angrie sort If thou wilt not kill me thereby Though yet in anger or in sport Thou killest onely with thine eie After they had first with a concent of musicke sung this song two plaied the one vpon a Lute the other vpon a siluer sounding Harpe being accompanied with the sweete voice of my Don Felix the great ioy that I felt in hearing him cannot be imagined for me thought I heard him nowe as in that happie and passed time of our loues But after the deceit of this imagination was discouered seeing with mine eies and hearing with mine eares that this musicke was bestowed vpon another and not on me God knowes what a bitter death it was vnto my soule And with a greeuous sigh that caried almost my life away with it I asked mine host if he knew what the Ladie was for whose sake the musick was made He answered me that he could not imagine on whom it was bestowed bicause in that streete dwelled manie noble and faire Ladies And when I saw he could not satisfie my request I bent mine eares againe to heare my Don Felix who now to the tune of a delicate harpe whereon he sweetely plaied began to sing this Sonnet following A Sonnet MY painefull yeeres impartiall Loue was spending In vaine and booteles hopes my life appaying And cruell Fortune to the world bewraying Strange samples of my teares that haue no ending Time euerie thing to truth at last commending Leaues of my steps such markes that now betraying And all deceitfull trusts shall be decaying And none haue cause to plaine of his offending Shee whom I lou'd to my obliged power That in her sweetest loue to me discouers Which neuer yet I knew those heauenly pleasures And I do saie exclaiming euery hower Do not you see what makes you wise O Louers Loue Fortune Time and my faire Mystresse treasures The Sonnet being ended they paused a while playing on fower Lutes togither and on a paire of Virginals with such heauenly melodie that the whole worlde I thinke could not affoord sweeter musick to the eare nor delight to any minde not subiect to the panges of such predominant greefe and sorrow as mine was But then fower voice passing well tuned and set togither began to sing this song following A Song THat sweetest harme I doe not blame First caused by thy fairest eies But greeue bicause too late I came To know my fault and to be wise I neuer knew a worser kinde of life To liue in feare from boldnesse still to cease Nor woorse then this to liue in such a strife Whether of both to speake or holde my peace And so the harme I doe not blame Caused by thee or thy faire eies But that to see how late I came To knowe my fault and to be wise I euer more did feare that I should knowe Some secret things and doubtfull in their kinde Bicause the surest things doe euer goe Most contrarie vnto my wish and minde And yet by knowing of the same There is no hurt But it denies My remedie Since late I came To knowe my fault and to be wise When this song was ended they began to sound diuers sorts of instruments and voices most excellently agreeing togither and with such sweetnes that they could not chuse but delight any very much who were not so farre from it as I. About dawning of the day the musicke ended and I did what I could to espie out my Don Felix but the darknes of the night was mine enimie therein And seeing now that they were gone I went to bed againe where I bewailed my great mishap knowing that he whom most of al I loued had so vnwoorthily forgotten me whereof his musicke was too manifest a witnes And when it was time I arose without any other consideration went straight to the Princesse her pallace where I thought I might see that which I so greatly desired determining to call my selfe Valerius if any perhaps did aske my name Comming therefore to a faire broad court before the pallace gate I viewed the windowes and galleries where I sawe such store of blazing beauties and gallant Ladies that I am not able now to recount
sees her must commend her Who them can praise her well and not offend her The Lady Isabell Borâ—… here doth stand Perfect and absolute in euery thing Behold her face her fine and dainty hand Ouer whose head the nightingales doe sing Our age she honours and th' Hiberian land Of grace and vertuâ— she 's the onely spring And those to whom nature did beautie giue She staines as fairest that did euer liue She that her haire hath hanging downe and speed Abroad and tide with golden third behinde And that faire face that hath so often led So many harts to bondage of the minde Her Iuorie necke her ties in beautie bred Faire modest gray not looking out of kinde Her famous name is Lady Iuliana That honours â—…ere the Temple of Diana She whom you there doe see whom nature made So curiously at neuer like before Since that her beautie neuer seem'd to fade Nor that a faire one can desire more Whose great deserts and wit doth still perswade Fame to the world her praises to restore Is called Lady Moncia Fenollit To whom Loue yeelds himselfe and doth submit The song of renowned Orpheus was so pleasant in Felismenas eares and in all theirs that heard it that it held them in such a suspence as if they had passed by no other thing but that which they had before their eies Who now hauing particularly viewed the rich chamber of estate with euery thing in it that was woorth the seeing as all was the Nymphes went foorth by a certaine dore into the great hall and by an other out of the hall into a faire garden the beautie whereof stroke no lesse admiration into their mindes then the strange things which they had seene before for amongst the fruitfull trees and sweete flowers were many sepulchers and tombes erected of diuers Nymphes and Ladies which with great puritie had kept their chastitie due to the Goddesse thereof inniolate and vnstained Some of the tombes were adorned with coronets of knottie Iuie others with chapplets of sweete Myrtles and some with garlands of greene Laurell There were also manie Allabluster fountaines in the garden some of Iaspar marble some of other mettall seated under vines which with artificiall arches and wreathes aloft did spred foorth their branches depressed with clusters of coloured grapes The Mytrhe trees grew in manner of fower walles with embattlements and pinnacles on the tops of them and on the sides aboue them were certaine Terrasses and walkes reared vp whereon as ouer all the garden besides did growe many sweete flowers of sundry colours as white Iesmins Woodbyne and many more delightfull to the insatiable eie In the hiddes of the garden stoode a Ieat-stone vpon fower brazen pillers and in the thids of it a tombe framed out of Iaspar which fower Nymphes that were wrought out of white Allablaster did hold vp with their handes and about it stoode manie Tapers of Virgine waxe burning in massie candlestickes of bright siluer that were made in artificiall manner About this tombe stoode certaine Lordes and Knights some fashioned out of stone and mettall other som out of Iaspar marble and other matter Which figures shewed such great sorrow by their countenances that they filled Felismenas hart and all theirs that were looking on the tombe with no lesse greefe then admiration But viewing it narrowly they sawe in a table of shining golde which at the foote of the sepulchre a dead and pale mattone held betweene her hands this Epitaphe subscribed HEere Lady Katherine entombed lies Of Aragon and Sarmient whose fame Doth mount with praise vnto the loftie skies And sounds from North to South her woorthy name Death kil'd her to reuenge the sacrifice Of those she killed when she was a dame Her body 's heere her soule in heauen with pleasure The world vnwoorthy to possesse such treasure After they had read this Epitaphe they sawe an Eagle of blacke marble with displaied wings on the top of the tombe with a golden table betweene her tallons with those verses in it EVen as O death the Planets should remaine Without Apollo and Diana bright The ground without mankinde and beasts againe The Marriner without the North-starre light The fielde without faire flowers grasse or graine The mornings showe without the dewe of night Vertue and beautie so remaine and die Without the dame that in this tombe doth lie When they had read both these Epitaphs and Belisa had vnderstoode by them what the Nymph was that was buried therein and how much Spaine lost by leesing her calling therewithall to minde the vntimely death of her deere Arsileus she could not but with teares breath out these sorrowfull wordes O death how far am I from thinking that thou maiest comfort me with other womens harmes The small time that the world enioyed the great beautie and wisedome wherewith they tell me this Nymph was endowed doth not a little greeue me bicause as she was not her-selfe in loue so did not any deserue she should be so For had she beene I would then account her for so happie a woman by dying as my selfe vnfortunate by seeing how small reckoning thou makest of me cruell death since taking from me all my good and the onely ioy of my life thou dost not leaue me heere but onely to feele the neuer-ceasing paine of this heauie want O my Arsileus O rare wisedome in such yoong yeeres O the most faithfull louer that euer was and the finest wit that the heauens could euer infuse into so braue an ornament of nature What eies may without inundations of reares behold thy sorrowfull absence And what hard hart suffer thy vntimely and difastrous end O Arsenius Arsenius how smal a time wert thou vnable to endure the violent death of thy vnfortunate sonne hauing more occasion to suffer it then my selfe Why didst thou make me cruell Arsenius participate of two deathes Of both which to preuent the least that did greeue me I would haue giuen a thousand liues Farewell happie Nymphe the light and honour of the royall house of Aragon God giue thy soule eternall glory and deliuer mine from so many woes and afflictions wherinto it is so deepely sunke After that Belisa had spoken these wordes and after they had seene many tombes more very richly erected they went out by a backe dore in the garden into a greene meadowe where they found the sage Ladie Felicia recreating her-selfe alone and walking vp and downe who seeing them comming towards her receiued them all with a ioyfull countenance And whilest it was time to go to supper they went to a pleasant walke in a groue of Sicamours harde by where the Nymphes of the sumptuous temple were woont many times to go and disport themselues where sitting downe in a little plat of greene grasse that was encompassed round about with leauie Sicamours they began to discourse one with another of that which did best please their fancies The Lady Felicia called the Shepheard Syrenus and Felismena to
sing and bicause thou art such a friend to wailing and sadnes it were not meete thou shouldst sing at my will and pleasure but to leaue it to thine own But yet let vs tune concord with these Shepherds and aske them what thou shalt sing Thou commest too late to agree and concord with vs now said Syrenus but bicause it pleaseth thee so entreat him to expresse by his song the cause of his sorrow and passions Let him sing what thou wilt saide Diana and what hee will bicause thou maist not say that I neuer knew how to consorme my selfe with thee Then did Firmius take his Rebecke and began to sing in manner following SHepherds giue eare and now be still Vnto my passions and their cause And what they be Since that with such an earnest will And such great signes of friendships lawes You aske it me It is not long since I was whole Nor since I did in euery part Sreewill resigne It is not long since in my sole Possession I did knowe my hart And to be mine It is not long since euen and morrow All pleasure that my hart could finde Was in my power It is not long since greefe and sorrow My louing hart began to binde And to deuoure It is not long since companie I did esteeme a ioy indeede Still to frequent Nor long since solitarily I liu'd and that this life did breede My sole content Desirous I wretched to see But thinking not to see so much As then I sawe Loue made me knowe in what degree His valour and braue force did touch Me with his lawe First he did put no more nor lesse Into my hart then he did view That there did want But when my brest in such excesse Of liuely flames to burne I knew Then were so scant My ioies that now did so abate My selfe estranged euery way From former rest That I did knowe that my estate And that my life was euery day In deathes arrest I put my hand into my side To see what was the cause of this Vnwonted vaine Where I did feele that torments hied By endlesse death to preiudice My life vvith paine Bicause I savve that there did vvant My hart wherein I did delight My deerest hart And he that did the same supplant No iurisdiction had of right To play that part The iudge and robber that remaine Within my soule their cause to trie Are there all one And so the giuer of the paine And he that is condemn'd to die Or I or none To die I care not any way Though without why to die I greeue As I doe see But for bicause I heard her say None die for loue for I beleeue None such there bee Then this thou shalt beleeue by mee Too late and without remedie As did in breefe Anaxarete and thou shalt see The little she did satisfie With after greefe The Shepherdes gaue a diligent eare to Firmius song to see if by the same hee would giue some light of the loue that he did beare to Diana but he was so vigilant to the contrarie that though hee reported the cause of his passion yet they could vnderstand no more then they did at the beginning It was needlesse for the three Shepherdes to know Firmius passion by hearing him sing who wished rather that he had manifested it by words that he might not afterwards denie it or to say better confesse it when any such speech shoulde bee offered thereof For whensoeuer they tolde him of it he spake of it so obscurely that hee neither confessed nor denied that he loued her And so to this intent he finely cloaked with Syrenus that Diana by his meanes should demand the cause of his sorrow thinking with himself that for any thing that might ensue being demanded by her he woulde not deny to manifest it vnto her But if he could haue concealed his loue as well by deedes as he did by wordes the Shepherds might haue beene as wise as at the first for euer knowing it But it fell not out so to Diana who vnderstood well by his last verse that all the rest were onely ment of her for it answered to the latter end of her speech when they both talked so secretly togither And so she made great account of Firmius for his wittie and short answer Euery one commended his singing and Diana as well for this and for that which he sung on the Baggepipe as also for that which he had spoken to Syrenus was somewhat enclined to like him thinking verie well of that which he had sung and spoken Considering besides that the trouble which the Shepherd felt being in her presence was no small cooling carde and a sharpe bridle to his toong For this feare which Diana cleerely perceiued was for her sake she soone tooke away bicause Firmius might be more accepted of her if there were at the lest any thing acceptable or pleasant to one that found her-selfe in so miserable an estate as she was But when the song was ended Diana said she would depart bicause she had staied there a great while and would go seeke out her husband Delius who would not willingly haue beene one moment out of her sight and companie Being determined therefore to depart Syrenus entreated her to take her Baggepipe againe with her if so it pleased her bicause none other should vnwoorthely enioy such a sweete Trophee as Firmius had made of it She tooke it bicause she thought thereby to shewe some especiall fauour to Firmius And taking it from the tree she said vnto it God knowes I do not carrie thee as a meane to ease or mittigate my passion and sorrow my intent being cleane contrarie for though I might seeke some fauour and helpe to sustaine them being so many as they are yet will I not aduantage me with any such remedy but I do take thee with me bicause those Shepherds might not haue an occasiō to blame me for discurtesie When she had spoken this she turned to them and asked them when they would depart who told her in the morning for now they had set all things in good order and durst not stay any longer bicause Felicia about that time would looke for their comming whom they had promised to returne assoone as they had set their flockes in good order and in the custodie of some faithfull Shepherdes Their departure greeued Diana not a little though she woulde not manifest so much but saide Since it is then so the Gods be fauourable vnto you and be your guides They thanked her againe and praied her not to sorget to looke to their affaires as they would be carefull for hers and charged her besides to thinke vpon Firmius and his busines and to supply his wants if in their absence he stoode in need of any thing And that the pleasures and fauours that she did him they would esteeme as much as if she had bestowed them on themselues since hee remained there to keepe and
for the Shepherd was yet sleeping and the old man and the other Shepherdesse were still embracing each other Lord Felix comming to them both said Thou shouldest haue enough noble Lord of these vnfit embracements Whereat Felicia laughed to her-selfe to see how much in their mindes they disdained the Shepherdesse But the old man said Nowe may yee O Gods conclude my many daies with their last period since you haue granted me this vnspeakeable fauour to see my deerest daughter now may yee make an end of my wearied yeeres hauing before mine eies my onely beloued Stela for so was the Shepherdesse called that spake vnto him Stela mine onely hope my ioy and comfort of my life To this end my praiers tended to lengthen my decaying life and to see this ioyfull day This was the white whereat my petitions oblations and sacrifices aymed for prorogation of my death And now let it come when it wil since I haue her in my presence who in despite of death maintaines my life but yet gentle death rather then by any other misfortune that may ensue I might be depriued of her againe come and bereaue me of this common light O my deerest daughter who did take thee away from me for I coulde neuer beleeue that of thine owne accord thou wouldst haue left me without first taking leaue of thy louing father Woe befall to thee false Shepherde that liest there asleepe and an ill end betide thy friend wheresoeuer he be if he hath it not yet already Bende not thy eares O Iupiter saide the Shepherdesse to this cruell petition but rather turne it vpon me a thing more requisite for my miseries and not on them whose goodnes neuer deserued any ill at all I will not consent good Father nor be content to heare them accursed that in all points are so faultlesse Lo Loue she would haue said hath erred if modestie and maidenly shame had not staied her toong in the middest I haue erred or rather my Fortune to speake more truely hath beene to blame by granting me no meanes to take my leaue of thee Felicia who knewe the cause of the Shepherdesse her greefe said Let these excuses now cease And Parisiles forsake thy sadnes since now thou inioyest thine onely desire Who turning to sage Felicia and marking with what graue auctoritie she spake vnto him said vnto her Whosoeuer thou art noble Ladie whether thou dost recken thy selfe in the number of mortall women or art registred in the Catalogue of the immortall Gods for such an one thou seemest to be pardon me if hitherto I haue not done my obliged duetie and reuerence hauing so pitifull and condigne a cause of pardon in euerie thing hereafter I am wholy at thy deuotions and subiect to thy commaund whatsoeuer It is well said Felicia we shall thinke of that hereafter And bicause I will make thee more ioyfull then euer thou thoughtest to be for from him thy comfort shall proceed of whom thou dost most complaine let vs goe to rest vs vnder the shadowes of those Laurell trees neere to the siluer fountaine brincke and that thou maist beleeue my words to be true know that I am Felicia if euer my name hath sounded in thine eares Parisiles then with the Shepherdesses fell downe on their knees to kisse her hands saying Who of all those that honour our immortall Gods is there that is ignorant of the portion which thou hast with them Felicia lifted them all three vp and would not suffer them to do her such honour and taking one of the Shepherdesses by the hand called Crimine said to all the rest Go you my Sonnes to the fountaine and rest you there while I talke with this Shepherdesse and with that Shepherd a word or two And thou my friend Parisiles with thy deere daughter shalt keepe them company and tell them some famous historie or antiquite vntill it be time to go in to dinner Then taking Crimine by the hand she went towards the Shepherd that was yet sleeping all this while and shaking him by the shoulder awaked him said He should sleep but a little that comes as a guard to two faire yoong Shepherdesses Whereat the vnknowen Shepherd awaked and not seeing Stela without making the sage Ladie any answere with a sudden sursault of griefe said O Crimine where is Stela Be not afraid said Felicia for she is not far from hence Thou mightest do better to looke more aduisedly to thy selfe when as but euen now thy temporall slumber had verie neere cast thee into thy last and endlesse sleepe They of whose liues and honours they chose thee their onely ampare had more care to faue thy late endangered person then thou hadst of thy selfe or them And bicause thou maist see vnto what extremitie thy fates had almost brought thee knowe that it is not long since the knife was at thy throate readie to cut it The Shepherd could not imagine what she meant by these words nor what companie that was that sat about the fountaine where turning his eies about to see Stela he espied her but Crimine secretly admonished him to doe his duetie to Felicia who then making low obeisance vnto her craued pardon of her Felicia then told him in order what had passed and how Parisiles forgetting his aged weaknes and ayded by the force of his furie would haue killed him how they would not let him with that that folowed In the end the Shepherd was verie sad when he knew that old Parisiles was there not for feare of him but bicause he now thought to loose his beloued Stela which sage Felicia perceiuing said vnto him Abandon Shepherd these sorrowfull thoughts for all shall redound to thy content and ioy for now thou art in such a place where thou shalt haue no wrong and where thy passed troubles those of thy sweet company deerest friends shall be better ended then thou art able to imagine To all this the Shepherd could yeeld no more but humble thankes though it was not sufficient to comfort him bicause he was absent from a deere friend of his whom he loued more then himselfe and who euer requited him with no lesse loue againe as by manie proofes most often it appeered For well might they two haue been the thirde number annexed to the onely two paire of friends that after so manie thousande yeeres were accounted in the world for the greatest But the Lady Felicia assured him how she would finde out some meanes to haue him thither out of hande At which words he fell downe on his knees and kissed her hands for any thing that she could do the contrarie In these and other speeches they went talking vp and downe a pretie while But God knowes how Crimine was ashamed of her-selfe before Felicia though it was not long for Felilia did remedie that by and by hauing taken her aside to no other ende from the rest of the companie While these three were in these speeches Lord
how much thy departure greeues me but onely to content and please thee for heere will I staie vntill I know what the immortall Gods will determine with me Scarce coulde my louing brother stande vpon his feete when from mine owne mouth he heard that I was enamoured of the faire damsell bicause he had also no lesse then my selfe as by a strange chance I afterwards knew it yeelded vp to her his loue and libertie But bicause it was either my good or ill happe to manifest my passion first Parthenius dissembled his in lieu that I might carie the guerdon away So that on the oneside he was very glad that one thing offred it selfe whereby I might receiue the first fruits of his true friendship and was sorrie on the other to see that his greefe was remedilesse Which perfect function of amitie I would in very truth haue no lesse performed towards him if he had first opened his loue of her vnto me as afterwards I did though yet for all this I must remaine his debtor But bicause I might not perceiue the great good turne he did me and he by disclosing it haue lost the merite thereof he did not onely dissemble it right-out but by words and demonstration made as if no such matter had beene And albeit he striued with himselfe not to loue Stela yet was he not able to performe it but as I saie hidde it in such sort that it might not be perceiued Whereupon to that which I had saide he answered thus The Gods neuer suffer me to profite nor pleasure my selfe with such a leaue deere brother For thou art my father mother to forsake thee I meane not to seeke them out Let them pardon me whosoeuer they be for since they left me in my infancy perhaps without iust occasion it shal be no part of impietie for me to denie them in their old age being warranted by so iust an excuse Many other friendly speeches passed betweene vs both that wheron we concluded was this To go to the next town bicause itwas late there by som other course if at the least some happie meanes did obuiate our desires to informe vs what that Damsell was thereupon to aduise vs what was best to be done Comming therefore neere vnto a little towne not farre from that place we espied this reuerend old Parisiles almost in the very same robes that he now weares who turned his eies on euerie side to see if he might perceiue her comming for whom it seemed he had long looked and lamented To whom in the end a certaine raunger that a farre off came crossing ouer the lawnes appeared who being come vnto him spake some fewe words togither but what we could not heare for we had hid our selues a prettie way off and fewe they were For by and by the sorrowfull old man with a pitifull outcrie fell into a great swoune The raunger seeing him in such a trance thinking he was dead and fearing least his sudden death as he thought might haue beene laide to his charge ran presently away as fast as euer he could when as we all in vaine called and cryed out alowd vnto him so that for that time we could not know the cause of the good old mans sorrow One thing I haue noted in thy disoourse saide Lord Felix that thou euer with reuerence and humanitie entreatest olde Parisiles who as not long since it seemed would haue killed thee And with great reason answered Delicius to whom I doe not onely wish well because he is Father to faire Stela but honour him for his high deserts But returning to my discourse seeing the ranger would not stay we went to the noble Parisiles who was lying as abouesaid distraught of his sences and perceiuing that he came not to himselfe again we both went to seeke out some water to sprinkle on his face ech of vs going a sundry way to bring it the sooner to him Which when after too long seeking as we thought we could not finde we returned backe againe and before we came to the place where we left him we heard him lamenting in this sort O World false world and like to hell belowe Alake of fi lt hinesse and puddle mud A sea where teares and miseries doe flowe A trauell without ease or hope of good A pit of sorrow and of endlesse woe A region full of brambles thornes and brakes Ameadow full of adders toades and snakes A ceaslesse greefe afalse delight and pleasure Of men that goe on wheeles and dancing scope Of him that counteth thee his trust and treasure And of thy worldlings false and vainest hope A heape of woes that hath no end nor measure A hideous hill of care and dwelling place Of monsters and of paine an endlesse race A poison sweete a hony full of gall A dungeon of despaire a dismall field Of wretchednes of seruitude and all Infections that ten thousand deathes doth yeeld A hell a filth a miserie and thrall A care a greefe a paine a plague a sore A slauerte a death and what is more Many that haue endur'd thy yoke of paine Haue gone about in colours to depaint Thy wicked slightes with which thou still dost traine Distressed soules vnto an endlesse plaint And weeping where my cleerest light is hid There wretched man my life I meane to rid By this lamentation whereunto we gaue an attentiue eare we vnderstood the cause of his complaint That the Woodman belike had told him how Stela flying from Gorphorost had cast her selfe into the riuer but not that which afterwardes succceded We were no lesse glad to heare the newes of that we so much desired to knowe as to giue him good tidings whom it behooued vs to make as much beholding to vs as we could for seruing our owne turnes But as we were now determined to goe and talke with him my brother said Let vs stay for if this be Father to thy new Mistresse it is not best that he should now knowe vs when we our selues knowe not what we haue to doe nor how our matters not yet well commenced will fall out And since he saide he will goe to the riuer there to be the minister of his owne death I thinke it best for vs to follow him and demanding what he seekes and whither he goes to tell him what hath passed which I also thinke best to be done when it is somewhat darke bicause speaking to him then he may not knowe vs another time whereas if it might afterwards auaile vs by knowing vs to be the same men that brought him these good newes we shall not want meanes to tell him that at our owne pleasure We thought this to be good counsell and did therefore put it so well in practise that the good olde man being thereby comforted vp a little went backe againe and in requitall of these good newes offered me that was the teller of them his lodging that night Which courtesie of his
sit downe by them It is not for that saide Felicia but for great respect of loue and dutie that he beareth to the yoonger who in her presence could neuer finde in his hart to sit but onely when others were in companie from whom he thought it best to conceale his passions Why is he so sadde saide Seluagia for as I remember and coulde gather by his letter his Shepherdesse could not doe nor say anie thing wherein he tooke not great ioy and contentment I but Fortune hath nowe turned her wheele saide Felicia for then and euer since for the reward of his loue he onely enioyed the presence and sweete company of his Shepherdesse the force from whence his ioyes and comforts sprung but now for some certaine daies he is forced to depart from her which farewell breedeth no lesse his present greese sorrow And that which giues him greater paine is that he knowes not when hee shall see her againe But harke and giue attentiue care for now they command him to sing whereupon they sawe him take his Rebecke out of his scrip and with a playning voice began thus to sing PHillis my faire yoong Shepherdesse That from thee by and by I must depart O heauinesse O that no but woe that I. O from the world that now I might depart Since that I must my ioy forgo thy sight For now I liue too long Then kill my hart Mishap if thou wilt grant me so much right Or fatall sisters now consent That she or I might die I craue it to a good intent O that no but woe that I. Pardon it is not I that doe desire Thy sudden and thy wrongfull death not I. It is my loue my hot and burning fire That made my toong so much to goe awrie And feare it is that mooues my hart And thoughts of iealousie Since thou dost stay and I depart O that no but woe that I. Such iealousies they are not thou must thinke That thou some other loue wilt entertaine For I doe knowe that loue can neuer sinke Into thy brest vnto my cruell paine But iealousie thou wilt forget Heereafter and denie That one did see another yet O that no but woe that I. But if thou dost faire Shepherdesse suspect To burie me in Lethes lake let greefe Before thou shouldst so ill my loue respect Consume my life let death be my relcefe Then thou shouldst thinke but such a thought First faire one let me die Although it shall be deerely bought O that no but woe that I. To rid my selfe from such n cruell paine I would destroy my selfe and purchase rest But then to kill thee I doe feare againe Bicause thou dwellest heere within my brest Doe then a noble deede my life From thence with speede to flie That then I may conclude this strife O that no but woe that I. Bargaine with me let me this fauour craue To leaue my hart that so thy harme doth dread Thy place againe then after thou shalt haue If thou maist come to it when it is dead For if thou once goest foorth I will To death with courage hte And then my vitall powers kill O that no but woe that I. As if it lay within thy handes and powre Sweete Shepherdesse forsake my wofull hart But yet thou canst not goe from thence one howre Neither can I although I would depart Nor yet I would not though I might I say I would not die But yet bicause I loose thy sight O that no but woe that I. If that I am in any thing to thee Gratefull this fauour then of thee I pray Thou wouldst when I am gone remember me And say where is my Shepherd all this day Then would I count my greefe but small If thou wilt not deny This thing or thinke of me at all Woe that no but O that I. Then say but I although it be in iest And neuer meanst thy promise to maintaine Thou shalt thereby procure some little rest Vnto my parting soule which I will faine Little I craue to ease my hart And paines yet let me trie This fauour Then I will depart O that no but woe that I. As he thus made an end of his song they rose vp and the yonger called Phillis made a signe to the Shepherd with her singer to reach her vp her scrip and Sheepehooke that lay on the ground at whose hands though in most dutifull manner he did it she receiued them with no more thankes or shew of courtesie then if one of hir swaines had giuen it her And then with a word or two of the Shepherdesses but with his many teares the mournefull Shepherd tooke his leaue whereat Phillis being mooued to some small sorrowe and to no lesse greefe for his departure tooke out of her scrip a fine little spoone the same perhaps that she her selfe did eate with and gaue it him wherewith the Shepherd did somewhat mitigate his helpelesse sorrow and then they went out of the meadow one way and the Shepherd another Might it not be well done saide Felismena to Felicia to talke with those Shepherdesses before they goe Not now answered Felicia for heereafter you shall knowe all when their due time shall come wherein you shall then take as great delight to see and conuerse with Phillis and Castalius for so is the Shepherd called that was with them as now perhaps some little greefe for their departure whereas besides it is not now so conuenient bicause I knowe we should make them not a little ashamed The Shepherdesses therefore being now gone out they went into the little meadow to the christalline fountaine where in set daunces and sweete songs accompanied with pleasanthistories and gracious speeches they spent the time till Felicia thought it good for them all to goe to the Temple when she came to warne them Who it seemed did neuer awake or take care for any other thing then where and after what maner she might best delight that noble companie Whereupon she caried them sometimes to the goodly plaine before the Temple other times to another pleasant meadow neere to the wood and sometimes to the Laurell fountaine Truth it is that to haue all possible ioy Don Felix and his faire Lady Felismena Syluanus and his louing Shepherdesse Seluagia needed not to seeke it out in exteriour things since their inwarde ioy to see themselues all fower with mutuall affection so happily beloued was so great that all others in respect of this were but meere shewes and shadowes Syrenus tooke a singular pleasure to beholde the contentment of them all whom so vnfainedly he loued The Nymphes not onely procured it for themselues but to delight them all in generall And Parisiles his anger being now past with that which Felicia had told him and shaking off his former sadnes by enioying the presence of his daughter was no lesse ioyfull then the rest But Stela and Crimine were in suspence betweene solace and sorrow comfort and care being cheered on
enioyed there without any feare and danger their sweete contents and were well beloued and reuerenced of all the Shepherds thereabouts who endeuoured to do them all the pleasure they could sometimes with rurall sports and games other times with dances and pastorall musicke To all which Disteus so well applyed himselfe that in a short time he farre excelled them all And so for this respect as for his affabilitie and mildnes by knowing how to conuerse with all that Shepherd thought himselfe vnhappie that had not some priuate friendship with Coryneus for so he named himselfe after he had changed his habit and Dardanea that named her selfe Dinia was no lesse acceptable to all the Shepherdesses and Palna called Corynea like her sonne was reuerenced of them all When all three went from me Dardanea was gone two moneths with childe but what God sent her or what became of the childe she brought foorth I know not for they had not dwelta whole yeere in that countrey when they went away for what cause or whither I also know not The cause whereof considering the time wherein they went away I suspect was this That in this meane while King Rotyndus married with the Kings sister of that Prouince where they were whose wife 's brother a little while after being dead an vncle of hers called Synistius aspired to the kingdome as Competitor with her For the which cause Rotyndus making warre against him with little losse of his men got the victorie whereupon a peace was concluded betweene them and the gouernment of the kingdome by the intercession of Agenesta his niece for so was the Queene called giuen frankly to Synistius So that Disteus as soone as the noyse of this warre was bruted abroad went as I coniecture bicause he would not be knowen from that countrey with his pettie family From which time I could neuer heare more of them though manie daies haue passed since Ansilardus and Placindus went out to seeke them And omitting mine own trauels Gentlemen and manie troubles that I passed in the like enterprise because they make not any whit to the purpose of your demaund I will onely tell you how theese two seruants of theirs went out so soone being as I told you before imprisoned and I so late being as you haue also heard at libertie When King Rotyndus married his Queene in ioy of the feast all the prisoners were let goe amongst whom Anfilardus and Placindus came out and sixe moneths after to make Sagastes suspect it the lesse by venturing their liues for vpon paine of death it was commanded that none should goe seeke out Disteus they went to the place where I told them they were At which place when they could not find them they cōcluded by seuering themselues to seeke them out appointing to meete at that place a yeere after to know how they had sped and bicause the one might not goe that way or take in hand that the other did Whereof as of all things else though they for the space of sixe yeeres from time to time informed me yet I know not how nor by what sinister meanes it came to passe that in more then twelue yeeres after the end of the foresaid time expired I neuer heard any newes of them nor of their master Whereat being greatly greeued in minde I endeuoured to seeke out some good meanes or rather fained occasion to go about the same errant whereunto by the Kings most streight edict I could neuer directly accommodate my self in regard of which iourney if hope might haue perswaded me to finde them out I would not haue neglected both that and all paines abroad and affaires at home whatsoeuer But being in this impatient desire two braue yoong youths most highly fauoured of Agenestor Prince of Eolia with whom they were both brought vp were also determined to seeke out their parents knowing that those were not the same for whom they had till then taken them These yoong Gentlemen Delicius and Parthenius for so they were called leauing aside how much for their rare giftes and virtues they deserued the loue of all of purpose I endeuoured to make my special friends to this effect that as they were in great fauour with the King and Queene by their meanes and intercession to the Prince I might finde such fauour with them all that if Disteus and his companie were perhaps found out they might get their pardon and be restored againe to their former estates and reputation which we thought might easily be obtained since King Rotyndus by the good examples of his virtuous Queene Agenesta whom God preserue for many yeeres by her holy life conuersation had almost now forsaken his old cōditions Wherby gentlemen we may note how the good examples of a vertuous wife doe oftentimes worke to amend and correct the lewde disposition of a vitious husband And therefore it is saide that the wise is the mirrour of the husband and the woman to the man bicause the man looking into her as into a cleere glasse may frame his life and minde to her modestie and semblance And contrarie the man is the womans glasse for the selfesame cause and reason Wherefore Rotindus loued not now Sagastes so well as in times past and liked lesse his lewde conditions which sauoured nothing of vertue whereon if any humane thought or action be not grounded it is not durable any long time for as vice is nothing being the priuation of vertue so is that of no stabilitie and permanence which is grounded vpon it The fame of Delicius and Parthenius departure and the end thereof was in a few daies spred ouer all the citie whereat though most were sorie yet some who enuied their deserued fauour for noble vertue is euer accompanied with base enuie were not wanting that ioyed to see that day This fit occasion therefore for the effecting of that which you shall heare offering it selfe to my semblable desseignes comming vnto them I vsed these wordes As I cannot be sorie Gentlemen and my deere friends for your departure since it is a thing that concernes you so much So am I not a little glad that it hath so happily fallen out for my determinations if in this iourney my poore companie for onely yours heerein I desired shall not be any waies troublesome vnto you And bicause you may knowe the forcible cause that mooues me heereunto I will vpon that fidelitie and trust which with all men but especially with me you haue alwaies vsed most frankly tell it you As it is not vnknowen to you I thinke what great friendship hath been betweene Disteus and me and for my part shall euer be while my soule shall rule this earthly body So must you know againe that I concealed and kept him close vntill I found out the meanes to put him in some safetie of his life and not content with this would if he had giuen me leaue or if it had not beene preiudiciall to his secret departure haue
a little greeue you to see Syrenus matched with such dangerous corriuals as these two Shepherds are Syluanus and Seluagia though Delius death did a little greeue them forgot not most humbly to thanke Felicia not onely for her good will and friendlie aduise but also for the approoued affection and desire she had to helpe their beloued friend Syrenus And thereupon said vnto her We cannot but obey your command good Lady although we would be faine heere when Coryneus and his companie comes Well well answered Felicia this Shepherd is not so nigh nor cannot come back so soon nor you so far off but that you may be certified when they are to come Since it is then so said Lord Felix with your leaue good Lady I will take Felismena with me and accompanie these Shepherds in whose amorous strife and riualitie which you but euen nowe spake of I shall take no small pleasure and delight The same affirmed Martandrus Placindus Danteus and Duarda with one voice If it please you so said Felicia on Gods name let it be but it behooues you Gentlemen and thee faire Felismena no lesse least the bashfull Shepherds estrange themselues from your companie to borrowe for a while their pastorall habite and condition the which being no sooner agreed vpon but put in practise they went to Syluanus charging him to carie all in remembrance that passed betweene the corriuals the better to report it afterwards when they should meete all togither Whosoeuer therefore is desirous to see the funerall of Delius the riualitie of Syrenus Firmius and Faustus and be at all their meetings and takes any pleasure to know who Stela is and woulde faine knowe what her troubles and those of Crimine Delicius and Parthenius haue beene and to what ende they came as also the loue of Agenestor prince of Eolia and of Lustea daughter to Disteus and Dardanea let him attende me in the third part of this worke which shall come to light out of hande La vita il fin e'l di loda la sora THE FIRST PART OF ENAMOVRED DIANA made by Gaspar Gil Polo To the most noble and vertuous Lady Don̄a Maria de Austria y fuentes IF you were my singular good Lady that heauenly muse and diuine fire from whence this little creature hath borrowed life and light being most happie that it was borne vnder such a constellation whose beames and influence haue guided and indued it with those perfections which now it presumeth by vertues thereof to possesse Reason and dutie then it were to offer vp vnto your woorthines all the seruice it may and humbly to craue of the same That since now it commeth abroad to euery ones view it may in the forhead carie the imprinted golden character and warrant of your noble and renowned name wherewith being protected it feareth not any malignant spirit that may bite it And little though this be which my zealous and dutifull affection which I haue euer borne to you and your honorable house from whence many gallant personages and rare and learned wits haue sprung out can present to such great bountie and vertue the which nature hauing placed in a most beautifull and christalline figure in euery part spread foorth their beames with loue and admiration Yet respecting the minde of him that offers it and the good will wherewith like bookes haue beene receiued by Kings and great Lordes I hope faire Lady you will not condemne me of too much presumption by dedicating this vnto your high patrocinie when as the affiance which I haue in your gentle Graces noble minde and sweete perfections inforceth me heereunto the which duly to be recommended and recounted require a finer wit and fitter place Which if at any time heereafter my happy fortune shall grant me in nothing else so iustly it shal be imploied then in the deserued praise and seruice of your Ladiship whose illustrous person and house our Lord defend and prosper many yeeres with increase of all happinesse From VALENCIA the ninth of Februarie 1564. The first Booke of Enamoured DIANA AFter that appassionate Syrenus by the vertue of the mightie liquor which sage Felicia had giuen him was now deliuered out of Cupids handes Loue working after his accustomed maner wounded anewe the hart of carelesse Diana reuiuing in her brest forgotten loues bicause she should be captiue to one that was free and liue tormented for the loue of one who from the same was most exempted her greefe being thereby the more augmented when it occurred to her thoughts that the small regard that in times past she had of Syrenus was now an occasion of his forgetfulnes of that great contempt that he did beare her She was not only with these griefs but with many more so fiercely assaulted that neither the holy bonde of matrimonie nor the reynes of seemely shame and modestie were able to staie or mitigate the furie of her immoderate loue nor remedie the sharpnes of her cruell torments vntill with lamentable complaints and pitifull teares she mollified the hardest rockes and sauage beasts Wherefore being by chance on a sommers day at the fountaine of the Sicamours about that time when the Sunne was eleuated to the Meridian point and there calling to minde the great content that in that very place she had many times receiued of her beloued Syrenus and counting her passed delights with her present greefes and knowing that the beginning of her sorrowes and the fault was onely in herselfe she conceiued thereof such greefe and anguish of minde and was with such dangerous affrightes sursaulted that euen then she thought desired death would haue made an end of all her troubles But after she had recouered some small vigour yet the force of her passion the violence wherewith loue reigned in her brest was neuerthelesse so great that it compelled her to publish her torments to the simple birdes which from the greene boughes were listening to her and to the branchie trees that seemed to take compassion of her greefe and to the cleere fountaine that with the solemne murmur of the Christalline waters accorded with the notes of her dolefull song And so to the sound of a sweete Baggepipe which commonly she caried about her she began to sing these verses following LOng haue I felt a silent paine of sorrow Cruell by that my senses it importunes To such extremes that I am forc't to borrow This last releefe against my heauie fortunes To publish them vnto the windes that stay them Thorow out the world with pitie to conuay them Then gentle Aire performe this due of pitie Let euery region know my greeuous anguish Breath out my paines and tell in euery citie The life of her that in Loues want doth languish Forgotten of a Shepherd that disdaines her Who once did die euen for like loue that paines her O that this ill death to my vitall powers Hardly maint ain'd amids these cruell fashions Springs of my late obliuion and those howers
these effects should arise And so they inuented the name of Loue calling him a God bicause he was of many nations and people feared and reuerenced and painted him in such sort that whosoeuer sawe his figure had great reason to abhorre his fashions They painted him like a Boy bicause men might not put their trust in him Blinde bicause they might not followe him Armed bicause they might feare him with flames of fire bicause they might not come neere him and with wings because they might knowe him vaine and inconstant Thou must not vnderstande faire Shepherdesse that the power which men attribute to Loue is or may be any waies his But thou must rather beleeue that the more they magnifie his might and valour the more they manifest their weaknes and simplicitie For in saying that Loue is strong is to affirme that their will is weake by suffering it so easily to be ouercommed by him To saie that Loue with mightie violence doth shoote mortall and venemous arrowes is to include that their harts are too secure carelesse when that so willingly they offer themselues to receiue them To say that Loue doth streightly captiuate their soules is to inferre that there is want of iudgement and courage in them when at the first bruntes they yeelde nay when sometimes without any combate they surrender their libertie into their enimies hands and finally all the enterprises which they tell of Loue are nothing else but matter of their miseries and arguments of their weakenes All which force and prowesse admit to be his yet are they not of such qualitie that they deserue any praise or honour at all For what courage is it to take them prisoners that are not able to defend themselues What hardines to assaile weake and impotent creatures What valour to wounde those that take no heede and thinke least on him What fortitude to kill those that haue alreadie yeelded themselues What honour with cares to disturbe those that are mery and ioyfull What woorthie deede to persecute vnfortunate men Truely faire Shepherdesse they that would so much extoll and glorifie this Cupid and that so greatly to their cost serue him should for his honour giue him better praises For the best name that amongst them all he gets is to be but a cowarde in his quarrels vaine in his pretences liberal of troubles and couetous in rewards Al which names though of base infamie they sauour yet are those woorse which his affectionate seruants giue him calling him fire furie and death terming Louing no better then to burne to destroy to consume and to make themselues fooles and naming themselues blinde miserable captiues madde inflamed and consumed From hence it comes that generally all complaine of Loue calling him a Tyrant a Traytour vnflexible fierce and vnpitifull All Louers verses are full of dolour compounded with sighes blotted with teares and sung with agonies There shalt thou see suspicions there feares there mistrustes there iealousies there cares and there all kindes of paines There is no other speech amongst them but of deathes chaines darts poysons flames and other things which serue not but to giue torments to those that emploie their fancies in it and feare when they call vpon it Herbanius the Shepherde famous in Andolozia was troubled too much with these termes when in the barke of a Poplar with a sharp bodkin insteed of his pen in presence of me wrote these verses following HE that in freedome iets it proude and braue Let him not liue too carelesse of himselfe For in an instant he may be a slaue To mighty Loue and serue that wanton elfe And let that hart that yet was neuer tamed Feare at the last by him to be inflamed For on that soule that proudly doth disdaine His heauie lawes and liues with loftie will Fierce Loue is woont t' inflict a cruell paine And with most sharpe and dire reuenge to kill That who presumes to liue without his power In death he liues tormented euery hower O Loue that dost condemne me to thy iaile Loue that dost set such mortall coles on fire O Loue that thus my life thou dost assaile Intreated ill tormented by thine ire Hencefoorth I curse thy chaines thy flames thy dart Wherewith thou bind'st consum'st and kill'st my hart And now let vs come to Syrenus Sonnet whereby he seemes to make men beleeue that the imagination of Loues enterprises sufficeth to ouercome the furie of the torment For if his operations be to kill to wound to make blind to burne to consume to captiuate and to torment he shall neuer make me beleeue that to imagine things of paine doth lighten the griefe which must rather as I thinke giue greater force and feeling to the passion For when it is more in imagination it remaineth longer in his heart and with greater paine torments it And if that be true which Syrenus did sing I much maruell that he receiuing so deepe a taste in this thought hath now so easily changed it by meanes of so cruell obliuion not onely of loues operations but also of thy beautie which ought not for any thing in the world to be forgotten Alcida had scarce finished these last words when Diana lifting vp her eies for she suspected somewhat perceiued her husband Delius comming downe from the side of a little hill bending his steps towards the fountaine of the Sicamours where they were togither whereupon cutting off Alcidas discourse she said vnto her No more gentle Shepherdesse no more for we will finde fitter time hereafter to heare out the rest and to answer thy weake and common arguments For behold my husband is comming downe yonder hill towards vs and therefore I thinke it best to turne our talke to some other matter and with the tune of our instruments to dissemble it and so let vs begin to sing bicause when he is come neere vnto vs he may not be displeased at the manner of our conuersation whereupon Alcida taking her Cytern and Diana her Bagpipe began to sing as followeth Prouencall Rythmes Alcida WHile Titan in his Coach with burning beames Ouer the world with such great force doth ride That Nymphes and their chaste companies abide In woods and springs and shallowe shadowed streames And while the prating grashopper replies Her song in mourning wise Shepherdesse sing So sweete a thing That th' heauens may bee By hearing thee Made gentle on their owne accord to power Vpon this meade a fresh and siluer shower Diana Whiles that the greatest of the Planets staies Iust in the mids betweene the East and west And in the field vpon the mowers brest With greater heate doth spread his scorching raies The silent noise this pleasant fountaine yeeldes That runs amids these fieldes Such musicke mooues As woonder prooues And makes so kinde The furious winde That by delight thereof their force they stay And come to blowe as gently as they may Alcida You running riuers pure and christalline That all the yeere doe make
thou shalt offend For want they shall on whom to worke thy spight Oh then how seemely shalt thou seeme to grone And wounded see Thyselfe with thine owne griefes and then thine owne Captiue to be For thou at last thy selfe shalt not forsake If that thou wilt a secret Louer take Then maist thou giue to Louers double smart And then I will forgiue thee all the care And amorous paines thou didst to me impart When that thy selfe fond Loue thou dost not spare And if I blame thy deedes or do reprooue thee Then shalt thou say But to thy selfe that reason yet did mooue thee To make away Thy selfe and for thy selfe thy death to take Sweete life do not my secret loue forsake All of them liked well of Taurisus song but Ismenia especially For though it touched Diana most of all bicause it spake of those women that were ill married yet the comment vpon it which were complaints against loue was common to all those that were tormented with it And therefore Ismenia who blamed Cupid for her paines did not onely like of those reprehensions that Taurisus gaue Loue but she herselfe to the sound of her Harpe sung a song to the same effect which Montanus was woont to sing when he was a suter vnto her A Sonnet HAuing no cause why in the deepest sound Of amorous seas my fraile barke dost thou swallow O Loue I 'le make thy crueltie to sound Swifter from East to West then flying swallow Though gales of windes doe bluster in my sterne Yet from the gulfe my ship shall neuer part Of thy braue might so furious and so sterne Vntill my sighes doe helpe to blowe a part If being in a storme my face I turne Then my desire is weakned by thy might Thy force controuces my force that striues in vaine I neuer shall arriue with happy turne Into the port and therefore if I might I would let out my life in euery vaine Marcelius deferred not his answere long after them with another song made to the same purpose and of the same forme sauing that the complaintes that he made were not onely against Loue but against Fortune and himselfe A Sonnet STep after step I followe death in sight Through euery field and hill and troden vale For euerie day my spirits he doth cite And warnes my selfe to shrowde me in his vale O death that once thou wouldst consume this light That still deducts my life in blisselesse bale Now that my hope hath past away so lgiht And ioies condemn'd to torments without bale That Goddesse whose continuall frownes I beare And loue that all my ioies asunder teares And I my selfe are foes vnto my hart She praying on me like a hungrie beare He chasing me like to the wounded Hart And I that doe increase my bootelesse teares The desire that Diana had to go to Felicias pallace would not suffer her to staie any longer there nor harken to any more songs but when Marcelius had ended his she rose vp And so did Marcelius Ismenia and Clenarda vnderstanding Dianas mind although they knew that Felicias house was nigh at hand and that they had time enough to be there before night After they had taken their leaue of Taurisus and Berardus they went from the faire fountain that way that they came in and walking thorow the wood at their leysure enioying the pleasures and delights of it at last they came out of it and then they began to go thorow a great and wide plaine passing goodly to behold where they went thinking howe they might recreate their mindes with some myrth while they were going on their waies and euery one told his opinion concerning that matter But Marcelius who had euer the figure of Alcida engrauen in his hart and thoughts tooke no greater delight nor other ioy then to marke the sweete behauiour of Polydorus and Clenarda and to harken to their talke And therefore to delight himselfe fully with this desire he said I beleeue not faire Shepherdesses that all your pastimes are comparable to the delight that you may haue if Clenarda would discourse vnto you any of those things that she hath seene in the fieldes and bankes of Guadalajar I passed that way in my peregrinations but tooke no pleasure in those delights bicause my minde went musing on other matters But bicause wee haue two large howers our iourney being but halfe an howers worke to go to Dianas temple we may therefore walke on softly and she if it please her may tell vs somthing of that goodly and pleasant countrey Diana and Ismenia seemed to be very glad shewing by their amiable countenances that they longed to haue her beginne although Diana was very desirous to come betimes to the temple but bicause she would not make it knowne to them she concealed the great passions of her desire by accommodating her will to their pleasures Clenarda then entreated by Marcelius following on her way beganne to saie in this manner Although I shall offend your daintie eares and offer great iniurie to the worthines of the kingdome of Valentia with a rude and disordered relation to recount the ornaments rarities and pleasures of it yet bicause I will in some part fulfil your gentle requestes I will say something that I haue heard and seene therein I will not make any particular narration of the fertilitie of the yeelding soyle the pleasantnes of the flourishing fieldes the beauties of the shrubby hils the shadowes of the greene woods the sweetenes of the cleere fountaines the melodie of the singing birdes the coolenes of the fresh and calme windes the riches of the profitable flockes of sheepe and goates the fairenes of the populous townes the good nature of the louing people the strangenes of the sumptuous temples nor of many other things more for which that countrey is famous thorow out the worlde bicause it requireth larger time and a better toong But bicause you may knowe the cheefest glorie of that countrey I will tell you that which I heard renowned Turia the principall riuer of that land sing Polydorus and I came on a day to his bankes to aske the waie to Dianas temple of the Shepherds thereabouts bicause they coulde best tell it in those parts and comming to a cottage where certaine herdsmen were wee founde them sweetely singing We asked them that we desired to know and they verie louingly informed vs at large of all we demanded and afterwards tolde vs that since we came in so good an hower that we should not depart from thence vntill we had heard a most sweete song that the famous Turia would make not farre from thence after halfe an hower We were well content to heare it and so we staied to go with them After we had staied a little while in their companie we went vp along the riuer bankes vntill we came to a wide fielde where we sawe a great companie of Nymphes Shepherds and Shepherdesses euery one attending when famous Turia would
thousand torments in exchange All the while that Ismenia was singing and before and after she neuer cast her eies off her beloued Montanus But he who was somewhat ashamed of his fonde conceit wherein he had liued so long to the great griefe of his wife durst neuer looke on her but by stealth and at euerie turne of the daunce when she could not see him againe the reason whereof was bicause when sometimes he went about to looke her in the face he was so much confounded with shame of his folly that was yet so fresh in his memorie and was so much ouercome with the light of those two radiant eies of her which with great affection continually beheld him that he was forced to cast his downe to the ground Whereby seeing that he lost a great part of his delight by not looking on her whom he accounted his chiefest felicitie and making this the occasion and matter of the song he sung to his beloued Ismenia in manner following TVrne thy faire eies wherein my shame I see faire Shepherdesse aside For looking on me with the same To looke on thee I am denide With thy two sunnes so dost thou giue And cast me beames with pearcing eie That though by seeing thee I liue Yet when thou look'st on me I die Eies that are of such art and frame Thou must beware to keepe aside For looking on me with the same To looke on thee I am denide Like as the snowe vnto the sunne And as the marke vnto the fight As cloudes are with the windes vndone As waxe before the fires light So doe thy fairest eies with shame Confound me and my soule deuide For looking on me with the same To looke on thee I am denide Behold what mightie loue is bent To doe and fortune doth ordaine To make my sorrowes still augment By the sweete guerdon of my paine Thine eies doe feede my amorous flame And sight of them my life doth guide But if thou view'st me with the same To looke on thee I am denide Melisea who was all this while dauncing against her will with Narcisus whom she could not abide with a disdainfull song thought to be reuenged on this griefe and iust to the purpose of those paines and griefes wherewith the Shepherd said he died euerie daie for her sake making but a mocke and iest of them did sing thus YOng Shepherd turne aside moue Me not to follow thee For I will neither kill with loue Nor loue shall not kill mee Since I will liue and neuer fauour showe Then die not for my loue I will not giue For I will neuer haue thee loue me so As I doe meane to hate thee while I liue That since the louer so doth proue His death as thou dost see Be bold I will not kill with loue Nor loue shall not kill mee Narcisus tooke no meane griefe to heare the cruell song of his deerest Loue but encouraging himselfe with the hope that Felicia had giuen him and forced by the constancie and fortitude of his enamoured hart he answered her with two staues which he adioyned to a certaine old song that said thus IF to belou'd it thee offends I cannot choose but loue thee still And so thy greefe shall haue no end Whiles that my life maintaines my will O let me yet with greefe complaine Since such a torment I endure Or else fulfill thy great disdaine To end my life with death most sure For as no credit thou wilt lend And as my loue offendes thee still So shall thy sorrowes haue no end Whiles that my life maintaines my will If that by knowing thee I could Leaue of to loue thee as I doe Not to offend thee then I would Leaue of to like and loue thee too But since all loue to thee doth tend And I of force must loue thee still Thy greefe shall neuer haue an end Whiles that my life maintaines my will Melisea was so hardened in her crueltie that Narcisus hauing scarce ended the last words of his song and before another did sing she replied in this manner ME thinks thou tak'st the woorser way Enamoured Shepherd and in vaine That thou wilt seeke thine owne decay To loue her that doth thee disdaine For thine owne selfe thy wofull hart Keepe still else art thou much to blame For she to whom thou gau'st each part Of it disdaines to take the same Follow not her that makes a play And iest of all thy greefe and paines And seeke not Shepherd thy decay To loue her that thy loue disdaines Narcisus could not suffer Meliseas song to passe without an answer and so with a milde grace he sung these new verses vpon an old song that said SInce thou to me wert so vnkinde My selfe I neuer loued For I could not loue him in my minde Whom thou faire Mistresse dost abhor If viewing thee I saw thee not And seeing thee I could not loue thee Dying I should not liue God wot Nor liuing should to anger moue thee But it is well that I doe finde My life so full of torments For All kinde of ills doe fit his minde Whom thou faire Mistresse dost abhor In thy obliuion buried now My death I haue before mine eies And heere to hate my selfe I vow As cruell thou dost me despise Contented euer thou didst finde Me with thy scornes though neuer for To say the truth I ioyed in minde After thou didst my loue abhor The contention betweene Narcisus and Melisea delighted them all so much that the generall reioycing of that feast had beene greatly augmented by it had it not bin diminished with the manifest apparance of the rigor that she shewed Narcisus and with the pitie that they had of those paines which he suffered for hir sake After Narcisus had made an ende of his song all of them turned their eies to Melisea thinking she would haue replyed againe But she held her peace not bicause she wanted nipping and cruell songs to encounter and vexe the miserable Louer with nor will to reply but bicause she would not be troublesome to all that merie companie Seluagia and Belisa were afterwards requested to sing who excused themselues by alleaging their in sufficiencie Nay that were not well said Diana that you should goe from the feast without paying your shot And this must not so smoothly passe away said Felismena without the consent of vs all heere who meane to participate the sweete delight of so delicate voices as yours are We will not be slacke said they againe to do you anie seruice little though it be in this solemnitie but pardon our singing I pray you for in all other things we will be willing to do our endeuours I will not for my part giue my consent saide Alcida to exempt you from singing or at the least that some others shall sing for you Who can better do it said they then Syluanus and Arsileus our husbands The Shepherdesses say well said Marcelius and it
if thy sorrowes greeue me not let me neuer haue end of mine and in such sort that as soone as Diana was about to marry if it killed not my hart with thinking that her marriage and thy death should haue bene both at one time let me neuer enioy any other estate and condition of life then now I doe Canst thou then thinke Syrenus that I would wish thee ill bicause Diana loued thee And that the fauours that she did thee were the occasions to make me hate thee What man my faith was neuer so basely poysed but that it was euer so seruiceable to my Mistresse humour not onely in louing thee but in louing and honouring all that euer she loued And yet thou hast no cause to thanke me for this care and compassion of thy greefe for I am so dissolued into cares that for mine owne good I would be sorie how much more then for other mens harmes This straunge kinde of the Shepherd Syluanus his greeting caused no small admiration in Syrenus and made him for a while in suspence with himselfe woondring at his great sufferance and at the strange qualitie of his loue that he did beare to his Shepherdesse But remembring himselfe at last he said Hast thou Syluanus happily bene borne for an example of patience to those who know not how to suffer the aduersities that fortune puts before their eies Or may it be that nature hath giuen thee so strong a minde that it is not ynough for thee to suffer thine owne but thou wilt needes helpe others to support theirs I see thee so conformable to the hard condition of thy fortune that promising thee no helpe of remedie thou doest aske no other then that it hath already giuen thee I tell thee Syluanus that time shewes well by thee how euery day it discouers nouelties and straunge conceites beyonde the compasse of mans imagination O how much more then ought this vnfortunate Shepherd to emulate thee by seeing thee suffer thy greefes with such content which thou mightest rather haue done to him when thou sawest him so happily enioy his merry times Hast thou not seene how greatly she fauoured me and with what sweete and gracious wordes she manifested her loue vnto me Didst thou not see how she could neuer goe with her flockes to the riuer or take her lambes out of the folde or in the heate of the day driue her sheepe into the shades of these Sicamours without my companie But for all this I wish I may neuer see the remedie of my greefe if I euer expected or desired any thing at Dianas hands that was repugnant to her honour or if any such thing did euer passe my thought For such was her beautie her braue minde her vertue and such vnspotted puritie in her loue to me againe that they admitted no thought into my minde which in preiudice of her goodnes and chastitie I might haue imagined I beleeue it well saide Syluanus sighing for I can say as much by my selfe and thinke moreouer that there was neuer any that casting his eies on Dianas peerelesse beautie durst desire any other thing then to see her and to conuerse with her Although I knowe not whether such rare and excellent beautie might in some mens thoughts not subiect to such a continent affection as ours cause an excessiue desire and especially if they had seene her as I did one day sitting with thee neere to you little brooke when she was kembing her golden haire and thou holding the glasse vnto her wherein now and then she beheld her diuine figure though neither of you both did perhaps knowe that I espied you from those high bushes neere to the two great okes keeping yet in minde the verses that thou sungest vpon the holding of the glasse whiles she was addressing her resplendant tresses How came they to thy handes saide Syrenus The next day following saide Syluanus in that very place I founde the paper wherein they were written and reading them committed them to memorie And then came Diana thither weeping for the losse of them and asking me if I had found them which was no small ioy and contentment to me to see my Mistresse powre foorth those teares which I might speedily remedie And this I remember was the first hower that euer I had a gentle and curteous word of her mouth how greatly in the meane time stood I neede of fauours when she saide vnto me that I might highly pleasure her to helpe her to that which so earnestly she sought for which wordes like holy relikes I kept in my minde for in a whole yeere after I tooke no regarde of all the woes and greefes that I passed for ioy of that one onely word which had in it but a small apparance of ioy and happinesse Now as thou louest thy life saide Syrenus rehearse those verses which thou saidst I did sing since thou hast them so well by hart I am content saide Syluanus and these they were FOr a fauour of such woorth In no doubt I doe remaine Since with selfe same coyne againe Mistresse thou art paide right foorth For if I enioy with free Pleasure seeing before me Face and eies where Cupid stands So thou seeing in my hands That which in thine eies I see Let not this to thee seeme ill That of thy beautie diuine Thou see'st but the figure shine And I natures perfect skill Yet a thought that 's free and set Neuer yet in Cupids net Better then the bond beholdes Though the one the liuely mouldes Th' other but the counterfet When Syrenus had heard the song out he saide to Syluanus I wish that loue gentle Shepherd with hope of impossible felicitie may remedie my greefes if there be any thing in the worlde that I would sooner choose to passe away my sorrowfull life with then in thy sweete and gracious companie and if it greeues me not now to the hart that Diana is so cruell vnto thee that she hath not which well she might haue done once thanked thee nor showen thee a fauourable and gratefull countenance for all thy long and loyall seruice and for so true loue that thou hast shewed therein I could with a little content me saide Syluanus sighing if my angrie fortune would perswade Diana to giue me some hope which she might well affoord without staine to her honour or breach of faith to thee But so hard harted is she that not onely when I craue it she denies it me and flies from me when I come in her sight but to comfort me with any small signe or token whereby I might imagine or hope hereafter to enioy it she would neuer yet consent Whereupon I saide many times to my selfe It may fall out that this stonie harted and fierce Tygresse may one day conceiue some displeasure against Syrenus for reuenge whereof and to despite him she will perhaps shew me some fained fauour for so disgraced and comfortlesse a man as I am would be glad but
the riuer in the heate where resting her With great care she was telling yet and heeding them After if that she was alone deuesting her Thou shouldst haue seene the bright sunne beames enuying her Resplendant hayre to kembe them manifesting her But on the sudden meeting and espying her My deerest friend Syluane how oft incended was Her fairest face with orient blushing dying her And with what grace how mildly reprehended was My staying long which she did aske correcting me Which if I greeu'd with blandishments amended was How many daies haue I found her expecting me At this cleere fountaine when that I was seeking her Along that thickest hedge to greefe subiecting me All paines and troubles what so ere in meeting her Of sheepe or lambes we straight way were forgetting them When she sawe me or when that I was greeting her Some other times Syluane we tun'd in setting them Our Bagpipe and the Rebeck which we plaied on And then my verses sung we nothing letting them After with bowe and arrowes we estraied on Sometimes with nets and she neuer refraining me And came not home without some chase we praied on Thus fortune went by these meanes entertaining me Reseruing for some greater ill and tendring me Which hath no end but by deathes end restraining me Syluanus Syrenus that most cruell loue engendring me Such greefe stints not nor hindreth the perswading me Of so much ill I die therein remembring me Diane I sawe but straight my ioy was failing me When to my onely sight she was opposing her And to my greefe I saw long lift inuading me How many tymes haue I found her in losing her How often lost in finding and espying her And I my death and seruice not disclosing her My life I lost when meeting I was eying her Faire louely eies which full of anger cruelly She turn'd to me when that my speech was plying her But her faire haire where Cupides in their fâ—…ll lye When she vndid and kemb'd vnseene then leauing me My ils return'd most sensibly which rue well I. But pitilesse Diana then perceiuing me Turn'd like a cruell serpent that in winding it Assailes the lion thâ—… my life be reauing me One time false hope deceitfully but blinding it My hart maintain'd ewen for my comfort choosing it But afterwardes in such an error finding it It mocked hope and then it vanisht loosing it Not long after that the Shepherdes had made an ende of their sorrowfull songs they espied a shepherdesse comming out of the thicket neere to the riuer playing on a Bagpipe and singing with as sweete a grace and delicate voice as with no lesse sorrow and greefe which by her countenance and gesture she so liuely expressed that it darkened a great part of her excellent beautie Whereupon Syrenus who had not of a long time fed in those vallies asked Syluanus what she was who answered This is a faire Shepherdesse that hath sed but a fewe daies since in these medowes complaining greatly of loue and as some say with good cause though others say that she hath bene a long time mocked by the discouerie of a deceite Why saide Syrenus lies it then in her to perceiue it and to deliuer her selfe from it It doth saide Syluanus for I thinke there is no woman though neuer so much in loue whose wits and senses the force and passion of loue can so much blinde that may not perceiue whether she be beloued againe or not I am of a contrarie opinion saide Syrenus Of a contrarie saide Syluanus Why thou shalt not flatter thy selfe so much for the affiance which thou hadst in Dianus wordes hath cost thee deere and yet I blame thee not considering that as there is none whom her beautie ouercomes not so is there not any whom her wordes deceiue not How knowest thou that since she neuer deceiued thee by word nor deede It is true saide Syluanus that I was euer if so I may terme it vndeceiued by her but I durst by that which hath hitherto fallen out that she neuer meant any deceit to me but only to deceiue thee But let vs leaue this and harken to this Shepherdesse that is a great friend to Diana who is well worthy for the commendable report of her wisedome and good graces to be harkened vnto But now was the faire Shepherdesse comming towards the fountaine and began to sing this Sonnet following A Sonnet MIne eies once haue I seene you more contented And my poore hart more ioyfull I haue knowne thee Woe to the cause whose greefes haue ouer growne thee And yet whose sight your comforts once presented But as this cruell fortune hath inuented Sweete ioy to roote thee vp where she had sowen thee So now Seluagia she hath ouer throwen thee Thy pleasures scarce begun she hath tormented Let me to time or to his changing take me Let me with motions out of order leade me Then I shall see how free my hart is to me Then will I trust in hopes that not forsake me When I haue staide her wheeles that ouertread me And beaten downe the fates that doe vndoe me After that the Shepherdesse had made an end of her song she came directly to the fountaine where the Shepherdes were and while she was a comming Syluanus smiling saide Marke but those woâ—… and the burning sigh wherewith she ended her song what witnesses they are of her inward loue and greefe Thereof I haue no doubt saide Syrenns for I woulde to God I could so speedily remedie her sorrowe as I beleeue to my great greefe all that she hath by dolefull song vttered And talking thus together Seluagia was by this time come and knowing the Shepherds curteously saluted them saying What doe you in this greene and pleasant medow despised Shepherds Thou saiest not amisse faire Seluagia by asking vs what we doe saide Syluanus for we doe so little in respect of that we shoulde doe that we can neuer conclude and bring any thing to passe that in our loues we desire to haue Maruell not thereat saide Seluagia for there are certaine things that before they ende they that desire them are ended True saide Syluanus if a man puts his rest in a womans disposition for she will first ende his life before she will ende or determine to giue him any fauour that he is still hoping to receiue at her handes Vnhappy women are these saide Seluagia that are so ill intreated by your wordes But more vnfortunate are those men saide Syluanus that are worse handled by your deedes Can there be a thing more base and of lesse account then that you are so ready for the lightest thing in the worlde to forget them to whom you haue borne the greatest loue For absent your selues but a day from him whom you loue well and then shall he neede to commence his suite new againe Two things I gather saide Seluagia by thy speech which make me wonder not a little The one to see thy toong goe so much
certaine times of the yeere is visited of all or most of the Shepherdesses that liue in that prouince who with the faire Nymphes thereabouts begin a day before the holy feast with sweete songs and hymnes to celebrate it and the Shepherdes likewise to solemnize the same with challenges of running leaping wrestling and pitching the barre appointing seuerall rewardes and giftes for them that beare the bell away sometimes a garland of greene Iuie sometimes a fine Bagpipe Flute or Sheepehooke of knottie Ashe and other guerdons which Shepherdes make most account of But the festiuall time being come I with other Shepherdesses my friendes and acquaintance leauing of our seruile and worke-day apparell and putting on the best we had went the day before to that place determining to watch all that night in the temple as other yeeres before we were wont to doe Being therfore in companie of my friendes we sawe comming in at the doore a Beuie of faire Shepherdesses attended on by iolly Shepherdes who leauing them within and hauing done their due orisons went out againe to the pleasant valley for the order of that prouince was that no Shepherd might enter into the temple but to doe his deuotion and then presently to goe foorth againe vntill the next day when all came in together to participate the ceremonies and sacrifices which were made there The reason was bicause the Shepherdesses and Nymphes might sit alone and without trouble or occasion to thinke of any other matter then deuoutly to celebrate the feast and to make merry with one another according to the ancient accustomed manner And the Shepherdes to remaine amongst themselues without the temple in a faire greene meade hard by where by the brightnesse of nocturnall Diana they might disport themselues But the foresaid Shepherdesses being come into the sumptuous temple after they had saide a fewe prayers and presented their offerings vpon the altar they placed themselues downe by vs. And it was my ill hap that one of them sat next vnto me to make me infortunate as long as her memorie did importune me The Shepherdesses came in muffled for their faces were couered with white vailes tied vp aboue their hats which were artificially made of fine strawe and so curiously wrought with many workes of the same that it excelled the glittering golde in shew But as I was eying her that sat next vnto me I perceiued how she did seldome cast off her eies from beholding me againe and when I looked on her I might see her cast them downe fayning as though she would see me but in such sort that I might not perceiue it I did not meanely desire to knowe what she was bicause if she had spoken to me I might not vpon ignorance haue made a fault by not knowing her againe who all the while that I sat thinking of some other matter did neuer cast her eies off me but viewed me so much that a thousand times I was about to speake vnto her being suddenly enamoured of those faire eies which of all her face were onely discouered and open But she seeing me sitting in this perplexitie pulled out the fairest and most dainty hand that euer I did see and taking mine into it did with a sweete and amorous eie a little while behold me whereupon being now so striken in loue as toong cannot expresse I saide vnto her It is not onely this hand most faire and gracious Shepherdesse that is alwaies ready to serue thee but also her hart and thoughts to whom it appertaineth Ismenia for so she was called that was the cause of my disquiet and molested thoughts hauing now complotted in her minde to mocke me as you shall heare answered me softly that none might heare her in this manner saying I am so much thine sweete Shepherdesse that as such an one I boldly presumed to doe that which I did praying thee not to be offended with me for no sooner I viewed thy faire and amiable face but presently I lost the power of my conquered soule I was so glad to heare these wordes that comming neerer vnto her with a smile I answered her thus How can it be gentle Shepherdesse that thy selfe being so passing faire shouldest fal in loue with her who wants it so much to make her haue the name of such an one and more with a woman as I am It is that loue faire Shepherdesse saide she againe that seldome endes suruiuing all destinies and which is neither subiect to change of time nor fortune If the condition of my estate saide I againe could prompt me so fit an answere as thy wise and discreete wordes doe inforce the desire which I haue to serue thee should not let me from manifesting the same by most louing termes but in these few ones beleeue me faire Shepherdesse that the resolution which I haue to be thine not death it selfe can determine nor take away After these wordes our mutuall imbracings were so many and our louing speeches to one another so often redoubled and of my part so true and vnfained that we regarded not the Shepherdesses songs nor beheld the daunces nor other sportes that were made in the temple And now by this time was I earnest with Ismenia to tell me her name and to put off her muffler both which not onely she cunningly excused but very suttly turned her talke to another matter But midnight being now past and I hauing the greatest desire in the worlde to see her face and to knowe her name and of what village she was began to complaine of her and to tell her that it was not possible that the loue which by her wordes she protested to beare me was so great since hauing tolde her my name she concealed hers from me and that louing her as I did it was impossible for me to liue vnlesse I knewe whom I loued or from whence I might heare newes from my loue againe and many other things I tolde her in so good earnest that the same and my teares helped to mooue false Ismenias hart who rising vp and taking me by the hand to carry me aside into some secret place where none might heare her began to say these wordes vnto me making as though they came out from the bottome of her hart Faire Shepherdesse borne onely for the vnrest and torment of a soule that hitherto hath liued as exempt and free as possible might be who can choose but tell thee that thou requirest at my handes hauing now made thee the sole Mistresse of my libertie Vnhappie me that the chaunge of my habit hath deceiued thee although the deceit redoundes to mine owne harme The muffler which thou intreatest me to pull off behold to please thee I take away but to tell thee my name makes not much to thy purpose when as heereafter though I would not thou shalt see me oftener then thou maiest well suffer And speaking these wordes and pulling off her muffler mine eies behelde a face whose countenance though it
this sort as you haue heard euery one tormented for them who loued them not againe Alanius to the tune of his Fiddle by this dolefull song began to complaine of Ismenias crueltie NO more O cruell Nymph now hast thou prayed Ynough in thy reuenge prooue not thine ire On him that yeeldes the fault is now apayed Vntomy cost now mollifie thy dire Hardnes and brest of thine so much obdured And now raise vp though lately it hath erred A poore repenting soule that in the obscured Darknes of thy obliuion lies enterred For it fals not in that that doth commend thee That such a Swaine as I may once offend thee If that the little sheepe with speede is flying From angrie Shepherd with his wordes affraied And runneth here and there with fearfull crying And with great greefe is from the flocke estraied But when it now perceiues that none doth follow And all alone so far estraying mourneth Knowing what danger it is in with hollow And fainting bleates then fearefull it returneth Vnto the flocke meaning no more to leaue it Should it not be a iust thing to receiue it Lift vp these eies Ismenia which so stately To view me thou hast lifted vp before me That libertie which was mine owne but lately Giue me againe and to the same restore me And that milde hart so full of loue and pittie Which thou didst yeeld to me and euer owe me Behold my Nymph I was not then so witty To knowe that sincere loue that thou didst shew me Now wofull man full well I knowe and rue it Although it was too late before I knew it How could it be my enemie say tell me How thou in greater fault and errour being Then euer I was thought should'st thus repell me And with new league and cruell title seeing Thy faith so pure and woorthy to be changed And what is that Ismenia that doth binde it To loue whereas the same is most estranged And where it is impossible to finde it But pardon me if herein I abuse thee Since that the cause thou gau'st me doth excuse me But tell me now what honour hast thou gained Auenging such a fault by thee committed And thereunto by thy occasion trained What haue I done that I haue not acquitted Or what excesse that is not amply paied Or suffer more that I haue not endured What cruell minde what angry brest displaied With sauage hart to fiercenes so adiured Would not such mor tall greefe make milde and tender But that which my fell Shepherdesse doth render Now as I have perceiued well thy reasons Which thou hast had or hast yet to forget me The paines the greefes the guiltes of forced treasons That I haue done wherein thou first didst set me The passions and thine cares and eies refusing To heare and see me meaning to vndoe me Cam'st thou to know or be but once perusing Th'vnsought occasions which thou gau'st vnto me Thou should'st not haue wherewith to more torment me Nor I to pay the fault my rashnes lent me Thus did my Alanius end his sweet song wherewith I would my life had also ended not without great cause since my mishap could not be more extreme then to see him whom I loued more then my selfe before mine eies to pine so much for the loue of another and so strangely to forsake me But as I was not alone in these misfortunes I did dissemble them for that time as well as I could as also bicause faire Ismenia casting her eies vpon her Montanus began to sing that which followeth HOw fond am I to hope for any rest In endlesse plaints vaine sighes and bootelesse teares The present now at hand to be exprest Yet few to these that with ten thousand feares I haue powr'd out vnto thy cruell eares And if at any time my life did tend To other loues in earnest or in iest This loue by that I neuer could offend Bicause I did but then begin to prooue And learne how well Montanus I could loue Then did I learne to loue my selfe I taught To loue by him who lou'd me not againe For I suspected that I should be brought Vnto thy loue Montanus when in vaine I loued him that did my loue disdaine I try'de I say my free and carelesse hart Of loue to taste some sorrow that it sought And let that Shepherd with his loue depart That loues with thee for all his paine and greefe Is but in vaine when vaine is his releefe Let none accuse me then if I disdaine Alanius loues whose loues are but a showe For I could neuer loue nor entertaine Any but thee for whom I will bestowe My deerest life since heauens will haue it soe And if at any time I fein'd to like I lik'd I say but how I did I knowe For neuer any Shepherd els could strike My hart indeede but thou to whom I giue My faith kept for thee since I first did liue Let burning sighes go forth and still increase Let both mine eies become two springs of teares Let accidents repugnant to mine ease Arise for thoughts which now my minde for sweares Shall neuer hurt that loue which now it beares Let sorrow goe and ill which way they will And now let ioies returne which way they please For where they are there will I houer still Since that no harme my purpose may reclame Nor cruell death it selfe although it came Ismenia by this song had reuenged me of cruell and disloyall Alanius if in the loue at the lest which I did beare him any desire of reuenge could befall but Montanus staied not long from requiting Ismenia againe who casting his eie vpon me sung this song as followeth FOolish loue ah foolish louer I for thee thou for another I am a foole and seeme no lesse For thee who will not be For he 's a foole I doe confesse That is not one for thee And yet this doth not well agree To be a foolish louer Or foole for her that is a foole for louing of another Now seeing thee thou seest not mee And diest for my foe Eate me with sauce that loueth thee Of him thou louest soe So shalt thou make me to my woe To be a foolish louer And such a foole for louing thee as thou art for another When he had made an ende of the last verses notwithstanding the present agonie and sorrow that we al suffered we could not choose but laugh hartily to see how Montanus would haue me deceiue my taste by looking on him with the sauce and appetite of Alanius whom I loued as if it might haue fallen in the compasse of my thought to suffer it to be deceiued by the apparance of an other thing But now with greater firmnesse then the rest I began to tune and play on my Bagpipe and to sing a song to it as you shall heare for by the same I thought to shew how more constantly then any of the rest there I had perseuered in my loue to
by the fountaine whose waters seemed with her swelling teares to increase where after she had a great while busied her selfe in diuers and sundrie thoughts she began thus to say May it be possible Alanius that thou art the man whose eies I neuer saw dried vp from teares in presence of mine And he who falling downe so many times at my feete with louing and pitifull wordes craued mercie and clemencie at my handes the which to my great harme and greefe I so gently bestowed on thee Tell me Shepherd the falsest that liues on earth is it true that thou louedst me to cloy thy minde with my fauours and so soone to be wearie of the loue that thou didst beare me Thou mightest imagine that it was no lesse in my power to forget and despise thee as thou hast forgotten me For it is the part of those that handle not their matters of loue so well as they shoulde to thinke that their Mistresses may play the like partes with them as they haue done before though some vse it for a remedie and policie to make their loue encrease the more And others that iealousie the occasion whereof most commonly they faine may so captiuate their Mistresses mindes that as they make them beleeue they are not able to settle their affection in any other place whereupon most of them come by little and little to manifest all that they fained before whereby more cleerely they discouer their disloyaltie All which extremes at last result to the greefe and preiudice of vs poore soules who not considering how the endes of such things commonly fall out doe so deepely sinke into that kinde of assured affection that we neuer leaue of to loue you nor you to requite vs with ingratitude and inconstancie as thou dost that loue disloyall Alanius which I haue borne and doe still beare thee So that which of these thou hast bene I cannot coniecture But wonder not Seluagia that thou vnderstandest so little in matters of disdaine that art so well practised in loues affaires Thou didst euer beare an honest and vertuous pretence by thy wordes whereby I neuer looked for lesse by thy deedes which made me thinke that that loue whereby thou mad'st me beleeue that thy desire extended to wish no more of me then pure loue againe should neuer haue an end for if any further drift had bene in thy desires I woulde neuer haue suspected firmnesse in thy loue O wretched woman how soone haue I begun to know thy intentions and yet how late to preuent my harmes Come thou to me my pretie Bagpipe and with thee will I passe the time away for had I spent it onely in thy exercise and delight it had bene better for me and after she had plaied a while on it she began to sing this Sextine following WAters that fall from top of these steepe Hils With such a noyse into these lowe deepe Vales Why thinke you not of those which from my Soule Continually distill my wearied Eies And what 's the cause of them Vnluckie Time In which hard fortune robbed all my Ioy. Loue gaue me hope of such a golden Ioy That ther 's no Shepherdesse in all these Hils That had such cause to praise a happy Time But after he did put me in these Vales Of swelling teares that fall from both mine Eies Not to behold such greefe as kils my Soule Such is the paine that wounds a louing Soule That in the end I know what thing is Ioy O where shall I then turne my wearied Eies If that the medowes woods the plaines and Hils The pleasant groues and fountaines of the Vales Still to my thoughts present so sweete a Time Who would haue thought that such a happy Time Should be so fierce a torment to my Soule Or cruell fortune banish me the Vale Wherin all things were obiects of my Ioy Vntill the hungrie woolfe which to the Hill Ascending vp was pleasant to mine Eies But fortune now what may my drenched Eies Behold which saw their Shepherd many a Time Driuing his lambes before him downe this Hill Whose name for ay shall rest within my Soule O fortune foe vnto my former Ioy How doe I languish in this irkesome Vale But when so pleasant and so fresh a Vale Is not delightfull to my wearied Eies And where I cannot finde content and Ioy And hope not now to haue it any Time See what extremes enuiron then my Soule O that he came againe O that sweete Hill O highest Hils and fresh and pleasant Vale Where once my Soule did rest and both these Eies Tell me shall I in Time haue so much Ioy About this time Syluanus was with his flockes in a thicket of Mirtle trees neere to the fountaine musing and imagining diuers things in his minde but when he heard Seluagias voice awaked as it were out of a slumber he gaue attentiue eare to the verses that she did sing But as this Shepherd was cruelly intreated of loue and contemned of Diana so his passions made him wander a thousand times out of his wits as that he now spake ill of loue and by and by praised it sometimes merrie and other times more pensiue and sad then the most sorrowfull man in the world to day speaking ill of women to morrow extolling them aboue all mortall creatures And thus did this sorrowfull Shepherd leade a life which as to all so especially to those that are free from loue would be tedious and difficult to describe But hauing heard Seluagias sweete verses and obtained leaue of his sad thoughts he tooke his Kit and to the tune thereof began to sing that which followeth TO heare me wearied is the cleerest riuer Tedious I am to euery vale and mountaine And now to heare O loue my sorrowes giuer My plaining wearied is each cristall fountaine The Sicamour the Oke and Elme are wearie Spring Sommer Autumne and the winter season Hearing my cries are sworne not to be merry With teares I melt these rocks and yet all reason Of pitie Tigresse thou dost still deny me When trees and stones for greefe are dying by me A bondslaue of a freeman thou hast made me And of a man of reason cleane contrarie With life and death by turnes thou dost inuade me And to tormenting greefe my soule dost carrie Of affable and one that liu'd so gayly Made me thou hast to frowards disdaining Of one that did conuerse with all men daily Made me thou hast their company refraining Eies had I once now blinded with desire I was a man of flesh but now of fire What 's this my hart thy torments dost thou double Tell me mine eies and are you still a weeping My soule sufficeth not my passed trouble My teares and are ye yet in riuers steeping My wandring wits and are you not molested More then ynough with such incessant sorrow And are ye not my senses also wrested From your right course resting not euen nor morrow How know I then weepe see
thou dost see Which for my sake I pray thee weare That though our bodies parted bee Nothing shall part not death alone Two soules vnited both in one He saide with thee what shall I leaue Naught haue I but this Sheepehooke heere The which I pray thee to receiue And Rebecke to the which my deere Thou saw'st me sing in this greene meade And play and many a daunce to leade To sound of which my Shepherdesse A thousand songs to thee I soong Singing of thy great worthinesse Too high for my base song and toong And of our loues and of my passions And of my sweetest lamentations Each one imbrac't the other fast And this I thinke the first time was And as I gesse it was the last Bicause those times did change and passe And loue with time did change and varie From that which once they both did carie For though Diana felt great paine For absence of her louer deere Yet in the same she found againe A remedie as did appeere For after he the seas did passe She to another married was Faire Cynthia hauing made an end of her sweete song Doria and Polydora wondred that a Shepherdesse could be the cause that loue kindled such burning flames and marueiled no lesse how time had cured her greefe which seemed at their farewell to be remedilesse But vnfortunate Syrenus all the while the Nymph with her sweete song did manifest his old cares and sighes forgot not to breath them out so thicke that Syluanus and Seluagia could not by any meanes comfort him for he was now no lesse pensiue then at the very time when he passed them maruelling much how she knew of these particulars which passed betweene him and Diana And Syluanus and Seluagia were no lesse astonished at the passing sweete grace wherewith Cynthia both song and plaied the same But now the faire Nymphes tooke vp their instruments and went walking vp and downe the greene meadow lest of all suspecting that which happened vnto them for hauing gone but a little way from the place where the Shepherdes were secretly abiding three monstrous and foule Sauages came out of a thicket of high broome and bushes on the right hande of the woode armed with corselets and morions of tygres skins and so vgly to behold that to the fearefull Nymphes it was a strange and terrible sight The braces of their corselets were at the endes armed with gasping mouthes of serpents out of the which their armes shewed monstrously great and full of haire and their morions that encompassed their grisely foreheads with dreadfull heads of lyons being naked in euery other part of their body but that it was couered all ouer with long and thicke haire and bearing in their rude hands clubs armed with iron and sharpe steeled points At their neckes their bowes and arrowes and likewise their shields which were broad shels of monstrous Tortuses were hanging downe behinde them who with an incredible swiftnes ranne vpon the fearefull Nymphes saying Now is the time come ingrate and scornefull Nymphes that by our strength and wils you shall be forced to do that which our milde loue and longe suites could neuer bring to passe for it is not reason that fortune should doe such iniurie to our captiue harts with so long and great paine to defer our remedies In fine we haue now in our hands the guerdon of our sighes and lamentations which wearied the birds and beasts of the darke and enchaunted woode where we dwell and the recompence of our burning teares wherewith we made the raging and lothsome riuer that watreth the dreadfull fieldes and plaines of our territories to swell and ouerflowe his banks Since then you haue no other meanes to saue your liues but by easing helping our harmes be not so wilfull by resistance to make our cruell hands take vengeance of that paine which so long you haue made our afflicted harts to feele The Nymphes at the sudden sur-sault of these monsters were so amazed that they were not able to answer to these proude and cruell wordes but onely with silence and teares Albeit faire Doria who had more courage then the rest at last did stoutly answer them thus againe I neuer thought that loue could bring a louer to so foule an extreme as with violent hands and such vnseemly force to sease vpon his beloued It is the manner of cowards to carie weapons and fight with silly women in an open and desart fielde where none is able to defend them but their vertue and honest reasons But of one thing cruell vile beasts you may be ascertained that your menaces shal not make vs leese one iot of that which our honours require and that we will sooner leaue our liues in your barbarous hands then suffer our deer chastities by your beastly forces to be violated It is needlesse Doria saide one of them againe to harken to their reasons who had none at all to handle vs with so great scorne and crueltie wherevpon vnloosing the string from his bowe that hung at his necke he tooke her by both her faire hands and rudely tied them togither and so did his companions Cynthias and Polydoras The two Shepherds and the Shepherdesse Seluagia astonished at the monstrous violence of the Sauages and seeing what beastialitie they beganne to vse to the faire and tender Nymphes not able to endure it resolued to die or to defende them from their cruell handes Wherefore all three taking out their slings and filling their scrips with stones came out of the woode into the greene medowe and beganne to throwe them at the Sauages with such courage and dexteritie as though their liues had lien in their handes And thinking to plie them so fast with stones that the Nymphes while the Sauages were busie about their owne defence might escape and saue their persons from their vile immanitie they redoubled their force with the greatest speede and valour they coulde Whose driftes the suttle Sauages suspecting one of them had an eie to the faire prisoners for running away while the other two by winning ground on their enemies thought to make a quicke dispatch of them But the stones came so dangerously and so many that they had ynough to defende themselues so that as long as they lasted the Sauages fared very ill But as the Shepherdes were afterwardes occupied in stowping downe to take vppe more stones the Sauages came running in to them so speedily with their massie clubs that nowe they were without any hope of life if presently a certaine strange Shepherdesse of such singular beautie and comely feature as made both the Sauages and the rest amazed at her goodly personage had not come out of the thicke wood neere vnto the fountaine where they before were singing She had her bowe hanging on her left arme and a quiuer of arrowes at her shoulder in her hand a fine staffe of wilde oke armed at the end with a long and well steeled pike But when she saw the
them in earnest and that thou art so content to see me vse him well that thou canst not without doubt loue me at all O how ill dost thou acquite the loue I beare thee and that which for thy sake I do nowe forsake O that time might reuenge me of thy proude and foolish minde since loue hath not beene the meanes to do it For I cannot thinke that Fortune will be so contrarie vnto me but that she will punish thee for cōtemning that great good which she meant to bestow on thee And tell thy Lord Don Felix that if he will see me aliue that he see me not at all And thou vile traitour cruell enemie to my rest com no more I charge thee before these wearied eies since their teares were neuer of force to make thee knowe how much thou art bound vnto them And with this she suddenly flang out of my sight with so many teares that mine were not of force to staie her For in the greatest haste in the worlde she got her into her chamber where locking the dore after her it auailed me not to call and crie vnto her requesting her with amorous and sweete words to open me the dore and to take such satisfaction on me as it pleased her Nor to tell her many other things whereby I declared vnto her the small reason she had to be so angrie with me and to shut me out But with a strange kinde of furie she saide vnto me Come no more vngratefull and proud Valerius in my sight and speake no more vnto me for thou art not able to make satisfaction for such great disdaine and I will haue no other remedie for the harme which thou hast done me but death it selfe the which with mine owne hands I will take in satisfaction of that which thou deseruest which words when I heard I staied no longer but with a heauie cheere came to my Don Felix his lodging and with more sadnes then I was able to dissemble tolde him that I could not speake with Celia because she was visited of certaine Gentlewomen her kinsew omen But the next day in the morning it was bruted ouer all the citie that a certaine trance had taken her that night wherein she gaue vp the ghost which stroke all the court with no smal woonder But that which Don Felix felt by her sudden death and how neere it greeued his very soule as I am not able to tell so can not humane intendement conceiue it for the complaints he made the teares the burning sighes and hart-breake sobbes were without all measure and number But I saie nothing of my selfe when on the one side the vnluckie death of Celia touched my soule very neere the teares of Don Felix on the other did cut my hart in two with greefe And yet this was nothing to that intollerable paine which afterwardes I felt For Don Felix heard no sooner of her death but the same night he was missing in his house that none of his seruants nor any bodie else could tell any newes of him Whereupon you may perceiue faire Nymphes what cruell torments I did then feele then did I wish a thousand times for death to preuent all those woes and myseries which afterwards befell vnto me For Fortune it seemed was but wearie of those which she had but till then giuen me But as all the care and diligence which I emploied in seeking out my Don Felix was but in vaine so I resolued with my selfe to take this habite vpon me as you see wherein it is more then two yeeres since I haue wandred vp and downe seeking him in manie countryes but my fortune hath denied me to finde him out although I am not a little now bounde vnto her by conducting me hither at this time wherein I did you this small peece of seruice Which faire Nymphes beleeue me I account next after his life in whom I haue put all my hope the greatest content that might haue fallen vnto me When the Nymphes had heard faire Felismenas tale and vnderstoode what a great Lady she was and how loue had made her forsake her naturall habite and taken vpon her the weedes and life of a shepherdesse they were no lesse amazed at her constancie and zeale then at the great power of that cruell tyrant who absolutely commands so many liberties to his seruice And they were mooued besides to no small pittie to see the teares and burning sighes wherewith the Ladie did solemnize the historie of her loue Doria therefore whose tender soule Felismenas greefe did most transpierce and who was more affected to her then to any woman with whom she had ouer conuersed before tooke her by the hand and began to say to her in manner follwing What can we do saire Lady against the blowes of Fortune what place is there so strong where one may be safe from the mutabilities of time What harneys so impenetrable and steele so well tempered that may serue for a defence against the violence of this tyrant whom so vniustly they call Loue And what hart though it be harder then diamond which an amorous thought can not mollifie and make tender Certes this beautie this valour and this wisedome deserue not to be forgotten of him who had but once seene and knowne them But we liue now in such an age that the deserts of any thing are the meanes and occasions of not obtaining it And cruell loue is of so strange a condition that he bestoweth his contents without any good order and rule and giueth there greatest fauours where they are lest esteemed but the medicine of so many ils whereof this tyrant is the cause is her discretion courage that suffers them But whom doth he leaue so free that these may serue her for a remedie Or who can command her selfe so much in this passion that in other womens affaires she is able to giue counsell how much lesse to take it in her owne Yet for all this I beseech thee faire Ladie to put before thine eies and consider what thou art bicause if women of such high renowne and vertue as thou art are not able to tolerate his aduerse effects how can they suffer them that are not such And in the behalfe of these Nymphes and mine owne I request thee to go with vs to the sage Felicias pallace which is not farre from this place for that to morrow about this time we may be well there where I am assured thou shalt finde great remedies for thy greefes as many others haue done heeretofore that haue not deserued them as much as thou hast whose profounde skill and rare experiments besides many other notable things in her wherein no man or woman in our times came euer neere her and her princely bountie doth'make her so famous and renowned that the greatest kings and estates in the worlde are desirous of her companie I know not faire Nymphes said Felismena againe who is able to applie a remedie to such an
they thinke by any meanes to receiue it If I should tell thee faire Shepherdesse that I could helpe thy greefe what doth it auaile if the same will not giue thee leaue to beleeue me To tell thee that in thine owne iudgement and discretion thou dost help thy selfe I know thou hast it not so free that thou canst do it Of one thing yet good Shepherdesse thou maist be assured that there is no meanes in the whole world to rid thee from this painfull life which I would not giue then if it lay in my power And if this good will deserueth any thing at all I beseech thee for their sakes that are heete present and for mine owne to tell vs the cause of thy greefe because there are some in this companie that haue as great neede of remedie and whom loue hath driuen to so narrow a streight that if Fortune do not succour them the sooner I knowe not what will become of their liues The Shepherdesse hearing Doria speake these wordes came out of her melancholie cell and taking her by the hand carried her vnto a fountaine in a little greene meadowe not farre off Whither the Nymphes and Shepherdes went after them and about the same sat them downe altogither when golden Phoebus had made an end of his diurnall course and siluer Diana began hers with such brightnes as if it had beene midday Where being in such sort as you haue heard the faire Shepherdesse began to tell this which followeth AT that time faire Nymphes of the chaste Goddesse when I was free from loue I heard once a certaine thing the experience whereof did afterwardes beguile me finding it cleane contrarie to that which I heard reported For it was tolde me that there was no kind of greefe but by telling it was some lighting ease to her that did suffer it I finde that there is not any thing that more augments my mishap then to call it to memorie and tell it her that is free from the like For if I thought otherwise I durst not beleeue me recount vnto you the historie of my annoies But because it is true that the telling of it to you shall be no cause of comfort to my balefull soule which are the two causes most abhorred of me giue eare and you shall heare the most strange and haples accidents that euer fell in loue Not farre from this valley towards that part where the sunne doth set there is a village in the middes of a forrest neere to two riuers which with their currants do water and giue life to the greene trees whose shadowed bowes are so delightfull and thicke togither that one house may hardly be discerned from another Euerie one of them hath their limits rounde about them where the gardens in sommer time are decked with fragrant flowers besides the aboūdance of pleasant orchards which are there naturally brought foorth though helped by the industrie of them which in great Spaine are called Freemen by reason of the antiquity of their houses linage In this place was the vnfortunate Belisa borne for this name I tooke from the funt where I would to God I had left and lost my life Heere liued also a certaine Shepherd one of the chiefest for birth and riches that was in all that countrey called Arsenius and married to the fairest Shepherdesse in all her time but vntimely death because her destinies woulde haue it so or else for auoyding some other inconuenience that her beautie might haue caused did within a fewe yeeres after she was married cut asunder her vital thred The greefe that Arsenius felt for the death of his beloued Florida was so extreme that he was almost in danger of loosing his life the which yet he preserued by the comfort of a sonne she left behinde her called Arsileus whose beautie and comely feature so farre excelled others that they matched the gifts so highly commended and descended to him from Florida his mother And yet did Arsenius for the losse of her leade the most sorrowfull and desolate life that might be But seeing his Sonne in sufficient yeeres to set him to some vertuous exercise knowing That idlenes in boyes was the curse of vices and an enimie to vertue he determined to sende him to the famous Academie of Salamanca with intent to haue him learne those sciences which make men mount vppe to higher degrees then men and so sent him thither indeede But fifteene yeeres being nowe past since the death of his mother it fell out that I going on a daie with others of our neighbours daughters to the market kept in a prettie towne not farre from ours vnfortunate Arsenius to his owne harme and alas to mine and to the preiudice of his haplesse sonne by chance espied me This sight kindled an extreme kinde of loue in him as it appeered afterwardes by the strange effects he shewed for he endeuoured to make me know it sometimes in the fielde as I was going to carrie the Shepherds their dinner sometimes againe as I was going to the riuer to rince my clothes and somtimes for water to the fountaine where he neuer missed of purpose to meete me But I that was till then but a nouice in matters of loue although by heare-saie I vnderstoode some of his disordinate effects sometimes dissembled the matter as though I vnderstoode not his meaning and sometimes made but a mocke of them and was angry to see him so importunate and earnest But my wordes were not able to defende my selfe from his continuall suites nor the great loue he bare me suffered him to leaue of to woe me more and more And in this sort I passed away more then fower yeeres in which space he left not of his fond attempt nor I to resolue with my selfe to giue him the lest fauour in the worlde About this time came his haplesse sonne Arsileus from his studie who amongst other sciences that he had studied was so brauely seene in Poetrie and Musicke that he excelled all others in his time His father tooke such exceeding ioy in him that he could neuer be out of his sight and not without great reason bicause Arsileus was such an one indeed that he deserued to be beloued not onely of his father whom nature constrained to loue as his sonne but of euery one else in the worlde And so in our towne he was so much esteemed and regarded of the cheefest and vulgar sort that they talked amongst themselues of no other thing then of the great wisedome graces gentilitie and many other good parts more which beautified the flourishing prime of his youth Arsenius was so secret to his sonne that by no meanes he would let him vnderstand any thing touching his loue whom although Arsileus had seene on a day very sad yet he durst not aske him the cause of his heauines but rather thought those passions to be the reliques of that sorrow which yet for the vntimely death of his faire mother remained in his
Nay thou shalt maruell yet more after they awake bicause thou shalt see so strange a thing as thou didst neuer imagine the like And because the water hath by this time wrought those operations that it shoulde do I will awake them and marke it well for thou shalt heare and see woonders Whereupon taking a booke out of her bosome she came to Syrenus and smiting him vpon the head with it the Shepherd rose vp on his seete in his perfect wits and iudgement To whom Felicia saide Tell me Syrenus if thou mightest now see faire Diana her vnworthy husband both togither in all the contentment and ioy of the worlde laughing at thy loue and making a sport of thy teares and sighes what wouldest thou do Not greeue me a whit good Lady but rather helpe them to laugh at my follies past But if she were now a maide againe saide Felicia or perhaps a widow and would be married to Syluanus and not to thee what wouldst thou then do My selfe woulde be the man saide Syrenus that woulde gladly helpe to make such a match for my friende What thinkest thou of this Felismena saide Felicia that water is able to vnloose the knottes that peruerse Loue doth make I woulde neuer haue thought saide Felismena that anie humane skill coulde euer attaine to such diuine knowledge as this And looking on Syrenus she saide vnto him Howe nowe Syrenus what meanes this Are the teares and sighes whereby thou didst manifest thy loue and greefe so soone ended Since my loue is nowe ended said Syrenus no maruell then if the effects proceeding from it be also determined And is it possible now said Felismena that thou wilt loue Diana no more I wish her as much good answered Syrenus as I doe to your owne selfe faire Lady or to any other woman that neuer offended me But Felicia seeing how Felismena was amazed at the sudden alteration of Syrenus said With this medicine I would also cure thy greefe faire Felismena and thine Belisa if fortune did not deferre them to some greater content then onely to enioy your libertie And bicause thou maist see how diuersly the medicines haue wrought in Syluanus and Seluagia it shall not be amisse to awake them for now they haue slept ynough wherefore laying her booke vpon Syluanus his head he rose vp saying O faire Seluagia what a great offence and folly haue I committed by imploying my thoughtes vpon another after that mine eies did once behold thy rare beautie What meanes this Syluanus said Felicia No woman in the world euen now in thy mouth but thy Shepherdesse Diana and now so suddenly changed to Seluagia Syluanus answering her said As the ship discreete Lady sailes floting vp and downe and well-ny cast away in the vnknowen seas without hope of a secure hauen so did my thoughtes putting my life in no sinall hazard wander in Dianas loue all the while that I pursued it But now since I am safely arriued into a hauen of all ioy and happinesse I onely wish I may haue harbour and entertainment there where my irremooueable and infinite loue is so firmely placed Felismena was as much astonished at the second kinde of alteration of Syluanus as at that first of Syrenus and therefore saide vnto him laughing What dost thou Syluanus Why dost thou not awake Seluagia for ill may a Shepherdesse heare thee that is so fast asleepe Syluanus then pulling her by the arme began to speake out aloud vnto her saying Awake faire Seluagia since thou hast awaked my thoughtes out of the drowsie slumber of passed ignorance Thrise happy man whom fortune hath put in the happiest estate that I could desire What dost thou meane faire Shepherdesse dost thou not heare me or wilt thou not answere me Behold the impatient passion of the loue I beare thee will not suffer me to be vnheard O my Seluagia sleepe not so much and let not thy slumber be an occasion to make the sleepe of death put out my vitall lightes And seeing how little it auailed him by calling her he began to powre foorth such abundance of teares that they that were present could not but weepe also for tender compassion whereupon Felicia saide vnto him Trouble not thy selfe Syluanus for as I will make Seluagia answere thee so shall not her answere be contrarie to thy desire and taking him by the hand she led him into a chamber and said vnto him Depart not from hence vntill I call thee and then she went to the place againe where Seluagia lay and touching her with her booke awaked her as she had done the rest and saide vnto her Me thinks thou hast slept securely Shepherdesse O good Lady said she where is my Syluanus was he not with me heere O God who hath carried him away from hence or wil he come hither againe Harke to me Seluagia said Felicia for me thinkes thou art not wel in thy wits Thy beloued Alanius is without saith that he hath gone wandring vp and downe in many places seeking after thee and hath got his fathers good will to marrie thee which shall as little auaile him said Seluagia as the sighes and teares which once in vaine I powred out and spent for him for his memorie is now exiled out of my thoughts Syluanus mine onely life and ioy O Syluanus is he whom I loue O what is become of my Syluanus Where is my Syluanus Who hearing the Shepherdesse Seluagia no sooner name him could stay no longer in the chamber but came running into the hall vnto her where the one beheld the other with such apparaunt signes of cordiall affection and so strongly confirmed by the mutual bonds of their knowen deserts that nothing but death was able to dissolue it whereat Syrenus Felismena and the Shepherdesse were passing ioyfull And Felioia seeing them all in this contentment said vnto them Now is it time for you Shepherds and faire Shepherdesse to goe home to your flocks which would be glad to heare the wonted voice of their knowen masters And make this account that you shall neuer want any helpe and fauour at her handes who is soready to pleasure you in what shee may And the holy end Syluanus and consummation of thy loue shall be when with her whom thou dost so deerly loue thou shalt combine thy selfe in the sacred bonds of chaste and lawfull mariage whereof I will be carefull to put you both in minde when time opportunitie shal serue And faire Felismena prepare thy selfe also for thy departure for to morrow is the day wherein it behooues thee to go from hence After this all the Nymphes came in at the hall doore who now knew of the remedies that their gracious Ladie had giuen the Shepherds for their griefes which thing made them not a little glad Doria especially Cynthia and Polydora bicause they were the principall occasions of their content The two new louers did busie themselues in nothing else but in looking vpon one another with such
as it strooke the Nymph in a great admiration so likewise in no lesse compassion of his paines but when she vnderstood that vndoubtedly he was Arsileus the ioy that she conceiued thereof was so great that with words she could not tell it and thought her selfe vnable at that present to do any more but with inward sence to surfet on the sweet ioy of such happie newes Behold then what might be expected of comfortlesse Belisa when she should vnderstand of these gladsome tydings The Nymph therfore casting hir eies on Arsileus not without teares of inward gladnes said vnto him I would I had thy ripe wit and fluent toong Arsileus to make thee know what infinite pleasure I conceiue by the good successe that Fortune hath solicited for my Belisa because I might otherwise be deceiued by thinking that so simple a conceit and barren wordes as mine are could declare it I euer thought that the coutinuall griefe of my Belisa should be at length conuerted into great gladnes induced thereunto by the great deserts of her singular beautie wisdome faith that she hath euer kept firme and inuiolate but did euer feare on the other side that Fortune neuer made account to giue it her so amply and in such sorte as I did desire it bicause it is her condition for the most parte to bring her effectes to passe cleane contrarie to their desires that loue well Happie maiest thou call thy selfe Arsileus since thou didst deserue to bee so well beloued in life that couldest not bee forgotten after death And bicause the deferring of such great ioy for a hart that needes it so much may not be too long giue me leaue to goe and carrie so good newes to thy Shepherdesse as those of thy life and of her deceiued minde And depart not from this place vntill I come againe with her whom thou dost so much desire and most deserue to see As I can expect nothing else saide Arsileus from such excellent wisdome and exceeding beautie as thine but all ioy and contentment whatsoeuer euen so faire Nymph bicause thou dost so greatly desire to giue it me thy will be done whereby I hope to gouerne my selfe as well in this as in all things else that shall ensue thereof Whereupon they taking leaue of one another Polydora went to tel Belisa these inopinate newes Arsileus remained still tarying for them vnder the pleasant shadow of those green Sicamours who to entertaine the time with something as they are wont to doe that are attending some ioyfull thing tooke out his Rebecke and to the tune of it began with sweetest voice to sing these verses following NOw Loue and fortune turne to me againe And now each one enforceth and assures A hope that was dismaied dead and vaine And from the harbour of mishaps recures A hart that is consum'd in lurning fire With vnexpected gladnes that adiures My soule to lay aside her mourning tire And senses to prepare a place for ioy Care in obliuion endlesse shall expire For euery greefe of that extreme annoy Which when my torment raign'd my soule alas Did feele the which long absence did destroy Fortune so well appaies that neuer was So great the torment of my passed ill As is the ioy of this same good I passe Returne my hart sur saulted with the fill Of thousand great vnrests and thousand feares Enioy thy good estate if that thou will And wearied eies leaue of your burning teares For soone you shall behold her with delight For whom my spoiles with glorie Cupid beares Senses which seeke my star so cleere and bright By making heere and there your thoughts estray Tell me what will you feele before her sight Hence solitarinesse torments away Felt for her sake and wearied members cast Of all your paine redeem'd this happy day O stay not time but passe with speedie hast And Fortune hinder not her comming now O God betides me yet this greefe at last Come my sweete Shepherdesse the life which thou Perhaps didst thinke was ended long ago At thy commaund is ready still to bow Comes not my Shepherdesse desired so O God what if she 's lost or if she stray Within this wood where trees so thicke doe growe Or if this Nymph that lately went away Perhaps forgot to go and seeke her out No no in her obliuion neuer lay Thou onely art my Shepherdesse about Whose thoughts my soule shall finde her ioy and rest Why comm'st not then to assure it from doubt O see'st thou not the sunne passe to the vvest And if it passe and I behold thee not Then I my vvonted torments vvill request And thou shalt vvaile my hard and heauie lot When Polydora went from Arsileus not far from thence she met with the Shepherdesse Belisa who was going to recreate her selfe in the greene wood in the companie of the two Nymphes Cynthia and Doria who seeing her comming in such haste began to be afraid thinking that she ran away from some thing from the which it behoued them also to flie away But now when she came neerer vnto them the ioy that they perceiued by her milde eies and countenance did warrant them from danger and being come to them she went presently to the Shepherdesse Belisa and imbracing her with great ioy and gladnes saide thus vnto her If thou knewest from whom this imbracement came thou wouldst with greater content faire Shepherdesse receiue it then now thou dost It can come from no part faire Nymph said she where I may more ioyfully accept it then from thine owne selfe since he from whom with the supre most ioy in the world I should entertaine it is not now in the world And I would desire to liue no longer if I were now altogither depriued of the content that this miserable life may at some times affoorde me which onely I account faire Nymph thy friendly and gracious companie This life saide Polydora from henceforth I hope thou shalt enioy with more content then thou canst imagine And bicause thou maist knowe how let vs sit vnder the shade of this greene Sicamour and I will acquaint thee with such matters as shall reuiue thy spirits and decaied soule Belisa and the Nymphes sat them downe taking Polydora in the mids who said to Belisa Tell me faire Shepherdesse how certaine art thou of the death of Arsenius and of Arsileus Belisa vnable to stop the sudden eruption of her violent teares answered So certaine as one that beheld that tragicall spectacle with her owne eies the one shot thorow with an arrowe the other killing himselfe with his owne Faulchion But what wilt thou say to one that will tell thee that these two whom thou didst see dead are aliue and in perfect health Her would I answere saide Belisa that told me this that she had a desire to renew my teares and to bring those to my thoughts againe whose remembrance is my death or that she tooke a delight to sport her selfe with my greefes
round about with Myrtles and Laurels he found Dianas sheepe that went by themselues all alone feeding amongst the trees vnder the keeping of two fierce masties And as the Shepherd staied to looke vpon them thinking of the time wherein he had greater care of them then of his owne the masties with great furie came running vpon him But when they came somewhat nigh and knew him by wagging their tailes and holding downe their necks that were armed with collers of sharpe nailes the one fell downe at his feete and the other by skipping vpon him fawned on him with the greatest ioy in the world And the sheepe did no lesse for the Bell-wether with his rurall bleating came to the Shepherd whom all the rest followed and knowing Syrenus came round about him which sight he could not behold without teares calling to mind that sometimes in the company of faire Diana he had fed that gentle flocke And seeing that in the silly beasts that loue and knowledge did abound which wanted in their mistresse it was so forcible a motion in his minde that if the vertue of the water which sage Felicia had giuen him had not made him forget his olde loue it might well haue beene that there was nothing else in the worlde that coulde haue let him from renewing it againe But seeing himselfe thus in the mids of Dianas sheepe and with the thoughts that the memorie of such a thing did put before his eies to the tune of his merie Recbecke he began to sing this song PAssed contents O what meane ye Forsake me now and doe not wearie me Wilt thou heare me O memorie My pleasant daies and nights againe I haue appaid with seuenfold paine Thou hast no more to aske me why For when I went they all did die As thou dost see O leaue me then and doe not wearie me Greene field and shadowed valley wheare Sometime my chiefest pleasure was Behold what I did after passe Then let me rest and if I beare Not with good cause continuall feare Now doe you see O leaue me then and doe not trouble me I sawe a hart changed of late And wearied to assure mine Then I was forced to recure mine By good occasion time and fate My thoughts that now such passions hate O what meane ye Forsake me now and doe not wearie me You lambes and sheepe that in these layes Did sometimes follow me so glad The merry howres and the sad Are passed now with all those daies Make not such mirth and wonted plaies As once did ye For now no more you haue deceiued me If that to trouble me you come Or come to comfort me indeede I haue no ill for comforts neede But if to kill me Then in summe Full well may ye Kill me and you shall make an end of me After Syrenus had made an ende of his song faire Diana knewe him by his voice and so did the two enamoured Shepherdes Syluanus and Seluagia They called to him telling him that if he was minded to passe away the heate of the day in the field there was the fresh fountaine of the Sicamours and faire Diana both which should be no small allurements to inuite him thither Syrenus answered him that be must needs stay all day in the field vntill it was time to go home againe with his sheepe to the towne and comming where the Shepherd and Shepherdesses were they sat round about the cleere fountaine as they were commonly woont to do But Diana whose life was so sorrowfull as one may imagine that euer sawe a Shepherdesse the fairest and wisest that was then knowne married so greatly to her greefe went day by day seeking out new occasions to entortaine the time and to passe her life away and studying often to preuent her continuall and sorrowfull thoughts But the Shepherdes sitting and talking of other matters touching the feeding of sheepe and their profite Diana brake off the substance of their talke saying to Syluanus It is a proper thing Shepherd that sitting before thy faire Seluagia thou talkest of other impertinent things and not of praising her beautie nor of the great loue that she beares thee Let the field and lambes alone the good or ill successe of time and fortune and enioy the good hap that Shepherd thou hast nowe by being beloued of so faire a Shepherdesse for where there is so great reason to haue continually such contentment of minde thou need'st not care for that which Fortune doth but sometimes giue How much I am beholding to thee Diana answered Syluanus none can expresse but he that knowes what great reason I haue to acknowledge this debt bicause thou didst not onely then teach me to loue well but now also shewest me the way to vse the contentment that my loue affoordes me The reason thou hast to warne me not to talke of any other matter my Mistresse being in presence but onely of the content that by her sight I receiue is great infinite the which I promise thee faire Diana to do while my happy soule shall be conteined in this ioyfull body But I maruell at one thing to see how thy Syrenus doth cast his eies another way when thou speakest vnto him it seemes thy wordes please him not or that he is not satisfied with thy answers Blame him not said Diana for carelesse men enimies to their own good will do more then this Enimy to mine own good said Syrenus If I was euer such an one let death punish me for my error This is a prety shift to excuse thy fault To excuse my fault said Diana If I haue not yet the first offence to do thee I pray God I may neuer haue any other cōtent then that which I now enioy It is wel that thou dost finde fault with me for being married hauing parets But it is wel said Syrenus that thou didst marry hauing another Loue And what power had that Loue saide Diana where obedience was due to parents And what power had those parents saide Syrenus that obedience those times those fauourable or sinistrous successes of Fortune to ouerrule so true a Loue as before my departure thou didst shew me Ah Diana I neuer thought there was any thing in the worlde that could dissolue so great a faith as that and how much more Dianas considering that well thou mightest haue married and not forgotten him who loued thee so entyrely But thinking of the matter vnappassionately it was now better for me since thou wert resolued to marrie and being married to forget me quite For what reason saide Diana For what saide Syrenus Bicause there is no woorse thing in the worlde then for a Shepherd to loue a Shepherdesse that is married nor that makes him that beares her true loue and affection sooner to loose his wits and sences the reason whereof as wee all know is that the principall passion which doth torment a louer after the desire of his Mistres is cruell iealousie For what dost thou
serued both for a mouth and channell which was not wrought with the blow of the hard Chesil but by the continuall running of the gentle water and so it was in some places a little more worne then in others being more soft or to say more properly lesse hard in one place then in another and by reason of the concauitie of the stone there was seene an inequalitie that represented a more pleasant and gracious running bicause it made the water come out more merily with high and low fals representing certaine cristalline in cleeres and shadows a pleasant and delightfull sight to the greedie eie The water fell into a fountaine of the same rockie stone wrought after the same forme as the channell was It was fouresquare and euery side was fower foote in bredth and in depth sixe or a little more The Petrenall was not right to smite fire with the blowe of hard steele bicause it was not blacke but so white that had it not beene for the hardnes thereof none would haue thought but that it had beene Alablaster And though it was not so curiously cut out and wrought like marble yet was it maruellous and strange for the turne it serued And so for the clecrenes of the water as also for the whitenes of the rockie stone it was so christalline that if any foule thing did fall therein it was so apparant to his sight that came thither that maugre his will hee was forced not to suffer it to receiue such iniurie but to bring it againe to the former purenes For which cause it was euer kept verie cleere and cleane The water ranne out of it into an Ilande on both sides to enuironne the greene plat which was set round about with white Poplars blacke Elmes and greene Sallowes It was in length about a hundred and fiftie paces and a hundred and twentie in bredth There was no entrance into it but where the Shepheds went in and by another way right ouer against the same made almost in the selfe same forme and fashion for the thicknes of the trees stopped vp all other waies and also bicause the water that ranne by the sides issuing towards the side without in some places of that brooke did wax so broad between the place of the trees that by the playne it could not by reason that it was somewhat higher Neere to this fountaine did the Shepherds sit vnder the shadow of a braunchie Oke and certaine Laurell trees and taking out some of those victuals that Doria had prouided for them after they had rested themselues a little they ouercame their importunate hunger satisfying their appetites sufficiently with the same and bicause they had a good way to goe that day they tooke not their rest as much as the place and their desires did inuite them but before all the heate of the day was past least the time should also passe away with it they were about to goe from that place But as they were preparing themselues to rise and to be gone Syrenus saide to Syluanus It is not reason Syluanus that liuing now in such ioy and content and in the presence of thy beloued Seluagia thou shouldest let thy Bagpipe waxe so drie nor is it meete that from this pleasant place the friendly entertainment and delights whereof thou hast enioyed thou shouldest depart without requiting it with the sweetnes of thy melodie and song With greater reason answered Syluanus should the Hamadryades preseruers of these trees and the Driades inhabitours of these green woods complaine of thee that wouldest go away without giuing them some part of thy sweete harmonie and melodious voice Let vs leaue this courteous contention said Syrenus and doe that which I request thee for the great reason which thou hast to do it for that which I told thee first though thou wilt not perhaps for that which I alleaged last For the first indeed I cannot deny thee said Syluanus but in faith I know not what to sing that might not grieue thee that art so far from loue or offend me that am so full of amorous thoughts so that in the end I can sing nothing vnlesse it be to mine owne griefe but that which belongs thereunto To heare thy delicate songs and inioy the sweetnes of thy voice saide Syrenus I will be content with any thing but since it must needes be in such sort in thy song I pray thee shew how far the firmnenes of thy loue extendeth which thou bearest to thy louing Shepherdesse for by occasion heereof I know she cannot nor will not choose but answere thee againe in whose sweet voice and song I shall take no lesse delight then in thine I am content said Syluanus And then thus he began Syluanus IT may fall out the heauens may turne at leisure And stay themselues vpon the highest mountaines And Ezla and Mondego at their pleasure With hastie course turne backe vnto their fountaines And that the flaxe or reede laid to the fire May not consume in flames but burne like wire But yet the day and time shall happen neuer When Syluan shall not loue Seluagia euer Immediately without any entreatie Seluagia bicause she would not die in Syluanus debt nor be beholding to him in this respect taking her Baggepipe vp in this sort did answer him Seluagia The ground shall first be void nor trod nor vsed Leesing her nature and her proper being First shall the raine and vvater be refused Of plants no moisture round about them seeing First shall our life vvith aire be not sustained And first the foode of hunger be disdained Before the vvorld shall see a deede so hainous Seluagia not to loue her deere Syluanus Syluanus The presence of the vvoolfe that doth deuoure The sillie lambes in shades shall not be feared As little shall the hare vvithin her bovvre The yalping hounds nor harts of lions teared Nor Mouse of Cat All hate shall be extruded And louing peace tvvixt all shall be concluded But yet the time and day shall happen neuer When Syluan shall not loue Seluagia euer Seluagia The flocke of little chickes the dams deere treasure Of rauening kites and gleades shall be eschevved The Partridge shall securely liue in pleasure Of praying Goshauke being not pursued The pullaine shall not be of Foxe molested But peace and truce tvvixt all shall be suggested But neuer lies a deede in her so hainous As that Seluagia should forget Syluanus Syluanus I say vvhile any part shall be maintained Of thy Syluanus vvith blood and vitall povvres And vvhilst each member of the same sustained Shall be vvith soule vnto their latest hovvres And if besides the soule can loue expired When to the graue the body is retired In life in death else let him prosper neuer Syluan sshall loue his Shepherdesse for euer Seluagia I say vvhile liuing breath shall not be vvanting In thy Seluagia louing thee so truly And vvhile her soule vvithin her body panting Shall make aboade and gouerne it
might of their eternall creator by explaining the accelerate courses and motions of the celestiall globes and the cause of their vnwearied swiftnes In which time Delicius and Parthenius gained so greatly to their wils the loue of all my companions Shepherds and Shepherdesses who also resorted thither knowing what Gorphorost had vowed that they were not meanely beloued of all as well for their sweete songs and playing as also for their wisedome demeanour and good graces But aboue all faire Stela and I without comparison exceeded them though my loue with Parthenius was more openly extended wherunto I had then most of al disposed my minde and for no other cause then that I knew Delicius had emploied his thoughts and loue on Stela and also bicause Ithought Parthenius was most free Betweene vs both like rude girles we knew not how to gouerne our selues in Cupids affaires Betweene vs both being but a littleprudent we were ignorant howe we should behaue vs in the effects of this childe and therefore endured him impatiently though harder and more violent he was to Stela then to me not bicause I had beene a longer scholler in Venus schoole or had more experience in her blinde Sonnes effects then she but bicause she desired and forced her-selfe to wring out the worme out of her hart that euery day without feeling it crept more and more into the center of it for of such qualitie is this traytour loue that the more one endeuors to shake him off with greater force he takes place and seiseth on his conquered soule So that Stela the more she laboured not to loue the Shepherds the more couragiously loue assailed hir which made her night nor day take any rest nor finde ease in any thing all which I afterwards knew by her owne mouth who at the first dissembled the matter so cunningly that I could gather nothing of it And so meaning to take away the effect by remoouing the cause she would sometimes slie from cōpany refraining to com where the Shepherds were staying for vs vnles she was importuned by me But after certain daies that we foure were al alone togither I said It is not reason yong Shepherdes that with therest we liue in doubt of knowing you but that in some point we may perceiue a difference betweene you when as oftentimes we cannot no more then the rest call you by your right names which I assure you troubles vs not a little So that I would faine haue one of you take some kinde of marke to be knowen from the other but in such secret sort to put vs out of doubt and make the rest remaine still therein Our intent answered Delicius hath beene hitherto gracious Crimine to haue our garments make no dissimilitude betweene them whom one will and shape hath made so like But to pleasure thee herein that by taking it no offence be ministred to thy companion let faire Stela set downe the difference betweene vs in outward shew since she hath made it in the inward soule I know not Shepherd said Stela what difference I haue put betweene you and Parthenius Thy conceit faire Stela is not I thinke so hard as thy hart but that thou maist easily coniecture how much loue workes in me for thy sake The putenesie of my thoughts saide Stela hath made me ignorant of that which I would had not beene The hardnes of thy hart said Delicius hath made me prudent in that which was not so much expedient for me Dost thou then speak it in good earnest saide Stela That thou louest me Dost thou then aske it in iest said Delicius if I loue thee No said Stela But then belike I am she as the matter fals out to whom thou hast adressed all thy songs and teares Delicius thinking to haue a prosperous gale whereof we also thought him assured for all this while she seemed not to be angrie but milde and gentle whereby she got that out of his hart which the forrowfull soule had kept so secret in his breast with a pitifull eie cast on her answered Euen she indeed thou art as the matter fals out to whom I auow the terme and seruice of my life and voluntarie subiection of my soule that is c. Enough enough said Stela I vnderstand thee too well and am now resolued of my former suspitions I neuer thought that the bold presumption of a miserable and obscure man could so far extend as to entertaine a thought so preiudiciall to my honor Wherefore from this day let come who will to enioy thy poisoned conuersation When she had spoken these bitter wordes with an austere and angrie countenance she flung from thence without any companie and with no lesse haste then the timorous virgin that walking by some hedge and treading with her fine foote vpon some carelesse viper appalled with feate flieth with speede away The tender harted Delicius not able to powre foorth any complaints as one stroken dumbe remained no lesse astonished then the Shepherde seeing the faithfull Mastie harde by his side stroken dead with a fearefull thunderclap and the grasse but euen now greene at his seete burned by the sudden lightning thereof On whom I tooke so great compassion that I could not staie my teares but turning my face to Farthenius to bid him helpe his fellow I espied him in a sencelesse trance representing more the image of a dead bodie then the sigure of a liue man to whom it was no lesse then death to see his deere friend in such a plight and woorse then death to his decaied soule knowing that he must nowe be depriued of the sight of his deere Stela the onely reward and comfort of all his priuate passions Seing my Parthenius in such a case like a true louer I clasped my hands togither and then opening them againe saide O dismall day At which very instant I cast my selfe vpon Parthenius for when Stela was risen vp to be gone I also rose vp from my place ioyning his pale face to mine kissed him softly he poore Parthenius hanging downe his head in my lappe At the voice that I gaue Delicius awaked as it were out of a deepe sleepe sighed and seeing Parthenius in like case fell againe into another swoune and remained in such sort as my Parthenius did I was a good while embracing my Parthenius for loue and pitie ouercame my due regarde of modestie and held him in such sort as you haue heard not taking away my face from his but at the end crauing helpe of Delictus I perceiued he stood in no lesse neede of the same Beleeue me Gentlemen if my paine might haue beene augmented I must needs haue felt it by this second sight of Delictus But my griefe being extreme and nothing able to adde more torments to my tortured soule I felt them not vnlesse it were to see my selfe all alone in such a case But animared by the desire I had to helpe them I tooke a fine
my cheefest intent was to see Parthenius and not to helpe him which to get the good will of both was no good way at all I coulde giue thee other reasons faire Nymph but let this suffice But returning to that I was telling when I asked for Parthenius Delicius saide he was gone to Gorphorost and tolde me of the new friendship lately begun between them both whereof though I was somewhat afraide yet I could not thoose but thinke well of his policie to tary the safer and longer time in those parts I would haue stayed for him vntill he had come to haue counselled him how he might haue conuersed and behaued himselfe with that fierce Shepherd But I must needs go bicause Delicius told me that he would not come so soone againe for that Gorphorost was determined to shewe him the Iland and the Caue where he dwelt The next day before our accustomed hower chalenging Stela for her promise I carried her with me to the wonted place the which a Nymph to whose lot it befell that day watched as I said to see if any danger was at hand We going on therefore that way and Stela seeing the shadowes to be but narrow said We go too soone for the Shepherds be not yet come and admit they were it is not decent nor conuenient for vs to go before our accustomed howers bicause they might not thinke that being so desirous to see them we preuented our wonted time If therefore friend thou thinkest good let vs goe into the thickest of the forrest here to walke vnder the shades while it is fitter time to go I told her I was content bad her leade the way But going in this sort from tree to tree we might perceiue in the tender barke of a great and tall ashe from as high as a man of more then a meane stature might reach from the ground certaine verses written verie small and close togither and comming to the same to see what they were I began to read them as followeth SInce all my fortunes are so ouerthwart And so vnequall to my iust pretence That where dame Nature Mistresse of her art Did make an end to frame each beauties part There all my ils and sorrowes did commence Auguish and woes fierce torments griefe and paine With their braue force my soule doe ouerrunne That they doe worke it to their onely vaine As blustring windes vpon the cloudes and raine Or as the snowe that meltes before the sunne And then since that my wet and wearied eies Were woont to be enuious once to see Bicause they sawe the seate where nature lies With all her treasures and the chiefest prize Of beautie that in all the world might be Now shall they onely seeke and wish this hire Continually in bitternes to weepe Now shall they burne in swelling teares like fire And now in lieu of seeing that desire My cheekes in them shall neuer cease to sleepe Since th' absence of the Nymph I loue so much Hath deyn'd to beare me company of late Then needes my life must languish and be such That greefes and sorrowes will not also grutch To follow absence as their chiefest mate And since my Star is hid and gone away Whereby my life and senses I did guide I cannot choose but erre and goe astray And liue in senselesse darknes euery day Finding no light wherein I may abide And now exiled shall my body flie Since hard mishap the same did so oppresse But yet my soule shall euermore be nie And shall be neuer absent though I die From the sweete body of my Shepherdesse And so if that my vitall powers quaile Or bodie die by wandring heere and there Impossible it is my soule should faile Or death or danger should the same assaile Accompanying her body any where My soule for euer doth in her remaine My body but for absence doth lament That though my wretched body now is faine To wander heere yet doth my loue restraine My soule to stay that neuer would consent Then miserable body once begin This sorrowfull departure with no wonder To feele with paine and greefe And neuer lin To waile the cruell torments thou art in With soule and body parting thus asunder You shall my drenched eies no lesse then this Feele this great miserie that greeues me soe Your companie heere shall not be amisse Since that you were the onely fault ywisse Of all my troubles and tormenting woe Then seas of teares begin to drowne your marge And weepe for your attempt so rashly done Let weeping be your office and your charge And care no more to looke so much at large Let it suffice you sawe another sunne The intellectuall and inward eies Shall onely haue this charge and care to see And you my corporall with mournefull cries Bewaile my harmes in which no comfort lies Onely to you this office I decree And those which are impassible at all Shall see at length and in succeeding time Impossible and strange things to befall And you as passible heerafter shall Weary your selues by meanes of such a crime For you they shall with double sight behold That shining blaze that braue and glorious sight Without the feare of hurt and shall be bold With great delight their senses to vnfold On that which did your lookes with harme requite They shall behold that now I am and was Condemn'd without the course of iustice lore For if I did offend to loue her as My selfe then I confesse this fault did passe To make me suffer what I can no more And of this thing I meane not to repent For happen will what happen shall to prooue Each amorous torment I am well content And with good will with meere and franke consent I yeeld vnto the harme that comes of loue In louing her I doe all what I may Though to my minde it falleth out amisse I promise to forget her euery way And that my loue for euer shall decay If she would leaue to be what now she is Alas she cannot leaue to be the same A thing it is her minde that well doth please Hauing no peere in cruell beauties fame Nor I cannot but still maintaine this flame Nor t' is a thing conuenient for mine ease And if she said to me with little loue That it were best for me to hate and scorne And should finde ease if I began to prooue The same I answere that it doth behooue Me still to choose the worse to worser borne My piteous wordes she did condemne with fell And angry lookes for telling her mine ill Infernall greefe and to my soule a hell That with such crueltie she should repell Me so bicause I did obey her will She bid me tell her O accursed day If that my torments were for her or no And if I lou'd her so as I did say She did commaund Alas I did obay Why angry then if she will haue it so Weepe eies of earth O weepe and weepe no more My miserie and
leese his hew and vigour quite Where hope begins to faile and to decay If musing all alone by chaunce I stay Vpon my greefe that smallest ioy denies And see some spring or fountaine in the way I flie and softly to my selfe I say Let that suffice that runneth fro mine eies And if in taking some poore little pleasure If pleasure in a haplesse state I take And view the greene the countries hope and treasure I flie and say that hope of death must measure My minde with ioy that doth my pleasures make According to my life in great disgrace And miseries euen from my mothers wombe I thinke and as I am in such a case That if I follow death with happie pace Death will not yet vnto my succour come I thinke sometimes alas weake is my might To giue my selfe some comfort and some rest But they doe flie from me by day and night In me poore wretch they can take no delight And so my paines doe double in my brest It wearies me for greefe doth euer range To be so long together in a place Yet my vnwearied greefes doe neuer change Their place but still my seldome ioies in strange And cruell manner from my breâ—… doe chace Heere stay my song and tell the world my smart And let this tree with thee haue neuer end For with me shall my haunting greefe depart For it will neuer leaue my wofull hart Like to a trustic good and faithfull friend Lord Felix as soone as Stela had made an ende of the song turned him to Polydora saying Art thou now satisfied So much said she that for a little I would not sticke to say that it is better then the first But knowest thou what I thinke of it said Syrenus That the first is finer pretier this more sententious witty with this I am pleased and it came finely in when he said very wel that first the ill came to him before any good since without widow-hood he suffered like griefe to the Turtle Doue for he esteemed it but a meane sorrow to be a widower bicause it was a signe of sometime enioying the thing he loued But it seemed a most greeuous thing vnto him not hauing at any time the possession of the thing he loued to be depriued of it Truely said Felismena thou art much beholding to him Stela being so hard vnto him as thou wert to cleere thee of all fault and that none might be laid vpon thee he said Thou wert not cruell onely attributing his disgrace to his ill fortune But in one thing said Doria he shewed his infinite loue more then in any thing else when he said he rested not in any place I might well haue noted something said Syluanus but that I would not hinder so pleasant a discourse Tell on therefore faire Stela as the Gods graunt thee thine owne desires Hauing made an end of reading this that was in the Sicamour said Stela prosecuting her tale neither of vs could speake for a good while Crimine for pitie and I for greefe But afterwards Crimine said Dost thou thinke Stela that I had not reason to helpe thy great need What had become now of Delicius if thy rigour and hardnes had lasted till this time That which is now I answered and if any other thing had happened I would not haue greatly cared Say not so said Crimine for therein thou dost offend thy self After this we went to the accustomed place to the Shepherdes bicause we thought it was no time And being there in their sweete and gracious company my companion said I am euer when I am with you my friendly Shepherds not a little troubled in minde They asked why so Bicause to know you distinctly saide she some outward token and signe must be apparant whereby I may know how to make a difference betweene you whereas otherwise I am as much deceiued and know as little as they that haue frequented your companie lesse then I for if I turne but my head I returne to the selfe same doubt if happily in the meane time you haue chaunged places For the cleering whereof and for the friendship that is betweene vs I pray thee Stela giue one of them a token whereby we may know how to be assured of either of them and not need to be troubled any more with this doubt If thou hast then so great a desire said I what needest thou require this at my hands but that thou maist do it as well as I. Thou knowest now said Crimine that it was first demanded of thee and if it had not beene it might suffice that I request it againe of thee I deny not this said I but assure thee that of this great likenes and deceit which troubles thy minde so much I take great pleasure And it was so indeed for as I loued them in equall sort so my desire was to haue them not onely like in their exteriour shewes but all one in their interiour soules I say as touching my selfe so that I knew it bicause I was then far from knowing the loue that Parthenius did secretly beare me and not onely desired as I said to haue them still like to one another but that in truth they had beene both one It must not euer be to thy liking said Crimine for it must sometimes please mine a little Let it be as thou wilt saide I and choose since it makes so much for thee Good Lord saide Crimine how frowarde art thou Stela Heereaster I will not request thee to doe any thing I will be gone and tarie thou heere if thou wilt if not doe what thou wilt for I knowe not nowe to what ende it will come Staie staie saide I Goe not away and bee not so angrie for all shall bee done to thine owne desire In faith if it were not for these yoong Shepherdes sakes saide Crimine I thinke thou shouldest see me no more heere If then the matter be so said I harke but one worde that I shall say vnto thee and taking her aside I saide vnto her I would not by any meanes in the world giue more fauour to one then to the other by giuing one a signe and the other none lest his wings to whom I giue it growe bigger then the others Thou must therefore either giue me some time to thinke of it or else counsell me how I must doe it The wings to serue thee she answered are now growen in Delicius so that to him onely thou maiest giue thy fauour for as Parthenius will not care for it so much at thy handes so it likes me best that thou giuest him none at all Crimine thought not by speaking these wordes that she did cut me to the very hart but God knowes how much I felt them yet dissembling the matter the best I could I answered Though it likes thee not yet will I giue to Parthenius his difference as well as thy selfe and I was not then in iest
me which is afraide of nothing Being stung with the pricke of iealousie and not able to suffer that she should goe alone with one whom I loued more then my selfe I said Since thou hast so good a defence with thee I will also accompany thee But let vs first I beseech thee endeuour to know what is become of Parthenius for if he be dead I will not liue nor come before Delicius with such vnfortunate newes being assured that whosoeuer shall first aduertise him thereof shall giue him no lesse then death Whom we should rather informe as soone as might be if he were prisoner to seeke out some meanes to deliuer him from thence which counsell we thought was the best We remained therefore in this determination and such was our good hap that walking the second day vp and downe the riuer bankes at the narrowest place of it there came a strong and lustie Shepherdesse with a sling in her hand and being right ouer against vs did fling ouer to our side a certaine thing like a round ball and then running away as fast as shee could got her into the Iland before her We not coniecturing what that might meane and desirous to know what it was went to take it vp that ran trendling in the meadow before vs. When we had it into our hands we saw it was a peece of linnen tyed vp fast togither and within it a round stone which we thought was put in least with the lightnes of the linnen it had fallen into the riuer This peece of linnen was written all ouer and I thinke with the iuice of Mulberies for it seemed he wanted inke and paper looking vpon the letter we knew it to be the hande of Parthenius wherby he willed vs to be of good comfort told vs the order of his imprisonment and how by the tokens which he gaue Gorphorost he was now sufficiently resolued that he was not Delicius and that he vsed him verie well but would nor dimisse him bicause he kept him for a baite for Delicius knowing that it might auaile him for the great friendship that was betweene them and also bicause if he did let him goe he might take Delicius if afterwards he met him for Parthenius of whom he might not be deceiued if he kept him still in his caue And therefore because Delicius might not come in sight by any meanes said that he would take some order himselfe for his owne deliuerie With these doubtfull newes and happie aduenture we went to seeke out Delicius And truely if we had not carryed that peece of linnen cloth written by Parthenius owne hand to him the griefe of the imprisonment of his deere brother had made an end of him by reason of the great sorrow that he felt thereof as yet he doth as you daily see Behold heere therefore Gentlemen what you desired to know of the Shepherd and vs and for what cause we go vp and downe in his company And the reason why my father woulde haue killed him I suspect to be this That the Nymphes our fellowes seeing vs all fower waiting at one time tolde him perhaps that the Shepherds had carried vs away with them So that we founde out this yoong Shepherd with whom we go and the infinite troubles that we haue suffered and must still endure vntill we see Parthenius so well beloued of vs all three Wherefore I pray you do me this fauour to request no more of me at this time nor howe we founde him out vntill with more ioy we be altogither if our misfortunes shall haue an ende as sage Felicia hath promised vs for now you see what content one takes in recounting of aduersities that are gone and past when she is free from them and contrarie what greefe when we still suffer them Of purpose saide Felismena wee tooke fit time for our discourses bicause we might haue had opportunitie to know all But bicause thy will is to the contrarie wee will not gainsay it to satisfie our owne Whereupon with this that Stela told them they knewe what great reason Delicius Stela and Crimine had to be sorrowfull who were partly no lesse for pittie of these fower vnfortunate louers The night being come they went in and after they had supped they went all to take their rest they at the least that were capable of it The end of the fifth booke The sixth Booke of the second Part of Diana of George of Montemayor ALl that companie comming foorth except Felicta and Parisiles with some Nymphes that tarried still praying in the Temple in a cleere morning the day was but a little spent when the aire changed on a sudden with such thunders and stormie tempestes that what with feare of the lightning and with the water that seemed to threaten them they were nowe going in againe when they heard a Shepherd singing a farre off and who they thought was comming towards them And hearing him they saide It seems he cares but litle for the iniury of the weather They all agreed to stay for him who not tarrying long from comming out of the wood where his way lay seeing so many togither maruelled much and left of his singing But they woondred more when he came nigh them to behold his strange kind of habit For he had on the skin of a beast called Hiena tied about his middle with a great wreath of leaues like to Bryony or the white vine which runs winding about the bodies of trees like a snake On his head he ware a Laurell crowne in his hand in steed of his sheepehook he caried a great bough of a figge tree All which when they had well marked they said vnto him Tell vs iolly Shepherd is this thy common wearing No said he but as I nowe vse to weare this or some such like as the qualitie of the time shall counsell me arming my selfe euer against the iniuries of it And therefore I clad me thus as at this present you see me bicause I would not be smitten with the furious lightning not thūderclap which the vertue of any one of these doth maruellously resist manie other things that came not so soone to my hands We are glad to know it saide they but bicause the rigour of this day warnes vs to put our selues vnder couert do vs this pleasure Shepherd to come in with vs here to Dianas temple The good report fame of this house your noble company shal carie me in although in such a time as this by the aduise of a cunning and expert Shepherd that dwels amongst vs it is not safe to be in statelie and high buildings Why so saide Lord Felix Bicause he saide answered the Shepherd that the thunderclap as it comes not right down but circularwise encounters with that which is highest therfore alights for the most part on high places as vpon towers castles Whereas on the contrarie if there be any in the field vnlesse it smite
thou purpose to destroy me When wilt thou make an end with woundes to noy me Not stretching foorth thy cruell hand to kill me Tell me the cause why dost thou so much will me To visit thee and with such words dost ioy me That to my death I rather would imploy me Then by such present pangs and greefes to spill me Woe to my soule since this doth cause thy sorrow That such a little fauour thou hast done me Little it is in sooth if it be peased With all my teares that neuer yet haue ceased To fall that to my death haue almost woon me They great this small those giue I this I borrow Firmius had scarce done when Faustus asked Diana how she knew that his loue to her was so small Who answered In that hoping to enioy thee inflamed in my loue thou complainest no purpose of a few teares thou hast spilt for my sake as if these were not as incident and requisite for loue as pasture for sheepe and oyle for the lamp To which wordes Faustus taking vp his Rebecke did thus answere her THou dost desire My life as thou dost say To see me in thy loues inflam'd at lest And yet an vncouth meanes thou dost suggest Which is to giue me care from day to day Dost thou not see the fier to decay Waxe cold and quench't within my louing brest With swelling teares which trickle without rest Out of mine eies to see thy hard delay The meade with raine her goodly greene redeemes The oile doth in the lampe the flame maintaine And loue with teares augmented is no lesse But loue the lampe and meadow as it seemes If that too much of these they doe containe Is spent is quench't and drowned in excesse As Faustus had thus made an ende Firmius said for all that I coulde not then heare he tolde me afterwards we are well content Diana that thou delightest thy selfe with our sorrowes since thou wilt take no pleasure in any of our other things if thy sweete voice in lieu of that might sound in our desired eares with some happie song Diana excused herselfe requesting them to pardon her saying she coulde not therein pleasure them since she wanted so much her owne content of minde They endeuouring to comfort her gaue her some hope saying that in the end sorrowes and griefes are not perpetuall and that she should remember that common song that saith Continuall griefe and sorrow neuer wanteth c. Bicause therefore you may see said Diana how ill this saying is vnderstoode tune your Bagpipe with your Rebecke and walking towards our flockes bicause it is now time to gather them vp although I thought not to doe it yet will I sing as well as I can vpon this theame and you shall take the tune of the song as of a woman so much tuned in miseries and mishappes as nothing more Firmius and Faustus made no delay And then Diana like a desperate woman with a mournsull and sorrowfull voice began thus taking for her first verse that which they had alreadie alleaged for her comfort COntinuall greefe and sorrow neuer wanteth Where feeding hope continues not decaying But euermore despaire that greefe recanteth From former course of minde doth cause estraying The glosse Riuers arise and run into the seas And waters without number day by day And yet the same seeme neuer to decay But new doe spring and run and doe increase So endlesse woes arise and multiplie Redoubled one vpon anothers head For one in truth is with another fed Still doe they come and yet they neuer die For since their fertill rootes each moment planteth Continuall greefe and sorrow neuer wanteth Torments of minde and vilest miseries Are sworne to dwell within a haplesse soule And there her ioies and pleasures doe controule As to my selfe my sweete content denies Then let not any Louer thinke to gaine The meanest thing that liues in any hope But liuing so to fall into a scope And wander in a world of greefe and paine For miseries men say continue staying Where feeding hope continue not decaying Who knowes it not Alas I knowe it well That if a wofull soule is hoping still She seldome doth enioy her mind and will But that her hope must euer be her hell So of this hope that flatters me I finde And doe confesse that with the same I liue But still in feare and therefore I would giue It for despaire to ease my doubtfull minde I wish not this false hope my iotes that scanteth But euermore despaire that greefe recanteth If any whit of goodnes euer came By vile despaire it comes to me in prime And it could neuer come in better time Then to be hoping still to haue the same The wisest and most prudent man at last Wanting the good that long he doth attend Which nourished by hope he did suspend Seeing the time that fed his hope is past And all his ioy by hope that is decaying From former course of minde doth cause estraying The Shepherds importuned Diana to proceed in her song or else if it pleased her to take some new matter for it was to be thought that Dianas song pleased them wel but they could not obtaine it at her hands for she rather requested them to sing something whilest they were going towardes their flockes Firmius then remembring that which a little before she had told him that he loued her not so much as he might began thus to tune his voice Faire Shepherdesse Iean no more But faine I would Loue thee more if that I could As this made also for Faustus purpose for the same cause he likewise sung to the same effect And so Firmius and Faustus sung by turnes and answered one another as followeth Firmius OF mine owne selfe I doe complaine And not for louing thee so much But that indeede my power is such That my true loue it doth restraine And onely this doth giue me paine For faine I would Loue her more if that I could Faustus Thou dost deserue who doth not see To be belou'd a great deale more But yet thou shalt not finde such store Of loue in others as in mee For all I haue I giue to thee Yet faine I would Loue thee more if that I could Firmius O trie no other Shepherd swaine And care not other loues to prooue Who though they giue thee all their loue Thou canst not such as mine obtaine And would'st thou haue in loue more gaine O yet I would Loue thee more if that I could Faustus Impossible it is my friend That any one should me excell In loue whose loue I will refell If that with me he will contend My loue no equall hath nor end And yet I would Loue her more if that I could Firmius Behold how loue my soule hath charm'd Since first thy beauties I did see Which is but little yet to mee My freest senses I haue harm'd To loue thee leauing them vnarm'd And yet I would Loue thee more if
to so faire a dame as Alcida and to so faithfull a louer as my selfe Vnto this passage my good fortune conducted me thus high she reared me vp to throw me downe afterwardes headlong into the depth of miseries wherein wretched man I still remaine O transitorie good mutable content vading delight and inconstant firmenes of mundaine things What greater ioy could I haue wished for then that I had alreadie receiued and what greater crosse am I able to suffer then this which I now carie about me Oh faire Shepherdesse entreat me no more to molest thy eares with so large and lamentable a historie nor to pierce thy compassionate hart with recitall of my ensuing calamities Let it content thee that thou hast knowen my passed felicities and desire not to search out farther my present greefes bicause I assuredly know that as my long and pitifull historie will be tedious to thy eares so will my continued disgraces alter thy reposed minde To which Diana answering said Leaue off Marcelius these excuses for I would not desire to know the successe of thy life onely thereby to reioice my minde with thy contents without sorrowing for thy calamities but woulde rather heare euerie part of them to bewaile them also in my pitifull hart How greatly woulde it please me faire Shepherdesse saide Marcelius if the good will I beare thee did not force me to content thee in a matter of so great grief And that which greeues me most is that my disgraces are such that they must needs fill thy hart full of sorrow when thou knowest them for the paine that I must passe by telling them I reckon not so great but that I would willingly suffer it in lieu of thy contentment But bicause I see thee so desirous to heare them out although they shall force me to make thee sorrowfull yet I will not seeme to leaue thy will herein vnsatisfied THen Shepherdesse thou must knowe that after my vnfortunate marriage was agreed vpon the Kings licence being now come her old father Eugerius who was a widower his sonne Polydorus and his two daughters Alcida and Clenarda and the haplesse Marcelius who is telling thee his greeuous accidents hauing committed the charges left vs by the King to sufficient and trustie Gentlemen embarked our selues in the port of Ceuta to goe by sea to the noble citie of Lisbone there to celebrate as I saide the marriage rites in presence of the King The great content ioy and pleasure which we all had made vs so blinde that in the most dangerous time of the yeere we feared not the tempestuous waues which did then naturally swel rage nor the furious boysterous winds which in those moneths with greater force violence are commonly woont to blow but committing our fraile barke to fickle Fortune we launched into the deepe and dangerous seas heedlesse of their continuall chaunges and of innumerable misfortunes incident vnto them For we had not sailed far when angrie Fortune chastised vs for our bold attempt bicause before night came on the warie Pilot discouered apparant signes of an imminent and sudden tempest For the thicke and darke cloudes began to couer the heauens all ouer the waues to roare and murmur and contrarie windes to blow on euerie side O what sorrowfull and menacing signes said the troubled and timorous Pilot O lucklesse ship what perils assaile thee if God of his great goodnes and pitie do not succour thee He had no sooner spoken these words when there came a furious and violent blast of winde that puffed and shooke the whole bodie of the ship and put it in so great danger that the routher was not able to gouerne it but that tossed vp and down by this mightie furie it went where the force of the angrie waues and windes did driue it The tempest by little and little with greater noise began to increase and the rauing billowes couered ouer with a fomy forth mightily to swell The skies powred downe abundance of raine with throwing out of euerie part of it fearful lightnings threatned the world with horrible thunders Then might there be heard a hideous noise of Sea monsters lamentable outcries of passengers and flapping of the sailes with great terrour The winds on euerie side did beat against the ship and the surges with terrible blowes shaking her vnsteadie sides riued and burst asunder the strong and soundest plaunchers Sometimes the proud billowe lifted vp vs to the skies and by and by threw vs downe againe into deepe gulphes the which also with great horrour opening themselues discouered to our fearfull eies the deepe and naked sandes The men and women ran on euerie side to prolong their ensuing and haples death and did cast out some of them dolefull sighs other some pitifull vowes and others plentie of sorrowfull teares The Pilot being appalled with so cruell Fortune and his skill confounded by the countenance and terrour of the tempest could now no more gouerne the tottered routher He was also ignorant of the nature and beginning of the windes and in a moment deuised a thousand different things The marriners likewise agast with the agonie of approching death were not able to execute the Masters commaund nor for such lamentations noise and outcries could heare the charge direction of their hoarse and painfull Pilot. Some strike saile others turne the maine yarde some make fast againe the broken shrouds others mende and calke the riuen planks some ply the pompe apace and some the routher and in the end all put their helping hands to preserue the miserable ship from ineuitable losse But their painfull diligence did not helpe them nor their vowes and teares profit them to pacifie proud Aeolus and Neptunes wrath but rather the more the night came on the more the winds blew and the storme waxed greater and more violent And now darke night being fully come and angrie Fortune continuing still her seuere punishment the olde Father Eugerius being past all hope of helpe and remedie looking on his children and son in lawe with an appalled and altered countenance felt such great sorrowe for the death that we had to passe that his greefe and compassion for vs was more bitter to our soules then the thought of our proper and present misfortunes For the lamenting olde man enuironed on euery side with care and sorrowe with a pitifull voice and sorrowfull teares said thus Ah mutable fortune common enimie to humane content howe hast thou reserued so great mishap and miserie for my sorrowfull olde age O thrise blessed are they who fighting in the middes of bloudie battails with honour die in their yoong and lustie yeeres bicause not drawing foorth their line to wearied old age haue neuer cause with greefe to bewaile the vntimely death of their beloued children O extreme sorrow O balefull successe who euer ended his daies in so heauie a plight as I poore distressed man that hoping to haue comforted my naturall death by leauing them to
teares had melted me like snowe Marcelius is my name who knowes not that And I am hers since first I did her see That now I knowe not who I am nor what My hap shall be or shall become of mee Now did the light begin to giue place to darknes and the countrey villages with their domesticall fires began to smoke apace when the Shepherds being neere to their towne made an ende of their singing Euerie one went to his owne house as men not meanely glad for their passed conuersation but Diana founde no rest at all especially when she remembred that her beloued Syrenus was not in the towne She lodged Marcelius well in Mâ—libeus house cousen to Delius where with great kindnes and their best countrey cheere he was welcommed and after comming home to her owne house she called her husbands and her owne kindred togither and tolde them how Delius had forsaken her at the fountaine of the Sicamours by following a strange Shepherdesse that by chance came thither At which wordes she seemed to make so greeuous complaints and indeed to be so sorrie that in the end she told them all that earely in the morning she was purposed to go to Dianas Temple to enquire of sage Felicia some newes of her husband Delius They were all well content that she should go and offered her all the fauour and helpe they could in her iourney but the intent therof was for no other end but to see Syrenus whom she knew assuredly to be there Wherefore with many thankes she remained verie glad that her determination had so good successe and so with hope of her future ioy she gaue some rest that night to her wearied bodie and felt in her heauie hart a touch of vnwoonted pleasure and content The end of the first booke The second Booke of Enamoured DIANA VNiust and lawlesse loue is of such force that to augment his crueltie it hath the helpe of all things in the world his enterprises being fauoured and maintained by those things which are of most might and valour but especially aided so much by Fortune and by her mutabilities as for bestowing his paines and torments abroad he needs no better friend nor furtherer All which is verified by Marcelius disgraces since Fortune wrought so hard a conceite in his betrothed Alcidas brest that she was forced to giue credite to such a suspicion that though most false she held for an assured or at least an apparant ground of his inconstancie whereof ensued the hating of her husband who loued her deerer then his owne life and who in any thing had neuer offended her Heereupon it may be gathered how strong and certaine a presumption ought to be to make a wise and discreete person giue faith and credite to it since this that had but a colour of certaintie was so farre indeede from the truth of the matter But now though Loue and Fortune so ill entreated Marcelius yet in one thing they highly pleasured him which was that Loue wounded Dianas hart and Fortune conducted him to the fountaine where he found her whereby they might go both togither to sage Felicias house and passe away his sorrowes with lesse annoy in her comfortable and delighfull companie But the time being come when the redde morning with her golden habite did ouercome the starres of the passed night and the birdes with their chirping noise gaue warning that day was come Enamoured Diana wearied with the long and tedious night rose vp to walke the path of her desired iourney and committing the charge of her flockes to the Shepherdesse Polyntia her friend she came out of her towne accompanied onely with her rurall Baggepipe the deceiuer of her sorrowes and with her scrippe stored with some fewe victuals She came downe from the side of a hill which ledde from the towne to a thicke woode where in the bottome of it she sat her downe vnderneath a rowe of greene Sicamours attending for Marcelius companie as she had promised the night before But in the meane time whilest he came not she began to tune her Baggepipe and to sing this song following AWake a little light of cleerest day With calme aspect with milde and gentle grace A poore soule to beguile in sorrowes plight Stretch out that light Apollo from thy face That ioies the desert Champians in decay And driest plants with life and secret might In this most pleasant wood that doth inuite To sweetest rest Tormented thou shalt see my brest With carefull greefe my heauie lot To see it selfe by him forgot Who for my scorne a thousand plaintes did waste The fault is Cupids taste Who giues and takes on purpose discontent Where he perceiues he may the more torment What beastes with mildnesse doe not complaints acquaint What stone by sighes is not to softnes wrought The which a wearied brest doth yeeld with paine What Tigres or what lions are not brought To ruth and pitie hearing a complaint Which hath almost vndone my soule in twaine But to Syrenus I recount in vaine My sorrowfull mishap Who doth as little care for that As furious windes in raging seas The teares that all to little ease The mariners with carefull hart doe shill For more they crie the more it rageth still Thy loue Syrenus was not fine and good Which in these fieldes to me thou didst once beare When as my errour might offend it so Remember Traitour what thou then didst sweare Neere to the riuer sitting in this wood What then doth now thy hardnes seeme to show Shall not a small obliuion long agoe Be helpt by extreme loue And such that shall be far aboue My passed hate and fault before Then since I cannot loue thee more Nor satisfie the same with greater heate For remedie my death I will intreate Liue yet in paine the which I feele at last For thee who mak'st my sorrowes lesse appeere Though more it hurtes my wretched soule I see Bicause to haue thy present figure heere Giues to her thought a sweete delight some tast Who paining for thy sake doth thinke on thee But bend thy hart a little vnto me Ardent in my request Thou seest I liue in paine opprest Sustain'd by this desire alone In all my life to heare but one No if thou wilt in that I most doe loue But from a man so fierce what shall I proue Tell me the fauours how canst thou requite In that time past Syrenus when thy hart Thou hadst more tender now in hardnes dead When Traitour for my cause with enuies smart A thousand Shepherdes thou didst kill outright O ioyfull time and life that I did leade The vale shall witnes and the pleasant meade Where I of Roses white And sweetest flowers with delight Braue garlands for thy head I had Compacted and sometimes did adde Only for thy content some of my haire Which greeuous thought my life doth now impaire Now free thou dost abhorre me in the end Who for thy sake her selfe in paine
consumes But yet take heede of Cupids fine deceates For that proud hart that ouermuch presumes From cruell loue his senses to defend The more he yeeldes the more to striue he sweates O that thou wert so wounded in his heates As now my selfe I see But euer it is vnto mee The best aduise no good to craue For whatsoeuer it would haue Though heauen and earth the more it doth importune It euer was denied by Loue and Fortune My song in pine I will no wise ingraue thee Nor hardned Oke but rather will commend thee Vnto the windes where they will tosse and waue thee And to the deafe and desart Champian send thee Bicause my torments of their hope depriued And memorie of them which makes me sorie May be forgot and neuer be reuiued Now that my life is lost and chiefest glorie The delicate voice and excellent graces of Diana surmounted farre the praises of the fairest and most skilfull Shepherdesses of her time And the quauers and fine conceits wherewith so sweetely she brake her voice and adorned her songs made her to be the more admired For they were so rare and singular that they rather seemed to be fetcht from some maiesticall court then knowen in the homely countrey The which ought not to be so much wondred at nor thought so strange since Loue is able to make the simplest Shepherds discourse of high and learned matters especially if it finde a liuely wit and spirit which in those pastorall cottages is seldome wanting But as the enamoured Shepherdesse was now ending her song about that time that the cleere Sunne began to lessen the shadowes of the high hils despised Marcelius taking his leaue of his pastorall lodging to come to the place where he had appointed to meete Diana came downe from the hill aboue at the foote whereof she was sitting to attende him whom when she had espied a far off she held her peace bicause he might not vnderstand the cause of her griefe When Marcelius was come to the place where Diana stayed for him he saide vnto her The cleere light of this day faire Shepherdesse which with the more resplendant beames of thy shining beautic did arise be as ioyfull and happie to thee as to me most sorrowfull if in thy good company I passe it not away Truely I am ashamed to see that my slownes hath made thee stay heere all alone so carefull for my comming but this is not the first fault that faire Diana thou must pardon me during the time that I shall conuerse with thee As that pardon should be vaine answered Diana where there is no fault so thou art not to be blamed for any such small care but rather the earnest desire that I had to rise so early and to come hither where I haue passed away the time in sundrie fancies and in thinking of the effects which belong to a troubled minde But here is no time nor place for vs to stay since the desire I haue to be at Dianas Temple is great though the way is very short as also for that the morning being somewhat fresh we may before the Sunne begins to powre downe his beames with greater heat begin to take our iourney the better to refresh our selues in the heate of the day to rest our wearied bodies When she had saide thus they both went on their way crossing ouer a thicke wood that was before them and for lightning of their iourney began to sing that which followeth Marcelius INconstant loue and cruell which hast lately Setled my happy thoughts my loue and fire In such a place so famous high and stately Where mortall mens desarts cannot aspire Well hast thou shew'd thy power By quailing of my sorrow To double it each hower And make my torments greater euen and morrow Thou mightst haue left my hart in former sadnes Bicause lesser harme it were to die with anguish Then to receiue a gladnes So full of paine And so by fits to languish Diana Thou must not thinke it strange and must not woonder That thus the mighty Boy of paine and pleasure After one small delight doth send a hunder Nay thousand paines and torments without measure For firme repose to any He yet did promise neuer But cruell deathes and many Sobs sighes and teares complaintes and chaines for euer The Lybian sandes and Aprils fairest flowers Passe not the greefes with which fierce loue doth murder Each harte and into showers Distraines the eies And yet proceedeth furder Marcelius Before that euer Loue my soule inflamed His slightes wherein he most of all abounded I knew right well wherewith mens harts he tamed And captiues made and after deepely wounded Our liues with great offences Not onely he annoieth But yet our wits and senses And soundest iudgements wholy he destroieth And so torments a soule and so encumbers That one poore ioy it hardly doth recouer So by ten thousand numbers Most greeuous thoughts surcharge a wretched louer Diana If Loues deceites and his dissembling proffers Wherewith he takes vs are so knowne and tried Why then presents the soule it selfe and offers So easily to be taken and applied If that the hart so tender The troubles intertaineth That Cupid doth engender Why after then laments it and complaineth Reason it were in loue he should be pained That to his dartes doth yeeld and is consenting With fetters to be chained For ill affoords vs nought but paines tormenting They sung this song and many more the which hauing ended they were nowe out of the wood and then they began to walke ouer a pleasant and flowrie meade which caused Diana to vse these words They are no doubt maruellous and strange things which the industrie of man hath inuented in populous and great cities but yet those which nature hath produced in the wide and solitarie fieldes are more to bee admired For who woulde not woonder at the liuely greene of this wood and not be amazed at the beautie of this goodly meadow For to beholde the diuersitie of coloured flowers and the pleasant melodie of chirping birdes is a thing so full of content and delight that the glorious pompe and wealth of the brauest and most famous Court is not comparable to it There is indeed said Marcelius in this pleasant solitude great store of content and ioy and namely for those that are free from passions of loue since they may lawfully and when they list enioy such rare sweetenes and abundant pleasures And I am certaine that if Loue which is now so much my mortal enimy remaining in these sequestred places had in the village where I was of late giuen me halfe the grief which now I feele my life durst neuer abide it since with such like delights I coulde not haue mitigated the crueltie of my torment To this Diana answered not a word but putting her snowe white hande before her eies and therewith supporting her golden head she staied a great while very sadde and pensiue and after
without making any noise The reason was bicause she heard amongst those thicke trees certaine Shepherds singing By their voices they seemed to be Taurisus and Berardus both extremely tormented in pursute of her loue as it is saide before But bicause she would be more sure of it stealing on neerer vnto them betweene certaine bushes she was harkening to them to see if she knew them and she perceiued that they were the very same and that they had in their companie a faire yoong gentlewoman and a gallant and woorthie gentleman both which although they seemed to be somewhat troubled in minde and wearied by much trauell shewed neuerthelesse in their gesture and disposition notable tokens of valour and vertue After she had viewed who they were she went backe againe bicause she woulde not be seene And now was Marcelius and Ismenia come and all three togither began to sit them downe behinde certaine Hasels where they might not bee seene but where they might distinctly heare the Shepherds songs whose voices resounding ouer all the forrest made a singular sweete melodie as you shall heare in the Booke that followeth The end of the second Booke The third Booke of Enamoured DIANA THe treacherie and malice of an iniurious and enuying stepdame is commonly woont to enterprise so detestable acts that it would discourage the stoutest hart not onely to doe them but make it tremble to thinke of them And that which is worst is that Fortune is so great a friend in changing good and prosperous estates that she sheweth them all the fauour she may in their vniust attempts for she knoweth that most of them endeuour to stirre vp strange nouelties and mutinies and to be the occasion and meanes of much sorrow and trouble The crueltie of Felisarda was great when by her vile and suttle slightes she made the father so mortally abhorre his owne sonne and a husband to forsake his louing wife the one deceiued by an â—pparant shewe of loue and dutie misconstrued the other by a false report and with a vaine and simple suspect stinged but yet her happe was the better that brought her malicious and wicked purpose to that effect that she herselfe desired And I speake not this to make men thinke the woorse of all such kinde of women but bicause euerie one may liue aduisedly by taking good heed of such as Felisarda was which are but fewe I hope since so many of that noble sexe are the glorie of the worlde and the lanterns of life whose sinceritie faith discretion and vertues with golden verses deserue to be eternized For proofe whereof Diana and Ismenia may giue sufficient testimonie Shepherdesses adorned with singular beautie chastitie and wisedome whose histories do blazon foorth their infinite and woorthie praises In following the discourse whereof you must vnderstand that when Marcelius and they were sitting behinde the Hasels they heard that Taurisus and Berardus did sing as followeth Berardus THe coole fresh winde Taurisus that inuiting vs Amongst the trees the leaues is gently shaking Our sences ioying and with ease delighting vs The Cotes and Sicamours sweete shadowes making The Cristall fountaines that in copâ—ous swelling Doe flowe our thirst with sauourie liquours slaking The coloured flower whose sweete and fragrant smelling To banish melancholie greefes sufficeth Which makes the hart from sweet content rebelling His might that all despiseth Cannot subdue nor malice nor the brauerie Of that most cruell king whose sway doth wearie vs Whose punishment and slauerie Is absolute vniust and meere imperious For amorous greefes to hels of paines that ferrie vs No remedies haue yet beene salutiferous But still the poison fuming Infects my soule with torments most pestiferous Taurisus He that in loue is euermore consuming Is neuer glad for such an euill tires him Liuing in greefe in greefe his death resuming Loue giues him paines and most with torments fires him When most he seekes his pastime and his pleasure For then with furious thoughts he most inspires him Those few times when a soule entoies her treasure Greefe doth succeede in place whose balefull souenaunce Makes it returne to playning without measure Loue will enioy his couenants And whom he conquers kils or prisoner taketh He thinkes by him to get most famous glorie His prisoner now that quaketh He giuâ—… to Fortune with his Fortune sorie Or sels to greefe whom euermore it shaketh And paints in him her dire and tragicke storie And him that 's burning in his hottest fires He quite consumes the cruell he retires Berardus The whole man waxeth sicke as he intreates him He turnes each hart from former ioy to sadnes Still killing him that liuing is and threates him That is most free with bonds the scourge of gladnes Since then my soule thou knowest too well how cruell This Tyrant is be patient and content thee That such a place containes thy amorous fuell So high a place Take greefes and now present thee To all those harmes and paines he shall enure thee Enioy thine ill and in thy greefes maintaine thee Bicause by how much more thou shalt procure thee A meanes to rid thy selfe from that that paines thee The more thou shalt enwrap thee in his briers And shalt be furdest from thy cheefe desires Taurisus Loue findes in me so well disposed matter And such a minde to amplifie his glorie That mongst all those whose mournfull flockes doe scatter On both Hisperias plaines in loue so sorie My daily greefes are euer more augmented Salt showers of teares mine eies haue euer rained And more then wretched Biblis malcontented When turned to a fountaine she remained Strange is my good my paine is proper to me Faine would I see Dianas face but twenty And twenty deaths in seeing her vndoe me I die for want neere to the fount of plenty Her presence doth with paines and torments fill me Her absence doth with desperation kill me Berardus The woods doe murmur and the meadow smileth And iugging nightingales are sweetely singing But death to thousand woes my hope exileth Taurisus The blooming trees smell sweete that now are spinging The grasse growes greene with many a painted flower But I remaine O woe in sorrowes stinging Berardus My woes my wits haue slaine in such an hower That now I haue no power To say by hart ten verses all along Taurisus My toong doth cleaue euen in my very song Wherefore my friend prolong The time no more but sing that sweetest dittie Which interrupted with thy sighes of pitie And teares in euery citie And countrie towne so highly did commend thee Berardus Singing with thee it shall no whit offend me But ease and pleasure lend me Then answer me But now what shall I sing Taurisus Sing that that saieth The radiant star doth bring Or that Loues teares doe spring c. Or that I knowe not well how it doth say Which thou sung'st on a day Dauncing with faire Diana on a greene Berardus No Tigresse nor no lionesse haue beene But with compassion
mooued Of all my torments able to despaire one But not that cruell faire one The fierce deuouresse of my life approoued Taurisus The fierce deuouresse of my life approoued My peerelesse Shepherdesse As fell in hart as she is faire in face How then in such a case Can I escape O greefe but die without redresse Berardus Can I escape O greefe but die without redresse With deathes of racking passions But when I see Diana faire her sight my griefes asswageth Yet then my soule enrageth The more I haue to doe with loue the lesse I knowe his fashions Taurisus The more I haue to doe with loue the lesse I knowe his fashions His seruants he neglecteth And he that flying seeketh to escape his mortall chaine With thrise redoubled paine He wounds and with his furious plagues his wretched soule infecteth Berardus Faire Shepherdesse whose face the heauenly powers Haue graced with more beautie then the Roses And sweeter then the purple golden flowers That deckes our meades and virgins brestes with poses So may the heauens powre downe in copious plentie Vpon thy flockes their fauours most abounding And thy faire ewes with double twins not emptie In numbers swarme in profit still redounding That to my soule which my demerit pesters Thou wouldst not shew sterne lookes nor angrie gestures Taurisus Faire Shepher desse that with thy neighbour dwelling Dost cleere thy fieldes bedight with Daffodillies The driuen snowe in whitenesse far excelling In beautie Gilloflowres and stately lillies So prosper may thy fieldes in euery season In corne and fruit which thou maist taste at pleasure Thy peares and plums and apricocks so geason By handfuls maist thou pull in plentious measure That thou wouldst looke vpon thy swaine so sorie For of thy sight depends his cheefest glorie About this time the yoong Gentleman and Gentlewoman that were harkening to the Shepherds songs did cut them off and gaue them many thankes for the delight and recreation which with so sweete musicke they had giuen them And after this the Gentleman turning to the Gentlewoman said Didst thou euer sister in the magnificent and stately Cities heare musicke that pleased the eare and delighted the minde like this Truely saide she againe these pastorall and country songs being full of simplicitie and plainnes please me more then the delicate voices set togither with curious skill and full of newe inuentions and conceits in the braue pallaces of Kings and Princes And when I thinke this melodie to be better then that you must the rather beleeue it bicause I haue been present at the best musicke that in any Citie of the world or Kings Court was euer heard For in that happie time when Marcelius was a sutor to our sister Alcida he did some nights sing to the tune of his Lute so sweetely that if Orpheus made so solemne musicke I did not maruell then if the Birdes and Beastes did follow him and that he brought backe his deere wife Euridice from darke hell Ah Marcelius where art thou nowe Ah where art thou Alcida Ah most haplesse woman that I am how often doth Fortune surcharge my memorie with obiects of greefe when she sees me enioy the least content and pleasure in the worlde Marcelius heard the talke of the Gentleman and the Damosell which were with the Shepherds behinde the shrubs and bushes and when he perceiued that they named him and Alcida he began to bee somewhat altered He scarcely beleeued his owne eares and was doubting with himselfe whether it was another Marcelius and Alcida whom they named He rose vp by and by out of his place and to cleere himselfe of all doubt comming neerer he knewe that they were Polydorus and Clenarda brother and sister to Alcida Wherupon he ran suddenly to them and with open armes and abundance of teares somtimes embracing Polydorus sometimes Clenarda he stoode a great while before hee could speake for inward greefe Polydorus and Clenarda wondring at this noueltie could not coniecture what accident it was bicause Marcelius going in a Shepherds habite was vnknowne vnto them vntill his sobs and teares giuing him leaue he saide O deere brother and sister care not nowe for my ill fortune paste and to come since I am the happiest man in the world in seeing you Ah why is not Alcida in your companie Is she perhaps hidden in any part of this thicke woode O let me know some newes of her if you can tell me any to ease my cruell greefe and to satisfie my desire In speaking these wordes they knewe Marcelius and embracing him very affectionately and weeping for pleasure and greefe they saide vnto him O happie day O vnexpected ioy O deere brother of our soules what cruell Fortune hath bin the cause that thou dost not enioy the company of Alcida nor we her sight Why dost thou dissemble thy selfe with this new habite O cruell fortune in the end there is not full content of any good Diana and Ismenia on the other side seeing that Marcelius had so on the sudden gone to the place where the Shepherds did sing went after him and founde him talking with Polydorus and Clenarda as you haue heard When Taurisus and Berardus saw Diana the ioye that at so sweete and sudden a sight they tooke cannot be tolde And so Taurisus shewing a maruellous kinde of gladnes in his hart and words said vnto her This is no small fauour of fortune faire Diana to make her that continually flies our companie by vnexpected and happie chances to come so often where wee are That is not the cause of Fortune woorthie Shepherds saide Diana but rather bicause you are so excellent in singing playing on your instruments for there is no place of pleasure where you are not and where your sweete musicke songs are not heard But now since I am come hither though ignorant of your being heere and that the parching Sunne is now in the highest way I shall be very glad to passe away the heate of the daie in this pleasant place and in your good companie and though it standes me vpon to go quickly to Felicias pallace yet will I not thinke the time long to staie heere with you to take part of the coole and greene grasse and to harken to your delightfull musicke Prepare your selues therefore to sing and plaie and to all kinde of honest myrth for it will not become this place and braue assemblie to be without such kinde of pleasure And you Gentleman and faire Gentlewoman surcease your teares a while bicause you shall haue time enough heereafter to tell to each other your Fortunes and aduentures and to bewaile or reioice at the ill or good successe of them All of them liked well of Dianas speech and so they sat them downe vpon the fine greene grasse rounde about the Fountaine That was the pleasantest place in all the wood and more then any of those that were celebrated by the cleere Bagpipe of Neapolitan Syncerus in famous Parthenia There was in
his malladie Delius mother came thither with a heauie hart in great haste and found her sonne tormented with a burning feauer With much sorrow she lamented his case and did importune him to know the cause of his griefe but no other answer would he giue her but sob sigh and weepe The louing mother powring forth many a bitter teare said vnto him Oh my deere Son what an vnfortunate chance is this Hide not the secrets of thy hart from me behold I am thy mother and perhaps I knowe some part of them alreadie Thy wife told me last night that at the fountaine of the Sicamours thou didst forsake her running after I knowe not what vnknowne Shepherdesse tell me if thy greefe doth grow thereby and be not afraid nor ashamed to impart it to me for ill may that malladie be cured the cause and beginning whereof is vnknowne Oh sorrowfull Diana thou didst this day go to Felicias temple to learn some newes of thy husband and he was neerer to thy towne and weaker then thou wert aware of When Delius heard his mother speake these words he answered not a worde but gaue a great sigh and then redoubled his painefull agonie For before he complained onely of Loue but at these wordes with loue and iealousie he was most greeuouslie molested For when he remembred that thou Syrenus wert here in Felicias pallace and hearing that Diana was come hither fearing least her olde and mortified loue might be rekindled againe in her he fell into such a frantike madnes that being assaulted with two most fierce and cruell torments he ended his life in a furious traunce vnto the greatest greefe of his sorrowfull mother kinsefolkes and lamenting friends In very truth I could not chuse but be sorrowfull for his death knowing my selfe to be the chiefest cause of it but I coulde haue done no lesse for safegard of mine owne content and honor Onely one thing greeued me not a little that not contenting him with any comfortable deede I gaue him not at the least some gentle words whereby he might not then perhaps haue come to so sudden a death In the ende I came hither leauing the poore soule dead and his kinsfolkes weeping for him not knowing the cause of his death Thus haue I digressed yet to the purpose to make thee knowe what harme a cruell disdaine and forgetfulnes procureth and also bicause thou shouldest vnderstand of Dianas widowhood and consider with thy selfe if now it were good for thee to change thine intent since she hath changed her condition and estate But I maruell much that Diana departing from her towne yesterday as Delius mother saide to come to this place is not yet heere Syrenus gaue attentiue eare to Alcidas words and when hee heard of Delius death his hart began somewhat to alter and change There did the secret power also of sage Felicia worke extraordinary effects and though she was not present there yet with her herbes and wordes which were of great vertue and by many other supernaturall meanes she brought to passe that Syrenus began now againe to renewe his old loue to Diana which was no great maruell considering that by the influence of his celestiall constellation he was so much enclined to it that it seemed Syrenus was not borne but onely for Diana nor Diana but for Syrenus The prouident and most wise Ladie Felicia was now in her magnificent and rich pallace enuironed about with her chaste Nymphes working with soueraigne and secret verses the remedies and content of all these Louers And as she sawe by her diuine wisedome that by this time Montanus and Alcida being by their imaginations deceiued had now acknowledged their errours and that hard harted Syrenus had mollified his obstinate and rigorous disposition she thought it now high time vtterly to confound olde errours and to ease the long trauels and troubles of her guestes by exchanging them into ioyfull and vnexpected happines Going therefore out of her sumptuous pallace attended on by Dorida Cynthia Polydora and manie other goodly Nymphes she came to the delightfull garden where the Lordes Ladies Shepherds and Shepherdesses were The first that she saw there were Marcelius Don Felix Felismena Syluanus Seluagia Diana and Ismenia sitting in one of the corners of that little square meadow neere vnto the great gate as is aforesaide When they sawe the reuerend Lady comming towards them they all rose vp and kissed those hands in which they had placed their cheefest hope and remedies She courteously saluted them againe making a signe vnto them that they shoulde all follow her which most willingly they did Felicia attended on by this amorous traine crossing euery part of this great and pleasant garden came at the last to the other part of it to the fountaine where Eugerius Polydorus Alcida Clenarda Syrenus Arsileus Belisa Montanus were They all rose vp in honor of the sage Matron And when Alcida espied Marcelius Syrenus Diana and Montanus Ismenta they were all astonished at the sight one of another and verily thought they were in a dreame standing like enchaunted persons and not beleeuing their owne eies The wise Ladie commanding them all to sit downe againe and shewing by her countenance that she was to entreat of important affaires sat her downe in the middes of them all in a chaire of Iuorie grauen with gold and precious stones and spake in this sort Nowe is the hower come renowned and faire assemblie wherein with my hands I meane to giue you all your long desired and happie contentment for by diuers strange meanes and vntroden waies I haue made you come to my Palace for no other intent and purpose Since you are heere therefore altogither wel met where the matters and meanes of your happie loue and life to come must be determined my desire is that you would follow my will and obey my commands herein Thou art Alcida by the true testimonie and report of thy sister Clenarda cleerelie deliuered from the suspicion of thy deceiued imagination And I knew well enough that after thou hadst forsaken that cruell disdaine the absence of thy Marcelius did not a little greeue thee Come hither therefore and offer thy selfe vnto him for this absence shall not be long which hath rather beene so short that at that time when thou complainedst to me of it Marcelius was in my pallace Nowe thou hast him heere before thee as firme and stedfast in his first loue that if it pleased thee and thy Father brother and sister he would thinke himselfe the happiest man aliue to solemnize this desired marriage long since betrothed The which besides that it must needes cause great ioy and gladnes being betweene such principall and noble personages shall make it more perfect and absolute by reason of Felismena his sisters presence whom Marcelius after many yeeres past hath happely found out in my Palace Thou Montanus by Sylueria herselfe that betraied thee art rid from thy erronious opinion After which time thou