roome enough to entertaine one man and the leaves at the top touch one another hither the shepheards betake themselves consult together and lye in ambush while the paper reeds serve them for City wals some of these Ilands are compassed about with bogges and fenns having in them some small cottages which lying scattered here one and there one look like some City built in haste one of these Ilands being nearest to us and more conspicuous by reason of the great number of cottages was called as I remember Nichocis to this City as to a most invincible fort they repaired relying much partly on the number of their souldiers partly on the situation of the place for it had but one passage into it and that over a narrow causeway an hundred and twenty paces in length and twelve in breadth When they saw Charmides approaching they devised this stratageme having got all their old men and attiring them like suppliants putting branches of palme-trees in their hands they commanded the valiantest of their youth that they should follow them close at the heeles every one armed with his buckler and spear that by this meanes the old men going before with these emblemes of peace might shrewd the armed men behind them who partly hid by these boughs and partly by dragging their weapoâ—â— on the ground could not be discovered intending that if Charmides would grant the old men their requests the young men should not fight at all but if hee would not that they should lead Charmides into their Citie under pretence of submitting themselves to what death he should please to inflict upon them and when they had brought him to the Causeway the old men upon a watchword given should fling away their boughes and save themselves by flight and they which were armed should rush upon them Thus having ordered themselves they met Charmides beseeehing him that hee would have compassion on their old age and that for their sakes the whole City might fare the better which peacefull conditions if hee would yeeld to they promised to give him an hundred talents of silver and as many men whom he might send as pledges to the Governour of Egypt all which they seemed to have beene willing faithfully to have performed had hee accepted of these conditions but giving little eare to what they said he seemed not willing to entertaine their profer which the olde men perceiving broke foorth into this sad â—ermocination O death if our fate have so decreed wee shall patiently beare thee Onely doe thou O Charmides deigne us this favour not to slay us without the Citie or farre from it but bring us into our fathers ancient seats and let that place where wee were borne bee also our Sepulchree wee will lead on to our deaths Charmides hearing this dismist the greatest part of those forces which hee had intended for the battell bidding them without spoile or tumult quietly repaire to the army all that had past was espied by some scouts whom the theeves had set to watch and charged that as soone as they saw the enemy approach they should cut a passage through the banke of the river and let the water in upon them which they usually damme up but when they would water the plaines let it out Behind this village was a great trench digged the damme whereof immediatly upon their reproach they broke down the old men at that very instant fled some one way some another the young men who had all this while drawed their weapons on the ground after them set fiercely on Charmides his company the water by this time comming so fast upon them had overflowed all the marishes and the causeway so that every place lookt like a sea The Aegyptians slew first of all Charmides and then those few men that were with him who were so affrighted with this suddaine and unexpected event that in their countenances there was such varietie of changes as it were impossible to tell how they looked when they were a dying for some having not time either to defend the blow or to resist the enemie perisht not knowing what was the matter ere they felt the stroke some were slaine ere they could know any thing at all others strucke with a suddaine feare stood still expecting death others there were who had their heeles tript up with the violence of the water many striving to flie were drowned for the water by this time was up to their navels which stood on the causeway by which meanes the use of their bucklers was taken away and their sides exposed to the danger of being wounded but those which were in the Marish were up to the neckes who still supposing themselves to bee on firme ground went on till they were drowned this the others seeing fearing lest they should step aside made but slow haste to flie and were presently slaine by the enemie Questionlesse this was a strange kind of shipwracke no shippe being neare them and which may exceed beleefe there was shipwrack on the earth and a land battaile fought in the water The shepheards proud of their successe boasted much of the victorie thinking they had obtained it by their valour not fraud for the nature of the Aegyptian is this that while he is in danger he is timorous but when secure couragious for either hee yeeldes most slavishly or domineeres most proudly By this time Leucippe had beene sicke eleven daies nor was there any hope of recoverie left had I not heard her in her sleepe utter these words Thou O Gorgias art the cause of my madnesse which in the morning I told to Menelaus asking him whether he knew one Gorgias which lived in that village afterward going out of our tent we met a young fellow in the streete who saluted me with this complement You are fairly met Sir by one that shall preserve both you and your wife at which I being astonisht as supposing him to bee a man sent from the gods askt him whether his name were Gorgias he answered no but my name is Chaereas for Gorgias hath beene the cause of all this mischiefe but more amazed at this I askt him what mischiefe or what Gorgias hee meant for the gods that night revealed something to me concerning him in my dreame which I desired him to expound Then said he this Gorgias was an Aegyptian souldier who was slaine in the battaile hee was in love with thy vvife and being skilfull in the power of herbes mingled a love potion undermining your Aegyptian slave who attends on you to administer it but vvhile hee unwisely made choice of too strong ingredients the phyltre turning to little better than poison made her mad all this Gorgias his servant told me yesterday whom it seemes fortune preserved alive in the midst of the battaile to doe you good for he constantly affirmes to me that hee hath a medicine vvhich shall utterly disanull the force of the phyltre for the cure he demands foure pieces of gold For
me with an infamie which I will by no meanes beare Wherefore I thinke it best yet longer to milk his hopes For a lover so long as he hath any hopes of obtaining his desire will brooke any delayes but if hee lose his possibility any obstacle which hinders him he will remove especially if hee have power to doe it without controule but if he see himselfe neglected hee is the more enraged While wee were thus consulting in came a messenger who brought newes that Leucippe as she was walking fell downe and strucke out one of her eyes with this we ranne straightway to the place and found her lying on the ground but comming nearer and asking her what had befell she looked upon me rolling her bloudie eye and smote her selfe on the cheek and when Menelaus went to take her up she beat him away with her foot perceiving then that she was distracted wee strove to hold her by maine force but prevailed not Charmides also by reason of the tumult which was there made hearing of this ranne thither speedily who knowing what had past thought she had dissembled and casting his eie aside lookt wishfully on Menelaus suspecting that this had beene done to put a gull on him but finding out the truth hee himselfe was much grieved at this accident Meane while ropes are brought and Leucippe is bound which when I saw turning my selfe to Menelaus for all the rest were gone out I said Loose I pray you those bands for they will injure her tender skinne let her and I alone my twining imbracements shall serve in stead of chaines let her vent all her fury on mee for my life is loathsome to mee since I am in company with my Leucippe and shee acknowledges mee not I see her bound and dare not bee so mercifull as to loose her Did fortune therefore deliver thee out of the hands of theeves to make thee a laughing stocke miserable wretches we shunned what we feared at home that we might suffer the violence of the sea wee escaped shipwracke and the hands of the robbers because wee were doomed to madnesse which though thou escape yet it is much to bee feared that fortune hath one more mischiefe to cast thee into and what mischiefe indeed can paralell this of ours which makes us fearfull even of good events But let fortune doe her worst so thou recover thy lost senses While I spake this Menelaus put mee in good comfort affirming that those diseases were not of any long continuance but such as youth was often incident to for that the young bloud boiling in the veines by evaporating up into the braine distempers it and consequently bereaves the party of sense upon this wee concluded that Physitians were to be sent for and Physick speedily prescribed So Menelaus hasted to Charmides desiring him that the Physitian of his army might bee sent for which hee easily condiscended to as being glad of any opportunity to expresse his good will towards Leucippe The Physitian comming in told us that first he must cast her into a sleep thereby to assuage the greatnesse of her paine that being the only remedy of all ils then that hee would proceed to the rest of the cure so he left us a certaine medicine about the bignesse of a pease which being dissolv'd in oyle he commanded us to annoint her temples with promising to send her a purge presently after we did as hee prescribed us and presently after the annointing shee fell asleep and slept till the next morning all this while I sat by her not taking one winke of sleep but casting mine eyes on her bands thus bemoned her My deare Leucippe thou art bound sleeping and canst not enjoy thy naturall rest freely I wonder what kind of dreames thou hast what Chimera's thy distempered fancy represents unto thee After shee awaked shee uttered some abrupt and imperfect speeches when suddenly the Physitian came and administred more physick While Leucippe lay thus distracted letters were brought to Charmides from the governor of Aegypt which it seemes will'd him to muster up his forces as soone as hee could for upon the the receit of these letters hee presently charged them to bee in armes ready to go forth against the shepheards so all his souldiers with what celerity they could after the watchword was given were ready with their javelings in their hands the next day very early Charmides brought his army in sight of the enemy The village is thus situated the river Nilus descends from those places which are beyond the Aegyptian Thebes and falls downe as farre as Memphis sending out a little horne or winding and where the greatest streame ends is this village called Syrus there the earth is parted againe and of one River are made three two whereof runne freely without any let but the third divides the region which is called Delia nor is there any of these streams which run into the sea but one into one City another into another the least whereof is bigger than any River in Greece Nor doth Nilus by being thus divided loose a jot of its vertue being they may saile on it drinke of it and where the water of it sometime ran drive a plough being to them both a river a sea a marsh and arable land which is worth admiration that in the same place a ship should saile and a spade should dig an oare row and a plough goe that where the mariner hath his cabbine the husband man should have his cottage where the Oxes their stalls the fishes their receptacles also yet so it is that where the ship even now went they sow corne and not long after where the corne grew the ship sailes the river being navigable for many miles The Egyptians know what time it will overflow the banks nor doth the river deceive their expectation for it is never tardy but keepes constantly the set time and flowes just so many dayes Then may you see a contention betwixt the water and the earth this striving to drinke up so much water that to overflow so much land and to say truly the victory is equall but in that regiō where the shepheards inhabite there is stil much water for the annuall inundation of Nilus being past many standing pooles are left full of water which soone after is choaked up with mudde through which place some passe on foot others in litle boats no bigger than to carry one single man for should they bee greater having not water sufficient to beare them up they would stick fast in the mudde but being small and light that little water suffices them and if they chance to come to a place while they are rowing where they have not water enough then they take their boats on their shoulders and passe over on foote till they finde some In those marshes there bee many Ilands lye scattered those which are not inhabited are overgrowne with paper reeds which grow so thicke that betwixt every stemme there is but just
it vvere so far from prevailing that it vvould not be understood by these parricides I must begge for mercy by a nod or some other gesture of my body oh misery beyond compare but for mine ovvne misfortunes though they be greater than can bee imagined I grieve not so much as for thine my deare Leucippe vvith vvhat mouth shall I complaine vvith vvhat eies shal I vveep seeing thou hast proved so constant and so kind to me thy most unhappy lover See what stately preparation here is for thy marriage to wit a dungeon for thy bride-chamber the earth for coastly bedding for thy chaines and bracelets ropes and cords in stead of a bride-boy see thy jailour lies by thee Wee were much to blame to thanke thee O sea seeing they whom thou swallowed'st up are in better case than wee which thou sparedst thus to save us what is it but more cruelly to slay us envying as it were that we should fall by the hand of any but these theeves This I uttered veru softly but for teares the fountaine whereof in greater griefes is dryed up I shed none For in lesser evils they flow apace whiles begging favour though they prevaile not yet doe lessen the griefe as an ulcer when it is broken brings ease to the patient but in greater ils they flie backe and forsake the eyes being stifled with sorrow and compelled to returne with it to the inmost and retiredst corners of the heart Afterwards turning my self to Leucippe who all this while spake not a word I said Why art thou so silent my Leucippe Shee answered that it fared with her as it useth to doe with those that are sick unto death who immediatly before their departure usually are speechlesse While wee talked the day drew on when suddenly there came in a strange fellow with long blacke lockes riding upon an horse with shagg'd hair without either bridle or saddle for so your thieves ride hee as it seemeth was sent from their King who told us if there were ever a Virgin taken captive shee should bee brought to him to bee made an expiatory sacrifice for their whole army then the keepers cast their eyes on Leucippe but shee taking mee about the middle and holding fast by mee fell a weeping and crying out whllst some of them drew her away others beat me so by violence they carried her thence and some two houres afterwards they led us away but by that time wee had gone half a mile or there about on our way we heard a great shouting also the noise of trumpets and immediatly wee descryed an army of Souldiers comming towards us which as soone as the thieves saw they put us in the midst of their company least we should runne away and provided to fight with them Not long after there stepped me out fifty men armed cap a pe some with targets which covered their whole bodies others with shorter the thieves which were more then the souldiers fell a flinging clods of earth at them which in Egypt are so hardned with the sunne that they are as good as any weapon for the unevener parts thereof being prominent make not onely a wound but cause a swelling about it but the souldiers warding off their blowes with their targets cared not for them but as soone as they saw them wearie with flinging opened their army so those which vvere but sleightly armed rusht out and threvv darts at them aftervvards they joyned battell and to fighting they vvent blovves and vvounds there vvere given and taken on each sides but the souldiers vvere too hard for the theeves vvho though they vvere not so many in number yet vvere better experienc't in the vvarres Meane time vvee that vvere captives perceiving the thieves to bee put to the vvorst gathered our selves together in a troupe and broke their rancks and ran over to the enemies side vvho not knovving vvhat vve vvere vvould have killed us but seeing vvee vvere bound and therby guessing hovv the case stood vvith us admitted us into their army and plac't us in the reere that so wee might bee free from all danger In the meane time the horse-men came upon the theeves and slew the greatest part of them some of them lay dead upon the ground others halfe dead fought as well as they could the rest were taken prisoners Toward evening the Captaine of these souldiers whose name was Charmides examined every particular man what he was and how hee fell into the hands of these theeves to whom every one laid open his case and I mine when he had throughly sifted us hee commanded us to follow him promising also that wee should have weapons given us for he had determined as soone as his munition and more men came whom he expected every houre to set upon the greatest receptacle of these theeves wherein as it was reported was above ten thousand men Now I having formerly had some skill in riding desired a horse might be given me which as soone as I had I praunced about the rankes of souldiers and shewed Charmides my horsemanship which he highly commended injoyning me for that night to be his guest While we were at supper hee desir'd me more particularly to relate what had happned to me which when he heard he much commiserated my case For so it happens oft time that hee which heares of anothers misery doth almost suffer with him now this compassion begets a good will towards him whom hee pitties which good will is many times vented in a reall expression of some extraordinary favour Thus it fared with mee for I wrought so much upon Charmides with my story that hee did not onely weepe at the relation but gave me an Aegyptian servant to wait upon me The day after he provided to go forth to battaile and assayed to stoppe up the trench which was between us and the enemy for on the other side he had discovered a great number of theeves up in armes these theeves had built an altar of clay and digged a sepulchre two of them led a virgin bound toward the altar whom because they were in armour I knew not but the virgin I discerned to bee Leucippe they poured oyle on her head and omitted not any ceremony while an Aegyptian Priest sung an hymne for so I ghest by his making of faces and wry mouthes immediately a watch-word was given and each man stood a pretty distance from the altar then one of those which led her made her fast to a stake like Marsyas whom the potters frame in clay bound to a tree who stabbing her in the breast ript her downewards till hee came to the paunch so that her entrailes started out which they snatching up speedily threw upon the altar and when they had boiled them cut them in peeces and eate them up dividing to each man a share When the souldiers and Captaine saw this they could not chuse but cry out at the horridnesse of the fact but I was amazed and astonisht at it for
invented this plot to excuse thee to Thersander for how can he justly taxe thee of being privy to his flight since thou knewst not of it stay but here a while and Clitophon shall send thee ten pieces of gold though I think thy safest course is to flie for it Opasion for that was the servants name answered that hee thought no course so fit to resolve on as what his mistresse did approve of at length it was her pleasure that hee should speedily betake himself to some retired place whence he should not returne till her husbands anger were over and all these troubles and turmoiles were appeased But in the meane time Fortune dealing as treacherously with mee as before laid a snare to entrap me in a new danger for Thersander comming from a friends house where hee had been at supper and where very likely having told what reaks his wife had plaid in his absence he had beene counselled not to bee long from her met mee as hee was comming home Ir was about that time when the feasts of Diana were celebrated when halfe the Citie almost was drunk and went reeling about the market place which was a great hindrance to me in the cleanly conveiance of the matter But I had past undiscovered had not Sosthenes beene my enemy for he as you heard before being turned out of his stewardship for abusing Leucippe hearing that his master was come home ceased not to vex Leucippe further but also to revenge himself on Melite wherefore first hee betrayed mee to Thersander and next told him a great many lies of Leucippe for being frustrate of all hopes of enjoying her himselfe hee began to bee a pandar to procure her for his master telling him this story In your absence Sir I bought a most beautifull virgin fairer than you can imagine the rarenesse of whose perfection is such that it far exceeds my expression her I reserved against your comming home for I heard you were yet alive with which news though I was most excessively delighted yet would I not devulge it to any to the end that comming home suddenly and unexpected you might bee an eye witnesse of my mistresses basenesse and that this impudent stranger who hath adulterated your marriage bed might bee deprehended in the heighth of his villany This maid Sir Melite hath tooke out of my custody intending to set her free but Fortune I doubt not Sir hath reserved so rich a treasure of beauty for you shee is now at your Countrey farme house but the reason why shee was thither sent I cannot well ghesse Now if you please Sir she shall ere shee returne to Melite who sent her be lockt up close in some roome where you shall have accesse to her Thersander approving of this course very well and giving strict charge that it should bee performed Sosthenes went to the farme house comming to that cottage where shee was to lye that night hee set a couple of husband men to call away those maids which were with her under pretence that they had some busines with them whereof they were to conferre in private The maids being thus circumvented Leucippe was left alone and Sosthenes with two more ran violently in and stopping her mouth that shee should not screeke out tooke her about the middle and lockt her fast up in a close roome saying thus to her I bring thee this day O Lacoena as much good as any virgin could ever expect but withall I must request thee that my prayers when thou shalt come to the fruition of it may not passe unrewarded feare not that the violence I used in bringing thee hither was that thou shouldst unwillingly part with the flower of thy virginitie it was to initiat thee into the familiarity of my master Thersander But Leucippe who was amazed at this suddain and unexpected calamitie gave him no answer Sosthenes meeting Thersander told him what hee had done and withall commended Leucippe to the skies insomuch that Thersander fancying her to be none other than such a one as Sosthenes had described her to him ere the sports were ended the countrey farme being not above foure score paces from his house commanded Sosthenes to lead the way and hee would downe immediatly to see the wench As they were going I like a foole met them full butte cloathed in Melites attyre whereat Sosthenes who straightway knew mee cryed out See see master the reeling leacher in thy wives apparell The youth which manned mee along having no time to counsell mee which way I should betake my selfe shewed me a fair paire of heeles and shifted for himself and poore peelegarlicke I was presently caught and laid hands on Thersander while hee was apprehending mee exclaimed so hideously that in an instant I had a whole jury of Constables and watchmen flockt about me while hee laid the law against me accusing mee of such hainous crimes as the whole City had scarce ever beene guilty of at length calling me thiefe and adulterer of both which crimes I was accused in publique Court and cast into prison But yet was not I a jot dismayed at all this neither did the infamy of my accusation or the ignominy of my imprisonment dishearten mee for I was most confident that I should cleare my selfe by most invincible arguments from the crime whereof I was accused seeing wee were both publiquely married but this was it which did most of all deject mee namely that I had not yet come to enterchange discourse with Leucippe Moreover the minde doth commonly presage bad things but not good Even so it fared with me at that instant I thought not of Leucippe she was quite out of my minde which was wholly taken up with feare suspicion and griefe Thersander having put me in prison returned with a merry heart to Leucippe Sosthenes accompanying him when he entred the house hee saw her lying all along on the ground heard her recounting the words which Sosthenes had spake to her when he last had beene with her while with a look wherein you might have read the whole story of her griefe shee betrayed her fearfulnesse which makes mee thinke the proverbe true That the heart is as clearly represented in the face as the face is in a looking glasse for if griefe hath once seized on the inner parts the very countenance will seeme to droope and if the heart through joy be dilated the aspect must needs be pleasant Leucippe after they had opened the doore now there was a candle in the roome would scarce looke on them but cast her eyes on the ground Thersander seeing that those sparkes of beauty which glistred in her eyes were as piercing as the flashes of lightning which result from the conflict of two clouds was straightway on fire and wounded with one glance stayd still expecting when she would blesse him with another but observing her still to looke stedfastly on the ground How long saith he wilt thou debarre mee the fruition of thy
Clitophons execution is deffered Sostratus as hee had beene told the night before by Diana in a dreame findes Clitophon at whom he is much offended for the stealing away of his daughter Leucippe but afterwards it is told him that Leucippe was in the Temple of Diana whither she had fled as to an asylum having taken opportunity to steale away when Sosthenes was absent by which meanes he is not onely appeased but Clitophon is also freed from his owne accusation for the present afterwards he walkes under bale of the chiefe Priest till hee come to his second appearance to be fully set at liberty THersander therefore seeing Leucippe so obstinate was much distracted for he grieved that his hopes were frustrate and was angry that his faire profer should bee so neglected and contemned which made him like one wounded with love study what he were best in this plight to doe he spake not a word to Leucippe but in a rage runne speedily out of the roome after that talking with Sosthenes that hee might put a period to his distracted thoughrs he went to him which was keeper of the prison and would have had him poisoned mee which course upon better consideration hee disliking for that the people were very severe against such delinquents and had not long before that time caused one to be put to death for the same crime obtained thus much of the keeper that he might cast a man into the prison who was no malefactor but privy to his designes who should undermine me and catch me tripping if he could in my discourse this fellow had Thersander cunningly instructed to make mention of Leucippe by some meanes or other and to say that shee was slaine by the consent of Melite which plot he invented that though I had quitted my selfe of the crime which I was accused of yet I would never make further search after her who was dead And the reason why hee would have him say that Melite slew her was lest Leucippe being slaine I should marry Melite whom he meant to put away and this he might justly suspect seeing it was plaine that I loved her which if I had done he could not so safely have enjoyed Leucippe wherefore thus hee thought with himselfe that when I should hear that Melite had done mee this injury I should hate and detest her for it and as having little heart to stay with such an enemy in a rage leave the Citie The fellow comming into the prison to mee began his tale but first gave a great sigh saying What hope of life is there or how shall a man be secure seeing danger attends on him for wel-doing and that to live justly is a sufficient accusation Alas how was it possible I should ghesse what hee that travailed with mee had committed to this purpose would he many times talke to himselfe in my hearing to the end that I should aske him the meaning of what hee spake but alas I was otherwise emploied my griefs had so taken me up that I had not leisure to enquire after anothers But one which was bound with us seeing him to weepe so excessively for those which are in any distresse are desirous to know anothers misfortune as well as their owne for that the communicating of their griefes each to other is a kinde of easing their afflicted minds said What hath befallen thee for it should seeme thou art attached for that whereof thou wast never guilty which I gather from what hath happened to mee Then hee began to tell mee the cause of his imprisonment which I did not much listen to afterwards he demanded of the other his story to which hee began on this manner Yesterday departing from this citie and journeying toward Smyrna one met me and demanded of me whither I was travelling when he had understood that I was going to Smyrna he told mee that it was the very place hee was bound for too together we went and as the custome of travellers is we eased the length of our journey with a great deal of good talke but turning into an Inne to bait foure men followed us and making as if they came in to dine there sate downe by us and looked very hard upon us nodding their heads one to the other which made mee suspect that they talked of us though I knew not the reason The fellow that was with me began straightway to waxe pale stammer in his speech and tremble which they perceiving laid hold of us both bound us with ropes and smote my fellow traveller on the face who as if he had beene already upon the racke cryed out though no man examined him I slew Leucippe having of Melite Thersanders wife a hundred pieces of gold for my paines for it was shee that hired mee to doe this villany the money here I give you to a farthing spare my life I beseech you and defraud not your selves of so much treasure I hearing Thersander and Melite named began to prick up my eares to listen more attentively to what he said then turning mee about to him I asked of him What is this Melite Hee answered one of the chiefest women in this Citie who is in love with a young man here they say he is of Tyre who having by some chance lost his sweet heart and found her againe at home in Melites house she out of a jealousie that the maid should draw his affection from her committed her into the hands of him whom it was my hard fortune to accompany in my journey to be slain and he did the deed but I poore wretch who was neither witting nor willing to it or privy to the least word or deed which past about it am apprehended for it but which is worst of all after these foure men had gone a little from the Inne they took the money of the fellow and let him goe but me they brought before the Iudge Having heard this turbulent story I could neither speake nor weepe for my tongue was tyed and my teares dried up every joynt trembled my heart fainted and my soule was well nigh fled out of my body but after I had recovered my selfe out of this drunkennesse of grief I asked of him how did this fellow which was hired kill her where did he bestow her body but he having once pricked me in this veine and knowing that he had what he desired was ever after so mute that I could not extort a word more from him for when I asked him any more questions he told mee churlishly that sure I suspected him to have a hand in it whereof he was utterly guiltlesse So that concerning the murderer after my much inquiry I could learne nothing of him onely this that the maid was slaine but where or how he would not tell mee which made the teares trickle downe my cheekes and discover that portion of griefe which had lay hid all this while in my breast For as in a body beaten with rods the impression they