onely in age and affection followed his suite with all meanes of vnhonest seruants large promises and each thing els that might help to counteruaile his owne vnlouelines And she whose husband about that time died forgetting the absent Plangus or at lest not hoping of him to obtaine so aspiring a purpose lefte no art vnused which might keepe the line from breaking whereat the fishe was alredy taken not drawing him violently but letting him play himselfe vpon the hooke which he had so greedily swalowed For accompanying her mourning garments with a dolefull countenaunce yet neither forgetting handsomnes in her mourning garments nor sweetenes in her dolefull countenance her wordes were euer seasoned with sighes and any fauour she shewed bathed in teares that affection might see cause of pity and pity might perswade cause of affection And being growen skilful in his humors she was no lesse skilfull in applying his humors neuer suffering his feare to fall to a despaire nor his hope to hasten to an assurance shee was content he should thinke that she loued him and a certaine stolne looke should sometimes as though it were against her will bewray it But if thereupon hee grewe bolde hee straight was encouÌ„tered with a maske of vertue And that which seemeth most impossible vnto me for as neere as I can I repeate it as Plangus tolde it she could not only sigh when she would as all can doo weep wheÌ„ she would as they â—ay some can doo but being most impudent in her heart she could when she would teach her chekes blushing make shamefastnes the cloake of shamelesnes In sum to leaue out many particularities which he recited she did not only vse so the spurre that his Desire ran on but so the bit that it ran on euen in such a careere as she would haue it that within a while the king seing with no other eys but such as she gaue him thinking on other thoughts but such as she taught him hauing at the first liberal measure of fauors theÌ„ shortned of theÌ„ wheÌ„ most his Desire was inflam'd he saw no other way but mariage to satisfie his longing and her minde as he thought louing but chastly louing So that by the time Plangus returned from being notably victorious of the Rebels he found his father not onely maried but alredy a father of a sonne and a daâ—ghter by this woman Which though Plangus as he had euery way iust cause was grieued at yet did his griefe neuer bring foorth ether contemning of her or repining at his father But she who besides she was growen a mother and a stepmother did read in his eies her owne fault and made his conscience her guiltines thought still that his presence caried her condemnation so much the more as that she vnchastly attempting his wonted fancieâ— found for the reuerence of his fathers bed a bitter refusallâ— which breeding rather spite then shame in her or if it were a shame a shame not of the fault but of the repulse she did not onely as hating him thirst for a reuenge but as fearing harm form him endeuoured to doo harme vnto him Therefore did she trie the vttermost of her wicked wit how to ouerthrow him in the foundation of his strength which was in the fauour of his father which because she saw strong both in nature and desert it required the more cunning how to vndermine it And therefore shunning the ordinary trade of hireling sycophants shee made her praises of him to be accusations and her aduancing him to be his ruine For first with words neerer admiration then liking she would extoll his excellencies the goodlines of his shape the power of his witte the valiantnes of his courage the fortunatenes of his successes so as the father might finde in her a singular loue towards him nay shee shunned not to kindle some fewe sparkes of ielousie in him Thus hauing gotten an opinion in his father that shee was farre from meaning mischiefe to the sonne then fell shee to praise him with no lesse vehemencie of affection but with much more cunning of malice For then she sets foorth the liberty of his mind the high flying of his thoughts the fitnesse in him to beare rule the singular loue the Subiects bare him that it was doubtfull whether his wit were greater in winning their fauours or his courage in imploying their fauours that he was not borne to liue a subiect-life each action of his bearing in it Maiestie such a Kingly entertainement such a Kingly magnificence such a Kingly harte for enterprises especially remembring those vertues which in successor are no more honoured by the subiects then suspected of the Princes Then would shee by putting-off obiections bring in obiectioÌ„s to her husbands head already infected with suspitioÌ„ Nay would she say I dare take it vpon my death that he is no such sonne as many of like might haue bene who loued greatnes so well as to build their greatnes vpon their fathers ruine Indeed Ambition like Loue can abide no lingring and euer vrgeth on his owne successes hating no thing but what may stop them But the Gods forbid we should euer once dreame of any such thing in him who perhaps might be content that you and the world should know what he can do but the more power he hath to hurte the more admirable is his praise that he will not hurt Then euer remembring to strengthen the suspition of his estate with priuate ielousie of her loue doing him excessiue honour wheÌ„ he was in presence repeating his pretie speaches and graces in his absence besides causing him to be imployed in all such dangerous matters as ether he should perish in them or if hee preuailed they should increase his glorie which she made a weapon to wound him vntill she found that suspition began already to speake for it selfe and that her husbands eares were growne hungry of rumours and his eies prying into euery accident Then tooke she help to her of a seruant neere about her husband whoÌ„ she knew to be of a hasty ambition and such a one who wanting true sufficiencie to raise him would make a ladder of any mischiefe Him shee vseth to deale more plainely in alleaging causes of iealousie making him knowe the fittest times when her husband already was stirred that way And so they two with diuers wayes nourished one humour like Musitians that singing diuers parts make one musicke He sometime with fearefull countenaunce would desire the King to looke to himselfe for that all the court and Cittie were full of whisperinges and expectation of some soddaine change vpon what ground himselfe knew not Another time hee would counsell the King to make much of his sonne and holde his fauour for that it was too late now to keepe him vnder Now seeming to feare himselfe because he said Plangus loued none of them that were great about his father Lastly breaking with him directly making a sorrowful countenance and an
Princes person This then being the man whome of all other and most worthie the Prince cheefly loues it should seeme for more then the letter I haue not to ghesse by that the Prince vpon his returne from Delphos Philanax then lying sick had written vnto him his determination rising as euidently appeares vpon some Oracle hee had there receaued whereunto he wrote this answere Philanax his letter to Basilius Most redouted and beloued prince if aswel it had pleased you at your going to Delphos as now to haue vsed my humble seruice both I should in better season and to better purpose haue spoken and you if my speech had preuailed should haue been at this time as no way more in danger so much more in quietnes I would then haue saide that wisdome and vertue be the only destinies appointed to man to follow whence wee ought to seeke all our knowledge since they be such guides as cannot faile which besides their inwarde comfort do lead so direct a way of proceeding as either prosperitie must ensue or if the wickednes of the world should oppresse it can neuer be said that euil happeneth to him who falles accompanied with vertue I would then haue said the heauenly powers to be reuerenced and not serched into their mercies rather by praiers to be sought then their hidden councels by curiositie These kinds of soothsayings since they haue left vs in ourselues sufficient guides to be nothing but fansie wherein there must either be vanitie or infalliblenes so either not to be respected or not to be preuented But since it is weakenes too much to remember what should haue beene done and that your commandemeÌ„t stretcheth to know what is to be done I do most deare Lord with humble boldnes say that the manner of your determination doth in no sorte better please me then the cause of your going These thirtie yeares you haue so gouerned this Region that nether your Subiectes haue wanted iustice in you nor you obedience in them your neighbours haue found you so hurtlesly strong that they though it better to rest in your friendshippe then make new trial of your enmitie If this then haue proceeded out of the good constitution of your state and out of a wise prouidence generally to preuent all those things which might encoÌ„ber your happines vvhy should you novv seeke nevve courses since your ovvne ensample comforts you to continue and that it is to me most certaine though it please you not to tell me the very vvords of the Oracle that yet no destinie nor inflvence vvhatsoeuer can bring mans vvit to a higher point then vvisdome and goodnes vvhy should you depriue your selfe of gouernment for feare of loosing your gouernmeÌ„t like one that should kil him selfe â—or feare of death nay rather if this Oracle be to be accouÌ„ted of arm vp your courage that more against it for vvho vvil sticke to him that abandones him selfe let your subiects haue you in their eyes let them see the benefites of your iustice dayly more and more and so must they needes rather like of present sureties then vncertaine changes Lastly whether your time call you to liue or die doo both like a prince Nowe for your second resolution which is to suffer no worthie prince to be a suiter to either of your daughters but while you liue to keepe them both vnmaried as it weare to kil the ioy of posteritie which in your time you may inioye moued perchance by a misunderstoode Oracle what shall I saye if the affection of a father to his owne children cannot plead sufficiently against such fancies once certaine it is the God which is God of nature doth neuer teach vnnaturalnes and euen the same minde hold I touching your banishing them from companie least I know not what strange loues should follow Certainly Sir in my ladies your daughters nature promiseth nothing but goodnes and their education by your fatherly care hath beene hetherto such as hath beene most fit to restraine all euil geuing there minds vertuous delightes and not greeuing them for want of wel-ruled libertie Now to fal to a sodain straightning them what can it do but argue suspition a thing no more vnpleasant then vnsure for the preseruing of vertue Leaue womens minds the most vntamed that way of any see whether any cage can please a bird or whether a dogge growe not fiercer with tying what doth ielousie but stirre vp the minde to thinke what it is from which they are restrayned for they are treasures or things of great delight which men vse to hide for the aptnesse they haue to cach mans fancies and the thoughtes once awaked to that harder sure it is to keepe those thoughts from accomplishment then it had beene beefore to haue kept the minde which beeing the cheefe parte by this meanes is defiled from thinking Lastly for the recommending so principall a charge of the Princesse Pamela whose minde goes beyond the gouerning of many thousands such to such a person as Dametas is besides that the thing in it selfe is strange it comes of a very euil ground that ignorance should be the mother of faithfulnes O no he cannot be good that knowes not why he is good but stands so farre good as his fortune may keepe him vnassaied but comming once to that his rude simplicitie is either easily changed or easily deceiued so growes that to be the last excuse of his fault which seemed to haue been the first foundation of his faith Thus farre hath your commaundement and my zeale drawen me which I like a man in a valley that may discern hills or like a poore passenger that may spie a rock so humbly submit to your gratious consideration beseeching you againe to stand wholy vpon your owne vertue as the surest way to maintaine you in that you are and to auoid any euill which may be imagined By the contents of this letter you may perceiue that the cause of all hath beene the vanitie which possesseth many who making a perpetuall mansioÌ„n of this poore baiting place of mans life are desirous to know the certaintie of things to come wherein there is nothing so certaine as our continuall vncertaintie But what in particular pointes the oracle was in faith I know not nether as you may see by one place of Philanax letter he him selfe distinctly knew But this experience shewes vs that Basilius iudgement corrupted with a princes fortune hath rather hard then followed the wise as I take it councell of Philanax For hauing left the sterne of his gouernment with much amazement to the people among whom many strange bruits are receiued for currant and with some apparance of danger in respect of the valiant Amphialus his nephew much enuy in the ambitious number of the Nobilitie against Philanax to see Philanax so aduanced though to speake simply he deserue more then as many of vs as there be in Arcadia the prince him selfe hath hidden his head in
he could of his returne which once heard the rest of the Helots which were otherwise scattered bent thetherwarde with a newe life of resolution as if their Captaine had beene a roote out of which as into braunches their courage had sprong Then beganne the fight to grow most sharpe and the encounters of more cruell obstinacie The Arcadians fighting to keepe that they had wonne the Helots to recouer what they had lost The Arcadians as in an vnknowne place hauing no succour but in their hands the Helots as in their own place fighting for their liuings wiues children There was victorie and courage against reuenge and dispaire safety of both sides being no otherwise to bee gotten but by destruction At length the left winge of the Arcadians began to loose ground which Palladius seeing he streight thrust himselfe with his choise bande against the throng that oppressed them with such an ouerflowing of valour that the Captaine of the Helots whose eies soone iudged of that wherewith themselues were gouerned sawe that he alone was worth al the rest of the Arcadians Which he so wondred at that it was hard to say whether he more liked his doings or misliked the effects of his doings but determining that vpon that cast the game lay and disdaining to fight with any other sought onely to ioine with him which minde was no lesse in Palladius hauing easily marked that he was as the first mouer of all the other handes And so their thoughts meeting in one point they consented though not agreed to trie each others fortune and so drawing themselues to be the vttermost of the one side they began a combat which was so much inferior to the battaile in noise and number as it was surpassing it in brauery of fighting and as it were delightfull terriblenes Their courage was guided with skill and their skill was armed with courage neither did their hardinesse darken their witte nor their witte coole their hardines both valiant as men despising death both confident as vnwonted to bee ouercome yet doubtefull by their present feeling and respectfull by what they had already seene Their feete stedy their hands diligent their eyes watchfull and their harts resolute The partes either not armed or weakly armed were well knowen and according to the knowledge should haue bene sharpely visited but that the aunswere was as quicke as the obiection Yet some lighting the smart bred rage and the rage bred smarte againe till both sides beginning to wax faint and rather desirous to die accompanied then hopefull to liue victorious the Captaine of the Helots with a blow whose violence grew of furie not of strength or ofstrength proceeding of furie strake Palladius vpon the side of the head that hee reelde astonied and with all the helmet fell off he remayning bare headed but other of the Arcadians were redie to shield him from any harme might rise of that nakednes But little needed it for his chiefe enemie in steed of pursuing that aduauntage kneeled downe offering to deliuer the pommell of his sworde in token of yeelding with all speaking aloud vnto him that he thought it more libertie to be his prisoner then any others generall Palladius standing vpon himselfe and misdoubting some craft and the Helots that were next their captaine wauering betweene looking for some stratageme or fearing treason What saide the captaine hath Palladius forgotten the voice of Daiphantus By that watche worde Palladius knew that it was his onely friende Pyrocles whom he had lost vpon the Sea and therefore both most full of wonder so to bee mett if they had not bene fuller of ioye then wonder caused the retraite to bee sounded Daiphantus by authoritie and Palladius by persuasion to which helped well the little aduantage that was of eyther side and that of the Helots partie their Captaines behauiour had made as many amazed as sawe or heard of it and of the Arcadian side the good olde Kalander striuing more then his old age could atchiue was newly taken prisoner But in deede the chiefe parter of the fraye was the night which with her blacke armes pulled their malicious sightes one from the other But he that tooke Kalander meant nothing lesse then to saue him but onelie so long as the Captaine might learne the enemies secrets towardes whom he led the old Gentleman when hee caused the retreit to bee sounded looking for no other deliuerie from that captiuitie but by the painefull taking away of all paine when whome should hee see nexte to the Captaine with good tokens how valiantly hee had fought that daie against the Arcadians but his sonne Clitophon But now the Captaine had caused all the principall Helots to bee assembled as well to deliberate what they had to do as to receiue a message from the Arcadians Among whom Palladius vertue besides the loue Kalander bare him hauing gotten principall authoritie hee had persuaded them to seeke rather by parley to recouer the Father and the Sonne then by the sworde since the goodnes of the Captaine assured him that way to speede and his value wherewith hee was of old acquainted made him thinke any other way dangerous This therefore was donne in orderly manner giuing them to vnderstand that as they came but to deliuer Clitophon so offering to leaue the footing they already had in the towne to goe away without any further hurte so as they might haue the father and the sonne without raunsome deliuered Which conditions beyng heard and conceaued by the Helots Daiphantus perswaded them without delay to accept them For first sayd he since the strife is within our owne home if you loose you loose all that in this life can bee deare vnto you if you winne it will be a blouddy victorie with no profite but the flattering in our selues that same badde humour of reuenge Besides it is like to stirre Arcadia vppon vs which nowe by vsing these persons wel maie bee brought to some amitie Lastly but especially least the king and nobility of Laconia with whom now wee haue made a perfect peace should hope by occasiō of this quarrell to ioyne the Arcadians with them and so breake of the profitable agreement alreadie concluded In summe as in all deliberations waying the profit of the good successe with the harme of the euill successe you shall finde this way most safe and honorable The Helots asmuch moued by his authoritie as perswaded by his reasons were content therewith Whereupon Palladius tooke order that the Arcadians shoulde presently march out of the towne taking with them their prisoners while the night with mutuall diffidence might keepe them quiet and ere day came they might be well on of their way and so auoid those accidents which in late enemies a looke a word or a particular mans quarell might engender This being on both sides concluded on Kalander and Clitophon who now with infinite ioy did knowe each other came to kisse the hands and feete of Daiphantus Clitophon telling his father
I liue must continue in fewe wordes while he pleaded for another he wanne me for himselfe if at least with that she sighed he would account it a winning for his fame had so framed the way to my mind that his presence so full of beautie sweetnes and noble cōuersation had entred there before he vouchsafed to call for the keyes O Lorde how did my soule hang at his lippes while he spake O when he in feeling maner would describe the loue of his frend how well thought I dooth loue betweene those lippes when he would with daintiest eloquence stirre pittie in me towarde Philoxenus vvhy sure said I to my selfe Helen be not afraid this hart cannot vvant pittie and vvhen he vvould extoll the deeds of Philoxenus vvho indeede had but vvaited of him therin alas thought I good Philoxenus hovv euil doth it become thy name to be subscribed to his letter vvhat should I saie nay vvhat should I not say noble Knight vvho am not ashamed nay am delighted thus to expresse mine ovvne passions Dayes paste his eagernes for his friend neuer decreased my affection to him euer increased At length in vvay of ordinarie curtesie I obteined of him vvho suspected no such matter this his picture the onely Amphialus I feare that I shall euer enioy and grovven bolder or madder or bould vvith madnes I discouered my affection vnto him But Lord I shall neuer forget how anger and curtesie at one instant apeared in his eyes vvhen he harde that motion hovv vvith his blush he taught me shame In summe he left nothing vnassayed vvhich might disgrace himselfe to grace his friēd in svveet termes making me receiue a most resolute refusall of himselfe But when he found that his presence did far more perswade for himselfe then his speeche could doo for his frend hee left my court hoping that forgetfulnesse which commonly waits vpon absence woulde make roome for his friende to whome hee woulde not vtter thus much I thinke for a kinde feare not to grieue him or perchance though he cares litle for me of a certain honorable gratefulnes nor yet to discouer so much of my secrets but as it should seeme meant to trauell into farre countryes vntill his friends affectiō either ceased or preuailed But within a while Philoxenus came to see how onward the fruites were of his friends labour when as in trueth I cared not much how he tooke it he found me sitting beholding this picture I know not with how affectionate countenance but I am sure with a most affectionate mind I straight found ielousie and disdaine tooke holde of him and yet the froward paine of mine owne harte made mee so delight to punish him whom I esteemed the chiefest let in my way that when he with humble gesture and vehement speeches sued for my fauor I told him that I would heare him more willingly if hee woulde speake for Amphialus as well as Amphialus had done for him he neuer answered me but pale quaking went straight away and straight my heart misgaue me some euill successe and yet though I had authoritie inough to haue stayed him as in these fatall thinges it falles out that the hie-working powers make second causes vnwittingly accessarie to their determinations I did no further but sent a foot-man of mine whose faithfulnes to me I will knew from place to place to follow him and bring me word of his proceedings which alas haue brought foorth that which I feare I must euer rewe For hee had trauailed scarsea dayes iorney out of my Countrey but that not farre from this place he ouer-tooke Amphialus who by succouring a distressed Lady had bene here stayed and by and by called him to fight with him protesting that one of them two should die you may easily iudge how straunge it was to Amphialus whose hart could accuse it selfe of no fault but too much affection towarde him which he refusing to fight with him woulde faine haue made Philoxenus vnderstand but as my seruant since tolde me the more Amphialus went back the more he followed calling him Traytor and coward yet neuer telling the cause of this strange alteration Ah Philoxenus saide Amphialus I know I am no Traytor and thou well knowest I am no coward but I pray thee content thy selfe with this much and let this satisfie thee that I loue thee since I beare thus much of thee but hee leauing wordes drew his sworde and gaue Amphialus a great blow or two which but for the goodnes of his armour would haue slaine him and yet so farre did Amphialus containe himselfe stepping aside and saying to him Well Philoxenus and thus much villany am I content to put vp not any longer for thy sake whom I haue no cause to loue since thou dost iniury mee and wilt not tell me the cause but for thy vertuous fathers sake to whom I am so much bound I pray thee goe awaye and conquer thy owne passions and thou shalt make mee soone yeeld to be thy seruant But he would not attend his wordes but still strake so fiercely at Amphialus that in the end nature preuailing aboue determination he was faine to defend him selfe and with-all to offend him that by an vnluckye blow the poore Philoxenus fell dead at his feete hauing had time onely to speake some wordes whereby Amphialus knew it was for my sake which when Amphialus sawe he forthwith gaue such tokens of true felt sorrow that as my seruant said no imagination could conceiue greater woe But that by and by and vnhappye occasion made Amphialus passe himselfe in sorrow for Philoxenus was but newelie dead when there comes to thesame place the aged and vertuous Timotheus who hauing heard of his sonnes sodaine and passionate manner of parting from my Court had followed him as speedily as he coulde but alas not so speedily but that hee founde him dead before hee coulde ouertake him Though my heart bee nothing but a stage for Tragedies yet I must confesse it is euen vnable to beare the miserable representation thereof knowing Amphialus and Timotheus as I haue done Alas what sorrowe what amasement what shame was in Amphialus when hee sawe his deere foster father finde him the killer of his onely sonne In my heart I knowe hee wished mountaines had laine vpon him to keepe him from that meeting As for Timotheus sorrow of his sonne and I thinke principally vnkindenesse of Amphialus so deuoured his vitall spirites that able to say no more but Amphialus Amphialus haue I he sancke to the earth and presently died But not my tongue though daily vsed to complaints no nor if my heart which is nothing but sorrow were turned to tongues durst it vnder-take to shew the vnspeakeablenes of his griefe But because this serues to make you know my fortune he threw away his armour euen this which you haue now vppon you which at the first sight I vainely hoped hee had put on againe and then as ashamed of the light hee ranne
into thickest of the woods lamenting and euen crying out so pitifully that my seruant though of a fortune not vsed to much tendernes could not refraine weeping when he told it me He once ouertooke him but Amphialus drawing his sword which was the onely part of his armes God knowes to what purpose he carried about him threatned to kil him if he followed him and withal bad him deliuer this bitter message that he wel inough found I was the cause of all this mischiefe and that if I were a man he would go ouer the world to kill me but bad me assure myselfe that of all creatures in the world he most hated mee Ah sir Knight whose eares I think by this time are tired with the rugged waies of these misfortunes now weigh my case if at least you know what loue is For this cause haue I left my countrie putting in hazard how my people will in time deale by me aduenturing what perilles or dishonors might ensue onely to follow him who proclaimeth hate against me and to bring my necke vnto him if that may redeeme my trespasse and asswage his fury And now sir saide she you haue your request I pray you take paines to guide me to the next towne that there I may gather such of my company againe as your valor hath left me Palladius willingly condiscended but ere they began to go there came Clitophon who hauing bene something hurt by one of them had pursued him a good way at length ouertaking him and ready to kill him vnderstoode they were seruants to the faire Queene Helen and that the cause of this enterprise was for nothing but to make Amphialus prisoner whō they knew their mistresse sought for she concealed her sorrow nor cause of her sorrow frō no body But Clitophon very sory for this accident came backe to comfort the Queene helping such as were hurt in the best sort that he could and framing friendly constructions of this rashly vnder-taken enmitie when in comes an other till that time vnseene all armed with his beuer downe who first looking round about vpon the cōpany as soone as he spied Palladius he drew his sword making no other prologue let flie at him But Palladius sorie for so much harme as had already happened sought rather to retire and warde thinking he might be some one that belonged to the faire Queene whose case in his heart he pitied Which Clitophon seeing stept betweene them asking the new come knight the cause of his quarrel who answered him that hee woulde kill that theefe who had stollen away his masters armour if he did not restore it With that Palladius lookt vpon him and sawe that hee of the other side had Palladius owne armour vpon him truely saide Palladius if I haue stolne this armour you did not buy that◠but you shall not fight with me vpon such a quarrell you shall haue this armour willingly which I did onely put on to doo honor to the owner But Clitophon straight knewe by his words and voyce that it was Ismenus the faithfull and diligent Page of Amphialus and therefore telling him that he was Clitophon and willing him to acknowledge his error to the other who deserued all honour the yong Gentleman pulled of his head-peece and lighting went to kisse Palladius hands desiring him to pardon his follie caused by extreame griefe which easilie might bring foorth anger Sweete Gentleman saide Palladius you shall onely make me this amendes that you shall cary this your Lords armour from me to him and tell him from an vnknowen knight who admires his worthines that he cannot cast a greater miste ouer his glory then by being vnkind to so excellēt a princesse as this Queene is Ismenus promised he would as soone as he durst find his maister and with that went to doo his duetie to the Queene whom in al these encounters astonishment made hardy but assoone as she saw Ismenus looking to her picture Ismenus saide shee here is my Lord where is yours or come you to bring me some sentence of death from him if it be so welcome be it I pray you speake and speake quickly Alas Madame said Ismenus I haue lost my Lorde with that teares came vnto his eyes for assoone as the vnhappie combate was concluded with the death both of father and sonne my maister casting of his armour went his way forbidding me vpon paine of death to follow him Yet diuers daies I followed his steppes till lastly I found him hauing newly met with an excellent Spaniell belonging to his dead companion Philoxenns The dog straight fawned on my master for old knowledge but neuer was there thinge more pittifull then to heare my maister blame the dog for louing his maisters murtherer renewing a fresh his complaints with the dumbe counceller as if they might comfort one another in their miseries But my Lord hauing spied me rase vp in such rage that in truth I feared he would kill me yet as then he said onely if I would not displease him I should not come neere him till he sent for me too hard a commaundement for me to disobey I yeelded leauing him onely waited on by his dog and as I thinke seeking out the most solitarie places that this or any other country can graunt him and I returning where I had left his armour found an other in steede thereof and disdaining I must confesse that any should beare the armour of the best Knight liuing armed my selfe therein to play the foole as euen now I did Faire Ismenus said the Queene a fitter messenger could hardly be to vnfold my Tragedie I see the end I see my end With that sobbing she desired to be conducted to the next towne where Palladius left her to be waited on by Clitophon at Palladius earnest entreatie who desired alone to take that melancholy course of seeking his friend and therefore changing armours againe with Ismenus who went withall to a castle belonging to his master he continued his quest for his friend Daiphantus So directed he his course to Laconia aswell among the Helots as Spartans There indeede hee found his fame flourishing his monuments engraued in Marble and yet more durably in mens memories but the vniuersall lamenting his absented presence assured him of his present absence Thence into the Elean prouince to see whether at the Olympian games there celebrated he might in such concourse blesse his eyes with so desired an encounter but that huge and sportfull assemblie grewe to him a tedious louelinesse esteeming no bodie founde since Daiphantus was lost Afterward he passed through Achaia and Sicyonia to the Corinthians prowde of their two Seas to learne whether by the streight of that Isthmus it were possible to know of his passage But finding euerie place more dombe then other to his demaundes and remembring that it was late-taken loue which had wrought this new course he returned againe after two moneths trauaile in vaine to make a freshe searche in Arcadia
a temple of your deitie to be rased But he dieth it is most true he dieth and he in whom you liue to obey you dieth Wherof though he plaine he doth not complaine for it is a harme but no wrong which he hath receiued He dies because in wofull language all his senses tell him that such is your pleasure for since you will not that he liue alas alas what followeth what followeth of the most ruined Dorus but his ende Ende then euill destinied Dorus ende and ende thou wofull letter end for it sufficeth her wisedom to know that her heauenlie will shal be accomplished O my Philoclea is hee a person to write these wordes and are these words lightly to bee regarded But if you had seene when with trembling hande hee had deliuered it how hee went away as if he had beene but the coffin that carried himselfe to his sepulcher Two times I must confesse I was about to take curtesie into mine eies but both times the former resolution stopte the entrie of it so that hee departed without obtaining any further kindenesse But he was no sooner out of the doore but that I looked to the doore kindely and truely the feare of him euer since hath put me into such perplexitie as now you found me Ah my Pamela saide Philoclea leaue sorrow The riuer of your teares will soone loose his fountaine it is in your hand as well to stich vp his life againe as it was before to rent it And so though with selfe-grieued mind she comforted her sister till sleepe came to bath himselfe in Pamelaes faire weeping eyes Which when Philoclea found wringing her hands O me said she indeede the onely subiect of the destinies displeasure whose greatest fortunatenes is more vnfortunate then my sisters greatest vnfortunatenesse Alas shee weepes because shee would be no sooner happy I weepe because I can neuer be happie her teares flow form pittie mine from being too farre lower then the reach of pittie Yet doo I not enuie thee deare Pamela I do not enuy thee only I could wish that being thy sister in nature I were not so farre off a kin in fortune But the darkenesse of sorrow ouershadowing her mind as the night did her eyes they were both content to hide themselues vnder the wings of sleepe till the next morning had almost lost his name before the two sweet sleeping sisters awaked froÌ„ dreames which flattered them with more coÌ„fort then their waking could or would consent vnto For then they were called vp by Miso who hauing bene with Gynecia had receiued commaundement to be continually with her daughters and particularly not to let Zelmane and Philoclea haue any priuate confereÌ„ce but that she should be present to heare what passed Miso hauing now her authoritie encreased But caÌ„e with skowling eyes to deliuer a slauering good morrow to the two Ladies telling them it was a shame for them to marre their complexions yea and conditions to with long lying a bedde and that when shee was of their age shee trowed shee would haue made a handkerchiefe by that time a day The two sweete Princes with a smilinge silence answered her entertainement and obeiyng her direction couered their daintie beauties with the glad clothes But as soone as Pamela was readie and sooner she was then her sister the agony of Dorus giuing a fit to her selfe which the words of his letter liuely imprinted in her minde still remembred her of she called to Mopsa and willed her to fetch Dorus to speake with her because she said shee woulde take further iudgement of him before shee woulde moue Dametas to graunt her in mariage vnto him Mopsa as glad as of sweet-meate to goe of such an arrant quickly returned with Dorus to Pamela who entended both by speaking with him to giue some comfort to his passionate harte and withall to heare some parte of his life past which although fame had alreadie deliuered vnto her yet she desired in more particular certainties to haue it from so beloued an historian Yet the sweetnesse of vertues disposition iealous euen ouer it selfe suffred her not to enter abruptlie into questions of Musidorus whom shee was halfe ashamed she did loue so well and more then halfe sorie she could loue no better but thought best first to make her talke arise of Pyrocles his vertuous father which thus she did Dorus said she you told me the last day that Plangus was deceaued in that he affirmed the Prince Musidorus was drowned but withall you confessed his cosen Pyrocles perished of whom certainly in that age there was a grâ—at losse since as I haue heard he was a young Prince of whom all men expected as much as mans power could bring forth and yet vertue promised for him their expectation should not be deceaued Most excellent Ladie said Dorus no expectation in others nor hope in himselfe could aspire to a higher mark then to bee thought worthy to be praised by your iudgement and made worthy to be praised by your mouth But most sure it is that as his fame could by no means get so sweet noble an aire to flie in as in your breath so coulde not you leauing your selfe aside finde in the worlde a fitter subiect of commendation as noble as a long succession of roiall ancestors famous and famous for victories could make him of shape most louely and yet of minde more louely valiaunt curteous wise what should I say more sweete Pyrocles excellent Pyrocles what can my words but wrong thy perfections which I would to God in some small measure thou hadst bequeathed to him that euer must haue thy vertues in admiration that masked at least in them I might haue founde some more gratious acceptation with that hee imprisoned his looke for a while vppon Mopsa who thereuppon fell into a very wide smiling Truely saide Pamela Dorus I like well your minde that can raise it selfe out of so base a fortune as yours is to thinke of the imitating so excellent a Prince as Pyrocles was Who shootes at the midde day Sunne though he bee sure he shall neuer hit the marke yet as sure hee is he shall shoote higher then who aimes but at a bushe But I pray you Dorus saide shee tell me since I perceiue you are well acquainted with that storie what Prince was that Euarchus father to Pyrocles of whom so much fame goes for his rightly roiall vertues or by what waies he got that opinion And then so descend to the causes of his sending first away from him and then to him for that excellent sonne of his with the discourse of his life and losse and therein you may if you list say something of that same Musidorus his cosen because they going together the storie of Pyrocles which I onely desire may be the better vnderstood Incomparable Lady said he your commaundement doth not onely giue mee the wil but the power to obey you such influence hath your excellencie And first for that
the matter alone for accompanied they would not haue suffered them to haue mounted and so those great fellowes scornefully receiuing them as foolish birds falne into their net it pleased the eternall iustice to make them suffer death by their hands and so they were manifoldly acknowledged the sauers of that countrie It were the part of a verie idle Orator to set forth the numbers of wel-deuised honors done vnto them But as high honor is not onely gotten and borne by paine and daunger but must be nurst by the like or els vanisheth as soone as it appeares to the world so the naturall hunger thereof which was in Pyrocles suffered him not to account a resting seate of that which euer either riseth or falleth but still to make one occasion beget another wherby his doings might send his praise to others mouthes to rebound againe true contentment to his spirit And therefore hauing well established those kingdomes vnder good gouernours and rid them by their valure of such giants and monsters as before time armies were not able to subdue they determined in vnknowne order to see more of the world and to imploy those gifts esteemed rare in them to the good of mankinde and therefore would themselues vnderstanding that the King Euarchus was passed all the cumber of his warres goe priuately to seeke exercises of their vertue thinking it not so worthy to be brought to Heroycall effects by fortune or necessitie like Vlysses and Aeneas as by ones owne choice and working And so went they away from verie vnwilling people to leaue them making time haste it selfe to be a circumstance of their honour and one place witnesse to another of the truth of their doings For scarcely were they out of the confines of Pontus but that as they ridde alone armed for alone they went one seruing the other they mette an aduenture which though not so notable for any great effect they perfourmed yet worthy to be remembred for the vn-vsed examples therein as well of true naturall goodnes as of wretched vngratefulnesse It was in the kingdome of Galacia the season being as in the depth of winter very cold and as then sodainely growne to so extreame and foule a storme that neuer any winter I thinke brought foorth a fowler child so that the Princes were euen compelled by the haile that the pride of the winde blew into their faces to seeke some shrowding place which a certaine hollow rocke offering vnto them they made it their shield against the tempests furie And so staying there till the violence thereof was passed they heard the speach of a couple who not perceiuing them being hidde within that rude canapy helde a straunge and pitifull disputation which made them steppe out yet in such sort as they might see vnseene There they perceaued an aged man and a young scarcely come to the age of a man both poorely arayed extreamely weather-beaten the olde man blinde the young man leading him and yet through all those miseries in both there seemed to appeare a kinde of noblenesse not sutable to that affliction But the first words they heard were these of the old man Well Leonatus said he since I cannot perswade thee to leade mee to that which should end my griefe and thy trouble let me now entreat thee to leaue me feare not my miserie cannot be greater then it is and nothing doth become me but miserie feare not the danger of my blind steps I cannot fall worse then I am And doo not I pray thee doo not obstinately continue to infect thee with my wretchednes But flie flie from this region onely worthy of me Deare father answered he doo not take away from me the onely remnant of my happinesse while I haue power to doo you seruice I am not wholly miserable Ah my sonne said he and with that he groned as if sorrow straue to breake his harte how euill fits it me to haue such a sonne and how much doth thy kindnesse vpbraide my wickednesse These dolefull speeches and some others to like purpose well shewing they had not bene borne to the fortune they were in moued the Princes to goe out vnto them and aske the younger what they were Sirs answered he with a good grace and made the more agreable by a certaine noble kinde of pitiousnes I see well you are straungers that know not our miserie so well here knowne that no man dare know but that we must be miserable In deede our state is such as though nothing is so needfull vnto vs as pittie yet nothing is more daungerous vnto vs then to make our selues so knowne as may stirre pittie But your presence promiseth that cruelty shall not ouer-runne hate And if it did in truth our state is soncke below the degree of feare This old man whom I leade was lately rightfull Prince of this countrie of Paphlagonia by the hard-harted vngratefulnes of a sonne of his depriued not onely of his kingdome whereof no forraine forces were euer able to spoyle him but of his sight the riches which Nature graunts to the poorest creatures Whereby and by other his vnnaturall dealings he hath bin driuen to such griefe as euen now he would haue had me to haue led him to the toppe of this rocke thence to cast himselfe headlong to death and so would haue made me who receiued my life of him to be the worker of his destruction But noble Gentlemen said he if either of you haue a father and feele what duetifull affection is engraffed in a sonnes hart let me entreate you to conuay this afflicted Prince to some place of rest and securitie Amongst your worthie actes it shall be none of the least that a King of such might and fame and so vniustlie oppressed is in any sort by you relieued But before they coulde make him aunswere his father began to speake Ah my sonne said he how euill an Historian are you that leaue out the chiefe knot of all the discourse my wickednes my wickednes And if thou doest it to spare my ears the onely sense now left mee proper for knowledge assure thy selfe thou doest mistake me And I take witnesse of that Sunne which you see with that he cast vp his blinde eies as if he would hunt for light and wish my selfe in worse case then I doe wish my selfe which is as euill as may bee if I speake vntruely that nothing is so welcome to my thoughts as the publishing of my shame Therefore know you Gentlemen to whome from my heart I wish that it may not proue some ominous foretoken of misfortune to haue met with such a miser as I am that whatsoeuer my sonne ô God that truth bindes me to reproch him with the name of my son hath saide is true But besides those truthes this also is true that hauing had in lawfull mariage of a mother fitte to beare roiall children this sonne such a one as partly you see and better shall knowe by my short declaration and so
enioyed the expectations in the world of him till he was growen to iustifie their expectations so as I needed enuie no father for the chiefe comfort of mortalitie to leaue an other ones-selfe after me I was caried by a bastard sonne of mine if at least I bee bounde to beleeue the words of that base woman my concubine his mother first to mislike then to hate lastly to destroy or to doo my best to destroy this sonne I thinke you thinke vndeseruing destruction What waies be vsed to bring me to it if I shoulde tell you I shoulde tediouslie trouble you with as much poisonous hypocrisie desperate fraude smooth malice hidden ambition and smiling enuie as in any liuing person could be harbored But I list it not no remembraunce of naughtinesse delightes me but mine owne and me thinkes the accusing his trappes might in some manner excuse my fault which certainelie I loth to doo But the conclusion is that I gaue order to some seruauntes of mine whome I thought as apte for such charities as my selfe to lead him out into a forrest and there to kill him But those theeues better natured to my sonne then my selfe spared his life letting him goe to learne to liue poorelie which he did giuing himselfe to be a priuate souldier in a countrey here by But as hee was ready to be greatlie aduaunced for some noble peeces of seruice which he did he heard newes of me who dronke in my affection to that vnlawfull and vnnaturall sonne of mine suffered my selfe so to be gouerned by him that all fauours and punishments passed by him all offices and places of importance distributed to his fauorites so that ere I was aware I had left my selfe nothing but the name of a King which he shortly wearie of too with manie indignities if any thing may be called an indignitie which was laide vppon me threw me out of my seate and put out my eies and then proud in his tirannie let me goe neither imprisoning nor killing me but rather delighting to make me feele my miserie miserie in deede if euer there were any full of wretchednesse fuller of disgrace and fullest of guiltines And as he came to the crowne by so vniust meanes as vniustlie he kept it by force of straunger souldiers in Cittadels the nestes of tirannie and murderers of libertie disarming all his own countrimen that no man durst shew himselfe a well-willer of mine to say the truth I thinke few of them being so considering my cruell folly to my good sonne and foolish kindnesse to my vnkinde bastard but if there were any who felt a pitty of so great a fall and had yet any sparkes of vnslaine duety lefte in them towardes me yet durst they not shewe it scarcely with giuing mee almes at their doores which yet was the onely sustenaunce of my distressed life no body daring to shewe so much charitie as to lende mee a hande to guide my darke steppes Till this sonne of mine God knowes woorthy of a more vertuous and more fortunate father forgetting my abhominable wronges not recking daunger and neglecting the present good way hee was in of doing himselfe good came hether to doo this kinde office you see him performe towardes me to my vnspeakeable griefe not only because his kindnes is a glasse euen to my blind eies of my naughtines but that aboue all griefes it greeues me he should desperatlie aduenture the losse of his well deseruing life for mine that yet owe more to fortune for my deserts as if hee would cary mudde in a chest of christall For well I know he that now raigneth howe much so euer and with good reason he despiseth me of all men despised yet hee will not let slippe any aduantage to make away him whose iust title ennobled by courage and goodnes may one day shake the seate of a neuer secure tyrannie And for this cause I craued of him to leade mee to the toppe of this rocke indeede I must confesse with meaning to free him from so Serpentine a companion as I am But he finding what I purposed onely therein since hee was borne shewed himselfe disobedient vnto mee And now gentlemen you haue the true storie which I pray you publish to the world that my mischieuous proceedinges may bee the glorie of his filiall pietie the onely reward now left for so great a merite And if it may be let me obtaine that of you which my sonne denies me for neuer was there more pity in sauing any then in ending me both because therein my agonies shall ende and so shall you preserue this excellent young man who els wilfully followes his owne ruine The matter in it selfe lamentable lamentably expressed by the old Prince which needed not take to himselfe the gestures of pitie since his face coulde not put of the markes thereof greatly moued the two Princes to compassion which coulde not stay in such harts as theirs without seeking remedie But by and by the occasion was presented for Plexirtus so was the bastard called came thether with fortie horse onely of purpose to murder this brother of whose comming he had soone aduertisement and thought no eyes of sufficient credite in such a matter but his owne and therefore came himselfe to be actor and spectator And as soone as hee came not regarding the weake as hee thought garde of but two men commaunded some of his followers to set their handes to his in the killing of Leonatus But the young Prince though not otherwise armed but with a sworde howe falsely soeuer he was dealt with by others would not betray him selfe but brauely drawing it out made the death of the first that assayled him warne his fellowes to come more warily after him But then Pyrocles and Musidorus were quickly become parties so iust a defence deseruing as much as old friendship and so did behaue them among that companie more iniurious then valiant that many of them lost their liues for their wicked maister Yet perhaps had the number of them at last preuailed if the King of Pontus lately by them made so had not come vnlooked for to their succour Who hauing had a dreame which had fixt his imagination vehemently vpon some great daunger presently to follow those two Princes whom hee most dearely loued was come in al hast following as wel as he could their track with a hundreth horses in that countrie which he thought considering who then raigned a fitte place inough to make the stage of any Tragedie But then the match had beene so ill made for Plexirtus that his ill-led life and worse gotten honour should haue tumbled together to destruction had there not come in Tydeus and Telenor with forty or fifty in their suite to the defence of Plexirtus These two were brothers of the noblest house of that country brought vppe from their infancy with Plexirtus men of such prowesse as not to knowe feare in themselues and yet to teach it others that shoulde deale with them for
sisters help said she who remembers it better then I I will declare vnto you and first of Erona being the chiefe Subiect of this discourse this storie with more teares and exclamations then I liste to spende about it hee recounted Of late there raigned a King in Lydia who had for the blessing of his mariage this onely daughter of his Erona a Princesse worthie for her beautie as much praise as beautie may be prayse-worthy This princesse Erona being 19. yeeres of age seeing the countrie of Lydia so much deuoted to Cupid as that in euery place his naked pictures and images were superstitiously adored ether moued thereunto by the esteeming that could be no Godhead which coulde breed wickednes or the shamefast consideration of such nakednes procured so much of her father as vtterly to pull downe and deface al those statues pictures Which how terribly he punished for to that the Lydians impute it quickly after appeared For she had not liued a yeare longer whē she was striken with most obstinate Loue to a young man but of meane parentage in her fathers court named Antiphilus so meane as that hee was but the sonne of her Nurse and by that meanes without other desert became knowen of her Now so euill could she conceale her fire and so wilfully perseuered she in it that her father offering her the mariage of the great Tiridates king of Armenia who desired her more then the ioyes of heauen shee for Antiphilus sake refused it Many wayes her father sought to with drawe her from it sometimes perswasions sometimes threatnings once hiding Antiphilus and giuing her to vnderstand that he was fled the countrie Lastly making a solemne execution to be done of another vnder the name of Antiphilus whom he kept in prison But nether she liked perswasions nor feared threateninges nor changed for absence and when she thought him dead she sought all meanes as well by poyson as knife to send her soule at least to be maried in the eternall church with him This so brake the tender fathers hart that leauing things as he found them hee shortly after died Then foorth with Erona being seazed of the crowne and arming her will with authoritie sought to aduance her affection to the holy title of matrimonie But before she could accomplish all the solemnities she was ouertaken with a war the King Tiridates made vpon her only for her person towards whom for her ruine Loue had kindled his cruel hart indeed cruell and tyrannous for being far too strong in the field he spared not man woman and child but as though there could be found no foile to set foorth the extremitie of his loue but extremity of hatred wrote as it were the sonets of his Loue in the bloud and tuned them in the cries of her subiects although his faire sister Artaxia who would accompany him in the army sought all meanes to appease his fury till lastly he besieged Erona in her best citie vowing to winne her or lose his life And now had he brought her to the point ether of a wofull consent or a ruinous deniall when there came thether following the course which Vertue and Fortune led them two excellent young Princes Pyrocles Musidorus the one Prince of Macedon the other of Thessalia two princes as Plangus said and he witnessed his saying with sighes and teares the most accomplished both in body minde that the Sun euer lookt vpon While Philoclea spake those words O sweete wordes thought Zelmane to herselfe which are not onely a praise to mee but a praise to praise it selfe which out of that mouth issueth These 2. princes said Philoclea aswell to help the weaker especially being a Ladie as ta saue a Greeke people from being ruined by such whom we call and count Barbarous gathering to gether such of the honestest Lycians as would venture their liues to succour their Princesse giuing order by a secret message they sent into the Citie that they should issue with al force at an appointed time they set vpon Tiridates campe with so well-guided a fiercenes that being of both sides assaulted he was like to be ouerthrowen but that this Plangus being Generall of Tiridates hors-men especially ayded by the two mightie men Euardes and Barzanes rescued the footmē euen almost defeated but yet could not barre the Princes with their succoures both of men and victuall to enter the Citie Which when Tiridates found would make the war long which length seemed to him worse then a languishing consumption he made a challenge of three Princes in his retinue against those two Princes and Antiphilus and that thereupon the quarrell should be decided with compact that neither side should helpe his fellow but of whose side the more ouercame with him the victorie should remaine Antiphilus though Erona chose rather to bide the brunt of warre then venture him yet could not for shame refuse the offer especially since the two strangers that had no interest in it did willingly accept it besides that he sawe it like enough that the people werie of the miseries of war would rather giue him vp if they saw him shrinke then for his sake venture their ruine considering that the challengers were farre of greater worthinesse then himselfe So it was agreed vpon and against Pyrocles was Euardes King of Bithinia Barzanes of Hircania against Musidorus two men that thought the world scarse able to resist them and against Antiphilus he placed this same Plangus being his owne cousin germain and sonne to the King of Iberia Now so it fell out that Musidorus slewe Barzanes and Pyrocles Euardes which victory those Princes esteemed aboue all that euer they had but of the other side Plangus tooke Antiphilus prisoner vnder which colour as if the matter had bene equall though indeed it was not the greater part being ouercome of his side Tiridates continued his war and to bring Erona to a compelled yeelding sent her word that he would the third morrow after before the walles of the towne strike off Antiphilus head without his suite in that space were graunted adding withall because he had heard of her desperate affection that if in the meane time she did her selfe any hurt what tortures could be deuised should be layed vpon Antiphilus Then lo if Cupid be a God or that the tyranny of our owne thoughts seeme as a God vnto vs. But whatsoeuer it was then it did set foorth the miserablenes of his effectes she being drawne to two cōtraries by one cause For the loue of him commaunded her to yeeld to no other the loue of him commaunded her to preserue his life which knot might well be cut but vntied it could not be So that Loue in her passions like a right makebate whispered to both sides arguments of quarrell What said he of the one side doost thou loue Antiphilus ô Erona and shall Tiridates enioy thy bodie with what eyes wilt thou looke vpon Antiphilus when he shall know that an other
daughter that euer did eate pappe Now this King did keepe a great house that euery body might come and take their meat freely So one day as his daughter was sitting in her window playing vpon a harpe as sweete as any Rose and combing her head with a combe all of precious stones there came in a Knight into the court vpon a goodly horse one haire of gold and the other of siluer and so the Knight casting vp his eyes to the window did fall into such loue with her that he grew not worth the bread he eate till many a sorry day going ouer his head with Dayly Diligence and Grisly Grones he wan her affection so that they agreed to run away togither And so in May when all true hartes reioyce they stale out of the Castel without staying so much as for their breakfast Now forsooth as they went togither often all to kissing one another the Knight told her he was brought vp among the water Nymphes who had so bewitched him that if he were euer askt his name he must presently vanish away and therefore charged her vpon his blessing that she neuer aske him what he was nor whether he would And so a great while she kept his commandement til once passing through a cruell wildernes as darke as pitch her mouth so watred that she could not choose but aske him the question And then he making the greeuousest complaints that would haue melted a tree to haue heard them vanisht quite away and she lay downe casting forth as pitifull cries as any shrich-owle But hauing laien so wet by the raine burnt by the Sun fiue dayes and fiue nights she gat vp and went ouer many a high hill and many a deepe riuer till she came to an Aunts house of hers and came and cried to her for helpe and she for pittie gaue her a Nut and bad her neuer open her Nut till she was come to the extremest misery that euer tongue could speake of And so she went and she went and neuer rested the euening where she went in the morning till she came to a second Aunt and she gaue her another Nut. Now good Mopsa said the sweete Philoclea I pray thee at my request keepe this tale till my marriage day and I promise thee that the best gowne I weare that day shal be thine Mopsa was very glad of the bargaine especially that it should grow a festiuall Tale so that Zelmane who desired to finde the vttermost what these Ladies vnderstood touching her selfe and hauing vnderstood the danger of Erona of which before she had neuer heard purposing with her selfe as soone as this pursuit she now was in was brought to any effect to succour her entreated againe that she might know as well the story of Plangus as of Erona Philoclea referred it to her sisters perfecter remembrance who with so sweet a voice and so winning a grace as in themselues were of most forcible eloquence to procure attention in this maner to their earnest request soone condiscended The father of this Prince Plangus as yet liues and is King of Iberia a man if the iudgement of Plangus may be accepted of no wicked nature nor willingly doing euill without himselfe mistake the euill seeing it disguised vnder some forme of goodnesse This Prince being married at the first to a Princesse who both from her auncesters and in her selfe was worthy of him by her had this sonne Plangus Not long after whose birth the Queene as though she had perfourmed the message for which she was sent into the world returned againe vnto her maker The King sealing vp all thoughts of loue vnder the image of her memorie remained a widdower many yeares after recompencing the griefe of that disioyning from her in conioyning in himselfe both a fatherly and a motherly care toward her onely child Plangus Who being growne to mans age as our owne eies may iudge could not but fertilly requite his fathers fatherly education This Prince while yet the errors in his nature were excused by the greenenes of his youth which tooke all the fault vpon it selfe loued a priuate mans wife of the principall Citie of that Kingdome if that may be called loue which he rather did take into himselfe willingly then by which he was taken forcibly It sufficeth that the yong mā perswaded himself he loued her she being a womā beautifull enough if it be possible that the onely outside can iustly entitle a beauty But finding such a chase as onely fledde to be caught the young Prince brought his affection with her to that point which ought to engraue remorse in her hart to paint shame vpō her face And so possest he his desire without any interruption he constantly fauouring her and she thinking that the enameling of a Princes name might hide the spots of a broken wedlock But as I haue seene one that was sick of a sleeping disease could not be made wake but with pinching of him so out of his sinfull sleepe his minde vnworthie so to be lost was not to be cald to it selfe but by a sharpe accident It fell out that his many-times leauing of the court in vndue times began to be noted and as Princes eares be manifolde from one to another came vnto the King who carefull of his onely sonne sought and found by his spies the necessarie euill seruaunts to a King what it was whereby he was from his better delights so diuerted Whereupon the King to giue his fault the greater blow vsed such meanes by disguising himselfe that he found them her husband being absent in her house together which he did to make him the more feelingly ashamed of it And that way he tooke laying threatnings vpon her and vpon him reproaches But the poore young Prince deceiued with that young opinion that if it be euer lawful to lie it is for ones Louer employed all his wit to bring his father to a better opinion And because he might bende him from that as he counted it crooked conceit of her he wrested him as much as he coulde possiblie to the other side not sticking with prodigal protestations to set foorth her chastitie not denying his own attempt but thereby the more extolling her vertue His Sophistrie preuayled his father beleeued and so beleeued that ere long though he were already stept into the winter of his age he founde himselfe warme in those desires which were in his sonne farre more excusable To be short he gaue himselfe ouer vnto it and because he would auoide the odious comparison of a yong riuall sent away his sonne with an armie to the subduing of a Prouince lately rebelled against him which he knew could not be a lesse worke then of three or foure yeares Wherein he behaued him so worthilie as euen to this country the fame thereof came long before his owne comming while yet his father had a speedier succes but in a far vnnobler conquest For while Plangus was away the old man growing
humble gesture beare false witnesse for his true meaning that he found not onely souldiery but people weary of his gouernment and all their affections bent vpon Plangus Both he and the Queene concurring in strange dreames and each thing else that in a minde already perplexed might breed astonishment so that within a while all Plangus actions began to be translated into the language of suspition Which though Plâ—ngus found yet could he not auoid euen contraries being driuen to draw one yoke of argument if he were magnificent he spent much with an aspiring intent if he spared hee heaped much with an aspiring intent if hee spake curteously he angled the peoples harts if he were silent he mused vpon some daungerous plot In summe if hee could haue turned himselfe to as many formes as Proteus euery forme should haue bene made hideous But so it fell out that a meere trifle gaue them occasion of further proceeding The King one morning going to a vineyard that lay a long the hill where vpon his castle stood he saw a vine-labourer that finding a bowe broken tooke a branch of the same bowe for want of another thing and tied it about the place broken The King asking the fellow what he did Marry said he I make the sonne binde the father This word finding the King alredy supersticious through suspition amazed him streight as a presage of his owne fortune so that returning and breaking with his wife how much he misdoubted his estate she made such gaine-saying answeres as while they straue straue to be ouercome But euen while the doubtes most boiled she thus nourished them She vnder-hand dealt with the principall men of that country that at the great Parliament which was then to bee held they should in the name of all the estates perswade the King being now stept deeply into old age to make Plangus his associate in gouernment with him assuring them that not onely she would ioine with them but that the father himfelfe would take it kindly charging them not to acquaint Plangus withall for that perhaps it might be harmefull vnto him if the King should finde that he were a party They who thought they might do it not onely willingly because they loued him and truely because such indeed was the mind of the people but safely because she who ruled the King was agreed thereto accomplished her counsell she indeed keeping promise of vehement perswading the same which the more she and they did the more shee knew her husband woulde feare and hate the cause of his feare Plangus found this and humbly protested against such desire or will to accept But the more hee protested the more his father thought he dissembled accounting his integrity to be but a cuÌ„ning face of falshood and therefore delaying the desire of his subiects attended some fit occasion to lay hands vpon his sonne which his wife thus brought to passe She caused that same minister of hers to go vnto Plangus and enabling his words with great shew of faith and endearing them with desire of secresie to tell him that he found his ruine conspired by his stepmother with certaine of the noble men of that country the King himselfe giuing his consent and that few daies shoulde passe before the putting it in practize with all discouering the very truth indeede with what cunning his stepmother had proceeded This agreing with Plangus his owne opinion made him giue him the better credit yet not so far as to flie out of his country according to the naughty fellowes persuasion but to attend and to see further Whereupon the fellow by the direction of his mistresse told him one day that the same night about one of the clocke the King had appointed to haue his wife and those noble men together to deliberate of their manner of proceeding against Plangus and therefore offered him that if himselfe would agree hee woulde bring him into a place where hee should heare all that passed and so haue the more reason both to himselfe and to the world to seeke his safetie The poore Plangus being subiect to that onely disaduantage of honest harts credulitie was perswaded by him and arming himselfe because of his late going was closely conueied into the place appointed In the meane time his stepmother making al her gestures cuÌ„ningly counterfait a miserable affliction she lay almost groueling on the flower of her chaÌ„ber not suffering any body to comfort her vntill they calling for her husband and he held of with long enquiry at length she tolde him euen almost crying out euery word that she was wery of her life since shee was brought to that plunge either to conceale her husbands murther or accuse her sonne who had euer beene more deare then a sonne vnto her Then with many interruptions and exclamations she tolde him that her sonne Plangus solliciting her in the olde affection betweene them had besought her to put her helping hand to the death of the King assuring her that though all the lawes in the world were against it he would marrie her when he were King She had not fully said thus much with many pitifull digressioÌ„s when in comes the same fellow that brought PlaÌ„gus ruÌ„ning himself out of breath fell at the Kings feet beseeching him to saue himself for that there was a man with a sword drawen in the next roome The King affrighted weÌ„t out called his gard who entring the place fouÌ„d indeed Plangus with his sword in his hand but not naked but standing suspiciously inough to one already suspicious The King thinking hee had put vp his sworde because of the noise neuer tooke leasure to heare his answer but made him prisoner meaning the next morning to put him to death in the market place But the day had no sooner opened the eies eares of his friends followers but that there was a little army of them who came by force deliuered him although numbers on the other side abused with the fine framing of their report took armes for the King But Plangus though he might haue vsed the force of his friends to reuenge his wrong and get the crowne yet the naturall loue of his father and hate to make their suspition seeme iust caused him rather to choose a voluntarie exile then to make his fathers death the purchase of his life and therefore went he to Tiridates whose mother was his fathers sister liuing in his Court eleuen or twelue yeares euer hoping by his intercession and his owne desert to recouer his fathers grace At the end of which time the warre of Erona happened which my sister with the cause thereof discoursed vnto you But his father had so deeply engraued the suspition in his hart that he thought his flight rather to proceed of a fearefull guiltines then of an humble faithfulnes and therefore continued his hate with such vehemencie that he did euen hate his Nephew Tiridates and afterwardes his neece Artaxia because in their Court
foote to trouble his daughter gaue her a stop for that while So away departed Philoclea with a new field of fancies for her trauayling mind For well she sawe her father was growen her aduerse partie and yet her fortune such as she must fauour her Riuall and the fortune of that fortune such as neither that did hurt her nor any contrarie meane helpe her But she walkt but a little on before she saw Zelmane lying vpon a banke with her face so bent ouer Ladon that her teares falling into the water one might haue thought that she began meltingly to be metamorphosed to the vnder-running riuer But by and by with speech she made knowen as well that she liued as that she sorrowed Faire streames said she that do vouchsafe in your cleerenes to represent vnto me my blubbered face let the tribute-offer of my teares vnto you procure your stay a while with me that I may beginne yet at last to finde some thing that pities me and that all things of comfort and pleasure doo not flie away from me But if the violence of your spring commaund you to haste away to pay your dueties to your great prince the Sea yet carrie with you these few wordes and let the vttermost ends of the world know them A loue more cleere then your selues dedicated to a Loue I feare more cold then your selues with the cleerenes layes a night of sorow vpon me and with the coldnes enflames a world of fire within me With that she tooke a willowe stick and wrote in a sandie banke these fewe verses OVer these brookes trusting to ease mine eyes Mine eyes euen great in labour with their teares I layde my face my face wherein there lyes Clusters of clowdes which no Sunne euer cleares In watry glasse my watrie eyes I see Sorrowes ill easde where sorrowes painted be My thoughts imprisonde in my secret woes With flamie breathes doo issue oft in sound The sound to this strange aier no sooner goes But that it dooth with Echoes force rebound And make me heare the plaints I would refraine Thus outward helps my inward griefe maintaine Now in this sand I would discharge my minde And cast from me part of my burdnous cares But in the sand my tales foretolde I finde And see therein how well the writer fares Since streame aier sand mine eyes and eares conspire What hope to quench where each thing blowes the fire And assoone she had written them a new swarme of thoughts stinging her minde she was ready with her foot to giue the new-borne letters both death and buriall But Philoclea whose delight of hearing and seeing was before a stay from interrupting her gaue her self to be seen vnto her with such a lightning of Beauty vpon Zelmane that neither she could looke on nor would looke off At last Philoclea hauing a little mused how to cut the threede euen betweene her owne hopelesse affection and her fathers vnbrideled hope with eyes cheekes and lips wherof each sang their part to make vp the harmonie of bashfulnesse began to say My Father to whom I owe my self and therfore When Zelmane making a womanish habite to be the Armour of her boldnesse giuing vp her life to the lips of Philoclea and taking it againe by the sweetenesse of those kisses humbly besought her to keepe her speach for a while within the Paradise of her minde For well she knew her fathers errand who should soone receiue a sufficient answere But now she demaunded leaue not to loose this long sought-for commoditie of time to ease her hart thus farre that if in her agonies her destinie was to be condemned by Philocleas mouth at lest Philoclea might know whom she had condemned Philoclea easily yeelded to graunt her owne desire and so making the greene banke the situation and the riuer the prospect of the most beautifull buildings of Nature Zelmane doubting how to beginne though her thoughts already had runne to the ende with a minde fearing the vnworthinesse of euery word that should be presented to her eares at length brought it forth in this manner Most beloued Ladie the incomparable excellencies of your selfe waited-on by the greatnesse of your estate and the importaunce of the thing whereon my life consisteth doth require both many ceremonies before the beginning and many circumstaunces in the vttering my speech both bolde and fearefull But the small opportunitie of enuious occasion by the malicious eie hatefull Loue doth cast vpon me and the extreme bent of my affection which will eyther breake out in words or breake my harte compell me not onely to embrace the smallest time but to passe by the respects due vnto you in respect of your poore caitifes life who is now or neuer to be preserued I doo therefore vowe vnto you hereafter neuer more to omit all dutifull forme doo you onely now vouchsafe to heare the matter of a minde most perplexed If euer the sound of Loue haue come to your eares or if euer you haue vnderstood what force it hath had to conquere the strongest hartes and change the most setled estates receiue here an example of those straunge Tragedies one that in himselfe conteineth the particularities of all those misfortunes and from hencefoorth beleeue that such a thing may be since you shall see it is You shall see I say a liuing image and a present storie of what Loue can doo when he is bent to ruine But alas whether goest thou my tongue or how doth my harte consent to aduenture the reuealing his neerest touching secrete But peace Feare thou commest too late when already the harme is taken Therefore I say againe O onely Princesse attend here a miserable miracle of affection Behold here before your eyes Pyrocles Prince of Macedon whome you onely haue brought to this game of Fortune and vnused Metamorphosis whome you onely haue made neglect his countrie forget his Father and lastly forsake to be Pyrocles the same Pyrocles who you heard was betrayed by being put in a ship which being burned Pyrocles was drowned O most true presage for these traytors my eyes putting me into a shippe of Desire which dayly burneth those eyes I say which betraied me will neuer leaue till they haue drowned me But be not be not most excellent Lady you that Nature hath made to be the Load-starre of comfort be not the Rocke of shipwracke you whome vertue hath made the Princesse of felicitie be not the minister of ruine you whom my choyse hath made the Goddesse of my safetie O let not let not from you be powred vpon me destruction Your faire face hath manie tokens in it of amazement at my words thinke then what his amazement is from whence they come since no words can carry with them the life of the inward feeling I desire that my desire may be waied in the ballances of Honour and let Vertue hold them For if the highest Loue in no base person may aspire to grace then may I hope your beautie
of shamefastnes and wanton languishing borrowed of her eyes the down-castlooke of modestie But we in the mean time farre from louing her and often assuring her that we would not so recompence her husbandes sauing of our liues to such a ridiculous degree of trusting her she had brought him that she caused him send vs worde that vpon our liues we should doo whatsoeuer she commaunded vs good man not knowing any other but that all her pleasures were directed to the preseruation of his estate But when that made vs rather pittie then obey his folly then fell she to seruile entreating vs as though force could haue bene the schoole of Loue or that an honest courage would not rather striue against then yeeld to iniurie All which yet could not make vs accuse her though it made vs almost pine away for spight to loose any of our time in so troublesome an idlenesse But while we were thus full of wearinesse of what was past and doubt of what was to follow Loue that I thinke in the course of my life hath a spot sometimes to poyson me with roses sometimes to heale me with wormewood brought forth a remedy vnto vs which though it helped me out of that distres alas the cōclusion was such as I must euer while I liue think it worse then a wracke so to haue bene preserued This King by this Queene had a sonne of tender age but of great expectation brought vp in the hope of themselues and already acceptation of the inconstant people as successour of his fathers crowne wherof he was as worthy considering his partes as vnworthie in respect of the wrong was thereby done against the most noble Plangus whose great desertes now either forgotten or vngratefully remembred all men set their sayles with the fauourable winde which blewe on the fortune of this young Prince perchaunce not in their harts but surely not in their mouths now giuing Plangus who some yeares before was their only champion the poore comfort of calamitie pittie This youth therefore accounted Prince of that region by name Palladius did with vehement affection loue a yong Ladye brought vp in his fathers court called Zelmane daughter to that mischieuouslie vnhappie Prince Plexirtus of whom already I haue and sometimes must make but neuer honorable mention left there by her father because of the intricate changeablenes of his estate he by the motherside being halfe brother to this Queene Andromana and therefore the willinger committing her to her care But as Loue alas doth not alwaies reflect it selfe so fell it out that this Zelmane though truely reason there was enough to loue Palladius yet could not euer perswade her harte to yeelde thereunto with that paine to Palladius as they feele that feele an vnloued loue Yet louing indeed and therefore constant hee vsed still the intercession of diligence and faith euer hoping because he would not put him selfe into that hell to be hopelesse vntill the time of our being come and captiued there brought foorth this ende which truely deserues of me a further degree of sorrow then teares Such was therein my ill destinie that this young Ladye Zelmane like some vnwisely liberall that more delight to giue presentes then pay debtes she chose alas for the pittie rather to bestowe her loue so much vndeserued as not desired vpon me then to recompence him whose loue besides many other thinges might seeme euen in the court of Honour iustly to claime it of her But so it was alas that so it was whereby it came to passe that as nothing doth more naturally follow his cause then care to preserue and benefite doth follow vnfained affection she felt with me what I felt of my captiuitie and streight laboured to redresse my paine which was her paine which she could do by no better meanes then by vsing the helpe therein of Palladius who true Louer considering what and not why in all her commaundements and indeed she concealing from him her affection which shee intituled compassion immediatly obeyed to imploye his vttermost credite to relieue vs which though has great as a beloued son with a mother faultye otherwise but not hard-harted toward him yet it could not preuaile to procure vs libertie Wherefore he sought to haue that by practise which he could not by praier And so being allowed often to visite vs for indeede our restraints were more or lesse according as the ague of her passion was either in the fit or intermission he vsed the opportunitie of a fit time thus to deliuer vs. The time of the marrying that Queene was euery year by the extreme loue of her husband and the seruiceable loue of the Courtiers made notable by some publike honours which did as it were proclaime to the worlde how deare shee was to that people Among other none was either more grateful to the beholders or more noble in it selfe then iusts both with sword launce mainteined for a seuen-night together wherein that Nation doth so excel both for comelines and hablenes that from neighbour-countries they ordinarilye come some to striue some to learne some to behold This day it happened that diuers famous Knights came thither from the Court of Helen Queene of Corinth a Lady whome fame at that time was so desirous to honor that she borrowed all mens mouthes to ioyne with the sounde of her Trumpet For as her beautie hath wonne the prize from all women that stande in degree of comparison for as for the two sisters of Arcadia they are far beyond all conceipte of comparison so hath her gouernment bene such as hath bene no lesse beautifull to mens iudgementes then her beautie to the eiesight For being brought by right of birth a woman a yong woman a faire woman to gouern a people in nature mutinously proud and alwaies before so vsed to hard gouernours as they knew not how to obey without the sworde were drawne Yet could she for some yeares so carry her selfe among them that they found cause in the delicacie of her sex of admiration not of contempt which was notable euen in the time that many countries about her were full of wars which for old grudges to Corinth were thought stil would conclude there yet so handled she the matter that the threatens euer smarted in the threatners she vsing so strange and yet so well-succeding a temper that she made her people by peace warlike her courtiers by sports learned her Ladies by Loue chast For by cōtinuall martiall exercises without bloud she made them perfect in that bloudy art Her sportes were such as carried riches of Knowledge vpon the stream of Delight and such the behauiour both of her selfe and her Ladies as builded their chastitie not vpon waiwardnes but choice of worthines So as it seemed that court to haue bene the mariage place of Loue Vertue and that herself was a Diana apparrelled in the garmēts of Venus And this which Fame only deliuered vnto me for yet I haue neuer
had receiued that naughtie Plexirtus into a streight degree of fauour his goodnesse being as apt to be deceiued as the others craft was to deceiue Till by plaine proofe finding that the vngratefull man went about to poyson him yet would not suffer his kindnesse to be ouercome not by iustice it selfe but calling him to him vsed words to this purpose Plexirtus said he this wickednesse is founde by thee No good deedes of mine haue bene able to keepe it downe in thee All men counsell me to take away thy life likely to bring foorth nothing but as daungerous as wicked effects But I cannot finde it in my harte remembring what fathers sonne thou art But since it is the violence of ambition which perchaunce puls thee from thine owne iudgement I will see whether the satisfying that may quiet the ill working of thy spirites Not farre hence is the great cittie of Trebisonde which with the territorie about it aunciently pertained vnto this crowne now vniustly possessed and as vniustly abused by those who haue neither title to holde it nor vertue to rule it To the conquest of that for thy selfe I will lende thee force and giue thee my right Go therefore and with lesse vnnaturalnesse glut thy ambition there and that done if it be possible learne vertue Plexirtus mingling forsworne excuses with false-meant promises gladly embraced the offer and hastilie sending backe for those two Brothers who at that time were with vs succouring the gratious Queene Erona by their vertue chiefly if not onely obteined the conquest of that goodly dominion Which indeede done by them gaue them such an authoritie that though he raigned they in effect ruled most men honouring them because they onely deserued honour and many thinking therein to please Plexirtus considering how much he was bound vnto them while they likewise with â— certaine sincere boldnesse of selfe-warranting friendship accepted all openly and plainely thinking nothing should euer by Plexirtus be thought too much in them since all they were was his But he who by the rules of his own mind could construe no other end of mens doings but selfe seking sodenly feared what they could doo and as sodainely suspected what they would doo and as sodainly hated them as hauing both might and minde to doo But dreading their power standing so strongly in their owne valour and others affection he durst not take open way against them and as hard it was to take a secrete they being so continually followed by the best and euery way hablest of that region and therefore vsed this diuelish sleight which I will tell you not doubting most wicked man to turne their owne friendship toward him to their owne destruction He knowing that they well knew there was no friendship betweene him and the new King of Pontus neuer since he succoured Leonatus and vs to his ouerthrow gaue them to vnderstand that of late there had passed secrete defiance betweene them to meete priuately at a place apointed Which though not so fit a thing for men of their greatnes yet was his honour so engaged as he could not go backe Yet faining to find himselfe weake by some counterfait infirmitie the day drawing neere he requested each of them to go in his stead making either of theÌ„ sweare to keepe the matter secret euen ech from other deliuering the selfe same particularities to both but that he told Tydeus the King would meet him in a blew armour and Telenor that it was a black armour and with wicked subtiltie as if it had bene so apointed caused Tydeus to take a black armour and Telenor a blew appointing them waies how to go so as he knew they should not meet till they came to the place appointed where each had promised to keepe silence lest the King should discouer it was not Plexirtus and there in a wait had he laied these murtherers that who ouerliued the other should by them be dispatched he not daring trust more then those with that enterprise and yet thinking them too few till themselues by themselues were weakened This we learned chiefly by the chiefe of those way-beaters after the death of those two worthie brothers whose loue was no lesse then their valour but well we might finde much thereof by their pitifull lamentation when they knew their mismeeting and saw each other in despite of the Surgerie we could doo vnto them striuing who should runne fastest to the goale of death each bewailing the other and more dying in the other then in himselfe cursing their owne hands for doing and their breastes for not sooner suffering detesting their vnfortunately-spent time in hauing serued so vngratefull a Tyraunt and accusing their folly in hauing beleeued he could faithfully loue who did not loue faithfulnes wishing vs to take heed how we placed our good will vpon any other ground then proofe of vertue since length of acquaintance mutuall secrecies nor height of benefits could binde a sauage harte no man being good to other that is not good in himselfe Then while any hope was beseeching vs to leaue the care of him that besought and onely looke to the other But when they found by themselues and vs no possibilitie they desired to be ioined and so embracing and crauing that pardon each of other which they denied to themselues they gaue vs a most sorrowfull spectacle of their death leauing â—ew in the world behind them their matches in any thing if they had soone inough knowne the ground and limits of friendship But with wofull hartes we caused those bodies to be conueyed to the next towne of Bythinia where we learning thus much as I haue tolde you caused the wicked Historian to conclude his story with his owne well-deserued death But then I must tell you I found such wofull countenances in Daiphantus that I could not but much maruaile finding them coÌ„tinew beyond the first assault of pittie how the case of strangers for further I did not conceiue could so deepely pearce But the truth indeed is that partly with the shame and sorrow she tooke of her fathers faultinesse partly with the feare that the hate I conceiued against him would vtterly disgrace her in my opinion whensoeuer I should know her so vehemeÌ„tly perplexed her that her fayre colour decaied and dayly hastily grew into the very extreme working of sorowfulnes which oft I sought to learne and helpe But she as fearefull as louing still concealed it and so decaying still more more in the excellencie of her fairenesse but that whatsoeuer weakenesse tooke away pitie seemed to adde yet still she forced her selfe to waite on me with such care and diligence as might well shew had bene taught in no other schoole but Loue. While we returning againe to embarke our selues for Greece vnderstood that the mighty Otanes brother to Barzanes slaine by Musidorus in the battaile of the six Princes had entred vpon the kingdome of Pontus partly vpon the pretences he had to the crowne but principally
vnnaturall as not to haue with the holy name of your naturall Prince any furie ouer-maistred For such a hellish madnes I know did neuer enter into your harts as to attempt any thing against his person which no successor though neuer so hatefull will euer leaue for his owne sake vnreuenged Neither can your wonted valour be turned to such a basenes as in stead of a Prince deliuered vnto you by so many royall ancestors to take the tyrannous yoke of your fellow subiect in whome the innate meanes will bring forth rauenous couetousnes and the newnes of his estate suspectfull cruelty Imagine what could your enimies more wish vnto you then to see your owne estate with your owne handes vndermined O what would your fore-fathers say if they liued at this time and saw their of-spring defacing such an excellent principalitie which they with much labour and bloud so wisely haue establisht Do you thinke them fooles that saw you should not enioy your vines your cattell no not your wiues and children without gouernment and that there could be no gouernment without a Magistrate and no Magistrate without obedience and no obedience where euery one vpon his owne priuate passion may interprete the doings of the rulers Let your wits make your present example a lesson to you What sweetnes in good faith find you in your present condition what choise of choise finde you if you had lost Basilius vnder whose ensigne would you go if your enimies should inuade you If you cannot agree vpon one to speake for you how will you agree vpō one to fight for you But with this feare of I cannot tell what one is troubled and with that passed wrong another is grieued And I pray you did the Sunne euer bring you a fruitfull haruest but that it was more hote then pleasant Haue any of you children that be not sometimes cumbersome Haue any of you fathers that be not sometime weerish What shall we curse the Sonne hate our childrē or disobey our fathers But what need I vse these words since I see in your countenances now vertuously settled nothing els but loue and dutie to him by whom for your only sakes the gouernment is embraced For all what is done he doth not only pardon you but thanke you iudging the action by the minds not the minds by the action Your grieues and desires whatsoeuer and whensoeuer you list he will consider of and to his consideration it is reason you should refer them So then to conclude the vncertainty of his estate made you take armes now you see him well with the same loue lay them downe If now you end as I know you will he will make no other account of this matter but as of a vehement I must confesse ouer-vehement affection the only continuance might proue a wickednes But it is not so I see very well you began with zeale and will end with reuerence The action Zelmane vsed being beautified by nature and apparelled with skill her gestures being such that as her words did paint out her minde so they serued as a shadow to make the picture more liuely and sensible with the sweete cleernesse of her voice rising and falling kindly as the nature of the worde and efficacie of the matter required altogether in such an admirable person whose incomparable valour they had well felte whose beautie did pearce through the thicke dulnes of their senses gaue such a way vnto her speach through the rugged wildernesse of their imaginations who besides they were striken in admiration of her as of more then a humane creature were coold with taking breath and had learned doubts out of leasute that in steed of roaring cries there was now heard nothing but a confused muttring whether her saying were to be followed betwixt feare to pursue and lothnesse to leaue most of them could haue bene content it had neuer bene begun but how to end it each afraid of his companion they knew not finding it far easier to tie then to loose knots But Zelmane thinking it no euill way in such mutinies to giue the mutinous some occasion of such seruice as they might thinke in their owne iudgement would counteruaile their trespasse withall to take the more assured possession of their mindes which she feared might begin to wauer Loiall Arcadians said she now do I offer vnto you the manifesting of your duties all those that haue taken armes for the Princes safetie let them turne their backs to the gate with their weapōs bent against such as would hurt his sacred person O weake trust of the many-headed multitude whom inconstancie onely doth guide to wel doing who can set confidence there where cōpany takes away shame and ech may lay the fault on his fellow So said a craftie felow among them named Clinias to himselfe when he saw the word no sooner out of Zelmanes mouth but that there were some shouts of ioy with God saue Basilius and diuers of them with much iollity growne to be his guard that but litle before ment to be his murderers This Clinias in his youth had bene a scholler so farre as to learne rather words then maners and of words rather plentie then order and oft had vsed to be an actor in Tragedies where he had learned besides a slidingnesse of language acquaintance with many passions and to frame his face to beare the figure of them long vsed to the eyes and eares of men and to recken no fault but shamefastnesse in nature a most notable Coward and yet more strangely then rarely venturous in priuie practises This fellowe was become of neere trust to Cecropia Amphialus his mother so that he was priuy to all the mischieuous deuises wherewith she went about to ruine Basilius and his children for the aduauncing of her sonne and though his education had made him full of tongue yet his loue to be doing taught him in any euill to be secret and had by his mistresse bene vsed euer since the strange retiring of Basilius to whisper rumors into the peoples eares and this time finding great aptnes in the multitude was one of the chiefe that set them in the vprore though quite without the consent of Amphialus who would not for all the Kingdoms of the world so haue aduentured the life of Philoclea But now perceiuing the flood of their furie began to ebbe he thought it policie to take the first of the tide so that no man cried lowder then he vpon Basilius And some of the lustiest rebels not yet agreeing to the rest he caused two or three of his mates that were at his commandement to lift him vp then as if he had had a prologue to vtter he began with a nice grauitie to demaund audience But few attending what he said with vehement gesture as if he would teare the stars from the skies he fell to crying out so lowde that not onely Zelmane but Basilius might heare him O vnhappie men more mad then the
needed to haue waited the tedious worke of a naturall end of Basilius when the heauens I thinke enuying my great felicity then stopt thy fathers breath when he breathed nothing but power and soueraigntie Yet did not thy orphancie or my widdowhood depriue vs of the delightfull prospect which the hill of honour dooth yeeld while expectation of thy succession did bind dependencies vnto vs. But before my sonne thou wert come to the age to feele the sweetnesse of authoritie this beast whom I can neuer name with patience falsely and foolishly married this Gynecia then a young girle and brought her to sit aboue me in al feasts to turne her shoulder to me-warde in all our solemnities It is certaine it is not so great a spite to bee surmounted by straungers as by ones owne allies Thinke then what my minde was since withall there is no question The fall is greater from the first to the second then from the second to the vndermost The rage did swell in my harte so much the more as it was faine to bee suppressed in silence and disguised with humblenes But aboue all the rest the griefe of grieues was when with these two daughters now thy prisoners she cut of all hope of thy successioÌ„ It was a tedious thing to me that my eies should loke lower then any bodies that my self being by anothers voice then mine should be more respected But it was in supportable vnto me to think that not only I but thou shouldst spend al thy time in such misery and that the Sun should see my eldest son lesse then a Prince And though I had ben a sainct I could not choose finding the chaunge this chaunge of fortune bred vnto me for now from the multitude of followers sileÌ„ce grew to be at my gate absence in my presence The guesse of my mind could preuaile more before then now many of my earnest requests And thou my deare sonne by the fickle multitude no more then an ordinary person borne of the mud of the people regarded But I remembring that in all miseries weeping becomes fooles and practize wise folks haue tried diuers meanes to pull vs out of the mire of subiection And though many times Fortune failed me yet did I neuer faile my selfe Wild beastes I kept in a caue harde by the lodges which I caused by night to be fed in the place of their pastorales I as then liuing in my house hard by the place and against the houre they were to meet hauing kept the beastes without meate then let them loose knowing that they would seeke their food there and deuoure what they founde But blind Fortune hating sharpe-sighted inuentions made them vnluckily to bee killed After I vsed my seruant Clinias to stir a notable tumult of country people but those loutes were too grosse instruments for delicate conceits Nowe lastly finding Philanax his examinations grow daungerous I thought to play double or quit and with a sleight I vsed of my fine-witted wench Artesia with other maids of mine woulde haue sent these goodly inheritrixes of Arcadia to haue pleaded their cause before Pluto but that ouer-fortunatly for theÌ„ you made me know the last day how vehemeÌ„tly this childish passion of loue doth torment you Therfore I haue brought them vnto you yet wishing rather hate then loue in you For Hate often begetteth victory Loue commonly is the instrument of subiection It is true that I would also by the same practise haue entrapped the parentes but my maides failed of it not daring to tary long about it But this sufficeth since these being taken away you are the vndoubted inheritor and Basilius will not long ouer-liue this losse O mother said Amphialus speak not of doing them hurt no more theÌ„ to mine eyes or my hart or if I haue any thing more deare then eyes or hart vnto me Let others finde what sweetnes they will in euer fearing because they are euer feared for my part I will think my selfe highlye intitled if I may be once by Philoclea accepted for a seruant Well said Cecropia I would I had borne you of my minde as wel as of my body then should you not haue suncke vnder these base weaknesses But since you haue tied your thoughts in so wilful a knot it is happie my policy hath brought matters to such a passe as you may both enioy affection and vpon that builde your soueraigntie Alas said Amphialus my hart would faine yeeld you thanks for setting me in the way of felicitie but that feare killes theÌ„ in me before they are fully borne For if Philoclea be displeased how can I be pleased if she count it vnkindenes shal I giue tokens of kindnes perchance she condemnes me of this action and shall I triumph perchance she drownes now the beauties I loue with sorrowfull teares and where is then my reioycing You haue reason said Cecropia with a fained grauitie I will therefore send her away presently that her contentment may be recouâ—red No good mother saide Amphialus since she is here I would not for my life constraine presence but rather would I die then consent to absence Pretie intricate follies said Cecropia but get you vp and see how you can preuaile with her while I go to the other sister For after we shal haue our hands full to defend our selues if Basilius hap to besiege vs. But remembring herselfe she turned back and asked him what he would haue done with Zelmane since now he might be reuenged of his hurt Nothing but honorably answered Amphialus hauing deserued no other of me especially being as I hear greatly cherished of Philoclea and therfore I could wish they were lodged together O no said Cecropia company confirmes resolutions and lonelines breeds a werines of ones thoughts and so a sooner consenting to reasonable profers But Amphialus taking of his mother Philocleas kniues which he kept as a relique since she had worne theÌ„ gat vp and calling for his richest apparell nothing seemed sumptuous inough for his mistresses eyes and that which was costly he feared were not daintyâ— and though the inuention were delicat he misdoubted the making As carefull he was too of the colour lest if gay he might seem to glory in his iniury her wrong if mourning it might strike some euil presage vnto her of her fortune At length he took a garmeÌ„t more rich then glaring â—he ground being black veluet richly embrodered with great pearle precious stones but they set so among certaine tuffes of cipres that the cipres was like black clowds through which the stars might yeeld a dark luster About his neck he ware a brode gorgeous coller whereof the pieces enterchaÌ„geably answering the one was of diamoÌ„ds pearle set with a white enamell so as by the cunning of the workman it seemed like a shining ice and the other piece being of Rubies and Opalles had a fierie glistring which he thought pictured the two passions of Feare Desire wherein he
might see neither a carefull arte nor an arte of carelesnesse but euen left to a neglected chaunce which yet could no more vnperfect her perfections then a Die anie way cast could loose his squarenesse Cecropia stirred with no other pitie but for her sonne came in and haling kindnesse into her countenance What ayles this sweet Ladie said she will you marre so good eyes with weeping shall teares take away the beautie of that complexion which the women of Arcadia wish for and the men long after Fie of this peeuish sadnesse in sooth it is vntimely for your age Looke vpon your owne bodie and see whether it deserue to pine away with sorrow see whether you will haue these hands with that she tooke one of her hands and kissing it looked vppon it as if she were enamoured with it fade from their whitenesse which makes one desire to touch them and their softnesse which rebounds againe a desire to looke on them and become drie leane and yellow and make euerie bodie woonder at the chaunge and say that sure you had vsed some arte before which now you had left for if the beauties had beene naturall they would neuer so soone haue beene blemished Take a glasse and see whether these teares become your eies although I must confesse those eies are able to make teares comely Alas Madame answered Philoclea I know not whether my teares become mine eyes but I am sure mine eies thus beteared become my fortune Your fortune saide Cecropia if she could see to attire herselfe would put on her best raiments For I see and I see it with griefe and to tell you true vnkindnes you misconster euery thing that only for your sake is attempted You thinke you are offended and are indeed defended you esteeme your selfe a prisoner and are in truth a mistres you feare hate and shall finde loue And truely I had a thing to say to you but it is no matter since I finde you are so obstinatly melancholy as that you woo his felowship I will spare my paines and hold my peace And so staied indeede thinking Philoclea would haue had a female inquisitiuenesse of the matter But she who rather wished to vnknow what she knewe then to burden her hart with more hopeles knowledge only desired her to haue pity of her and if indeed she did meane her no hurt then to graunt her liberty for else the very griefe and feare would proue her vnappointed executioners For that said Cecropia beleue me vpon the faith of a kings daughter you shall be free so soone as your freedome may be free of mortall danger being brought hither for no other cause but to preuent such mischiefes as you know not of But if you thinke indeed to winne me to haue care of you euen as of mine owne daughter then lend your eares vnto me and let not your mind arme it selfe with a wilfulnesse to be flexible to nothing But if I speake reason let Reason haue his due reward persuasion Then sweet neece said she I pray you presuppose that now euen in the midst of your agonies which you paint vnto your selfe most horrible wishing with sighes and praying with vowes for a soone and safe deliuerie Imagin neece I say that some heauenly spirit should appeare vnto you and bid you follow him through the doore that goes into the garden assuring you that you should therby returne to your deare mother and what other delights soeuer your minde esteemes delights would you sweet neece would you refuse to folow him and say that if he led you not through the chiefe gate you would not enioy your ouer-desired liberty Would you not drink the wine you thirst for without it were in such a glasse as you especially fancied tell me deare neece but I will answer for you because I know your reason wit is such as must needs coÌ„clude that such nicenesse can no more be in you to disgrace such a mind then disgracefulnesse can haue any place in so faultles a beauty Your wisdom would assuredly determin how the mark were hit not whether the bow were of Ewe or no wherein you shot If this be so thus sure my deare neece it is then I pray you imagin that I am that same good Angel who grieuing in your griefe and in truth not able to suffer that bitter sighs should be sent foorth with so sweet a breath am come to lead you not only to your desired and imagined happines but to a true and essentiall happines not only to liberty but to libertie with commandement The way I will shew you which if it be not the gate builded hitherto in your priuate choise yet shall it be a doore to bring you through a garden of pleasures as sweet as this life can bring foorth nay rather which makes this life to be a life My son let it be no blemish to him that I name him my son who was your fathers own nephew for you know I am no small kings daughter my sonne I say farre passing â—he neernesse of his kinred with neernesse of good-will and striuing to match your matchlesse beautie with a matchlesse affection doth by me present vnto you the full enioying of your liberty so as with this gift you will accept a greater which is this castell with all the rest which you knowe he hath in honorable quantitie and will coÌ„firme his gift and your receipt of both with accepting him to be yours I might say much both for the person and the matter but who will crie out the Sun shines It is so manifest a profit vnto you as the meanest iudgement must straight apprehend it so farre is it from the sharpnesse of yours therof to be ignorant Therfore sweet neece let your gratefulnes be my intercession and your gentlenesse my eloquence and let me cary comfort to a hart which greatly needs it Philoclea looked vpon her and cast downe her eie againe Aunt said she I would I could be so much a mistres of my owne mind as to yeeld to my cousins vertuous request for so I construe of it But my hart is already set and staying a while on that word she brought foorth afterwards to leade a virgins life to my death for such a vow I haue in my selfe deuoutly made The heauens preuent such a mischiefe said Cecropia A vowe quoth you no no my deere neece Nature wheÌ„ you were first borne vowed you a woman and as she made you child of a mother so to do your best to be mother of a child she gaue you beautie to moue loue she gaue you wit to know loue she gaue you an excellent body to reward loue which kind of liberall rewarding is crowned with an vnspeakable felicitie For this as it bindeth the receiuer so it makes happy the bestower this doth not impouerish but enrich the giuer O the sweet name of a mother O the comfort of comforts to see your children grow vp in whom you are as it
other whole bodies to see to but that their hartes wont to be bound all ouer so close were nowe with deadly violence opened in others fowler deaths had ouglily displayed their trayling guttes There lay armes whose fingers yet mooued as if they would feele for him that made them feele and legges which contrarie to common reason by being discharged of their burden were growne heauier But no sword payed so large a tribute of soules to the eternall Kingdome as that of Amphialus who like a Tigre from whome a companie of Woolues did seeke to rauish a newe gotten pray so he remembring they came to take away Philoclea did labour to make valure strength choller and hatred to answere the proportion of his loue which was infinit There died of his handes the olde knight AEschylus who though by yeares might well haue beene allowed to vse rather the exercises of wisedome then of courage yet hauing a lustie bodie and a merrie hart he euer tooke the summons of Time in iest or else it had so creepingly stollen vpon him that he had heard scarcely the noise of his feete and therefore was as fresh in apparell and as forwarde in enterprises as a farre yonger man but nothing made him bolder then a certaine prophecie had beene tolde him that he shoulde die in the armes of his sonne and therefore feared the lesse the arme of an enemie But now when Amphialus sword was passed through his throate he thought himselfe abused but that before he died his sonne indeede seeing his father beginne to fall helde him vp in his armes till a pitilesse souldier of of the other side with a mace brained him making father sonne become twinnes in the neuer againe dying birth As for Drialus Memnon Nisus and Policrates the first had his eyes cut out so as he could not see to bid the neare following death welcome the seconde had met with the same Prophet that olde AEschylus had and hauing founde many of his speeches true beleeued this to that hee should neuer bee killed but by his owne companions and therefore no man was more valiant then he against an enimie no man more suspicious of his friends so as he seemed to sleep in securitie when he went to a battell and to enter into a battaile when he began to sleepe such guards he would set about his person yet mistrusting those verie guards lest they would murther him But now Amphialus helped to vnriddle his doubtes for he ouerthrowing him from his horse his owne companions comming with a fresh supplie pressed him to death Nisus grasping with Amphialus was with a short dagger slaine And for Policrates while hee shunned as much as hee could keeping onely his place for feare of punishment Amphialus with a memorable blowe strake of his head where with the conuulsions of death setting his spurres to his horse he gaue so braue a charge vpon the enemie as it grewe a prouerbe that Policrates was onely valiant after his head was off But no man escaped so well his handes as Phebilus did for hee hauing long loued Philoclea though for the meannesse of his estate he neuer durst reueale it nowe knowing Amphialus setting the edge of a riuall vpon the sworde of an enemie he helde strong fight with him But Amphialus had already in the daungerousest places disarmed him and was lifting vp his sworde to send him away from himselfe when he thinking indeede to die O Philoclea said he yet this ioyes mee that I die for thy sake The name of Philoclea first staied his sworde and when he heard him out though heabhord him much worse then before yet could he not vouchsafe him the honour of dying for Philoclea but turned his sworde another way doing him no hurt for ouer-much hatred But what good did that to poore Phebilus if escaping a valiant hand hee was slaine by base souldiour who seeing him so disarmed thrust him through But thus with the well-followed valure of Amphialus were the other almost ouerthrowne when Philanax who was the marshall of the army came in with newe force renuing the almost decayed courage of his souldiers For crying to them and asking them whether their backes or their armes were better fighters hee himselfe thrust into the presse and making force and furie waite vppon discretion and gouernement he might seeme a braue Lion who taught his yong Lionets how in taking of a pray to ioine courage with cunning Then Fortune as if shee had made chases inow of the one side of that bloody Teniscourt went of the other side the line making as many fall downe of Amphialus followers as before had done of Philanaxis they loosing the ground as fast as before they had woon it onely leauing them to keepe it who had lost themselues in keeping it Then those that had killed inherited the lot of those that had bene killed and cruel Deaths made them lie quietly to gether who most in their liues had sought to disquiet ech other and many of those first ouerthrowne had the comfort to see the murtherers ouerrun them to Charons ferrie Codrus Ctesiphon and Milo lost their liues vpon Philanax his sword but no bodies case was more pitied then of a yong esquire of Amphialus called Ismenus who neuer abandoning his maister and making his tender age aspire to actes of the strongest manhoode in this time that his side was put to the worst and that Amphialus-his valure was the onely stay of them from deliuering themselues ouer to a shamefull flight hee sawe his masters horse killed vnder him Whereupon asking no aduise of no thought but of faithfulnes and courage he presently lighted from his owne horse and with the helpe of some choise and faithfull seruants gat his master vp But in the multitude that came of either side some to succour some to saue Amphialus hee came vnder the the hande of Philanax and the youth perceyuing he was the man that did most hurt to his partie desirous euen to change his life sor glorie strake at him as hee rode by him and gaue him a hurt vpon the legg that made Philanax turn towards him but seing him so yong and of a most louely presence he rather toke pity of him meaning to make him prisoner then to giue him to his brother Agenor to be his companion because they were not much vnlike neither in yeeres nor countenance But as he loked down vpon him with that thought he spied wher his brother lay dead his friend Leontius by him euen almost vnder the squiers feet Then soroing not only his owne sorow but the past-comfort sorow which he fore-knew his mother would take who with many teares and misgiuing sighs had suffred him to go with his elder brother Philanax blotted out all figures of pitie out of his minde and putting foorth his horse while Ismenus doubled two or three more valiant then well set blowes saying to himselfe Let other mothers bewaile and vntimely death as well as mine hee thrust
her liues enterprise for well shee knewe deceite cannot otherwise be mayntayned but by deceite and how to deceyue such heedfull eyes and how to satisfye and yet not satisfye such hopefull desires it was no small skill But both their thoughtes were called from themselues with the sight of Basilius who then lying downe by his daughter Philoclea vppon the fayre though naturall bed of greene-grasse seeing the sunne what speede hee made to leaue our West to doo his office in the other Hemisphere his inwarde Muses made him in his best musicke sing this Madrigall WHy doost thou haste away O Titan faire the giuer of the daie Is it to carry newes To Westerne wightes what starres in East appeare Or doost thou thinke that heare Is left a Sunne whose beames thy place may vse Yet stay and well peruse What be her giftes that make her equall thee Bend all thy light to see In earthly clothes enclosde a heauenly sparke Thy running course cannot such beawties marke No no thy motions bee Hastened from vs with barre of shadow darke Because that thou the author of our sight Disdainst we see thee staind with others light And hauing ended Deere Philoclea said he sing something that may diuerte my thoughts from the continuall taske of their ruinous harbour She obedient to him and not vnwilling to disburden her secret passion made her sweete voice be heard in these words O Stealing time the subiect of delaie Delay the racke of vnrefram'd desire What strange dessein hast thou my hopes to staie My hopes which do but to mine owne aspire Mine owne ô word on whose sweete sound doth pray My greedy soule with gripe of inward fire Thy title great I iustlie chalenge may Since in such phrase his faith he did attire O time become the chariot of my ioyes As thou drawest on so let my blisse draw neere Each moment lost part of my hap destroyes Thou art the father of occasion deare Ioyne with thy sonne to ease my long annoy's In speedie helpe thanke worthie frends appeare Philoclea brake off her Song as soone as her mother with Zelmane came neere vnto them rising vp with a kindly bashfulnes being not ignorant of the spite her mother bare her and stricken with the sight of that person whose loue made all those troubles seeme fayre flowers of her deerest garlond Nay rather all those troubles made the loue encrease For as the arriuall of enemyes makes a towne so fortifye it selfe as euer after it remaynes stronger so that a man may say enemyes were no small cause to the townes strength So to a minde once fixed in a well pleased determinacion who hopes by annoyance to ouerthrowe it doth but teach it to knit together all his best grounds and so perchance of a chaunceable purpose make an vnchangeable resolucion But no more Philoclea see the wonted signes of Zelmanes affection towardes her she thought she sawe an other light in her eyes with a bould and carelesse looke vpon her which was wont to be dazeled with her beawtie and the framing of her courtesyes rather ceremonious then affectionate and that which worst liked her was that it proceeded with such quiet setlednes as it rather threatned a full purpose then any sodayne passion She founde her behauiour bent altogether to her mother and presumed in her selfe she discerned the well acquainted face of his fancies now turned to another subiecte She sawe her mothers worthines and too well knewe her affection These ioyning theyr diuers working powers together in her minde but yet a prentise in the paynefull misterye of passions brought Philoclea into a newe trauers of her thoughtes and made her keepe her carefull looke the more attentiue vppon Zelmanes behauiour who in deede though with much payne and condemning her selfe to commit a sacriledge against the sweete saincte that liued in her in most Temple yet strengthening herselfe in it beeing the surest waye to make Gynecia bite off her other baytes did so quite ouerrule all wonted showes of loue to Philoclea and conuert them to Gynecia that the parte she played did worke in both a full and liuely perswasion to Gynecia such excessiue comforte as the beeing preferred to a riuall doth deliuer to swelling desire But to the delicate Philoclea whose calme thoughtes were vnable to nourish any strong debate it gaue so stinging a hurt that fainting vnder the force of her inwarde torment she withdrewe her selfe to the Lodge and there wearye of supporting her owne burden cast her selfe vppon her bed suffering her sorrowe to melt it selfe into abundance of teares at length closing her eyes as if eache thing she sawe was a picture of her mishap and turning vpon her hurtside which with vehement panting did summon her to consider her fortune she thus bemoned her selfe Alas Philoclea is this the price of all thy paynes Is this the rewarde of thy giuen awaye libertye Hath too much yeelding bred crueltye or can too greate acquaintance make mee helde for a straunger Hath the choosing of a companion made mee lefte alone or doth graunting desire cause the desire to bee neglected Alas despised Philoclea why diddest thou not holde thy thoughtes in theyr simple course and content thy â—elfe with the loue of thy owne vertue which would neuer haue betrayed thee Ah sillie foole diddest thou looke for truth in him that with his owne mouth confest his falsehood for playne proceeding in him that still goes disguised They say the falsest men will yet beare outward shewes of a pure minde But he that euen outwardly beares the badge of treacherie what hells of wickednes must needes in the depth be contayned But ô wicked mouth of mine how darest thou thus blaspheme the ornament of the earth the vessell of all vertue O wretch that I am that will anger the gods in dispraysing their most excellent worke O no no there was no fault but in me that could euer thinke so high eyes would looke so lowe or so great perfections would stayne themselues with my vnworthines Alas why could I not see I was too weake a band to tye so heauenly a hart I was not fit to limit the infinite course of his wonderfull destenies Was it euer like that vpon only Philoclea his thoughtes should rest Ah silly soule that couldst please thy selfe with â—o impossible an imagination An vniuersall happines is to flowe from him How was I so inueagled to hope I might be the marke of such a minde He did thee no wrong ô Philoclea he did thee no wrong it was thy weakenes to fancie the beames of the sonne should giue light to no eyes but thine And yet ô Prince Pirocles for whome I may well begin to hate my selfe but can neuer leaue to loue thee what triumph canst thou make of this conquest what spoiles wilt thou carry away of this my vndeserued ouerthrow could thy force finde out no fitter field then the feeble minde of a poore mayde who at the first sight did wish thee all
thou hast cōfirmed vnto me by an oath assure thy selfe the first that layes hands vpō her shall leaue his life for a testimony of his sacriledge Philanax with an inward storme thinking it most manifest they were both he at least of counsell with the kings death well said he you speake much to me of the king I do here sweare vnto you by the loue I haue euer borne him she shal haue no worse howsoeuer it fal out then her own parents And vpon that word of yours I yeld said the poore Pyrocles deceiued by him that ment not to deceiue him Then did Philanax deliuer him into the hands of a noble man in the company euery one desirous to haue him in his charge so much did his goodly presence wherin true valure shined breede a delightfull admiration in all the beholders Philanax himselfe stayed with Philoclea to see whether of her he might learne some disclosing of this former conclusion But she sweet Lady whom first a kindly shamefastnes had separated from Pyrocles hauing bene left in a more open view then her modesty would well beare then the attending her fathers comming and studying how to behaue her selfe towards him for both their safeties had called her spirits all within her now that vpon a sodaine Pyrocles was deliuered out of the chamber from her at the first she was so surprized with the extreame stroke of the wofull sight that like those that in their dreames are taken with some ougly vision they would fain cry for help but haue no force so remained she awhile quite depriued not only of speach but almost of any other liuely actiō But whē indeed Pyrocles was quite drawne frō her eys that her vital strēgth begā to return vnto her now not knowing what they did to Pyrocles but according to the nature of loue fearing the worst wringing her hands and letting abundance of teares be the first part of her eloquence bending her Amber-crowned head ouer her bed side to the hard-hearted Philanax O Philanax Philanax sayd she I knowe how much authoritye you haue with my father there is no man whose wisedome he so much esteemes nor whose faith so much he reposeth vpon Remember how oft you haue promised your seruice vnto me how oft you haue geuen me occasion to beleeue that there was no Lady in whose fauor you more desired to remayne and if the remembrance be not vnpleasant to your mind or the rehearsall vnfitting for my fortune remember there was a time when I could deserue it Now my chaunce is turned let not your truth turne I present my selfe vnto you the most humble and miserable suppliant liuing neither shall my desire be great I seeke for no more life then I shall be found worthy of If my bloud may wash away the dishonor of Arcadia spare it not although through me it hath in deede neuer bene dishonored My only sute is you wil be a meane for me that while I am suffered to enioy this life I may not be separated from him to whom the Gods haue ioyned me and that you determine nothing of him more cruelly then you do of me If you rightly iudge of what hath past wherein the Gods that should haue bene of our mariage are witnesses of our innocencies then procure we may liue together But if my father will not so conceiue of vs as the fault if any were was vnited so let the punishmēt be vnited also There was no man that euer loued either his Prince or any thing pertaining to him with a truer zeale then Philanax did This made him euen to the depth of his heart receiue a most vehemēt griefe to see his master made as it were more miserable after death And for himselfe calling to mind in what sort his life had bene preserued by Philoclea what time taken by Amphialus he was like to suffer a cruell death there was nothing could haue kept him from falling to all tender pittie but the perfect perswasion he had that all this was ioyned to the packe of his maisters death which the misconceiued speech of marriage made him the more beleeue Therefore first muttering to himselfe such like words The violence the gentleman spake of is now turned to mariage he alledged Mars but she speakes of Venus O vnfortunate maister This hath bene that faire diuell Gynaecia sent away one of her daughters prostituted the other empoysoned thee to ouerthrowe the diademe of Arcadia But at length thus vnto her selfe he sayde If your father Madame were now to speake vnto truly there should no body be found a more ready aduocate for you then my selfe For I would suffer this fault though very great to be blotted out of my minde by your former led life your benefit towards my selfe and being daughter to such a father But since among your selues you haue taken him away in whome was the only power to haue mercy you must now be clothed in your owne working and looke for none other then that which dead pittilesse lawes may allot vnto you For my part I loued you for your vertue but now where is that I loued you in respect of a priuate benefit what is that in comparison of the publike losse I loued you for your father vnhappy folks you haue robbed the world of him These words of her father were so little vnderstood by the only well vnderstanding Philoclea that she desired him to tell her what he meant to speake in such darke sort vnto her of her lord and father whose displeasure was more dreadfull vnto her then her punishment that she was free in her owne conscience she had neuer deserued euill of him no not in this last fact wherein if it pleased him to proceed with patience he should finde her choise had not bene vnfortunate He that saw her words written in the plaine table of her faire face thought it impossible there should therin be contained deceite and therfore so much the more abashed Why said he Madame would you haue me thinke you are not of conspiracy with the Princesse Pamelas flight and your fathers death with that word the sweet Lady gaue a pittifull cry hauing streight in her face breast abundance of witnesses that her hart was far from any such abhominable consent Ah of all sides vtterly ruined Philoclea said she now in deed I may well suffer all conceite of hope to dye in mee Deare father where was I that might not do you my last seruice before soone after miserably following you Philanax perceiued the demonstracion so liuely true in her that he easily acquited her in his heart of that fact and the more was moued to ioyne with her in most heartie lamentation But remembring him that the burthen of the state and punishment of his masters murderers lay all vpon him Well sayde he Madame I can do nothing without all the states of Arcadia what they will determine of you I know not for my part your speaches would much preuaile
that you do well by his children And what more honor I pray you can you do to his obsequies then to satisfie his soule with a louing memorie as you do his body with an vnfelt solemnitie What haue you done with the Princesse Pamela Pamela the iust enheretrix of this Countrey Pamela whom this earth may be happy that it shall be hereafter sayde she was borne in Arcadia Pamela in her selfe your ornament in her education your foster childe and euery way your only Princesse what accompt can you render to your selues of her Truly I do not thinke that you all knowe what is become of her so soone may a Diamond be lost so soone may the fayrest light in the world be put out But looke looke vnto it O Arcadians be not so wilfully robbed of your greatest treasure make not your selues ministers to priuate ambitions who do but vse your selues to put on your owne yokes Whatsoeuer you determine of vs who I must confesse are but strangers yet let not Basilius daughters be straungers vnto you Lastly howsoeuer you barre her from her publicke souereigntie which if you do little may we hope of equitie where rebellion raignes yet deny not that childs right vnto her that she may come and do the last duties to her fathers body Deny not that happines if in such a case there be any happines to your late King that his body may haue his last touch of his deerest child With such like broken maner of questions and speeches was Musidorus desirous as much as in passing by them he could to moue the people to tender Pamelas fortune But at length by that they came to the iudgement place both Sympathus and his guider had greatly satisfied him with the assurance they gaue him this assemblie of people had neyther meaning nor power to do any hurt to the Princesse whome they all acknowledged as their souereigne Lady But that the custome of Arcadia was such till she had more yeares the state of the country to be guided by a Protector vnder whome he and his fellow were to receiue their iudgement That eased Musidorus hart of his most vehement care when he found his beloued Lady to be out of daunger But Pyrocles assoone as the Queene of the one side he and Musidorus of the other were stayed before the face of their iudge hauing only for their barre the Table on which the Kings body lay being nothing lesse vexed with the doubt of Philoclea then Musidorus was for Pamela in this sort with a lowlie behauiour and only then like a suppliant he spake to the Protector Pardon me most honoured Iudge said he that vncommaunded I begin my speech vnto you since both to you and me these wordes of mine shall be most necessary To you hauing the sacred exercise of iustice in your hand nothing appertaines more properly then truth nakedly freely set downe To me being enuironed round about with many daungerous calamities what can be more conuenient then at least to be at peace with my selfe in hauing discharged my conscience in a most behouefull veritie Vnderstand therefore and truly vnderstand that the Lady Philoclea to whose vnstayned vertue it hath bene my vnspeakeable miserye that my name should become a blot if she be accused is most vniustly accused of any dishonorable fact which by my meanes she may be thought to haue yelded vnto Whatsoeuer hath bene done hath bene my only attempt which notwithstanding was neuer intended against her chastetye But whatsoeuer hath bene enformed was my fault And I attest the heauens to blaspheame which I am not now in fit tune that so much as my comming into her chamber was wholie vnwitting vnto her This your wisdome may withall consider if I would lye I would lye for mine owne behoofe I am not so olde as to be weary of my selfe But the very sting of my inward knowledge ioyned with the consideracion I must needes haue what an infinite losse it should be to all those whose loue goodnes in good folkes if so pure a child of vertue should wrongfully be destroyed compells me to vse my toong against my selfe and receiue the burden of what euill was vppon my owne doing Looke therefore with pittifull eyes vppon so fayre beames and that misfortune which by me hath fallen vppon her helpe to repaier it with your publicke iudgement since whosoeuer deales cruelly with such a creature shewes himselfe a hater of mankinde and an enuier of the worlds blisse And this peticion I make euen in the name of iustice that before you proceed further against vs I may knowe how you conceiue of her noble though vnfortunate action and what iudgement you will make of it He had not spoken his last word when all the whole people both of great and low estate confirmed with an vnited murmur Pyrocles demaund longing for the loue generally was borne Philoclea to knowe what they might hope of her Euarchus though neither regarding a prisoners passionate prayer nor bearing ouerplausible eares to a many hedded motion yet well enough content to winne their liking with things in themselues indifferent he was content first to seeke asmuch as might be of Philocleas behauior in this matter which being cleered by Pyrocles but weakely gaynesayd by Philanax who had framed both his owne Damaetas euidence most for her fauour and in truth could haue gone no further then coniecture yet finding by his wisedome that she was not altogether faultlesse he pronounced she should all her life long be kept prisoner among certaine women of religion like the vestall nonnes so to repaye their touched honour of her house with well obseruing a stryctt profession of chastitie Although this were a greate preiudicating of Pyrocles case yet was hee exceedingly ioyous of it being assured of his Ladies life and in the depth of his minde not sorry that what ende soeuer he had none should obtaine the after enioying that Iewell whereon he had set his liues happines After it was by publicque sentence deliuered what should be done with the sweete Philoclea the lawes of Arcadia bearing that what was appointed by the magistrates in the noneage of the Prince coulde not afterwards be repealed Euarchus still vsing to himselfe no other name but protector of Arcadia commaunded those that had to say against the Queene Gynecia to proceede because both her estate required shee shoulde bee first heard and also for that shee was taken to bee the principall in the greatest matter they were to iudge of Philanax incontinently stepped foorth and shewing in his greedy eyes that he did thirst for her bloud beganne a well thought on discourse of her in his iudgement execrable wickednes But Gynecia standing vp before the iudge casting abroad her armes with her eyes hiddē vnder the bredth of her vnseemely hart laying open in all her gestures the despairefull affliction to which all the might of her reason was conuerted with such like words stopped Philanax as hee was entring
tradgedy or els perchaunce they that shoulde gaine little by it were dealers in the murder you onely that had prouided the fruites for your selfe knewe nothing of it knewe nothinge hath thy companiō here infected thee with such impudency as euen in the face of the world to deny that which al the world perceaueth The other pleades ignorance and you I doubt not will alleage absence But he was ignoraunt when he was hard by and you had framed your absence iust againe the time the acte shoulde bee committed so fit a liuetenante he knew he had lefte of his wickednes that for himselfe his safest meane was to conuey away the Lady of vs all who once out of the contrie he knew wee woulde come with oliue branches of intercession vnto her and fall at his feete to beseech him to leaue keeping of sheepe and vouchesafe the tirannising ouer vs for to think they are Princes as they say although in our lawes it behooues them nothing I see at all no reason These iewells certainly with their disguisinge sleightes they haue pilfred in their vagabonding race And think you such Princes should be so long without some followers after them Truely if they be Princes it manifestly shewes their vertues such as all their subiectes are glad to be rid of them But be they as they are for we are to consider the matter and not the men Basilius murder hath beene the cause of their comming Basilius murder they haue most trecherously brought to passe yet that I doubte not you will denie as well as your fellowe But howe will you denie the stealinge awaie the Princesse of this Prouince which is no lesse then treason So notably hath the iustice of the gods prouided for the punishing of these malefactors as if it were possible men would not beleue the certaine euidences of their principall mischiefe yet haue they discouered them selues sufficiently for their most iust ouerthrowe I saye therefore to omit my cheefe matter of the Kings death This wooluish sheepheard this counterfeite Prince hath trayterously contrary to his alleageaunce hauing made himselfe a seruant and subiecte attempted the depriuing this contry of our naturall Princesse and therefore by all right must receaue the punishment of traytors This matter is so assured as he himselfe will not deny it being taken and brought backe in the fact This matter is so odious in nature so shamefull to the worlde so contrarye to all lawes so hurtefull to vs so false in him as if I should stande further in declaring or defacing it I shoulde either shewe great doubts in your wisedome or in your iustice Therefore I will transferre my care vpon you and attend to my learning and comfort the eternall example you will leaue to al mankinde of disguisers falsefiers adulterers rauishers murderers and traytors Musidorus while Philanax was speaking against his cosin and him had looked rounde about him to see whether by any meanes hee might come to haue caught him in his armes and haue killed him so much had his disgracing wordes filled his breste with rage But perceauing himselfe so guarded as hee shoulde rather showe a passionate acte then performe his reuenge his hande trembling with desire to strike and all the vaines in his face swelling casting his eyes ouer the iudgement seate O Gods saide hee and haue you spared my life to beare these iniuries of such a driule Is this the iustice of this place to haue such men as we are submitted not onely to apparent falsehood but most shameful reuiling But marke I pray you the vngratefulnes of the wretch how vtterly hee hath forgotten the benefits both he and all this contry hath receaued of vs. For if euer men may remember their owne noble deedes it is then when their iuste defence and other vniust vnkindenes doth require it I omit our seruices done to Basilius in the late warre with Amphialus importing no lesse then his daughters liues and his states preseruation were not we the men that killed the wilde beastes which otherwise had killed the Princesses if wee had not succourd them Consider if it please you where had bene Daiphantus rape or my treason if the sweete beauties of the earth had then bene deuoured Either thinke them nowe dead or remember they liue by vs. And yet full often this telltale can acknowledge the losse they shoulde haue by their taking away while maliciously he ouer passeth who were their preseruers neither let this be spoken of mee as if I ment to ballance this euill with that good for I must confesse that sauing of such creatures was rewarded in the acte it selfe but onely to manifest the partial iangling of this vile pickthanke But if we be the traytors where was your fidelitie O onely tonge-valliant Gentleman when not onely the yonge Princesse but the King himselfe was defended from vttermost perill partely by me but principally by this excellent yonge mans both wisdome and valure Were wee that made our selues against hundreds of armed men openly the shieldes of his life like secretly to bee his impoysoners Did wee then shewe his life to bee dearer to vs then our owne because wee might after robbe him of his life to dye shamefully Truely truely master orator whosoeuer hath hired you to be so busie in their matters who keepe honester seruauntes then your selfe hee shoulde haue bid you in so manie raylings bring some excuse for your selfe why in the greatest neede of your Prince to whome you pretend a miraculous good will you were not then as forewarde to do like a man your selfe or at leaste to accuse them that were slacke in that seruice but commonlye the vse their feete for there defence whose tounge is their weapon Certaynelye a verye simple subtiltie it had beene in vs to repose our liues in the daughters when we had killed the father But as this Gentleman thinkes to winne the reputation of a copious talker by leauing nothing vnsaide which a filthy minde can imagine so thinke I or els all wordes are vaine that to wise mens iudgement our cleerenes in the Kings death is sufficiently notorious But at length when the marchaunt hath set out his guilded baggage lastly he comes to some stuffe of importance and saith I conueied away the Princesse of this contrie And is she indeede your Princesse I pray you then whom should I waite of els but her that was my mistres by my professed vow Princesse ouer me while I liued in this soile Aske her why she went aske not me why I serued her Since accounting me as a Prince you haue not to do with me taking me as her seruant then take withall that I must obay her But you will say I perswaded her to flie awaye certainely I will for no death deny it knowing to what honour I shoulde bring her from the thraldome by such fellowes councell as you shee was kept in Shall perswasion to a Prince growe treason to a Prince It might be error in me
but falsehoode it coulde not be since I made my selfe partaker of whatsoeuer I wished her vnto who will euer counsaill his King if his counsaill be iudged by the euent and if it be not found wise shall therefore be thought wicked But if I be a traytor I hope you will graunt me a correlatiue to whom I shall be the traytor For the Princesse against whom the treasons are considered I am sure will avowe my faithfulnes without you will saye that I am a traytor to her because I left the contrie and a traytor to the contrie because I went with her Heere do I leaue out my iust excuses of loues force which as thy narrow hart hath neuer had noble roome inough in it to receaue so yet to those manlike courages that by experience know how subiect the vertuous mindes are to loue a most vertuous creature witnessed to be such by the most excellent guiftes of nature will deeme it a veniall trespasse to seeke the satisfaction of honourable desires Honourable euen in the curiousest pointes of honour whereout there can no disgrace nor disperagement come vnto her Therfore O iudge who I hope doest know what it is to be a iudge that your ende is to preserue and not to destroy mankinde that lawes are not made like limetwigges or nets to catch euery thing that toucheth them but rather like sea markes to auoide the shipwracke of ignoraunt passingers since that our doinge in the extremest interpretation is but a humaine error and that of it you may make a proffitable euent we being of such estate as their parents would not haue misliked the affinitie you will not I trust at the perswasion of this brabler burne your house to make it cleane but like a wise father turne euen the fault of your children to any good that may come of it since that is the fruite of wisdome and ende of all iudgements While this matter was thus handling a silent and as it were astonished attention possest all the people A kindely compssion moued the noble Gentleman Simpathus but as for Kalander euery thing was spoken either by or for his own deere guestes moued an affect in him somtimes teares sometimes hopefull lookes sometimes whispering perswasions in their eares that stoode by him to seeke the sauing the two yong Princes But the generall multitude wayted the iudgemēt of Euarchus who shewed in his face no motions either at the ones or other speeche letting passe the flowers of rhetoricke and onely marking whether their reasons tended hauing made the question to be asked of Gynecia who continued to take the whole faulte vpon her selfe and hauing caused Damaetas with Miso and Mopsa who by Philanax order had bene helde in most cruell prison to make a full declaration howe much they knewe of these passed matters and then gathering as assured satisfaction to his owne minde as in that case he could not needing to take leasure for that whereof a long practise had bred a well grounded habit in him with a voice of gesture directed to the vniuersall assemblie in this forme pronounced sentence This weightie matter wherof presently we are to determine doth at the first consideration yeeld two important doubtes The first whether these men be to be iudged The second how they are to be iudged The first doubt ariseth because they geue themselues out for Princes absolute a sacred name and to which any violence semes to be an impietie For how can any lawes which are the bonds of all humane societie be obserued if the lawe giuers and lawe rulers bee not helde in an vntouched admiration But heereto although alredy they haue beene sufficiently aunswered yet thus much againe I will repeate vnto you That what soeuer they be or be not heere they be no Princes since betwixt Prince and subiect there is as necessarie a relation as betweene father and sonne and as there is no man a father but to his childe so is not a Prince a Prince but to his owne subiects Therefore is not this place to acknowledge in them any principallitie without it should at the same time by a secreate consent confesse subiection Yet hereto may be obiected that the vniuersall ciuillitie the lawe of nations all mankinde being as it were coinhabitors or worlde-citizens together hath euer required publicke persons shoulde be of all parties especially regarded since not onely in peace but in warre not only Princes but herauldes and trumpets are with great reason exempted from iniuryes This pointe is true but yet so true as they that will receaue the benefit of a custome must not be the first to breake it For then can they not complaine if they be not helpt by that which they themselues hurte Yf a Prince do actes of hostilitie without denouncing warre if he breake his oath of amitie or innumerable such other thinges contrary to the lawe of armes he must take heede how he fall into their hands whom he so wrongeth for then is courtesie the best custome he can claime much more these men who haue not onely lefte to doe like Princes but to be like Princes not onely entred into Arcadia and so into the Arcadian orders but into domesticall seruices and so by making them selues priuate depriued themselues of respecte due to their publicke calling For no proportion it were of iustice that a man might make himselfe no Prince when he woulde doe euill and might a newe create himselfe a Prince when he would not suffer euill Thus therefore by al lawes of nature and nations and especially by their owne putting themselues out of the sanctuary of them these yong men can not in iustice auoide the iudgement but like priuate men must haue their doinges either cleared excused or condemned There resteth then the second point howe to iudge well And that must vndoubtedly bee done not by a free discourse of reason and skill of philosophy but must be tied to the lawes of Greece and municipall statutes of this kingedome For although out of them these came and to them muste indeede referre their offspringe yet because philosophicall discourses stande in the generall consideration of thinges they leaue to euery man a scope of his owne interpretation Where the lawes applyinge them selues to the necessary vse folde vs within assured boundes which once broken mās nature infinitly rāgeth Iudged therfore they must be by your lawes iudged Nowe the action offereth it selfe to dewe ballance betwixte the accusers two-folde accusation and their aunsweare accordingly applied The questions beeinge the one of a facte simplie the other of the quallity of a fact To the first vse direct deniall to the second quallification and excuse They deny the murder of the king mightie against presumptiōs bring forth some probable answers which they do principally fortefie with the Queenes acknowledging her selfe only culpable Certainely as in equallitie of coniectures we are not to take holde of the worse but rather to be glad we may finde any hope
iudged then rightly I haue iudged myne own children Vnlesse the name of a child should haue force to change the neuer changing iustice No no Pyrocles Musidorus I prefer you much before my life but I prefer Iustice as far before you while you did like your selues my body should willingly haue ben your shield but I cannot keep you from the effects of your own doing Nay I cānot in this case acknowledge you for mine For neuer had I sheapheard to my nephew nor euer had woman to my son your vices haue degraded you frō being princes haue disanulde your birthright Therefore if there be anie thing left in you of Princely vertue shew it in constant suffering that your vnprincely dealing hath purchased vnto you For my part I must tell you you haue forced a father to rob himselfe of his children Do you therefore O Philanax and you my other Lordes of this countrie see the iudgment be rightly performed in time place and maner as before appointed With that though he would haue refrained them a man might perceiue the teares drop downe his long white beard Which moued not onely Kalodulus and Kerxenus to roating lamentations but al the assembly dolefully to record that pittiful spectacle Philanax himselfe could not abstaine from great shewes of pittying sorrow and manifest withdrawing from performing the kinges commaundement But Musidorus hauing the hope of his safety and recouering of the princesse Pamela which made him most desirous to liue so sodainly dashed but especialy moued for hys deare Pyrocles for whom he was euer resolued his last should be and stirred vp with rage of vnkindnesse he thus spake Enioy thy bloudie conquest tyrannicall Euarchus said he for neither is conuenient the title of a king to a murderer nor the remembrance of kindred to a destroyer of his kindred Go home and glorie that it hath been in thy power shamefully to kill Musidorus Let thy flattering Orators dedicate Crownes of Laurell vnto thee that the first of thy race thou hast ouerthrowne a Prince of Thessalia But for me I hope the Thessalians are not so degenerate from their auncestors but that they will reuenge my iniurie and their losse vpon thee I hope my death is no more vniust to me thē it shal be bitter to thee howsoeuer it be my death shall triumph ouer thy crueltie neither as now would I liue to make my life beholding vnto thee But if thy crueltie hath not so blinded thine eyes that thou canst not see thine own heart if thy heart be not so diuelish as thou hast no power but to torment thy self then look vpō this yong Pyrocles with a manlike eie if not with a pittifull Giue not occasion to the whole earth to say see how the gods haue made the Tyrant teare his owne bowels Examine the eies and voices of all this people and what all men see be not blinde in thine owne case Looke I say looke vpon him in whom the most curious searcher is able to finde no fault but that he is thy sonne Beleeue it thy owne subiectes will detest thee for robbing them of such a Prince in whome they haue right as well as thy selfe Some more wordes to that purpose he would haue spoken but Pyrocles who often had cald to him did nowe fully interrupt him desiring him not to do him the wrong to geue his father ill wordes before him willing him to consider it was their owne fault and not his vniustice and withall to remember their resolution of well suffering all accidents which this impaciencie did seeme to varry frō and then kneeling down with all humblenesse hee tooke the speach in this order to Euarchus If my dayly praiers to the Almightie Gods had so farre preuayled as to haue graunted me the end whereto I haue directed my actions I should rather haue beene nowe a comfort to your minde then an example of your iustice rather a preseruer of your memorie by my life then a monument of your iudgement by my death But since it hath pleased their vnsearchable wisedomes to ouerthrow all the desires I had to serue you and make me become a shame vnto you since the last obedience I can shew you is to die vouchsafe yet O father if my fault haue not made me altogether vnworthy so to terme you vouchsafe I say to let the few last words your sonne shall euen speake not be tedious vnto you And if the remembrance of my vertuous mother who once was deare vnto you may beare any sway with you if the name of Pyrocles haue at any time bene pleasant let one request of mine which shall not be for mine owne life be graciously accepted of you What you owe to iustice is performed in my death A father to haue executed his onely sonne wil leaue a sufficient example for a greater crime then this My bloud will satisfie the highest point of equitie my bloud will satisfie the hardest hearted in this countrie O saue the life of this Prince that is the onely all I will with my last breath demaund of you With what face will you looke vpon your sister when in reward of nourishing me in your greatest neede you take away and in such sort take away that which is more deare to her then all the world and is the onely comfort wherewith she nourisheth her olde age O giue not such an occasion to the noble Thessalians for euer to curse the match that their Prince did make with the Macedon bloud By my losse there followes no publique losse for you are to hold the seate and to prouide your selfe perchance of a worthier successor But how can you orall the earth recompence that domage that poore Thessalia shall sustaine who sending out whom otherwise they would no more haue spared then their owne eyes their Prince to you and you requesting to haue him by you hee should thus dishonourably be extinguished Set before you I beseech you the face of that miserable people when no sooner shall the newes come that you haue met your Nephew but withall they shall heare that you haue beheaded him How manie teares they shall spend how many cōplaints they shal make so manie iust execrations will light vpō you And take heede O father for since my death answeres my fault while I liue I wil call vpō that deare name Least seeking too precise a course of iustice you be not thought most vniust in weakning your neighbours mightie estate by taking away their onely piller In me in me this matter beganne in me let it receiue his ending Assure your selfe no man will doubt your seuere obseruing the lawes when it shal be knowne Euarchus hath killed Pyrocles But the time of my euer farewell approcheth if you do thinke my death sufficient for my fault and doe not desire to make my death more miserable then death Let these dying wordes of him that was once your sonne pearce your eares Let Musidorus liue and Pirocles shall liue in