ful of wrath he breathed out this censure vnto her before the Peers that charged her that that night shee were not seene about the Court for quoth he I haue heard of thy aspiring speeches and intended treasons This doome was strange vnto Rosalynd and presently couered with the shield of her innocence she boldly brake out in reuerent tearms to haue cleared her self but Torismond would admit of no reason nor durst his Lords plead for Rosalynde although her beauty had made some of them passionate seeing the figure of wrath pourtrayed in his brow Standing thus all mute and Rosalynde amazed Alinda who loued her more than her self with griefe in her hart and teares in her eyes falling down on her knees began to intreat her father thus Alindas oration to her father in defence of Rosalynde IF mighty Torismond I offend in pleading for my friend let the law of amitie craue pardon for my boldnesse for where there is depth of affection there friendship alloweth a priuiledge Rosalynd and I haue beene fostered vp from our infancies and noursed vnder the harbour of our conuersing togeather with such priuate familiarities that custome had wrought an vnyon of our nature the sympathie of our affections such a a secret loue that we haue two bodies and one soule Then maruell not great Torismond if seeing my friend distrest I finde my selfe perplexed with a thousand sorrowes for her vertuous and honourable thoughts which are the glories that maketh women excellent they he such as may challenge loue and race out suspition her obedience to your Maiestie I referre to the censure of your owne eye that since her fathers exile hath smothered al griefs with patience and in the absence of nature hath honored you with all dutie as her owne father by nouriture not in word vttering any discontent nor in thought as far as coniecture may reach hammering on reuenge only in all her actions seeking to please you to win my fauor Her wisedome silence chastitie and other such rich qualities I need not decypher onely it rests for me to conclude in one word that she is innocent If then Fortune who tryumphs in varietie of miseries hath presented some enuious person as minister of her intended stratageme to taint Rosalynde with any surmise of treason let him be brought to her face confirme his accusation by witnesses which proued let her die and Alinda wil execute the massacre If none can auouch any confirmed relation of her intent vse Iustice my Lord it is the glory of a King and let her liue in your wonted fauour for if you bannish her my selfe as copartner of her harde fortunes will participate in exile some part of her extremities Torismond at this speech of Alinda couered his face with such a frown as tyranny seemed to sit triumphant in his forhead and checkt her vp with such taunts as made the Lords that only were hearers to tremble Proud girle quoth he hath my looks made thee so light of toong or my fauours incouraged thee to bee so forward that thou darest presume to preach after thy Father Hath not my yeares more experience than thy youth the winter of mine age deeper insight into ciuil policie than the prime of thy florishing dayes The olde Lion auoides the toyles where the yoong one leapes into the nette the care of age is prouident and foresees much suspition is a vertue where a man holdes his enemie in his bosome Thou fond girle measurest all by present affection and as thy heart loues thy thoughts censure but if thou knowest that in liking Rosalynd thou hat chest vp a bird to pecke out thine owne eyes thou wouldst intreat as much for hir absence as now thou delightest in her presence But why doe I alleadge policie to thee sit you downe huswife and fall to your needle if idlenes make you so wanton or libertie so malipert I can quickly tye you to a sharper taske and you mayd this night be packing eyther into Arden to your father or whither best it shal cōtent your humour but in the Court you shall not abide This rigorous replie of Torismond nothing amazed Alinda for stil she prosecuted her plea in the defence of Rosalynd wishing her Father if his censure might not be reuerst y t he would appoynt her partner of her exile which if he refused eyther she would by some secret meanes steale out and followe her or else ende her dayes with some desperate kind of death When Torismond heard his daughter so resolute his heart was so hardened against her that he set down a definitiue and peremptory sentence that they should both be banished which presently was done The Tyrant rather choosing to hazard the losse of his onely child than any wayes to put in question the state of his kingdome so suspitious and fearfull is the conscience of an vsurper Wel although his Lords perswaded him to retaine his owne Daughter yet his resolution might not be reuerst but both of them must away from the Court without eyther more company or delay In hee went with great melancholy and left these two Ladyes alone Rosalynd waxed very sad and sate downe and wept Alinda she smiled and sitting by her friend began thus to comfort her Alindas comfort to perplexed Rosalynd VVHy how now Rosalynd dismayd with a frowne of contrary fortune Haue I not oft heard thee say that hygh mindes were discouered in fortunes contempt and heroycal seene in the depth of extremities Thou wert wont to tel others that complained of distresse that the sweetest salue for misery was patience and the onely medicine for want that pretious implaister of content being such a good Phisition to others wilt thou not minister receipts to thy selfe But perchance thou wilt say Consulenti nunquam caput doluit Why then if the Patients that are sicke of this disease ran finde in themselues neither reason to perswade nor art to cure yet Rosalynd admit of the counsaile of a friend and applie the salues that may appease thy passions If thou grieuest that being the daughter of a prince and enuy thwarteth thee with such hard exigents thinke that royaltie is a faire marke that Crowns haue crosses when mirth is in Cottages that the fairer the Rose is the sooner it is bitteh with Caterpillers the more orient y e Pearle is the more apt to take a blemish and the greatest birth as it hath most honour so it hath much enuy If then fortune aymeth at the fairest be patient Rosalynd for first by thine exile thou goest to thy father nature is higher prised then wealth and the loue of ones parents ought to bee more pretious then all dignities why then doth my Rosalynd grieue at the frowne of Torismond who by offering her a preiudice proffers her a greater pleasure and more mad lasse to be melancholy when thou hast with thee Alinda a friend who wil be a fathful copartner of al thy misfortunes who hath left her father to
his fathers and the vertues of himselfe then doo I say that fortune and the fates are most iniurious to censure so hard extreames against a youth of so great hope Oh Rosader thou art in the flower of thine age and in the pride of thy yeares buxsome and full of May. Nature hath prodigally inricht thee with her fauours and vertue made thee the myrror of her excellence and now through the decree of the vniust starres to haue all these good partes nipped in the blade and blemisht by the inconstancie of fortune Ah Rosader could I helpe thee my griefe were the lesse and happie should my death be if it might bee the beginning of thy reliefe but seeing we perish both in one extreame it is a double sorrow What shall I doo preuent the sight of his further misfortune with a present dispatch of mine owne life Ah despaire is a mercilesse sinne As he was readie to go forward in his passion he looked earnestly on Rosader and seeing him chaunge colour hee rose vp and went to him and holding his temples said What cheere maister though all faile let not the heart faint the courage of a man is shewed in the resolution of his death At these wordes Rosader Iifted vp his eye and looking on Adam Spencer began to weep Ah Adam quoth he I sorrow not to dye but I grieue at the maner of my death Might I with my Launce encounter the enemy and so die in the field it were honour and content might I Adam combate with some wilde beast and perish as his praie I were satisfied but to die with hunger O Adam it is the extreamest of all extreames Maister quoth hee you see me are both in one predicament and long I cannot liue without meate seeing therefore we can finde no foode let the death of the one preserue the life of the other I am old and ouerworne with age you are yoong and are the hope of many honours let me then dye I will presently cut my veynes and maister with the warme blood relieue your fainting spirites sucke on that till I ende and you be comforted With that Adam Spencer was ready to pull out his knife when Rosader full of courage though verie faint rose vp and wisht A. Spencer to sit there til his returne for my mind giues me quoth he I shall bring thee meate With that like a mad man he rose vp and raunged vp and downe the woods seeking to encounter some wilde beast with his Rapier that either he might carry his friend Adam food or els pledge his life in pawn of his loyaltie It chaunced that day that Gerismond the lawfull King of France banished by Torismond who with a lustie crue of Outlawes liued in that Forrest that day in honour of his birth made a feast to all his bolde yeomen and frolicke it with store of wine and venison sitting all at a long table vnder the shadow of Lymon trees To that place by chance Fortune conducted Rosader who seeing such a crue of braue men hauing store of that for want of which hee and Adam perished hee stept boldly to the boords end and saluted the company thus Whatsoeuer thou be that art maister of these lustie squiers I salute thee as graciously as a man in extreame distresse may know that I and a fellow friend of mine are here famished in the Forrest for want of food perish wee must vnlesse relieued by thy fauours Therefore if thou be a Gentleman giue meate to men and to suche as are euerie way woorthie of life let the proudest squire that sits at thy table rise and incounter with mee in any honorable point of actiuitie whatsoeuer and if hee and thou prooue me not a man send me away comfortlesse If thou refuse this as a niggard of thy cates I will haue amongst you with my sword for rather wil I dye valiantly then perish with so cowardly an extreame Gerismond looking him earnestly in the face and seeing so proper a Gentleman in so bitter a passion was mooued with so great pitie that rising from the table he tooke him by the hand and badde him welcome willing him to sit dowae in his place and in his roome not onely to eat his fill but the Lord of the feast Gramerry sir quoth Rosader but I haue a feeble friend that lyes hereby famished almost for food aged and therefore lesse able to abide the extremitie of hunger then my selfe and dishonour it were for me to taste one crumme before I made him partner of my fortunes therefore I will runne and fetch him and then I wil gratefully accept of your proffer Away hies Rosader to Adam Spencer and tels him the newes who was glad of so happie fortune but so feeble he was that he could not go whereupon Rosader got him vp on his backe brought him to the place Which when Gerismond his men saw they greatly applauded their league of friendship and Rosader hauing Gerismonds place assigned him would not sit there himselfe but set downe Adam Spencer Well to be short those hungry squires fell to their victuals and feasted themselues with good delicates great store of wine Assoone as they had taken their repast Gerismond desirous to heare what hard fortune draue them into those bitter extreames requested Rosader to discourse as it were not any way preiudicall vnto him the cause of his trauell Rosader vesirous any way to satisfie the curtesie of his fauourable host first beginning his exordium with a volley of sighes and a fewe luke warme teares prosecuted his discourse told him from point to point all his fortunes how hee was the yongest sonne of sir Iohn of Bourdeaux his name Rosader how his brother sundry times had wronged him and lastly how for beating the Sheriffe and hurting his men hee fled and this old man quoth he whom I so much loue and honour is surnamed Adam Spencer an old seruant of my fathers and one that for his loue neuer fayled me in all my misfortunes When Gerismond heard this he fell on the neck of Rosader and next discoursing vnto him how he was Gerismond their lawfull King exiled by Torismond what familiaritie had euer been betwixt his father sir Iohn of Bourdeaux and him how faithfull a subiect hee liued and how honourably he dyed promising for his sake to giue both him his friend such curteous entertainment as his present estate could minister and vpon this made him one of his forresters Rosadar seeing it was the King craude pardon for his boldnesse in that hee did not doo him due reuerence and humbly gaue him thankes for his fauourable curtesie Gerismond not satisfied yet with newes beganne to enquire if he had been lately in the Court of Torismond and whether he had seene his daughter Rosalynd or no At this Rosader fetcht a deep sigh and shedding many teares could not answere yet at last gathering his spirits togither he reuealed vnto the Kyng how Rosalynde was banished
and how there was such a simpathie of affections betwixt Alinda and her that shee chose rather to bee partaker of her exile then to part fellowship whereupon the vnnaturall King banished them both and now they are wandred none knowes whither neither could any learne since their departure the place of their abode This newes driue the king into a great melancholy that presently hee arose from all the company and went into his priuie chamber so secrete as the harbour of the woods would allow him The company was all dasht at these tydings and Rosader and Adam Spencer hauing such opportunitie went to take their rest Where we leaue them and returne againe to Torismond The fight of Rosader came to the eares of Torismond who hearing that Saladyne was sole heire of the landes of sir Iohn of Bourdeaux desirous to possesse such faire reuenewes found iust occasion to quarrell with Saladyne about the wrongs he proffered to his brother and therefore dispatching a Herehault he sent for Saladyne in all poast haste Who marueiling what the matter should be began to examine his owne conscience wherein hee had offended his highnesse but imboldened with his innocence he boldly went with the Herehault vnto the Court Where assoone as hee came hee was not admitted into the presence of the king but presently sent to prison This greatly amazed Saladine chiefly in that the Iayler had a straight charge ouer him to see that he should be close prisoner Many passionate thoughts came in his head till at last he began to fall into consideration of his former follies and to medicate with himselfe Leaning his head on his hand and his elbow on his knee full of sorrow grief and disquieted passions he resolued into these tearmes Saladynes complaint VNhappie Saladyne whame folly hath led to these misfortunes and wanton desires wrapt within the laborinth of these calamities Are not the heauens doomers of mens deedes And heldes not God a ballance in his fist to reward with fauour and reuenge with iustice Oh Saladyne the faults of thy youth as they were fond so were they foule and not onely discouering little nourture but blemishing the excellence of nature Whelpes of one litter are euer most louing and brothers that are sonnes of one father should liue in friendship without iarre Oh Saladyne so it should bee but thou hast with the deere fedde against the winde with the crabbe stroue against the streame and sought to peruert nature by vnkindnesse Rosaders wrongs the wrongs of Rosader Saladyne cryes for reuenge his youth pleads to God to inflict some penaunce vpon thee his vertues are pleas that inforce writtes of displeasure to crosse thee thou hast highly abused thy kynde and naturall brother and the heauens cannot spare to quite thee with punishment There is no sting to the worme of conscience no hell to a minde coucht with guilt Euery wrong I offred him called now to remembrance wringeth a drop of blood from my heart euery bad looke euery frowne pincheth me at the quicke and saies Saladyne thou hast sinned against Rosader Be penitent and assigne thy selfe some pennance to discouer thy sorrow and pacifie his wrath In the depth of his passion hee was sent for to the King who with a looke that threatened death entertained him and demaunded of him where his brother was Saladyne made answer that vpon some ryot made against the Sheriffe of the shire he was fled from Bourdeaux but hee knew not whither Nay villaine quoth he I haue heard of the wronges thou hast proffered thy brother since the death of thy father and by thy means haue I lost a most braue and resolute Cheualier Therfore in iustice to punish thee I spare thy life for thy fathers sake but banish thee for euer from the court and countrey of France and see thy departure be within tenne dayes els trust me thou shalt loose thy head with that the King flew away in a rage left poore Saladyne greatly perplexed Who grieuing at his exile yet determined to beer it with patience and in penaunce of his former folies to trauaile abroade in euery Coast till he had found out his brother Rosader With whom now I beginnne Rosader beeing thus preferred to the place of a Forrester by Gerismond rooted out the remembrance of his brothers vnkindnes by continuall exercise trauersing the groues and wilde Forrests partly to heare the melody of the sweete birds which recorded and partly to shew his diligent indeauour in his masters behalfe Yet whatsoeuer he did or howsoeuer he walked the liuely image of Rosalynde remained in memorie on her sweete perfections he fed his thoughts prouing himself like the eagle a true borne bird since that the one is knowne by beholding the Sunne so was he by regarding excellent beautie One day amoÌ„g the rest finding a fit opportunity and place conuenient desirous to discouer his woes to the woodes hee engraued with his knife on the bark of a Mir tre this pretye estimate of his Mistres perfection Sonnetto Of all chast birdes the Phoenix doth excell Of all strong beastes the Lyon beares the bell Of all sweet flowers the Rose doth sweetest smel Of all faire maydes my Rosalynd is fairest Of all pure mettals gold is onely purest Of all high trees the Pine hath highest crest Of all soft sweets I like my mistris brest Of all chast thoughts my mistris thoughts are rarest Of all proud birds the Eagle pleaseth Ioue Of pretie fowles kind Venus likes the Doue Of trees Minerua doth the Oliue loue Of all sweet Nimphs I honour Rosalynd Of all her gifts her wisedome pleaseth most Of all her graces vertue she doth boast For all these gifts my life and ioy is lost If Rosalynde proue cruell and vnkind In these and such like passions Rosader did euery day eterniâ— the name of his Rosalynd and this day especially when Aliena and Ganimede inforced by the heat of the Sun to seeke for shelter by good fortune arriued in that place where this amorâ—us forrester registred his melancholy passions they saw the sodaiâ— change of his looks his folded armes his passionate sighes they heard him often abruptly cal on Rosalynd who poore soule was as hotly burned as himselfe but that shee shrouded her paines iâ— the cinders of honorable modesty Whereupon gessing him to bâ— in loue and according to the nature of their sexe being pittifull in that behalfe they sodainly brake off his melancholy by theyr approach and Ganimede shooke him out of his dumps thus What newes Forrester hast thou wounded some Deere anâ— lost him in the fall Care not man for so small a losse thy feâ— was but the skinne the shoulder and the horns tis hunters luck to ayme faire and misse and a woodmans fortune to strike anâ— yet go without the game Thou art beyond the marke Ganimede quoth Aliena his passions are greater his sighs discouers more losse perhaps iâ— trauersing these thickets he hath seene some beautifull Nimphâ—