him with frieÌ„dly aduise to despight fortune with patience and in extreame mishaps to make a vertue of necessitie but he talked to y e wind and playde with Orpheus to the sencelesse stones for Romphanus could no way be pacified but still raged and rayled against the cruell destinies who by their rigorous doomes had appointed his father such a vilde and haplesse death As thus he was weating his fathers corpes with teares came his brother Frestynus who seeing this monstrous Massacre was no lesse payned with pinching greefe then Romphanus yet such was his inward sorrowe as he could not shed one teare but sitting downe by his father taking the Bore speare in his hand vttered these wofull wordes O haplesse and thrise accursed fortune who annointest the Cradle with Hony and rubbest the Sadle with Gall who if if thou sportest with youth alwaies despightest age who pamprest at the first with sweete pleasures and poysonest at the last with bitter mishaps was there no meanes to reuenge but by death no frownes but balefull blowes no thing to glut thee withall but my Fathers bloud Ah nowe I see and I sorrowe and sigh to see that where thou fauourest much there thou fletterest most that thy painted caskes are filled with sower wine that when thou cariest in the backe of thy hand a Lambe thou bydest in the palme a Tiger vnhappie are they that find thee most fortunate because in thy greatest glorie lyes closed vp most balefull miserie Oh Euandrus was Caesar more fortunate then thou in thy life or could he be more infortunate at his death he triumphing for his victories and thou inuincible for thy conquestes he slaine by his supposed friends and thou by thy reconciled toes both aduaunced by fortune as a flattring goddesse both by her driuen to mishap as a mercilesse furie Happie yea thrise happie then are they who despise Fortune for that they are to low for Fortune The highest Caedars haue the greatest falles the callest Reedes are most shaken with the wind Low shrubbes withstand great tempests and litle Minnowes may safely swimme through the fishers net Irus feared not to drinke of euery dish but Alexander was poysoned in his owne cuppe Content is great riches and patient pouertie is the enemy to fortune Honour is the first steppe to disquiet and dominion is fettered with enuie Glorie gapeth at mistrust and Kings are Fortunes bondslaues More happy then had Euandrus bene if he had enioyed a poore life with prosperitie then a Princes state with such dyrefull miserie But alas what auaileth it to condemne Fortune when she triumpheth in our bitter curses It is for me with patience to despight that iniurious goddesse and with rigour to reuenge that trecherous traytor Charaxes who most vilanously hath betrayed his assured friend And with that such was his griefe as he was not able to vtter any more wordes but at last seeing his brother Romphanus so impatient in his passioÌ„s dissembling as much as he could his outwarde sorrowe began with counsaile to appease his complaintes and to comfort him in that case wherein he himselfe needed a medicine Yet somewhat saluing his brothers sore they left of their dâ—llor and taking vp the king caried him home to y t Court at which sight both the Nobles Commons cried out for the losse of their Soueraigne But Lyndana as one halfe Lunaticke or inraged with some hellish furie fell into such franticke passions that her sorrow could by no meanes be appeased For womens sorrowes are either to extreme not to be redressed or els tricked vp with dissimulation not to be beleeued The comfortable counsayles of her brother could not preuaile the perswasions of her Ladies and gentlewomen were in vaine so that she went to her bed where weried with wayling teares griefe and watching so weakened her wittes that she fel almost into a frenzie But Frestinus saluing his care with patience prouided a rich and sumptuous ToÌ„be for his fathers corps inriching his funerals with such magnificent prouision necessarie for the entombing of such a potentate as all the subiectes sorrowing for the losse of their King yet reioysed that they should bee gouerned with a Prince of such vertuous naturall disposition Frestinus careful that nothing should want to the beautifying of the Tombe caused an Epitaphe to be ingrauen in a Marble Piller wherin stoode a King all armed in rich Plate holding in the right hand a Diademe beset with precious stones whereat hanged a great Globe of Leade fastened with a very smal wyre round about the Globe was written this Poesie Ad Astra honor Ad orcum miseria In the other hand he held a Ladie blinded with a vale which stoode vpon a round Bowle with smiling and delightful countenaunce putting with her right hand a flower to his Nose and with her left striking him into the backe with an Arrowe on her brest was written this Poesie Fauere videor nocere sentior In the midst of this Marble Piller did hang a Table wherin was curiously ingrauen this Epitaphe HEre lyes in Tombe a peerelesse King by fortune plaste in happy state VVho neuer felt the sting of dyer mishap but triumpht still secure by fate In honour wealth and conquest such as enuie feard at him to grutch But fortune by in constant spight repayd at last his ioyes with payne For by mishap this peerelesse Prince was by a trayterous Caitiffe slayne Then trust not fortune when she smyle for then she workes most spightfull guyle Well the Funeralles being most richly and sumptuously finished after a fewe daies were past in bewayling Euandrus death Frestynus sommoned a Parliament vnto which all the Nobilitie with certaine of the Commons elected generally repayred wherein as eldest sonne and heire apparent he was by the common consent of them all rightly crowned King of Scythia This thing with others concluded the day of his Coronation being come according to the custome of y e Countrie the Dyadem was set on his head to the great ioye of al his subiects who shewed their duetifull good will and obedyence in appointing Iustes Turneyes in making rare and straunge shewes performed with such cost and diligence as it bred a great content to all men But Romphanus whose heart was puffed vp with a greedie desire of glorie thought he was not borne to bee a subiect but a soueraigne and that since it was hard to iudge by the momentaâ—ie space of their birth whether was the eldest he was hardly dealt-withall that he was not either elected King or els at the least had the kingdome deuided betwixt them This motion greatly troubled the minde of Romphanus yet he a long while sinothered this aspyring enuie till he might finde some iust occasion to vtter his cankerâ—â— stomacke and aswell as the rest shewed the loue of a Brother and the duetie of a Subiect till it fell out by the despightfull meanes of fortune that a certaine Lord in Scythia called Pasquino being somewhat hardly
force to infuse a certaine pronesse to vnlawfull venery yet being preuented by a prouident and well disposed mind it doth little auaile quia sapiens dominabitur astris Then incensed with an enuious rage she seeketh to intrap vertue with the stumbling blocks of vice and to inchant the minds of the wise with her poysoned and alluring sorceries letting passe neither time nor toil◠till shee hath brought wisdome to such a bay as either shee must yeelde to her masking follie or buy her quiet with perpetual torment but leauing Venus to her vanities againe to Psamnetichus Who seeking to shake of this new found affection flong out of the garden into the chamber of presence where hee founde his sonne Philarkes and other noble men dauncing with the Ladies and Gentlewomen vnto whom both he shewed the shoe and reaueled the chaunce promising that what Ladie coulde pull it on shoulde haue what Lawfull demaunde shee woulde make All desirous of gaine and glorie beleeue mee two Idols that women most honour assailed to winne the price but it was as easie for them as for Vulcan to drawe on Thetis slipper on his poult foote whereat Philarkes and the noble men smiled but Psamnetichus pinched with an vnacquainted passion began to imagine what heauenly creature she was to whom this shooe did belong feeding himselfe in this musing humor vntill such a burning desire crept into his minde that neither reason nor counsaile could asswage so that withdrawing himselfe into his secreat chamber holding the shooe in his hand he cast himselfe on his bedde where he murmured out these or such like complaints Ah thrise vnhappie Psamnetichus what vnfitte fancies bee these for thy aged yeares what fonde thoughtes for thy gray heares what vnmeete musings for thy stayed minde wilt thou feeke to rake for quicke coales among dead cynders to search for freshe flowers among withered weedes to sow youthfull desires in aged mindes if thou doe this Psamnetichus thinke though thou hast but a short time to liue yet thou shalt haue a long time to repent For loue in age is like fyre among drie sticks which kindled with y e least puffe is quenched in the least moment Loue Psamnetichus whie art thou in loue yea with whome Alas I knowe not◠and therefore the more infortunate is my loue Pigmalion fell in loue with his Marble picture an affection so straunge as he was both blamed and pittied for doating on such a senslesse Image A Senators sonne in Rome loued extreemly the Iuory picture of Vesta whiche wroughte him such discredit as he was exempted for bearing office in the citie Were my case such I wold think my selfe fortunate But a shoe of golde is the only thing that bewitcheth my mind such a straunge fancie as time hath neuer made report of the like Tush Psamnetichus it is not the shoe but the Dame that oweth the shoe which hath inchanted thy affection it is the Idea of her person which by a secret imagination is imprinted in thy minde that hath pearced thy heart seeke then by some meanes to free thy selfe from those fetters whiche vnlesse thou vnloose thou canst not but loose Dye then Psamnetichus for nothing can free thee from loue but death It is no earthly creature but some heauenlie goddesse that oweth this Iewell the excellent shape of her to whom this precious gemme doeth belong was neuer placed on earth but enthronysed amongest the heauens the woorse is thy happe and the lesse cause hast thou to hope to hope why not Psamnetichus no doubt shee is a woman and therefore to bee wonne with prayses or promises for that shee is a woman As thus he continued his complaints his sonne Philarkes came into the chamber wherevpon Psamnetichus ceased and for that time made no shew of sorrow but passed away the daye with other talke The night beeing come faining himselfe not well at ease hee giuing his sonne and the other noble men the good night went to his bedde thinking by sleep to haue driuen away such fonde affections but he was no sooner layd but waking slumber and halfe dreaming thoughts so tormented him that he coulde take no rest wherevpon he began to cast a thousand doubtful coniectures in his minde what he had best to do at last he found out this deuise He called to remembrance that there was in his court a certayne skilfull magician called Nestor who by his secret science might not only be a meanes to discouer what Ladye was the owner of the shoe but also if through frowardnesse a disease cōmon to Venus darlings she refused his proffer might by some amorous potions ayde him to obtaine his purpose This polliticke conceite pleased him passing well so that on the morrowe fearing that delay might breede daunger hee sent for this olde doating Nestos who comming to the kings presence and with great reuerence doing his obeisance craued to know his Maiesties pleasure Psamnetichus curteously resaluting him tooke him by the hand and led him into his priuy garden where charging him firste vppon his life and alleageaunce moste secretely to conceale whatsoeuer he shoulde in that place make manifest then hee broke with him in the matter promysing if hee coulde tell him by his arte who owed the shoe hee woulde rewarde him so largely as he should haue cause to speake of his bountie otherwise if by negligence he should be found slacke he would so bitterly reuenge hys frowarde disobedience as hee shoulde haue cause both to curse hym selfe and his science Nestos allured with the large promises of the King and feared wyth his sharpe and cruell threateninges made aunsweare that what were able to bee doone by Arte shoulde wyth all skilfull diligence bee perfourmed and hereuppon hee craued three dayes to make a shewe of his cunning Psamnetichus suche was the heate of his newe kindeled fancie thought it a longe time to yeelde so small a verdict yet hee was content hoping by this meanes hee shoulde bee fully satisfied Calchos leauing the King in his dumpes hyed him home to his lodging and entring into his study began to fal to erecting of figures to take the eleuation of the pole and the houre wherein the shoe was found but these superstitious ceremonies would not shew what hee sought for so that in fine from consecrating hee was faine to fall to flatte coniuring wherein after hee had swette lyke a dogge to adiure the Dyuell hee perceiued by the Oracle that hee had made an ende of his woorke whiche hee had no sooner doone but with all speede that mighte bee hee posted to the Courte where beeyng admitted to Psamnetichus presence all the nobles commanded to auoyde the chamber hee vttered these wordes I am sory right mightye Prince that I cannot iustly conceale that your Grace hath straightly cōmanded me to reueale my alleageance for bidding the one your highnesse so stricklye vrging the other I haue done what learning science cā allow yet vnwilling to shewe what y ◠froward destinies do
would haue made him repent those opprobrious speeches The Noble men seeing the kings furie were all in their dumpes and durst not for feare to death gainesay y t which he had said so that presently Rhodope was appareled in rich and princely roabes and by two of the chiefe Dukes of Egypt lead from the Parliament house to the temple of the god Appollin where the Archflamyne as his office was not only crowned her Queene but also with the sacred rites celebrated finished vp the marriage in the honour whereof the Noble men making a vertue of their necessitie appointed certaine triumphes and shewes â—issembling their inward sorrow with outwarde conceites and shadowing the counterfeite of griefe with pleasures colours But poore Philarkes pinched to the heart w t his fathers doting follie spente the whole day in blubbring foorth bitter teares so that he was faine to absent himselfe from the banquit whereas Pasmneticus feeding his eies more w t gasing on the incoÌ„parable beautie of his new foreworne spouse then his stomack with any daintie delicates feasted his Citizens and subiectes the space of twelue dayes so sumptuouslye as they mighte perceiue he spared for no cost to shewe his liberall minde But as the longest sommers daye hath his euening so this feaste being ended and euery one departed to their houses Psamneticus and Rhodope liued with such sweete concent as two such new maried couples can enioy This secure quiet continued by the spare of one whole yeere till Venus either grudging at their halfe honest loue or disdayning that Rhodope had begun to leaue her accustomed vanitie and was waren more charie and lesse amorous thoght to shew her lawlesse power by some more vnlawful meanes she therfore sought to yoake that necke whiche as yet was neuer tamed and to inflame that hearte with a burning desire whiche hitherto had beene frozen with a colde disdaine to bringe whiche to passe shee wrought this haplesse meanes It fortuned y â— on a daye as Rhodope looked out of her ChaÌ„ber windowe shee espied yonge Philarkes playing at the barriers with diuerse noble men his companions wherein he behaued him selfe so valiantly as hee shewed that hee was farre superiour to them all in courage and valour Rhodope commending in her minde both his prowesse and perfection began to be tickled with a more then accustomed affection towardes him for the gray heares of Psamneticus had alreadye glutted her fancie and the yonge yeares of Philarkes began to sharpen her halfepined stomacke for womens affections are not feade with kingedomes or treasures but with youthfull conceites sweete amours Age may be alotted to gaze at bewties blossomes but youthe muste clime the tree and enioye the fruite Well Rhodope being a woman and therefore both amorous and inconstant shamed not to disdaine the father and desire the sonne yeelding her selfe captiue to lust at the first alarum To be short Venus had so snared her in the beautie of her sonne Philarkes as her only ioy was in enioying the sight of his person yet as there is no weede so hadde which serueth not to some vse nor confiction so deadly which hath not one good simple so in Rhodopes minde holely stained with vice there were some sparks of vertue for she considered with her self that Psamnetichus of a common and infamous strumpet had without anie desert but vpon meere affection made her a Queene and if she should so falsifie her faith the gods would not suffer such disloyall ingratitude to be vnreuenged Further the impossibility of obtaining such incestuous loue was a meanes to perswade her from such laseiuious thoughts But shee whom Venus had blinded with shamelesse affection cared not for these considerations but followed her owne forwarde will seeking not to represse her lust but how to enioy her loue so y t she began to shew Philarkes more then accustomed fauors painting her beauty out with fresh coulers seeking to intrappe the young Prince with alluring flatteries and amorous glaunces Philarkes whose young yeares were apt for loue began more narrowlie â—o marke the beautie of Rhodope then he had done before seeing her singular perfection to bee such and her beautie to be so rare that she stained not onely all the ladies in Egypt but as he thought in all the world resembling rather a heauenly Nimph then a mortall creature insomuch he thought his father not to be blamed for making so good a choice and wishing himselfe if â—uer he married as happie a chance These sparkes of affections grew by time to a greate flame so that he began not onely to like but to lust after Rhodope which he sought to represse with these reasons First he perswaded himselfe that incestuous adultrie was a sinne so repugnant to nature as the verie brute beastes did abhorre the committing of such a fact and that it was so odious both to the gods and men as it were better to committe either sacreledge or murther but these thoughts could not queÌ„ch that which iniurious Venus had once set on fire for he felt his mind so passionate with y e beauty of his mother in law as no counsaile might appease his maladie yet nature and vertue so much preuailed that he chose rather to die then to consent vnto such vnnaturall disloyaltie his griefe so increased by concealing his disordinate fancies that hee fell into a daungerous sicknesse hauing his heade so weakened with continuall eare and yrke some passions that hee was almost brought into a frensie Psamnetichus seeing his sonne thus perplexed sent for the most learned Phisitions in all Egypt but neither could they coniecture his disease nor redresse his maladie which so grieued the king as he tooke no delight but in sorrowing for his sonne Philarkes Rhodope who was more then half sick with the same disease intending to see if she could sift out the cause of his sicknes decked her self in her brauest attire and went to visite Philarkes comming into his bed chamber and finding him lying as one in a trance shee commanded all to auoyd the chamber for a while Philarkes no sooner saw Rhodope but he start vp in his bed and staring in her face fetcht a deep â—igh She who by her former occupation was a great calculater of such secreat passions knewe without feeling of his pulse where his greatest paine was sitting therfore downe vpon his bed taking him by the hande she intreated him with sugred speech amorous perswasions to vnfold the cause of his sicknesse promising not onely to conceale it were it neuer so secreat but to redres it if lay in her power were it neuer so daungerous Philarkes hearing Rhodope vtter these vnfained protestations hoped that he might haue some successe in his sute but shame of his vnlawful request enioyned him a long time to sylence til at last affections â—anishing feare with bashfull face and blubbring teares he reuealed vnto her the cause of his sorrow how her beautie had so inchaunted his mind and bewitched
by force and yet I intreate thee by prayers for that I know constrained fancie is like to the Lute string which retched to hye cracketh before iâ— giueth any sound Sith then Lyndana thy beautie haâ—h inchaunted my affections and bewitched my senses yeeld to graunt loue for loue and become my Concubine so shalt thou enioy a trustie louer and saue thine owne life otherwise if through froward wilfulnesse thou deny my request thou art like to end thy dayes in endlesse miserie Thyne as thou vsest him Charaxes of Lybia THe Herault taking the heads and the Letter went with all speede to Syraaca the cheefe Citie of Scithia where being admitted to the presence of Lyndana hee first requested her on his knee that although hee brought his message from a most mercilesse Tyraunt yet it would please her grace to pardon him as a seruant and with that presented the heades and the Letter This strange sight strooke such a desire to reuenge into the heart of Lyndana that as one nothing amazed she tooke her brothers heades and kissed them and without chaunging countenaunce or letting fall one teare deliuered them to one of her Ladies and then opening the Letter read the contents which after she had throughly perused she put in her Pocket and tould the Herault that he should not onely haue an answere but also retourne without harme charging her seruants with great courtesie to entertaine him This straunge demennour of Lyndana draue the Heralt into a great maze that such a Princely valour should bee shrowded vnder so beautifull a creature Well Lyndana withdrawing her selfe into her Chamber tooke Penne and Incke and retourned him this aunswere Lyndana of Scithia to the Tyrant Charaxes disdaine CHaraxes if thy fortune were not better then thy valour or thy trechâ—â—ie more then thy courage my Fathers mishap had bene lesse and thy misfortune more But such is thy vilanous mynd as like the Bastard Wolues of Syria thou sparest not to pray on dead Carion Thou reprouest my Father for vsing the victorie and thy reproch consâ—teth in thy Conquestes For thy iustice is tyraâ—nie and thy martiall prowesse rechlesse treason Thou hast slaine my Father and murthered my two brethren and what glorie shalt thou gaine but infamie and discredit yet the gods haue spared my life that I may reuenge thy loathsome discourtesie Uilde coward doest thou thinke to conquer Scithia no no vnlesse my quarel were worse or thy courage better thou shalt knowe and finde I will plague thy trecherous cruâ—ltie with most despitefull miserie Thou hast sent me my brother heades but I hope shortly to pull out thy heart which shall gaine me honour for dispatching such a traitour Doe thy Counsaile wish thee to take my life no doubt hardie men that will beate them which are absent But thy loue and affection is such as no meanes but death can hinder thy fancie Trueth thou art like vnto them which liking the fruit cut downe the tree and which louing the Egs killeth the foule But would to God thou wert in loue and that thy desire were as great as my disdaine then false Traitour shouldest thou knowe with what liking I would requite thy loue But disdayning to write vnto so vile a wretch I defie thy force and protest I liue to hate and hope to reuenge Thy protested foe Lyndana Princesse of Scythia THE Herralt hauing receiued the Letters hasted back againe to the Campe where being ariued he deliuered them to Charaxes who vnripping the Seales found how little Lyndana either passed for his loue or threats Whereupon falling from desire to disdaine and from loue to hate he made a sollempne protestation to raâ—e the walles of Syranca within two daies to spare neither olde nor yong and as for Lyndana no torture should bee sufficient to requite her crueltie Herevpon he marched forward with his Hoast toward the Citie and within two daies incamped about it laying siege very nye to the walles and on the next morrowe with battering Peeces rammes of Iron assayed to beate it downe The which Lyndana perceiuing willing rather to ende her daies by vntimely death then to fall into the hands of such a Tyraunt assembled all the Citizens and there exhorted them to be valiaunt and to consider that Charaxes had first slaine their Lorde and Soueraigne Euandrus then his two sonnes Frestynus and Romphanus and now ment not onely to spoyle her and the whole Countrie but also to put them and their wiues and children â—o the edge of the sworde so that it were better for them to dye valiauntly in the fielde and so preuent insuing mishap then to fall into the handes of such a Tyraunt and liue in perpetuall miserie This perswasion of a woman so animatâ—d the Scythians mindes that they became not onely resolute but desperate preferring death before captiuitie and choosing rather to perrish in combat with glorie then yeeld to Charaxes with slauish discredite And hereupon setting themselues in aray they valiauntly issued out of the Citie Lyndana standing in a Turret vpon the walles to incourage them the more minding if her Citizens were ouercome to throwe her selfe headlong from the top of the Tower The Libians seeing them issue out smyled at their rash folly and marching forward thought to haue daunted them at the first dash but the Scythians manfully rushed vpon their enemies end in short time made such slaughter of the Libians that they were faine to retyre the Scythian Horsemen pursuing so hotly that they brake the ranckes and Charaxes seeing his Soldiours goe to the worâ—t began to flie but he was followed by two noble men of Scythia so fast that he was taken aliue all the rest of his Soldiours without mercie put to the edge of the sworde that there was not so much as one left to carie newes home to Libia Lyndana seeing this vnlookt for Conquest reioyced greatly but especially when she sawe Charaxes taken prisoner whom after she had in her custodie she put to death with fondrie kindes of tortures and taking out his heart aliue worketh her endlesse reuenge on it in this maner and to satisfie her loue to her Brethren drinketh wine out of their skulles Thus sir quoth the Ladie you heare the straunge maner of my Sacrifice which I haue and wil vse to my perpetuall content Saturne Iupiter Mars Soll. Venus Mercurie Luna Iupiter had no sooner ended his Tragedie but Mars rising vp from his Seate began with furious tearmes to taunt Iupiter in this sort Mars IVpiter your tragedie with his bitter and wofull euents hath not driuen such passionate impressions into the mindes of these sacred Gods but that they can affoorde to laugh at your foud and phantasticall applications seeing in coueting to conquer the victorie returneth to an other mans glorie and shooting at the Fort you faint in the weakenesse of your owne force As though most wilfull wise Iupiter it came through my infectious influence that Euandrus was slaine by the vilanous trecherie of