her noble conditions the singular deliciousnesse of that Court seemed to teach us that nature formes complexions with declination and disadvantage after the image and according to the excellencie or defect of spirits Weepe they did but not much so just were they in paying every one its due a few teares dropp'd they for the infortunate omitting not though the consolation due to prudence Irinico that in the meane time could not either with embassies or reasons disswade the Scandinavian from siding with the Sarmatan King against his sonne-in-law hearing now of his overthrow and being not able to re-install him by Armes smoothering the injury thought with himselfe to prosecute the affaire of matrimony the Prince Elimante being already enamoured of his pretended wife hoping that this meanes might open him the way to the restitution of what was taken away from his daughter but the marriage being all this while unconcluded on he resolved to permit the Prince to goe himselfe in person into Scandinavia there to prosecute the enjoying of his loves accordingly he goes thither unknowne giving out that hee went to travell as a Knight-errant into other parts Arrived there he saw the King whom though the home-glasse of many yeares were since runne out he yet knew by that Embassad our that had beene at his Fathers a caveat that taught his intellect to guide his behaviour somewhat the more warily become in that regard more cautelous of concealing himselfe than before he assaid all the meanes his invention could propose to come to the sight of the Princesse who stirring abroad but very seldome by consequence could be but seldome seene But prudence and love or rather a prudent love instructing him farre above his yeares and discreetely governing him in all his wayes hee came I know not how to have ingresse into a parke where for her health's sake shee used to walke sometimes all alone in The Prince was cloath'd in the habit of a Squire and though his Royall greatnesse remain'd not vailed by the disguise of the habit he was cloathed in yet was it neverthelesse shadowed with a certaine taking-kinde of humility wherewith hee beleeving to hide it from the fight of others made it become indeede in the eyes of all men more observed and regardfull for its inexpressibly-sweet delightsomnesse and rarely selfe-peculiar hearts-winning amability The Princesse had given her by her Father Elimanto's picture sent from Irinico and now walking all alone shee opening its Diamantine cover heedfully beheld it when casting her eye aside towards a by-corner not farre off the place where shee walked shee discovered its true originall Start back at the unexpected sight of him shee did not but drew her eye from the artificiall to the naturall and then beleeving shee was not deceived in the certainety of her conjecture said unto her selfe Sure this is Elimanto Hee pierced through the heart with that sudden glance had surely fainted but that love received himselfe before him the shaft shot by the bow of her faire eyes a pittie not imputable either to piety or vertue knowing him without any new wounds to bee already wounded and withall that he could not in case he kill'd him out-right so triumph over him as he intended Elimanto tooke on him to be by this encounter surprized at unawares and doing her submissive reverence made a shew of retiring himselfe when shee asked him whom he belong'd unto and how hee got in there The answer was Most excellent Madame it is not long since the Knight my Master died and then I desirous to see and seeke a fortune in this great Court for the famousnesse thereof came hither to that end for the rest I beseech your Highnesse pardon for my being got in hither as a stranger curious to see what I had never seene before Vpon this Celene asking him if he had ever knowne her before and if not how he then came to know shee was the Princes I never had indeede the happinesse to see your Highnesse before answered her the Prince but yet to know you is as easie as to know the sunne by its shining rayes besides my comming from a countrey in which your Highnesse is knowne by pictures merits and relations I might say by love too if I thought there were any Prince living worthy of your Highnesse At this Celene smiled with a gentle gravity without taking off him her eye more certaine than before that hee was Elimanto then asking him what Countrey that hee spake of was and understanding it was Gaula Belgica shee not daring to passe any farther held her peace But he with a courage spurr'd on by a sincere affection proceeded If Prince Elimanto could but imagine me here I am sure hee would with all his heart exchange beings with me he owning not that affect that more sweetly tortures him than the desire of serving your Highnesse so as if the affaire of the-by-him-so-ardently-desired-nuptials be not shortly determined I would not give one of these leaves for his life Knoweth-you then the Prince said Celene if yea why then suffers he you to goe seeke any other Master Yes Madame said he he knowes me but is as willingly content that any of his subjects travell hither as he would more gladly come himselfe so as I dare say that this sole favour I am now honoured with in seeing your Highnesse would suffice to make him the happiest of all the Princes in the world how then can he choose but be well content that others come here for service your Highnesse being Soveraigne Mistresse of his desires and by all his so reputed And could I be but so fortunate in joyning the desire to the effect so farre as that your Highnesse would be pleased to receive me into your service Prince Elimanto would thinke a great part of his desires accomplished in my being so for his sake accepted the most honourable marke of your Princely favour that your Highnesse can favour him withall My favours said then Celene stand at the dispose of the King my Father of whom I have not as yet received any command to any such purpose but you for being a stranger and hapning to come to me before any other I will accept into my service seeing the desire you have to serve me With that bidding a Lady that followed her to cause him to be on her behalfe entertained of her Stuart shee yet held him some while longer in discourse growing to be ever more and more assur'd that shee had not judged amisse Elimanto seeing himselfe at his first entrance so highly favoured by fortune conceived a confident hope of a good issue therein and conferring by night with his Fathers Embassadour under colour of bringing him letters made him when hee knew him tremble to thinke of his no lesse bold than dangerous enterprize Teutone being of all Princes the most malicious whose honour-despising resolutions had no other scope than his owne private profit Litle lesse than a whole yeares time lived
most amiable conditions so as there was no man that knowing him lov'd him not Erpandro on the contrary with his face all blemished over with pock-holes of a nature rigid and dogged and a vaunter withall was much given to scorne and mock others and the toy taking him sometimes in the pate to counterfeite Gradamoro in his gentle garbe and quaint demeanour he did it so misbecommingly and with gestures so unseemely as made him loathsome to such as saw him act it If therefore ormondo lov'd him 't was for his being a son to so deere a friend of his for having destinated him for his sonne-in-law and for not fully nor throughly knowing him whereas Ladomonte and Deadora who had him ever in their eye could not endure the sight of him and therefore entertained him alwayes with respect for keeping him at a distance off their familiarity but shee above all others could not brooke the sight of him especially when with sighes and sobbes he would as pittifully and handsomely as he could represent the person of an heart-sick passionate lover whereas teares though reall and sighes though unfained full ill God wot became his mouth and cheekes No one had this poore Prince that set before him a naturall glasse to see therein his misbecomming carriage Courtiers he had enough that followed him puft up with an ambition of being trusty to him but knowing the good opinion he had of himselfe they still seconded him in his humours which made him become ever more and more peevish and impertinent Gradamoro on the other side to whom the Graces were Midwives discretion mother and the Muses Nurses had wonne him the hearts of all that knew him Ormondo lov'd him for his merits Arnclinda for neerenesse in blood Ladomonte for friendship and Deadora for love shee being resolved rather to dye than marry Erpandro at whose appearance she would freeze and sweate if shee but heard him speake and indeede to her it seemed wheresoever he was that mirth and discourse gave place to silence and mellancholy and againe where Gradamoro but entred there was no kinde of thing that in her eyes seemed not to rejoyce the very statues had then tongues and the walls voyces How many times alas would shee all alone drop from her faire eyes successive showres of brinish teares in bethinking how to withdraw her selfe from such a husband How often also made shee her moane there of unto her mother who whilest she comforted her with her tongue lamented her with her heart Ladomonte much pittied her and wish'd in his heart to see her freed from him but yet durst not speake of it well knowing that any such proposition though just would not be well taken of Ormondo the match having beene made when as they were as yet in their cradles and with a friend whom it was not fit he should displease since neither of them had ever given the other any cause of either distaste or discontent No sooner was the gentle Gradamoro arrived in Illirio and seene the sweetly-majestick Deadora than that hee rent off the habit of a Cozen Her beauty accompanied with such singular vertues apparelling him in the finest love that ever lover was cloth'd in but having heard the story or perhaps read in the Chronicles of the stealing away of his Aunt the warre that thereupon followed the friendship betweene Ormondo and Serpidoro the marriages and children sprung from them among whom himselfe was one and how that Deadora was firmely promised to Erpandro he durst no more lift up his eyes for doubt lest the object of an hopelesse and haplesse love should bring him to a despairing end during a great course of time endured hee this tormenting paine without communicating the same to as much as Vnicireo to whom hee communicated even his very heart wearying his feeble forces in endeavouring to disburthen himselfe of it but more potent forces forced him to undergoe its loade so as afterwards being used to it he began to delight in it or else that being invisibly eased by Deadora's love it was consequently easie for him to sustaine a weight of it selfe sweete with her much sweeter assistance Love hath in all times beene a cunning warrier hee durst not assault the generous and chaste heart of Dcadora ere he had first battered it on both sides that towards Erpandro with the Ramme-engine of hatred and that to Gradamoro-wards with hope and affection hee led on the assault through the ruines of anxious thoughts and though the fight was no lesse dubious than dangerous and the Captaine assaylant used to vanquish the stoutest Gods yet thought he it not the least of his atchievements to conquer such a mayden And then too shee pensively lamented for such losses that many another would have beene glad of whereof what judgement to make I know not nor can I tell you whether or no it were that shee hated her selfe for suffering her resolution to bee overcome or for loving another with dead and almost impossible hopes One morning had the Princes and shee with them runne at the Ring where after sundry layes it came by order of carreere to her turne to lay with Gradamoro and 't was that the loser should submit himselfe to the discretion of the vanquisher in whatsoever it should please the same to command the other shee perhaps would not winne that so her true losse might be shadowed by this false one at play or howsoever it was lose shee did Gradamoro encouraged by the victory taking off the Ring thus accoasts her Deere Lady and Cozen it hath pleased fortune to shew me in this game how exceedingly shee can hate me shee will that I beare you this Ring for an other guise one which to my ineffable content I would more than gladly have given you had shee beene but pleased to have blessed mee in my swathing-bands as shee hath done others What by this wager I can pretend so it stand with your good liking is that you would be pleased that I ever burne for you and that in such a fire all the remnant of my lives time may blaze out being resolved since the Destinies deny me you never to have other woman That golden shaft which is fained to strike through hearts and impoyson them with love is no more than an amorous word steep'd in the affection of a passionate lover the one stabbes the other envenoms so much teacheth us Deadora who thereof is both the testimony and example Vnpossible is it to represent the trouble of minde shee conceived thereat and the internall commotion of her affections spirits and heart Anger it was not for love had expelled that passion 't was sure one of those things which cannot be knowne or as I by its operation should judge it an effect of poyson Answer him shee could not devise how shee was dumbe to him now and though shee had known how yet now wanted shee time for it the Princes being runne thither to see what Gradamoro meant to
fortune prevailes it is most certaine that little availes there any humane Iudgement Their flames then being thus reciprocally revealed there wanted nothing now save the meanes and opportunity of attaining to the remedy but because that place was inconvenient to treate thereof and their conference often interrupted not without danger also of being observed they resolved to talke further thereof in her chamber yet dancing almost every evening and holding on sometimes till the breake of day it behov'd her to counterfeite her selfe sick whensoever shee desired to enjoy his company Paralette Dutchesse of Magnagrecia a principall Lady and neere kinswoman to Lucano was her governesse her it behoved the Princesse to win of her party being shee alwayes lay in her chamber and almost never departed out of her presence yet was it a difficult thing I will not say to perswade her to be a furtherer of their desires that being a thing impossible to be accomplish'd but to prevaile with her so farre as to procure her silence shee often menacing to reveale all to the King Corianna for all that certain of the contrary for the affectionate respect shee bore her and being howsoever resolved to goe on although the King himselfe had beene already acquainted with it little regarded her threats of discovering all yet finding her so averse to her desires was enforced to disclose the whole tenor of her secrecies unto one of her women of whose faithfulnesse shee boldly presumed to be confident At the houre appointed Lucano came but then the Dutchesse slipt away and the Gentlewoman by casting a small coard out of the window drew up a scaling lader and fastned it to two iron hookes by which meanes hee clim'd up into her chamber where after their complementall salutes shee thus bespake him My Lord Lucano I know not what opinion you may entertaine of mee who being already promised to a husband have yet beene the occasion of your comming into this place I therefore beseech you Sir if such boldnesse be otherwise unexcuseable that you out of your noblenesse would yet be pleased to extenuate it by giving it some other name and by so much the rather that it proceeds from my over-loving you an extremity which constraines me to make you a participant of my dangers as I am conforted with the hope of your being a reciprocall partaker of my love The truth in briefe is that I desire to be yours though I cannot in that manner as I pretend to be without a world of dangers yet if the affection which you beare me be of such a carract as that it weighs them not I shall then thinke on the meanes that shall worke our full content and that is to goe with you whithersoever your discreete resolutions shall be pleased to guide us But if in such a degree I possesse not a roome in your noble bosome then doe I beseech you but disclose it unto mee that I may then resolve of some meanes of weaning me from the thought of it Much amazed remained Lucano at this so unlook'd for a proposition for that hee a little before beleeved he should safely arrive at the harbour of his desires without hazarding the vessell of his content and fortunes among the dangerous rocks of inconsiderate and desperate resolutions love her hee did very ardently but yet not in such a way nor imagined hee that shee who was already as good as married had any such thought in her perswading himselfe that one woman might very well be interessed in two men under the distinct titles of law and love and although such a thing in it selfe be indeede ill yet thought he its badnesse much extenuated by its commonnesse accidents of that quality hapning every day unto thousands But what could a generous heart and a heart overflowne with a deluge of love upon such a sudden pinch resolve of Having therefore kiss'd her hand he return'd her this answer Right noble Madame I beseech your Highnesse not to conceive mee to be either so discourteous in opinion or so free from the engagements of affection that I can passe any other judgement on you than such as obliged duty and love my only directors addresse me unto without either of which I have no power to judge at all the one shewes mee that I have neither state nor life to make account of where I have the honour of but simply serving you much lesse the happinesse of being blest with the enjoying you as out of the inexhaustable treasure of your goodnesse you have beyond all my merits benignely offered me the other is such as I cannot properly terme it extreame for the greatest extreames have their limits whereas my love being in me infinite produceth its infinite effects so as your Highnesse hath no reason to doubt that I most loyally affect you whom I have so great reason to love and honour But as for that which concernes the accomplishment of our desires I confesse there appeares no meanes of effecting it without evident danger both of life and honour not in regard of my selfe for my acquist hath no hazard equivalent nor perill that can equall it but in respect of your royall person For alas mee thinkes I already see in it toilesomnesse travels sufferings a private life a sparing and peradventure a poore one too being all of them conditions contrary to your birth and quality hard yea and impossible for the greatnesse of your minde to undergoe and endure The Princesse well pleased with this his answer with a countenance that seemed to have expelled all clouds of mistrust from her till then-uncertaine thoughts thus cheerefully replied My choysest and dearest-best of truest friends I have now of you what I most desired that is the assurednesse of your inclination which facilitates unto mee all the difficulties that you in any thing propose such how great soever having no equality with my affection which is sufficiently powerfull to dispose of impossibility it selfe That which compels me to tell you this is that in respect of my being already promised to a husband it is expected I should goe home to him but then alas to live so deprived of you will be impossible for me and againe to entertaine you for my secret friend honesty forbids me besides my resolution of choosing rather to dye than enjoy you in such a way The sole inconvenience then that will follow my determination is that I for being promised unto an other shall disobey my Father but those that will follow the contrary will bee many as to dye if either I enjoy you not at all or but only for a short time for long I am sure you could not make your abode in Sicily and that short time too to the dishonour of my selfe my father and husband such a determination carries with it I know an appearance of no small mischiefs which cannot indeede choose but prove such in effect What then is our best course to resolve of nothing Shall wee take instruction
presupposed that you must both aspire to and expect it Lucano whose soule is I am sure ever present with you cannot choose but be much agreived at your so litle esteeming that deere pledge of his love he left you Doe him not then oh doe him not such an injury hee already pretends to live againe to you in another quality and yet you because you cannot enjoy him alive that way that you would will in another quality put him to death againe in the person of another This the Dutchesse told her in so gentle and yet feeling a manner of delivery that the Princesse recollected all her weake powers to returne her this answer Mother the reasons of one that comforts are ever the same though the griefes of the afflicted be never so different if I had but one sole losse and one onely griefe as I have the Gods know but too too many of either I am perswaded you would still comfort me with the selfe same arguments as indeed the intellect hath not conceits proper for all misfortunes nor can one and the same salve serve to cure all manner of sores some afflictions there are that admit of no consolation for want of comfort proper and proportionable to their peculiar degrees make triall of it in mine and you shall see that every one is of it selfe worthy of those reasons you inferre for all Can there any griefe come neerer ones heart than the losse of ones countrey how many have chosen to die miserably in it rather than to live any where else Our goods and meanes are not they numbred among our chiefest felicities yet alas I have lost them all Now for my state and quality what woman will not for this onely respect deeme me the most unfortunate of my sex that am from an adored Queene become an ordinary unknowne yea and disrespected woman And to come to my parents what greater misery can there be imagined than to lose the loving care of a provident Father and the sweete comfort and charilytender affection of a deere Mother and to remaine an orphant depriv'd of the priviledge of ever more invoking those endeered names then for my husband 't is I grant to a disaffecting wife a happinesse to be rid of a bad husband but otherwise where there is true reall indissoluble and reciprocall love 't is a misery that cannot be paralleld The losse of countrey meanes fortunes state dignity and parents bring with them a multitude of heart-stinging anguishes but yet with limits because time may weare them all away but the losse of a loving and a deserving husband being withall a man every way most worthy and accomplish'd is to an affecting wife the summe of all misfortunes in so much as that shee is not able to endure the want of him without ever leading an ever-dying-life Moreover yet if things in this world be not such as they seeme but such as wee imagine them to be especially in subjects of extreame affection then certainely my misfortunes farre surpasse those of all others since for the enjoying of a husband agreeable to my owne hearts desire I esteemed it an happinesse to become unhappy with the losse of my countrey meanes dignity fortunes state and parents nay I would have bin contented to have lost more too had I but had more to lose Here the Dutchesse would wilingly have replied but shee commanding her silence proceeded Besides all this I have lost mine honour oh that mine inestimable jewell mine honour which you have not as yet reckoned supposing perhaps that for being placed among imaginary things it was not at all to be esteemed of but in my case my disobedience to my Father my breach of a marriage concluded on my owne word and my flight from my native countrey have all relation to the rule of common honour against which I have not imaginarily but really offended As for the talent you say Nature hath bestowed on me I am full litle God wote beholding to her for it Since priviledged spirits have besides the acutenesse of the understanding an equall quicknesse of sensibility so as who-so is most apprehensive is likewise most sensible Againe to contrast with crosses and to overcome them proceeds not from the priviledge of Nature but from an habit acquired by us which if I owne as it is not likely since I have not beene yet much enured to ill fortune I then have it among so many thornes that it is a great marvell if it be not by this time torne to pieces To game with-fortune is the trade of all that live so to be of the losing hand is ordinary but yet not to be quite undone for that is incident onely to persons extraordinary as I am Princes seldome lose without being utterly ruin'd yet should I not be for all that much blamed for hazarding so much as I did for great and right precious was the stake that I hoped to winne which cannot be valued either by quantity or weight One pretious Iewell is more prized than many masses of gold Now for what concernes the Gods I know not how to answer you for I neither know nor comprehend their wayes no I have I confesse but too much straid besides them yet if their mercies exceed our offences wherefore have they not then exceeded mine They will raise mee up you will say and againe restore me to my former state In good time but if I voluntarily forsooke it for Lucano's sake and they taken him from mee how can they then any way ease my griefe seeing hee is the onely thing I want and desire Is their Omnipotencie can you tell mee so regulated as to extend even to contradictories Can they let mee have him in the same instant both dead and alive More shee would have spoken but the good Dutchesse well knowing that extreame passions minister unwholsome conceits interrupted her by inferring consolative reasons and shee after patiently listning unto her finding her selfe at length convicted with her discreete arguments returned to tell her Mother the Gods are not so firmely bound by the unabsolveable oathes they vow by the infernall Lake as you have bound me to let him live to me upon the interest of the burden I goe now with childe of Live then I will that he may leade a living and I an ever-dying life among perpetuall teares in eternall sorrowes Here shee thought to have proceeded further thereby to have vented out her griefe but the watry humour abundantly flowing from her eyes so suffocated her words as she could not In the evening she was perswaded to taste of some restorative conserves continuing so to doe the other dayes following untill the marriners touch'd in this Iland to refresh themselves But then shee leaving us a-boord with the goods attended only by her women would by all meanes goe ashore where espying by chance the cave you saw shee boldly entred it and out of the litle esteeme shee had any more now of her life a desire tooke her to
the rest of the whole Iland yet did the Royall House as farre againe surpasse that way all the Families of that Kingdome as the condition of a Subject is exceeded by one who borne to superiority beares the Royall thereof which are titles and Crownes The elder they waxed in yeares the more grew they though borne all of one and the same body and sprung all from one and the same seede to differ in qualities affections and inclinations to falsifie the common tenent that arguments of the body can determine any ones wit and disposition vertues and vices being here individually devided insomuch as looke what portion of good was owned by some of them even so much possessed the others of evill and because there was a disparity in the number badnesse would without any nay seize on the greater part so as two of them being wholly inclined to vertue the other three gave themselves altogether over to all lewdnesse and dishonest abominations The bringing up of them was in every respect equall or if otherwise yet but so much unequall or different as was due to the difference of the disequality of the sexes since for the rest as time direction and yeares the one enjoyed not any priviledge more than the other Their vertuous Father thinking it unfitting to bee partiall in the breeding of his children sithence Nature had given them him without partialitie in bringing them into the world The last borne among the males was call'd Feredo the very same you in a Druid's habit saw with me erewhiles of the other two the first-borne was named Edmondo the other Galfrido Scarce was Feredo full eighteene yeares of age when Gelinda his eldest sister fell in love with him whilst Edmondo and Galfrido blinded with the like affection doted on their younger sister named Adeligia Full glad was the King to see his children so loving each to other whilst hee good man was farre mistaken for conceiving himselfe blessed in that which made him afterwards an example of misery to all Fathers Gelinda nourished her fire so covertly that none could perceive it nor durst shee indeede discover it to her brother whose integrity which was a naturall inclination to goodnesse curb'd if not terrified her besides her owne conscience accusing her of the deformity of her love â—â—ine would shee have shaken it off when it shewing her the sweets of its delights ever also multiplied by imagination deprived her of the sight of her internall lights no servant had Feredo more diligent about him than was his sister for were he disposed to exercise himselfe in any feates of Chivalry his officious sister not trusting his Squires would with her owne hands arme him if arm'd hee hapned to be before shee forsooth must goe â—â—ite him and if disarmed 't was shee that rub'd and dri'd him were he 〈…〉 ride a hunting shee would never leave him but be his perpetuall companion no Roe-buck nor Grey-hound was to be found that for velocity surpassed her or her swift Courser no precipice could stop her careere If descending shee were shee seemed to precipitate if running to flee In affronting wilde beasts shee alwayes prevented him though then ever with a panting heart too for being still jealous and fearefull of her owne in anothers life In fine shee so behaved her selfe that Feredo had beene stupid if he had not perceived the occasion of all these curtesies instructed therein no more now by a vulgar prudence but by the love of the other two brothers towards Adeligia for which hee abhorring them abhorred also Gelinda for the selfe same regard conceiting with himselfe that the very thought of an affection so abominable was able to attaint him with guiltinesse For the first remedy hee determined to shunne her society without taking on him to conceive her designes so as hee continued to ride a hunting but without her company whereat when he saw her grieve he excused himself with displaying before her the inconvenience that time had laid before his consideration how that a Princesse ambuscadoed betweene hunters and savage beasts incurr'd continually manifest hazard of her life beseeching her therefore to stay at home or if shee would needs goe he wish'd it might be when her mother and sister went This so over-chary circumspection pleased not well Gelinda especially when shee once penetrated into the cause thereof And hee on the other side seeing that obstinate courtesie is wont to argue discourteously in who-so denies to accept it knew not how to disenvelop himselfe otherwise than by the hope he had of weaning her from it by litle litle without discontenting her The other Brothers in the meane while hotly sollicited Adeligia whose shunning them could not serve her turne Edmundo the elder and bolder of the two had the audacity to expresse himselfe unto her one day in these speeches I know not wherefore I affecting you Adeligia farre more than a sister you love not mee somewhat more than a brother Whereto shee answered My Lord if I lov'd not you I should surely hate my selfe yet if in loving you I surpassed the limits of a sisters love I should then neither love my selfe nor you but were worthy of both your hatred and scorne The Prince could as then make her no reply for his sister favoured with the occasion of her mothers comming who the very same instant entred into the chamber was rid of him for that time though it steeded her not much sithence hee still made use of any opportunity of meeting her but much lesse Galfrido for being the occasion of depriving him of the meanes of ever speaking to her any more A resolution irkesome and heavy to one but mortall to the other two for the Brothers gone one day out on hunting and in chasing the Hart happening to be severed a good distance off the rest the Prince made a stand that Galfrido might passe before him and then suddenly running him with his sword through and through bare him sheere off his saddle alighted that hee was off his horse to dispatch him hee might perceive him starke dead before Return'd home alone the Father who some dayes before had observed both the misaffections and disaffections of his sonnes ranne with his imagination to the very truth and giving thereupon order to some few but trusty Gentlemen to goe in search after him he was the selfe same night found out and carried into his chamber I will not take on me the taske of expressing his heavinesse because the tongue is not a pensill to pourtray the griefe of a Father to whom the death of one sonne may give just occasion of becomming cruell against the other Having therefore called before him the Prince he shewed him the corps with asking him if he had slaine him but seeing him deny it in away that argued somewhat of guiltinesse he said unto him he that makes no scruple to murther a Brother will surely make no great conscience to tell a lye the blood that at thy appearing
gurled out of this wound both convicts thee and requires at my hands Iustice which I will not deny it Onely I am sorry that thy quality in consideration of my selfe permits thee no other executioner with this snatching out his sword not as yet wiped fully dry from the blood of his Brother hee ranne it in his heart and then causing them to be laid in two coffins he strictly commanded that this tragicall case might dye with his sonnes charging all that knew it to give out that they were sick and three dayes after dead of a pestilentiall fever Well might the feare of offending the King tye mens tongues which are subject to sense but not their judgements which being internall and free enjoy the priviledges of a free exemption from any humane dominion But the best was that the Kingdome made no great reckoning of the losse of either both of them being by their behaviour growne to be as unworthy of bemoaning as of life But now the Sister good soule the innocent occasion of the evill could not be either comforted or quieted till her Father permitted her to retire to the I le of Man where under the discipline of certaine religious persons there residing shee dedicated the rest of her dayes to a contemplative life Onely Feredo now remain'd of the youngest the eldest and his so being the sole sonne had more endeer'd him to his Father if his other worthy qualities had not beene more singular and respect worthy than his being an onely Sonne Gelinda having understood the true tragick story of her Brother mortified her selfe a litle or at leastwise somewhat deprest the growing fire of her affection from suggesting occasion of more disgrace till seeing Feredo increasing together with his yeares in comelinesse of person vertue and the love of all shee deemed it very inconvenient for her to faulter in her affection Banishing therefore from her memory the sufferings and shame of her Royall House which till then taught her to be cautelous if not honest shee began to prosecute her desires anew with such fervent affection and winning-allurements that the Fort of Feredo's constant goodnesse remain'd therewith shaken if not battered But because in him goodnesse prevail'd more than youth and continencie more than the intising baites of an enchanting love he purposed for clipping the wings of her incestuous hope to goe live farre off her praying his Fathers assent thereunto under pretext of going to travell which hee no sooner ask'd than obtain'd for the good old King having noted his Daughters incestuous affection and fearing the arising thence of some new accidents found his absence for some time to bee to purpose hoping that time would in that while dry up in her that ill humour with the medicine of oblivion or some other new affections easie to be exchanged for old especially as hee imagined in the inconstant nature of that amorous sex But Gelinda more constant than the vertue of constancie permitted her obstinate in retaining her first designes and resolved either to die or transmute Feredo from a brother to a lover emboldened with her illegitimate love and raised by her mortiferous resolution within a degree of the height of impudence taking him from the company of some young Gentlemen that entertained him in discourse and conducting him in her hand to the garden shee thus bespake him I hold it my Lord and Prince a thing superfluous to consume the small time I have to stay with you in any other than a free and briefe language sithence neither the growth of yeares have beene sufficient to give you notice of my affection nor the late tragedy of our Brothers serv'd for a president to mollifie you which me thinkes it should if not for my loves sake yet at least for the honour of our Father our House and our selves you are now going to travell for not having mee neere you and conceit perhaps by so doing to shunne me but alas you much deceive your selfe for I am resolved not onely to be neere you but also closely to cleave to you as doth your inseparable Genius or shadow and if by violence you discoast or avoide me I will then so accoast and haunt you as doe what you can you shall not shake me off for if it lye in the power of spirits to doe it mine then perpetually shall doe it since you will not permit my selfe to enjoy so much happinesse Pity mee oh I beseech you pitie me that without you am worse than nothing nor let the deformity of my love serve you for an excuse for I sweare by the immortall Gods that if you quite reject and abandon mee I will when I am so scorn'd or hated transforme me into a Fury will haunt you whithersoever you goe nor will I so it be within the reach of my power suffer ever any other woman to enjoy you more than I. Strucken dumbe remain'd Feredo with this so rash and dishonest proposition about her eyes as kindled embers hee observed a deadly blewish palenesse arguing a mortall rancor and gastly despaire well knew he that neither reproach nor reproofe was able to terrifie one that feared not to dye nor was hee lesse confident of her desperately-bold haste which might easily raise her resolution to such a hight of frantick desperatenesse as shee would not stick to kill her selfe holding it therefore his safer course rather to shunne than hazard a certaine mischiefe hee return'd her this milde answer Deere Lady and Sister the love which I beare you is such that if you knew it you would then know you had no cause to thinke your selfe aggrieved I intend to part 't is true not to elong my selfe from you but to be more worthily neere you when the heavens shall be pleased to favour my returne Love deere Sister mine is not to bee required with hate as you seeme to doubt of especially by me towards you whom I for many speciall reasons am bound both to love and serve all then that I begge of you is that abandoning your passions you unite your selfe to reason which can of it selfe alone give you on my behalfe sufficient satisfaction Doe then but discreetly remember sweete Sister who wee are and what the name of a Brother imports in nature law and use and next call to mind and consider the miserable end of the others which should serve us for an example not of imitation but of detestation and horrour Grant mee I lovingly beseech you your good leave to be gone on my intended journey since I desire it may be with your free assent and good liking And to the end you may rest fully assured of my true affection towards you I here faithfully promise that if it come to my hands to dispose of you my Father not preventing me for manifesting my brotherly affection to you that way I will spend all the Royall treasure yea and my very Crowne besides but I will see you well setled to your owne hearts desire Vpon
this the King calling him hee left her preparing himselfe to begin the morrow following his journey towards the Kingdome of Logria But shee to whom brotherly admonitions were reproaches courteous language abuses and promises of a rich dowry an unappealeable sentence of death putting on a manly courage and laying aside all appearance of griefe could so farre temper nay command her passion as with unbeteared eyes to see him at parting yea to salute him and bid him her last farewell and that in so free a way too as made him thinke her an altogether altered woman whereby he became so consolated as hee could not refraine at his departing to drop some teares for meere unlook'd for joy though gaz'd on by all the Ladies that stood by her and accompanied a good while on his way by the flowre of the Nobility But no sooner lost shee once the sight of him than that shee remained as a statue cold senselesse and immoveable Recovered out of her stupifying fit shee retir'd to her bed-chamber too too delicious God wote for a sceane of so lugubrous an act The returne of such as had sent Feredo on his way was the passing-bell that rang out her knill of death the recommendations sent her from him shee received with disdaine and contempt and then presently not having the patience or power to stay till night shee put off her cloathes and laid her downe where being as shee thought all alone shee burst forth into these termes It is now time Gelinda for thee to free thy selfe from the tyrannie of thy insulting enemy Love 't is high time that thou now revenge thy selfe on this thy neither brother nor lover Come thou must die and that 's no newes to thee death shall not seize on thee at unawares Thou shalt have the oddes of the rest of mortals in being thy selfe thine owne Iudge so freeing thy selfe both from the judgement of others and from the qualities and diversities of deaths being conditions that make unexpected death looke on the dying wretch with an aspect so fearefull and horrid A great spirit as thine is will flight it to be by it cruelly revenged on him that no lesse cruelly than ungratefully hath injured thee This said shee would have kill'd her selfe but thinking it too short a preamble for so dolefull an end her despairing soule roaring from within her with an horrible and gastly noyse shee proceeded Implacable Dieties yee infernall Powers to you have I forlorne wretch recourse to you doe I bequeath and consecrate this reâ—â—â—ed life of mine in recompence where of I desire no more than that I may persue and haunt the ingratefull Feredo whithersoever he goes put me no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implore the heavens or their influences for if mortals subject to the hâ—â—vie clog of a body and by consequence ignorant and feeble can domineere over them what may then the immortall soules doe which being separated from these imperfections must needs be more powerfull in respect of their habits corresponding to that privation I grant too that humane judgement and discretion may perhaps shunne them yet mighty yee whose power hath no paragon are able I am confident either to corrupt or alter them But alas if it prove not so to be how ill then am I advised yet how can I that despairing hope be possibly well advised whilst I beleeve revenge to have place among the infernall miseries which to the damned might prove happinesse and glory if glory and happinesse had any accesse to those dismall horrors Die I will were it but to spite and grieve Feredo But what place I wonder among the disordered confusions there shall the order of my uncouth affections hold Shall it be possible that among those eternall disorders there the soule be not confounded with all its parts especially the intellect and that also the order which I prefix to my revenge be not in danger to be broken But oh that the web I warpe here might be there spunne for then would I thinke hell were blessed and all would then goe thither But who will assure me thereof yet doubtlesse thy death Gelinda will grieve Feredo will it so dye then meerely to vex him But soft too too foolish were such a revenge as but makes an addition to the avengers proper prejudice But said I not that hell observes no order then no reason neither by reason of that disorder If so to what end tend then so many considerations they are needlesse and superfluous 't is true yet let them be dispenced withall in priviledge of being my last farewell Here respiting a while to vent out the anguish of approaching death shee with a heavy groane spake on Happy thee Gelinda had'st thou never beene borne since that being borne thou wast borne for hell whose first torments thou proved'st when first thou fell'st in love Yet if I deserved so much misery had it not beene a greater paine for me not to have beene borne at all if true it be that such had beene greater than to be borne to be damned as I was But ah me if this were true sure then I had never beene borne for if among all the things that I am none of there had beene but one that in privation of being had exceeded the not being of others then surely that same one thing had beene Gelinda Therefore Gelinda to her greater anguish beleeves that such a thing cannot be Besides the Gods were unjust if they punished such as were not any way blemished with as much as originall sinne Enough then let these be my last meditations Dye I must and will Feredo will none of mee no more will I him now and for not having him I must goe else-where The passage is I confesse hard the issue doubtfull but whatmatters all that I 'le even venture and runne with the rest the Furies of hell shall direct mee nay I 'le make one among them they shall adopt mee and I 'le be the fourth of those Eumenidan Sisters which if it cannot otherwise steede me it shall then suffice me that the diseâ—â—â—â—teous Feredo be troubled in his sleepe and in his repose desire death the sole remedy to his heart-wasting miseries and besides that in his loves never woman beloved by him may ever love him that some untimely end betide her not More shee would have said when one of her women that all this while had attentively observed her ranne towards the bed at the first trampling noise of whose feere Gelinda stab'd her selfe under the left pap with a long silver bodkin where with shee used to righten her haire but by her destined for this fatall effect which succeeded her desire so well if a man may say well in so ill a case that slipping betweene her ribs it pierced her heart which prov'd now as tender to the force of hand as it had before done to the dart of love The Gentlewoman that faw no signes of any violence done and by consequence not suspecting any such
would be undone That then which concernes me to know more particularly is Whether they will deprive me of my dominion totally or with it subject me to another or neither this nor that but afflict me with long warres If no man can tell it me how shall I then behave my selfe for not opposing the divine will Nature teacheth me to defend my selfe The Gods forbid me not to doe it and men will commend me for so doing none will blame me for it save mine enemies to whom only my vertue will be detestable for being prejudiciall unto them If to conserve my state I bow my neck to the yoake of subjection I shall then oppose the Gods in case their will be to have me either afflicted or utterly ruined the same may I say of any other election of mine The Gods when they are disposed to subject ruine or afflict me will not send me Geniuses to buzze or trumpet it in my eares they need no meanes but can make my selfe serve for the instrument of my owne raising or downefall yea my owne ill directed actions will conduct nay hurry me to the end prefixed me by their will so as under such a pretext to doe this rather than that will give them cause not onely to crosse me but to be withall justly displeased at me for pretending to pry into that which is inscrutable whilst I should rather second it with the meanes bestow'd upon me which is defence As for the reason that Princes have no just title in their possessions presupposing their comming by them anciently to have beene by violence I would here faine know how the new may be termed just if the old justified by ancient possession with the prescription of times assent of subjects and confirmed with blood oftentimes spilt in defending it yea with the death of the Princes themselves be unjust And as touching the scene and its representations the Gods would not be spectators if there were no stage-players whose parts to act one Prince must defend if another assaile But if there be this day any Prince obliged to the defence of his Subjects you Prince of Venedotia are surely he you having no brother your father being sickly and weake your people left for a prey to their enemies without any Prince or defender With which prostrating himselfe at his feete he proceeded Therefore I humbly beseech your Highnesse that abandoning your incertaine deceivable conceits you reassume the filiall affection that you have forgotten the inclination of a Prince which you have left off and the duty of a Cavalier by you some while sithence abandoned More he would have said but that his tender-heartednesse restrained him so as with an affectionate respect kissing his knees he besought him with silence and teares more effectually than he could have done by either perswasions or entreaties But he graciously raising him up off the ground after a short pause said unto him Cataulo no more since you have already by doing your duty taught me mine and though ought otherwise than good should come thereof yet will I preferre the publick good before my owne private interesses I thanke you for the paines you have taken which shall not on my word prove to be sowne in the sands Behold I am now perswaded to goe and restore my selfe to my father and Countrey in hope the Gods will bee therewith well pleased At these words all of them rising up did him humble reverence with congratulating and praysing the resolution he had taken All that day passed they over exceeding joyfully and the ensuing the Prince desirous to know them enquired who they were especially the young Knight who now standing in a muse discovered by his face a confused minde he seeming at the instant of Feredo's resolution to ruminate some till then unthought of deliberations and to contemplate that site with greater curiosity than before Of which new passion of his the Prince taking notice could not choose but tell him that he much marveiled to see him so transported My Lord with blushing thereat said he I beseech your Highnesse not to take it ill I obey you not my fortunes and quality being so meane as the knowing them cannot be any way serviceable unto you and though that the concealing thereof might disadvantage me in the way of begging a favour at your Highnesse hands neverthelesse such is the opinion that I have of your generous and noble disposition that I hope you will grant it me by so much the willinger by how much the lesse my silence merits it And withall I should thinke my obligation doubled to your Princely favour if vouchsafing to admit of my excuses you deeme me the lesse discourteous by beleeving that I conceale my selfe for an urgent and necessary occasion Feredo that by this young Knights Squire had secretly learn'd who he was not caring to know thereof any further answered him Your aspect Sir promiseth so much as your quality and unseene merit cannot without injury be doubted of therefore if the desire I had to be acquainted with you onely to serve you made me desirous to know your being the same now teacheth me to content my selfe with what best pleaseth you so as your silence should no whit disencourage you from commanding me since it deprives me not of the will to obey you The young Knight blushing at this courteous answer with doing him humble obeysance said I must then my Lord in begging this favour at your Princely hands first tell you this much of my selfe that being a distressed Gentleman exil'd from my Countrey and in disfavour with my Prince I thought my heart indeede so giving me when first I had the fortune to see you that the tempest had brought me hither to shroude me here as in a sanctuary But seeing your Highnesse now resolved to returne home I bethought me of a new course which was to implore of your liberality the resignation of this place under such vassallage and obligation as might stand best with your Highnesse good liking Much wrought this request on the noble heart of Feredo who by his owne case had learn'd to have a feeling of that of anothermans full loath was he to say his demand nay and yet having beene informed of his desperate love he feared that the subscribing to his desire might turne to his prejudice Taking him therefore aside hee praid him to acquaint him with the occasion that moved him to settle himselfe in that Iland But seeing he could not draw any thing out of him he then by laying before his eyes his owne example counselled him to alter his resolution for the suspition or rather beliefe he had that some desperation had guided him to some ruinous resolution but the young man with a gladsome countenance assur'd him no manner of desperation now troubled him any passion tending that way being cured by that climate where it behoved him to stay some time to take the benefit of that ayre for confirming it Feredo would not
you all content and happinesse Eromena This letter wrought not that effect that reason required it should for the King more enraged for it than before would by all means disinherit his daughter suspending the decree against his son-in-law with an intention to unite them in the fault that so he might winde them both in one punishment so as it was very difficult to weane him from that humour with the considerations of his being aged his having no other childe and the being of no other Princes of the blood to succeede him have the Marquesse of Oristanio who was not onely old and issuelesse but above all others the most faithfull servant to Eromena and her husband Besides the being of Corsica in dange to be lost for being environed with enemies and bereft of her friends unlesse it yeelded to the subjection of the Tingitan the onely meanes to deprive together with his daughter and grandchilde himselfe also of the Sardan Crowne since other than he would never accept of a kingdome in the midst of the sea so farre distant with so many difficulties and undergoe the charge and trouble of defending it from so many enemies which were Right the Corses the Moores and the Balears The King bare an innate hatred to the Tingitan than whom hee knew no other would have accepted the proffer of succession being so deere a purchase considering the danger charge wherewith it was to be maintained but that which most of all vexed him was to thinke that his children in all probability would if all other helpes failed put themselves out of meere desperation under his protection which hee would not see come to passe for as much as his life was worth Doubting therefore lest they should settle themselves in Corsica and bee there crowned he commanded his horse and foote to be suddenly mustered marching himselfe in person towards Luogodori followed by all the Nobility and attended by his Councell Hee received by the way the Marquesse of Oristanio's letters with newes of the Princesse's arrivall and how that expecting the decree against her husband shee prepared to accompany him in his banishment Hence taking occasion he shewed him the discontents and inconveniences that might thence arise displaying before him his sonne-in-lawes merits with the advantages hee had in keeping him neere him The King was upon these newes somewhat pacified that his daughter departed not for any evill intent of doing him any hurt yet not quite freed from suspitions and resolved not to suffer Polimero to live either at home or neere him hee wrote to the Marquesse sending him the Councels decree and commanding him to put it in execution composed neverthelesse of moderate words as if he desired rather to triumph over his sonne-in-lawes obedience than to harbour any intention of keeping him long a farre off him The same made he his daughter also beleeve writing unto her a kinde letter and recalling her home with the hope of her husbands speedy returne These letters being read Polimero knew not what to resolve of well conceiv'd hee that the humbling himselfe to his father-in-law could not but be imputed unto him for glory so as the satisfying of his desire troubled him not but to be deprived of a beloved wife debarr'd of either seeing his daughter saluting his brother or visiting his father without knowing whither to betake himselfe was that which tortured him much but much more Eromena who not caring for her father was resolved to neglect all other affaires and follow him company God wot of all others to him the deerest and incomparably most desired but yet neither expedient or necessary Oppose her as I have already said hee would not love being a thing too too delicate and too much incumbred with feares and jealousies Who knowes thought he with himselfe but that prudence may be by her construed for an effect of small love which for being blinde neither sees nor admits of vertues if they thwart it nor any other affect save it selfe But the Marquesse and I wrought so much that wee both perswaded the one and disposed of the other The agreement was that shee should stay because that besides her watchfulnesse over the state-affaires shee might light on an opportunity of procuring his more speedy returne and that he should travell towards the East where having spent such time as he pleased in seeing of forraine countries hee might in case his returne were not by that time procured make his abode in some part of Greece Athens was named for the place of correspondencie whither were to be directed sent and conveyed their letters messengers and monies Of this his resolution to part they sent the King word to free him as much as in them lay of his doubts and jealousies which the Princesse also signified unto him by writing praying withall leave to stay there till her husbands departure wherewith hee was well contented not abandoning for all that the sight of Corsica but standing alwayes in a readinesse with his Army and Galleyes prest to crosse the channell if ocsion requir'd The few dayes that the Prince spent with his wife were by her passed in qeeping and heavinesse which made us endeavour to hasten his departure that so shee might the lesse waste her selfe with the imagination of this privation but the day being come shee said thus unto him I see then my Lord you will goe and leave behinde you your Eromena which wanting you will want both heart and soule impossible will it be for her to live being separated from you or if any thing keepe her alive it must needs be the hope of seeing you againe shortly I am sorry that her love hath so small interest in you as that other considerations exceede it such force have they not in her whom if you permit to goe along with you as by your mutuall affection shee thereto conjures you no losse though it were the heaviest that could be by any imagination conceived shall then taste bitter in her pallate might it be but sugred with the unexpressable sweetnesse which shee shall receive in being present to serve you with that word she affectionately kiss'd him without ceasing to importune him with more earnest entreaties mingled with her teares till hee being no longer able to refraine from accompanying her in the weeping-expression of her heavinesse return'd her this answer I part hence deere directresse of my destiny 't is true but not so as not to have you continually with mee the tempest of my travels shall ever have repose in the pleasant calme of your ever-deere memory the onely soveraigne cordiall to my misfortunes which without it would sinke me into the gulfe of an unmedicable despaire as for my love I cannot imagine how you can in the best manner doubt of it or how you can but imagine that I can preferre any necessity how urgent-soever before that of enjoying your presence since it is in you onely that I both joy and live But if such whose
soone as I were gotten out of the walls an enchantresse to furnish mee with horse and Armes and some unknowne Prince to dubbe mee a Knight But meeting by chance with a pilgrime and putting my selfe into his company it was my fortune to be stopt for getting out by some of the watch that knew mee whom a litle more had incited to stay for company my new Camerade out of the suspicion they conceived of his having seduced me away Vpon this occasion Sotiro advertised my mother of my disobedience to him-wards whereupon shee good woman egg'd on with a motherly affection tooke on her to goe to performe a vow shee had made to Iupiter Ammon and so came in pilgrims weeds to see me which journey of hers though farre was yet neither very toylesome nor over-difficult for shee fraighting a-shippe in one of the mouthes of Nile fared by sea as farre as the port of the Goddesse Venus and thence without any great adoe came and found us out at Nepa where we then sojourned I know not whether was then greater the wonder or discontent of Sotiro to see her conceiting that her comming tended to the destruction of the foundation of my education laid by him rather with an intention to conserve me in safety from the knowledge of my cruell brother-in-law than to restore me with such eminent dangers to the greatnesse of my birth and thus much made he knowne unto her ere shee saw me All which notwithstanding shee were it for the greatnesse of her minde or that shee were impatient to live long without me having a purpose quite contrary to his would needs make me know her for my mother with intention to take me home with her till he discreetly reasoning with her of the imminent dangers that hung over my head and letting her plainely see how ruinous a foundation the relying on the wavering love of the people was after shee had for two moneths space staid with us perswaded her with much adoe to returne without me having first straightly charged me to the obedience of Sotiro as of the faithfullest and truest friend shee had found and tried in the worst of her adverse fortunes The course they resolved on was to suit my education to my yeares wherein I went advancing and in such a way as might enable me when I came to mature yeares to be mine owne counseller as soone as I had attained to the strength of putting it in execution and yeares not to be contemned of such as yet conserved in the closet of a loyall brest her and my fathers memory and affection My mother being then gone I remain'd with a minde more prompt and heedfull to the instructions of Sotiro being assured I should one day take such a course of life as were most conformable to my owne Genius Yet began I now to addict my selfe to the exercise of Armes and riding retaining of my old studies onely such things as bred in me the greater delight and liking for being such as might really steede me in some of my important occasions it being indeede a tenent undeniable that disciplines illuminate the intellect making it more apt for humane affaires and that from them discourse receives ornament and prudence an essentiall stay By now I was got free from under the subjection of Pedants the onely insupportable weight that over-loaded me the observant Sotiro was well pleased to see me without abandoning suddenly my first education apply my minde of my owne accord to the Mathematicks with an intention to steede me there with in the Art Millitary But the habit which I had gotten in speculation was the cause that not contenting my selfe with that part which that studie required I would needs assay the other which pretends to measure the heavens calculate the course of the Planets and stars and to know their nature influence and inclinations From which sprung the curiosity of knowing also what they promised me excepting alwayes the divine providence against which neither influence science art nor artist can in the least measure prevaile I comprehended that all was but vanity and found the wise-mans saying true that who-so accumulates knowledge heapes up but trouble and vexation of spirit For I found an unfortunate ascendent a fall of parents losse of goods recovery thereof none or small late and subject to the will and power of others the love of Princes but without effect a good fame and repute but a fortune bad lame and weake so as I could have wished never to have knowne it such adoe had I in striving not to beleeve it though both divinity and reason disswaded me from giving any credit to it Thus spent I my time while Sotiro lived which was till I came to bee thirteene yeares old with being by him sometimes instructed for travelling State-pollicie and practices of Princes Courts as farre as that age was capable of not as yet of the fittest for such judgement-requiring disciplines yet me thought it did me good in razing from my intellect oblivion and in its steede bringing in the memory of such things as I possest when I was last in the world If so be it be true that when the Firmaments slow gire is ended we either returne to live again with the same accidents manners and qualities as before or that we passe from one body into another After my mothers departure wee continued there some two yeares without hearing any newes from her or sending any body to her for that we daily expected some messenger from her till at length seeing no body came Sotiro mistrusting that some disaster had befallen her resolved to send to learne the truth thereof Hee and I having spent sometime in surveying of forreine parts were by this time returned from our travels to Etruria and thence to Capraia where we were to expect what answer the messenger would bring us but there to our griefe we found the Caban leavelled with the ground the dwelling under the soft stone broken open and discovered and all the treasure stollen away The other losses though no lesse than of kingdomes were all nothing in comparison of this which made the good Sotiro who examined its consequences more feelingly than I to fall into a mellancholy so deepe and grievous that for its being incureable by either Physitians skill or vertue of medicines hee shortly after our returne to Nepa tooke his last leave of both me and the world which I that drawne on with childish affections had till then wish'd him dead tooke now that I had obtained my desire so to heart as I wonder that I in some of my many extreame fits of griefe died not after him Then was it and not before that I came to know his tender loving care my obligations to him for it his happinesse to be rid of worldly troubles and my hard fortune to remaine over-loaden with them in a tender age without parents government meanes or counsell Onely the Heavens who caused mee to be borne for toyle
the difficulty of beleeving what is ardently desired But if it so be indeede that your words are true interpreters of your heart resolve I conjure you then to stay here with me for the company of my sonnes and the excuse of expecting to heare some newes from your home will give a sufficient colour for the occasion of your abode here This advise of hers being by our mutuall consent growne to the ripenesse of a resolution wee after having first taken such order as was requisite for the fruition of our loves returned in gladsomely disposed delaying no time of confirming our words with actions to the so passing content of both of us as there was no degree I am perswaded of joy and delight that could exceede that of our furtive conversation The darkenesse with us was light our sunne eyes its beames amorous glances our sincere affection the faire weather heaven our bed and its truer influences dalliance and kisses so as the large scope of our imaginations could not comprehend any felicity or condition more desireable than ours And I though of yeares but greene burned yet in love so vehemently that the more I enjoyed her the more ardently found I my selfe enflamed whereas shee being of fully ripened yeares and therefore consequently capable of enjoying its pleasure at full found her selfe so ravished with its delicious sweetes as for not being able to endure the tedious longsomnesse of the day which deprived her of them shee would often come with divers excuses to take mee away from her sonnes for engrossing me to her selfe alone so had her affection blinded her as shee neglected or rather forgot both the dignity of her place and quality of her person But after that love had reduced us both to one onely heart taking from us all other distinction except to make us the happier that of our persons and sexes it lay then no more in my power to conceale from her either Coralbo or his birth or harsh fortunes which wrought in her a confirmation if not augmentation of her affection But tormented afterwards with the Idea of my States privation reason perswading her that the recovery thereof was necessary shee would oft-times sigh to thinke of it with proposing mee divers proffers for the accomplishing by other mens meanes what none but my selfe could well effect but comprehending every proposition defective as hatcht by the blindnesse of an extreame affection rather than by any perfect rule of a prudent judgement shee assented to the reasons that contradicted her but dissented againe when to put them in effect the discording string of my departure was to betouched Her designe was to give me martiall forces under pretext of employing them in some secret enterprises but the consideration of the way being for distance farre and for passage difficult and through the dominions of sundry Princes stopt even in its very source the current of any such counsell But admitting that both all those difficulties were removed and all these wayes levelled yet alas what could they have done without me she proffered me a great summe of money to leavy souldiers in those parts by my mother or some other yet made not this neither for the purpose as well because no man could put a hand to the enterprize without mee as also for that the principall meanes for the recovery of a State consists not either in forreine forces or expence of treasure but chiefly if not wholly in the love of the subjects which onely being wanting all other meanes would prove no leste vaine than superfluous In the meane time shee seeing me desirous to be knighted would by all meanes procure my content the age of her sonnes become now capable of the like honour therefore sent shee all of us to Parthenope to receive the Order of Knighthood with the occasion of the marriage of the Princesse Corianna the Kings onely daughter which was then shortly to bee solemnized accompanied with a traine of many noble Knights among them the Lord of Canne who thought by this service to manifest the continuance of his affection towards her with the opinion of meriting it or to shew the constancie of his affections to be such as could not be blowne downe by any blast of small hope Arrived at Parthenope wee were all three of us dubb'd Knights the Court favouring us though ill satisfied with the Dutchesse for not comming thither shee being knowne to be the fairest Lady of the whole kingdome But the reason indeede of her not comming was an agreement betweene us that I being to part away from my company under the colour of some secret enterprize shee should take on her to be sick that so shee might expect me at her house whither I was privily to retire my selfe for the enjoying of each other free from the scanning of so many eyes especially of those of her sonnes which troubled her more than the rest The Prince of Sicily was expected to come and espouse the Princesse when one night shee fled out of a Castle that lyes on the Sea whither feigning her selfe sicke shee was retired and where were many found slaine the Duke of Lucania the Lord high Constable two of the chiefe Peeres of the Realme together with two servants of the later The originall ground of which accident could not bee possibly learnt out There was not a Knight that set not himselfe in the search of her and among the rest the two brothers my companions I taking for an excuse of not following them a blow of a launce which the day before had both beaten off my helme and bruised my head which me thought hapned very fit for my purpose The Lord of Canne who with rather enamoured than squint-eyes had noted something betweene me and Crisanta seeing me now stay behinde resolved to doe himselfe the like and then watching the time of my parting dogg'd me a-farre off till upon his observing my way tend towards the Sannits hee assaulted me unawares with calling mee unworthy villaine and base traytor I unused to be so stiled answered him with sword in hand The fight lested a good while both of us being armed and each of us resolved to kill the other of my death his valour and my youth made him confident till my agility depriv'd him of that hope for being because of the wearinesse of our horses driven to alight I then so tired him as he was glad to fall from pursuing me to defend himselfe The danger and earnestnesse of this our combate could not for all that withdraw my thoughts from musing what should be the occasion of this affront seeing him therefore stand in neede of a breathing-time I besought him to heare mee a word whereunto when he condescended I ask'd him why he had so assaulted me and called me traytor he answered Because I had violated the bonds of hospitality by enjoying a Princesse whom I was not worthy as much as to name whilest others farre worthier than my selfe were of her
favours in the way of affection most injuriously excluded At these words I was so exceedingly vext at the heart as I cannot tell you which at that instant was greater my spite and rage for having a rivall or feare that my secrets were revealed howsoever I made no conscience to lye boldly in telling him that hee lyed most falsly and to defend by so belying him the Dutchesse's honour and mine howbeit my words were few assured and confirmed rather by the sword than by a good conscience But by this time for being exposed to the open violence of the sunne even halfe melted with heate and growne fainty for wearinesse thirst and sweat wee therefore agreed to disarme us and so make a quick dispatch one way or other In execution whereof we hastily cut off each others armour-strops throwing there withall away our shields together with our daggers the usuall successors in that office Our faces so now uncovered there provoked us on more eagerly him my youth and me his uglinesse the disequality encouraging each of us to ridde himselfe of his enemy by no milder meanes than death the one to free himselfe of a rivall which could not bee surely effected by other meanes than by killing him the other to cure the wound given Crisanta's honour could not be salved otherwise than by his rivals death scarce had wee force enough left us to weild our swords being now growne so weary and faintish as we could not lift them up to make use of our edges whilst our eyes stood fixed or rather chained as it were to the enemies sword-hand to gather thence the time and so either to prevent or put him by By this time we were both of us slightly wounded rather through the defects of our ill-closed hilts than for any great oddes that either of us had of other in fencing and by our swords-points slipping through the hilts into our hands and armes though then in our heate we had no feeling of being so mangled For my owne part I perswade my selfe that I had sooner obtained the victory if I had but made use of and followed the advantages I saw for holding it though I know not why foule play to both strike and thrust when the enemy made onely use of his point I still followed on my play conformable to his as if there had beene a law so to doe But considering at length how this kinde of play did but dally out the time and observing my advantage of having my pulses both firmer and lesse wearied than those of mine enemies I began to alter my play falling from thrusts to downe-right and back-blowes and those laid I on too with all the force I had so as the back of the contrary sword sustained by a tired arme and withall carried without the compasse of my offers and his true ward favoured mee with the opportunity of striking him first in the face athwart the midst of his nose and afterwards on the head at which blow the sword dropt out of his hand to the ground and close by it himselfe to my thinking dead which so freed me of a rivall and Crisanta of infamy But now the worst was that I could not possibly re-arme my selfe my armour-tyes being as I told you almost all of them cut off And though my Genius seemed to prompt me to make Cripasso cock sure with fresh and more certaine wounds yet could I not finde in my heart to doe so for that I deemed such a deede unworthy a Gentleman yet parted I not presently for all that but staid to see whether he would revive or no till the wound of his head which was the dangerous one occasioning a strange wrigling of his members with hanging out his tongue betweene his teeth he being at best but very ugly and now in such a plight gastfull for being assail'd with terrible convulsions and shiverings made me confident of his being dead so as to ridde me off so hideous and horrible a spectacle I went my wayes without any longer stay leaving him laid along in the field and my Armes hard by him The Dutchesse to expect me with more conveniencie in a place where I might bee received by night without being incumbred with any watch was retired to the Countrey having at my parting from her given me the key of a Towre that so I might steale in unto her unknowne to any body and so indeede I came in thither unexpected and found her a-bed broad waking and entertained in discourse by the Gentlewoman that was our counsell-keeper who lay on a pallet at her beds feete The Lampe let her soone see who I was yet were her at first sight excessive joyes mortified by seeing my right hand swadled up and my arme hung in a scarfe at my neck howsoeven shee imagined the disaster to be farre lesle than it was for having found me herselfe once before in a farre worse taking but having understood how the case stood shee was like to sinke downe dead at the conceit of it but for my assuring her that I had slaine him the sense of this her griefe was aggravated by the accident of Corianna befallen in the selfe same time but much more by the departure of her sonnes so as our content remained corrupted by the mortifications that suspicions and feares wrought in her Full often conceived shee as indeede shee had good reason so to doe that all slippes of women would be more rigorously examined for the Princesse's errours sake so as shee could by no meanes be perswaded to desist from weeping and grieving besides shee slept never a winke which caused our before-amorous-watchings to be now changed into consultations discourses and presages of evill But Nature requiring in me some repose I was faine to sleepe as I may say waking so exceedingly was I troubled with the heart-rending tones of her lamentations till at length I unable to endure them any longer grew to be so perplex'd thereat that choosing rather to dye than to see her so languish I thus bespake her Deere blisse of my joyes I beseech you prevent not the uncertaine evill with a certaine what cause I pray you of feare have you now that Cripasso is dead and gone sithence wee may so behave ourselves as the very ayre cannot smell out our secrets t was nothing alas but meere jealousie that made him beleeve the truth to be true though for all that such as he could not possibly be ever an eye-witnesse unto nor consequently assure himselfe thereof For otherwise he had never I warrant you this long have deferr'd its discovery Here interrupting me Ah! Coralbo said shee you are but young you thinke that Cripasso is dead but the more woe is me I feare me he yet lives the accidents that you saw in him were for what I gather by your describing them no other than convulsions and violent stupifying fits I cannot beleeve but hee is by this time come to himselfe againe since hee hath not any wound save
new thoughts for being caught with the graces of the faire Princess without daring to manifest it upon examination with himselfe of her tender yeares and customes both those and these being incapable of any such affect And withall which seemed most averse to him of a nature farre from an amorous inclination a contemner of men and a mortall enemy of such of her sex who for conforming to their lovers passions shewed themselves any thing pliable to their loves And though hee hoped that time might alter her yet did the suspence of the selfe-same time also torment him for being unable to suffer the agony of such long-expecting and uncertaine hopes hee being but a traveller without either state or meanes deprived of any certaine place of abode yea and of all power to resolve of any thing excepting such as fortune might favour him withall But being unable to contrast with heaven upon re-examined deliberation with himselfe hee determined to serve her in a somewhat more than usuall manner and withall to smoother his flames by assaying if approached her they could by any meanes without her knowledge warme her Or in case nought else come of it yet should he not neede to despaire wholly were it but for the content that he hoped to receive from her most lovely presence and yet more lively because unparalled gestures and though the worst that could happened yet should hee not be the first that for nourishing his amorous hopes had beene voluntarily deceived for not yeelding himselfe up to deaths tyrannie The princely Mayden on the other side far God wot from any such thoughts beheld him with an indifferent eye onely fretting her selfe for his being such as shee could not hate Her youthfull spirit ruminated on nought else save warre and death with cruell revenges of wrongs which poore women every day as shee conceived received from men She held the subjection of her sex to be tyrannicall and conceiv'd that both Nature and the Law were therein deceived and that onely for being abased by tyrant custome it shew'd not its native vertue That it was now high time to let the world see it and by reacquiring their lost liberty to make the so inured female sex if not superior equall and companion to the other in favour whereof shee was egg'd on by examples Well knew shee that in Egypt where shee then abode the Kings had effeminated the men put them to domestick services to the distaffe and spindle to free themselves from dangers and suspitions shee had also read the Amazon's valorous enterprizes and thereupon contemplating the greatnesse of her owne spirit was confident of accomplishing the full of her intentions Wherein shee perceived but one sole difficulty which was to deprive women of their naturall feares though she beleeved them to be rather habituall than naturall Her selfe shee knew to be valorous not so much by the force of her body as by the courage of her heart shee comprehended that valour consisted in being neither carefull of ones person nor incumbred with the feares of death That the sensibility of wounds enfeebles the forces and blunts the edge of courage seeing it is the sole cause that makes it effeminate and backward in assailing and disadvantagious and slow in defending Shee therefore concluded them onely to be more valiant than the rest in whom had taken deepest roote the indifferencie of either living or dying confirmed in such an opinion by the nature of irrationall animals whereof the fiercer are not the stronger but the more courageous Since that for being endued with more force than men they would merit the title of fortitude rather than they if such vertue had its seate in bodily force that then since women were equally capable of the conceits of the minde wherefore then not of their effects too Such were her internall discourses which if they sometime tooke a turne about any passages told her of divers effects of love shee then ever sparkled out disdaine against the shee-lovers and could have found in her heart to have torne in pieces such of her sex as being rejected or slighted tormented themselves with love an affect to her thinking neither necessary nor necessiting but a simple proposition of free will an incompatibility by consequence unnaturall to love one that hates the person loving which if it be not conceiv'd shee a frensie must needs be an infirmitie of the braine to be cured with penance and fasting The day being come and the horses saddled the young woman there waited in a readinesse with her coates gathered up for the better trudging a-foote which the Princesse abhorring and failing to perswade her to make use of the benefit of the channell was therefore faine to consent that shee came along with her upon the importunity of her entreaties accompanied with such a quantity of teares that never mother shed so many for the losse of her children Causing her therefore to be put on horse-backe behinde Carasio shee asked her who shee was and whither shee meant to goe having already understood how shee was found and runne-away from Carasio she considering that no evasion could any thing steed her resolved now though not without being thereof ashamed to recite in the termes of truth the story of her selfe in such like words I redoubted Sir am the most miserable woman that ever was yet borne since whereas others miseries proceede from fortune mine spring meerely and wholly from my selfe so as though but too unworthy in all other respects yet in this above all I deserve to be pittied of no man in so much as if the unfained repentance of my faults had not enabled and prepared mee for supporting the pennance due for them with an intention to impose on my selfe others somewhat greater I should then not onely finde my selfe to be in a desperate case but should also have together with a perverse minde a lying tongue that in steede of faults and dishonour would blazon my merits and honours not so much to conceale from your knowledge my dishonesties which should indeede be buried in the center of the earth as to finde pitty in you and to gaine your better opinion At the hearing of these words the Princesse kindled as fiery-hot embers was about to make her hold her peace till upon her becomming more pliable because of Coralbo's expectation and shortning the longsomnesse of the way shee gave way to her relation My name said shee is Diatistera by Nation a Grecian and by birth of the noblest blood in Chio not because my Father possessing himselfe of its liberty became tyrant thereof but for that no other one Family in all Ionia is of more ancient memory than ours nor any ancestours more remarkeable for vertue nor renown'd for trophies than are our Forefathers I was conceived in a private estate my father then conformable to the stiles of republiques being himselfe but a Citizen though in greater estimation than the rest yet marked with no titulary dignity of
the contrary faining that he did all he could to keepe it in expected but the occasion of telling it making now a shew of being heate with anger and that the fury of his choller had made him thus vomit our his secfet And with that he praised heaven for having changed unto him Greece for Persia pride and the disdainefull Citizen into the gentlenesse and contentsome delights of a great Court and the tyrannie of an inhumane and cruell brother into the favours of the greatest and most courteous King of the Vniverse who missing to restore him by any faire meanes bad given him forces thereby both to restore himselfe to his liberty and also avenge him of his enemies But Chirito with counterfeit charinesse shewing him that the Fleete hee there saw was not enough for his turne Chio being strong of it selfe besides that in respect of the confederate Common-wealthes contributing all of them towards her defence as he might bee assured they would the enterprize would not prove to be so easie especially considering that they would perhaps have sought with him ere his arrivall in Chio To this Timocle in a despising manner answered him That before the Fleetes could joyne together to offer him fight he would have hang'd up without the Walls upon the Gate of Chio that Traytor his brother And for the rest that he was not so foolish to stirre in it without being certaine of the enterprize Chirito with shrinking in his shoulders replied that he conceived not how that could be without secret intelligence To which Timocle smiling answered But admit I had such what would'st thou say of it then I tell thee then I have and such too that litle shall my brothers malice or some others presumption availe them Here he named Rotildo and then taking him by the hand proceeded From hence forwards thou maist know Chirito how much ancient friendship can doe I have now committed to thy trust the greatest secret that is this day in the Court of Persia see therefore I pray thee that it be safely lock'd up in the secret cabinet of thy brest If thou wilt continue my friend I will further thy advancement and doe for thee if otherwise yet shalt thou have no cause to thinke hardly of mee Come along with me in this expedition and I will give thee over and besides the merit and favour thou shalt gaine thee in the Kings eyes a worthy place of command among the chiefe Captaines And that thou maist see that my proceedings are grounded on a sure foundation I 'le tell thee all Know then that Rotildo upon promise of the Principality agreed with the King to sow at my arrivall sedition within the Citie and to bring mee in with his faction which may bee easily done by assaulting Chio both within and without Chirito remained at these newes struck to the heart Rotildo hee knew wonderous well but the treason was so handsomely contrived and the apparances thereof so correspondent that the argument of his goodnesse conceived to be now o'recome by his ambition had no force so to conclude for him as Chirito punctually beleeved not all that hee had heard and then without staying to heare any more commending him for grounding his affaire upon such sure foundations accepting the offer of going along with him and infinitely thanking him for honouring him with such a favour he thought every minute a yeare till he returned to his lodging where writing a letter thereof at full he sent it to Chio by a trusty friend of his forbearing to send it by any of his servants for feare of being discovered The sea was then free for though the suspition of the warre was great yet was there not for all that heard of till then any hostile effect The messengers with most prosperous winde arrived in Chio a litle after that my fathers two kinsmen that had beene with Rotildo in Persia deceived or suborned presented themselves to a certaine Magistrate of supream authority in State-matters An accidentall branch of whose office was to keepe inviolably secret both the accusers testimony of witnesses There they exposed and deposed That they never had since their returne from Persia had the heart to beleeve much lesse relate that which they had with their owne eares heard against the person and faith of Rotildo but that seeing the passe whereunto things were now brought and understanding for a certaine that Timocle was in Ephesus with an Army they mov'd with the love of both their countrey and themselves accorded to be no longer silent now that the said apparances made them beleeve that to bee true which till then they did not This preludium ended they said on That fortuning to be locked up in some of the Royall lodgings of Susa neere the chamber where sate the privy Councell who were wont to shut themselves up when they were come together they heard them serious in discourse about Chio and Rotildo these two names being all they understood the Councell speaking in their owne language till they heard Timocle call'd for and a litle after ask'd in Greeke if Rotildo had power enough to give up Chio to the King and if also having gotten the principality thereof he would prove faithfull and loyall to his Majestie Hee answered yes discoursing with that a long while upon his Nobility riches and traine That for his faith they might well be assured of it because of his being a marveilous upright and honest Gentleman and such a one as would not have accepted of any condition that prejudiced the liberty of his Countrey hee being not naturally ambitious but for the exceeding pride of the Citizens becomming extreamely insupportable This said there was no more Greeke spoken nor Timocle any more heard speake and we being besotted with Rotildo's famed integrity firmely beleeved that Timocle had maliciously caused us to bee locked up there to make us beleeve what he had made us heare Vpon this deposition the good Rotildo was suddenly shut up in close prison so as no man could come to speak with him And whilst upon his examination hee called the Gods to witnesse of his innocence thither came Chirito's letters Whereupon without being any more suffered to speake for himselfe being so accused by two and now convinced by the third he unfortunate Gentleman was miserably and injustly strangled Timocle understanding of Rotildo's death seeming to be then apparently desperate as if by it all his designes had beene frustrated and the neck of all his projects broken made a shew of licensing his troupes for returning to Susa but yet entertained them howsoever having by his former seeming-reall fame dissolved the conjunction of the Greekish forces whilst my Father not without being therefore censured espoused my Mother shee telling such as thereof spake to her that shee would have married not only Pridale a personage so eminent but any base man whatsoever rather than heare her selfe called after the unlucky surname of a wicked Traytor a resolution
if not a sister of sullennesse pride and subjection The presence of so great a Queene which else-where would have clos'd up all lips with silence and engraven in all hearts a modest mellancholy was here a motive to apparant joy and discourse Benigne Mercury diffusing himselfe in their mouthes and shewing himselfe heere as prodigall as else-where sparing and withall sending where hee was not himselfe some of his false ministers with his winged shooes and rode to bee taken for him and his impes though indeede they were nothing such Returned to their lodging there was no small adoe to imprint the pleasantnesse of their conceits in Lindadori who held it ill to nourish under a counterfeit habit the fiery thoughts of an harmelesse Girle so ignorant and unexperimented in all wylinesse and cunning artifice in her demeanour as to discover her love not onely to the more apprehensive but even to her in that behalfe dimme-sighted eyes whereof shee making her moane to her mother canestly besought her to bring her no more thither whilst her father and Coralbo could not refraine from laughing at both the occasion of her dislike and her manner of expressing it yet at length shee was though with much adoe pacified by being enformed that the Nobility and Gentry of that Countrey were wont though indeede they were farre otherwise enclined to take on them to bee ever in love onely for good manners sake because not knowing how otherwise to entertaine or court Ladies they had recourse to the Articles of Love being assured they could not be better pleased than to see deserving men so deceived as to beleeve and stile them beautifull though they were nothing so The two Princesses that with others had entertain'd in discourse the two Princes whereof the one was of Bernice and the other of Cirene remain'd beyond measure taken with their noble carriage upon considerate observation of their merits and passing liking they had to a certaine cold reservednesse by them judged to be an enemy to presumption and daughter to respect onely to Eromena this complementally-amorous way of courting was nothing pleasing who though happy in a husband worthy of other womens loves was yet unhappy long of that passion of love which by a cold name contrary to its fervide effects the vulgar call Iealousie which shee had long before victoriously fought withall and at length more by the confidence of her owne merits than with any force of her naturall inclination being assured that he might well enjoy but not possibly love other women than her which betweene jest and earnest shee had many times told him And now considering her being past the faire Meridian of her youth and his being not yet come to that of his and his now having not onely a likely but also to her thinking a neere occasion and faire opportunity of enjoying shee could not shut the doore of her minde against imagination which being lubricke and invisible penetrated ere shee was thereof aware into the closet of her heart so as shee could no longer refraine from thus briefely expressing her selfe unto him My indeer'd Lord wee are all of us fortunate in love but in an unequall degree mine cannot but make you pastime nor yours choose but displease and trouble me Lindadori shee frets and grieves and so doe I too shee for overmuch simplicity and I out of overmuch practice let us wend therefore hence I beseech you since we have seene already enough if not too much Which it much behooves us to doe were it for nothing else but to shunne the adventuring her in loves schoole wherein who-so studies in jest may learne in good earnest This Bernice likes me not for you nor this same Queene for mee both which will I doubt mee prove dangerous sports since you cannot but injure me nor I choose but deceive her meane while my father findes the want of us at home where for being aged and solitary he takes small joy of himselfe If we stay lingring here to prosecute our commenced practizes we shall not ridde us thereof a while and then too not without disgust-giving and therefore the sooner the better we end them fastidious and unprofitable creatures are for the most part by nature endowed with short life so our lives for being of the selfe-same quality deserve to be no longer lived than are the wind-flies that live not above a dayes space and could we ere their birth-time be abortively delivered of them for certaine we should be the lesse hurt by them Polimero smiled at these reasons of his beloved wife whom after having affectionately kissed her he thus answered Let us doe deere Lady of my life what please you not because the case with us so is but because you seeme to conceive it so to be why thinke you that your beauty is so slightly imprinted in the memory of my affection that any other womans can raze thereout the obliged respects I beare you you alas you wrong by so conceiting both your selfe and me your selfe because your merits are such that not the Princesse of Bernice but as many Princesses as are in the world cannot merit what you alone deserve and me because this suspition of yours loades mee with infidelity and ignorance There is no choyce without some kinde of equality how then can I make choyce of any other in your presence without notable stupidity and weaknesse of judgement Or admitting you were not present doe you hold me to bee so freed from the obligation of your love as that any other canallure me I know it stands us upon to wend us hence assoone as we conveniently can so as I stand indeede upon thornes as it were all the while I stay heere but alas how can we yet goe for shame shall wee sneake away like fugitives ingratefull to our courteous entertainers and not without being suspected that such our resolution sprung from cowardise and feare of trying our selves in Armes with these Knights For Lindadori your reasons were indeede considerable if the nature whereof shee is composed were like that of other Girles for you know that shee is an inexorable Enemy not onely to such a Schoole but even to all man-kinde so as I pray God that we may ever perswade her to like of any husband all which Eromena knew to be most true Wherefore it was betweene them agreed assoone as the next Tourney was ended which the Knights of that Court used to exercise twice a moneth to goe on their intended journey But among all the actors on this amorous scene Coralbo good Prince was that onely one who in appearance free was yet more than any other muzled and puzled with the occult love that he bare the fierce Desterrada Passe there did many an amorous complement and pleasing discourse betweene him and the Princesse of Cirene whom he well perceived to bee well enclined towards him nor would he have slighted such a fortune but that the finding himselfe under the lee of those three with whom
not dead and bemoaned him not The Queene who as a childe of her owne deerely tendred him was even heart-broken with griefe for him The King sollicited the Physitians for fresh Pittims and new Cordialls but nothing avail'd him since they penetrated not into the nature of the disease nor its true occasion Ridden hee had and danced too that morning but without excesse exercises to him ordinary Dined he had too but yet sparingly repletion and disorder had no place in him Deadora seeing him in such a plight too late now repenting her being the causer of it taking him by the hand warm'd it betweene hers calling to him with so many throbs and teares that happy he had he but seene them Nor did such demonstrations any way impeach the reserved modesty of her sex their neernesse in blood education and domestick amity sufficiently priviledging her so to doe At length hee came to himselfe just in that time when litle better than abandoning him for dead every ones thoughts were busied more about his funerall than life for now the King Queene Princesse and Princes were all of them parted save onely Vincirco who staid behinde with the Physicians and was now set a weeping over him as dead The King having notice thereof returned with the rest and finding him laid in warme cloathes in a feaverish fit shaking every joynt of him he began to hope the best of him And because the throng of Courtiers that came in with him might not disturbe his cure he tooke them all againe out with him leaving there onely the Queene with Deadora The former where of being told by the Physicians that the accident proceeded from some great oppression of the heart much marveyled thereat for that shee had observed him to be ever merry yet beleeving that some internall humour falling on that part had caused that accident shee ranne to her lodgings for a most delicate paste made for that purpose leaving with him her daughter and Vincireo Shee seeing the Physitians retired and her selfe all alone with Vincireo whom shee cared not for concealing her selfe from accoasting his bed-side cures the wound given by the weapons of her former sharpe by the balme of these her milder words My Princely Lord and deerest Cozen said shee I confesse my selfe faulty and pronounce my selfe most worthy of chastisement for having beene against all reason the cause of endangering your life by bringing you thus to deaths doore I confesse yea I now from my soule confesse your interesses to be full of love and most worthy of being really corresponded with an equall affection Behold mee here now my endeer'd Lord most ready to make you plenary amends Cheere then up your selfe I beseech you for loe I am disposed and immutably resolved to goe whithersoever you please Banish then from you all melancholy since I am ever yours and never will be any others which that you might be the more assured of I have not you see abhorr'd the testimony of the Prince of Pontus your Cozen and mine here present which shee expressed with an affection so sincerely-ardent as both amazed Vinciero and restor'd Gradamoro to life It is naturall for an oppressed heart to disgorge in teares in the very instant of its being eased that maligne humour that suffocated it a token of health and a signe that Melancholy departing leaves roome and way for joy to enter Right so befell it now the Prince of Cyprus hee stood a good while taking first the Princesse's hands betweene his and distilling rivulets of teares out of the fountaines of his eyes and then affectionately kissing them return'd her this answer I know not incomparable Madame when I shall be ever able to serve you conformable to the great obligation to your more than excelling courtesie You Madame cannot be faulty where you have soveraigne power nor bee subject to punishment whereas you sway the scepter over all the lawes of my affections Your nobly vouchsafing to comprehend in the better sense my interesses and out of your goodnesse to accept them in good worth is to me a supreame favour but your benignely daigning to correspond them surpasseth even all expectation of mine much more the slendernesse of my merits so as I am so farre unable from really requiring your nobly-obliging favours by deeds as I cannot finde apt words to expresse or acknowledge them For the rest could I but have thought nay hoped that the King your Father upon any earnestly-sollicitous Embassie of mine could have beene wrought to bestow you on mee I then would I protest unto you never have presumed to have preposed you your flight but being promised as you are alas what likelihood is there for you to have by his consent other husband than Erpandro And the example of your mother that I proposed you with the revenge that thereupon ensued were never by mee intended for arguments to perswade you since I knew them farre from being availeable in that behalfe but to shew you how by them you might assure your selfe that your resolution should be lesse blamed and censured Besides that I pretend not to robbe what 's any other mans for so you Madame be but pleased to make me by your noble assent but worthy I will marry you ere wee part to the end our faults if such they be may seeme by so much the lesse in the eyes of both heaven and the world The Princesse resolved both to felicitate and cure him here thus interrupts him Well my Lord to the end you may see that there is no neede of justifications behold me here at your disposure therefore so you be therewith pleased marry me a-Gods-name right now in the presence of your Cozen here who astonished to see them at that point without imparting any inckling thereof to him till then taking off his finger a rich Diamond Gradamoro having then no Ring ready reached it him to marry her therewith as instantly he did remitting the rest to another time The Physicians being called found his pulse at a good passe and the Queene come he would needs take what shee brought him to make her the Authresse of his health and then got out of his bed the day following so healthsome and blithsome as if he had not beene sick at all But then Vincireo could not forbeare from taxing him with discourtesie for the small signe of love he shewed him in this occasion of making use of him When he craving him pardon told him that at first he had concealed it with out knowing himselfe the reason why having entred into this businesse beyond all expectation and that afterwards doubting that hee would have disswaded him he was confirmed in his silence judging it a lesser evill to offend by concealing his affection than after communicating it not to follow his counsell or be in some way ruled by him And being thereupon demanded how he meant to carry the businesse now that his resolution had excluded all other either deliberation or counsell He answered
the noblest the flowre of that Countrey The Souldiers stood now a watching her for though shee was exceedingly afflicted yet had now the extreame wearinesse of her body in so long and incommodious a journey given truce to the affliction of her spirit and procur'd her sleepe though interrupted by her waking griefe and hardnesse of the bed easie onely in that part that her teares had softned And now at the sound of Lindadori's thundering blowes she awooke started up broke the truce with griefe and confederated with hope who placing himselfe as her guard in the bulwarke of her brest boldly defended her though with much adoe against the assaults of her cruell enemy Feare yet was shee hurried againe neere the gastly precipice of despaire when she saw her selfe remounted on horse-back by the Souldiers to convey her farther on under the conduct of some fifteene of them but that suspension tormented her not long For Lindadori imagining her by her teares to be a prey of those people ranne thither alone forcing to fight them who in respect of their being so many made an account to exempt themselves from the necessity of sharing of the battell Off cuts shee at first blow the hand of him that held her by the bridle and him that at lifting her into the saddle was suddenly so taken with her as hee could not forgoe his hold of the skirt of her coate shee passed with a thrust through the heart so as one wound was cured by the other A certaine experiment that the weapon's stabbes cure those of love Eromena seeing her daughter inconsiderate in all dangers as resolutely followed her and slaying some of them both shee and her daughter were constrained to retire to the hillock closely pursued by above twenty of the Enemies the whole company leaving the prisoners and baggadge now facing towards the assailers thinking they did no small act if they but defended themselves united together Polimero seeing his wife and daughter in such a plight was raging-mad that he could not come to releeve them for the wall of so many men that stood in his way whilst Don Elcimos had the fortune to open it of his side where was lesse throng with the death of one of them whence he ranne and laid at their backs himselfe being no otherwise strucken at by such as pursued him at the heeles Polimero by this time lesse charged and by the good old Count of Bona valiantly assisted made such havock of the rest as that he gained the passage and running to rescue his company made a shift betweene him and the Count to ease them of foure by them slaine ere they were aware of their comming yet too much would they have had to doe though if fortune had not by another meanes favoured them for the souldiers being hardy well armed and resolved either to save their prey or dye never thought of running away their horses being all laden with pillage and although they had lost many of their company yet had they so many left as they hoped to get the best of their Adversaries by worrying if not vanquishing them And so had it by all probability befallen them if the faire Ermestea gotten loose and flying backe the way whence shee was led had not met a Knight who hearing she was taken away was comming with a good troupe of horse to rescue her Vnderstanding how shee was fled away and that too rather to goe finde out some to ayde the five Knights than to save her selfe she hastily return'd to shew him the place whence they might heare the cries and blowes ere they descried the Combatants this assault quite ruined the souldiers first hopes now that they were assail'd by two parties the rescuing Knight having the edge of his valour sharpned with revenge and anger against those men insomuch as he was loath to receive into his mercie such of them as yeelded themselves unto him judging that such deserv'd no faire quarter which warred against women beauty and their merits Ermestea alighting off her Steede ranne to the Knights whom shee could not finde sufficient conceits to expresse her beholdingnesse unto a thing ordinary for a gratefull minde to suffocate it selfe in words by endeavouring to make them serve for erres of the effects it thinkes it selfe tied to performe But to Lindadori above all the rest strove she to acknowledge a greater obligation to whose lot befell the being the more efficacious if not the prime cause of her deliverance Wounded they were all five so as Carasio's hands had wherewithall to employ them but with such felicity that as no one of them had any dangerous wound so was there as few of them that any way bemoaned their paine But Lindadori more shrewdly wounded than the rest and being in respect of both her age and sex more tender and delicate wrought amazement in all that considered how shee being in all things else over-sensitive and impatient was yet in her sufferings even insensible and farre from bemoaning her selfe or troubling any body Very importunate was Ermestea to have them home with her But Polimero considering that the courtesies of such personages had no limits of time and how much it stood him upon to hold on his way his affaires admitting of no delay fairely excus'd himselfe yet with assuring her that to doe her service he would have omitted all businesses of his owne But sithence this was but meerely in consideration of themselves they were necessitated without losse of time to passe further But the owner of the ship not yeelding to any perswasions of passing them any farther his Vessell being fraighted for Cyprus they were forced to accept of the invitation for being constrained to furnish themselves of a new Vessell Satisfying then the Marriners and taking their leave of the sick Knight by whom the Count fail'd not to excuse himselfe by letter to Gradamoro and Deadora they mounted on horse-back Ermestea causing the booty to be brought back to be restored to its owners And then after having released the prisoners setting on a round pace homewards whom might shee meete a litle onwards but the Baron her Father that with two hundred horse came running after the track of those that had stolne her away whose joyes were now by so much the greater by how much they were lesse expected The wounded Knights were accommodated at their ease with Chambers neere one another as they had desired and served with such respective diligence as if they had beene knowne for what they were Polimero not neglecting to sollicite for a new passage wherein for doubt of displeasing him Ermestea fail'd him not Newes came the meane while that the nuptialls were celebrated in Cyprus with great solemnity the flawes in friendship occasioned by new injuries being sodred up by the old affronts and both reduced to a confirm'd friendship by a new realliance And for domestick affaires That King Riverargo by a great defeate given the Carians had totally chased them from Creete that
Caricreto was thence fled his men slaine the field sack'd foure Barons beheaded the Rebels hung up on trees in such places as they chanced to be taken in All newes that to the house of Ermestea brought incredible consolation it having ever taken part with the royall side whereof who-so knowes not how to bee knowes how to perish Cromeno the Knight that had releev'd them was he that brought them these newes having when he had conducted them to the house taken leave of them to goe and make one in the battell which he knew was to be presented the Enemies The Count of Bona had some while before related to the Princes the story of Corianna and praid them to touch at Ericusa and thereupon had that suite of his without any great difficulty granted him for which end there was provided them a Vessell for that part Ermestea in the meane time had observed and perceived the counterfeited sex of the two Princesses whereupon shee en quired thereof further of Lindadori who could not conceale from her her condition obtaining in recompence thereof her promise to come to Sardinia to see her of whose company shee was already so enamoured as she could never be from her Which observed by her lover Cromeno occasioned him to assay the sharpe stings of poysoned jealousie Return'd he was from the Campe and for enjoying Ermestea's company frequented the house entertaining the unknowne Princes with respective observance for finding in them conditions surpassing any contrary affect jealousie not depriving him of his inclination to their merits But the two young Ladies taking notice of his passionate sufferings made it their pastime And although Ermestea that truly loved him had indeed compassion of him yet could she not for all that forbeare from heart-vexing him for the nonce with the favours which boldly without shewing him any respect shee did every day more than other to Lindadori A passe that put him poore Gentleman to ruminate on strange thoughts since although himselfe was now favoured as he was wont to be yet saw he a rivall before his face as good as courted and that in such a manner too that she seem'd to hold it lawfull for her so to doe Sometime it would come to his minde to speake to her of it but then seeing her with a pleasing and smiling countenance slip away from him he knew not what to judge of it especially when shee would which was yet worse as shee thus fled from him runne directly to Lindadort who discovering the businesse to her Mother made her a third participant of their pastime Yet this sport lasted but a few dayes for the ship being furnished of its necessaries and the horses embarked they tooke their leave Ermestea seeming to be dissolved into teares for so hard a separation and confirming her promise of going to see them assoone as shee were married which shee was shortly to be with her so pleasingly-made-jealous Cromeno The Baron and all the rest were not a litle offended at her for not better concealing her affection to Lindadori but understanding afterwards who shee and the others were he was as much then displeased on the other side that shee revealed them not to him or her Mother Onely Cromeno was joyed at the heart to heare they were such being never a whit ashamed of suffering himselfe to be so deluded by two Girles the remaining whereof being by her Mother chidden for it thus excused her selfe You blame me Madame for what you should under favour rather commend mee for you know how wee are by men held to be blabs which induced me by silence to shew that we can if need be lock up secrets in the cabinets of our brests better than they can Favoured with a gentle gale prosperously sayles on the valorous company without lighting for a good space of time on any adventure for giving me time and leasure to get me else-where Lucano's servant that was sent to Parthenope by the Princesse Corianna in pilgrims weede came thither in a few dayes without lighting on any remarkeable encounter by the way and having got him a lodging in a Lane behinde Lucano's house he tooke on him to bee a passenger bound for Sicily to accomplish a vow he had made to the Goddesse Ceres His Hoste told him that to goe thither was at that present very dangerous it being not as yet knowne how that King was inclined who although hee had indeede no cause to thinke himselfe injured was neverthelesse much suspected for his extravagant whimsees and excessive pride Olmiro asking the reason why was by the other told of the losse of the Princesse gone away no man knew how or whither onely it was probably conjectured that one of the two Dukes that were found slaine in the Castle had conveyed her away But because it could not be learnt out which of them it was the King who went to wrack his spite on their corpes was with much adoe perswaded to grant them to their friends such a revenge being unjustly taken on the innocent of them and prejudiciall to his honour and Royall dignity since it could not but suggest to the world disgustfull matter of displeasing discourses That being upon this retired to his royall Poggio whither hee admitted no man he was sundry times like to dye for griefe That the Queene too sickned so dangerously as her life was much doubted of That all the Nobility and prime Gentry were retired home to their owne mansions and estates except the Dutchesse of Lucania who having sent home to her territories her sonnes corps would not follow it thither out of a conceit that shee had of having him present with her never sithence stirring out of her Chamber but keeping its windowes close shut so as it is doubted that in a few dayes shee is like to follow him by breaking her heart with griefe That Embassadours and forreine agents were faine to have recourse to the Lords of the Councell who dispatched such affaires as they could That the City thus deprived of the Court and Nobility lived in great misery the houses being tennantlesse the wares unvented and no money stirring a losse that Parthenope is like for a long time to feele the smart of And as for Sicily that its Prince comming to fetch his Bridegroome had even at his launching out met the Galley that was speeded him with that dolorous newes whereat hee burst out into tearmes that exceeded the bounds of all gravity modesty and civility His Father worse yet than he a doting turbulent wavering and spitefull old man aggravating the conceived affront done them Much was Olmiro troubled in minde at these newes not so much because it grieved him to heare them as for that humane hopes though founded on dreames do yet so dilate themselves in despairing consolations as if they chance to be crost or frustrated by confirmed certainties of the contrary then the griefe for them increases an hundred fold But whilest hee stood muzing what to doe
I beseech you to give us leave to carry you to the cave that I may then after hye me speedily to him to give him life and bring him to you Whilst Lucano stood as a by-spectator of this part of a Tragecomedy he might see displayed from out the wood another scene The Princesse of Feacia whom he before had taken for Corianna not knowing that her Almadero was otherwise busied was met by him whom shee had espied from the hill top And Polimero with his company seeing the three Squires comming out of the wood went another way to finde them out Whilst Lidomia being told by Almadero that he had strangers at home goes her way Lucano at first sight was almost deceived againe nay he had questionlesse so beene if the lamentation of the foure had not pointed him out the true Corianna And now seeing those Knights goe that-a-way he made a stand though his heart drew him out of the ambush he lay in as free by then from jealousie as more than ever sick of love and pitty Corianna now that shee was somewhat able was about to speake in answer to Olmiro when shee saw stand over her the five Knights and a litle after Almadero Lindadori forgetting her designe of passing for a man sate close by her like a young Girle conforting her with the prettiest words that could be When Almadero by this time come greeted her with these speeches Madame it hath pleased you see the Gods to chastize you for the disfavour you to your owne prejudice did me in refusing to accept of a short repose in my poore house I hope you will now oblige me with that favour sithence these noble Gentlemen joyne with me to entreate you to suffer your selfe to be carried up there to continue till such time as you have recovered strength enough to goe on your intended voyage But shee not being yet able to speake much with a low voyce thanking him told him that those her three servants would carry her very well to her Barke and with that calling to her Olmiro shee whispered him in the eare to goe for the Duke and bring him presently to the cave Lucano who standing aside observed all seeing him part and imagining that hee went for him stept out to Olmiro a joyfull man to see him whom he was already bethinking with himselfe whither to goe to finde out who now told him in two words all the businesse by him before hand sufficiently comprehended That done Lucano suddenly breaking through the circle of Knights prostrated himselfe before her and then taking her by the hand and bathing it with his teares he affectionately kissed it Shee presently knew him and at the very sight of him instantly recovered her full strength her soule then returning to its proper mansion and her spirits executing their severall offices Clasping then her armes about his neck forgetting the nice decorum of her sex and the at other times blush-procuring presence of so many Knights shee parenthesing her words with greedy kisses thus bespake him And what God restores you to me now my sweete Lucano what spitefull death alas tooke you from me deerest life of my soule Dye I or live I now I shall live or dye contented for seeing you alive and too withall not anothers but mine But tell me I beseech you are you indeed Lucano or the sweete spirit that was in him No no! you are my true loyall Lucano Spirits I see are not dissolv'd by the blowes of Fortune This your languishing palenesse is a marke infallible of your love and a most glorious trophey of mine But my deere soule you are in some sort recompenced for it since your tombe hath not any either more worthy Epitaph nor your Hearse any Elegy that expresse your disasters more lively than doth this face of mine whereon so you but cast your eye you may there reade in sad characters the deposition of my affection To this Lucano after he had first as a preludium to his speech vented a few profound sighes thus answered The life Madame that at this present I receive is the hight of so great a glory that the death and now past calamities that I suffered come exceedingly short of meriting it Happy therefore were I if for better expressing my loyaltie and to doe you further service I might often reiterate the sufferings of my disasters For though that your favour to me-wards ever the same doth ever warrant my content from becomming subject to alteration neverthelesse Fortune's so various accidents make me now that I have prov'd and felt them adverse relish better my happinesse than before when I knew nothing of its spitefull effects Onely I affectionately begge of you to adde this one favour more to the summe of my obligations which is that you will presently cheere up your spirits and live otherwise I protest unto you that I may well resolve to dye my selfe but not to endure to see you leade me the way to either death or griefe which said he embracing her affectionately nourished by the assistance of their close-joyned lips her weakely-panting with his fresh-vigorous spirits and then shee having first bestowed such time as was necessary for recovering her intercepted breath bethought of getting her selfe up and to be gone to her retiring-place her cave For furthering of which her desire the Dutchesse to strengthen her fainting spirits presented her with a morsell of restorative conserve which shee had brought with her purposely to revive her but could not perswade her to take of it before because of her then resolution to starve her selfe or otherwise set a finall period to her dayes Now also afterwards shee was by importunity wonne to taste of a litle conforting wine which together with other dainties Almadero caused to be brought downe for her and now presented her withall not without letting her know how sorry hee was that her diffidence extended so farre as to Cavaliers who were obliged to serve her Eromena lighting now on an occasion conforming with a determination of hers concluded on by her husband and the Count of Bona of taking her along with them thus greetes her Madame I know you by your high birth noble spirit and disasters ere e're I had the honour to be acquainted with your person and now that I have the happinesse to know you that occular way too I thanke the Heavens for favouring me so much as to finde you out in such a time or plight as I may any way steede you And to the end you may be excuselesse for not commanding me I am Eromena More she would have said but that name scarce exprest bred such joy in Corianna that she interrupted her with saying And how happy a day is this for me Madame wherein Fortune hath beene so liberall as to restore me my Lucano that so both he and I might personally tender our service to you whom we so much honour and desire to serve But Eromena observing her speake with a great deale of paines made her this sudden reply Sweete Madame let us I pray you lay aside all complements and thinke of some meanes of conveying you hence to take some conforting-cordiall-simples for I conceive you have need of them Besides you may honour me by voutchsafing to be acquainted with Polimero my Lord and Lindadori my daughter who are also come here to serve you together with these two Knights the one of them which is this shewing her the Count of Bona having chanced to espie you out before hathconducted us hither expressely to bring you along with us to Sardinia where we shall with your greater advantage treate of your reconcilements And then after complementall courtesies replied on all sides Almadero would by all meanes have Corianna carried up which favour shee accepted not of but in excuse thereof said Courteous Sir I may not accept of your much-obliging proffer not because I dislike of it but for that I cannot conforme the necessity of my occasions to the desire I have to obey you in explanation whereof I must tell you that I am though I presume you hitherto know not as much your neere neighbour and have at home a young sucking babe that expects me and therefore I shall make bold to begge of you one undeniable request which is that you would bee courteously pleased to leave to my Lucano and me with our company the use of my cave whereunto seeing her resolution so fixt they all assented so as shee was seated and carried thitherward in a chaire accompanied though against her will with all of them who when they came to see that subterranean habitation though adorn'd with royall furniture they could not refraine from weeping But more than all the rest Lucano though he afterwards passed from a sea of teares to an Ocean of joy upon sight of the babe whom Lindadori would needs feede whilst Eromena having first excluded all the menkinde helped Corianna to bed and then soone after re-admitting them shee with some soveraigne restoratives by then prepared her by the noble mayden both conforted and restored her enfeebled forces Full fifteene dayes entertayned they themselves all of them in Ericusa For the Prince of Feacia being informed of their qualities went in person to conduct and lodge them in a delicious house of his pleasingly-scituated on the sea side where upon Corianna's recovering her former beauties they were observed although in apparance the same with Lidomia to bee animated though with different spirits onely so farre alike as tooke away all marveile of their being taken the one for the other Lucano rather was a greater subject of amazement since betweene him and Almadero could not be discerned any sensible difference of favour or making other than in certaine gestures and those too rather habituall than naturall Many complementall ceremonies passed betweene Eromena and Corianna touching their going together till at length upon the later her accepting of the invitation the old Prince furnished them with a Galley Leaving then Almadero protested-unto of a perpetuall amity they fetching about Sicily prosperously arrived in SARDINIA FINIS