that mankind is not growen monstrous being vndoubtedly lesse euill a guiltie man shoulde escape then a guiltlesse perish so if in the rest they be spotlesse then is no farther to be remembred But if they haue aggrauated these suspitions with newe euills then are those suspitions so farre to showe themselues as to cause the other pointes to be thorowly examined and with lesse fauour wayed since this no man can deny they haue beene accidentall if not principall causes of the Kinges death Now then we are to determine of the other matters which are laide to them wherein they doe not deny the facte but deny or at leaste diminish the faulte but first I may remember though it were not first alleaged by them the seruices they had before done truely honourable and worthy of greate rewarde but not worthy to counteruaile with a following wickednes Rewarde is proper to well doing punishment to euill doing which must bee confounded no more then good and euill are to be mingled Therefore hath bene determined in all wisedomes that no man because he hath done well before should haue his present euils spared but rather so much the more punished as hauing shewed he knew how to be good woulde against his knowledge bee naught The facte then is nakedly without passion or partialitie to bee viewed wherein without all question they are equallie culpable For though he that termes himselfe Daiphantus were sooner disapointed of his purpose of conueying away the Lady Philoclea then he that perswaded the Princesse Pamela to flie her countrie and accompanied her in it yet seing in causes of this nature the wil by the rules of iustice standeth for the deed they are both alike to bee founde guiltie and guiltie of hainous rauishment For though they rauished them not from themselues yet they rauished them from him that owed them which was their father An acte punished by all the Graecian lawes by the losse of the head as a most execrable thefte For if they must dye who steale from vs our goodes how much more they who steale from vs that for which we gather our goodes and if our lawes haue it so in the priuate persons much more forcible are they to bee in Princes children where one steales as it were the whole state and well being of that people being tyed by the secret of a long vse to be gouerned by none but the next of that bloud Neither let any man maruaile our ancestours haue bene so seuere in these cases since the example of the Phenician Europa but especially of the Grecian Helene hath taught them what destroying fires haue growen of such sparckles And although Helene was a wife and this but a child that booteth not since the principall cause of marrying wiues is that we may haue children of our owne But now let vs see how these yong men truely for their persons worthy of pittie if they haue rightly pittied themselues do goe about to mittigate the vehemencie of their errors Some of their excuses are common to both some peculiar onely to him that was the sheepeheard Both remember the force of loue and as it were the mending vp of the matter by their marriage if that vnbrideled desire which is intituled loue might purge such a sickenes as this surely wee shoulde haue many louing excuses of hatefull mischiefe Nay rather no mischiefe shoulde be committed that should not be vailed vnder the name of loue For as well he that steales might alleage the loue of mony he that murders the loue of reuenge he that rebells the loue of greatnesse as the adulterer the loue of a woman Since they do in all speeches affirme they loue that which an ill gouerned passion maketh them to follow But loue may haue no such priuiledge That sweete and heauenly vniting of the mindes which properly is called loue hath no other knot but vertue and therefore if it be a right loue it can neuer slide into any action that is not vertuous The other and indeed more effectuall reason is that they may be married vnto them and so honourably redresse the dishonour of them whom this matter seemeth most to touch Surely if the question were what were conuenient for the parties and not what is iuste in the neuer changing iustice there might much bee saide in it But herein we must consider that the lawes look how to preuent by due examples that such thinges be not done and not how to salue such things when they are doone For if the gouernors of iustice shall take such a scope as to measure the foote of the lawe by a show of conueniencie and measure that conueniencie not by the publike societie but by that which is fittest for them which offende young men stronge men and rich men shall euer finde priuate conueniences howe to palliate such committed disorders as to the publike shall not onely bee inconuenient but pestilent The marriage perchaunce might be fit for them but verie vnfit were it to the state to allowe a patterne of such procurations of marriage And thus much doe they both alleage Further goes he that went with the Princesse Pamela requireth the benefit of a councellor who hath place of free perswasion and the reasonable excuse of a seruant that did but waite of his mistres Without all question as councellors haue great cause to take heede how they aduise any thing directly opposite to the forme of that present gouernement especially when they doe it singly without publike alowaunce so yet is the case much more apparant since neither she was an effectuall Princesse her father being then aliue though he had bene deade she not come to the yeares of aucthoritie nor hee her seruant in such manner to obey her but by his owne preferment first belonging to Dametas and then to the Kinge and therefore if not by Arcadia lawes yet by housholde orders bounde to haue done nothing without his agreement Thus therefore since the deedes accomplished by these two are both abhominable and inexcuseable I doe in the behalfe of iustice by the force of Arcadia lawes pronounce that Daiphantus shal be throwne out of a hie tower to receaue his death by his fall Palladius shall bee behedded the time before the sunne set the place in Mantinea the executioner Dametas which office he shall execute all the dayes of his life for his beastly forgetting the carefull dutie he owed to his charge This saide he turned himselfe to Philanax and two of the other noble men commaunding them to see the iudgement presently performed Philâ—nax more greedie then any hunter of his praye went straite to laye holde of the excellent prisoners who casting a farewell looke one vpon the other represented in their faces asmuch vnappalled constancie as the most excellent courage can deliuer in outward graces Yet if at all there were any shewe of change in them it was that Pyrocles was somthing neerer to bashfulnes and Musidorus to anger both ouer ruled by
vniuersalitie whereof wee are but the lest pieces shoulde bee vtterly deuoide thereof as if one shoulde saie that ones foote might be wise and him selfe foolish This hearde I once alledged against such a godlesse minde as yours who being driuen to acknowledge this beastly absurditie that our bodies should be better then the whole worlde if it had the knowledge whereof the other were voide he sought not able to answere directly to shifte it off in this sorte that if that reason were true then must it followe also that the world must haue in it a spirite that could write and read too and be learned since that was in vs commendable wretched foole not considering that Bookes bee but supplies of defects and so are praysed because they helpe our want and therefore cannot be incident to the eternall intelligence which needes no recording of opinions to confirme his knowledge no more then the Sunne wants waxe to be the fewell of his glorious lightfulnes This world therfore cannot otherwise consist but by a minde of Wisedome which gouernes it which whether you will allow to beâ— the Creator thereof as vndoubtedly he is or the soule and gouernour thereof most certaine it is that whether he gouerne all or make all his power is aboue either his creatures or his gouernement And if his power be aboue all thinges then consequently it must needes be infinite since there is nothing aboue it to limit it For beyond which there is nothing must needes be boundlesse and infinite if his power be infinite then likewise must his knowledge be infinite for else there should be an infinite proportion of power which he should not know how to vse the vnsensiblenesse whereof I thinke euen you can conceaue and if infinite then must nothing no not the estate of flies which you with so vnsauerie skorne did iest at be vnknowne vnto him For if it were then there were his knowledge bounded and so not infinite if knowledge and power be infinite then must needs his goodnesse and iustice march in the same rancke for infinitenes of power and knowledge without like measure of goodnesse must necessarily bring foorth destruction and ruine and not ornament and preseruation Since then there is a God and an all-knowing God so as he sees into the darkest of all naturall secretes which is the hart of Man and sees therein the deepest dissembled thoughts nay sees the thoughts before they be thought since he is iust to exercise his might and mightie to performe his iustice assure thy selfe most wicked woman that hast so plaguily a corrupted minde as thou canst not keepe thy sickenesse to thy selfe but must most wickedly infect others assure thy selfe I say for what I say dependes of euerlasting and vnremooueable causes that the time will come when thou shalt knowe that power by feeling it when thou shalt see his wisedome in the manifesting thy ougly shamefulnes and shalt onely perceiue him to haue bene a Creator in thy destruction Thus she saide thus she ended with so faire maiestie of vnconquered vertue that captiuitie might seeme to haue authoritie ouer tyrannie so fowly was the filthinesse of impietie discouered by the shining of her vnstayned goodnes so farre as either Cecropia saw indeed or else the guilty amazement of a selfe-accusing conscience made her eies vntrue iudges of their naturall obiect that there was a light more then humaine which gaue a lustre to her perfections But Cecropia like a Batte which though it haue eyes to discerne that there is a Sunne yet hath so euill eyes that it cannot delight in the Sunne found a trueth but could not loue it But as great persons are woont to make the wrong they haue done to be a cause to doo the more wrong her knowledge rose to no higher point but to enuâ—e a worthier and her will was no otherwise bent but the more to hate the more she found her enemie prouided against her Yet all the while she spake though with eyes cast like a horse that would strike at the stirrop and with colour which blushed through yellownesse she sate rather still then quiet and after her speech rather muttered then replied for the warre of wickednesse in her selfe brought forth disdainefull pride to resist cunning dissimulation so as saying little more vnto her but that she should haue leysure inough better to bethinke her selfe she went away repining but not repenting condemning greatly as she thought her sonnes ouer-feeble humblenesse and purposing to egge him forward to a course of violence For her selfe determining to deale wiâ—h neither of them both any more in maner of a suter for what maiestie of vertue did in the one that did silent humblenesse in the other But finding her sonne ouer-apt to lay both condemnation and execution of sorrow vpon himselfe she sought to mitigate his minde with feigned delayes of comfort who hauing this inward ouerthrow in himselfe was the more vexed that he could not vtter the rage thereof vpon his outward enemies For Basilius taught by the last dayes triall what daungerous effectes chosen courages can bring forth rather vsed the spade then the sworde or the sworde but to defende the spade girding about the whole towne with trenches which beginning a good way off from the towne with a number of well directed Pioners he still caryed before him till they came to a neere distance where he builded Fortes one answering the other in such sort as it was a pretie consideration in the discipline of warre to see building vsed for the instrument of ruine and the assayler entrenched as if he were besieged But many sallies did Amphialus make to hinder their working But they exercising more melancholie then choller in their resolution made him finde that if by the aduauntage of place fewe are able to defende themselues from manie that manie must needes haue power making themselues strong in seate to repell fewe referring the reuenge rather to the ende then a present requitall Yet oftentimes they dealt some blowes in light skirmishes eche side hauing a strong retyring place and rather fighting with manie alarums to vexe the enemie then for anie hope of great successe Which euerie way was a tedious comber to the impacient courage of Amphialus till the fame of this warre bringing thither diuerse both straungers and subiects as well of princely as noble houses the gallant Phalantus who refrained his sportfull delightes as then to serue Basilius whome he honoured for receyued honours when he had spent some time in considering the Arcadian manner in marching encamping and fighting and had learned in what points of gouernement and obedience their discipline differed from others and so had satisfied his minde in the knowledges both for the cutting off the enemies helpes and furnishing ones selfe which Basilius orders could deliuer vnto him his yong spirits wearie of wanting cause to be wearie desired to keepe his valure in knowledge by some priuate acte since the publique policie restrayned him
better perswaded when no body was by that had heard her say she would not bee perswaded then began first the eyes to speake and the harts to crie out Sorrow a while would nedees speake his owne language without vsing their tongues to be his interpreters At last Zelmane brake silence but spake with the onely eloquence of amazement for all her long methodized oratione was inherited onely by such kinde of speeches Deare Ladie in extreame necessities we must not But alas vnfortunate wretch that I am that I liue to see this daye And I take heauen and earth to witnesse that nothing and with that her brest swelled so with spite and griefe that her breath had not leasure to turne it selfe into words But the sweet Philoclea that had alredie dyed in Pamela of the other side had the heauines of her hart something quickned in the most beloued sight of Zelmane ghessed somewhat at Zelmanes mind and therefore spake vnto her in this sort My Pyrocles saide shee I knowe this exceeding comfort of your presence is not brought vnto mee for any good-will that is owned vnto mee but as I suppose to make you perswade me to saue my life with the ransome of mine honour although no bodie shoulde bee so vnfit a pleader in that cause as your selfe yet perchance you woulde haue me liue Your honour God forbid saide Zelmane that euer for any cause I should yeeld to any touch of it But a while to pretend some affection til time or my libertie might worke somthing for your seruice this if my astonished senses would giue me leaue I would faine haue perswaded you To what purpose my Pyrocles said Philoclea of a miserable time what gaine is there hath Pamelaes example wrought no more in mee is a captiue life so much worth can euer it goe out of these lips that I loue any other but Pyrocles shall my tongue bee so false a traitor to my hart as to say I loue any other but Pyrocles And why should I do all this to liue O Pamela sister Pamela why shoulde I liue onely for thy sake Pyrocles I would liue but to thee I know too well I shall not liue and if not to thee hath thy loue so base allay my Pyrocles as to wish mee to liue sor dissimulation my Pyrocles my simplicitie is such that I haue hardly bene able to keepe a straight way what shall I doo in a crooked But in this case there is no meane of dissimulation not for the cunningest present answere is required and present performance vpon the answere Art thou so terrible ô Death No my Pyrocles and for that I doo thanke thee and in my soule thanke thee for I confesse the loue of thee is heerein my chiefest vertue Trouble mee not therefore deare Pyrocles nor double not my death by tormenting my resolution since I cannot liue with thee I will dye for thee Onely remember me deare Pyrocles and loue the remembrance of mee if I may craue so much of thee let me be thy last loue for though I be not worthy of thee who indeed art the worthiest creature liuing yet remember that my loue was a worthy loue But Pyrocles was so ouercome with sorrow which wisdome and vertue made iust in so excellent a Ladies case full of so excellent kindnes that words were ashamed to come forth knowing how weak they were to expresse his mind and her merit and therefore so stayed in a deadly silence forsaken of hope and forsaking comfort till the appointed gardians came in to see the fruits of Zelmanes labour and then Zelmane warned by their presence fell againe to perswade though scarcely her selfe could tell what but in sum desirous of delayes But Philoclea sweetly continuing constant and in the end punishing her importunity with silence Zelmane was faine to ende Yet crauing an other times conference shee obtained it and diuers others till at the last Cecropia founde it was to no purpose and therefore determined to follow her owne way Zelmane yet still desirous to win by any meanes respit euen wasted with sorrow and vncertaine whether in worse case in her presence or absence being able to doo nothing for Philocleas succour but by submitting the greatest corage of the earth to fall at the feete of Cecropia and craue stay of their sentence til the vttermost was seene what her perswasions might doo Cecropia seemed much to bee moued by her importunitie so as diuers dayes were wonne of painefull life to the excellent Philoclea while Zelmane suffred some hope to cherrish her minde especially trusting vpon the helpe of Musidorus who shee knew woulde not bee idle in this matter till one morning a noise awaked Zelmane from whose ouer-watchfull mind the tired body had stolne a little sleep streight with the first opening of her eyes Care taking his woonted place she ranne to the window which looked into the hall for that way the noise guided her and there might shee see the curtaine being left open euer since the last execution seuen or eight persons in a cluster vpon the scaffold who by and by retiring themselues nothinge was to bee seene thereupon but a basan of golde pittifully enameled with bloud and in the midst of it the head of the most beautifull Philoclea The horriblenes of the mischiefe was such as Pyrocles coulde not at first beleeue his owne senses but bent his woefull eyes to discerne it better where too well hee might see it was Philocleas selfe hauing no veile but beautie ouer the face which still appeared to be aliue so did those eyes shine euen as they were woont and they were woont more then any other and sometimes as they moued it might well make the beholder think that death therein had borowed her beautie and not they any way disgraced by death so sweet and pearsing a grace they caried with them It was not a pitie it was not an amazement it was not a sorrow which then laid hold on Pyrocles but a wilde furie of desperate agonie so that hee cried out O tyraunt heauen traytor earth blinde prouidence no iustice howe is this done how is this suffered hath this worlde a gouernment If it haue let it poure out all his mischiefes vpon mee and see whether it haue power to make mee more wrecthed then I am Did she excell for this haue I prayed for this abhominable hande that did it detestable deuill that commaunded it cursed light that beheld it and if the light be cursed what are then mine eyes that haue seene it And haue I seene Philoclea dead and doo I liue and haue I liued not to helpe her but to talke of her and stande I still talking And with that caried with the madnes of anguish not hauing a redier waye to kill himselfe hee ranne as hard as euer hee coulde with his head against the wall with intention to braine himselfe but the haste to do it made the doing the slower For as hee came to
shee might haue refelled Then did Euarchus aske Philanax whether it were he that would charge the two yonge prisoners or that some other shoulde doe it and hee sit according to his estate as an assistant in the iudgement Philanax tolde him as before hee had done that hee thought no man coulde laye manifest the naughtines of those two yong men with so much either truth or zeale as himselfe and therefore he desired he might do this last seruice to his faithfully beloued master as to prosecute the traiterous causers of his death and dishonour which being done for his parte hee ment to geue vp all dealing in publicke affaires since that man was gone who had made him loue them Philanax thus being redye to speake the two Princes were commaunded to tell their names who aunswered according to their agreements that they were Daiphantus of Lycia and Palladius Prince of Iberia Which when they had said they demaunded to know by what aucthoritie they coulde iudge of them since they were not only forryners and so not borne vnder their lawes but absolute Princes and therefore not to bee touched by lawes But aunswere was presently made them that Arcadia lawes were to haue their force vpon any were founde in Arcadia since strangers haue scope to know the customes of a country before they put them selues in it and when they once are entred they must knowe that what by many was made must not for one bee broken And so much lesse for a straunger as hee is to looke for no priueledge in that place to which in time of neede his seruice is not to be expected As for their being Princes whether they were so orno the beleefe stood in their own woâ—des which they had so diuersly falsifyed as they did not deserue beleefe But what soeuer they were Arcadia was to acknowledge them but as priuate men since they were neither by magistracy nor alliance to the princely bloud to claime any thing in that region Therefore if they had offended which now by the plaintife and there defence was to bee iudged against the lawes of nations by the lawes of nations they were to be chastised if against the peculiare ordinaunces of the prouince those peculiare ordinaunces were to laye hold of them The Princes stoode a while vpon that demaunding leasure to giue perfecte knowledge of their greatnes but when they were aunswered that in a case of a Princes death the lawe of that contrie had euer beene that imediate tryall shoulde bee had they were forced to yeelde resolued that in those names they woulde as much as they could couer the shame of their royall parentage and keepe as long as might be if euill were determined against them the euill newes from their carefull kinsfolke wherein the chiefe man they considered was Euarchus whom the strange and secreate working of iustice had brought to be the iudge ouer them in such a shadowe or rather pit of darkenes the wormish mankinde liues that neither they knowe how to foresee nor what to feare and are but like tenisballs tossed by the racket of the hyer powers Thus both sides reddie it was determined because their cases were separated First Philanax shoulde be hard against Pyrocles whome they termed Daiphantus and that heard the others cause shoulde followe and so receaue together such iudgement as they should be found to haue deserued But Philanax that was euen shorte breathed at the first with the extreame vehemencie he had to speake against them stroking once or twise his forehead and wiping his eyes which either wepte or he woulde at that time haue them seeme to weepe looking first vpon Pyrocles as if he had proclaymed all hatefullnes against him humblie turning to Euarchus who with quiet grauitie shewed great attention he thus began his oration That which all men who take vpon them to accuse an other are woont to desire most worthy protector to haue many proofes of my faultes in them they seeke to haue condemned that is to me in this present action my greatest comber and anoyaunce For the number is so great and the quallitie so monstrous of the enormities this wretched young man hath committed that neither I in my selfe can tell where to begin my thoughts being confused with the horrible multitude of them neither doe I thinke your vertuous eares will be able to endure the reporte But will rather imagine you heare some tragedie inuented of the extremitie of wickednes then a iust resitall of a wickednes indeed committed for such is the disposition of the most sincere iudgements that as they can belieue meane faultes and such as mans nature may slide into so when they passe to a certaine degree nay when they passe all degrees of vnspeakeable naughtines then finde they in themselues a hardenes to geue credit that humane creatures can so from all humanitie bee transformed But in my selfe the strength of my faith to my deade master wil helpe the weakenes of my memory in you your excellent loue of iustice will force you to vouchsafe attention And as for the matter it is so manifest so pittifull euidences lie before your eyes of it that I shall neede to bee but a breife recounter and no rhetoricall enlarger of this most harmefull mischiefe I will therefore in as fewe wordes as so huge a trespasse can bee conteyned deliuer vnto you the sum of this miserable fact leauing out a great number of particular tokens of his naughtines and only touching the essentiall pointes of this dolefull case This man whome to beginne withall I know not how to name since being come into this contrie vnaccompanied like a loste pilgrime from a man grewe a woman from a woman a rauisher of wemen thence a prisoner and now a Prince But this Zelmane this Daiphantus this what you will for any shape or title he can take vpon him that hath no restrainte of shame hauing vnderstoode the solitatie life my late master liued and considering how open he had layde himselfe to any trayterous attempte for the first maske of his falsehoode disguised himselfe like a woman which being the more simple and hurtelesse sexe might easier hide his subtle harmefullnes And presenting himselfe to my master the most curteous Prince that liued was receaued of him with so greate gratiousnes as might haue bounde not only any gratefull minde but might haue mollified any enemies rancoure But this venemous serpent admitted thus into his bosome as contagion will easily finde a fit body for it so had he quickly falne into so neere acquaintaunce with this naughtie woman whom euen now you haue most iustly condemned that this was her right hand shee sawe with no eyes but his nor seemed to haue any life but in him so glad shee was to finde one more cunning then her selfe in couering wickednes with a modest vaile What is to be thought passed betwixt two such vertuous creatures whereof the one hath confessed murder and the other rape I leaue to
Phrygia but as I may terme it of a wanton crueltie inconstant in his choise of friends or rather neuer hauing a friend but a playfellow of whom when he was wearie he could not otherwise rid himselfe then by killing them giuing somtimes prodigally not because he loued them to whom he gaue but because he lusted to giue punishing not so much for hate or anger as because he felt not the smart of punishment delighted to be flattered at first for those vertues which were not in him at length making his vices vertues worthy the flattering with like iudgement glorying when he had happened to do a thing well as when he had performed some notable mischiefe He chanced at that time for indeed long time none lasted with him to haue next in vse about him a man of the most enuious disposition that I think euer infected the aire with his breath whose eies could not looke right vpon any happie man nor eares beare the burthen of any bodies praise contrary to the natures of all other plagues plagued with others well being making happines the ground of his vnhappinesse good news the argumēt of his sorrow in sum a man whose fauour no man could winne but by being miserable And so because these two faithfull seruants of theirs came in miserable sorte to that Courte he was apte inough at first to fauour them and the King vnderstanding of their aduenture wherein they had shewed so constant a faith vnto their Lordes suddainly falles to take a pride in making much of them extolling them with infinite prayses and praysing him selfe in his harte in that he praysed them And by and by were they made great courtiers and in the way of minions when aduauncement the most mortall offence to enuy stirred vp their former friend to ouerthrow his owne worke in them taking occasion vpon the knowledge newly come to the court of the late death of the King of Phrygia destroied by their two Lordes who hauing bene a neere kinsman to this Prince of Pontus by this enuious Councellour partly with suspition of practise partly with glory of in-part reuenging his cousins death the King was suddainly turned and euery turne with him was a downe-fall to locke them vp in prison as seruaunts to his enimies whom before he had neuer knowne nor till that time one of his owne subiects had entertained and dealt for them did euer take heed of But now earnest in euery present humour and making himselfe braue in his liking he was content to giue them iust cause of offence when they had power to make iust reuenge Yet did the Princes send vnto him before they entred into warre desiring their seruants liberty But he swelling in their humblenes like a bubble blowne vp with a small breath broken with a great forgetting or neuer knowing humanitie caused their heads to be striken off by the aduice of his enuious Councellor who now hated them so much the more as he foresaw their happines in hauing such and so fortunate masters and sent them with vnroyall reproches to Musidorus and Pyrocles as if they had done traiterously and not heroically in killing his tyrannicall Cosen But that iniurie went beyond all degree of reconcilement so that they making forces in Phrygia a kingdome wholy at their commandement by the loue of the people and gratefulnesse of the King they entred his country and wholy conquering it with such deeds as at lest Fame said were excellent tooke the King and by Musidorus commaundement Pyrocles hart more enclining to pitie he was slaine vpon the tombe of their two true Seruants which they caused to be made for them with royall expences and notable workmanship to preserue their dead liues For his wicked Seruant he should haue felt the like or worse but that his harte brake euen to death with the beholding the honour done to their dead carcasses There might Pyrocles quietly haue enioyed that crowne by all the desire of that people most of whom had reuolted vnto him but he finding a sister of the late Kings a faire and well esteemed Ladie looking for nothing more then to be oppressed with her brothers ruines gaue her in marriage to the noble man his fathers old friend and endowed them with the crowne of that kingdome And not content with those publike actions of princely and as it were gouerning vertue they did in that kingdome and some other neere about diuers acts of particular trials more famous because more perilous For in that time those regions were full both of cruell monsters and monstrous men all which in short time by priuate combats they deliuered the countries of Among the rest two brothers of huge both greatnesse and force therefore commonly called Giants who kept themselues in a castle seated vpon the top of a rocke impregnable because there was no comming vnto it but by one narrow path where one mans force was able to keepe downe an armie These brothers had a while serued the King of Pontus and in all his affaires especially of war whereunto they were onely apt they had shewed as vnconquered courage so a rude faithfulnes being men indeed by nature apter to the faults of rage then of deceipt not greatly ambitious more then to be well and vprightly dealt with rather impatient of iniury then delighted with more then ordinary curtesies and in iniuries more sensible of smart or losse then of reproch or disgrace These men being of this nature and certainely Iewels to a wise man considering what indeed wonders they were able to performe yet were discarded by that vnworthy Prince after many notable deserts as not worthy the holding Which was the more euidēt to thē because it sodainly fell from an excesse of fauor which many examples hauing taught them neuer stopt his race till it came to an headlong ouerthrow they ful of rage retyred thēselues vnto this castle Where thinking nothing iuster thē reuenge nor more noble then the effects of anger that according to the nature full of inward brauery and fiercenes scarcely in the glasse of Reason thinking it selfe faire but when it is terrible they immediately gaue themselues to make all the countrie about them subiect to that King to smart for their Lords folly not caring how innocent they were but rather thinking the more innocent they were the more it testified their spite which they desired to manifest And with vse of euill growing more and more euill they tooke delight in slaughter and pleased themselues in making others wracke the effect of their power so that where in the time that they obeyed a master their anger was a seruiceable power of the minde to doo publike good so now vnbridled and blinde iudge of it selfe it made wickednesse violent and praised it selfe in excellencie of mischiefe almost to the ruine of the countrie not greatly regarded by their carelesse and louelesse king Till now these Princes finding them so fleshed in crueltie as not to be reclaimed secretly vndertooke
the matter alone for accompanied they would not haue suffered them to haue mounted and so those great fellowes scornefully receiuing them as foolish birds falne into their net it pleased the eternall iustice to make them suffer death by their hands and so they were manifoldly acknowledged the sauers of that countrie It were the part of a verie idle Orator to set forth the numbers of wel-deuised honors done vnto them But as high honor is not onely gotten and borne by paine and daunger but must be nurst by the like or els vanisheth as soone as it appeares to the world so the naturall hunger thereof which was in Pyrocles suffered him not to account a resting seate of that which euer either riseth or falleth but still to make one occasion beget another wherby his doings might send his praise to others mouthes to rebound againe true contentment to his spirit And therefore hauing well established those kingdomes vnder good gouernours and rid them by their valure of such giants and monsters as before time armies were not able to subdue they determined in vnknowne order to see more of the world and to imploy those gifts esteemed rare in them to the good of mankinde and therefore would themselues vnderstanding that the King Euarchus was passed all the cumber of his warres goe priuately to seeke exercises of their vertue thinking it not so worthy to be brought to Heroycall effects by fortune or necessitie like Vlysses and Aeneas as by ones owne choice and working And so went they away from verie vnwilling people to leaue them making time haste it selfe to be a circumstance of their honour and one place witnesse to another of the truth of their doings For scarcely were they out of the confines of Pontus but that as they ridde alone armed for alone they went one seruing the other they mette an aduenture which though not so notable for any great effect they perfourmed yet worthy to be remembred for the vn-vsed examples therein as well of true naturall goodnes as of wretched vngratefulnesse It was in the kingdome of Galacia the season being as in the depth of winter very cold and as then sodainely growne to so extreame and foule a storme that neuer any winter I thinke brought foorth a fowler child so that the Princes were euen compelled by the haile that the pride of the winde blew into their faces to seeke some shrowding place which a certaine hollow rocke offering vnto them they made it their shield against the tempests furie And so staying there till the violence thereof was passed they heard the speach of a couple who not perceiuing them being hidde within that rude canapy helde a straunge and pitifull disputation which made them steppe out yet in such sort as they might see vnseene There they perceaued an aged man and a young scarcely come to the age of a man both poorely arayed extreamely weather-beaten the olde man blinde the young man leading him and yet through all those miseries in both there seemed to appeare a kinde of noblenesse not sutable to that affliction But the first words they heard were these of the old man Well Leonatus said he since I cannot perswade thee to leade mee to that which should end my griefe and thy trouble let me now entreat thee to leaue me feare not my miserie cannot be greater then it is and nothing doth become me but miserie feare not the danger of my blind steps I cannot fall worse then I am And doo not I pray thee doo not obstinately continue to infect thee with my wretchednes But flie flie from this region onely worthy of me Deare father answered he doo not take away from me the onely remnant of my happinesse while I haue power to doo you seruice I am not wholly miserable Ah my sonne said he and with that he groned as if sorrow straue to breake his harte how euill fits it me to haue such a sonne and how much doth thy kindnesse vpbraide my wickednesse These dolefull speeches and some others to like purpose well shewing they had not bene borne to the fortune they were in moued the Princes to goe out vnto them and aske the younger what they were Sirs answered he with a good grace and made the more agreable by a certaine noble kinde of pitiousnes I see well you are straungers that know not our miserie so well here knowne that no man dare know but that we must be miserable In deede our state is such as though nothing is so needfull vnto vs as pittie yet nothing is more daungerous vnto vs then to make our selues so knowne as may stirre pittie But your presence promiseth that cruelty shall not ouer-runne hate And if it did in truth our state is soncke below the degree of feare This old man whom I leade was lately rightfull Prince of this countrie of Paphlagonia by the hard-harted vngratefulnes of a sonne of his depriued not onely of his kingdome whereof no forraine forces were euer able to spoyle him but of his sight the riches which Nature graunts to the poorest creatures Whereby and by other his vnnaturall dealings he hath bin driuen to such griefe as euen now he would haue had me to haue led him to the toppe of this rocke thence to cast himselfe headlong to death and so would haue made me who receiued my life of him to be the worker of his destruction But noble Gentlemen said he if either of you haue a father and feele what duetifull affection is engraffed in a sonnes hart let me entreate you to conuay this afflicted Prince to some place of rest and securitie Amongst your worthie actes it shall be none of the least that a King of such might and fame and so vniustlie oppressed is in any sort by you relieued But before they coulde make him aunswere his father began to speake Ah my sonne said he how euill an Historian are you that leaue out the chiefe knot of all the discourse my wickednes my wickednes And if thou doest it to spare my ears the onely sense now left mee proper for knowledge assure thy selfe thou doest mistake me And I take witnesse of that Sunne which you see with that he cast vp his blinde eies as if he would hunt for light and wish my selfe in worse case then I doe wish my selfe which is as euill as may bee if I speake vntruely that nothing is so welcome to my thoughts as the publishing of my shame Therefore know you Gentlemen to whome from my heart I wish that it may not proue some ominous foretoken of misfortune to haue met with such a miser as I am that whatsoeuer my sonne ô God that truth bindes me to reproch him with the name of my son hath saide is true But besides those truthes this also is true that hauing had in lawfull mariage of a mother fitte to beare roiall children this sonne such a one as partly you see and better shall knowe by my short declaration and so