boldenes and the little reuerence I doe you impute it to the manner of my country which is the inuincible Land of the Amazons My selfe neece to Senicia Queene thereof lineally descended of the famous Penthesilea slaine by the bloudie hand of Pyrrhus I hauing in this my youth determined to make the worlde see the Amazons excellencies aswell in priuate as in publicke vertue haue passed some daungerous aduentures in diuers countries till the vnmercifull Sea depriued me of my company so that shipwrack casting me not farre hence vncertaine wandring brought me to this place But Basilius who now began to tast of that which since he hath swallowed vp as I will tell you fell to more cunning intreating my aboad then any greedy host would vse to well paying passengers I thought nothing could shoot righter at the mark of my desires yet had I learned alredye so much that it was against my womanhood to be forward in my owne wishes And therefore he to prooue whether intercessions in fitter mouths might better preuaile commaunded Dametas to bring forth with his wife and daughters thether three Ladies although of diuers yet all of excellent beauty His wife in graue Matronlike attire with countenaunce and gesture sutable and of such fairenes being in the strength of her age as if her daughters had not bene by might with iust price haue purchased admiration but they being there it was enough that the most dainty eye would thinke her a worthye mother of such children The faire Pamela whose noble hart I finde doth greatly disdaine that the trust of her vertue is reposed in such a louts hands as Dametas had yet to shewe an obedience taken on shepeardish apparell which was but of Russet cloth cut after their fashion with a straight body open brested the nether parte full of pleights with long and wide sleeues but beleeue me she did apparell her apparell and with the pretiousnes of her body made it most sumptuous Her haire at the full length wound about with gold lace onely by the comparison to shew how farre her haire doth excell in colour betwixt her breasts which sweetlye rase vp like two faire Mountainettes in the pleasaunt vale of Tempe there honge a verie riche Diamond set but in a blacke horne the worde I haue since read is this yet still my selfe And thus particularlie haue I described them because you may know that mine eyes are not so partiall but that I marked them too But when the ornament of the Earth the modell of heauen the Triumph of Nature the life of beauty the Queene of Loue young Philoclea appeared in her Nimphe-like apparell so neare nakednes as one might well discerne part of her perâ—â—ctions and yet so apparelled as did shew she kept best store of her beauty to her selfe her haire alas too poore a word why should I not rather call theÌ„ her beames draweÌ„ vp into a net able to haue caught Iupiter when he was in the forme of an Egle her body O sweet body couered with a light Taffeta garment so cut as the wrought smocke came through it in many places inough to haue made your restraind imagination haue thought what was vnder it with the cast of her blacke eyes blacke indeed whether nature so made them that we might be the more able to behold bear their wonderfull shining or that she goddesse like would work this miracle with her selse in giuing blacknes the price aboue all beauty Then I say indeede me thought the Lillies grew pale for enuie the roses me thought blushed to see sweeter roses in her cheekes and the apples me thought fell downe from the trees to do homage to the apples of her breast Then the cloudes gaue place that the heauens might more freely smile vpon her at the lest the cloudes of my thoughts quite vanished and my sight then more cleere and forcible then euer was so fixed there that I imagine I stood like a well wrought image with some life in shew but none in practise And so had I beene like inough to haue stayed long time but that Gynecia stepping betweene my sight and the onely Philoclea the chaunge of obiâ—ct made meere-couer my sences so that I coulde with reasonable good manner receiue the salutation of her and of the princesse Pamela doing them yet no further reuerence then one Princesse vseth to another But when I came to the neuer-inough praised Philoclea I could not but fall downe on my knees and taking by force her hand and kissing it I must confesse with more then womanly ardency Diuine Lady said I let not the world nor these great princesses maruaile to se me contrary to my manner do this especiall honor vnto you since all both men and women do owe this to the perfection of your beauty But she blushing like a faire morning in May at this my singularity and causing me to rise Noble Lady saide she it is no maruaile to see your iudgemeÌ„t much mistaken in my beauty since you beginne with so great an errour as to do more honour vnto me then to them to whom I my selfe owe all seruice Rather answered I with a bowed downe countenaunce that shewes the power of your beauty which forced me to do such an errour if it were an errour You are so well acquainted saide shee sweetely most sweetely smiling with your owne beautie that it makes you easilie fall into the discourse of beauty Beauty in me said I truely sighing alas if there be any it is in my eyes which your blessed presence hath imparted vnto them But then as I thinke Basilius willing her so to do Well said she I must needes confesse I haue heard that it is a great happines to bee praised of thâ—m that are most praise worthie And well I finde that you are an inuinciblâ— Amazon since you will ouercome though in a wrong matter But if my beauty bee any thing then let it obtaine thus much of you that you will remaine some while in this companie to ease your owne trauail and our solitarines First let me dye said I before any word spoken by such a mouth should come in vaine And thus with some other wordes of entertaining was my staying concluded and I led among them to the lodge truely a place for pleasantnes not vnfitte to flatter solitarinesâ—e for it being set vpon such an vnsensible rising of the ground as you are come to a prety height before almost you perceiue that you ascend it giues the eye Lordship ouer a good large circuit which according to the nature of the countrey being diuersified betwene hills and dales woods and playnes one place more cleere an other more darksome it seemes a pleasant picture of nature with louely lightsomnes and artificiall shadowes The Lodge is of a yellow stone built in the forme of a starre hauing round about a garden framed into like points and beyond the gardein ridings cut out each aunswering the Angles of the Lodge at the end of
then waite for mischiefe And so against the Captaine wee went who straight was enuironned with most parte of the Souldiers and Mariners And yet the trueth is there were some whom either the authoritie of the councellour doubt of the Kinges minde or liking of vs made drawe their swords of our side so that quickely it grewe a most confused fight For the narrownesse of the place the darkenesse of the time and the vncertainty in such a tumult how to know friends from foes made the rage of swordes rather guide then be guided by their maisters For my cousin and mee truely I thinke wee neuer perfourmed lesse in any place doing no other hurte then the defence of our selues and succouring them who came for it draue vs too for not discerning perfectly who were for or against vs we thought it lesse euill to spare a foe then spoile a freend But from the highest to the lowest parte of the shippe there was no place lefte without cryes of murdring and murdred persons The Captaine I hapt a while to fight withall but was driuen to parte with him by hearing the crie of the Councellour who receiued a mortall wounde mistaken of one of his owne side Some of the wiser would call to parley and wish peace but while the words of peace were in their mouthes some of their euill auditours gaue them death for their hire So that no man almost could conceiue hope of liuing but by being last aliue and therefore euery one was willing to make him selfe roome by dispatching almost any other so that the great number in the ship was reduced to exceeding few wheÌ„ of those few the most part weary of those troubles leapt into the boate which was fast to the ship but while they that were first were cutting of the rope that tied it others came leaping in so disorderly that they drowned both the boate and themselues But while euen in that little remnant like the children of Cadmus we continued still to slay one an other a fire which whether by the desperate malice of some or intention to separate or accidentally while all thinges were cast vp and downe it should seeme had taken a good while before but neuer heeded of vs who onely thought to preserue or reuenge now violently burst out in many places and began to maister the principall partes of the ship Then necessitie made vs see that a common enimy sets at one a ciuill warre for that little all we were as if wee had bene waged by one man to quench a fire streight went to resist that furious enimie by all art and labour but it was to late for already it did embrace and deuoure from the sterne to the wast of the ship so as labouring in vaine we were driuen to get vp to the prowe of the ship by the worke of nature seeking to preserue life as long as we could while truely it was a straunge and ougly sight to see so huge a fire as it quickly grew to be in the Sea and in the night as if it had come to light vs to death And by and by it had burned off the maste which all this while had prowdly borne the sayle the winde as might seeme delighted to carrie fire bloud in his mouth but now it fell ouerboord and the fire growing neerer vs it was not onely terrible in respect of what we were to attend but insupportable through the heat of it So that we were constrained to bide it no longer but disarming and stripping our selues and laying our selues vpon such things as we thought might help our swimming to the lande too far for our owne strength to beare vs my cousin and I threw ourselues into the Sea But I had swomme a very little way when I felt by reason of a wound I had that I should not be able to bide the trauaile and therefore seeing the maste whose tackling had bene burnt of flote cleare from the ship I swaÌ„me vnto it and getting on it I found mine owne sworde which by chaunce when I threw it away caught by a peece of canuas had honge to the maste I was glad because I loued it well but gladder when I saw at the other end the Captaine of the ship and of all this mischiefe who hauing a long pike belike had borne himselfe vp with that till he had set him selfe vpon the mast But when I perceiued him Villaine said I doost thou thinke to ouerliue so many honest men whom thy falsehood hath brought to destruction with that bestriding the mast I gat by little and little towardes him after such a manner as boies are wont if euer you saw that sport when they ride the wild mare And he perceiuing my intention like a fellow that had much more courage then honestie set him selfe to resist But I had in short space gotten within him and giuing him a sound blowe sent him to feede fishes But there my selfe remainde vntill by pyrates I was taken vp among them againe taken prisoner and brought into Laconia But what said Philoclea became of your cousin Musidorus Lost saide Pyrocles Ah my Pyrocles said Philoclea I am glad I haue taken you I perceiue you loueâ—â— doo not alwaies say truely as though I knew not your cousin Dorus the sheepeheard Life of my desires said Pyrocles what is mine euen to my soule is youâ—â— but the secret of my friend is not mine But if you know so much then I may tâ—â—â—ly say he is lost since he is no more his owne But I perceiue your noble sister and you are great friends and well doth it become you so to be But go forward 〈◊〉 Pyrocles I long to heare out till your meeting me for there to me-ward is the best part of your storie Ah sweet Philoclea said Pyrocles do you thinke I can thinke so precious leysure as this well spent in talking Are your eyes a fit booke thinke you to reade a tale vpon Is my loue quiet inough to be an historian Deare Princesse be gracious vnto me And then he faine would haue remembred to haue forgot himselfe But she with a sweetly disobeying grace desired him that her desire once for euer might serue that no spote might disgrace that loue which shortly she hoped should be to the world warrantable Faine he would not haue heard till shee threatned anger And then the poore louer durst not because he durst not Nay I pray thee deare Pyrocles said she let me haue my story Sweet Princesse said he giue my thoughts a little respite and if it please you since this time must so bee spoiled yet it shall suffer the lesse harme if you vouchsafe to bestow your voice and let mee know how the good Queene Erona was betraied into such danger and why Plangus sought me For indeede I should pitie greatly any mischance fallen to that Princesse I will said Philoclea smiling so you giue me your worde your handes shall be quiet auditours They shall said he
much pleasure them as by leauing the two friends alone who being shruncke aside to the banqueting house where the pictures were there Palladius recounted vnto him that after they had btahbādōed the burnīg ship either of them taken some thing vnder him the better to support him to the shore he knew not how but either with ouer-labouring in the fight and soddaine colde or the to much receiuing of salt water he was past him selfe but yet holding fast as the nature of dying men is to do the chest that was vnder him he was cast on the sandes where he was taken vp by a couple of shepeheards and by them brought to life againe and kept from drowning himselfe when he despaired of his safetie How after hauing failed to take him into the fisher boate he had by the shepherds perswasion come to this Gentlemans house where being daungerouslie sicke he had yeelded to seeke the recouerie of health onely for that he might the sooner goe seeke the deliuerie of Pyrocles to which purpose Kalander by some friends of his in Messena had alreadie set a ship or two abroad when this accident of Clitophons taking had so blessedly procured their meeting Then did he setfoorth vnto him the noble intertainment and carefull cherishing of Kalander towards him so vpon occasion of the pictures present deliuered with the franknes of a friendes tongue as neere as he could word by word what Kalander had told him touching the strange storie with all the particularities belonging of Arcadia which did in many sortes so delight Pyrocles to heare that he would needes haue much of it againe repeated and was not contented till Kalander himselfe had answered him diuers questions But first at Musidorus request though in briefe manner his mind much running vpon the strange storie of Arcadia he did declare by what course of aduentures he was com to make vp their mutuall happines in meeting When cosin said he we had stript our selues and were both leapt into the Sea and swom a litle toward the shoare I found by reason of some wounds I had that I should not be able to get the lande and therefore turned backe againe to the most of the shippe where you found me assuring my selfe that if you came aliue to shore you woulde seeke me if you were lost as I thought it as good to perishe as to liue so that place as good to perish in as an other There I found my sworde among some of the shrowds wishing I must confesse if I died to bee found with that in my hande and withall wauing it about my head that saylers by might haue the better glimpse of me There you missing mee I was taken vp by Pyrates who putting me vnder boorde prisoner presentlie sett vppon another shippe and mainteyning a long fight in the ende put them all to the sworde Amongst whom I might heare them greatlie prayse one younge man who fought most valiantlie whom as loue is carefull and misfortune subiect to doubtfulnes I thought certainely to bee you And so holding you as dead from that time till the time I sawe you it trueth I sought nothing more then a noble ende which perchaunce made me more hardie then otherwise I would haue beene Tryall whereof came within two dayes after for the Kinges of Lacedaemon hauing sett out some Galleys vnder the charge of one of their Nephewes to skowre the Sea of the Pyrates they met with vs where our Captaine wanting men was driuen to arme some of his prisoners with promise of libertie for well fighting among whom I was one and beeing boorded by the Admirall it was my fortune to kill Euryleon the Kinges nephew but in the end they preuailed we were all taken prisoners I not caring much what became of me onely keeping the name of Daiphantus according to the resolution you know is betweene vs but beyng laide in the iayle of Tenarïa with speciall hate to me for the death of Euryleon the popular sorte of that towne conspired with the Helots and so by night opened them the gates where entring and killing all of the gentle and riche faction for honestie sake brake open all prisons and so deliuered me and I mooued with gratefulnesse and encouraged with carelesnesse of life so behaued my selfe in some conflictes they had with in few dayes that they barbarouslie thinking vnsensible wonders of mee and with all so much the better trusting mee as they heard I was hated of the Kinge of Lacedaemon their chiefe Captayne beyng slaine as you knowe by the noble Argalus who helped thereunto by his perswasion hauing borne a great affection vnto mee and to auoyde the daungerous emulation whiche grewe among the chiefe who shoulde haue the place and also affected as rather to haue a straunger then a competitour they elected mee God worte little prowde of that dignitie restoring vnto mee such thinges of mine as beeing taken first by the Pyrates and they by the Lacedaemonians they had gotten in the sacke of the towne Now being in it so good was my successe with manie victories that I made a peace for them to their owne liking the verie daye that you deliuered Clitophon whom I with much a doo had preserued And in my peace the Kinge Amiclas of Lacedaemon would needes haue mee bannished and depriued of the dignitie whereunto I was exalted which and you may see howe much you are bounde to mee for your sake I was content to suffer a newe hope rising in mee that you were not dead and so meaning to trauaile ouer the worlde to seeke you and now heere my deere Musidorus you haue mee And with that embracing and kissinge eche other they called Kalander of whom Daiphantus desired to heare the ful storie which before he had recounted to Palladius and to see the letter of Philanax which hee read and well marked But within some daies after the marriage betweene Argalus and the faire Parthenia beyng to bee celebrated Daiphantus and Palladius selling some of their Iewels furnished themselues of very faire apparell meaning to doo honour to their louing hoste who as much for their sakes as for the marriage set foorth each thing in most gorgeous manner But all the cost bestowed did not so much enrich nor all the fine deckinges so much beautyfie nor all the daintye deuises so much delight as the fairenesse of Parthenia the pearle of all the maydes of Mantinaea who as shee went to the Temple to bee maried her eyes themselues seemed a temple wherein loue and beautie were married her lippes though they were kepte close with modest silence yet with a pretie kinde of naturall swelling they seemed to inuite the guestes that lookt on them her cheekes blushing and withall when shee was spoken vnto a little smilyng were like roses◠when their leaues are with a little breath stirred her hayre beeyng layed at the full length down her backe bare shew as if the voward fayled yet that woulde cōnquer Daiphantus marking her to
the prisoner by Musidorus set free and thither came Plexirtus of Trebisonde and Antiphilus then King of Lycia with as many mo great Princes drawen either by our reputation or by willingnes to acknowledge themselues obliged vnto vs for what we had done for the others So as in those partes of the woild I thinke in many hundreds of yeares there was not seene so royall an assemblie where nothing was let passe to doo vs the highest honors which such persons who might commaund both purses and inuentions could perfourme All from all sides bringing vnto vs right toyall presents which we to auoide both vnkindnes and importunitie liberally receiued and not content therewith would needes accept as from vs their crownes and acknowledge to hold them of vs with many other excessiue honors which would not suffer the measure of this short leisure to describe vnto you But we quickely aweary thereof hasted to Greece â—ward led thither partly with the desire of our parents but hastened principally because I vnderstoode that Anaxius with open mouth of defamation had gone thither to seeke me and was now come to Peloponnesus where from Court to Court he made enquyrie of me doing yet himselfe so noble deedes as might hap to aucthorize an ill opinion of me We therefore suffred but short delayes desiring to take this countrey in our way so renowmed ouer the worlde that no Prince coulde pretend height nor bigger lownesse to barre him from the sound thereof renowmed indeede not so much for the ancient prayses attributed thereunto as for the hauing in it Argalus and Amphialus two knights of such rare prowes as we desired especially to know and yet by farre not so much for that as without suffering of comparison for the beautie of you and your sister which makes all indifferent iudges that speake thereof account this countrie as a temple of deities But these causes indeed mouing vs to come by this land wee embarked our selues in the next porte whether all those Princes sauing Antiphilus who returned as he pretended not able to tarry longer from Erona conueied vs. And there found we a ship most royally furnished by Plexirtus who had made all thinges so proper as well for our defence as ease that all the other Princes greatly commended him for it who seeming a quite altered man had nothing but repentance in his eies friendship in his gesture and vertue in his mouth so that we who had promised the sweete Zelmane to pardon him now not onely forgaue but began to fauour perswading our selues with a youthfull credulitie that pechance thinges were not so euill as wee tooke them and as it were desiring our owne memorie that it might be so But so were we licensed from those Princes truely not without teares especially of the vertuous Leonatus who with the king of Pontus would haue come with vs but that we in respect of the ones young wife and both their new settled kingdomes would not suffer it Then would they haue sent whole fleetes to to guard vs but we that desired to passe secretely into Greece made them leaue that motion when they found that more ships then one would be displeasing vnto vs. But so committing our selues to the vncertaine discretion of the wind we then determining as soone as we came to Greece to take the names of Daiphantus Palladius as well for our owne promise to Zelmane as because we desired to come vnknowne into Greece left the Asian shore full of Princely persons who euen vpon their knees recommended our safeties to the deuotion of their chiefe desires among whome none had bene so officious though I dare affirme all quite contrarie to his vnfaithfulnes as Plexirtus And So hauing sailed almost two daies looking for nothing but when we might looke vpon the land a graue mâ—n whom we had seene of great trust with Plexirtus and was sent as our principall guide came vnto vs and with a certaine kinde manner mixt with shame repentance began to tel vs that he had takeÌ„ such a loue vnto vs coÌ„sidering our youth fame that though he were a seruant a seruant of such trust about Plexirtus as that he had committed vnto him euen those secretes of his hart which abhorde all other knowledge yet he rather chose to reueale at this time a most pernitious counsel then by councealing it bring to ruin those whom he could not choose but honour So went he on and tolde vs that Plexirtus in hope therby to haue Artaxia endowed with the great Kingdome of Armenia to his wife had giuen him order when we were neere Greece to finde some opportunitie to murder vs bidding him to take vs a sleepe because he had seene what we could do waking Now sirs said he I would rather a thousand times loose my life then haue my remembrance while I liued poysoned with such a mischiefe and therefore if it were onely I that knewe herein the Kings order then should my disobedience be a warrant of your safetie But to one more said hee namely the Captaine of the shippe Plexirtus hath opened so much touching the effect of murdering you though I think laying the cause rather vpon old grudge then his hope oâ— Artaxia And my selfe before the consideration of your excellencies had drawn loue and pittie into mind imparted it to such as I thought fittest for such a mischiefe Therefore I wishe you to stand vpon your garde assuring you that what I can doo for your safetie you shal see if it come to the pushe by me perfourmed We thanked him as the matter indeed deserued and from that time would no more disarme our selues nor the one sleepe without his friendes eyes waked for him so that it delaied the going forward of their bad enterprize while they thought it rather chaunce then prouidence which made vs so behaue ourselues But when we came within halfe a daies sayling of the shore so that they sawe it was speedily or not at all to be done TheÌ„ I remember it was about the first watch in the night came the Captaine and whispered the Councellour in the eare But he as it should seem disswading him from it the Captaine who had bene a pyrate from his youth and oâ—ten blouded in it with a lowde voice sware that if Plexirtus bad him he would not sticke to kill God him selfe And therewith cald his mates and in the Kings name willed them to take vs aliue or dead encouraging them with the spoile of vs which he said and indeed was true would yeeld many exceeding rich iewels But the Councellour according to his promise commanded them they should not commit such a villany protesting that hee would stand betweene them and the Kings anger therein Wherewith the Captaine enraged Nay said he then we must begin with this traitor him selfe and therewith gaue him a sore blow vpon the head who honestly did the best he could to reuenge himselfe But then we knew it time rather to encounter