y e die of purple which coÌ„ming home he shewed vnto the fullers and dyers in their countrey which colours this day hath continued famous in Tyrus Wherefore as the maner is before the mariage begin my father appointed a solemne seruice to be said Which when I vnderstood I now thought my selfe quite vndoone I did deuise with my selfe by all meanes how this might be deferred vntill another time While I was in this browne studio I heard a suddaine vprore of men in the chamber where they doo accustome to kill the sacrifice and it was after this maner When my father had killed a lambe for the sacrifice and taken the entrayles and laide them on the altar a mightie Eagle came roaring from about and snatched them away neither could they that stoode by it helpe it by any way wherefore she did fly away with her pray And this was thought to be a signe of ill lucke and from that day the mariages were deferred wherefore my father caused all the deuinours and sooth-sayers to be sent for and he declared to them all the matter wherefore they sayd they should go to the sea and at midnight sacrifice to Iupiter Hospitalis for thither they sayd the Eagle did flie and the entral did there fall from her into the sea But I greatly reioyced at this mishappe which had thus deliuered me from a perpetuall seruitude I commended the Eagle saying that she worthilie deserued to bee called the Quéene of all birdes But that which was foretold by this ill lucke fell out not long after Callisthenes a yong man of Byzantium whose father and mother both were dead rich suÌ„ptuous and giuen to ryot he hearing that Sostratus had a fayre daughter although he neuer saw her yet because of her excéeding commendations he desired to haue her to his wife For such is the lust of intemperate men that euen with very fame they will be driuen to loue and will equally be affected by hearing as if they had séene her Wherefore before the war was proclaimed to the Byzantians he was very importunat with Sostratus that he would bestowe her on him for his wife But he misliking the lewdnesse of his vicious life aunswered him he would not therefore Callisthenes thinking that Sostratus contemned him was wonderfull wrath and although he loued his daughter indeede whose beautie he conceiued in his minde to be without match although he did neuer sée her yet hée séemed to him as if he scorned her And he deuised with himselfe by all meanes possible how he might be reuenged on Sostratus Moreouer it is a lawe with the Byzantians that if any man doo rauish a mayde he shall suffer no other penance then marrie her Callisthenes liked this law very well and sought out a fit time for his purpose and although that the wars did increase and that he knew well that she was at Tyrus yet he neuer left of to worke his ambush made wherein he was furthered by a strange accident For there was this oracle giuen to the Byzantians There is an Iland in the sea which of a plant is nam'd Which by a little narrow creeke is ioyned to the land Which coÌ„passed rouÌ„d with force of sea is oft with tempest tam'd Where Pallas doth with Vulcan ioy to ioyne There vnto Hercules giue sacrifice diuine When many of them doubted what Iland it shuld be which was meant by the oracle Sostratus for he as I said was generall in the warre nowe is fit time saith he that we sacrifice to Hercules of Tyrus for that is the place certainly which is spoken of by the oracle for it doth answere it in all respects For there God hath named it by the surname of a plant because it is an Iland of the the Phaenicians for Phoenix which word signifieth a date trée is a plant and it lyeth in the sea and is by a vast promontory ioyned to the land and this doth séeme to hold it to the land the other séemes by violence to breake it off this promontory ioyned to the land séemeth to be the necke of the Iland and in the bottome of the sea it doth not touch the earth for the water doth run vnder it so that it giueth a newe spectacle to behold a Cittie standing in the sea and ioyned to the land And that which is spoken of the coniunction of Pallas and Vulcan is to be interpreted the oyle and fire which both are there in great abundaunce for there is a holy place compassed round with a well where as a certaine fire doth cleaue vnto the Oliue Trée and casteth his flames about her braunches by whose heate the Oliue doth florish the better So by this meanes the fire and the Plante doo growe in Fréendshippe and Pallas doth not â—â—ye from Vulcane Then Chaerephon fellowe with Sostratus in the warre but higher in authority because he was born at Tyrus extolled him greatly saying you haue rightly interpreted the Oracle of the god but that you may not thinke the nature of fire to be onelyâ— admirable there are as strange properties of the water for I my selfe haue beholden some of them There is in Sicilia a fountaine whose water doth euer runne mingled togither with fire wherein you may sée the flame of the fire rising from the bottome to the toppe if you touch the water it is like snowe and extreame colde neyther yet doth the water extinguishe the fire neyther the fire heate the Water Moreouer in Spaine there is a Riuer which at the first sight you woulde iudge it to bee like others but if you lye downe and listen to it you shall heare it make a great sounde for when there is a small winde you shall heare it yéelde a sound like vnto a viole the winde is in stead of the sticke and the water doth supply the vse of the instrument there is also in Lybia a marish ground where the sand is like that in India and the maides of Lybia knowing there to bée gold doo accustome to get it after this maner for the gold lyeth vnder the mudde and there ariseth by a little spring wherein they put a pole anointed with tarre and thrust it into the hande and as a hooke is to the fish so is this pole to the golde for it catcheth holde of the pole the tarre béeing in stead of a bayte for what golde doth touch it doth cleaue to it and is laide vp vppon the shore and so is Golde gotten in Lybia Which when Chaerephon hadde sayde so they decréede to sende one to Tyrus to sacrifice Wherfore Calisthenes fayning himselfe one of the sacrificers did sayle also to Tyrus and there knowing my fathers house at what time the women should come foorth to beholde she pompe and magnificence of the sacrifice hée laide his ambushes In which showe there was great store of perfumes great varietie of flowers Of the perfumes was Cassia Frankineense Storax Of the flowers Roses Daffadill Myrtell and the swéetenesse of the
forth I turned mée to Menelaus saying Loose I pray thee loose for her tender hands cannot abide to be tyed thus roughly let me alone with her I will hold her downe in stéede of a cord lette her rage vpon me if she will What should I liue now any longer Leucippe knoweth me not and hâ—re lieth bound and I behold her in this case yet moued with pittie I do not vnbind her did fortune therefore deliuer vs out of the hands of theeues that thou by madnesse shouldest be made a laughingstocke for vs O wretched vnfortunate that we are shal we neuer haue better hap that which we feared at home haue auoyded that we might trie the force of the raging Sea we escaped shipwrack fled out of the hands of the théeues because the Destinies had appointed our end to be madnesse which if thou escape I feare lest fortune haue some greater affliction to present vs withall who is more wretched then we to whom is prosperitie to bee graunted But fortune mocketh vs and séemes to laugh at vs when we repent but Menelaus comforted me being thus sad and pensiue saying that these troubles were too violent to last long and that this frensie of hers was ingendred by a hotte bloud and dispersed abroade through the veynes striking vp into the head sought to distract the minde by confounding all the senses wherfore the Phisitions were sent for to trie if they by their art could help her Menelaus went vnto Charmides to request him that hee would send for his Phisition which was in the armie which he commanded instantly to be done For louers doo reioyce to apply themselues in any thing which may tend to their good The Phisition being come deuised with himselfe what this sodaine sicknesse might be wherefore first hee gaue her a potion to sléepe that the sicknesse might leaue some of his force for sleepe is the remedie for all sicknesse But to procéede he gaue her as much as a graine of Pomegranade which being beaten together with oyle he bound it to the temples of her head saying that afterward he would giue her a purgation for the ease of her belly Leucippe beeing thus annointed fell presently into a sound sléepe and so continued vntill the morning but I sate by her watching all the night and looking vpon her bonds I said alas poore Leucippe canst thou sléepe so soundly being bound what dreames do now trouble thy head hath this sléepe yet recouered thy wits againe or whether dost thou dreame of idle fantasies Béeing now awaked she beganne to talke somewhat idlie and immediatly the Phisition came to her againe and gaue her another medicine In the meane season letters were brought from the Deputie of Aegypt vnto Charmides wherein he was commanded to bring forth the armies preseÌ„tly ioyne battell with the théeues wherfore all were ready in armes about to march forward to méete theyr enemies euery captaine with as much spéed as could bee brought al their companies together vnder their colours and alarum being giuen they went euerie one to his seuerall tents In the next morrow betime in the morning he brought forth all his armies the situation of the village was in this forme From the places which are aboue the Aegyptian Thaebae the Riuer Nilus runneth downe and commeth along by the Citie Memphis where it sendeth sorth a little streame which comming from the mayne channell compasseth a little péece of ground There is a little village called Syrus which also is diuided from the lande by another little fléete so â—hat of one streame there seemed to come thrée riuers whereof two do dissperse themselues abroade into the countrey the third directing his course straight toward the sea and compasseth that lande which is called Belta But none of these Riuers do carrie their whole streame into the Sea but being diuided do run through many Cities bordering néere about and euery part of these do excell the greatest riuer in Greece in bignesse neither yet although the streame be thus diuided is the force of the water weaker but is nauigable both with greater smaller vessels to them which inhabit there-abouts for the riuer Nilus serueth for all vses of the countrey and it is a most admirable thing how that in the selfe same place you may beholde a ship and a plough an oare and a mattocke a mast and a spade the houses of mariners husbandmen the lodgings of fishes and oxen and where as you did steare your ship there also may you guide your plough the greatnesse of the riuer doth continue in longitude rising at a certaine time with a higher streame and the Aegyptians do daily expect his comming and count howe many daies hee accustometh to stay but he rising at his accustâ—med time euerfloweth his banks and watereth all the countrie round about him There may one sée as it were a contention betwéene the Water and the earth for while that he doth striue to ouerflow the earth doth suppe it vp so that the Water doth containe equall compasse with the earth In this countrey do the théeues inhabite for the water falling againe doth make marrish grounds which do not stand with Water but are full of lime wherein they do row the little boates which will containe but one person for being but little a little water will suffice to carrie them and if in some place the riuer be shallow they take vp their boates and carrie them vpon their shoulders vntill they come to the water againe in these marishes there are certaine Ilands whereof the most are not inhabited they are full of paper rushes which grow so thick that betwéene their stalkes it is impossible to passe but one by one their tops grow all thicke together Nither do these theeues hide them heere they doo lay theyr plots of their villanie heere doo they shroud their wickednesse the rushes seruing them in stéed of a wall In many of these Ilands which are compassed with the marishes there are built cottages so thicke as they séeme to be a scattered towne whereof the greatest which contained the most number of houses was called Nichocis thither did they get themselues as it were into a strong holde where in the situation and strength of the place they did trust much the passage to it was very naâ—row of length it contained an hundred twentie thrée paces in breadth but twelue After they perceuied that Charmides approched neere vnto them they deuised this stratageme among themselues they appointed all the old men to go formost in te band carrying in theyr hands Oliue branches attired after the manner of petitioners in signe of peace they commaunded the strongest of their youth to follow next after being wonderfully well armed and placed in battell array So determining that the olde men shoulde carrie theyr branches in signe of peace and that they should shaddow the Armie of men comming behinde with theyr boughs the young men dragged theyr weapons after them that they
might not be séene Béeing placed in this order they went forward to méete Charmides desiring him that he would take pittie on theyr olde age and spare theyr whole Cittie promising that they would giue him a hundreth talents of gold priuatly and as many men if he would cease to besiege their citie which hee might send vnto the gouernour of Aegypt as spoyles taken in war All which they would haue done if hee would haue accepted of the condition but Charmides hauing heard what they could say would not graunt them their requests wherefore said the olde men if you will not haue pittie vpon vs we must indure this miserie patiently and if that wee shall die slay vs heere before our Cittie walles that in our fathers habitations where we had our beginning there also we may make our end hauing this citie to be our tombes and we our selues will be the authâ—urs of our own death When Charmides heard this he dismissed his army sending them backe againe to their tents Now the théeues had layd certaine spies which did see all that was doone to whome it was giuen in charge that as soone as they saw the enemies comming breaking downe the banke of the riuer they should let the water in vpon them for there are diuers ditches made with high bankes which do keepe in the Water of Nilus y t it shall not ouerflow vntill time require which when they will let the Water round about they plucke downe the bankes wherefore the spies séeing them come neere plucked downe the bankes so that the Water began to ouerflow amaine and in an instant the old men got themselues away the yong men which dragd their weapons behind them beganne to rush vpon them the Waters increased and waxed so high that all the marishes were ouerflowen so that it seemed a little Sea This assault beeing giuen thus on the sodaine they slewe all which they mette but first they dispatched Charmides the other souldiours were in such an amaze they knowe not what to do the darts came so thicke vppon them that they were nowe in despaire of succour flie they coulde not the straights were so narrow and offer violence to them they were not able the Water now came vppe to their middle wherefore many astonished with feare stood still expecting their death others striuing to go forward were borne downe with the force of the Water some indeuouring to flie away stucke fast in the mud the waters beeing ouerflowen tooke away the vse of their bucklers neither could one tel which was the field or which the marish for he which thought he was vppon the field running apace stucke fast in the sâ—ime and pursued was taken of his enemies and he which was in the marish supposing he had beene vpon the firme land and making quicke spéede was drowned in some hole without doubt this was a new kinde of misfortune and shipwracke by sea when as round about there was not a ship to be séene neither was it so straunge but euen ouercomming humane cogitation in the water was fought a battaile by land and on the land was suffred shipwracke The théeues being now aloft with this successe began to vaunt and brag thinking how that they had gotten the victorie by valour not by deceit or ambushes for the nature of the Aegyptian is that in aduersitie hee is of no courage but in prosperitie hée plucketh vp his heart again so that he is euer in the extremes for either he cowardly yéeldeth or else doth proudly dominere Ten daies were now expired since Leucippe fel into her madnesse which did not séeme to cease any thing at all wherefore one day as she was in a sléepe shée spake verie earnestly these words For they cause Gorgias did I fall madde which I hearing assoone as it was day I told to Menelaus thinking with my selfe whether there were any in the Towne which was called Gorgias Whilest I went downe out of my lodging there met me a certaine yoong man which after he had saluted me spake to me in this maner I am the preseruer of thée and thy wife wherefore being amazed what said I art thou Gorgias He answered no but I am Chaerea Gorgias was he which was the cause of her mishap then I being more astonished then before what mishap said I or what is this Gorgias Tell me I pray you what these sayings do meane Then said he this Gorgias was an Aegyptian souldier which now is dead for he was one of the first which was slain of the théeues he was in loue with your wife and when by nature he was giuen to sorceries hee made an amorous Potion and perswaded your Aegyptian seruaunt that hee should mingle it with Leucippes drinke but so it came to passe that he made the Potion stronger then he should and in stead to make her loue he made her madde all this Gorgias seruant tolde mee yesternight which escaped out of the same warre where his maister was slaine and it séemeth to be most likely that by the sacred Destinies decrée hee was saued aliue for your sakes Thus hauing ended he demaunded of me foure péeces of gold promising it I would giue him so much he woulde presently restore her to her health saying that he had a medicine nowe readie mingled which would cure the former disease But beside this rewarde sayde I I will giue thée immortall thankes for this thy good turne but first send for this man which you talked off So he departed from me but I comming home did giue my Aegiptian seruant his desert striking him three or foure times vpon the face with threatning words I asked of him what that was which he mingled and gaue to Leucippe and for what cause she fell mad wherwithall he being affraid declared all to me as Chaerea hadde spoken before We procured him therefore to be shut vp in prison In the meane time Chaerea returned with Gorgias maÌ„ to whom I presently payed the money saying I pray you marke this of me and heare my opinion héerein you knowe that the potion was the cause of all this mishappe wherefore I doo not thinke it good that her belly béeing once infected with drugges you go about to distemper it with the like But procéede on forwarde and shewe me what is in your medicine and make it ready while I doo stand by which if you shall bring to passe I wil giue you both well double my reward Then sayde the Seruant you doo séeme to feare not without a cause But those things which are to be prouided are edible and common and I my selfe will eate as much of them before as I will giue vnto her And immediately they went and bought euerie thing and before mée they pund them and being diuided into two parts this first said he will I drinke this other part I will giue to the maide which after she hath dronk she will sléepe all the night when morning commeth she will both be fréed of her
sléep disease So he did drinke vp one part the other he commanded to be kept vntill night and then to be ministred vnto her and he promising that the medicine would worke after this order hauing taken the money departed awaye the rest I promised I would giue him when Leucippe was recouered againe When the time came that I should giue her the medicine mingling it togither in my hand I spake after this manner O Phisicke begotten of the earth and Aesculapius and by him first giuen to mankind I pray God that his promises of thée doo prou◠true Bée thou fauourable vnto mée and driuing away this sauage and corrupt poyson restore this most beautifull virgin to her health againe hauing kissed the pot I gaue it to Leucippe who hauing receiued it not long after as he had declared fell into a great sléepe but I sitting by her as shee was asléepe said vnto her as though shee heard me what doost thou now repent thy self doost thou know me let me heare thée speake to me go too tell me something on thy dreame for yesternight thou didst talke of Gorgias worthely is thy felicity being awake great but greater when thou art asléepe for being awake thou didst fall into madnesse but the dreames of sléepers doo pretend things to come As I was thus talking with her as though shee hearde me the morning began to appeare Leucippe awaking called me by my name but I comming nearer vnto her enquired of her health but shée séemed to me not to know any thing that shée did but séeing her selfe bounde shée fell into a great admiration and demaunded of mée of whome shée was bound then séeing her restored to her wittes againe leaping for very ioy I vnloosed her and I declared all things which were doone which when she heard shée blushed and vnderstood how that she had béene mad Wherefore I comforting her badde her be of a good courage which I declared to Satyrus demaunding of him the rewards to giue to Chaerea for hée kept all our prouision safe since the shipwracke neither afterwardes did either Menelaus or hee or any of vs remaine in the daunger of the théeues In the meane season a newe armye was sent from the chiefe Cittie against the théeues which did determine to ouerthrowe the Cittie also wée beeing nowe freed from the iniurie of the robbers which inhabited the riuer determined to goe to Alexandria taking Chaerea with vs whom because he made the potion we receiued into our companie He was a fisherman of the Iland Pharos but at that time he did serue in pay vnder the pyrates and the war béeing ended he was dismissed Wherefore when sayling had béene long intermitted because of the pyrates their forces being now vanquished al the riuer was full fraught againe with vessels and the reioycing of the marriners the applause of the passengers the number of ships and boates the fayrenesse of the riuer did bréede a great delight to the beholders for the passage vpon the riuer did séeme as though the riuer did celebrate a festiuall But I beeing delighted with the riuer desired also to taste the swéetenesse thereof the very first day I did drinke it without any wine because béeing mingeled with a liquor of greater force the vertue of it is extinct by a more forcible Therefore I tooke vppe the water in a glasse which did séeme to striue with y e Christall in whitenesse the taste in drinking was swéete coole I doo know certaine riuers in Greece so cold that one is not able to drinke thereof Wherefore it commeth to passe that the Aegiptiaus when Nilus ouerfloweth doo neuer feare the scarcitie of wine I did meruaile at their manner of drinking thereof for they neither vse cuppes glasses pots or any other such vessell but doo drinke from their hands if any of the saylers be thirsty he boweth downe out of the ship and in the hollownesse of his hād taketh vp the water but I did there behold another beast which in force did far surpasse the Horse of Nilus the name whereof was a Crocodile he is in forme both of a fish and also a beast which liueth vpon the land there is a great space betwéene his head and his tale but the breadth in proportion doth not answere to his length his skinne is roughe with scales his backe is blacke and like to a stone his bellie is white he hath foure féete bowing somewhat inward like vnto a land tortesse his tayle long thicke and solide like vnto his body his téeth stand like to the manner of a sawe wherewith if he fight with any beast hée feareth them his head groweth to his body no separatiō séene for nature hath hidden his necke the other part of his body is very horrible to behold especially when his iawes hang down and his mouth is open so long as he doth not gape his head séemeth to be solible but when he openeth his choppes it is otherwise in eating hee moueth his vpper iawe but neuer his nether moreouer his gaping is so wide that it reacheth to his shoulders and neare by adioyning to his belly His téeth are many set in thrée ranckes whose number is as they say so many as there be dayes in the yeare you would wonder to sée the hugenesse of his bodie when he goeth vppon the earth to thinke what incredible strength he hath The fift Booke The Contents In this fift Booke is set foorth the rape of Leucippe by Cherea the loue of Melite towards Clitiphon their sayling to Ephesus After it sheweth how Sosthenes the steward of Melite bought Leucippe of a Merchant which had redeemed her from Pyrates how shee vnder the name of Lacena vnknowne of Clitiphon perceiueth his loue to Melite The returning home of Thersander Melites husband whom she long since had thought to haue perished in shipwracke WHen thrée dayes were past we came to Alexandria and entering into the gates of the Sunne for so they are called my eyes were filled with the bewtie of the citie for from the gates of the Sunne to the Moone for they are vnder the safegard of those goddes a long rowe of pillers supporteth y e building on both sides in whose middle is a stréete from whence many wayes do come so that the people walking in the citie do séeme as it were to haue vndertaken a voyage Hauing walked two or thrée furlongs into the citie I came to that place which hath his name of Alexander and I did behold another cittie which was distinguished after this order There was a long row of pillers equall in height which séemed to be vauted ouer making a faire passage through so that it doth serue to walke safe from a tempest or foule weather But this citie séemed to me populous and there were so many that except the building were verie large they could not be conteined By chance at the same time the festiual day of the great God which the Grecians call 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉