helped him besides that hauing knowledge of herbes and of the nature of beasts the beasts profited so well vnder his hands that there is none that desires not to put them to him whereof hee makes so good an account that besides the profit that he makes thereof there are few that gratifie him not with something so that at this houre he is in good case and may call himselfe rich for O faire Nymph we want not much to make vs so for that nature being contented with a few things we seeke after nothing but to liue according to it we are as soone rich as content and our contentment being easily compassed our riches are quickly gotten You are sayd Siluie more happy then we But you told me of Diane I know her not but by sight tell me I pray you who was her mother That is Bellinde answered he wife of the wise Celion who dyed young And Diane sayd Siluie what is shee and what is her humour She is said Celadon one of the fairest shepheardesses of Lignon and if I were not partiall for Astrea I would say shee were the fairest for in truth besides that shee is to the eye shee hath so many beauties in her spirit that there is nothing superfluous nor defectiue Many times three or foure of vs shepheards haue beene together to consider of her not knowing what perfection might be wished for that she had not for though she loue nothing of loue yet loues shee all vertue with so sincere a will that she binds more to her by that sort then others most violent affections And how said Silâ—ie is she not serued of many The deceit answered Celadon which the father of Filidas did her is the hinderance that there are none now and indeede it was one of the most not able that euer I heard of If it were not painefull to you added Siluie I would bee glad to learne it of you and also to know who this Celion was and who this Bellinde I feare answered the shepheard the discourse will be so long that it will trouble you On the contrary said the Nymph We know not better how to imploy the time while Galathee reades the letters that she went to receiue Then to satisfie your commandement answered he I will doe it as briefly as I can and then hee held on in this sort The History of Celion and Bellinde IT is true faire Nymph that vertue spoyled of all other ornament ceases not to be of it selfe louely hauing so many allurements with which as soone as the soule is touched it must bee beloued and followed but when this vertue meetes with a body that is faire it is not onely pleasing but admirable for that the eyes and spirit are rauished in the contemplation and vision of this beauty which shall bee manifested by the discourâ—â— which I meane to make you of 〈◊〉 Know then that neere the riuer of Lignon there was a very honest shepheard named Philemon who after hee had beene long married had a daughter whom he called Bellinde who comming to growth made as great a shew of beauty in her spirit as might be seene in her body Hard by her house lodged another shepheard called Leon with whom neighbourhood had tyed a strong bond of amity and fortune vnwilling to doe more for the one then for the other gaue him likewise at the same time a daughter whose youth gaue great promise of â—â—ture beauty she was called Amaranthe The friendship of the fathers caused that of the daughters to encrease by frequenting together for they were bred vp together from the cradle and when their age permitted them they led their stlocks alike at night brought them in companies to their lodgings But because as they grew in body their beauty likewise encreased to the view of the eye there were many shepheards that sought their loue whose feruices and affections could not obtaine more of them then that they were receiued with courtesie It fell out that Celion a young shepheard of those quarters hauing lost a sheep came to seek it among Bellindes flock whither it was strayed She restor it with such courtesie that the recouery of his sheep was the beginning of the losse of himselfe and froÌ„ that time he began to feele with what force two faire eies were able to offend for before he was so ignoraÌ„t that the very thoght of it neuer came into his soule But what ignoraÌ„ce soeuer was in him it brought him to that passe that it made him by his wooing know what his disease was and the onely Physician from whom hee was to haue his health So that Bellinde by his actioÌ„s perceiued it almost as soon as himselfe for at the first he knew not what to say his designe was but his affect on growing with his age came to that greatnesse that hee found the discommodity in good earnest and then acknowledged it being constrained to change the pastimes of his youth into a very curious pursuite And Bellinde on the other side though she were serued of many receiued his affection aboue any other yet no otherwise then if he had bene her brother which she made appeare one day when he thought to haue found the coÌ„modity to declare his good will She kept her flocke along the riuer of Lignon and beheld her beauty in the water Whereupon the shepheard taking occasion sayd to her holding after an amorous fashion his hand before his eyes Take heede faire shepheardesse withdraw your eyes from this water feare you not the dangers that others haue runne into by such actions Why say you so answered Bellinde that as yet vnderstood him not Ah then said the shepheard faire and dissembling shepheardesse you represent within this happy riuer more beauty then Narcissus in the fountaine At these words Bellinde blushed and that encreased her beauty the more yet shee answered Since whence Celion haue you wished mee so well without doubt it is well done of you To wish you well said the shepheard it is long time since I did it and you are to beleeue that this will shall be limited by no other termes then that of my life Then the shepheardesse casting down her head on this side said I make no doubt of your amity receiuing it with the same good will that I offer you mine Where to Celion presently answered Let me kisse that faire hand by way of thankes for so great a good and for an earnest of the faithfull seruice which Celion is to render you the rest of his life Bellinde knew as well by the feruour wherewith he vttered these words as by the kisses which he imprinted on her hand that he figured to himselfe his amity of another quality then she meant and because shee would not haue him liue in this error Celion sayd she you are far from that you thinke you cannot sooner banish me from your company then by this meanes if you desire that I should continue the amity I haue
thus to you I would not haue you thinke that I haue diminished this good will for it shall accompany mee to my graue and yet it may be you would do it if I had not forewarned you but bind me by beleeuing that my life and not my amity may diminish These words put Celion into much paine not knowing whereto they tended at last hee answered that hee attended her will with great ioy and great feare with ioy for that he could imagine nothing more beneficial to him then the honor of her commandements and with feare for that he knew not for what cause she threatned him yet death it selfe could not be vnwelcome to him if it befell him by her commandement Then Bellinde held on Since besides your sayings at this time you haue alwayes giuen mee that witnesse of this assurance which you make mee that with reason I cannot doubt I will make no more difficulty not to intreate but to coniure Celion by all the amity with which he fauours his Bellinde to obey her at this time I will not command him a thing impossible much lesse draw him from the affection which he beares me rather on the contrary I will if it may be that he encrease it more and more But before I passe further let me know I beseech you if euer your amity hath bene of other quallity then it is now Celion then shewing a countenance lesse troubled then that which before the doubt had constrained him to haue answered that he began tâ—â—â—ope well hauing receiued such assurance that to satisfie her demand hee would againe auow that hee hath loued her with the same affections and passions and with the same desires that youth did vsually produce in hearts transported furthest by loue and that therein he would not except any one that since her commandement had such power ouer him it had got the like ouer his passion that his sincere amity had so far surpassed his loue that he did not thinke hee should offend a sister to loue her with that mind On my faith brother replyed the shepheardesse for so I will hold you the remainder of my life you so bind me by liuing thus with mee that neuer any of your actions euer got more ouer my soule then this But I cannot see you longer in paine Know then that that which I would haue of you is onely that preseruing inuiolably this good amity which you now beare me you place your loue on one of the fairest shepheardesses of Lignon You may say this is a strange office for Bellinde yet if you consider that she of whom I speake would haue you for her husband and that she is after you the person whom I most loue for it is Amaranthe I assure my selfe you will not wonder at it She hath intreated and I command you by all the power I haue ouer you She made haste to giue him this coÌ„mandement fearing that if she staied long she should not haue the power to resist the supplications which she foresaw What thinke you faire Nymph became of this poore Celion he grew pale like a dead man and so besides himselfe that hee could not for a good while bring forth a word At last when he could speake with such a voyce as they haue that are in the midst of punishment he cryed out Ah cruell Bellinde haue you preserued my life till now to take it from me with such inhumanity This commandement is too cruell to let me liue and my affection too great to let mee die without despaire Alas suffer me to dye but let me die faithfull that if there be no meane to recouer Amaranthe but by my death I may sacrifice my self most willingly for her health the change of this commandement shall be no lesse witnesse that I am beloued of you then whatsoeuer you shall be able to do to me Bellinde was moued but not changed Celion sayd shee let vs leaue all these idle words you shall giue me lesse occasion to beleeue what you say to me if you will not satisfie the first request which I make you Cruell presently sayd the afflicted Celion if you will that I change this amity what power haue you more to comand me but if you wil not that I chaÌ„ge it how is it possible to loue vertue and vice and if it be not possible why for proofe of my affection will you haue a thing which cannot be Pitty thought to ouercome her and though she had â—uch paine for the griefe of the shepheard yet was it some contentment which could not be paralelled to know her selfe so perfectly beloued of him that shee loued so deare and is may bee might haue got something ouer her resolution had it not 〈◊〉 that she would put from Amaranthe all opinion that shee was attainted with her euil though she loued the shepheard and was well beloued yet she enforced her pitty which already had brought forth some teares into her eyes to returne into her heart without giuing knowledge that it was come and in the end that she might not fall againe into the same paine she went away and at her departing she sayd Account of me as pleases you I am resolued neuer to see you vntill you haue effected my praier and your promise and thinke that this resolution shall ouer-liue your obstinacy If Celion were besides himselfe seeing himselfe so farre from all consolation and resolution he may iudge that hath loued So it was that hee stood two or three days like a man lost running into the woods and flying from all those whom formerly he had conuersed with At last an old shepheard a great friend of his fathers one indeed that was very wise and who had alwayes loued Celion passing well seeing him in this case and doubâ—ing there was no passion strong enough to worke such effects but loue so sifted him on all sides that he made him discourse his paine where to he gaue some asswagement by his good counsell for in his youth he had often passed thorow the same straights And at last seeing him a little tractable he mocked at him for that he had such paine for so small a matter telling him that the remedy was so easie that hee might be ashamed that it should bee knowne that Celion esteemed wise by euery man and a person of courage should haue so little vnderstanding that hee knew not how to resolue in an accident that was not very difficult or at the worst could not dissemble and then hee went on But it had bene fit that at the beginning you had made these difficulties for so she shall thinke your affection extremee and this shall tie her to loue you the more but since you haue made that demonstration it wil suffice that to content her you make shew of that which shee commands This counsell at last was receiued of Celion and executed as it was propounded It is true that he wrote this letter to Bellinde before Celions letter
of that worlds starre aboue It seemes in following it to say Sunne of my skie Burne me with thine owne raies make that I die by thee At least in dying so this pleasure rests with me That other fire could not burne me but thine eye When Phoenix bird alone out of composure rare By Nature taught thereto doth first her selfe prepare From relickes of her tombe her cradle yet to haue Sheâ— saith to that great fire the garden of her soule I shall in glory rise by dying in thy cole And take my life againe from ashes of my graue He sayd some others but I haue forgotten them so that mee thought it was I to whom these words were directed and I know not if that which Daphnis had told me made me think so or his eyes which yet spake more plainely then his mouth But if this verse gaue me knowledge his discretion witnessed it much more afterwards for it is one of the effects of true affection to serue with discretion and not to giue knowledge of his disease but by effects ouer which they can haue no power This young shepheard finding the humour of Amidor and for that Loue had made him curious and inquiring if it were but of Filidas hee thought that the best point of Arte to shut vp the eyes of them both was to compasse a strait league with them not giuing any shew of that he bare me Loue made him so cunning and wise that holding on his designe hee deceiued not onely Amidor but my eyes also because that vsually hee would leaue vs to goe to him and he would neuer come but in his company It is true that the crafty Daphnis found it presently because said shee that Amidor is not so louely that he can draw so honest a shepheard as Filander to vse so carefull a search so that it must needes be for a more worthy subiect She was the cause that I began to haue a care of my selfe and I must confesse that then his discretion pleased me and if I could haue suffred my selfe to be beloued it should be of him but the houre was not then come that I should bee strucke on that side yet did I not forbeare to please my selfe with his actions and to approue his designe in some sort When hee was to take his leaue of vs hee accompanied vs a good way and at our parting I neuer heard such assurance of amity as he gaue to Amidor nor so many offers of seruices as to Filidas and the foole Daphnis vnhappy whispered in mine care Conceaue you that it is to you that he speakes and if you doe not answer him you doe great wrong And when Amidor beganne to thanke him she said Oh what a foole he is to beleeue that these offerings are ordained for his Altar but he could so well dissemble that hee made Amidor wholly his and got such ground on his good will that when he returned and was to deliuer that which Filander had on his part desired him to say to Filidas that this maid had a desire to see him and some dayes after hee added so many ouer-lashing commendations not saying any thing to me of it because that when I spake of him it was with such a coldnesse that it seemed to bee out of neglect they sent for him desiring him to come and see them God knowes whether he neede bee sollicited more then once for it was the thing he desired thinking it was impossible that his designe should haue a better beginning And by fortune the day that he was to come Daphnis and I went out to walke vnder some trees which are on the other side of that pasture that is next to this scarce knowing to whom to go while our flocks were feeding we went vncertaine whither our feete without election guided vs when wee heard a voyce farre enough off and wee thought it some strangers The desire to know it made vs turne directly to the place where the voice conducted vs and by reason Daphnis went first she spied Filander before me and made a signe to me to tread softly and when I came neer her she whispered in mine eare naming Filander who sate leaning against a tree entertaining his thoughts wearied as it seemed with the length of his way and by chance iust as we came he beganne in this sort A SONNET IN pride of heart I did misprize Loue with his crafts and sorceries When changing armes to these of yours The crafty greater ayde procures And yet before he did me wrong He vsde this language with his tongue A God against my Lawes growne proud For hauing got the victory Ouer a serpent disallowde The glory that is due to me But what I made him Daphne loue On him my greater force to proue The fire that burnt that glorious Came but from Nymphs eyes beauteous Whom he without her feeling lou'd But I will yours more fiery prou'd Comes not from Nymph but Dian selfe When I heard my selfe named fayre shepheardesses I trembled as if I vnawares had set my foot on a serpent and without longer stay I went away as softly as I could that I might not be seen albeit Daphnis to cause my returne suffered me to goe a great way alone At last seeing I kept on my way she stole away from him by little and little that shee might not be heard and at last ouertooke me and being scarce able to take her breath she went crying out a thousand broken reproches And when she could speake Vnfainedly sayes she if the heauens do not punish you I shall beleeue they are as vniust as you and what cruelty is this of yours not to heare him that complaynes To what end sayd I should I haue stayed longer To heare sayd she the euill you haue done him I answered I You iest in saying that I doe hurt the man that I thinke not of That is replyed she whereof you labour most for if you thought often of him it were impossible but you should haue pitty I blushed at that word and the change of colour gaue Daphnis to vnderstand that these words offended me This was the cause that smiling she sayd I am pleasant Diane that I said was but to passe the time away and beleeue not that I thinke it and concerning that he sung when he named your name it is for certaine that it was for another that bare your name or to refresh himselfe he sung these verses which he had receiued of some other We went discoursing in this sort and so long that being weary of walking we came backe another way to the same place where Filander was For my part it was by errour it may well be that Daphnis did it of purpose and finding him so neere vs I could not choose but looke on him at the first he was sitting and leaned against a tree but now wee found him layd all along on the ground one arme vnder his head and it seemed he was awake for
nor any other accident will I refuse you euer For the apparances of that we desire will not suffer vs to please our selfe though from else-where we haue sufficient assurance Well brother since your will is so I will do that for you which shall not be small what hazard soeuer I thrust my selfe into And then she went on You know the likenesse of our faces of our stature and speech and but for our habit they that are ordinarily with vs would take vs the one for the other If you thinke the onely meane to come to your purpose is to conuerse with Diane without suspition how can wee finde one more easie or more secret then to change habits you and I For being taken for a mayde Filidas will neuer conceiue euil opinion how neere soeuer you come to Diane and I returning to Gerestan in your habit will tell him that Daphnis and Diane keep you there â—erforce and we must inuent some good excuse for me to get leaue of my husband to goe see them but I know not what were best since hee is as you know so hard to be intreated Indeed sister answered Filander I neuer doubted of your good nature but at this time I must consesse there was neuer a better sister and since it pleaseth you to take this paine I beseech you if I enioy her to accuse my loue which constrained it and to beleeue that it is the only meane to conserue the life of that brother whom you loue And then he embraced her with so great an acknowledgement of the obligation which hee hath had that shee became more desirous to pleasure him then before At last she sayd let vs leaue these words to those that loue lesse and let vs onely looke to set our hand to the worke For leaue sayd he wee shall easily get it dissembling that all the good cheere which was made mee by Filidas was to no other purpose then that Amidor had to woo the niece of your husband And because this charge will trouble him I assure my selfe it will be easie for you to goe if we giue him to know that you and Daphnis together may well treate of this marriage But what order shall wee take for our haire yours being long and mine ouer-short which will be a great inconuenience Trouble not your selfe for that said she if you suffer yours to grow a little it will be enough to serue vnder a coife as I vse and for mine I will cut them like yours But said hee Sister will you not be loth to clip your head Brother said she think not I hold any thing dearer then your contentment besides that I shall auoyd many importunities while you weare my clothes and not lying neere Gerestan so that if I must haue my head shorne I will not make difficulty to doe it With this word he embraced her saying that God would one day deliuer him of that torment And not to lose time Filander on the first occasion that he thought fit spake with Gerestan representing to him that alliance so easily to be compassed and so profitable that hee will suffer himselfe easily to be led But because Filander would giue time to let his haire grow he made shew to goe to giue order to his affayres and that hee would returne very shortly And Filidas no sooner knew of Filanders returne but she went to see him accompanied onely with Amidor and would not leaue him without bringing him to vs where he stayed seuen or eight dayes not hauing the hardinesse to shew himselfe to mee more then at the first During this time to shew how hard a thing it is to force nature long though Filidas counterfeited the man as well as sâ—â—â—e could yet was shee constrained to feele the passions of a woman for the courage and merits of Filander wrought the same effect in her that he desired they should in me But Loue which takes delight to turne the actions of the most aduised contrary to their purpose made him giue the blow on the side he least looked for So behold the poore Filidas so farre besides her selfe that she could not liue without Filander and wooed him with such apparent shewes that he was astonished at it and but for the desire he had to be neere me he would neuer haue endured that fashion of life In the end when he thought his hayre was long enough to put vnder a coife hee returned to Gerestan and told him he had made a good entrance to their businesse but that Daphnis thought fit before she spake that Amidor might see his neece in some place that they might know if she pleased him and that the better way was that Callire should bring her that so there might be a beginning of amity that could not choose but be auaylable Gerestan which desired nothing with more passion then to be discharged of his Niece thought this proposition very good gaue absolute coÌ„mandement to his wife who to egge him on the better made shew of not liking it well at the first propounding some difficulty in the iourney and seeming to be sorry to depart from him saying that shee knew well that such affairs wold not fal out as we would nor so readily as was expected and that in the mean time their affaires would speed the worse at home But Gerestan that would not haue her haue any other will then his was so earnest that three dayes after he caused her to goe with her brother and his Niece The first day she went to lodge at Filanders house where in the morning they changed habit which fell out so well for the one and the other that they which conuersed with them knew it not and I must tell you I was deceiued as well as others there being no difference betweene them that I could obserue But I may easily be deceiued since Filidas was so though shee looked but with the eyes of Loue which are said to bee more piercing then those of Linxe's For presently after their comming they left vs the fained Callire I would say Filander and led the true into a chamber to rest in As they were in the way her brother instructed her what to answer and especially informed her of the Loue-tricks shee should vse resembling said hee those that are in loue whereby both the one and the other were offended and though Callire were fully resolued to beare all his importunities for the contentment of her brother yet so it was that shee thinking Filidas to bee a man that it was no small horror to her that she was constrained to speake to him As for vs when we were withdrawn alone Daphnis I did all the kindnesses that are vsuall among women I meane among those where there is Loue and priuacy which this shepheard tooke and gaue with that transport that as hee since swore hee was quite beside himselfe If I had not beene a very child it may be his actions might haue made me
to Bellinde IF I haue deserued to be soroughly vsed as I haue bene by you I choose rather to dye then to suffer it but since it is to your contentment I receiued it with little more pleasure then if in exchange you had awarded mee death notwithstanding since I am dedicated to you it is reasonable that you should absolutely dispose of me I will endeuour then to obey you but remember you that so long as this constraints lasteth so many dayes of my life must bee crossed out for I can neuer call it life that brings more griefe then death Abridge it then rigâ—â—ous shepheardesse if there be any one sparke not of amity but euen of pitty It was impossible but Bellinde must haue feeling of these words which shee knew came from an entire affection but it was not possible for these words to diuert her from her dessigne She aduertised Amaranthe that the shepheard should loue her that her health only kept back the knowledge of it This aduertisement hastened her recouery so that she gaue proofe that for the health of the body the health of the minde is most profitable How extreme was this constraint to Celion and what paine did he endure It was such that he waxed leane and so changed that he might not be knowne But behold what the seuerity was of this Shepheardesse It was not sufficient to handle Celion thus for iudging that Amaranthe had yet some suspition of their amity shee resolued to push those affaires so forward that neither of them both might gaine-say it Euery man saw the apparant suit that the shepherd made to Amaranthe for it was openly declared and the father of the shepheard knowing the commendable vertues of Leon and how much honoured his familie had alwaies beene did not mislike this suite One day Bellinde desirous to sound him propounded it as a friend and he that iudged it fit agreed willingly to it and this marriage was farre forward without the knowledge of Celion But when he perceiued it he could not be letted from finding a meane to talke with Bellinde to giue her such reproches that she was almost ashamed and the shepheard seeing he must vse other remedy than words ranne presently to the best that was to his father to whom he made this speech I shall be very sorry to disobey you at any time and lesse in this than any other I see you like well of the alliance of Amaranthe you may well know that there is not a shepheardesse that I affect more yet I loue her for a mistris but not for a wife and I beseech you commaund me not to tell the cause The father at this speech suspected that he had found some bad condition in the shepheardesse and in his soule commended his sonnes wisedome that had that command ouer his affections so that blowe was broken and for that the thing was so farre passed that many knew it many also asked why it proceeded so coldly the father could not choose but say somewhat to his most familiars and they to others that at last it came to Amaranthe who at the first tormented her selfe much but afterward setting before her selfe what her folly was to seeke to make him loue her by force by little and little she fell off and the first occasion that shee sawe fit and conuenient to marry her selfe shee tooke hold on So these louers were eased of a burden so hard to be borne But this was not but that they might be ouer-charged with another much more heauy Bellinde was now of age to be married and Philemon infinitely desirous to bestow her to haue in his old dayes the contentment to behold himselfe renewed in that which might come of her Hee would haue receiued Celion but Bellinde that shunned marriage euen as death had forbidden the shepheard to speake onely shee had promised him that if shee were constrayned to marry shee would giue him notice of it that hee might demaund her which was the cause that Philemon beholding the coldnesse of Celion would not offer her vnto him And in the meane time Ergaste a principall shepheard of that Countrey and who was well esteemed of euery one for his commendable vertues procured that shee was demaunded and because hee would not haue it vented before hee were assured he which managed the businesse dealt so secretly and warily as the promise of marriage was as soone knowne as it was demaunded For Philâ—mâ—â— assuring himselfe of the obedience of his daughter bound himselfe by word and after told her of it At the first shee found the resolution hard which she was to take because he was a man whom she had neuer seene yet that good spirit that neuer stoopes vnder the burden of misfortune raysed vp it selfe presently ouercomming that displeasure and would not suffer onely her eye to giue figne of sorrow for that consideration But she could neuer obtaine this ouer her selfe for Celion and of necessity her teares must pay the errour of her ouer-obstinate hatred of marriage So it was that to satisfie in some sort her promise she aduertised the poore shepheard that Philemon would marry her On the sudden hauing the permission so much desired hee so sollicited his father that the same day he spake with Philemon But now was no time for which the father of Bellinde was much grieued for hee loued him better than Ergaste O God! what was the sorrow when he knew the award of his misfortune hee went out of the house and ceased not vntill he found out the shepheardesse At the meeting he could not speake but his face manifested well enough what Philemons answer was And though she stood in as great need of good counsell as he and strength to support this blowe yet would she declare her selfe as wel vn-vanquished by this displeasure as she had alwayes gloried to be in all others But likewise would she not appeare to be so insensible but the shepheard might haue some knowledge that she felt her euill and that it displeased her Whereupon she demaunded to what the demand which hee made to her father amounted The shepheard answered her with the same words that Philemon had said to him adding so many complaints and desperate laments that she had beene a Rocke if she had not beene moued Yet shee interrupted him fighting against her selfe with more vertue than is credible and told him that complaints are proper to weake spirits and not to persons of courage That he did himselfe great wrong and her also to vse that language And sayd she at last what is become of that good resolution which you said you would haue against all accidents but the change of my amity and can you haue an opinion that any thing can shake it Do you not see that these words can not boot vs anything but to make them that heare vs conceiue an euill opinion of vs For Gods sake do not set a stayne in my fore-head which with such paine I
was very aduised and was not ignorant of the affaires of this shepheardesse but that he had heard speech of the loue which Colion bare her suddenly entred into conceit that this flocke was his and that Bellinde went to seeke him Now though he made no doubt of the chastity of his mistris yet did he easily beleeue that shee hated him not thinking that so long a suite could not haue beene continued if shee had misliked it And to satisfie his curiosity as soone as he sawe her vnder the trees and that she could not spie him fetching a compasse somevvhat about hee hid himselfe among some bushes where hee perceiued the shepheardesse set on the turffes which were raised about the Fountaine in the fashion of seates and Celion on his knees by her What an assault receiued he at this sight Yet for that hee could not heate what they sayd hee went softly and he came so neere them that there was nothing but an hedge which compassing about the fountaine like a pale shaddowed him From that place then casting his eyes betvveene the opening of the leaues and being very attentiue withall to their discourse he heard the shepheardesse answer him And how Celion is it power or will to please me that makes you wanting in this occasion Shall this accident haue more force ouer you than the power you haue giuen me Where is your courage Celion or rather where is your amity Haue you not heeretofore ouercome for the loue you beare me greater misfortunes than these If it be so where is the affection or where is the resolution that made you doe it Would you haue me beleeue that you haue lesse now than you had then Ah shepheard consent thou rather to the shortening of my life than to the lessening of that goodwill which you haue promised me and as hitherto I haue had that power ouer you that I listed so for the time to come let nothing be able to diminish the same Ergaste heard that Celion answered her Is it possible Bellinde that you can enter into doubt of mine affection and of the power you haue of me Can you haue so great a want of vnderstanding and can the heauens be so vniust that you can forget those testimonies which I haue giuen you and that they haue suffered that I should suruiue the good opinion which you are to haue of mee You Bellinde you may call into question that which neuer any one of my actions nor of your commaundements left doubtfull At least before you take so disaduantagious opinion against me demaund of Amaranthe what she beleeues demaund the respect which makes me silent demaund of Bellinde her selfe if euer shee imagined any thing difficult that my affection did not surmount But now that I see you entirely anothers and after the end of my disappoynted loue leauing you in the armes of a more happy man than my selfe I must be gone and banish my selfe for euer from you Alas can you say it is want of affection or of will to obey you if I feele a paine more cruell than that of death How shepheardesse can you thinke I do loue you if without dying I know you another mans Will you say it should be loue and courage that make me insensible of this disaster rather in truth shall it not be neither loue nor courage to suffer this without dispaire O shepheardesse oh that you and I shall be a Fable a long while for if this weaknes which makes me vnable to liue and support this misfortune makes you doubt of my affection on the contrary that great constancy and that extreme resolution which I see in you is to me an ouer-certaine assurance of your small amity But withall why must I hope more of you when another O the cruelty of my destiny is to enioy you At this word the poore shepheard fell on the knees of Bellinde without strength or sence If the shepheardesse were touched to the quicke as well at the words as at the swowning of Celion you may iudge faire Nymph since she loued him as much as was possible and she must dissemble that she had no feeling of this dolorous separation When she saw him in a swownd and that she thought she was not heard but of the Sicomors and the water of the fountaine vnwilling to hide from them the displeasure which she had kept so secret from her companions and those whom she ordinarily sawe Alas said she wringing her hands Alas O soueraigne goodnesse take me out of this misery or out of this life for pitty either breake off my cruell disaster or let my cruell disaster breake me And there casting downe her eyes on Celion And thou sayd she ouer-faithfull shepheard which art not miserable but in that thou louest miserable me let the heauens be pleased either to giue thee the contentments thou deseruedst or to take me from the world since I am the only cause that thou sufferest the displeasures which thou meritest not And then holding her peace a while she beganne againe O how hard a thing it is to loue well and to be wise withall For I see well my father hath reason to giue mee to the wise Ergaste whether for his merits or for his substance But alas what doth this knowledge auaile me if Loue forbid mine affection to delight in him I know that Ergaste merits more and I can hope for nothing more to my benefit than to be his But how can I giue my selfe to him if Loue haue already giuen mee to another Reason is on my fathers side but Loue is for me and not a loue lately borne or that hath no power but a Loue which I haue conceiued or rather which the heauens haue caused to be borne with me which grew vp with me from my cradle and which by so long tract of time is so insinuated into my soule that it is more my soule than my soule O God! can I hope to put it off without losse of life And if I cannot vndoe it tell me Bellinde what will become of thee In bringing out these words the great teares fel from her eyes and running downe along her face wet both the hand and cheeke of the shepheard who by little and little comming to himselfe caused the shepheardesse to breake off her complaints and wiping her eyes for feare lest hee should marke it changing both her countenance and voyce she spake to him in this sort Shepheard I will confesse that I haue a feeling of your paine it may be as much as your selfe and that I cannot doubt of your goodwill vnlesse I were the most mis-vnderstanding person in the world But to what end serue this acknowledgement and those feelings since the heauens haue subiected me to him that hath giuen mee being would you haue me so to be that I disobey him But be it that affection more strong preuaile aboue duty shall we therefore Celion be at rest Is it possible if you loue me that
to be desirous to know what maketh him so abashed that if you consider the astonishment which is painted in his face you would iudge he had some great cause Mandrake had made him see in a dreame Maradon a young shepheard that taking an arrow from Cupid opend the bosome of Fortune and tooke out her heart He that following the ordinary course of louers was yet in doubt and as soone as it was day ranne to this fountaine to see if his mistresse loued him I beseech you consider his abashment for if you compare the visages of the other Tables to this you shall see the same draughts though the trouble wherein hee is paint the chaunge much Of those two Figures which you doe see in the Fountaine the one as you may plainely know is of the Shepheardesse Fortune and the other you may see is of the Shepheard Moradon whom the Magician made to bee represented rather then another because he knew he had a long time bin a seruant of the shepheardesse and though she vouchsafed not to regard him yet loue which easily beleeues the thing it feares presently perswaded the contrary to Damon beleefe that made him resolue to dy Marke I pray you how this water seems to tremble this is for that the Painter would represent the effect of the teares of the shepheard which fell into it But let vs passe to the second action See how the continuation of this Caue is made and how truly this seems to be more declining This dead man that you see on the ground is the poore Damon who in dispaire thrust his speare through his body The action which he doth is very naturall You may see one leg stretched out the other drawne vp as with paine one arme layd vnder the body as hauing bin surprised by the suddennesse of the fall and not hauing force to come againe to himselfe and the other languishing along the body yet he holds gently the speare in his hand his head hanging towards his right shoulder his eyes halfe shut and halfe turned vp and he that sees him in such a case may well iudge him to be a man in the trances of death his mouth somewhat opened the teeth in some places discouered a little and the passages of his nose shrunke vp all signes of a late dead man Also he hath not figured him as wholly dead but betweene death and life if there be any separation betweene them See here the speare well represented you may see the breadth of the Iron halfe hidden in the wound the staffe on the one side bloody on the other of the colour it was before But how great hath the Painters diligence bene he hath not forgot the nayles which go as weeping towards the end for the nearer the shaft as well the as wood the more they were staynd with blood It is true that through the blood you might know them Now let vs consider the spurting out of the blood issuing out of the wound Me thinkes it is like a fountaine which being led by long channels from some higher place when it hath bene restrained as they open it skips in fury this way and that way for see these streames of blood how well they are represented consider the boyling which seemes to raise it selfe to bubbles I thinke nature cannot represent any thing more truely The sixt Table NOw for the sixt and last Table which contaynes foure actions of the Shepheardesse Fortune The first is a Dreame which Mandrake made her haue The other how shee went to the Fountayne to cleare her doubt The third how shee complaynes of the inconstancie of her Shepheard and the last how shee dyes which is the conclusion of this Tragedie Now let vs see all things particularly See the rising of the Sunne note the length of the shadowes and how on the one side the Heauen is yet lesse cleare See these clouds which are halfe ayre as it seemeth which by little and little flye lifting vp these little birds which seeme to sing as they mount and are of those kinde of Larkes that rise from the deaw in the new Sunne These ill-formed birds which with vncertaine flight goe to hide themselues are of those Owles that auoid the Sunne whereof the Mountaine couers a good part and the other shines to cleare that one cannot iudge that it was other thing then a great and confused brightnesse Let vs goe forward Behold the shepheardesse Fortune asleepe shee is in bed where the Sunne that enters by the window open by negligence discouers halfe her brest She hath one arme carelesly stretched along the side of the bedstead her hand a little hanging from the boulster the other hand stretched along her thigh without the bed and for that her smocke sleeues is by chance thrust vp you may see it aboue the Elbowe there being nothing that hides any of the armes beautie See about her the diuels of Morpheus wherewith Mandrake serues herselfe to giue her a will to go to the fountaines of the truth of Loue. See on this side what she casteth vp for hauing dreamed that her shepheard was dead and taking his death for the losse of his amitie she came to know the truth Beholde how the sorrowfull visage by the sweetnesse of it mooues pittie and makes vs take part in her displeasure because shee no sooner casts her veiwe into the water but she perceiues Damon But alas hard by him the shepheardesse Melide a faire shepheardesse indeed and which was not without suspition of louing Damen yet vnbeloued of him Deceiued with this falsehood see how shee is retyred into the inwarrd parts of the Denne and commeth vnawares to lament her displeasure in the same place where Damon was almost dead Behold her set against the rocke her armes acrosse her brest which choller and griefe made her discouer in tearing that which was vppon it It seemeth that shee sighes and her brest pants her face and eyes lifting vp and asking vengeance from heauen for the perfidiousnesse which shee thought was in Damon And because the transport of her euill made her lift vppe her voyce in her complaynt Damon whom you see by her though hee were euen at the last of all his life hearing the laments of his fayre Shepheardesse and knowing the voyce hee then enforced himselfe to call her Shee which heard these dying words suddenly turning her head went to him But O God what a sight was this She quite forgot seeing him in this case and the occasion shee had to complayne of him shee demaunded who had dealt so fouly with him It is sayde hee the change of my fortune it is the inconstancie of your soule which hath deceiued mee with such demonstrations of goodwill Briefely it is the happinesse of Macadon whom the Fountaine from whence you came shewed mee to bee by you And doe you thinke it reasonable that hee should liue hauing lost your loue that liued not but to bee beloued of you Fortune hearing
least of your desires Then the shepheardesse answered in choler Let vs leaue this discourse Licidas and thinke it cannot turne to your brothers benefit but if he haue beguiled me and left me displeased that I no sooner found out his deceits and craft he is gone with a great spoyle and faire markes of his vnfaithfulnesse You make me amazed replied Licidas wherein haue you found that which you reproach him with Shepheard added Astrea the story would be too long and grieuous content your selfe if you know it not you onely are in ignorance and all along this riuer of Lignon there is not a shepheard but can tell you that Celadon loued in a thousand places and not to goe farre yesterday I heard with mine owne eares the discourse of loue which he had to his Aminthe for so he called her whereto I had made longer stay but for shame and to tell true I had some businesse else-where that stood mee more vpon Then Licidas as one transported cries out I will no more enquire the cause of my brothers death it is your iealousie Astrea and iealousie grounded on great reason to be the cause of so great euill Alas Celadon at this time I see well thy prophecies fall out true of thy suspitions when thou saidest this wench will put thee to so much paine that it will cost thee thy life yet knewest thou not on which side this blow should be giuen Afterward addressing himselfe to the shepheardesse Is it credible said he Astrea that this disease is so great that it can make you forget the commandements which you haue so often enioyned him I can witnesse that fiue or sixe times at the least he hath falne on his knees before you to entreat you reuoke them Doe you not remember that when he came out of Italy it was one of your first ordinances and that within yonder bowre where I saw you meete together so often hee besought you to award him death much rather then to make shew to loue any other Astrea would he say while I liue I shall remember the very words it is not for that I refuse but because I am vnable to obserue this iniunction that I cast my selfe at your feete and beseech you that to make proofe what power you haue ouer me you command me to die rather then to ferue any other whomsoeuer but Astrea And you answered him my sonne I require this proofe of your loue and not your death which cannot be without mine owne for besides I know it is most hard to you yet will it bring vs a commodity which we especially are to looke after which is to shut vp both the eyes and mouthes of the most curious and reproachfull whether hee oftentimes replied hereto and whether hee made all the refusall which the obedience to which his affection bound him vnto you might permit I referre to your selfe if you haue the minde to remember it so farre am I from thinking he euer disobeyed you but for this onely cause and in truth it was so heauy an imposition that at all times when he returned from the place where he was enforced to dissemble he was compelled to take his bed as if he came from some great piece of seruice and there he would rest himselfe some while and then he vndertooke it afresh But now Astrea my brother is dead so it is whether you beleeue it or not beleeue it it will doe him neither good nor hurt so that you are not to thinke that I speake to you in his behalfe but onely for the truths sake yet may you credit me as you thinke good if I sweare vnto you that it is not aboue two daies since I found him engrauing of verses on the barke of these trees that stand by the great meddow on the left hand of the Beech and I assure my selfe that if you will vouchsafe to turne your eyes you may perceiue it was he that cut them for you may too well know his characters if forgetfull of him and of his passed seruices you haue not lost the remembrance of whatsoeuer concernes him but I am assured the gods will not suffer it for his satisfaction and your punishment The verses are these MADRIâ—AL I Haue my selfe at such a bent Although my Loue be violent That I can gaine this fauour small To say I doe not loue at all But to dissemble loue else-where Tâ— adore an eye the conquering part As I doe yours with trembling feare I know not how to haue the hart And if it must be that I die Dispach me hence then presently It may be some seuen or eight daies past that hauing had occasion to go for a time ouer the riuer of Loyre by way of answer he wrote me a letter which I am willing you should see and if in reading it you confesse not his innocency I will beleeue that you haue purposely lost for his sake all kinde of iudgement and then taking it out of his pocket he read it to her It was thus INquire no more what I doe but know that I continue alwaies in my ordinary paine To loue and not to dare shew it not to loue and sweare the contrary deare brother is all the exercise or rather the punishment of thy Celadon They say true contraries cannot be at one time in one place yet Loue and dissembled loue are ordinarily in my actions but wonder not at it for I am compelled to the one out of perfection and to the other by the commandement of Astrea If you thinke this manner of life strange remember that Miracles are the ordinary workes of gods and what would you my Goddesse should worke in me but Miracles It was long before Astrea would answer because the words of Licidas had almost put her beside her selfe So it was that iealousie which as yet helâ— some force in her soule made her take the paper as doubting if Celadon writ it And although she well knew it was he yet argued she the contrary in her mind following the custome of many moe persons who will alwaies strongly maintaine a thing as if it were their opinion And much about that time came diuers shepheards from seeking Celadon where they found no notice of him but his hat which was nothing to the sad Astrea but a fresh renewing of sorrow And because she remembred her selfe of a sleight which loue made them deuise and she was loth it should be knowne she made signe to Phillis to take it and then euery one betooke them to their lamentations and praises of the poore shepheard and there was not any that repeated not some vertuous action onely she that felt most was inforced to fit mute and to make lesse shew knowing well that the maine wisedome in loue is to hold affection hidden or at least not to discouer it vnprofitably And because the violence she did her selfe herein was great and she could hold out no longer she drew neere to Phillis and prayed her
all that passed particularly betweene them besides that the case wherein I am makes me vnable to doe it It shall be sufficient in abridging it to tell you that they met in that place and this was the first time when my father had assurance that he was loued of Amarillis and that she counselled him to leaue the Countrey life wherein he was bred because she disdained it as vnworthy a noble courage promising that there should be nothing so strong that might diuert her from her resolution After they were parted Alcippe engraues these verses on a tree in the wood A Sonnet on the constancy of his Loue. FAire Amarillis full of louely graces As she went cropping of the flowres from stalkes Vnder her hand that gathered as she walkes Sprung others suddainely vp in their places Those beauteous locks where Loue did interlacâ— Himselfe heauing them vp with gentle aire If he spyed any of them out of square Right curiously he set them in their place Sâ—rare a sight Lignon stood still to see Offers his waues her Looking-glasse to be And after saies So faire aportraiture When thou art gone my streame may beare away But from my heart there shall not slip for aye The fatall draught of thy face Nymph be sure After she was gone and that he began to feele the displeasures of her absence going often to the same place where he had taken leaue of his shepheardesse he sigheth forth these verses A Sonnet on absence RIuer of Lignon whose eternall streame Through gracious forrests runs watring her breâ—â— Waue vpon waue driuing and tak'st norest Vntill thou entrest to thy fathers realme Seest thou not how Allier snatcheth from thee Thy faire like wrongfull lawes of mighty strong And from thy bankes their honour beares along To driue thee to inst plaints for remedy Against this Rauisher call to thine ayde Those that for her departure all dismaid Pay teares that thou maist see thy channell swell Dare onely that those eyes and hearts of ours May powre out for thy helpe thousands of showres That shall not drie till thou beest venged well But not being able to liue without sight of her there where he had beene vsed to the good of her view he resolued howsoeuer to depart from thence and while he searched for some occasion he met with one as good as he could wish Some little while before the mother of Amasis died and they made preparation in the great towne of Marsellis to receiue her as their new Lady with much triumph And because the preparations which they made drew for curiosity almost all the Countrey my father so wrought that he had leaue to goe thither And there it was whence the beginning of all his trauailes proceeded He was about his halfe age some Moones more his face faire among those of that Countrey his haire yellowish curled and crisped by nature which hee wore long and briefly Madam such as to whom Loue it may be owed some secret vengeance And see how he was seene of some Lady and so secretly beloued of her that we could neuer yet know her name At the first that he arriued at Marsellis hee was clothed like a shepheard but handsomly enough for his father made much of him and that he might not commit some foolish trick as his manner was in the Hamlet he set two or three shepheards about him to haue a care of him principally one called Cleante a man whose humour pleased his father well so that he loued him as if he had beene his sonne This Cleante had one called Clindor of my fathers age who by nature seemed to haue the same inclination to loue Alcippe Alcippe who on the other side knew his affection loued him aboue any other which was so pleasing to Cleante that he had nothing that he could deny to my father This was the cause that after they had some daies seen how the young Knights who were at the Feast went attired how they armed themselues and fought at the Barriers and hauing shewed his minde to his friend Clindor they both together besought Cleante to giue them meanes that they might shew themselues among the other Knights And how said Cleante to them haue you the courage to equall your selues to them And why not said Alcippe haue I not as much arme and legge as they But you haue not learned the ciuilities of the Towne We haue not learned them said he but they are not so hard that they should put vs out of hope to apprehend them soone enough and me thinks there is not such difference betweene theirs and ours but we may readily change them You haue not said he beene vsed to Armes We haue replied he courage enough to supply that want And how adioyned Cleante would you leaue the Countrey life And what said Alcippe haue the woods to doe with men and what can men learne in conuersing with beasts But answered Cleante this will be no great pleasure to you to see your selues disdained by the glorious Courtiers which wil alwaies reproach you that you are shepheards If it be a shame said Alcippe to be a shepheard we must be such no more if it be no shame the reproach cannot be hurtfull or if they dis-esteeme me for my name I will striue by my actions to make my selfe esteemed In the end Cleante seeing they were resolued to leade other liues then their fathers But well said he my children since you haue taken this resolution I will tell you that though you be taken for shepheards your birth alwayes came froÌ„ the most ancient stock of this Countrey from whence descâ—â—ded as many braue Knights as of any other in Gaule but a consideration contrary to that you haue made them choose this retired life Therefore feare not that you shall be welcome among those knights the principall of which are of the same blood that you are These words serued for no other vse but to enflame them the more for this knowledge bred in them a desire to put their purpose to effect without considering what might come of it whether for the discommodities which that life brings or for the displeasure that the father of Alcippe and his kindred might conceiue Afterword Cleante was at charge to prouide for all things necessary They were both so well borne that quickly they woâ—ne the acquaintance and friendship of the principall and Alcippe gaue himselfe in that sort to Armes that he became to be one of the good Knights of his time During these Feasts which lasted two moneths my father was beheld as I told you of a Lady whose name I could neuer know and because he seldome was wanting in any thing that might make him beloued she was in such sort ouertaken that she inuented a sleight good enough to bring about her intent One day as my father stood in the Temple at the Sacrifices which they made for Amasis an old woman came neere him and fayning to be at her prayers
so that she went on since the place is taken I see a double difficulty arise against our enterprise This happy shepheardesse hath much offended him and a generous heart will hardly suffer a disdaine without any sence of it Madam answered Leonide on the one side I wish you were contented and on the other I am well pleased with the discōmodities for you do your selfe so much wrong if you continue thus that I know not if euer you can deface it Thinke you though you be neuer so secret that this life of yours will not bee knowne and what will become of you if it be discouered the iudgement which was neuer wanting in the rest of your actions is it possibile that in this accident it should faile you what would you iudge of another that should lead this life You will answer you do no euill Ah Madam it is not sufficient for a person of your quality to bee voyd of crime but you be so also of blame If this were a man worthy of you I could brook it wel but though Celadon be one of the chiefe of this country yet is he but a shepheard and is knowne for no other And this vaine opinion of good or ill lucke shall it haue such power ouer you that it shall so much abate your courage that you will equall these keepers of sheepe these Rusticks and these halfe-Sauages to yourselfe for Gods sake come to your selfe and consider with what minde I speake these words She had gone forward had not Galathee in choler interrupted her I haue told you I would not haue you vse this discourse I know not on what I shall resolue when I aske your counsell giue it me and once for al talke no more to me of it if you will not displease me At this word she turned on the other side in such furie that Leonide knew well she had throughly angred her Indeed there is nothing strikes more to the quicke then to oppose honor against Loue for though all the reasons of Loue be vanquished yet will Loue stil be strong in his will Soone after Galathee turnes againe and sayes I neuer thought till now that you had had a minde to be my gouernor but now I begin to haue such a beliefe that you figure such a thing to your selfe Madam answered she I neuer mistooke my selfe so much but I know what I owe to you but since you take in so ill part that which my duty made me speake I protest from henceforth I will neuer giue you occasion for this cause to enter into choler against me This is a strange thing in you replied Galathee that you must alwayes haue reason in your opinion what likelihood is there that any should know that Celadon is here There are no more then we three Merill my Nurse his mother as for Merill he goes not forth and besides he hath discretion enough for his age for my Nurse her fidelity is well knowne to me and it is partly by her desire that all is thus carried for as hauing told her what the Druide foretold me she that loues me more tenderly then if I were her owne child counselled me not to contemne this aducrtisement and because I propounded the difficulty of the great number which would resort to the place where I am her selfe aduised me to make shewe that I would take phisicke And what is your purpose sayd Leonide To worke so answered she that this shepheard may wish me well and till that be not to let him go away that if once he come to loue me I may leaue the direction of the rest to Fortune Madame sayd Leonide God giue you all the contentment you desire But suffer me to tell you this once you go about to ruine your selfe in your reputation What time must there bee to the rooting out of an affection so thorowly grounded which he beares to Astrea whose beauty and vertue they say is without a second But presently interrupted the Nymph She scornes him she is angry with him she hath driuen him away thinke you not he will haue courage enough to leaue her Oh! Madam put this out of your hopes said Leonide if he haue no coragē he will neuer feele this and if he haue a man generous will neuer turne aside for the difficulties Remember your selfe for example how many contempts haue you layd on Lindamer and how cruelly haue you handled him and what hath he done the lesse for these disdaines or cruelties But be it so that Celadon because he is a shepheard haue not the courage of Lindamor and that he hath bentat the blowes of Astrea what good hope you there of thinke you that a spirit once deceiued will easily be deceiued the second time in one kind No no Madam howsoeuer he be both by birth conuersation of the homelier sort yet can he not be so but he wil dread the fire when the smart of it is yet in his soule There must be and that is it which you may best hope for some time allowed to heale him soundly of this burning before he can turne his eyes vpon some such like obiect And what time will it aske and in the meane time can it be possible to let but that the gard which is in the base court will come to the knowledge of it or in seeing him for you cannot alwaies keepe him close in one chamber or by the prattle of Merill who as discreet as he is for his age yet is but a child Leonide said shee cease to trauell longer in this businesse my resolution is such as I told you if you wil make me beleeue you loue me fauour my designe in what you may and for the rest referre it to my care This morning if the weakenesse of Celadon permit it mee thought yesterday he was reasonable well you may lead him into the garden for this day I finde my selfe not well and I shall hardly rise out of my bed tell towards night Leonide being very sad gaue no other answere but that she would be ready to do that that might be to her content While they were thus discoursing Meril did his message and hauing found the shepheard awake gaue him the good morrow in the name of the Nymph and presented to him the papers Oh! how presently he raised himselfe in the bed he made him open the curtaines and windowes not hauing the leasure to rise such haste he made to see that which had cost him so much sorrow Hee opened the little bag and after hee had many times kissed it O secretary said he of my life most happy how camest thou into the hands of strangers At this word he layd all the letters on the bed that he might see if he wanted any one he placed them in their order according to the time he receiued them and seeing there remained a little scrowle he opened it and read these words CEladon I would have you know that Galathee
spoiles of many other mens liberties but in none more fully then that of his At this word hee kissed her hand and then held on thus after he was risen Among the papers where Aristander put his last Will we haue found this heere and because it is enclosed in the fashion you see and that he directed it to you I bring it you with the protestation which by his testament he commaunded me to make before you open it that if your will be not to grant the request he hath made you he beseecheth you not to reade it at all to the end that as well in death as in life he may not feele the strokes of your cruelty Then he presented her a letter which Siluie troubled with this accident would haue refused but for Amasis commandement And after Guymantes beganne his speech againe thus I haue hitherto performed the last Will of Aristander there remaines that I should pursue vpon his homicide his cruell death but if at another time the offence haue giuen mee the commaund at this time Loue ordaines that my most faire vengeance be the sacrifice of my liberty on the same Altar that yet smokes with that of my brother who being rauished from me when I breathed nothing against you but bloud and death giues witnesse that euery eye that sees you owes you his heart for tribute that vniustly euery man liues that liues not in your seruice Siluie somwhat confounded with this accident stayed some long while from answer so that Amasis tooke the paper which she had in her hand and hauing sayd to Guymantes that Siluie should make answer she withdrew aside with some of vs and breaking the boxe read these words If my affection haue not made my seruice pleasing nor my seruice mine affection at the least eyther this affection shall make my death in you more pittifull or my death assure you of the fidelitie of my affection and that as no man euer loued more of perfections so did neuer any loue with more passion The last testimony which I will giue you shal be the gift by him whom I hold most deare next you who is my brother for I know well what I giue you when I ordaine that he should see you knowing well by experience that it is impossible he should be and not loue you Desire not my sayre murderer that he should be inheritor of my fortune but heare of this that I haue lesse iustly merited of all others then of you He that writ it is a seruant who for hauing lesse of loue then one heart was capable to conceiue would rather die then diminish Amasis then calling Siluie demaunded what so great cruelty she had vsed against Aristander which brought him vnto that extremity The Nymph blushing answered that she knew not whereof he might complaine I would sayd she that you receiue Guymantes into his place then calling him before them all she asked if he would obserue his brothers will He answered Yes so it be not a thing contrary to his affection He requireth this Nymph sayd Amasis to receiue you into his place and that you haue better fortune then he To receiue you I command her for the fortune whereof he speakes it is neyther the prayer nor the commaundement of another that can frame that but the proper merit or the fortune it selfe Guymantes after he had kissed the robe of Amasis came to doe as much to the hands of Siluie in signe of seruitude but she was so displeased with him for the reproches which he had giuen her and with the declaration of his affection that without the commandement of Amasis she would not haue permited him As they were ready to depart Clâ—daman comming from hunting was aduertised of this new seruant of his mistris for which he made so loude a complaint that Amasis and Guymantes hâ—ard him and because he knew not whence it proceeded she told it him and she had scarcely ended when Clidaman snatching at her word complained that she had permitted a thing so much to his disaduantage that this was to call backe those ordinances which the Destinies had chosen for him which none nor she knew how to infringe without life Words which he spake with affection and vehemency because that out of good iudgement he had loued Siluie But Guymantes who besides his new loue had so good an opinion of himselfe that he would giue no place to any person in the world answered addressing his speech to Amasis Madam there be that would not I should be seruant to the faire Siluie they that speake it know little of loue otherwise they would not thinke that your ordinances nor of all the gods together were of sorce sufficient to diuert the course of our affection therefore it is that I declare couertly that if they deny me that which heeretofore hath beene allowed me I shall disobey and turne rebel that no consideration ought to change me And then turning toward Clidaman I know the respect I owe you said he but I feel withal the power that Loue hath ouer me If the Destinies haue giuen you to Siluie her beauty is it that hath gottâ—n me iudge whether of these two gifts ought to be most allowable Clidaman would haue answered when Amasis sayd to him Sonne you haue reason to grieue if they altered our ordinances but they haue not infringed them You were commaunded serue Siluie but they denyed to others Sweet oyntments giue the better smell when they are chased A louer likewise hauing a Riuall giueth more proofe of his merits So Amasis ordayned and now behold Siluie well serued For Guymantes forgot not any thing that his Loue commaunded and Clidaman out of enuy studied to appeare more carefull But aboue all Ligdamon serued her with such discretion and respect that oftentimes he durst not come neere her left he should giue notice of his affection to others And in my minde his seruice was as pleasing as any of the rest But indeed one time he almost lost his patience It happened that Amasis hand lighted on a bodkin made in the shape of a sword wherewith Siluie was wont to raise and dresse her haire and seeing Clidaman neere her she gaue it him to beare to his mistris but he kept it all the day to put Guymantes to some payne He doubted not Ligdamou and see how often one may hurt one man for another for the poyson which was prepared for Guymantes went to the heart of Ligdamon who not being able to dissemble it that knowledge might not be taken of it he withdrew himselfe to his lodging where after he had some-while inâ—enomed his euill by his thoughts he tooke his pen and writ this verse A Madrigall on the Sword of Siliuie in the hands of Clidaman Loue that lay hid in treason Of weapon stain'd with blond But not without all reason Cuts from my hope the good For wanting meanes to pay My heauy seruitudâ— With wages that would way To
both that they sware so firme a league betweene them that they neuer after separated and this was the first day that Astrea came out of her lodging So that these her two faithfull companions were now with her but they were no sooner set down but they might perceiue farre off Semire who came to finde her This shepheard had long time beene amorous of Astrea and knowing that she loued Celadon thought that he was the cause of his bad successe beeing now perswaded that hauing driuen away Celadon he might easily obtain his place he came to seeke her out that he might beginne his designe but he was much deceiued for Astrea hauing found out his craft conceiued such an hatred against him that when shee spyed him shee would lay her hand ouer her eyes that she might not see him and desired Phillis to tell him from her that he should neuer present himselfe to her And these words were spoken with such a change of looke and so great a vehemency that her companions easily found out her great stomake which more readily incensed Phillis against the shepherd When he heard this message hestood so confused in his thoughts that it seemed he could not moue At last ouercome enforced by the acknowledgement of his error he said Discreete Phillis I protest the heauens are iust in giuing me more sorrow then an heart is able to beare since they cannot equall their punishment according to mine offence hauing beene the cause of the breach of the fairest and most intire loue that euer was But that the gods may not more rigorously chastise me tell this faire shepheardesse that I aske pardon both of her and of the cinders of Celadon assuring her that the extreme affection which I bare her without more was the cause of this fault that banished from her and from her eyes iustly offended I may goe lamenting all my life long At this word hee went away so vncomfortable that his repentance mooued Phillis to some pittie and beeing come backe to her companions shee told them his answer Alas sister sayd Astrea I haue more reason to fly this wicked man then to weepe iudge you if I ought not this is he without more that hath beene the cause of all my sorrow How sister said she is Semire the cause of your sorrow Hath he such power ouer you If I durst tell you his wickednes sayd Astrea and mine owne folly you would say that he hath vsed the greatest Arte that the craftiest spirit could inuent Diane knowing that that was the cause that she spake no more plainely to Phillis for that it was yet but eight or ten dayes that they grew to that familiarity said to them that it was no part of her purpose to take any thing from them by constraint And you faire shepheardesse said shee turning to the sad Astrea giue me occasion to thinke that you loue me not if you be more reserued to me then to Phillis for that though it be not long that I haue inioyed the good of your familiarity yet are you to be no lesse assured of my affection then of hers Phillis then answered I assure my selfe that Astrea will alwayes speake as freely before you as before her selfe her humor being not to loue by halues since she hath sworne to be such she hath nothing in her soule to conceale It is true continued Astrea and that which held me from saying more was onely for that the putting the weapon againe into the wound will but poyson it Yet so it is replied Diane that oftentimes you must vse the weapon to heale it and for me I thinke that to speake freely of the disease to a friend is to make him a party and if I durst desire you it would be a great satisfaction to know what your life hath beene as my selfe also will not make it dainty to tell you mine when you shall be desirous to know it Since you will haue it so answered Astrea that you haue a mind to partake in my sorrowes I will so that afterwards you impart to me of your contentments and that in the meane time you suffer me to vse that breuity in the discourse which you desire to vnderstand from me and truly an history so vnfortunate as mine will not please but by being short And being all three set in a round she began to speake in this manner The History of Astrea and Phillis THey that know what it is when friendship or hatted passe from father to son may well conceiue Celadons fortune and mine and without doubt may affirme that they be not deceiued For faire Diane I beleeue you haue often heard speech of the old hatred betweene Alce Hippolite my father and mother and of Alcippe and Amarillis the father mother of Celadon their displeasures accompanying them euen to their graue which hath beene cause of so great trouble among the shepheards of this Country that I assure my selfe there is no man ignorant of it along the shore of the cruell and dishonoured Lignon And yet it seemeth that Loue to shew his power of persons so opposite would vnite two so straitly that nothing could breake the lines but death For hardly had Celadon reached to the age of foureteene or fifteene yeeres and I of twelue or thirteene but that at an assembly which was had at the Temple of Venus which is on the top of this mountaine seated in the Plaine right ouer against Montsur about a mile from the Castle of Monbusor this young shepheard sawe me and as he hath told me since he had long before conceiued a good liking vpon the report which was made of me But the let which I told you our fathers tooke from him all meanes and I must tell you that I do not thinke he bare a greater liking then did I for I know not how when I heard speech of him my heart danced in my belly and this was but a presage of the troubles which since befell mee on that occasion Now at the instant when he saw me I know not how he found matter of loue in mee so that within a while after hee resolued to loue me and to serue me And it seemeth that at this first view both the one and the other of vs was at this passe that wee must loue so that as often as it was told mee that hee was the sonne of Alcippe I found a certaine change in my selfe which was not ordinary and thenceforth all his actions began to please me and much more agreeing to my liking then of all the other yong shepheards of his age and for that as yet he durst not come neere me that speech was denied him his lookes at his commings and goings spake to me so often that at last I knew he had a longing to tell me more and to effect it at a game that was kept at the foot of the mountaine vnder the old elmes that yeelded a pleasant shade he vsed such
I thinke on it I am yet ready to die for shame yet my haire was dispersed and almost couered mee on it I had no other ornament then the garland which the day before hee had giuen me When the others were gone backe and when he saw me in this sort by him I obserued that twice or thrice he changed colour but I neuer suspected the cause for my part shamefastnesse had tainted my cheek with so fresh a colour that hee hath since sworne vnto me he neuer saw me so louely and he would haue beene contented hee might haue beene suffered to stay all the day long in that contemplation but fearing to be discouerd he was cōpelled to shorten his contentment and when he saw I said nothing for shame had tied vp my tongue And how Astrea sayd het hinke you your cause so good that you need not as well as others seek the Iudges good will I doubt not Orithee answered I that I shall haue more need to seduce my Iudge by my words then Stella or Malthe but I know wel also that I must as well giue place to them in perswading as in beauty so that but for the constraint whereto the custome tyes mee I had neuer come before you in hope to win the prize And if you beare it away answered the shepheard what will you do for me I shall haue sayd I the greater obligation to you by how much I thinke it merits lesse How then replied he will you make me no other offer The demand sayd I must come from you for I cannot teach you who deserues to be receiued Sweare to me said the shepheard you will giue me that which I shall demand and my iudgement shall be to your aduantage After I had promised him hee asketh of my haire to make him a bracelet which I did and after he had folded it in a paper hee sayd to me Now Astrea I will keepe these haires for a pledge of the oth which you haue made that if euer you gainesay it I may offer it to the goddesse Venus and demand vengeance of her That sayd I is superfluous since I am resolued neuer to faile Then with a smlling countenance hee sayd to me God be thanked faire Astrea that my designe hath falne out so prosperously for know that which you haue promised me is to loue me aboue any in the world and to receiue me as your faithfull seruant who am Celadon and not Orithee as you suppose I say that Celadon by whom loue hath giuen proofe that hatred is not of power sufficient to disappoint his effects since euen among the displeasures of our fathers he hath made me so yours that I had no feare to dye at the gate of this temple to giue you testimony of my affection Iudge wise Diane what became of mee for loue forbade me to seeke reuenge of my shamefastnes and yet shame encouraged mee against loue at last after a confused disputation it was impossible for me to consent to cause him dye since the offence which he made proceeded not but of too great loue to me yet knowing him to be a shepheard I could no longer stay before his eies and without making other answere I ranne to my companions whom I found almost dressed and taking vp my garments scarce knowing what I did I made my selfe ready as soone as was possible But to be short when we were all ready the dissembled Orithee placed her selfe at the entry of the gate and hauing vs all three before her I ordaine saith she that the prize of beauty be giuen to Astrea in witnesse whereof I present her the golden apple there is no cause any body should doubt of my iudgement since I haue seene her and though a maide yet I haue felt the force In saying those words he presented mee the apple which I receiued being much troubled and the father when with a loude voyce he sayd Receiue this Apple as a pawne of my affection which is as infinite as this is round I answered him Be content rash man that I receiue it to saue thy life and that otherwise I would refuse it as cōming from thy hand He durst not reply for feare he might be heard and knowne and because the custome was that she that receiued the Apple was to kisse the Iudge by way of thankefulnesse I was constrayned to kisse him but I assure you had I not knowne him vntill then I should then haue discouered him to be a shepheard for it was not the kisse of a maide Presently the noyse and the applause of the company separated vs because the Druyde hauing crowned me caused mee to be borne in a chaire to the place of the Assembly with so much honour that euery one wondered I was no more cheerefull But I was so troubled and so sore beaten betweene Loue and Despite that I scarce knew what I did As for Celadon as soone as he had finished the ceremonies he lost himselfe amongst the other shepheardesses and by little and little without the heeding of any body got out of the company and put off his borrowed garments to put on his owne naturall clothes with which hee came agayne to vs with a face so confident that no man would euer haue suspected him As for me when I sawe him I might scarce turne mine eyes to him being full of shame and choler But he that noted it and made no shew of it found the meanes to come to me and to say loude enough The Iudge which hath giuen you the prize of beauty hath shewed good iudgement and me thinkes that albeit the Iustice of your cause do well deserue so fauourable a sentence yet must not you be fayling to beare him some kinde of obligation I beleeue shepheard answered I softly enough that he is more obliged to me then I to him for that if he gaue me an apple which in some sort was due to me I haue giuen him life which his rashnesse merited to lose So he told me answered presently Celadon that hee would preserue it onely for your seruice If I had not more respect replyed I to my selfe then to him I had not let him goe without chasticement for so great a presumption But enough Celadon let vs cut off this discourse and content your selfe that if I haue not punished you as you deserue it was onely for feare of giuing occasion to others to talke their pleasure of me and not for want of will to see you punished If there be nothing but that sayd he to hinder my death tell me in what fashion you will haue me die and you shall see I haue no lesse courage to satisfie you then I haue had of loue to offend you This discourse would be too long if I should tell you all our talke in particular So it was that after many replies now on the one side and the other whereby it was impossible for me to doubt of his affection if at least the
diuers changes of countenance might bewray any thing I sayde to him seeming to be in choler Bethinke you shepheard of the hatred of our fathers and beleeue that that which I beare shall not turne to nothing if you euer more importune me with your follies which your young age and my honour pardon for this time I vsed these last words to giue him the lesse courage For it is true that his beauty courage and affection pleased me and that he might make no further answer I turned to talke with Stella who was not farre off He all astonied with this answer withdrew from the company so sad that in few dayes he was scarce to be knowne so solitary that his haunt was in the places most desolate and sauage of all our woods Whereof being aduertised by some of my companions who told me without conceit that I was the cause I began to thinke of his paine and resolued in my minde to search some meanes to giue him satisfaction And because as I told you he forsooke all company I was constrayned that I might meet him to driue my flocke that way where I knew he resorted most And when it fell out twice or thrice to be in vaine at last one day as I was seeking for him me thought I heard his voyce among some trees and I was not deceiued for comming softly towards him I sawe him lye along on the ground and his eies wet teares so bent vpward to heauen that they seemed vnmooueable The sight of him mooued me so to pittie beeing somewhat inclined thereto before that I resolued no longer to leaue him in this paine Therefore after I had considered of it awhile and not willing it might appeare to him that I sought him out I withdrew some good way from the place whereseeming not to heede him I sung so high that my voyce came to his eares As soone as he heard me I might see hee raised vp himselfe in a dumpe and turning his eyes to the place where I was hee stood like one rauished to heare me which when I marked that I might giue him commodity to come neere me I made as though I would sleepe and yet I held mine eyes halfe open to see what it would come to and indeed it failed not of that I purposed for comming softly towards me he came kneeled as close to me as hee could and after hee had long time stayed in this sort when I made shew to be fast asleepe to giue him the more hardines I perceiued that after some sighes hee stoopes downe softly against my mouth and kisses me Then thinking he had taken courage enough I opened mine eyes as if I had beene waked when he touched me and rising vp I sayd to him seeming to bee angry Vnciuill shepheard what hath made thee so vnmannerly to come to disquiet my sleepe in this sort He then al trembling and not raising his knees It is you faire shepheardesse said he that haue constrained me and if I haue offended you must punish your own perfectiōs which are the cause These are alwaies said I the excuses of your malipertnesse but if you holde on to displease mee thus beleeue it shepheard I will not beare it If you call it a displeasure answered he to be loued and adored in good time beginne to study what punishment you will inflict on mee for now I sweare vnto you that I shall displease you in this sort all my life and no rigor of your cruelty nor enmity of our fathers nor any let in the world can diuert mee from this designe But faire Diane I must shorten these pleasing discourses being so contrary to the vnfortunate season wherein I am and must onely tell you that in the end being ouercome I said to him But shepheard what end is your designe like to haue since that they which may frame you to their pleasure disallow it How replyed he presently Frame to their pleasure So farre is it that Alcippe hath power ouer my will that I haue it not my selfe You may dispose of your selfe said I at your owne pleasure but not of the obedience you owe to your father without cōmitting a great fault The obedience answered he which I owe him may not passe that which I can ouer my selfe for this is no faulting not to doe that which one cannot But be it so that I owe him it since of two euils wee are to shun the greatest I choose rather to be failing toward him that is but a man then against your beauty which is diuine Our discourse in the end held on so farre that I must suffer him to be my seruant and because wee were young both the one and the other so that we had not Arte enough to couer our designe Alcippe within a while took notice of it not being willing that this loue should passe further on he resolued with his old friend Cleante to cause him to vndertake a iourney so long that absence might blot out this young impression of Loue. But this distance auayled as little as all the other crafty tricks with which hee serued himselfe since For Celadon though hee were young yet had a resolution to ouercome all difficulties that whereas others others meete their contraries with paine hee tooke them for trials of himselfe and called them the touchstones of his faithfulnesse and for as much as he knew his voyage would be long he desired me to giue him the commodity to bid me adieu I did it faire Diane but if you had seene the affection wherewith hee besought me to loue him the oathes by which he assured me neuer to change and the coniurations by which hee bound mee neuer to loue other without doubt you would iudge that things most impossible might fall out sooner then the losse of this amity In the end not daring to stay longer he said My Astrea for so hee did in priuate call mee I leaue you my brother Licidas from whō I haue not concealed any one of my designes he knows what seruice I haue vowed vnto you promise me if it please you that I may depart with contentment to receiue as comming from mee all these seruices that he shall doe you and that by his presence you renew the memory of Celadon And indeed he had reason to make this request for Licidas during his absence shewed himselfe so curious to obserue what his brother had giuen him in charge that many thought he succeeded in the affection which his brother bare me That was the cause that Alcippe after he had kept him three yeeres out of this Countrey called him back being of opinion that so long a time had defaced the light impression which Loue had made in a soule so young and that growing more wise hee might easily draw Licidas from affecting me But his returne was a strong assurance to me of his faithfulnesse For the chilnesse of the Alpes which he had twice passed thorow could nothing diminish the
marry him vnto Malthe the daughter of Forelle for commodity as he pretended of their neighbourhood The words which were vsed betweene vs at our departing haue beene but too much published by one of the Nymphes of Belinde For I know not how that day Licidas who was at the foot of the rocke fell asleepe and that Nymph as she went by heard vs and wrote downe in her Tables all our discourse And what interrupted Diane are those the verses which I haue heard sung to one of my mothers Nymphes at the departure of a shepheard These be they answered Astrea and because I would not discouer that it any thing touched me I durst not demaund them Trouble not your selfe replyed Diane for I will giue you a copie to morrow And after Astrea had thanked her she went forward Now during this absence Olympe the daughter of shepheard Lupeander dwelling on the confines of Forest on the side the riuer Furant came with her mother into our Hamlet and because this good olde woman much loued Amarillis as hauing in their youth beene bred together shee came to visite her This young shepheardesse was not so faire as she was conceited and had so good an opinion of her selfe that shee thought all the shepheards that looked on her were in loue with her which is a rule infallible for all those that loue themselues That was the cause that as soone as she came into the house of Alcippe that shee began to busie her selfe with Licidas thinking the ciuility hee vsed toward her proceeded of Loue. As soone as the shepheard perceiued it hee came to tell vs and know how he should behaue himselfe wee gaue aduise that hee might the better couer the affection he bore to Phillis to maintaine Olympe in this opinion And shortly after it fell out by mischance that Artemis had some affaires on the coast of Allier whither shee carried Phillis with her notwithstanding all the cunning we could inuent to keepe her back During this absence which might bee about fiue or sixe moneths the mother of Olympe returned leauing her daughter in the hands of Amarillis with a purpose that Licidas should marry her iudging according to that they saw that he loued her very dearely And because it was an aduancement to her she was counselled by her mother to carry her selfe as louely as she could And assure you faire Diane she dissembled not for thenceforth she rather sued vnto him then was sued vnto by him So that one day when shee found him at leasure as shee thought within the inward parts of the wood of Bonlieu where by fortune hee went to seeke a wandring sheep after some common speeches she laid her arme on his neck and after she had kissed him sayd Gentle shepheard I know not what I haue in mee so vnpleasing that I cannot by any demonstrations of good will finde place in your good graces It may be answered the shepheard smiling because I haue none He that should say as you doe replied the shepheardesse may be thought to be as much blinded as your selfe if you see not the offer which I make of my amity till when shepheard ordaine you that I loue without being beloued and that I shal still seek you without finding acceptance I cannot thinke that the other shepheardesses whom you make so much of are more louely then my selfe or haue any thing aboue me but the possession of your good graces Olympe vttered these words with that affection that Licidas was moued at it Faire Diane at all other times when I remember this accident that befell the shepheard I could not refraine from laughter but now my misfortune forbids me yet me thought I could be angry with none but Phillis who had so charged him to loue her for this fayning at last turned to earnest Hereupon this miserable Olympe thinking by her fauours to make her selfe beloued the more made her selfe to be so much dis-esteemed that Licidas hauing had of her all that he might disdained her so that he could not abide she should be neere him Presently after this fortune befell hee came to tell me with such apparance of displeasure that I thinke hee was sorry for his fault and yet it fell not out so for this shepheardesse committed such folly that shee grew to bee with childe and about the time shee first perceiued it Phillis returned from her iourney and if I expected her with great paine I likewise welcōmed her with much cōtentment But as commonly they first demād of that which neerest toucheth the hart Phillis after two or three former words failed not to aske how Licidas did how he behaued himselfe with Olympe Very well answered I and I assure my selfe hee will not bee long before hee come to tell you newes I cut my speech the shorter for feare I might tell her somewhat that might anger Licidas who for his part was not without paine not knowing how to aboord the shepherdesse at last he resolued to suffer al things rather thē to bee banished from her sight and came to finde her in her lodging where he knew I was As soone as shee saw him shee ran to him with open armes to salute him but giuing a little backe he sayd Faire Phillis I haue not hardines enough to come neere you except you pardon me the fault I haue done you The shepherdesse thinking he had excused himselfe for comming no sooner as hee was accustomed answered him There is nothing can hold me backe from saluting Licidas and when he hath offended mee I must pardon him alwaies At this word shee came forward welcommed him with great affection but it was his pleasure when hee brought her backe to me to pray me tell his errour to his Mistris that hee might speedily know to what she would condemne him Not for that the griefe saith he shall not accompany me to my graue but for the desire I haue to know what you ordaine of me This word brought colour into the face of Phillis doubting that her pardon was greater then her meaning whereof Licidas taking heed I haue not courage enough said he to me to heare the declaration you shall make of me Pardon me then faire Mistris turning to Phillis if I break company so soon if my life be vnpleasing to you and that my death may giue you satisfaction be not couetous of my bloud At this word though Phillis called him back yet would he not come but contrarily pulling the doore after him left vs alone You may not thinke that Phillis made dainty to aske if there were any newes whence so great feare came Without stay in lōg discourse I told her as it was and withall laid al the fault on our selues who did not foresee that his youth could no longer resist the assaults of this folly and that his displeasure was so great that his error was pardonable At the first I could not obtaine that I desired of her but some few
But how apparent is it to refuse a man so constant that had loued me but three moneths Lisis seeing before his eyâ—s that which her outrage would not suffer him to loue and which his loue would not permit him to hate knew not with what words to answer her yet to interrupt this torrent of words he said Stelle it is sufficient we haue long since proued that you do know better what to say then to do and that words flow highest in your mouth when reason in you is at the lowest ebbe But hold that which I tell you for inuiolable as much as I haue heeretofore loued you so much at this houre do I hate you and there shall neuer be day of my life that I will not proclaime you for the most vngratefull and deceitfull woman that is vnder heauen At this word offering violence to his affection and the arme of Stelle wherewith she leaned on the wall to keepe him in against the window he left her alone and went amongst the other shepheards that for that time warranted him against his enemy Semire as I told you heard all this discourse and remayned so astonied and so ill satisfied with her that from that time he resolued neuer to make account of a spirit so flitting And that which yet gaue him more will was that by chance hauing long sought occasion to speake to her and seeing Lisis had left her alone I went to her for I must confesse that her allurements and trickes had more force in my soule then the wrong she had done to Lisis had giuen me knowledge of the imperfection of her spirit and as euery man goes flattering his desires I went fancying so that that which the merits of Lisis could not obtaine of her my good fortune might procure me So that so long as his wooing lasted I would neuer let my affection appeare for besides the kindred that was betweene him and me there was a very strait amity but when I sawe that he went off thinking the place to be voyd I neuer tooke heed to the suite of Semire I thought it to some purpose to discouer somwhat to her rather then to attend till she had another dessigne So then addressing my selfe to her and seeing her very pensiue I sayd It must needes be some great occasion which made her so changed for this sadnesse was not vsuall to her quicke humour It is the rage of Lisis answered she that will alwayes remember the time passed and walkes reproching me for the refusall I made of him And that said I shall it grieue you It cannot be otherwise answered she for we cannot put off our affection as we may our smocke And he takes in so euill part my delay that he alwayes calleth it a farewell Truly sayd I Lisis deserues not the honour of your good graces since that not being able to winne them by his merits he ought at least to endeuour it by his long seruices accompanyed with a strong patience but his boyling humour and it may be his little loue will not suffer him If this good lucke might befall me with what affection would I receiue it and with what patience would I attend it Father it may be you will thinke it strange to heare mee tell you the sudden change of this shepheardesse and yet I sweare vnto you that she receiued the ouerture of my loue so soone as I made it and so that before wee parted shee liked well of my offer of the seruice which I made her and gaue me leaue to call my selfe her seruant You may well thinke that Semire who was listening remayned no more satisfied with me then he had beene with Lisis and indeede from that time hee withdrew his suite yet so discreetly that many thought Stelle had beene the cause by her refusall For she made no shew of grieuing much at it because the place of his loue was filled with a new dessigne which she had in me which was the cause that I receiued more fauours from her then otherwise I should Which Lisis soone perceiued But loue which will alwayes triumphs ouer friendship with-held me from speaking to him fearing to displease the shepheardesse and though hee were very angry that I concealed it from him yet should I neuer haue spoken to him of it without the permission of Stelle who made shew to desire that this businesse might passe by his hands And since as I haue noted she did it with a purpose to reimbarke him once againe with her But I who then tooke no heede to all her trickes and who sought after nothing but the meanes to content her one night when Lisis and I lay together I vsed this language to him I must confesse Lisis that at last Loue sports himselfe with me and more there is nothing can deferre my death but that which shall come from you From me answered Lisis You may be assured that I will neuer be wanting to our friendship though your mistrust hath made you commit as great an offence and thinke not but I haue knowne your loue but your silence which displeased me made me hold my peace Since you replied I haue knowne it and haue not spoken to me of it I haue the more cause of offence For I confesse I haue failed in some things against our friendship in my silence but you must consider that a louer is not himselfe and in all his errours you are to accuse the violence of his disease but you that haue no passion can haue no excuse but the want of friendship Lisis beganne to laugh when he heard my reasons and answered me You are pleasant Corilas to pay me with a demaund yet will I neuer gaine-say you and since you haue this opinion see wherein I may amend this fault In doing for me answered I which you could not for your selfe that is I must tell you at last that if I attayne not the loue of Stelle there is no hope in me O God then cryed Lisis to what passage hath your misfortune led you Flie Corilas this dangerous sea where indeede there are nothing but rockes and bankes marked with the shipwracke of those which haue taken the same course I speake out of experience as you know I hope your merits may else-where gaine you a better fortune then me but neither vertue nor reason can do it heere I answered It is no small contentment to me to heare you vse this language for till now I was in doubt you had yet some feeling and that made me the more reserued but since God be thanked it is not so I desire in this loue to draw out an extreme proofe of your friendship I know that the hatred which succeeds loue measures it selfe after the greatnesse of the fall and hauing so dearely loued this fayre shepheardesse comming to hate her the hatred should thereby be the greater yet hauing knowne by Stelle her selfe that I cannot come to that I desire but by
which of all the world you hold most deare which is your chastity Now mistrisse since there remayneth nothing more to my contentment but onely one poynt by the affection which you haue found in Philander I heartily pray you to grant it mee to the end that this happy soule may goe to expect you in the Elisian fieldes with this satisfaction from you He spake this in broken words and with much payne And I that sawe him in this case to giue him all the contentment he could desire answered him Friend the gods haue not raysed in you so good and honest affection to extinguish it so presently and to leaue vs nothing but sorrow I hope they will giue you yet so much life that I shall make you know that I giue not place to you in loue no more then you doe to any other in merit And for proofe of that which I doe say demaund you that onely thing which you would gladly haue of me for there is nothing that I can or will deny you At these last words he tooke me by the hand and laying it to his mouth I kisse sayth he this hand by way of thankes for the grace and fauour you haue done me and then lifting vp his eyes to heauen O God sayd he I desire of you but so much life as may serue for the accomplishment of the promise which Diane comes to make me and then addressing his speech to me with such paine that he could hardly vtter a word he sayd thus vnto me Now fayre Mistrisse heare then what it is I require of you Since I feele not the anguish of death but for you I coniure you by my affection and by your promise that I may carry this contentment out of the world that I may say I am your husband and beleeue me if I doe obtayne it my soule shall most contentedly goe into what place soeuer it must passe hauing so great a testimony of your goodwill I sweare to you fayre shepheardesses that these words strucke me so to the quicke that I knew not how I was able to sustayne my selfe and I thinke for my part it was onely the desire I had to please him that gaue me the courage This was the cause that he had no sooner ended his demaund but I griping his hand sayd Philander I graunt you that you demaund of me and I sweare to you before all the gods and particularly before the deities which are in this place that Diane giues herselfe to you and that she taketh you both in heart and soule for her husband and in speaking these words I kissed him And I sayd he take you my fayre mistris and giue my selfe to you for euer right happy and content to beare the most glorious name of Diane Alas this word of Diane was the last word he vttered for hauing his arme about my necke and drawing me to him to kisse me he dyed breathing his last vpon my lippes How I looked when I beheld him dead you may easily iudge fayre shepheardesses since I so truly loued him I fell groueling vpon him without pulse and without sence and fell into a swowning so that I came to my selfe without my owne knowledge O God! how liueth my heart since I felt this losse and found that to be too true which so oftentimes he had foretold me that I should loue him more after his death then during life for I haue so liuely preserued his remembrance in my soule that me thinketh I haue him alwayes before mine eyes and without ceasing he sayth to me vnlesse I will be vngratefull I must loue him So I doe O good soule and with the most entire affection that I can and if where thou art there be any knowledge of that which is done heere below receiue O deare friend this good will and these teares which I doe offer in testimony that Diane loueth euen to her coffin her dearest Philander The end of the sixt Booke THE SEVENTH BOOKE of Astrea and Celadon AStrea to interrupt the sad thoughts of Diane But faire shepheardesse said hee who was that miserable wretch that was cause of so great misfortune Alas said Diane why would you I should tell you He was an enemy that came not into the world but to be the cause of my euerlasting teares But yet answered Astrea was it neuer knowne what he was They said replyed she some time after that he came out of certaine barbarous countries beyond the Straits I know not whether I can name the right which they call the pillars of Hercules and the cause that brought him so farre for my mischiefe was that he became amorous of a Lady in those countries who commanded him to seeke throughout Europe to know whether there were any other as faire as she and if he met with any Louer that would maintaine the beauty of his Mistrisse hee was bound to fight with him and to send her his head with the picture and name of the Lady Alas I would it had pleased the heauens that I had not bene so ready to flie when he pursued me to kill me that by my death I might haue preuented that of poore Filander At these wordes shee set her selfe on weeping with such abundance of teares that Phillis to diuert her changed the discourse and rising vp first We haue said she fate long enough me thinks it were good to walke awhile At this word they all three rose and went toward that part of their Hamlet for it was well neere dinner time But Leonide who was as I told you harkening lost not one word of these shepheardesses and the more she heard of their newes the more she desired to heare But when shee saw them goe away without speaking a word of Celadon shee was much troubled yet in hope she might staying that day with them discouer somewhat as before she purposed When she saw them gone a little off she rose out of the bush and making a short turne shee set to follow them for she would not haue them thinke shee had ouer-heard them By chance Phillis turning backward as they were going espyed her a far off and shewed her to her companions who stayed but seeing she came towards them to doe her the duty which her condition merited they returned backe and saluted her Leonide full of courtesie after she had returned them their saluation addressing her selfe to Diane sayd Wise Diane I will this day be your ghâ—st prouided that Astrea and Phillis bee of the company for I came this morning from my vncle Adamas with a purpose to passe all this day with you to know if that which I haue heard of your vertue Diane of your beauty Astrea of your merit Phillis answere the report that is divulged of you Diane seeing her companions referred themselues to her answered Great Nymph it were better for vs haply that you had knowledge of vs onely from report since that is very fauourable on our side yet since it
for our place of abode was not farre from thence vpon the banks of the great riuer of Seyne And for that by reason of the great accesse of people which from all parts came to withdraw them there and the want of those commodities which they were vsed vnto in the Champaine the contagious sickenesse beganne to take so violent a course throughout the Towne that euen the great men could nor defend themselues It fell out that the mother of Cleon was attaynted with it And although that this disease were so fearefull that there was neither parentage nor obligation of loue that could retayne the sound about them that were infected yet the good nature of Cleon had such power ouer her that she would not depart from her mother whatsoeuer she sayd vnto her but on the contâ—ary when some of her familiars would haue withdrawne her representing the danger whereinto she thrust her selfe and that it was offensiue to the gods to tempt them in this sort If you loue me would she say vse not this speech to me for doe I not owe my life to her that gaue me it and can the gods be offended that I serue him that taught me to worship them On this resolution she would neuer abandon her mother and staying with her serued her as freely as if it had beene no infectious disease Tyrcis was all the day long at their doore burning with desire to enter into their lodging but the for bidding of Cleon stayed him who would not suffer him for feare lest they that were ready to thinke the worst might iudge his presence preiudiciall to her chastity He that would not displease her not daring to enter caused to be carried to them all things necessary with so great care that they were neuer in want of any thing Yet as the heauens would this happy Cleon would not escape the infectioÌ„ of her mothers disease whatsoeuer preseruatiues Tyrcis could bring When this shepheard knew it it was no more possible to keepe him backe from entring into their lodging thinking it was now no time to dissemble nor to feare the biting of the bad-speaker He then set in order all his affayres disposed of his goods and declared his last will then hauing left a charge to some of his friends to send him succour he shuts himselfe in with the mother and the daughter resoluing to runne the same fortune that Cleon did It would serue to no purpose but to lengthen the discourse to tell you what were the good offices what the seruices that he did to the mother for the consideration of the daughter for he could not imagine more then those which his affection made him performe But when he sawe her dead and that there remayned no more then his Mistris whose disease growing worse and worse I do not thinke that this shepheard rested one moment He 〈◊〉 her continually in his armes or else dressed her sores Shee on the other side who had alwayes loued him so dearely acknowledged so great loue in this last action that her owne was much increased so that one of her griefes was the danger wherein she saw him for her cause He on the contrary side tooke such satisfaction that Fortune though his enemy yet had offered him this meane to giue testimony of his goodwill that he could not giue her thankes enow If fell out that the disease of this shepheardesse being in case needfull to be launced there was no Surgeon that would for feare of danger hazzard himselfe to touch her Tyrcis whose affection found nothing hard being instructed what he was to doe tooke the launcer and lifting vp her arme launced it and dressed it without feare Shortly gentle shepheard all the most dangerous things and most noysome were sweet vnto him and very casie So it was that the disease hourely encreasing brought this Nymph beloued Cleon to that estate that there remayned no more strength but to speake these words I am sorry that the gods will no longer draw out the threed of my life not that I haue a desire to liue longer time for this desire can neuer make me wish it hauing had triall of the discommodities which follow mortals but onely that in some sort I would not die so much obliged to you but that I might haue time to giue you testimony that I am not attainted with Ingratitude nor misprising It is true that when I consider what are the obligations which I owe you I thinke the heauens are right iust to take me out of the world since that if I should liue as many ages as I haue done dayes I know not how to satisfie the least of that infinite number which your affection hath brought forth Receiue then for all that which I owe you not an equall good but indeed all that I can which is an oath which I make you that euen death shall neuer wipe out the memory of your loue nor the desire I haue to make all the acknowledgements that a true louing person may yeeld to him to whom she is bound These words were vttered with much payne but the loue she bare the shepheard gaue her the strength to deliuer them Whereto Tyrcis answered Faire Mistris I can hardly thinke I haue bound you nor that euer I shall because that which I haue hitherto done hath not satisfied my selfe and whereas you say you are obliged to me I see well you know not the greatnes of the loue of Tyrcis otherwise you would not thinke that so small a thing was able to pay the tribute of so great duty Beleeue mee fayre Cleon the fauour you haue done me so kindely to receiue the seruices which you say I haue done you charge me with so great a burden that a thousand liues and a thousand such occasions know not how to discharge me The heauens which haue caused me to be borne but for you will accuse me of misprisall if I liue not for you and if I haue any dessigne to employ one single moment of this life other then to your seruice He would haue held on longer but the shepheardesse ouerladen with her sickenesse interrupted him Cease friend and let me speake to the end that the small remainder of my life may be employed in assuring you that you may not be better beloued than you are of me who finding my selfe ready to depart giue you an eternall farewell and intreate you for three things alwayes to loue Cleon to cause mee to be buryed neere my mothers bones and to take order that when you are to pay the duety of mortality your body be layed neere mine that I may rest with this contentment that not hauing the power to be vnited to you in life yet I may be so at least in death He answered The gods should be vniust if hauing giuen beginning to so good an amity as ours they should sunder it so soone I hope they will yet preserue you or at least they will take me away before you
could not but more strengthen himselfe thereby in his iealousie which Phillis greatly regarded not thinking she had giuen proofs great enough of her loue so that in reason he was not to doubt it but ignorance knowes not that iealousie in Loue is Iuie that drawes to it selfe the nourishment which should goe to the good branches and good fruit and the greater it is the more it shewes the fertility of the place and the strength of the plant Paris that admired the great spirit of Siluander knew not what to iudge of him and thought that if he had beene bred among ciuill folke he had beene without paralell since liuing among shepheards hee was such that he knew none more gentle That was the cause that he resolued to make friendship with him more freely to enioy his company And to procure theÌ„ to hold on their disputation he turned to Hylas said that he must confesse he had taken the worse part since he stood so long mute He neede not be astonied for that said Diane since there is not so violent a iudge as the conscience Hylas knowes well hee argues against the truth and it is onely to flatter his fault And though Diane held on this discourse some while yet Hylas answered not a word being busie in beholding Phillis who when she was neere Licidas entertained him coursely enough and because Astrea would not haue him ouer-heare what she said to him she diuers times interrupted him vntil at last she constrained him to say If Phillis be so importuned I will not loue at all Truely shepheard said she expressely to hinder him from harkening if you bee as vngracious to her as vnciuill to vs shee will make no great account of you And for that Phillis without taking heede to this dispute held on her discourse Diane said to her What Phillis doe you thus shew the duty you owe me Will you leaue mee then to entertaine a shepheard Whereat Phillis surprized answered I would not mistrisse this errour should displease you for I was of opinion that this goodly discourse of gentle Hylas would haue kept you from heeding mee who in the meane time was giuing order to an affaire that this shepheard spoke of to mee and indeede she lyed not for she was much busied for the coldnesse shee â—ound in him It were good then Phillis said Diane with the words of a true mistrisse you thinke to pay all your faults with excuses but remember that all these defects are but small proofes of your little loue and that in time and place I shall remember in what fashion you serue me Hylas had taken Phillis by the waste and not knowing the wager of Siluander and her was amazed to heare Diane speake so therefore seeing her ready to beginne her excuse he preuented her saying Who would say faire mistrisse that this glorious shepheardesse would handle you thus coursely will you yeeld to her in any thing Commit not this fault I beseech you for though she be faire yet haue you beauty enough to make you a part and which it may be giues no place to hers Ah! Hylas said Phillis if you knew against whom you speake you would rather choose to be mute the rest of your life then to be prouided of a word that might displease this faire shepheardesse who in the twinkling of an eye may if you loue make you the most vnhappy mâ—n that euer loued On me said the shepheard she may rayse or cast downe open or shut her eyes but my misfortune no more then my happinesse shall neuer dependâ— neither of her eyes nor of her whole face and yet I loue you and will loue you If you loue mee added Phillis and I haue any power ouer you shee hath much more for I may be moued either by your loue or by your seruices not to vse you hardly but this shepheardesse being neither loued nor serued of you will neuer haue pitty And what neede haue I sayd Hilas of her pitty Yes certainely replyed Phillis you want her mercy for I will nothing but what she wills and can do nothing but what shee commands for behold the Mistris I loue whom I serue and whom I adore so that she is all my loue all my seruice and all my deuotion Now fee Hylas whom you haue offended and what pardon you are to sue for Then the shepheard casting himselfe at the feete of Diane all astonied after he had a little be held her sayd Mine owne faire Mistris if he that loues may behold any other thing then the subiect beloued I might well haue seene in some sort that euery one was to honor and do reuerence to your merit but since I haue mine eyes closed against al other things but my Phillis you shuld shew too great cruelry if you pardoÌ„ not the fault which I confesse for which â—â—ry you mercy Phillis that was sorry to be thus pâ—stred with this man that she might talke with Lieidas as he had desired made haste to answer him before Diane and to tell him that Diane would not pardon him but with condition that he should tell them the suites and aduentures which hee had had since hee beganne to loue for it was impossible but the discourse would be very pleasing since he had serued in so many sorts the accidents must needes be accordingly Truely Phillis sayd Diane you are a great diuiner for I had a purpose neuer to pardon him but with that condition and therefore Hylas resolue to do it How sayd the shepheard will you constraine me to tell my life before my Mistris and what opinion will shee haue of me when shee shall heare say that I haue loued aboue an hundred that to some I haue bid farewell before I left them and left others before I sayd any thing to them when shee shall know that at one and the same time I was diuided among many what will she thinke of me Nothing worse then shee now thinkes sayd Siluander for she will then but iudge you inconstant as she doth already It is true sayd Phillis but that you may not enter into this doubt I haue businesse elsewhere whither Astrea shall go with me if she please and in the meane time you shall obey Diane's commandement At this word she tooke Astrea by the arme and with-drew to the side of the wood where Licidas was euen now gone and because Siluander had ouerheard her answere to Licidas he followed afarre off to see what his meaning was whereto the euening somewhat serued his turne that he might not be seene for it waxed late besides that he went behind the bushes hiding himselfe so that hee followed them at pleasure vnseene and came so fitly that he heard what Astrea sayd to her what humor is this of Licidas to desire to speake with you at this howre and in this place hauing so many other commodities that I know not what he meanes to choose out so vnfit a time I know not
her hand before her eyes and afterwards began to run as if shee had allured mee to run after her At the first I was so amazed with the blow I made as though I heeded it not but when she came back the second time I fell on running after her and she after she had somewhat run about her cōpanions started from them and when she was a litle from them faining to bee out of breath lay downe behind a thicke bush I that at first ran without any dessine seeing her on the ground and in a place where shee might not bee seene seeming desirous to bee reuenged for the paine shee had put mee to began to clap her whereto shee made a small resistance but so that she shewed this priuacy displeased her not especially for that seeming to defend her she discouered purposely as I thinke to make her white skin seeme whiter by much then one would iudge by her face At last being risen vp she sayd to mee I did not thinke Hylas you had bene so rude a gamester otherwise I would not haue meddled with you If this displease you said I I craue pardon but if it be not so I was neuer in my life better payd for my indiscretion then now How meane you that sayd shee I meane said I faire Floriante that I neuer saw fairer then that I spied eene now See said shee what a lier you are and at this word strooke me gently on the cheeke and ran backe to her companions This Floriante was the daughter of an honest knight that then was sicke and kept neere the shore of Arar and shee hearing of her fathers sickenesse went to seeke him out hauing stayed somewhile with one of her sisters who was married in Arles her face was not very faire for she was somewhat browne but she had such conceits and was of so liuely an humor that I must tell you this meeting made me lose the will I had to Aymee and that so quickly that I felt little displeasure in leauing her so that the contentment in finding this cleered me of all griefe I then forsooke Aymee me thought and addicted my selfe wholy vnto Floriante I may say me thought for it was not true altogether seeing that often when I saw her I tooke pleasure to talke with her though the affection which I bare the other drew me with a little more violence but indeed when I considered sometime what I sayd I found that whereas I was wont to loue but one I did now serue two It is true that this was with no great paine for when I was neere Floriante I neuer remembred Aymee and when I was neer Aymee Floriante had no place in my memory And ther was nothing so much tormented me as when I was far from them both for I was sorry for them both together Now gentle Paris this entertainement lasted with me to Vienna but being by chance at our lodging for almost euery night we went ashore and specially when we passed by any good townes lo there comes a shepherdesse to intreat the master of the boate where I was to let her haue a place as farre as Lyons because her husband being wounded by some enemies had sent vnto her to seeke him out The master who was curteous receiued her willingly so the next morning she placed her selfe in the boate with vs. Shee was faire but somodest and discreet that she was to be no lesse commended for her vertue otherwise so sad and full of melancholy that she moued pitty from all the company And because I haue alwayes had much compassion on the afflicted I had it infinitely ouer this endeuored to comfort her the best I could wherat Floriante was not contented what countenance soeuer she set on it nor Aimee neither for conceiue gentle Paris that though a woman dissemble yet shee cannot choose but feele the losse of a louer for that it seemeth to be a wrong to her beauty and beauty being the thing that this Sexe most esteemes is the most sensible part in her Yet I that with my compassion beganne to mingle a little loue not seeming to looke on those two wenches I held on talke with her and among other things to the end our discourse might not fayle and to haue the greater knowledge of her I intreated her to tell me the cause of her sorrow She then full of courtesie began to speake thus The compassion which you haue of my paine bindes me courteous stranger to giue you more satisfaction than that you demaund and you would thinke it a great fault if I refused so small a thing But I beseech you to consider withall the state wherein I am and to excuse my discourse if I abridge it as much as I can Know then shepheard that I was borne about the bankes of Loyre where I was as charily brought vp to the age of fifteene yeeres as one of my sort might be My name is Cloris and my father is called Leonce the brother of Gerestan into whose hands I was deliuered after the death of my father and my mother being of the age I told you and from that time I beganne to feele the blowes of Fortune for my vncle hauing more care of his owne children than of me thought himselfe ouer-layd with my charge All the comfort I had was from his wife called Collire for she loued me and prouided for what she could possibly without her husbands knowledge But the heauens would afflict mee in all for when Filander the brother of Collire was slaine she tooke such a griefe that none could perswade her to suruiue him so that within few dayes after she dyed and I abode with her two daughters who were so young that I had little contentment to be with them It fell out that a shepheard of the prouince of Vienna named Rosidor came to visit the Temple of Hercules that stands on the shore of Furan on the top of a rocke that rises in the midst of the mountaines much aboue them all that are there-about On that day there were together a great company of vs young shepheardesses For it was a solemne day for for that place I should vse but needlesse words to tell you the speech we had together and the fashion wherewith he shewed me his loue So it was that from that day he gaue himselfe to me so that hee neuer made shew of contradicting it He was young and goodly for his wealth he had much more than I might hope for for the rest his spirit so like that which appeared outwardly in his body and there was a perfect agreement His suite lasted foure yeeres and I cannot say that in all that time he either did or thought any thing wherewith he acquainted me not and asked my aduice This extreme submission so long continued made mee most certaine of his loue and his merits which then had not a little bound mee to loue him haue since that time wonne me in
send his Letters and to receiue their secrets and for this purpose shee made a desseigne on Fleurial nephevv to the Nurse of Amasis and brother of hers whose good will shee had long knowne for that being Gardiner of those faire gardens of Monbrison as his father during his life had beene when they carried Galathee abroad he tooke her often in his armes and went vp and downe gathering what floures shee would and you know that these loues of infancy being as it were sucked in with the milke turne almost into nature besides that she knew well that all countrey swaines are couetous dealing bountifully with him shee wonne him entirely to her And it fell out as she purposed for one day being some distance remoued from vs she called him to her fayning to aske him the name of some flowres which she held in her hand and after she had asked him aloude of them somewhat abasing her voyce she sayd to him Come hither Fleurial dost thou loue me well Madame answered he I should be the veriest wretch liuing if I loued you not aboue all the world beside May I be assured said the Nymph of what thou sayest May I replyed he neuer liue a moment if I choose not rather to be wanting to heauen than to you What answered Galathee without any exception were it in a thing that might displease Amasis or Clidamon I care not then sayd Fleurial whom I displease in seruing you for I am to none but to you and whosoeuer payes mee yet it is of you that this benefit befalles mee and when this shall cease to be I alwayes had such an affection to you that euer since your childhood I gaue my selfe entirely to you But Madame whereto serue these words I shall neuer be so happy to be able to giue proofe of it Then Galathee said Hearken Fleurial if thou liue in this resolution and thou wilt be secret thou shalt be the happiest man of thy condition in all the world and that which I haue done for thee heeretofore is nothing to the valew of that which heereaster I will doe But looke that you be secret and remember that if you be not besides that of a friend as I am I will hencefoorth become your mortall enemy yet must you assure your selfe that it will cost you no lesse then your life Go◠finde out Lindamor and doe what he shall bid you and beleeue thou that I will consider better than thou canst hope for for the seruices which thou shalt doe for mee in this and beware you haue not a tongue At this word Galathee came to seeke vs out and laughing said That Fleurial and she had talked a good while of Loue but said she it was loue of the garden for that is the loue of the simple Fleurial for his part after hee had turned some turnes about the garden went forth some what troubled with this affaire for he was not so ignorant but hee knew well the danger into which he put himselfe whether with Amasis if he should discouer it or with Galathee if he should not do as she commanded him thinking it was about loue and hee had heard them say that all the ofsences of Loue strike to the heart At last the amity he bare to Galathee and the desire of gaine made him resolue since hee had promised to performe his promise and then he went to seeke out Lindamor who expected him for the Nymph had assured him that shee would send him and that onely he should direct him what he was to doe As soon as Lindamor saw him he made shew before others not to know the cause asked him if he had any businesse with him To whō he made answer aloud that he came to beseech him to present to Amasis his long seruices and the smal means he had to be paid that which was due to him and at last speaking some what lower he told him the occasion of his cōming offered him his seruice at his pleasure Lindamor thanked him hauing shortly instructed him what he was to doe he iudged the thing so easie that he made no difficulty from that time as I told you when Lindamor would write Fleurial made shew to present some suire to the Nymph and when she made answer shee returned it backe with such an order as shee could obtaine from Amasis And because ordinarily these olde seruants haue alwayes some thing or other to aske this man neuer wanted matter to exhibit at all times of some new request which oftentimes receiued an answer beyond his hopes Now during this time the loue which the Nymph had borne to Polemas lessened in such sort that hardly could shee speake to him without disgrace which he could not beare and knowing well that all this coldnesse procceded of the loue of Lindamor he suffered himselfe to be transported so farre that not daring to speake against Galathee hee could not abstaine from speaking many things to the disaduantage of Lindamor and among other that though he were an honest man and accomplished with many remarkable parts yet the good opinion which he had of himselfe was not like theirs that know how to measure themselues and for proofe of it he had beene so proud as to raise his eyes to the loue of Galathee and not onely to conceiue it in his soule but to vaunt of it in speech to him A discourse which at last came to the eares of Galathee namely so farre passed that almost all the Court knew it The Nymph was so offended herewith that she resolued to vse Lindamor so that hereafter he should not haue occasion to publish his vanities and that was the cause that shortly after this bruit was extinct for that she who was in choler pake no more to him and that they that obserued his actions finding no apparence of Loue were constrained to beleeue the contrary and at that time was the sending away of Knights which fell out fitly and ayded her much for that Amasis had sent him about a businesse of importance to the banks of Rhine But his departure could not bee so sudden bu◠hee found occasion to speake to Galathee to know the cause of her change and after he had spied out a time the morning as she went to the Temple with her mother he was so neere her and so in the middest of vs that hardly could Amasis perceiue him As soone as shee saw him shee would haue changed the place but holding her by the garment hee sayd What is my offence or what is your change She answered as she went Neither offence nor change for I am alwayes Galathee and you ar◠alwayes Lindamor who are too base a subiect to offend me If these words touched him his actions gaue witnesse for though he were vpon his departure yet could he giue order to no other businesse but to search in himselfe wherein he had failed At last not finding himselfe guilty hee wrote her a letter The
buâ— when she would enter behold a man that cast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 her feete and without saying any thing kissed her robe O God sayd the Nymph who is this Fleurial see a man Madame said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is an heart that is yours How said she an 〈◊〉 And then she would haue fled away for feare but hee that â—â—ist her to be 〈◊〉 her backe Hearing these words I drew neere and presently I knew it was â—e that Flourial said was his cousin I knew not suddenly what to thinke I saw Galathee and my selfe in the hands of these women the one of 〈◊〉 was vnknowne to vs. What could wee resolue to doe 〈◊〉 wee 〈◊〉 to flye Galathee could not to trust to ouâ— owne 〈◊〉 there was no apparence At last all that I could doe was to castâ—â—â— selfe into the hands of him that held the Nymphs 〈◊〉 not being able to doe more I beganne to scratch and to bite him That which I did was with such speeds that the first thing that he felt was the biting Ah courmous 〈◊〉 said he how do you handle your enemies when you deale so ridely with your seruants Though I were almost besides my selfe yee I almost knew the voyce and asking him who liee was I am sayd her the man that beares the heart of Lindamon to this â—aire Nymph and then not raising him selfe from the earth turning to her he went on I must confesse Madam that this rashnesse is great yet is it no way equall to my affection which hath caused it See the heart of 〈◊〉 which I bring you I hope this present shall be as well accepted from the hand of the giuer as from a stranger yet it my misfortune deny me what Loue hath promised me hauing offended the diuinity whoâ— I only adore condemne this heart which I bring you to all the cruell 〈◊〉 you please for so the paine may satisfie you it shal beare it patiently and with as much contentment as pardon it I easily knew him then to be Lindamor and so did Galathee she seeing him at her 〈◊〉 whom she bewalled for dead and in the place of a Gardiner the Knight that giues place to none in all the Countrey And knowing that Galathee was so surprized I sayd Is it so Lindamer that you surprize Ladyes This is not the act of a Knight especially such as you are I coÌ„fesse said he gracious Nymph that it is not the act of a Knight but withall you cannot deny but it is of a Louer and what am I more then a Louer Loue that hath taught others to spnine teaches me to be a Gardiner Is it possible sayd he turning to the Nymph that this extreme affection which you haue caused is so displeasing to you that you wold haue it end in my death I haue had the hardines to bring you that which you would haue of mine this heart is it not more welcome to you in life then in death Now if it be your pleasure that it die behold here a dagger which may abbridge that which your rigour in time may bring The Nymph to all these words made no answer but Ah Leonide haue you betrayed me and with these words went out into the Alley where she found a seat sit for the purpose for she was so besides her self that she knew not where she was There the Knight cast himselfe on his knees and I came on the other side and sayd How Madame say you you are betrayed Why doe you accuse 〈◊〉 so I sweare by the seruice I haue vowed you that I knew nothing of this act Fleurial hath deceiued me as well as you But God be praised that the deceit is so commodious to cuery one behold one heart of 〈◊〉 which Flourial promised you but see him in a state to do you seruice may you not be glad of this treason It would be too long to tell you all the discourse wee had So it was that at last we made a peace and so that this loue was more strongly tied then euer before yet with condition that for that present he should depart to go whither Amasis and Clidaman had sent him This departure was vnpleasing yet hee must obey and so after hee had kissed Galathâ—â—â— hands without any greater fauour he departed Well hee went in great assurance that at his returne hee might see her at that houre and in that place But to what purpose should I particularize euery thing Lindamor returned to them that being his followers expected him from thence with great â—â—â—gence went where Clidaman thought hee was and by the way hee framed a thousand wise excuses of his stay sometimes accusing the incommodities of the mountaines and sometimes the sicknes which yet appeared in his face by reason of his wounds and thinking that all the while he was absent from from his Lady his businesse was not worth the stay he came backe with the permission of Amasis and Clidaman into Forrests where being arriued and hauing giuen a good account of his charge he was honored and made much of as his vertue deserued But all this went not to his heart in respect of that aspect which he had from the Nymph who since his last departure encreased so her good will that I know not if Lindamor had cause to call himselfe more louing then beloued This suite passed so farre that one night being in the garden he pressed her oftentimes to permit him to demand her of Amasis that he was certaine he had done such seruices to her and her sonne that they would not deny him this grace She answered You may more doubt of their good will then of your deserts you may be lesse assured of your merits then of my good will but I would not that you should speake of it vntill Clidaman be married I am yonger then he I may stay so long You may well answered he but so wil not the violence of my passion at least if you will not agree to this remedy giue mee one that cannot hurt you if your will be as you tell me If I may sayd she without offending my selfe I will promise you After he had kissed her hand Madam sayd hee you haue promised me to sweare before Leonide and the gods that heare our discourse that you will be my wife as I take an oth before them neuer to haue any other Galathee was ouertaken yet fayning that it was partly for the oth she had taken and partly by my perswasion though indeed it were her owne affection she was contented and swearing betweene my hands with condition that Lindamor should neuer come into that garden vntil the marriage were declared and that to preuent the occasion that may make them passe further behold Lindamor the most content that euer was full of al sorces of hope at least of all those that a louer might haue that was beloued and wayting but for the promised conclusion of his desires when Loue or rather Fortune would mocke
haue hitherto auoyded and since there is none other remedy pacifie your selfe as I doe and it may be the Heauens will turne all things more to our contentment than at this time wee are permitted to wish for For my part I wil breake this misfortune as much as I can possibly But if there be no remedy yet must not we be without resolution rather let vs part asunder These last words brought the despaire of all making him thinke that this great courage proceeded from small amity If it were as easie for me answered the shepheard to resolue against this accident as you I would iudge my selfe vnworthy to be beloued for so feeble an amity cannot merit so great happinesse Well for end and reward of my seruices you giue me a resolution in the assured losse which I see of you and secretly to say to me that I must not despaire though I see you become anothers Ah Bellinde with what eye will you see this new friend With what heart can you loue him And with what fauors will you entertaine him since your eye hath a thousand times promised that it would looke on none other with loue but me and since this heart hath sworne to me that it could neuer loue any but me and since loue hath destined your fauours to no lesse affection then mine Well you command mee to leaue you to obey you I will doe so for I will not at the end of my life beginne to disobey But that which makes me vndertake it is to know assuredly that the end of my life shall not happen before the end of your amity though I call my selfe the most vnhappy that liues yet I cherish my fortune the more for that it hath presented vnto me such an occasioÌ„ to make my loue knowne to you that you may not doubt of it and yet I shall not be satisfied in my selfe if the last moment that remaines be not employed in assuring you I pray the heauen see what my amity is that in this new election it fill you with as much happinesse as you cause in me despaire Liue happy with Ergaste and receiue him with as great contentment as I haue had will to doe you seruice if my dayes would haue permitted me that this new affection full of pleasures which you promise to your selfe may accompany you to your graue as I assure you that my faithfull amity shall close mine eyes for your sake with extreme griefe That Bellinde let Celion talke so long it was for feare that speaking her teares would doe the office of words and that that would encrease the griefe of the shepheard or that it would giue proofe of the small power she had ouer her selfe Proud beauty that louest rather to be iudged to haue too little loue then too little resolution But at last finding her strengthned enough to giue answer she sayd Celion you thinke you giue me proofe of your amity and you doe the contrary for how haue you loued me hauing so euil an opinioÌ„ of me If since this last accideÌ„t you haue conceiued it beleeue the affection was not great which could so readily suffer a change But if you had no euill opinion of me how is it possible you should beleeue that I haue loued you and that now I loue you no more For Gods sake haue pitty on my fortune and conspire not with her to encrease my sorrow consider what small likelihood there is that Celion whom I loue aboue the rest of the world and whose life pleases me as much as mine owne may bee changed for an Ergaste who is vnknowne to me and in whose place I choose rather to espouse my tombe that if I be forced it is the commandement of my Father whom my honour will not suffer me to contradict But is it possible you should not remember the protestations I haue so often made to you that I would not marry my selfe And you ceased not to loue mee whence hath it this change For if without marrying me you haue loued me why can you not now loue me without marrying mee hauing an husband who can forbid mee to haue a brother whom I may alwayes loue with that amity I ought Good will holds mee neerer to you then is permitted me Farewell my Celion liue and loue me who will loue you euen to my end whatsoeuer becomes of Bellinde At this word she kissed him which was the greatest fauour that hitherto she had done him leauing him so besides himselfe that he was not able to frame a word to giue her answer WheÌ„ he was come to himself that he considered that Loue stooped vnder duâ—y and that there was not a sparke of hope remaining which might shine among his displeasures as a person voyde of resolution he went into the Wood and into the places most couert where hee did nothing but complaine of his cruell disaster what aduice soeuer his friends could giue him He liued in this sort many dayes during which he made the roâ—ks to pitty him And that she who was the cause of his euil might haue some feeling hee sent her these verses STANZA'S Of Celion on the marriage of Bellinde and Ergaste DOe then the heauens agree after such loue After such seruices that you should be Another mans sweete heart and so must prâ—â—â—e His deare delight and dearer moity And that I haue at last for loue most true But memory my sorrowes to renew You once did loue me well what ' vaileth me This amity now it is gone and past If you in others armes embrac'd I see And if for her I be constrain'd at last You now turn'd his to keepe in silence still Displeasures cruell that my patience spill If he had more of Loue or of desart Then I I know not what to say but cry Alas Oh is not this a cruell smart That he should gaine in one dayes space well-ny Without desert what heauens will not behâ—â—uâ— To infinite desires of endlesse loue But oh weake reason duty you will say By her sad lawes compels me to doe thus What duty strong or law more holy may Be found then this that cleerely speakes for vs The faith so often sworne when hand in hand We promised a loue for aye to stand May hand you sayd forthwith grow dead and dry My hand as of a person most for sworne If I be failing in the thing that I Assure or if I any thing haue borne Neerer my heart or else hold ought more deare Then this affection which your faith did sweare Ob cruell memory of passed good Be gone and euer banisht from my minds Since happinesse that in such glory stood Alas I now so much defaced finde Deface it then it is not reasonable Thou be in me that am so miserable Though he made it not appeare in any one of his actions that there remained any hope in him yet he alwaies had some little because the contract of marriage was not yet passed and
for that he knew well that oftentimes those meetings were often broke off sometimes they that were thought most certaine But when he knew the articles were signed on both sides faire Nymph how can I tell you the least of his despaires He wrung his hands he tore his haire hebeat his brest with thumpes to be short he was a man transported and so without reason that he oftentimes went out with a purpose to kill Ergaste But when he was ready for it some sparke of consideration which in the middest of so great fury with-held him made him feare to offend Bellinde to whom notwithstanding transported with passion he wrote oftentimes letters so full of loue and reproches that she could hardly reade them without teares Among others he sent her such an one Celions letter to Bellinde in his transport MVst then inconstant shepheardesse my payne suruiue my affection Must it be that without louing you I haue such payne when I know you are in another mans hands Is it not that the gods will punish me for louing you more then I ought Or rather is it not that when I imagine not to loue you yet I haue more loue for you then I had before Yet why should I loue you since you are and cannot be any other mans then one I loue not But on the contrary why should not I loue you since I haue so much loued you It is true that I ought not to loue you For you are an ingratefull soule altogether forgetfull and that hath no sence of Loue yet whatsoeuer you are you are Bellinde and can Bellinde be without Celion loue her Then doe I loue you or if I loue you not iudge in your selfe shepheardesse for for my part I haue a spirit so disquieted that I can discerne nothing else but that I am the man in the world most afflicted At the end of the letter were these verses STANZA'S Excuse I cannot this inconstancy Which wrought this bad change of affection Change to the better I call prudency But to the worse shewes small discretion When Bellinde receiued these letters and verses shee was in paine to send him any of hers because that hearing talke of the strange life he led and the words which he vttered against her she could not suffer it without great displeasure considering what great cause of speech this gaue to them who haue their eares but to listen afternewes of others and tongues to be telling them Her letter was thus Bellindes letter to Celion IT is impossible for me longer to endure the wrong which your strange fashion of liuing brings to vs both I deny not but you haue occasion to complaine of our fortune But I say withall that a wise man knowes how to enioy what is permitted him without the imputation of becomming a foole What a frenzy is this that keepes you from seeing that while you publish to the rest of the world that you dye for loue of me you constraine me to thinke that truely you neuer loued me For if you loued me would you displease me And doe you not know that death cannot be more grieuous to me then the knowledge you haue giÌ„uen to euery man of our amity Forbeare then brother I beseech you and by that name which ties you to haue â—are of that which touches me I coniure you that if at this present you cannot beare this disaster without discouering your sorrow you would at least take are solution to goe so far off that those who heare your complaint may not know my name but condole with you your owne griefe not being able to suspect any thing to my disaduantage If you giue me content in this resolution you shall make me beleeue that it was superfluity and not want of affection which hath made you commit this errour against me And this consideration shall binde Bellinde besides the amity which she beares you to conserue alwayes dearely the memory of that brother that loues her and whom she loues among all these cruell insupportable displeasures Though Celion were so transported that his spirit was almost incapable of reasons which his friends could present him yet so it was that affection opened his eyes at that blowe and made him see that Bellinde had counselled him to some purpose so that resoluing to be gone he secretly gaue order for his voyage and the day before he would depart he writ to his shepheardesse hauing a purpose to obey her and he besought her to giue him the commodity that hee might take leaue of her to the end he might depart with some sort of consolation The shepheardesse that truly loued him though shee foresawe that this farewell would but increase his displeasure would not deny him this request and appoynted the next day in the morning at the fountaine of Sicomores The day had scant begunne to dawne when the desolate shepheard leauing his cabbin with his flocke droue the right way to the Fountaine where casting himselfe at length and his eyes on the waters course he beganne while he attended his shepheardesse to entertaine himselfe about his approching misfortune and after he had beene somewhile silent he breathed out these verses A comparison of a Fountaine to his displeasure THis Spring that euer flowing Doth neuer make an end But aye it selfe renewing By waâ—es that farre extend Resembles mine annoyes whose sorrowes me oppresse For euen like to it that neuer meanes to cease As from a fruitful spring the griefs that I complaine Are still renewed and alwayes borne againe Then with a winding course All as the flowing waâ—e Runnes wandring from it source And no repose will haue So me with troubles great with main many pains As through the somwhile spared sandy plaines The ouer-flowing waters couer quite While I with teares bewayle my heauy plight And as a vagabond It with a murmure flies Where waues the waues beyond Floting along it cries In like sort I complaine of my most sad mischance And againâ—t Loue my murmuring voyce aduance But what auaileth me since in the end I follow that that Destiny doth send While this shepheard talked thus with himselfe and that he vttered loude enough many words at randon he was so troubled with this disafter Bellinde that had not lost the remembrance of the appoyntment which she had giuen him as soone as she could free her selfe from them about her went to seeke him so much trauelled with sorrow to lose him that she could not hide it but that it appeared in her countenance Ergaste who that morning was risen in good time to see her by chance perceiued her afar off and seeing her go alone and as he thought sought out the thickest bushes had a minde to know whither she went That was the cause that following her farre off he sawe shee tooke the way to the fountaine of Sicomors and casting his eye a little furder off though it were very earely he obserued that already there was a flocke feeding Hee that
the Wife the rest She smiling said vnto him And how friend Lidias it seemes you haue forgotten the custome you should haue left me my part God forbid said hee wife Ameryne for it is of poyson which I haue chosen to end my life rather then to be wanting in my promise to you and in the affection which I owe to the faire Siluy O God said she is it possible as yet thinking it was her true Lidias but that hee had changed his good will during his absence and vnwilling to liue without him ran with the Cup in her hand where he was that had giuen the Wine mixed for the day before he had caused it to be made at the Apothecaries and before it was knowne what my Master said notwithstanding any forbidding of his because it was the custome they gaue her the full cup which she presently drunke of And then returning to him she said O cruell and ingratefull thou hast loued death more then me and I also loue it rather then thy refusall But if that God which hath hitherto conducted our affections doe not venge me on a soule so periured in another life I shall thinke he hath neither care to heare false oathes nor power to punish them Then euery one drew neere her to heare her reproches and it was then that Ligdamon answered her Discreete Amerine I confesse I haue offended you if I were he whom you thinke I am but beleeue me that am now at the ende of my dayes I am not Lidias I am Ligdamon and whatsoeuer errour may bee of mee at this houre I assure my selfe that time will discouer my iustice And in the meane time I rather choose death then to be wanting to the affection which I haue promised to the faire Siluy to whom I haue consecrated my life not being otherwise able to satisfie both And then hee continued O faire Siluy receiue this will which I offer you and let this last of all my actions be best receiued because it is imprinted with the best character of my faithfulnesse By little and little the poyson gained on the spirits of these two newly married so that they could hardly draw their breath when turning his eyes on me he sayd Goe my friend finish that thou hast to doe and aboue all truly recount what thou hast seene and that death is welcome to me that keepes me from offending the fidelitie which I haue vowed to the faire Siluy Siluy was the last word hee spake for with that word the faire soule parted from the body and for my part I beleeue that if euer louer were happy in the Elisian fields my maister is attending vntill he may see you againe there And how sayd Siluy is it true that Ligdamon is dead without doubt answered he O God cryed out Siluy At this word all that she could doe was but to cast her selfe on a bed for her heart fayled her and after shee had lyen somewhile with her face towards the beds head she prayed Leonide who was with her to take Ligdamons letter and to tell Egide that he should goe to her lodging because she would haue him serue her So Egide withdrew but so affected that he was couered with teares Then would loue shew one of his puissances for that Nymph that neuer loued Ligdamon while hee liued at this time when she heard of his death shewed so great a feeling that the most passionate in loue could not do more It was vpon this speech that Galathee talking to Celadon fayde that hereafter shee would beleeue it is impossible but a woman once in her life must loue some thing for this young Nymph hath vsed such cruelties towards all them that loued her that some are dead for griefe others euen of despaire haue banished themselues from her sight and especially this whom she be wailes dead she hath heretofore brought to that extremitie that without Leonide the same had befallen him then so that I would rather haue sworne loue might rather haue found place in the Ice of the coldest of the Alpes then in her heart and yet you see now whereto she is reduced Madame answered the shepheard beleeue not that it is loue it is rather pitie In truth she must be harder then euer was stone if the report which this yong man hath made haue not touched her to the quicke for I know not who would not in hearing him relate it though one had no other knowledge of him but this onely action and for my part I must say true I hold Ligdamon happyer then if he were aliue since he loued this Nymph with such affection and shee vsed him with as great rigour as I haue knowne for what greater happinesse can befall him then to ende his miseries and to enter into those felicities which doe accompany them What thinke you was his contentment to see that Siluy laments him sorrowes for him and esteemes of his affection but I meane that Siluy that hath dealt so roughly with him And then what is that which the louer desires more then to bee able to giue assurance to the party beloued of his faithfulnesse and affection and to come to this point what punishments what deaths will he refuse At this time when hee sees from the place where he is the teares of his Siluy when he heares her sight what is his happinesse and what his glory not onely for that he hath assured her of his loue but for him to be certen that she loues him O no Madame beleeue me Ligdamon hath no cause to complaine but Siluy for and in time you shall see it all that shee will represent to her selfe shall bee the ordinary actions of Ligdamon the discourse of Ligdamon his fashion his amitie his valour briefly this I dole will bee ordinarily houering about her almost like an auenger of the cruelties with which shee hath tormented that poore louer and repentance which galling her thoughts will be the executioner of the Iustice of Loue. THese speeches were so lowde and so neare Siluy that shee heard them all and that made her burst for anger for she thought them probable At last after she had endured them some while and finding her selfe too feeble to resist so strange enemies shee went out of that chamber into her owne where there were none to let her from teares For hauing shut the dore after her and prayde Leonide to leaue her alone she cast her selfe on her bed her armes acrosse her stomacke and her eyes toward heauen in her memory shee passed through all their life what affection he had alwayes shewed to her how patiently hee bore her rigours with what discretion he had serued her how long time this affection had lasted and in the end said she all this is now enclosed in a little earth And in this sorrow remembring her owne discourses her adues her impatiencies and a thousand small particularities she was constrained to say Hold thy peace memory