bee surprised in double-dealing The best way therefore in my opinion is to expect the certainty of this Event and take it as from the hand of Providence what e're it bee If shee bee Dead consider that your Sorrow will not recall her to Life and besides shee is a Creature the privation of whom ought to bee the less grievous to you in regard Nature hath forbidden you the injoyment of her Person But for the preservation of Liante whom you cherish above all the rest of Mortalls you ought in time to apply your Care Diligence and Authority Yet as the deepest Waters make the least noise in their course so the solidest Judgements conduct their affaires with more temper and less rumour more Effects and less shew The surest guards you can give Liante are Secrecy and Silence Make as if you knew not where hee is and let Pisides Argal and Pomeran remain in the error which possesseth them that hee is Almeria Close with the Seal of Authority Arcade's lips by a severe prohibition to reveale this Mystery and command Humbertus and his Souldiers under pain of Death not to declare what they know concerning him If notwithstanding all these veiles Mieslas should chance to discover the place of his retreat wee shall easily make him escape out of this Country or by Night convey him into some private Corner which shall bee known but to very few However wee must advertise him of what particulars wee have learn't since our arrivall said Iphigenes and who shall wee appoint to carry him this message Do you think Arcade fit for this purpose I would not advise you answered Boleslaus to commit this secret which toucheth you in the Apple of the Eye neither to Arcade nor to paper For the one may miscarry the other be corrupted If you conceive mee worthy to serve you therein you may freely command mee For you are the onely Master whom I do or will ever serve Father said Iphigenes imbracing the old man's neck and washing his Face with tears you continue obliging mee in things that are more sensible and which I esteem more pretious than my Life do mee then the courtesie to go in my Name to him for whom I preserve my self and tell him that to preserve him there is no force but I will imploy it no respect of Father that I shall stick to violate since choosing him for my Spouse I ought to prefer him before Father and Mother You shall be a living Letter and I am sure you will represent to him the passages here much better then I can write onely in one thing I should surpass you that is in representing him my affections For there is none but that Tongue whose Heart is pierced with Love which is able to express to the Life the resentments of a passionate Soul Boleslaüs to satisfie the impatience of Iphigenes departed presently with this Commission and had hardly delivered his message to Liante when newes was brought to Mieslas his Son beeing then with him of the Discovery of the imaginary Liante the Story whereof was thus THE DISCOVERY OF MODESTINA THose who had taken upon them the charge of conducting Modestina disguised in Man's habit beeing arrived in a place where they thought they might securely execute their damnable design on the person of that innocent Creature having to that effect procured a Chirurgion for a great summe of Mony and masked him lest beeing afterwards known by him to whom they intended to do that horrible affront hee might bee liable to the Law or his Revenge The pitifull Prisoner suffered herself to bee bound like an harmeless sheep whom the rugged Butchers carry to the Slaughter-house without the least Replication And whether Modesty tied her Tongue or the horrour of the affront by a sodain apprehension deprived her of the use of Speech shee remained some time without so much as asking what they intended At length as if her Spirits had returned out of a deep trance and fearing more the loss of her Honour than of her Life shee screaked out like a Virgin calling for aid against the violence of some dissolute Ravisher For shee conceived that they having perceived what shee was would have sated their brutall appetites on her But shee learn't other newes by him that brought the Commission from Mieslas who speaking as if shee had been Liante told her that shee must resolve to imitate the Beaver when hee is chas'd or lose her Life that if shee were wise of those two evills shee should choose the least and save the whole by losing a part In a word hee Made her understand the Will and Command of Mieslas which was to make her an Eunuch against her Will since shee had refused to make herself such by a voluntary embracing of an Ecclesiastick Life Then Modestina seeing herself reduced to this extremity judged it time to declare her condition and disabuse them of their errour But it was after attempting this last means protesting that shee was ready to obey the Will of Mieslas in resigning herself wholly to the service of the Church beseeching to defer their Execution untill they had received his definitive answer For that the lot is already cast replyed the chief of the Band there is no other determination to be expected than your choice It concerns not us to interpret the commands of our Master wee have now no leisure to discourse time require's a speedy Expedition choose the hand of the Chirurgion or that which shall plunge a Poniard in your Brest Hereby Modestina perceiving that her last remedy was in vain and that shee must use other tearms Thou Barbarous Wretch said shee couldst thou have the Heart to sheath that murtherous blade in an innocent Woman's bosome who is capable of receiving Death but not the affront which thou proposest There is as much difference betwixt him to whom thou think'st to speak and mee as between Brother and Sister I am not Liante but Modestina the Daughter-in-Law to thy cruell and impious Master Wife to Iphigenes who will bee able to revenge my Death if thou killest mee or my honour if thou dost mee the least affront See said the inhumane villane what an invention this Gallant hath found upon a sodain to save himself in this storm how the oxtremity of danger doth subtilize men's Wits But wee are not come thus far to stop in so fair way wee must put him in a condition of never pretending to the possession of the Lady Clemencia shee is reserved for a person of more eminent quality than hee This said hee prepared himself to make a search much different from that which the Shepherdesses would have made of Liante in the Prison What resistance should this poor sheep have made in the midst of so many Wolves that chaste Andromeda had recourse to her tears whose tender drops were able to penetrate Marble and mollifie Hearts more rigide then the sensless Rocks Shee conjured them by all that shee thought might have
Here Tears Weakness and Grief stopped the passage of his voyce and hee fell into a Traunce out of which it cost some time to recover him Imagine you how Boleslaüs was afflicted seeing him in so great Extremities and knowing so little whence proceeded this indisposition At length having settled his dear Nursling in a little better temper as well of Bodie as Minde and desiring him to let him understand the ground of his Disease Father said Iphigenes Let mee die in silence and do you onely have a care of that Honour after my Death whereof you have been so jealous during my Life The discreet old Man knowing with whom hee was to deale and that Iphigenes loved not to bee press't feined to resolve to die with him as not having the Heart to behold the Day after the loss of him whose consideration made him love its light Iphigenes moved with Pitty at the old Man's tenderness to hinder him from dying seemed to re-affect the desire of Living and to unload his Heart of that sad burthen which oppress 't it hee took the pains to relate him every particular that had passed since his imprisonment and how hee had voluntarily made himself bee taken as is already mentioned By which Discourse Boleslaüs seeing cleer to the bottom of his Soul and reading there the Cause of his distemper Take courage said hee we shall not die of this sickness if wee will be ruled by good advice Father answered Iphigenes when things are desperate it is no time to consult but to suffer It will be easier and better for mee to die since I am already so neer it than re-enter into a thousand Deaths by recovering my Health Liante's Heart beeing dead to mee I have nothing more to do in this mortall Life After Boleslaüs had used diverse arguments to perswade Iphigenes to banish the ingratefull Liante out of his thoughts as unworthy of the favour of his Affection Hee answered Father do not increase my torment with vilifying him whom my Soul honoureth For notwithstanding all your allegations and his unkinde usage I cannot divert the inclinations of my Heart nor change the resolution of Loving him but by losing my Life Therefore if you love mee as I have no reason to doubt and if you will oblige mee to love you yet more if it bee possible I beseech you go without delay to him and conjure him not to flie from Iphigenes who would seeke and run after him if his Sickness did not fetter him Tell him that if I had contracted with him but a common acquaintance Civility would oblige him to visit mee much more since hee is cause of this extremity whereunto I am reduced Tell him I quit him of the Promise hee made mee to restore mee my Liberty when I committed my self into his hands That I will not constrein him to quit Amiclea That I will rather take upon mee the care of solliciting against my self his Marriage with her And that hee would vouchsafe onely to see mee and close my Eyes that with the favour of Heaven I may likewise die in his Hereunto I pray good Father study no Excuses nor Replyes if you desire that I should Live Boleslaüs who knew the Palatine's humour promised a punctuall performance of his commands adding for his comfort that by the long experience hee had of Liante's Disposition hee doubted not to render him more flexible and sensible of his torment And then having dexterously taken his time Dear Child said hee since you have so changed into Nature this Love that it is become an accident inseparable to your Beeing by undertaking to preserve your Life I will also aym at the preservation of your affection and since I finde you cannot live content without Liante I must use some invention to reduce that Heart into your power At these words you would have thought Iphigenes had been raised again out of the Grave or at least that hee resembled a dainty Flower too much beaten with the Sun's Rayes which re-take's new vigour by the coolness of the Dew In a word Iphigenes was a Woman and among so many Heroick vertues which shee possess 't the Naturall inclination of that Sex to curiosity could not bee extinguished in Her The subtle Senior perceiving it made himself bee intreated a while at length after many circumstances hee said Child it is no time to spare when a Man is come to the last penny of his stock The last thing wee must do in this World is to die to prevent that Check and prolong that fatall hour nothing ought to be left unattempted When you would have discovered your self to Liante in the Forrest of Plocens you were pressed onely with a temptation Now you are constrained by necessity You will say that the remedy is not yet in season and that it will be the ruine of your Fortunes If you die your Fortunes will be otherwise lost after Death Physick is of no use You will alledge this remedy is very hard to digest and I will answer you that pain is cured by pain there is no Medicine but is unpleasant yet to avoid Death you must neither spare searing nor incisions You will reply that the apple is now much less ripe than at that time in regard Liante is filled with Gall not inflamed with Love then I must tell you that to quench a Fire People carry Water and Diseases are cured by their contraries It is now time or never to open Liante's Eyes and make him see how much hee is to be blamed for entertaining any suspicious or jealous thought of you Nature having opposed the obstacles you know of to the pretensions which hee believ's you have for Amiclea In summe I will manage this discovery with such circumspection that there can arrive no dammage to you For in sparing you the shame of telling it the onely Subject of all your Sorrow I will leave you in the power of denying that truth and rendring ridiculous those that should offer to mention it At first I will sound Liante by Enigma's Circumlocutions and Figures and according as I shall find him bite at that bait I shall know how to draw him to the Bank but before I unveile the whole Mystery to him I will oblige him by such horrible Oaths to keep it secret that if hee should have a desire to reveale it hee cannot without fearing a punishment of Thunder from the Hand of the King of Heaven All this Discourse was so many words of Life to the distressed Iphigenes and if an Angell had spoken to him hee could not have heard him with more joy and attention than hee did Boleslaüs Then prick't with curiosity saying But how The old Man stop't his Mouth with this answer A Man must never say I will doe this or I will say that and in such a manner I will conduct my Design by reason of the incertainty of Events and the obscurities wherein the Future is involved But when things have had a
although that Face and that Speech represent to my Eyes and Ears my dear Iphis yet I am so taken with Serife that if you change not that habit I shall never change my Passion and hence-forwards farewell the thoughts of any Woman For though I would rather that the Earth should open under my Feet to swallow mee than give that Crime admittance into my Brest which cannot bee imagined much less named without horror Yet I may say with much truth that my Soul is so glued as it were to yours and your affection hath so penetrated my Heart that I love you above the love of Women This is to bee understood in the chastest manner conceivable For without Honour and Vertue no Vnion of Hearts can bear the sacred name of Friendship Otherwise the Societies of Theeves and Infamous persons would assume that glorious title which would be too great a Profanation Therefore dear Serife do mee the courtesie to perswade your self that I use no Dissembling in my Protestation of Service to you or in the Declaration which I make that your Idea banisheth out of my Fancy all other Images Insomuch that my Spirits are so taken up with your perfection that there is hardly any room within my self for my self They had continued longer in this discourse Calliante being no less ravished with Serife's agreeable presence than Serife with a secret glory to see that shee had reduced under her obedience a Captive the possession of whom was the greatest happiness her Ambition did pretend But that Boleslaüs who playing the Mirth-marrer at this Triumph put Water into this fuming Wine lest drunk with delight they should bee surprised and their own Felicity render them unfortunate interrupted them shewing the danger they ran of discovering their Stratagem if they were found together by those whom they had left in the Village who Infallibly would leave no place in the Forest unvisited to seek them out Heavens what sweet words did hee stop in their Mouths separating them in that moment wherein they were producing expressions whose rehearsall would have much imbellished these Pages But since Action doth better satisfie the Reader 's curiosity than Discoursing let us see what succeeded this new changing of habits which for an Iphis and Almeria hath brought us forth a Serife and a Calliante Calliante took a way by himself and Boleslaüs accompanyed Serife a contrary unto a Village not far from that where Celian lived where leaving her hee returned to seek Pomeran Argal and Pisides where hee had left them But hee found none but the three Sisters Merinda Belida and Remonda who looked like Pictures that had lost their Colour and Lustre with the light For being deprived of Almeria who was their Ornament and Splendour though the Object of their Envie they were like Fishes upon the dry ground When they saw Beleslaüs who they thought had been gone away with Iphis and Almeria they were in hopes of hearing some news of them from him But hee feigning to have run severall wayes to inquire after them without meeting any one that could informe him seemed to bee much amazed at their so sodain departure and to underfeel their censures hee made very Sinister judgements of their stealing thus away Then asking what was become of his Companions hee learnt that they were gone with the Swains a hunting partly to follow the track of the run-awaies partly to divert by that exercise the discontentment which they suffered by their absence Whereupon the old Man who by the priviledge of his age was more inclined to his repose than so much Coursing which debilitateth Hunts-men and makes them buy a little pleasure with much pain resolved to expect their return passing the time in discourse with Celian and his Daughters and observing carefully the motions of those Souls diversly passionate upon the subject of those Fugitives Celian lamented their absence out of sense of his own Interest having lost the profits which hee hoped to have gained by their presence the rest either moved with Affection or prioked with Jealousie and all floating in uncertainties manifested their Passions the more naturally the less capable their Clownishness did render them of those arts which the more polite Spirits do use to cover their weaknesses Already Titan's panting Sleeds hasting to refresh themselves in the Western Waves extended the shadow of the Mountains when on a sodaine a great noyse and winding of Horns from the thickest part of the Forest peirced their Ears intimating that a great Troop of Hunts-men with a no small pack of Hounds were making that way These were our disguised Courtiers and the perfect Clowns which had met in the Forest with Iphigenes's chief Ranger who to keep his Horses and his Hounds in breath had taken all the Palatines hunting Equipage to harbour a lusty Stag which hee had imprimed there But in regard this meeting was not unpleasant it will not bee impertinent to spend a little time in relating the manner This Stag which bore all his rights and whom Age had taught many wiles made so many doublings or turnings that hee put the subtlest and best-sented Hounds to a loss whilest the nimble footed beast taking advantage of their delayes hastned his Course towards a Pond whose desired Waters hee had no sooner perceived but hee plunged himself into the midst bathing his over-heated tongue in that refreshing Liquor which hee seemed to suck all into his thirsty Throat to quench the Fire that burned in his Stomack ingaging his whole Body covered with Sweat and Foam so far in the Water that nothing appeared but his Head couching his Horns upon his Back in the same manner as when hee used to swim Our Clowns having discovered him made him quickly leave that agreeable refreshment galling him with their Arrows but the Wounds were so slight that they hindred not his Flight which they were not able to follow being not so light-timbred as that swift Animal and hearing on the other side by the retorting of the Eccho's the confused noyle of the Hunts-men and the Cry of the Hounds they resolved to direct their steps that way to inform the Hunts-men of the fearfull Fugitive's retreat And in effect they found them so puzled to finde out the cunning turnings wherewith that subtle Beast had imbroyled his Strain that without their directions the Chase had been at an end But the pleasure was to see the Hunts-men take the Change as well as their Hounds For Pomeran Pisides and Argal being disguised and mingled without distinction with the Swains they were not known by Arcade nor any of his Companions So that passing all for Country-fellows the custome of Prince's and Noble men's Hunts-men especially in that Conntry being to domineer over the Peasants and force them by menaces rather than intreat them to bee assistant to them Pisides and Argal seeming to bee the nimblest and most dextrous of the Gang were commanded by the chief Hunts-man to goe with them to the Pond
thy Cruelty to the last Moment of my Life Amiclea although shee had been advertised of his beeing hid in the room was however so troubled at his presence and so frighted to see him in that desperate posture that her voyce cleaving to the Palate of her Mouth shee was not able to frame an answer Iphigenes fearing lest shee refusing to take that Weapon Liante's fury might transport him to plunge it in his own bosome presently seized upon his Arm to wrest that murtherous blade out of his hand Liante seeing Iphigenes disarming him If that Lady said hee looking on Amiclea with an Eye full of Love and Anger hath not the courage to advance the tearm of my miserable Life cut thou if thou hast ever loved mee the Thred of my Dayes and since thou hast robbed mee of my Heart where all my hopes were seated make an End of thy Felony by Ending Mee Guess you if these furious words which the extremity of griefe forced out of Liante's Mouth were not sufficient to draw tears from the tender Iphigenes Eyes Amiclea beeing recovered of her amazement to appease the fury of that mad Lover resolved to use him more gently and with a more pleasing tone shew him how much hee was too blame in suffering himself to be so transported with Passion But as Medicines are useless to those whose Diseases are incurable or who are not disposed to receive them So Despair had so stopt us all the advenues of Reason in Liante's Soul that hee thought there was no other way but through the Gate of Death to get out of his inconsolable torment I should bee too tedious if I stood to relate the diverse arguments whereby Iphigenes and Amiclea indeavoured to appease the frantick transportments of his Minde But sometimes vomiting Blasphemies against Heaven Sometimes tearing the Earth with Execrations Sometimes cursing himself Sometimes quarrelling with Providence Sometimes accusing Amiclea and then craving her Pardon Sometimes reviling Iphigenes then condemning his own rash Judgement Hee did and said such things as are more fit to bee wrapped up in silence than displayed upon this Paper and which made evidently appear that if Anger bee a short Fury Love is a pure Folly At length having received from Amiclea no word of consolation that might preserve his Hope in that tempest of Rage that assailed his thoughts after no mean contention with Himself hee went out of the Chamber in the same manner as an inraged Bull breake 's through the Rankes of those that see him baited invoking Heaven and Earth to assist him in a Revenge Soon after Liante's departure Amiclea was called away by her Governess who attended her in the next room Iphigenes beeing left alone had his thoughts so divided betwixt the interests of Love and Honour that his pains exceeding the bounds of any expression cast him into a languishing indisposition which within few dayes rendered him so feeble that hee was inforced to confine his distressed body to his Bed where hee appeared with such advantage that his sickness seemed to have cast him down the more to raise the lustre of his Beauty which beeing then betwixt Pitty and Envy ravished those Souls that had not rendered themselves before to Passion The Ladies who were as if they had been chained to his Bed-stead strove to outvy each other in inventing remedies for his Body and divertisements for his Minde And the Palatines both of Minsce and Troc came frequently to visit him promising to give him all the contentments hee could desire of their Courtesie Mean time Liante gaping still after his Prey resolved to have Amiclea though against her Will not to give himself the Lie founding his determination upon this belief that Time would bring all things to perfection and that which was forc't in the beginning might bee made willing in the End Her Father had already given him his word and was much displeased that the obstinacy of his Daughter should oppose his Promise and Authority By Polemander's means he gained likewise the Mother's consent who thinking him an advantageous Match for her Daughter made no account of her contradiction The Contract was agreed on without Amiclea's knowledge but beeing informed of all the passages by Oloria whom Despair had almost distracted shee comforted her with this assurance that shee would never consent to marry Liante nor any other untill Shee were provided which somewhat qualified her jealous Sister's pain Amiclea was not long before shee gave Iphigenes notice of those proceedings which gave so furious an assault to his debilitated Heart that increasing the violence of his Feaver the Physicians began to distrust his Recovery This newes was presently noised in the Camp and thence carried to the Court and that which the Lithuanians most feared which was a suspicion that hee had been poysoned by them was the first impression His Majestie 's minde received Whereupon hee sent them Letters more bloody than Tamberlan's Crimson Flag To which they returned their Excuses and Protestations of innocence But Poyson is not purged by Oaths and those who are so abominable as to pracise such baseness make no great scruple of beeing perjur'd The King presently dispatched his own Physitians and Surgeons with command to attend the Person of Iphigenes They were very civilly received by the besieged Party as had already been those whom the Generall and Mieslas had sent from the Camp Boleslaüs who was touched with a more then Fatherly tenderness for his dear Foster-Child found means to slip himself in amongst the Physitians feining that hee was an Apothecary The Physitians in their Consultations found that Iphigenes Body was not prisoned but their Learning did not reach so far as to read the Disease of his Minde They being retired when Boleslaüs appeared before the Patient's Eyes already clouded in the shade of Death they received some vigour and his Spirits as it were wakening out of the slumber wherewith Passion and Mellancholly had oppressed them his Tongue loosened it self to utter with a faint and almost dying voyce these words Father I bless the Heavens who have sent you hither as a Tutelary Angell to render mee the last devoirs as of your officious Piety I have received the first your Arms which have heretofore served mee as a Cradle must shortly do mee the office of a Biere for I can no longer support the Sorrow that destroye's me I have nothing else to recommend to you but the Care of my Honour which I have alwayes maintain'd inviolable in despight of those mischiefs that have persecuted mee Bee sure that the Earth may cover my Secret with my Body since I have chosen to die rather than disclose it Since that I die before the time which your Prudence had determined to discover it I applaud the Providence of him under whose will run all the Moments of our Life For to survive the loss of Liante's Friendship is a thing which I cannot do if I would and which I will not do though I could
are like a blank paper or a piece of wax whereon a man may make what impression he desireth At length the Benefice was procured the Gown ready the poor Youth made to put it on by threatnings or by flatteries although with a thousand repugnancies a thousand heavy groans and whole streams of tears Besides his own Tyrannicall authority Mieslas made use of the King's name after the custome of many great Persons who amuse the People with this pretext and cover all their passions under the robe of their Sovereign whose word power they abuse with impunity and insolence Thus the two Wards were bred up with his two youngest Children Iphigenes and Clemencia for the four precedent Daughters like the four monstruous Creatures of Ezechiel he had commanded to be tyed to the Chariot of God's glory that is had thrust them into Monasteries there to draw the Ark where we ill leave them as it were condemned to perpetuall imprisonment to see the successes that arrived upon the theater of the World to the two Wards and Mieslas his two other Children who make the four principall parts in the Musick of this Narration The married Couple such as I have represented them to you loved like Children Liante suffered as well as he could the Yoke which he was forced yet to bear but built a resolution within himself to shake it off and fly our of his Cage as soon as Age had given him wings Clemencia was designed by Mieslas to acquire him a Son in law of some great fortune or at the worst to keep her Sisters company in the Cloyster These four Children being brought up together in one house fed at the same Table playing and spending the time alwaies together lived like Brothers and Sisters with a pretty intelligence correspondent to the innocence of their age and humours Iphigenes by the industry of his Governour Boleslaüs lived untill eleven or twelve years old in such simplicity that he thought really he as a Boy not conceiving that there was any other difference betwixt Male and Female than their manner of cloathing Mieslas fearing that if he should permit his Son too soon to consummate his Marriage that might be prejudiciall to his health seeing him of a complexion and stature more delicate than robust appointed a Governess to overlook Modestina fitly named Perpetua for she was perpetually at her back casting an Argu's eye over all her actions lest Iphigenes at any time should steal those Rights which Husbands have priviledge to challenge But Nature had already provided other obstacles They loved each other however very much whether out of resemblance of their dispositions or whether through that naturall inclination which induceth us to affect those of the same Sex as well as to be passionate for those of the contrary Yet this affection betwixt Iphigenes and Modestina was rather friendship than love But when Nature playing her part which is so difficult a thing to hinder carried Iphigenes fancy to delight in working and such Womanish amusements busying himselfe very eagerly with Modestina and Clemencia then his discreet Governour making him ashamed of such feminine employments reclaimed his thoughts to the practice of Manly actions and conformable to the Sex of which the Innocent Youth yet thought himself whose condition being more free seemed to him far more desirable than that subjection wherein Maids and Women live So that having an excellent wit and a Body very active though not robust in every exercise whereunto he applyed himself he became an admirable proficient It was nothing so in the vocation which Liante was compelled to embrace for it is very difficult to become learned in despight of Minerva and to garnish the Soul with the pretious furniture of knowledge and Sciences if one have not some inclination to study this young Noble-man being wrapped up against his will in an Ecclesiastick's Gown meditated nothing but exercises contrary to that habit Armes Horses Dancing Hunting and Warlike exploits were the onely delicious entertainments of his thoughts all other discourse was irksome to his eares This Constraint under which Hee groaned as if his Soul had been upon the Rack and his Heart under the torture of a press made him so melanchollie and pensive that Hee seemed to traile the houres of his life with regret in an unpleasant Apprentiship During this discontent hee hatched a secret but furious hatred against his inhumane Guardian considering him as the ravisher of his Estate the Tyrant of his liberty and the Oppressor of his free-Birth projecting not onely to escape as soon as hee could but studying notorious revenges for reparation of the injuries hee received As for Clemencia she was yet so young that the innocence of her years exempted her from Care or any passions of the mind but it is with Youth as with a flower It is no sooner budded in a manner but 't is full blown especially in Women and chiefly in the Daughters of great Persons for this Sex being naturally more subtile they sooner do put off their Childishness than Men besides those of high Births are brought up with such care quaintness that their Wits are often ripe before the Season of their years requires it whence it proceeds that they are sooner susceptible of those Touches and Tyes of Affection which make young hearts seem to have past their Childhood In the full ease of this sweet education Modestina modestly longed after the fruition of her beautifull but as yet too young Husband Her flames were so pure and her desires so just that if Aretuza's deceipt had not abused her expâ—ctation me thinks her wishes might without shame appear upon these leaves whose Paper is less white then the Candor of those passions which shall be represented in this Volume Iphigenes in like manner beginning to reflect upon himselfe and who had no other propertie of Marble than the whiteness grew into a pretty kind of indignation that being married hee should be deprived of the possession of his Wife and seeing himselfe passionately beloved of Modestina who gave him all the civill testimonies of affection She could imagine He must not only have renounced all Humanity but have been altogether insensible if hee had not been moved thereat no charm being so powerfull to make one bee beloved as vehemently to love If whiles they were at their innocent childish sports they interchanged any kind embraces or affectionate words their discours was soon broken by the presence of their two Argusses Boleslaüs Perpetua whose thoughts though different arrived both at the same end which was to hinder that which never could be effected the Consummation of their Marriage Perpetua being encharged by Mieslas was very vigilant to oppose it lest his Son's health might be prejudiced thereby and Boleslaüs having received the Command from Aretuza was no less circumspect for feare her deceipt should bee discovered Oh who could imagine any thing but purity in the innocent kisses and tender embracements of these
Tears are cast such speaking looks Yet all these artificiall affectations were Vainly employed by this Princess to conquer or inveagle Iphigenes whose Heart was no less susceptible of these flames than his Body was capable of those legititimate Embraces to which shee did aspire However Iphigenes did very much esteem her person but it was in that manner as hee could and ought not as shee desired This cautelous Student in Love's Politicks had learned particularly by Mieslas the depth of whose thoughts shee had sounded by her sugred speeches that the marriage of Iphigenes with Modestina was not consummated Whereupon shee contrived a Plot that will make appear the subtilty of a Wit refined by that Passion which puts Invention into the simplest and most blockish brains Shee who had a conceit that Marriage consisted only in the use of the Bodies never considering that the Union of the Hearts and the consentment of the Wills are the materialls whereof if formed the Essence of Matrimony flattered her self that shee should easily disannull or untie that knot betwixt Iphigenes and Modestina and put her self in Modestina's place But fearing lest a repulse should make her the fable of the Court and expose her to the people's scorn shee thought best to bring her Daughter into play and propose her to Mieslas for Iphigenes with such advantages as were neither in the Fortune nor person of Modestina This Daughter of her's named Simphoroza was yet very young but did promise in the Aurora of her age great perfections of Beauty at her Noon The Palatine of Podolia who devoured in his greedy thoughts all those high proffers of the Princess Respicia believing that Rosuald's Estate would however be intirely his own by making Liante imbrace an Ecclesiastick life and giving some slight Dowry to Modestina was easily induced to hearken to her propositions considering besides the great fortune shee promised to make her Daughter the splendor of so Noble an Allaince But this cunning Mother ' s designe was only to substitute her self in her Daughter ' s place who was yet nothing neer Marriageable and to supply with the luster of her Gold and immense Estate what shee wanted in Beauty or was superabundant in Years Thus the Father was gained which seemed no small advancement to our Pretendant ' s intentions every one being apt to believe easily what they do desire But the difficulty ws in obteining the Son's consent who being advertised of this Design by Mieslas and knowing in his Soule that hee was no less unfit to bee Simphoreza's Husband than Modestina's not to multiply his deceipts rejected the propositions feining scruples of Conscience much passion for his wife and giving Mieslas to understand that hee had proceeded further in the terms of Marriage with Modestina then hee imagined The rigorous Podolian who had in a manner ingaged his word to the Princess thinking to finde more obedience in his Son's spirit was ready to burst into a furious fit of Choller at this resistance but considering that Iphigenes by his favour had all the power with the King hee reteined the impetuosity of his passion giving testimony enough however of his displeasure by the alterations of his Countenance Notwithstanding this refusall Respicia gave not over her pursuite feining like a good Mother to bee passionate for the advancement of her Children for whom shee could procure nothing more advantageus than the Alliance with Favour mean time it was her own interest made her act with so much solicitude According to the nature of her Sexe which never ceaseth asking untill they atchieve their end shee prayed pursued pressed in time out of time leaving no means unattempted and it was partly her perswasion that made the Prince Cassin her Son render such devoirs to Iphigenes which made him worthy of his friendship wherein hee succeeded as is already mentioned Thus did this crafty Spider spread her Web to insnare the beautifull Adolescent and make her self wife to him of whom shee might have been the Mother Shee had such a hand over Cassin that this young Prince at her instance used all the arguments his Invention could suggest to induce Iphigenes to marry his Sister to whom for quality Modestina was not comparable But Iphigenes had the skill to divert his discourse with such modesty and dexterity that without giving him any occasion of distast hee amused his expectation and by little and little made him relinquish that thought which hee esteemed unjust It is an opinion that Batteries made Crosse-wise are the most destructive Respicia raised her's in this manner and as if shee had been desirous to sink all her house which was one of the most opulent of Polonia into the family of Mieslas shee offered him to give her Dauther to his Son and her Son to his Daugher Clemencia and so make but one of both their Families which the Palatine dazled at the splendour of so much honour imbraced with both hands not perceiving the hook that was hidden under this bait Mean time Respicia covered so dexterously her Love under the mask of Ambition that whilest shee was called a carefull and loving Mother shee aymed at another Mark. Her importunities together with the oppressing instances of Mieslas did shrewdly tempt the patience of Iphigenes who against all these assaults had no other defence than the rampier of the Fidelity which hee owed which hee had sworn to his wife Modestina to whom being pressed with these agonies Hee wrote such passionate letters that the most affectionate of Lovers could not express his imaginations in a style more Patheticall Which kindled such a fire in the bowels of this Maiden Spouse that the too much sense of Love deprived her of all sense You may add to that Love the Fear which is insepirable from those who fervently do affect and the Apprehension of losing by Change that which is more pretious than Life For shee knew by the mouth of Fame which hath a thousand tongues and by letters from Iphigenes own hand that hee was the common object of the Eyes and Hearts of all the Court Ladies which bred a torment in her Miad inconceivable by any Soul that hath not experimented the just and incomparable affections that possess'd her heart A thousand times shee was in the mind to go to Court to her Husband and say to all her Rivalls What do you hee is intirely mine as I am solely his Your pretensions are too unjust to find any access into his brest who is nothing but Fidelity who feeds amongst the Lillies of Purity and the Roses of Honour Your attractions are too slight to move so constant a Spirit Your Passions bee they fein'd or reall are but weak Vapours before the Sun of his Reason Why then with too licentious a desire do you indeavour to purloin a treasure that belongs peculiarly to mee withdraw your fond affections banish those no less Vain than unanswerable pretensions from your thoughts for Iphigenes hath ingaged his
faith to mee by the indissolvable tyes of a most sacred Hymen Thus did this loving Spouse entertain her troubled mind but Shame opposing her Design if there can bee any shame in the legitimate desires of a chast wife or rather the impossibiity of disengaging her self from under Aretuza's wing and the strict guard of the too severe Perpetua made her seek in Patience the common Remedy of all her discontents How often did shee please her fancy with the imagination of transvesting her self and by the help of a Man ' s disguise deceiving the eyes of those that watched her deportments to convey her self into the Court to her beloved Iphigenes But that Honour whereof shee was so Jealous did choak this Resolution at its birth considering that such an Equipage would not only make her the discourse of inconsiderate Censurers but in stead of rendring her Husband a testimony of her Love might perhaps attract upon her Innocence his Dislike At length not to do any thing unbeseeming her quality shee resolved to hearken to Modesty and let Discretion prevail over all those Surges of Passion Shee comforted her self with her letters from Iphigenes the words in every line whereof were as many protestations of Constancy and new oaths of Fidelity The severall vertues shee had remarked in her dear Husband were as many Proofs and those Proofs as many Assurances of his invariable Purity whereupon shee reposed all her thoughts And these thoughts which often made her sequester her self into sad unfrequented places were her most delicious recreations The shade of woods the coolness of Gardens and the agreeable murmuring of Fountains fomented in her brest that humour which nourished it self with the dear remembrance of her adored Husband's perfections And if such were the resentments of this Turtle being separated from the presence of her mate Think not that Iphigenes felt any less discomfort amongst all his greatnesses which hee would willingly have shared to his dear Friend and Wife or to have rendred the contentment perfect have injoyed in their presence His affection to Modestina and the Love hee bare Liante never suffered him to take any rest notwithstanding the multitude of Felicities wherewith the King's favour had in a manner overwhelmed him Thus in this world wee can have nothing perfect Those whom wee do many times imagine seeing them born up by the wings of the Wind of a Prince's favour to Swim in an Ocean of Delights do find amongst the agreeable flowers of Pleasure some secret prickle of Sorrow which marreth the harmony of their Prosperity Of so many Objects whereunto the Court did invite Iphigenes to affix his affections hee saw as few that hee deemed worthy of the application of his thoughts as Hee who looked for a Man with a candle at mid-day amongst a great Assembly in a publick place Whether the want of Freedome and Vertue which is great amongst Courtiers made him meet with a scarcity of friends in that multitude which environed him or whether which is very probable the first impressions of affection had so seasoned the new Vessell of his Heart that here was no possibility of making it take any other tincture or tast than that which hee had relished in the conversation of Modestina and Liante the sweet Objects of his education and most tender years His Disposition being of an excellent temperature and his Heart no coveter of Wealth Avarice and Vanity which are the two Bonds the two Charms and as I may say the two poisoned Tets of the Court-favour had very little interest in his Soul And Voluptuousness which according to the saying of an antient Orator hath no place of abode in the Kingdom of Vertue could find no access in his Body too Honest not to bee Continent No wonder then if the fetters of the Court though made of Gold and pretious Stones were irksome unto him and the sincere chaste and true affection which hee bore those two absent Objects of his Love made him in the midst of so many pleasures languish with the desire of their presence The passionate resentments of his Soul for this detested Separation He feelingly exprest in severall letters to Modestina and Liante which they interchangeably communicated to each other according to the permission of their Overseers in order to Iphigenes particular injunction who at his departure from them did earnestly intreat Liante to take as intended to him the affectionate letters hee should write to his Sister protesting that the Friendship hee did bear him was no less tender nor less ardent than his Love to Modestina as may easily be believed by one that knows the reason whereof Liante as yet was ignorant One day Modestina and her Brother having been allarmed by letters from the faithfull Iphigenes with the Princess Respicia's design of breaking their Marriage and giving him her Daughter to wife whereunto hee had been Sollicited by Mieslas whom shee had gained But that hee had rejected their propositions choosing rather to lose his life than his Loyalty Hee received letters from them full of complaints and stinging resentments of Jealousie Modestina feining to fear or fearing in effect that the rare Beauties and great Honors whereof the Court is the Element would in time ravish from her the Mind as well as the Body of her Iphigenes And Liante writing that the acquaintance of great Ones would perchance make him not value the friendship of meaner Persons in which rank hee placed himself Whereunto a Reply was speedily dispatcht which conteining large expressions of a holy and reall affection comforted a little those two tender hearts which languished one for her Husband the other for his sincere Friend But why do I say comforted I should rather say that it caused the same effect in the sorrow of their Privation as water in a Smith ' s forge being cast upon burning coals whose heat it doth increase Or as those hot drops of raine extorted by the Sun during the ardors of Summer which rather Scald than Wet Indeed if wee measured their discontents for his absence with the satisfaction they would have received by the presence and possession of Iphigenes wee might judge of its extremity However not to give Iphigenes any occasion to bee afflicted at their suspitions they made him understand by Letters how great a confidence they had in his promise and constancy acknowedging that those honours which are accustomed to change the dispositions of weak and vulgar Souls are below the thoughts of them that place their honour in their Faith and who are not Reeds of the Desart in unconstancy but Pillars of the Temple of Stability By this reciprocall intelligence of Letters these three loving Hearts mainteined the harmony of their concord that served for Oyl to nourish the Lamp of their mutuall affection Mean time Iphigenes blessed with the dew of Heaven and Earth was the true Child of Increase and the Nursling of Fortune Fortune in him seeming to have lost those two qualities of
Blinde and being an Enemy to Vertue since shee knew so worthily and so abundantly to acknowledge his Merit The greatest secret to gain Fortune is to be Just to abstein from Evill and do Good for it is with Justice as with Wisdom all sorts of felicity do attend her The same success doth not accompany those who by oblique and undirect wayes do seek to accomplish their pretensions in imitation of Ships who having but a bare quarter wind do laveer and turn severall wayes before they can arrive at their intended Port. The Princess Respicia being stung with that Wasp that rob's Minds of repose sollicited Mieslas without intermission to press Iphigenes to the rupture of his non consummated Marriage and become Spouse to her Daughter Simphoroza Which proposition jumped with the Father's disposition being equally greedy after her Wealth and Honour especially the Prince Cassin likewise promising to marry Clemencia As for this last Marriage Iphigenes's consent was easily obteined thereunto nay more hee desired it might be accomplished to draw that thorn out of his foot I mean that point of Jealousie which sticking at his Heart did cause him to fear lest Liante should bee so deeply ingaged in Clemencia's Love that Hee should not be able to conquer his inclinations when the time for his Revelation and Metamorphosis should be expired But for the other hee labored all hee could to hinder it alleadging his Faith given the Honour of his Word his Affection to Modestina and the Obligations hee had to the fervency of her Love whom hee would have them esteem as his Wife All this Mieslas after the manner of great Persons who use to make and unmake Marriages according to their Interests called Superstitious and frivolous Scruples telling his Son by way of reproach that hee was too Religious for a Courtier and too strict an observer of his word for a Favortie At least sayd hee Do not oppose the advancement of your Sister's Fortune by your too fond inclinations for Modestina whereupon Iphigenes sodainly replying promised That hee would contribute the utmost of his endeavours to further the Match between the Prince Cassin and his Sister Clementia and to that effect hee became a frequent Visiter of Respicia who did express such extraordinary kindness in her receptions that Iphigenes might easily have perceived the full scope of her thoughts and whereunto did tend those Nets which shee prepared for him For producing her Daughter before him rather loaden than deck't with Jewells besides her Youth being yet Infantine in a manner an Age that hath neither Beauty nor Ugliness her design was to induce him to make a Change and catch him in her own Trap by attracting his looks upon her self But Iphigenes being what hee was ran no danger of being intangled in such Snares this Bait and Line were not proper for that Fish Love how blind soever hee is esteemed hath Linxe's Eyes which penetrate to the very thoughts Stanislas Palatine of Vratislaü being a Widower in the strength of his Age and having no other issue than an onely Daughter had cast his Eyes upon the Princess Respicia as the Party of all the Court most suitable to his quality Shee through a vanity common to all Women who take a pride in seeing themselves Observed Courted and Adored admitted of his Visits and by a tacite consentment approved of his Suite in not rejecting it For yong Widdows that suffer Men to accost them that give ear to their offers of Service and their protestations of Fidelity do seem as Mistresses of their Motions to give these Suiters some hold upon their liberty or at least to foment a hope in them that their Vows shall not be displeasing This Noble-man holding Respicia for his Mistress was not well satisfied to see her visited by our Favorite whose glory dazled all the World and effaced the luster of the most Eminent persons But his displeasure was redoubled when hee perceived by Respicia's actions and countenance that shee participated of the Court-vertigo for this fair Podolian At last hee grew beyond all temper having intelligence of the Marriage which was projected betwixt the Prince Cassin and Clementia for hee Marrying the Mother intended to match his Daughter to her Son and by their double Alliance to draw the Princesse's vast estate into his own hands But when hee heard of the advantages that were offered to Iphigenes if hee would take to Wife the Princesse's Daughter Simphoroza this raised so furious a disorder in his Mind that hee believed the Favour would ruine all his pretentions if hee did not speedily rid his Hands of the Favorite Already Respicia had no more any Eyes to see him no Mouth to speak to him no reception for his Visits hee perceived nothing in her Actions but a cold Reservedness in her Countenance Disdain at his arrivall Sadness at his departure Joy apparent signs of his being in disgrace if hee prevent it not all his hoes are vanished Ambition kindled his Love Love suscitated Jealousie Jealousie hatched Despair and Despair precipitated him into such a rage as made him espouse the wickedest of resolutions to Sacrifice to his Revenge the Innocent blood of him who thought nothing less than to supplant him in the Princess Respicia's Favour The Third Book ARGUMENT The Combate betwixt Stanislas and Iphigenes Stanislas killed by Iphigenes The manner of his Death The Palatinate of Uratislau given by the King to Iphignes The Envy of the Courtiers and their plots against Iphigenes The King made jealous of the Queen Shee no lesS umbragious of him and both for Iphigenes Iphigenes by the King's command is difmiss'd the Court His generous deportment in this Disgrace Perpetua having discovered the intelligence betwixt Liante and Clemencia advertiseth Aretuza and Mieslas Liante made close Prisoner by express command from Mieslas Iphigenes obtein's leave of the King to pass through Podolia into his Palatinate under pretence of seeing his Mother and taking his Wife Modestina with him Mieslas having indeavored in vain to disswade him command's Modestina to be imprisoned and strictly garded in one of his strongest Castles The King 's and Queen's deportments when Iphigenes came to take leave of them His speches to them at his departure The manner of his retiring from the Court The Princess Respicia having followed him into Podolia presses Mieslas to make him repudiate Modestina in favour of her Daughter Simphoroza His Evasions ONe Day Stanislas attended by divers Gentlemen besides his ordinary Train on Horse-back after the Polonian manner met Iphigenes accompanied like a Favorite And it being in a publick place where the Noble-men used to take their pleasures Hee accosted him desiring that Hee might speak two or three words to him in private Iphigenes who for Courtesie had not his equall through the whole Universe presently left his company and being retired some little distance Stanislas said to him in a fierce arrogant manner That hee porceived hee had a design to establish a
to any other Favorite presently cast dust in the Eyes of his Reason And as for the most part wee are the last that know what is sayd of us they made his Majesty believe that every one's mouth was fill'd with the ill deportments of Iphigenes to whom moreover they attributed the insolence of boasting of Favors which though hee had received hee ought to have kept secret But this they said they could not bee induced to believe of a Princess so Vertuous who had alwaies led so exemplary a life as the Queen Nevertheless that Greatness was not Goodness neither could her Dignity hinder her from being a Woman that is like Christall the more brittle the more it is resplendent This is the usuall procedure of all envious Back-biters they draw their Arms backwards like Archers to make their shafts enter deeper feigning not to believe themselves what they indeavour to perswade others their soothing words are as the Oyl wherein Surgeons use to dip the end of their Lancets to render the point more piercing The Bed and the Throne admit of no Competitors in these Suspicions are Oracles and Shadows seem Lights of Truth Nevertheless the King who had by long experience known his Companion and who did not only believe her but knew her to bee all white with purity and innocence besides not finding that the most venimous nails of Envy could make the least impression in the polished Ivory of Iphigenes actions as far as hee ever could discern like a prudent and equitable Prince would not decide a cause of such importance upon that bare report lest hee should thereby fall into Accidents as scandalous as full of injustice Much less did hee think it sutable to his Majesty to inform himself more particularly in such ticklish matters it being an Act of little discretion to seek too curiously after that which one would bee aggrieved to find But judging and rightly that a business of this Nature ought rather to bee hushed up than published not to offend his own honour nor give occasion to any other to bee scandalized Hee thought it more convenient to unsow gently than rend in pieces Violently Knowing that if that relation were but a fiction Time the Father of Verity would discover it's Vanity that if those affections were then but beginning Absence would deracinate them like young plants before they took too deep root at the worst that it was but casting Earth upon that Fire that is interposing a good distance of ground betwixt them Love's power remaining effectless in the privation of the Object The expedient which Prudence suggested to him was to send Iphigenes from his Court under pretence of taking possession of his new Palatinate where being Hee would command him to stay to acquire credit amongst his Subjects and take account of the Castellians without returning to the Court untill further order which in good tearms is called an Honourable Banishment The Storm fell all at once upon the faultless Iphigenes by the Eclips of the Gemini the favourable looks of their two Majesties and which was very strange the treachery was designed and effected so artificially that hee could not devise who should bee the Artificers nor which afflicted him the more knew the Cause of his disgrace In that respect more miserable than those Criminalls who by hearing their Indictment read are at least informed of the reason of their punishment But what was most of all to be admired was that neither the King nor the Queen who both agreed in this relegation did communicate to each other their Thoughts which by different projects arrived at the same End Those that have purchased Favour by Merit not by Subtilities have a certain generosity not common to all Favorites by vertue whereof they descend with as much Glory as they were raisâ—d like a Lyon as bold in his retreat as in his Sallie and as Cesar who feeling himself Stabbed in open Senat took care to adjust the folds of his Robe that hee might fall honourably as is remarked by his own Historian Iphigenes without inquiring further into the Occasion of his being thus on a sodain discountenanced not to irritate their Majesties and without preventing their Commands by a predemanded leave or any feined distast was willing without reply to subscribe to the King's Will which his obedience held to be a sufficient Reason As hee was just upon the point of fitting his train for his journey into his Palatinate not complaining as commonly those do who know themselves not guilty or those that leave their Fortunes with Regret nor seeking to justifie himself which had been to accuse his Master of Injustice in regard that before Kings in that like God no justification can subsist their Disgrace only being capable to render the most Innocent Culpable It was not without some remorse on the King's part some discontentment on the Queen's and the universall sorrow of the Court that this fair Star was Eclipsed from that Climate which seemed to borrow more less luster from his presence than it received from the splendor of the Royaltie But Mischiefs which seldome or never come single attended Iphigenes by the way to make him alter his Course and try his patience in more than one manner Being ready to depart a Messenger brought him news of a disaster befallen Him who was the light of his eyes and for the possession of whom hee would not only have left his Favor at the Court but willingly have resigned Scepters and Crowns which are but Vanities as Onerous as Honourble Liante the Object of his thoughts was made prisoner in one of his Father's Castles and so stirctly garded that hee was hardly permitted the liberty to take the Air which imprisonment was imposed upon him for the reason which you shall hear Whilest Iphigenes was swimming in the full stream of Favor at Court being the Torment and the Delight of all Eyes Hearts and the Minion of Fortune Liante plunged in the depth of an inconceivable Melanchollie as well for the absence of his dear friend as to see himself constrained like Sisyphus to rowl an unpleasing Stone without any relaxation I mean to wed himself to a vocation which though honorable in it self was however odious to him had no other means to divert his discontented thoughts nor any other possibility of releasing himself out of that thraldome than by flattering his fancy with the the alliance of Clemencia who burning in a mutuall flame for him did daily with all the civill respects and discretion that could bee desired of a modest and well educated Virgin render him most fervent testimonies of her chaste affection Although Love loveth secresie as the Violets do the shade yet it is easie to follow it by the track and if it be honourable to smell it a far off by the odour of its parfumes if it bee otherwise the blackness the stinking smoak the shamefull Events that alwaies do succeed illicite desires will at
a little Village within the Forrest having first dazled the Clown's eyes with that Metall whose Power dimmeth the clearest sights and makes tongues Silent or speak what the giver listeth where hee took the charge of his Cattle in quality of a Shepherdess And Iphigenes after hee had received the first Honours of his Charge and that by severall Magnificent Banquets Balls Turnaments and other publique rejoycings those of that Province had expressed the contentment which they received in seeing themselves subjected to so sweet a Government as his for his ordinary divertisement made choice of the pleasure of Hunting which is generally affected by great persons because in Peace it make's them see some shadow of their profession of Warre and entertain's their high Spirits with more Generosity than any other recreation The Towns seemed Prisons to him the Fields and Woods a Paradise For being deprived at one time of both those Luminaries which enlightned his thoughts Love and the Court I mean the two Objects of his Ambition and Affection the King and Liante Hee became like a Flower without the Dew and the Earth without Water Insomuch that it might easily bee gathered by the alteration of his Complexion that there was no small disturbance in his Mind And to confess the truth if either of those Passions alone bee sufficient to trouble the firmest brain what disquietness will they cause being joyned together The pain which proceed's from the desire of Glory and of possessing the most eminent Dignities is a great Torment to a generous Soul And if you add the Interest of Riches which are as the Bones and Sinews to sustein that Greatness you will render the sorrow for the privation of these two things very vehement But amongst people of no mean Judgments the grief which the absence of a beloved Object doth ingender in the minde is esteemed the least supportable You may imagine then in what a Tempest was Iphigenes Spirit agitated having before his eyes neither of those favourable Stars which only could procure his Calm the Royalty of his Prince nor the Loyalty of Liante Liante the King of his Affection nor the King the Object of his Ambition But where Love presides all other Passions must give place The loss of Iphigenes's hopes in Court was less sensible to him in the obscurity of this Exile injoying Liante's presence than the want of his beloved sight was in the midst of all his Honours and Delights at the height of his Favour BOLESLAUS the faithfull Depositary of all his Secrets who was not Ignorant of the just pretensions hee had for Liante wherein as in all other occurrences ayming at nothing but his contentment hee disposed himself to serve him by his frequent comming and going to the Hamlet where Liante under the name of ALMERIA kept himself concealed prepared an Interview for these two dear friends By whose directions Iphigenes went so many times a hunting that way that at length in despight of all his followers who never lost sight of him hee happily lost himself to find out the Canton where his Shepherdess fed her gentle Flock Let all those who are not Ignorant of the Effects of a sincere Friendship bee Judges of the resentments of those two Souls at this meeting so Long expected so Ardently desired and effected no less Succesfully than contrived with Dexterity For to relate you here all their indearing speeches in entertaining each other would be perhaps to say much to little purpose and fill these Pages which are not destined as not desired for any other end than to represent the Event of their Adventures Only in two words I may say that their Minds discharged themselves in each other's Bosome of that weighty Burthen of Thoughts which they had been breeding ever since their Separation Iphigenes first giving Liante an account of the divers Traverses that Fortune sometimes Kinde sometimes Cruell had made him Undergoe at Court which is the Theater whereon to the View of the whole World shee doth expose her most Extravagant actions There hee displayed the severall successes of the King's Favour the Queen's Courtesie the Envie of the Grandees the Calumnie of Maligne Spirits the Passions of the Ladies the Jealousie of Augustus and his being Banished his Incounter with Scanislas whose Palatinate hee injoyed having taken his life the subtle deportments of the Princess Respicia his being dismis't from Court by a Plot which had been discovered to him by Mieslas since his arrivall at Vratislaü In summ hee gave him an abridgment of every passage mentioned in this Narration with divers other particulars which were too tedious to rehearse LIANTE reciprocally acquainted him with the misery and discontents which he had received by his absence the bitterness whereof he was in hopes somewhat to mitigate by the sweetness of the affections which hee had cast into his Soul for the amiable Clemencia whose Goodness Constancy and fervent Love hee felt himself obliged to cherish besides the passionate Ambition hee had of having a double relation to him by the alliance of his Sister Modestina for whose sake hee highly applauded his withstanding so may assaults and by that which hee desired to Contract with Clemencia wherereunto if hee were not incited by that Glory Hee should however esteem himself ingaged unless hee would incur the Repute of the most Ingratefull amongst Men for the firme Resistance which shee had made notwithstanding all the Rigours of her severe Father shewing the Excellency of her Courage in that to maintein the Faith which shee had so many times sworn to him shee did refuse a Prince who in Birth Quality and Estate was far more considerable than hee to whom the violent usurpation of Mieslas had left nothing but Alexander's Portion Hope From this Passion which hee expressed for Iphigenes's Sister and which served as a Charm in his Melancholic restraints Hee fell to the Treason of Perpetua and his Governour so hee tearmed the discovery of his Letters under whose Ashes they disclosed his Fire thence to the Castle where the Cruelty of Mieslas had kept him so close Prisoner and from which hee owed his releasement to Iphigenes whom hee styled his Deliverer his Brother his Master the Star of his Hope with as many other sweet Appellations as an Intire Friendship could suggest which made his Friend clearly see the Profound Resentments of his Soul for this last Obligation which was the greater in regard Liberty is sweeter than Life Whereunto Iphigenes replyed That that was but the dore of the building of that great Fortune whereunto Hee intended to raise him if letting lye dormant for a while his Pretensions to Clemencia wherein hee saw so many oppositions hee would give eare to his Counsells by which hee would render him the greatest man in Polonia Iphigenes said this because as ordinarily wee are aptest to put our hands upon the place that paine 's us most the strong Inclination which Liante revealed for Clemencia bred a jealous Apprehension in
shee had been escaped out of the Prison where the Cruelty of my Father reteineth her and had concealed her self in these Woods disguised thus purposely to accost mee and learn the resentments of my Soul But by her Conversation I perceived it was not shee though this hath a good wit for a Country girl accompanyed with an Incomparable Modesty I have shewed thee sometimes her Picture which I alwaies wear next my Heart where her Idea is so lively Ingraven by that thou wilt discern their likeness when thou seest this sweet Object of my Divertisement For really I must confess since I have met with this living Copy that Picture hath semed dead to mee and if I have Strayed sometimes in the Forest I may tell thee it hath been to seek out this Image of my only Joy the Originall whereof is deteined from my sight by the Imperious command I dare not say Cruelty of my Father And although I confess there is an extream difference betwixt the Merits of my Lady and this Shepherdess yet this deceipt is as sweet to mee as that of an agreeable dream which when wee awake makes us sorry it lasted no longer I wish the Heavens may never pardon mee nay contrary I desire that my head may serve for a Butt to all their Thunderbolts if in this pleasing imagination I have any design that is not conformable to Vertue I know what I owe to God and my own Soul what I owe to the Glory of my Birth and Quality I know what the inviolable Fidelity is which I have sworn to my Wife and I should bee the ungratefullest Creature breathing if I did not correspond to the sincerity of her Affections to mee thou mayest believe mee were I to dye a thousand times and by a thousand sorts of new torments I would rather undergoe them all than commit an act of Disloyalty against Her or with This of whom I speak For I hold that to Love without Honour besides that it is an Infamy is rather Pain than Pleasure and those Sinister intentions are for the most part shamefull and abhor the light Which is quite contrary to mine for I do not only declare unto you my Passion but I desire if you please to make you participant of my Pleasure Those that aim at nothing but such delights as are common to us and Brutes cannot endure any companions in their injoyments being covetous to possess alone what they desire with as much Impurity as Impatience But chast Love is not subject to any of those Frenzies it 's Jealousie look's no farther than the desire of rendring it self more perfect more amiable more accomplisht to bee beloved not alone but better than others Reason is the Conductor of this pure Affection whereas shee is banished from all illicite Passions All that I pretend in this Divertisement which I am about to tell you is only to amuse that concupiscible Faculty which is Naturall to us and which cannot bee void that is useless in us in giving it an Object whose Simplicity can no waies lessen or cause any alteration of the Sincere affection which I bear Modestina Let the Heavens so prosper mee as I Honour and am Faithfull to her may I injoy no longer Life than I preserve my Loyalty to her But as in stead of beeing offended I am sure she would be well pleased to know that in her absence I should love and make a thousand caresses to her Picture So I believe that rendring but Honourable and chast Devoirs to her living Image I shall not prejudice the Faith which I owe her seeing I do not cherish this Figure but in consideration of her whom it represents amusing my self therewith as an Innocent Child would do about a Babie to divert the Melanchollie and disgusts which accompany my disgrace You may say what you please replyed POMERAN for believe mee Sir it is impossible to speak so feelingly and cry up the merits of any Subject with such Vehemency without beeing touched with that Frenzie which turne 's the strongest Brains I dare not question your Fidelity to Modestina but as a Feaver is known by the Alteration and by the Tongue is observed the indisposition of the Stomack so by the discourse is discovered the Intention of the Heart since out of the abundance thereof the Mouth speaketh The Image you so much adore is too reall and too lively to make mee believe that you cherish the Present only by Imagination and the Absent in Effect if you are not very cunning and well-sented you are now in danger of taking a change these Savage Creatures have oftentimes such Wiles as the expertest Hunts-men are never able to finde out Any other Passion else may bee so handsomely dissembled that a Man may cheat the Eyes of the most Circumspect but in this which carries away the Heart intirely it is not the Mouth but the bottom of the Soul which speaketh Some do perswade themselves they Love very much when they are not touched with the least Affection and others sometimes do think they have but a spark of that Fire when all their Bowells are on a Flame Make no jest of this Iphigenes for whilest you think to catch you may be caught and believing to deceive others you may be abused your self For the most part this dangerous Passion the Murtheress of our Honour and the Enemy of our Repose insinuate's it self and slip's into our Souls under such specious pretexts and by such plausible means that with the Sugar wee swallow the Poyson and contribute all wee can to our perdition You say it is only for sport and to recreate your discontented Mind and that there is nothing of evill or indedecencie in it Can there I pray be any thing more misbecoming than to see a Man great by Extraction great by Quality great in Esteem and great in Courage abase his thoughts so low as to Court a Shepherdess You who have the Honour to deserve what disgrace of Fortune soever may bee imagined by this retirement from Court the Affection of both their Majesties what will they they say of this Fantasie but that Lucifer is fallen from Heaven and that you have precipitated your self from the Verticall point of Honour into the Center of Dejection by some sort of Despair Indeed you prepare matter for your Calumniators who not content to triumph over your Innocencie will add to their Trophies the Laughter at your Follie. Pardon mee Sir if I speak so boldly to you the excess of my Affection to your Person passeth the Reverence which I owe to your Quality and I should esteem my self a Traytor if I should conceal so remarkable a Verity After a multitude of other disswasive Arguments which Iphigenes refuted with no less subtility and eagerness than Pomeran alledged them with Cordiall tenderness Wee shall never have done contesting said Iphigenes unless I quite unbutton my breast to you which I will do Pomeran with as much Freedom as I have
testimony of his inward fire For sometimes hee confessed himself filled with vain illusions and to avoid a prejudiciall censure in satisfying his Passion he protested that hee would remain to the last Breath a friend to Iphis and Servant to the incomparable Serife The Eighth Book ARGUMENT Arcade is sent back to Plocens by Serife Pomeran and his Companions attend on Serife whilest Boleslaus advanceth to prepare Celian and his Daughters to receive Her Serife's feined Relation of Herself to deceive the Shepherdesses Their indeavours to appease Her Counterfeited Grief Calliante with his Assistants returns from seeking Almirea Their amazement at Serife's admirable Beauty Calliante's and Serife's moanfull Contention to out-vie each other in Misfortunes Her swounding at his feined Bravadoes against Iphis. Calliante's seeming Anger against Almeria and Iphis is appeased by Serife's conjuring Speeches The Amorous and ambiguous discourse betwixt Calliante and Serife to puzzle the hearer's Thoughts Serife seeming at length to bee overcome by his Courtship make 's shew of requiting the inconstancy of Iphis by Answering Calliante's feined Flames THe perplexity of Boleslaüs was no less than Serife's apprehension lest what she had so long and so seriously concealed should now be unadvisedly revealed to the ruine of her Fortune perchance of her Honour At length it was concluded that the Design should still continue to deceive the Country-People to make themselves some Pastime with their Simplicity To this effect lest Arcade by his indiscretion should give occasion of any suspicion likewise to the Rusticks Serife sent him back to Plocens incharging him not to mention any thing of those Divertisements which shee would have buried in the silence and solitude of the Woods That done they repaired towards Celian's House whither Boleslaüs advanced a little before the rest to see if Calliante with his attendants were returned from their Inquest But hee found only the old Man accompanyed with his Daughters deploring the loss of his profit more than the absence of the two Lovers who hee imagined had lost themselves on purpose to finde a more free possession of each other Some questions being past Boleslaüs told him that hee had other news for him which was That the Wife of Iphis being transported with Jealousie was come into those Woods to seek him where shee had been informed hee spent his time in the Embraces of Almeria and that his Companions who had by chance met with her had sent him before to know if hee would bee willing to receive her in his house shee being a Lady of quality that had fufficiently where withall to recompence his services and Courtesie to her That hope of Gaine was the onely Shaft hee could have shot to hit the pretensions of that greedy Churle His Ears and his Dores were presently opened at the sound of that Silver Bell. And whilest they were upon these terms arrived the other three leading the beautifull Serife as it were in Triumph upon a handsome Nag whose Furniture was correspondent to the Richness of her Apparrell That rare Beauty wherewith Nature had Favored her being increased by the Luster of those pretious Garments so dazled the weak sights of Belida Merinda and Remonda that they did not onely forget the Graces of Almeria but lost the remembrance of the countenance of Iphis. So certain it is that Cloathes do set off people in such sort that they seem in a manner Metamorphosed Celian looked no further than her Hands and Neck whither his Eyes were invited by the sparkling of some rich Rings and a Carcanet of pretious Stones which hee already swallowed in his Fancy Every one's attentions were divertised according to their different inclinations the Courtiers admired the Beauty of Serife the Shepherdesses the Magnificence and their old Father the Richness This feined Syrene being received if not according to her merit however in the best manner that Cottage could afford renewed the deceipt which shee had so artificially begun in the Forest and possessed those simple People who devoured her words by Mouth-fulls with what belief shee listed telling them That shee was Legitimate Spouse to Iphis and indeed they were but one and the same Flesh their Conjunction being not onely Vnion but Vnity That shee had sought that Perfidious and Ingratefull Man both by Land and Sea That Hee had Traiterously abandoned her to Despair forsaking her to follow an Idle Creature who being little beholding to Nature for Beauty had doubtless bewitched her Husband by some Magicall Charms And yet said shee I love him notwithstanding his Disloyalty as dearly as my self and if you please to measure his Malice by my Innocency I am in some kinde culpable of my own misfortune for I am the Cause that my Rivall doth intirely possess Iphis. All this discourse which had a double meaning was throughly understood by none but Boleslaüs who could not sufficiently admire the dexterity of his dear Foster-child who the better to cover her Deceipt drawing a Chain of Sighs from the bottome of her Heart and drowning her Cheeks with Tears moved not only the Daughters but Celian himself to Compassion and bred Astonishment in the Courtiers to see her subtility in representing so to the life a Sorrow which they thought was feined But those Sighs Tears proceeded from but too reall a Source of Passion so that the Deceipt held good on all sides And it being a curiosity as Blameless as Naturall to inquire into the Disasters of Afflicted persons to remedy them if it bee in our power or at least to pitty the sufferers if wee cannot help them the Shepherdesses who desired no less to learn some particulars concerning Iphis and Almeria than to hear the Ladie 's Story beseeched her to give them the relation of her Afflictions assuring her of their Fidelity and promising in exchange to tell her what they knew concerning those two Persons whom Passion had rendred extravagant Then Serife after the manner of Musicians having made her self bee somewhat intreated disposing them by that appetite the more easily to believe her Inventions thus began Iphis and I were Married so yong that wee could hardly know what 't was to Love I was Ward to his Father who to draw my Estate into his Family of a Guardian become Master of all made me Marry his Son If there was any force on Iphis part I know not but in mee I am sure there was no Constraint for I do not remember that ever I saw him without having some inclination for him From the Cradle almost wee were brought up together during our Childhood wee loved like Children and our Affections increasing with our years I loved him afterwards as my brother but I must confesse after I was permitted to hope to injoy him as a Husband I began to cherish him with a Love more ardent and delicate At length we were united by the bonds of Hymen but alas that was only in words for the use of our bodies was forbidden by his Father who in
commanding Merinda to advertise Serife that shee might stand upon her Guard this Office Merinda would have performed without his injunction For her Heart was so oppressed with that Secret that shee had resolved to disburden it by her Tongue whatsoever befell At this newes Serife counterfeited such amazement that shee seemed for a while as if Fear had been carrying her Soul out of her Body at length having somewhat recollected her Spirits with a trembling voyce shee said To what a degree of Misery doth Fortune reduce mee since shee persecute's mee so cruelly that in the same Port where Hope promised me Security Shee make's mee suffer Shipwrack What must I then follow those I ought to shun and fly from those who promised mee all assistance Those disguised Gentlemen my Husband's Friends will they be my Protectors against him that made mee such solemn protestations to preserve me from all injuries Ah Calliante you will sell at a dear rate the promise you gave mee of your succour since without having the patience to stay till the Fruit be Ripe you will gather it by breaking the branches or rather transplanting the Body of the Tree out of the Ground of it's Duty Have you forgot Soul blinded with Passion that I consented to the admittance of your Service and Affection onely in case Iphis whose yet I am repudiated me to marry your Sister and so to cure at once the Honour of that abused Virgin the Disloyalty of my inconstant Husband your Love and my own Jealousie Believe it Calliante if I finde any Asistance this Precipitation shall cost you dear and if all humane succours fail mee I will borrow from the courage of my own Heart and the vigour of my Arm the last remedy of all miseries which is Death and sheathing a Dagger in my Bosome I will reduce all your Designs into Smoak Madam answered Merinda by Heaven's favour you shall not be put to any such extremity For if my Father expresly forbid's my Brothers and their Companions to act any thing against your Person the contriver of this Plot will reap nothing but the Shame of having attempted it and you shall be free from the Displeasure his unadvisedness would have caused to your Thoughts Serife knowing that it was the powder of injection which made the Rusticks favour that Project to trie their Dispositions and tempt them by feeling their Pulses on both sides having put some small Chains of Gold into the Shepherdesses Hands to make them Bracelets and shewing them severall rich jewells shee promised them that those should bee the meanest Recompences of their fidelity if by their means that storme blew over her Head giving them besides some pieces of Gold to hinder Celian to keep his Sons in order and some to bee distributed among them Hereupon they became like that corrupt Judge who caused a Coach which a Client had given him to pronounce sentence in his favour to bee drawn by Horses of a greater value which the adverse Party had presented him Whilest this was in agitation on one side Pomeran who was as wee have said jealous of the Palatin's Honour and who did not greatly relish his Passion for Almeria entertained in his thoughts the pleasantest imagination that could bee devised Hee fancied that Serife had an intent to marry Calliante under that disguise and it beeing done and past all remedy that hee resuming the habit of Palatine would laugh at their simplicity as well as the Country-People's Therefore out of a desire to oblige Mieslas and Modestina and as hee thought I phigenes himself as those do a courtesie to poor Creatures that are frantick who take the pains to binde them although they raile and exclaim all the while they are tying Hee thought it very requisite that Hee with his two companions and Boleslaüs should oppose in good Earnest that Imaginary Rape and to the end they might the more securely effect their intention it was not held improper to require the Justice of the Place's succour The Evening beeing come every one stood upon his Guard Serife not onely stirred not abroad but refused the entrance of her Chamber to Calliante Celian watched like the Hesperian Dragon over his Treasure His Daughters were set Sentinells to call for help upon the least allarm the Swains beeing overcome by the Commands of Celian and presents which Serife sent them pretended difficulties and stood still with their Arms across and the Gentlemen were resolved to preserve Serife Hereupon Calliante feining to bee in an excessive Rage fell to vaporing with the Country-men thundred out divers threats against their baseness called them treacherous Villains for failing him in the onely time hee had need of their help and vomited all the bitterest tearms that Despair doth use to suggest in like occurrences But the houre of Rest summoning them to retire they all continued for a while in a sad silence every one allowing the more liberty to his Thoughts the less hee gave his Tongue untill Pomeran esteeming it necessary to speak in that extremity thus began Almeria it is now time to quit that Mask we are not Men to be cheated as you imagine content your self with having ravished the Heart of Iphis by the Charms which his Passion make's him finde in that little Beauty which appeareth in your Face and seek not to rob his legitimate Spouse of his Body He cannot be yours untill his first bonds be dissolved which he hath so publickly and solemnly sworn never to violate greater Ladies than you can ever hope to be pretend to his alliance if that first Marriage could be declared void Do not think to inchant us or surprise the Palatine by your artificiall Stratagems For we are resolved with the perill of incurring his dis-favour and losing our own Lives couragiously to hinder your Design of making your self his Wife be satisfied with the part you have in his Affections without aspiring farther unless you have a minde to see a strange disorder and humane Justice as well as the Divine opposed against your Practises Calliante concluded by this Discourse pronounced with a grave and settled Countenance that Pomeran was seriously and really deceived Therefore to intangle him the faster in his Net hee replied My Honour is so deeply ingaged in this business that I must die or bring it to perfection nothing but Marriage can make mee Repararation Iphis hath plighted mee his Faith beeing in full capacity of Vnderstanding Self-disposall whereas that which you pretend was forced and in an Age so tender that he knew not what hee promised therefore I maintain that hee is more Mine than Modestina's and Iphis is able to justifie his ingagement to Mee in despight of all your indeavours and contradictions These expressions were like Oyle cast upon the Fire of that Indignation which was kindled in the Genlemen's Hearts So they grew to high Words then to Threats afterwards to Exclamations Iphis was named aloud Almeria likewise Hereupon the Country-men that were in
the hazard of receiving any affront from that rigorous Sarmatian hee sent him with a Convoy of twelve Souldiers to a Castle in his Dominion intreating him to stay there untill further intelligence from him with an exact account of Mieslas intentions and whence that news was derived which Arcade brought in such hast and was afterwards confirmed by Humbertus Liante beeing thus secured from Mieslas fury Iphigenes gave order that his other Domesticks and Hunts-men should meet him a league from Plocens where hee dismissed his Souldiers and entred into the City with a more peaceable train His Father received him with great demonstrations of joy and hee returned the Honours and Respect which Nature obliged him to render to the Author of his life The complements and imbraces beeing past they presently fell into the Discourse of what was said and done at Court There hath been no Action of late said Mieslas whereof I believe you have not been informed But perchance your intelligence hath not been so punctuall in letting you understand what is said there For generally what is reported of us come's last of all to our knowledge the Eye which seeth all other Objects see 's not it self and knowing how every thing else is made is ignorant of it's own composition Thereupon Iphigenes not without colouring his cheeks with a gracefull vermillion having inquired how People censured him said It is no wonder if my Name be traduced the ordinary Discourse of Courtiers beeing principally of Favorites or of those who are in disgrace to whose Actions they give what colours they please I will tell you really said Mieslas it is not of your perfidiousness or any treason that you have committed For every one know's the education I have bestowed on you and how I never recommended any thing so much to you as Loyalty and Obedience towards your Soveraign Neither is there any mention of your absence from Court which cannot be called a disgrace in regard the King and Queen never speak of you but in very honorable and advantageous tearms But all mouths are filled especially the Ladie 's with your new affection for a certain Shepherdess in these Forests who is esteemed an invisible Diana and you her Endimion There are some who beare her as much Envy as they are full of Pitty and Passion for you admiring that you who have sailed through the Sea of the Court without striking upon any Rock or Sand should now be shipwrack'd in a sorry Brook and who having despised the splendor of so many Suns in the Sphear of the Grandeurs of Polonia should abase your self to do homage to a Moon in the obscurity of these Woods And divers speaking with mee concerning you have said that they believed this servile yoak so disproportionable to your quality was fallen upon your neck as a punishment for the scorns wherewith you payed the merit of those Ladies of honour that affected you Iphigenes desiring to turn all this into a Gallantry of Youth and prepossess Mieslas in case hee should chance to learn any farther particulars gave him a brief relation of his Rurall Recreations of the Country-People's insolence and what punishment hee had inflicted upon their unworthiness vernishing his Narration as hee pleased to the end this first impression might take place of after-reports which flew about in severall formes but all so far from the truth that it might properly bee said of Fame shee is like a Camelion which take's all sorts of Liveries except the whiteness of Verity In conclusion hee said that hee was more passionate in shew for his Shepherdess by much than in effect in regard shee was nothing recommendable for Beauty but onely for her extream Nimbleness and Dexterity in the Exercise of Hunting So much I have alwayes promised my self of your judgement answered Mieslas what ever others would make mee believe of your Affection to this Country-wench whom they stuck not to give out that you were resolved to Marry I am not yet arrived to that degree of folly replied the subtile Iphigenes neither have I so little sense of my condition that I should make a Shepherdess my Wife considering that the conquest of such People is not so difficult but that a Man may accomplish his desires better cheap than by a publick shame and the loss of both Fortune and Honour Besides I should esteem myself unworthy of the Blood I have from you of the rank which I possess by the King's Favour and of the Estate which I injoy and expect to have by him and you if the onely thought of so ridiculous an alliance should harbour in my brest I can believe no other said Mieslas but the Women are not so satisfied For beeing the pure substance of infirmity they presently take the allarme and seizing on the Fire-brand by the burning end they construe every action in the worst sense This is averred by the Princess Respicia who at the first broaching of this news out of excess of Passion for you fell into such strange distempers imagining that you would give her the slip that shee never ceased persecuting mee untill I came to bring water to quench this new Fire and dissipate or at least hinder by my presence your imaginary Marriage And to make you sensible of her impatience which cannot be blamed but for an extremity of Affection shee hath followed mee so close that I arrived here but one day before her How said Iphigenes counterfeiting an astonishment though hee had been informed of her comming is shee in this Country I must acknowledge as much Obligation to her Love as her jealousie hath done mee injury But doth shee esteem mee so little judicious or guilty of so much inconstancy as to change the glory of appertaining to her for the imbraces of a silly Shepherdess who cannot be compared to her unless it were to make appeare how beautifull the Day is by the horrours and darkness of the Night I am glad said Mieslas that this opposition make's you consider the value of that Lady and especially to hear you speak in such tearms of her Merit which is yet greater than you imagine and her affection to you beyond comparison If you had expressed yourself thus before things would not have been in the condition they now are but your first Marriage not beeing consummated you might have freely contracted this second without staying for any needless Dispensations whose tedious delayes are incompatible with her Desires You may be confident Sir replied Iphigenes that I suffer no less then shee the rigour of that Law but me-think's my Conscience would never be at ease if that be not declared void by a publick authority which was so solemnly contracted It is true what ceremonie soever was used I never had any intention to marry Modestina which may easily be judged by the tenderness of my Age in which your absolute Will mâ—â—â— me take her to Wife rather than my own Inclination which neither at that time nor since
it to a withered old Woman whom it is fitter for mee to reverence as a Mother than embrace as a Wife as if Love which proceed's from our own choice were the child of Duty At length said Mieslas who felt Choller gaining the ascendant over his Reason you will say so much that my Patience beeing too far tempted will turn to Fury and constrain mee to let you see by some violent effect how much this Language displease's me Sir replied Iphigenes my sorrow is so just and my resentments so legitimate that if I were not moved for this outrage done to my Wife I should be unworthy of the Name of Husband And of friend if I did not with all my power oppose the mischief intended to Liante The worst that can befall mee is to lose by your hands the Life which you have given me but to take away my honour and fidelity is beyond the power of Man Hereupon Mieslas beeing ready to burst with rage and thundering out no small Oaths said Wee shall see Gallant if Liante ever fall into my clutches how you will hinder mee from executing my will upon him As for Modestina her innocence move's mee to some pitty besides that her Sex protects her from my choller with the design shee hath of espousing a Monastick life when you are married to this other who is more worth then shee or you which resolution will make mee treat her with less rigour and for the present I am contented to send her back to the same Castle whence shee made her escape but her Guards must bee more carefull than they were before or else I will commit her to Aretuza's charge who will bee watchfull enough of her deportments and execute upon her as I shall command I see that hence forwards you will follow your own fancies and do but what you list But in believing your self take heed you be not counselled by a fool For such have onely a dear repentance for their Wages The Court hath taught you loosnesse which it seem's you reserved to put in practise untill you came into your Palatinate and beeing puff't up with his Majestie 's favour you take upon you Liberties against my will by withdrawing yourself from my subjection However I will have patience and making Vertue of Necessity I will forbear expecting the time to express my Resentments But if you resolve not to marry the Princess who doth you too much honour in desiring your alliance let Heaven never pardon mee if ever I pardon you Sir replied Iphigenes Wee are Men onely by Reason and Reason is manifested by your Words I am a Man of both and I will never recede from what I promised So that the conditions annexed to my promise be performed the one is my dispensation the other if shee will have mee in the condition I am I would to Heaven answered Mieslas that the first were as ready as the second For in the Passion wherewith shee is inflamed for you I know there is no exile so disgracefull no condition so miserable wherein shee would not esteem herself happy to injoy you And for my part I think her very unhappy in having placed her affection on a subject so full of ingratitude and who acknowledgeth so little her Love and Merit After much other discourse to the same effect they parted very little satisfied of each other Mieslas went to see the Princess to whom though hee dissembled hee could render no pleasing account which put her into such distemper as may bee imagined in a Woman of her Spirit haughty by reason of the nobleness of her extraction eminence of her dignity and the vastness of her Estate besides all which beeing inflamed with Love and yet who perceived through all these advantages her affections repayed with some kind of slight Not long after Iphigenes went to visit her But to repeat what passed in this interview were to fill these pages with Passions which are better concealed than published and more easily conjectured than rehearsed All that I can say in short was that the affection of Respicia made her act the part of an earnest Suiter who indeavour's by all sorts of perswasion to charm the inclination of his Mistress And the reservedness of Iphigenes made him seem like a Virgin whom Modesty obligeth to express a pure indifference to those that court her and an absolute refignation of her will to her Parents pleasure All that shee could obtain of him was a solemn protestation which hee often iterated to take her to Wife when hee was released from Modestina with this Proviso That Shee would accept of him for her Husband when hee should be in full liberty of disposing of himself Which clause was offensive to her Ears as revoking into doubt her constancy and the resolution which shee had taken to bequeath herself irrevocably to the beautifull Palatine Mean time shee languished almost to Death though neer her remedy and in the midst of so many occasions of delight as his splendid entertainment afforded her shee could not hinder her sighs from discovering by stealth her grief So having imprisoned herself within her Closet where shee had full Liberty of expressing her thoughts shee brake her perplexed Silence with this Complaint against THE INCONSTANCIE OF MEN. I Can no longer hide this tort'ring pain Soul wast thy self in Sighs disclose my smart And since my Passion 's answer'd with Disdain Let Iphigenes know Love broke my Heart Unfaithfull Iphigenes who did force Thee to make shew of so much fervent Love To mee when by I know not what remorse Th' effects a perfect contradiction prove But of such faithless Souls it is the use To make a purchase of our firm Desires And by false Oaths our credulous Hearts abuse And quench with Icie difrespects our Fires Yet why should I be troubled at his Change Since 't is the humour of all Men to vary Their Words are Wind their Fancies love to range And all their Faith is but Imaginary The Constancy which they so deeply vow Is but the paint of their inconstant Hearts And by their Levities too late wee know They glory in augmenting of our Smarts That there a Phenix is most People say But who her spicy Nest did ever see And if by the Effects wee censure may Such is my Idol's vow'd Fidelity VVhile shee is spending her Breath in Sighs and thirsting like Tantalus in the midst of pleasant Waters Let us go see how Boleslaüs hath discharged the Commission of his Embassie Beeing arrived where Liante by Order of the Palatine was concealed Father said the young Gentleman your appearance rejoiceth mee no less than Phebus doth the VVorld when hee chaseth away the shades wherewith the Night had covered the Face of the Earth This last Night I had the most extravagant Dream and which put mee in the greatest paine of any I can remember For mee thought that beeing escaped out of the clawes of those Harpies which I belaboured so handsomely in
making his Horse trample his unworthy Soul out of his conquered Body But Iphigenes seeing the danger of him from whom hee had his Beeing leaving his adversary on the ground ran presently to Mieslas whose deplorable condition sufficiently implored his succour At length hee stopt the fugitive Horse and leaping from his own hee cut the stirrop that trailed his Father's Body which was in little better case than Polemander's Hee was already without motion and questionless had taken his leave of the World if the pious Iphigenes opening his Head-piece had not given him some Air which hee no sooner felt but hee recovered Breath not without voiding blood at the Nose and Mouth in great abundance After some passages of the triumphing Liante the desire of preserving Mieslas drew these words from Iphigenes Mouth which his high spirit would never have permitted his Tongue to utter if his own person had been reduced to the greatest of extremities Liante it is now in thy power to rid thy self of both Father and Son at once if thou permittest thy Vengeance to despise my Friendship but know that Heaven never leaves Ingratitude unpunished content thy Ambition with the advantage the Chance of Arms hath now given thee without abusing by Insolence thy Victory and if thou art as good a Friend as a stout Champion go succour him whom I have reduced to the same danger as thou hast my Father Brave Iphigenes replyed Liante thy Friendship which shall never die in my Soul shall alwayes have more power over mee than the Outrages of that Tyrant It is pitty that a Son so full of Vertue should proceed from a Father so worthy of Hatred ADIEU and know that thy Will is the Chain of my Freedome This said hee passed as quick as a flash of Lightning spurring towards Polemander in whose pale Face Death had already plac'd her Ensignes Having loosened his Helmet hee saw his Eyes begin to open as if hee came from the other World But not to spend any longer time in this Relation at length every one returned to his Quarters the best he could leaving the judgements of the Spectatours suspended upon the strangeness of this incounter which gave scope enough for discourse on both sides But let this suffice that all acknowledged the hand of Heaven upon the Arrogance of Mieslas had compassion on Polemander esteemed the fortunate Valour of Liante but extolled to the Skies the Courage and Piety of the Palatine of Plocens To express the rage that seized Mieslas when come again to himself hee represented to his thoughts the Affront hee had receiven in the Face of the whole Army were impossible Eloquence want's tearms to relate the Excess of his Fury Sometimes hee accused Heaven as the Cause of his Disaster Sometimes hee condemned his Servants for bringing him that Horse Sometimes hee was in the humour to dy rather than survive such a disgrace Sometimes instead of acknowledging the courtesie hee had received from his Enemy hee seemed as if like a Torrent or Thunder-bolt hee would force through the Walls of the besieged City to tear the heart out of Liante's Bosome Hee that hath e're beheld a Bear wounded with an Arrow sticking in his Flank beat himself against the Shaft take it in his Teeth and striving turn it within his Entrails hath seen an emblem of Mieslas Passion which bred such torment in his mind as cannot bee express'd but by the Name of Despair All bruised as hee lay in his Bed beeing hardly able to move hee studied memorable revenges against him to whom hee owed his Life But leaving him to foam out his Choler let us see what Liante do's within the City where there were not Laurells enough to make him Crowns nor Praises significant enough to extoll his Merit The indisposition of Polemander somewhat disturbed the Inhabitants rejoicing but the publick Good always overbalancing the disaster of any particular person it did not diminish the applauses of his Gallantry Besides hee having no other harm than what hee received by his fall the care of his Parents his own youth and good constitution soon restored him to a condition that promised more Hope than Fear of his recovery Mean time whilest the Brother's Body was healing the Sister's mind impaired For Jealousie which is a Love that 's sick increased in Oloria's Heart proportionably as Liante rendered more evident Demonstrations of affection to Amiclea And now his thoughts beeing swell'd with the glory of this Victory what durst not hee promise himself as you may well imagine his Minde beeing naturally ambitious hee easily suffered himself to bee carried upon the Wings of the Wind feeling a pleasing murmure of popular praises buzzing in his Ears Neither was hee deceived For Olavius conceived such an opinion of him that thence-forwards hee deliberated at what rate soever to make him his Son-in-law imagining that that commotion beeing ended it would bee no hard matter for him to procure a revoking of that confiscation which Mieslas had obtein'd of his Estate or rather to make it one of the Articles of their Capitulation if they should come to treat with the King for the repose of Lithuania But as the Heart beeing seated in the middle of the Brest as the Center of humane Bodies leaneth however more to one side than the other So although Liante composed his Countenance and Gestures and ordered his Speeches in such manner that hee seemed to share his respects equally betwixt the two Sisters it was impossible for him to hinder his Eyes which are the Windowes of the Soul from betraying his inclinations For the presence of the Object beloved to a Lover as the Needle of a Compass touched with a Load stone is to the Arctick Pole His looks discovered his thoughts which sallied out at the same port-holes that gave Entrance to those Desires which like theeves stole away his Heart At length Amiclea being yet too young to understand the Language of his Eyes Liante unable to support any longer the torment hee indured by reteining his Passion prisoner it hapned that the same day hee broke his tedious Silence to declare to his new Idoll the Sacrifice hee offered her of his Affections poor Oloria unfortunately arrived to Shipwrack her Hopes against the Rock of Disdain discovering to Liante her Jealousie before shee had disclosed her Love I will not stand to repeat their Discourses loth to fill up this Paper with frivolous words contenting my self to say that Liante's aversion against Oloria was much augmented when hee had read the malady of her Mind and that impertinent humour whereby shee seemed to impose Lawes to his Will as if shee had already gained an Empire over his Soul And beeing very ingenious without disobliging her otherwise he made her understand in handsome tearms that hee cared as little for her Affection as her Jealousie and that his sight was not yet so bad but that hee could discern Objects more capable of contenting his contemplation But hee continued his
addresses with much fervency and dayly increased his Indearments to Amiclea who though yet young enough not to resent the assaults of that Passion which is so contagious that few are exempted from it's infection even of those that most condemn it yet shee was not composed of Ice nor any insensible Materialls That inclination of inflaming Lovers which is so naturall to the Female Sex sharpen's Virgin 's wits betimes and rendereth them subtile and full of Malices before their Age can afford them a perfect knowledge This ray of Honey those inchanting words and obliging devoirs opened Amiclea's Eyes and gave her considerations for Liante which before shee did not conceive But as that Sex is born to dissimulation the cleerer shee saw the more shee feined to bee blind and hearing his Complaints shee made as if shee understood them not Insomuch that after hee had displayed the secrets of his Heart and discovered the honour and integrity of his pretensions to her shee studied to deceive his Passion with a more reserved carriage in his conversation Mean time this artificiall behaviour covered with the cloak of innocent Childishness was such a bait or gin to intrap Liante's heart that hee cherished not his own thoughts but when they represented to him the Object which gave them Beeing The Eleventh Book ARGUMENT Iphigenes and Liante's private Meeting and Conference Iphigenes Plot to reduce the Lithuanians and extinguish Liante's affection to Amiclea Hee is taken Prisoner with his own consent by Liante The Lithuanians exultation at this Prize their treatment of Iphigenes The Palatines of Troc and Minsce's Wives and Daughters fall in Love with the beautifull Prisoner Their indeavours to injoy him and supplant each other Iphigenes Jealousie and Distemper at Liante's passionate Research of Amiclea Love perswades Iphigenes to reveal his Secret to Liante Bashfulness disswades it Amiclea inamour'd of the fair Prisoner's perfections offers to procure him Liberty and escape with him His civill refusall of her Courtesie The Divertisements of Iphigenes in his Prison Hee relates his own Story to the Ladies under borrowed Names His Apprehension at Liante's Morall or Exposition of his Fable At Liante's and the Companie 's importunity hee transvests himself to the admiration of both Men and Women Mieslas is inraged at his Son's captivity Offers to Ransome him Sends Liante a Challenge His Answer The Resentments of those in the Royall Army and at the Court for Jphigenes imprisonment The King's Letter to the Rebells in his behalf Their Consultations and Answer Iphigenes discreet Advice and Letter to the King The Conflict of Love and Vertue in Melindra's brest The old Palatinesse's Jealousie of their Daughters for Iphigenes Liante'sVmbrages of Iphigenes for Amiclea Their Speeches after Liante had discovered his Passion Liante departs discontented Iphigenes distemper at his distast The contention of Jealousie and Honour in Liante's heart Finding no invention to get Iphigenes handsomly out of Minsce hee returnes to give him an account of his indeavours Their Conference Liante thinking Iphigenes was his Rivall construes all his protestations of Friendship to a contrary sense DO you not think it time that Iphigenes should come to cast Water on that Fire lest the flame grow unquenchable If Oloria was tormented with her Jealousie Iphigenes received no favorable treatment from his Passion onely Amiclea without ingaging her own Liberty subtilely triumphed over Liante's But what remedy shall wee finde for Iphigenes to mitigate his ineffable sorrow for beeing deprived of Liante Hee that compared the Fire which causeth Love to Thunder was not mistaken in his Analogy For the effects of both are marvellous the one bruise's and consume's the Bones without making the least contusion in the Flesh and preserving the Scabbard melt's the Blade the other hath Subtilities and Inventions beyond the reach of thought to dazle the Eyes of the most circumspect Nothing is impossible to him that Love's Iphigenes practised such secret and facile Intelligences with Liante that if they had been both in the same Camp they could not have had more convenience to communicate their thoughts In Day time their Conference was by Letters which fastened to Arrowes they shot into certain places at prefixed houres In the Night they found opportunity enough to Discourse together without apprehension of beeing over heard by any witnesses Once after divers other particulars Iphigenes regretting that Peaceable time wherein they injoyed in the Forest of Plocens with more freedom each other's conversation and wishing to see the like season that hee might in his own government impart his honours and estate to his dear Brother Of what Peace and what pleasure replied Liante do you speak For my particular I do not think that in all my Life I ever felt a greater disturbance in my thoughts than what glanced into my Brest from the penetrating Eyes of Serife For those extravagant illusions so overwhelmed my Reason that I thought I should have lost it in a Labyrinth of conceptions so confused that I may call that disaster happy which released mee out of that error But now my Condition is quite altered For if during that Peace I felt a War within my self in this War I have met with so great a Calm and so sweet a Peace that I hold nothing so delicious as the double Prison wherein I am What Prisons are those answered Iphigenes The first said Liante is the inclosure of these Walls but the second and most agreeable is an Object whose Captive I am but my thraldome is preferable to any Liberty At this word a cold sweat trickled along Iphigenes Face and hardly could hee forbear in falling to a trance yet recollecting his Spirits hee prest Liante to tell him what Object that was to whom hee had so dedicated his services Hereupon Liante as if hee had resolved to discompose the frame of Iphigenes intellect and absolutely turn his Brain began to make him a lively description of Amiclea's beauties which was less welcome to his Ears than the newes of approaching Death But when hee added that those perfections beeing not yet come to Maturity that green fruit was so tart and crabbed that it rather set the teeth on edge than gave any delight and by reason of her tender years which rendered her not onely insusceptible of Love's flames but incapable of acknowledging his affection that in the same place where his desires had their Birth his Hopes did finde their Funerall Iphigenes recovered breath And as every thing hath two handles and its counterpoise when Liante added to the Passion hee indured for Amiclea that which hee made poor Oloria suffer our amorous Palatine was yet better satisfied imagining that this Contradiction would hinder Liante from making any great progress in Amiclea's affection But from this Feaver hee fell into an hotter the storm beginning afresh with more impetuosity in his thoughts when hee heard Liante protesting that the Jealousie of the One served as a spur to incite him to bee more eager
into a Fire as violated the Faith shee owed her Husband felt her Heart however in spight of her resistance tickled with that gentle Flame which so many persons cherish and so few extinguish But to apply the remedy of the least Word was a thing whereunto shee would less condescend than indure the severest of Torments Mean time the ardour of her Desires like that in Furnaces redoubled it's violence beeing inclosed and having no place for evaporation As for Amiclea though shee began to have age enough to discern shee had not enough to dissemble sufficiently her Resentments For a first love is like new Wine which burst's the Vessell if it hath not vent VVhilst for Liante her mind was less agitated it was easie for her to contein herself But a vehement and extraordinary Passion is not so easily concealed which made her above all the rest give evident demonstrations of her flame VVhich was very excusable in her For besides the glory of captiving so gallant a Spirit and possessing so accomplished a Body what Soul is so stupid as not to bee pricked with the spur of ambition seeing a Noble person illustrated with such eminent Dignities and accompanied with Riches that had no limits since they were founded upon the favour of one of the greatest Kings of Europe Besides the common desire of all young Gentlewomen to bee highly and richly married and render themselves agreeable and admirable to all Eyes In summe Iphigenes was the Object of all those Ladies Esteem and of their attendants as they were the Butts of his Contempt But as they accounted themselves honoured with his company so and conceived himself importuned by their's At length Oloria as well as the rest if not in effect at least in appearance seemed to be intrapped in his Snares For whether out of a desire to bee revenged of Liante's scorns or which is more probable to reduce him to her affections by the sting of Jealousie shee feigned at first to love Iphigenes and stuck not to give him severall manifest proofs of her inclinations But by little and little shee ingaged herself so far that her Counterfeiting became a Reality VVhich made her fall from bad to worse and in stead of a Body run after a shadow which fled from her For if shee had been so unfortunate as not to bee able to cast any bait before Liante's Heart that might oblige him to set any value upon her Affection judge you how that train could take in Iphigenes Bosome who was so little capable not onely of satisfying her desires but of having any inclination for her Thus our lovely Prisoner the Rock and stumbling block of their thoughts was innocently culpable of all their pains But hee had more intricate troubles to quell in his own brest without imbroyling himself in their follies For hee was not like the Sun which warmeth all things else not having any degree of heat within himself If hee bred torments in their Minds hee suffered pennance for that guilt in his own VVith what countenance in your Opinion could hee behold the submissions and devoirs wherewith the passionate Liante besieged the Heart of the disdainfull Amiclea what despight possessed him to see the Pride of that scornfull Rivall who robbed him of that which hee esteemed most pretious the affection of Liante and this without any other advantage than that of her habit If you had seen him at any time contemplating his excellent Features in a Looking-glass you would have said that hee had been making a strict inquiry in that Chrystall concerning the Victory which his Beauty in the Full gave him over the Cressant of Amiclea's Nothing remained in his opinion but to unseel Liante's Eyes and let him understand his condition to make him quit the Passions and Pretentions hee had for that unpolisht Diamond But this was the main difficulty which bred a disturbance in his thoughts no less dolorous than the throes of a Woman who desiring to conceale her labour dare's not cry out in her greatest extremity Poor Iphigenes who shall deliver thee of these mortall anguishes An antient Historian make 's mention of a Souldier who despairing of his Life by reason of an intestine Pain which tormented him casting himself into the hottest of the Battle to purchase an honourable Death received a thrust with a Sword through the Body which broke an Impostume within and was so favourable to him that hee found health where hee expected Death Oh how desirable were that stroak with the Tongue that would make Liante understand what the Pudicity of Iphigenes forced him to conceale with so much prejudice to his own contentment Sometimes hee resolved to write and employ to that Office the whiteness of Paper which is incapable of blushing But representing to his more serious consideration the divers inconveniences that might proceed from committing that secret to a Letter and it's weakness in comparison of the force of words pronounced Viva voce in like occurrences hee changed that Resolution And then as if hee would premeditate the Speech of his manifestation the disorder of his thoughts stifled the words in his mouth and reduced him to the tearms of induring the obscure Death of Silence rather than prolong his Life by a Discourse which in his own judgement hee should never have the confidence to utter Oh sacred Bashfulness a quality inseparable to all well borne Souls how thou paintest with different colours the Faces of such as are subject to thy allarmes Those wherewith the agreeable Aurora imbellisheth every morn the Horizontall Line appear not with more variety Is it possible that Iphigenes wit so full of subtility and whose quaint inventions were so esteemed at Court should remain sterile in this occurrence when the most important affaire that ever hee managed in all his Life was in agitation In summe wee must conclude what valour soever wee admire in him there was yet some dram of the weakness of his Sex which hath the property of beeing extream subtile in matters of small consequence but little capable of great enterprises Dispatch brave Iphigenes and quickly ravish Liante's Heart by a free Declaration this Pill is somewhat bitter this Draught unpleasant to the taste But it must bee swallowed for his good as well as your's You possess such great advantages in all respects above your Rivall that you shall onely need to unveile your self to cover her with darkness or do her the same affront as the Sun's arrivall doth to the Heaven's meaner Lights Let but Liante know what you are and Farewell all Amiclea's farewell Rebellion and all the pretensions hee hath in Lithuania After many such debates within himself at last hee was resolved nothing was wanting but a fit opportunity to reveal this grand Mystery But whether the Jealousie of those Ladies that besieged him or whether the Palatines had commanded them to let Iphigenes have the least private Conference that might bee with Liante lest they should plot some conspiracy it
as deep into that Favorite's brest as they had done in Liante's what great matters would hee have promised to his Ambition But besides that hee knew Iphigenes was Married to Modestina and was not ignorant of the Designes of the Princess Respicia seeing the great indifferency that beloved Captive shewed for all Women as hee lost the Hope of atchieving so high an advantage hee quitted the thought of desiring it Which made him turn all his pretensions towards Liante promising himself to obtain of the King by Iphigenes what hee should demand of Iphigenes by Liante If this Palatine had an ambition to make Liante his Son-in-Law Liante was no less desirous than Hee to contract that alliance But hee was not so simple as to take the Elder for the Younger there was no darkness impenetrable to the sight of such a Lover Since Oloria had turned her Eyes towards Iphigenes beeing transported with the ravishing Garbe of that beautifull Object shee slighted Liante's scorns The same cause made Amiclea disdain the esteem which Liante made of her and nothing was so irksome to her as when hee entertained her with the discourse of his Passion Melindra Daughter to the Palatine of Troc beeing assaulted on one side by the Legitimate Affection and Fidelity which shee owed to her absent Husband and on the other by the Charms which the presence of Iphigenes cast into her thoughts felt Combats of Love and Honour in her Heart whose convulsions approached the torments of a Woman in travell who would but cannot bee delivered The Conflict or violent opposition that Heat and Cold make in the concavity of a Clowd is some resemblance of the Contradictions in her Minde And after many passionate Complaints continuing to aggravate her sore with a thousand various imaginations shee impoisoned the Humour more and sometimes shunned the remedy sometimes desired it with impatience Nevertheless shee remained so firm in the steps of Vertue that although her languishing looks broken sighes and tears discovered plainly enough her distemper to Iphigenes yet shee observed a severe silence never giving her Tongue the liberty to say any thing but what was within the bounds of a modest Civility Wherein shee made appear as much vertue as the two old Palatinesses shewed little For they were grown so jealous of their Daughters having discovered their inclinations that like Furies they were perpetually haunting them and reprehending in them a fault which they authorized in their own deportments I will not stain their memory with the extraordinary means which they used to inveigle this Fish into their Nets Imagine you onely what Women can doe or rather what they cannot do when animated with a violent Passion and in an Age whose weakness redouble's the other's force At length Despair had made them commit a treachery and change their inclination into vengeance if the Publick necessities had not retarded them in their Private animosities So they borrowed of Time and Patience the succour of Hope which is alwayes ready to assist the most miserable But Iphigenes who had been beaten with fiercer and more dangerous storms at Court laughed at those Feminine divisions and looked as from an eminent place upon those fraile Vessels agitated with that violent tempest as a Shittle-cock in the Wind and the subject of his Disdain The assault which I am now going to relate was otherwise resented for it came from the Place that was onely capable of putting Iphigenes beyond his Temper and Art of Dissimulation You may conceive already that it proceeded from Liante whose Spirits beeing settled after the motion which Iphigenes transvestment had caused in his brest relapsed into the vehemence of his Passions for Amiclea whose Scorns befrosted his Pretensions as much as her Graces inflamed his Inclinations At length the Eyes of those that love beeing very quick-sighted hee perceived it was onely the presence of Iphigenes that ruined his Designes and that his Idoll was so possessed with the Idea of that beautifull Palatine that no other could finde admittance into her Soul This presently bred Jealousie in Liante and so much power hath the Tyranny of Love above the ties of Friendship that hee felt the later diminish as fast as the other dilated it self in his thoughts Hee wished hee had some occasion not to love Iphigenes so well but his indearing deportments his vertue and above all that incomparable Modesty which accompanied all his Actions wrested out of his Minde all thoughts of loving him less Afterwards considering to what danger that brave Palatine had exposed himself to save his Fortune and the promises hee made to raise him to the most eminent Dignities of Polonia if hee would follow his advice which hee had alwayes found as advantageous as sincere that expunged all manner of Gall out of his Heart and restreined him from doing or saying any thing that might be prejudiciall to so pure and inviolable a Friendship One of whose principall Effects beeing Confidence hee resolved to open his Heart to Iphigenes and discover to him as well the extremity of his Passion for Amiclea as the pricking torments of his Jealousie But when hee had displayed all his distempers the End of his Discourse was the Beginning of Iphigenes paines for fearing nothing so much as the loss of that Heart which hee desired to keep intire to himself it was an inconceivable torture to his Minde to see him so violently bent upon another Object Whereupon hee thus spake to Liante I marvell not at your beeing in Love for the Subject deserves it But your Jealousie put 's my senses beyond all temper for I pray what occasion have I ever given you to doubt of my Fidelity Observe Liante how far my Friendship extends if you had but said to mee Iphigenes I would not have you look upon such a Lady although her Image were ne're so deeply ingraven in my Soul I would tear it away or pluck the Eyes out of my head if they were so rash as to cast but one glance upon her I am sure if I had brought your's to this test it would not have indured the touch and you would defend your disobedience by the advantages that Love who is but a Child possesseth or'e those Spirits that are subjected to his Empire See Liante how I surpass you in all things and which is as much to your shame as my honour in the Prerogatives of Friendship which is vainly reported to equalize Friends since you are inferiour to me by so many degrees that you dare not think in my favor what I would willingly execute for your Consideration What imagination possesseth your mind do you think to make Amiclea love you against her will Certainly you understand very ill the motions of Love which have no other foundation but the Liberty of choosing and therefore it is called Dilection as if one should say an inclination of Election And you are very ignorant of the humour of Ladies who like shadowes do usually follow those that flie
them and shun those that follow them You have reason to say that Amiclea love's mee hee must bee blinde that perceive's it not so do many others whose Passions are very irksome to mee my Ears are dayly storm'd with her Complaints and these importunities which are so unwelcome to mee would be such favours to you as would elevate your thoughts to the Skies But what should I do in this case I can no more hinder her from loving mee than compell her to affect you Affection is not so easily put off as a Garment nothing is more difficult to be done by devoir than to Love Shee knowe's that her desires are without hope for my particular and yet I cannot disabuse her of her Errour nor disswade her from amusing her Fancy after a Subject which cannot lawfully be her's I would for your satisfaction that it were in my power to transplant her Passion and turn it from my self to you if this were possible you should finde that among all the Friends in the World there never was any more faithfull nor more desirous of pleasing you than I am At these words Jealousie resigned the possession of Liante's Heart and hee acknowledging the ingagements hee had to the incomparable Friendship of Iphigenes said to him I think Heaven hath created you to serve as a Spectacle of admiration to all those that see you but much more to those that frequent you It is impossible to hate you and know you But what say I I maintain one cannot know you without loving you no more than see the Sun without light or heat But what can bee the reason that like that glorious Planet you cause such ardours in these feeble Souls without conceiving the least degree of heat in your own For never Man was so beloved of Women as you are and I think never any cared less for them than you What Do you then love none so well but that you could leave her if a faithfull friend should intreat you to be unfaithfull to her Hereunto Iphigenes made answer A perfect Friend will never desire any thing so dishonorable as infidelity but if any Friend of mine should be much inflamed for some one of that Sex who to mee are all indifferent I should make no difficulty to resigne an affection wherein I were no otherwise ingaged than by a Civile respect especially if hee had been the first pretender For I hold it the greatest injury that can be done to a Friend to indeavour to spoil his market in matter of Marriage and that there is nothing more capable of breaking all Friendship than Jealousie proceeding from such a cause in regard it is an offence beyond reparation There is not hee breathing among Mortalls but knowe's that Love and Royalty admit of no Companions and that they are two Torrents which overturn by the impetuosity of their Course all sort of Obstacles Dear Iphigenes replyed Liante I think thou hast undertaken to transport mee quite beyond my self making mee see in thee not the Image but the Essence of the most perfect Friend under the Circumference of the Firmament I deliver up my Arms Dear Brother and in all wayes acknowledge my self conquered by thee But since thou hast given mee so many times my Life now thou givest mee the Courage to desire thee to preserve in mee thy own handy-work and release mee from the trouble that torment 's mee Know then that without the possession of Amiclea I cannot live And to imbrace the Body of one whose Heart is with another is a thing I can as little indure as to be tied to a breathless Carcass It would be a punishment to mee not a pleasure Therefore I beseech thee to further mee in the Conquest of her Affection and favorise this alliance with thy assistance I am but too certain of her Parent 's consent and that they are no less willing to make mee their Son-in-law than I desire to have their Daughter to Wife Then after some other discourse conceiving that nothing hindered him from beeing beloved by Amiclea but the Passion which consumed her for Iphigenes Liante continued his supplication to him to deprive her of all Hope of injoying him that shee might likewise lose the desire flattering his imagination that thereby her Love having no more wings to raise it self would doubtless fall to the ground the onely means of curing that Disease in her Fancy and to pluck the Thorns out of her Heart beeing to put the Rose out of her reach Alleadging that to perswade her to divert her thoughts another way and fix them upon a subject to whom shee might easily and justly pretend hee had a thousand reasons and wanted no inventions to lend him merits that hee possessed not and convey them into the belief of that Lady That if by his mediation hee purchased her Affection hee would esteem that favour above the benefit of his Life for which hee remained his debter in regard Life would be loathsome to him if hee could procure no admittance into Amiclea's Heart Imagine you into what extremities Iphigenes saw himself reduced not beeing able handsomly to refuse serving Liante in an occasion that hee dreaded the most and which was most destructive to his own desires Having remained long time in this perplexity as motionless as if hee had seen a Medusa or been stunn'd with some violent blow at length recollecting his Spirits and like Anteus receiving vigour from his fall hee gave his voyce passage to pronounce these words Liante if you knew the harm and injury you do mee you would have some compassion of my suffering and acknowledge that you condemne mee to a punishment much less supportable than Death by intreating mee to serve you in this occurrence I know you will say that the triall of a Friend is in difficult matters and time of need But if wee ought to love another by the modell of that Love which wee owe to our selves it followe's necessarily that our own interest ought to have the precedence according to the order of the most perfect Charity It is not yet time for you to know the injury I receive thereby nor the extream dammage and hinderance it will bee to your Fortune which I intended to raise above all other Grandeurs in Polonia except the Royall Dignity I see plainly that it is the luster of some pleasures and vain pretensions that make's you precipitate your self from this Pinacle and seek your fall where you thought to raise your self Questionless I shall bee a Cassandra to you and tell you divers truths but you will believe none Well Liante perchance my Death will open your Eyes and then by a remorse too late and out of season you will regret that you had caused it to one who prepared for you the happiest Life that your imagination could fathome Nevertheless I will drink this Cup of bitterness which you present mee and although it bee to mee a poyson beyond remedy I will swallow it to
shew the force of my Friendship to the prejudice of my Love to a Man who I believed could not be capable of ingatitude Hereupon Liante thinking hee had discovered all the secret said Brother have I caught you I knew this straining would so torture you that in despight of your dissimulation I should at length wring out of your own Mouth the verity which you hid in the bottome of your Heart You love Amiclea then for whom you counterfeited so much coldness and indifference and thrusting Time back by the shoulders expecting the conclusion of the Peace you would amuse mee in the interim with promises of imaginary dignities like those who give Children Cherries with certain magnifying Glasses that make them shew as big as Apples To the end at the same time you may kill two Birds with one bolt and by breaking your Faith to the Sister deprive the Brother of a Love which hee preferr's before his Life At length after a tedious Conference to this effect Liante beeing perswaded by the suggestions of Jealousie that the fair Palatine was the onely obstacle of his pretentions in a discontented humour quitted the room leaving Iphigenes with such a tempest in his thoughts as you may fancy Love Despight Shame Choller Despair and Sorrow which then tormented him all together by their impetuous blasts were able to raise in a Lover's minde Yet beeing resolved to suffer all extremities rather than breake absolutely with Liante hee searched among his thoughts for Excuses and some Reasons to pardon his ingratitude And after a thousand Musings and as many extravagant Discourses Alas said hee to himself It is thou I phigenes who art cause of thy own mischief yet thou accusest the innocent thou hidest his Eyes and complainest if hee hurt thee Restore restore his sight by discovering to him what thou art and then thou wilt finde that as the shadowes of the Night fly from the Presence of the Sun So all his Suspicions will vanish when thou shalt let him see the cleer Day of Truth Thus Iphigenes sometimes injuring Liante sometimes crying him mercy sometimes accusing sometimes excusing him digested that bitterness with such anguish that if a timely shower of tears had not wetted the Wings of his agitated Spirits benum'd his Senses and at last closed his Eyes hee was in danger of falling into a Frenesie Mean time Liante neglected no indeavours to get Iphigenes out of the City judging that in respect Hee had entred upon his Word his Honour was ingaged to remit him in the same condition as hee took him Besides the interest of his Love instigated him shrewdly to expedite that enterprise imagining as a Loadstone loseth it's faculty of attracting iron in the presence of a Diamond that hee should never be able to draw the Affections of Amielea to him as long as her Eyes had that beautifull Palatine to contemplate But as it is no less easie to bee caught in a snare than hard to get loose So in the Warres a Man may bee soon made prisoner but not so sodainly inlarged Liante to acquire the glory of that Prize had conducted that intelligence without communicating it to the Palatines of Minsee and Troc But to make Iphigenes escape without advertising them had been to expose his Person to a shamefull punishment and declare himself an Enemy and a Traitour to the publick good So that hee knew not what to resolve On the other side the Passion hee suffered for Amiclea never gave his Mind any truce yet to marry one that loved him not in that great Aversion and Perplexity of Spirit th' Idea of another Object having wholly prepossess'd her thoughts he saw as little likelyhood as contentment In this anxiety hee went to tell Iphigenes that without his Counsell hee could not finde a thred to lead him out of the Labyrinth wherein hee had ingaged himself by entring into Minsce Iphigenes who had no desire to go out was glad to take this advantage of Liante saying That comming in upon his word hee thought the Gates should be open for him when hee pleased And Liante having told him the difficulties and obstacles hee found in procuring his inlargement hee continued See what a great Name you have in appearance among the Rebells and how little Power in effect It is not so with mee in the King's Party For I am so confident of His Majestie 's goodness that hee will receive you graciously and when I shall have acquainted him with the motives of your Despair that hee will re-establish you in despight of Mieslas in your Estate and confer such Dignities upon you as you can never hope to gaine by this Rebellion And if you will decline those thoughts of Marriage with Amiclea which are as ruinous to you as grievous to mee for Reasons which it is not yet time to tell you Let mee alone with the conduct of your Fortune and assure your self that I will not onely repair the Breaches of it but raise it to such an height that your desires will scarce be able toto reach it Passion is a deceiving Medium through which wee cannot rightly discern the sincerity of any thing Liante beeing prepossessed with a false suspicion and prejudice against Iphigenes thought all his Potestations and Promises but onely inventions to deceive him especially in regard they tended to make him break those Bonds which hee esteemed above all Honours or Libertie And not conceiving wherefore hee should have such repugnancy to his Marriage hee resolved to play the Adder stopping his Ears to that wise Charmer and press all he could his Alliance with Amiclea Whereupon hee answered That hee was not so little judicious as to leave a certainty for an uncertainty and a Prey which hee had already in his Hands to follow a new Sent No hee was too well skill'd in hunting to take the Change That hee preferr'd the conqâ—â—st of his Mistirs above the King's favour That hee hoped his particular Peace should bee included in the publick Articles That hee knew no better means to ingage the Lithuanians to insert that Clause in their Capitulations than by his Alliance with Olavius That that was his last resolution the Plank and Anchor of his Shipwracked Fortune That all perswasions to the contrary should move his Heart no more than the Sea's insulting Billowes displace the sturdy Rocks This hurried the thoughts of Iphigenes beyond the bounds of Patience seeing the obstinancy of that inflexible Courage yet hee moderated his passion a little not without letting appear some sparkles of his inward fire by these words You cannot restore me my Liberty you will marry Amiclea against my Will Well Liante know that being more powerfull than you in all respects I can take again my Liberty when I please and hinder you from having Amiclea to Wife For I know unless I am so contented that shee will rather consent to Death then your Marriage As for my going out of this Castle take notice that I have as
good issue one may say I have done this and my designe succeeded thus I will do nothing but what you shall know yet give mee a little liberty and permit that in imitation of most discreet People I may do somewhat before I speak And be assured that this old Man whom Experience hath no less improved than Age rendered hoary in your service hath some Master-pieces of subtilty which he employe's not but upon great occasion and that he who delivered you out of the Prison in the Forest and freed you from the Clawes of those Harpyes will also draw you out of this Mire if you will follow his Advice with Patience and resolve to further your own Recovery This said Boleslaüs went to put in execution his Design which succeeded to his wish but not without much trouble many subtile inventions and at length a full relation from beginning to end of Iphigenes Birth and Education as hath already been described whereby hee made Liante see as clear as the Day the reasons that had retarded Iphigenes in the discovery of that Miracle his designe to declare it first to the King that His Majesty might see how false and impertinent had been the Calumny of his Enviers and beeing re-established in his favour the resolution hee had to invest Liante in the possession of all his charges and estate by giving himself to him according to the sacred order of Matrimony This transported Liante with such astonishment for a while that hee knew not whether hee was a sleep or waking yet the serious deportments of the grave Boleslaüs made him give credit to this Story and this beliefe was perfectly confirmed when hee repassed through his Memory all the tokens of Love rather than Friendship that hee had remarked in Iphigenes his carriage to him in his Infancy his chaste deportments at the Court his continuall contempt of Women his incomparable Beauty his passionate expressions of affection to him in the Forest of Plocens while the one acted Serife the other Almeria besides divers other Caresses Wishes Sighs Languors and such like demeanours the sparkles of that Fire which can as little bee concealed as avoided Oh Liante what glory after so many pains He that hath long been kept in darkness coming on a sodain into the Sun is in a manner blind the Light which make's every one else see depriving him of sight So Liante though hee held as true as Oracles all that Boleslaüs had told him yet hee remained as voyd of Speech and Motion as one that 's incredulous or stupid The entrance of his Heart was too narrow to let in at once the throng of affections that thrust and crowded to bee introduced the multitude of thoughts quelled him the Honours and greatness proposed to him by that Party were above his Ambition and beyond his Hopes his own Patrimony usurped by Mieslas seemed nothing to him But above all the so many attractive Charms wherewith Nature had inriched Iphigenes Face was the Primum Mobile that transported him Adding thereunto so many rare vertues so many singular qualities such Courage Valour which Dexterity in all generous exercises and chiefly such exemplary Piety as rendered him the delight of all those that accosted him filled him with the Benedictions of Heaven and Earth begat him an high renown with the King's favour which doubtless would bee redoubled at the discovery of this Marvell Oh Liante what transportments Then reflecting his consideration upon himself hee could not imagine that hee had merit enough to oblige Iphigenes to so constant a Friendship as that which hee had alwayes expressed towards him loving him from the tenderest of his years with such sweetness and cordiality after this returned to his Memory how compassionately in all his troubles hee bare a share of his sorrowes how hee alwayes maintained his cause against his own Father conveyed him out of Prison secured him from the dangers wherewith the Cruelty of Mieslas threatned him so courteously entertained him in his Palatinate had given him his Life in the Combat voluntarily rendered himself a Prisoner to injoy the contentment of his conversation and besides all this the extreme and admirable Modesty that made him resolve to die rather than speak one word which hee thought too bold for a Soul to utter that make's profession of Honour with a numberless multitude of other Vertues which glittered in that matchless personage like Starrs in a serene Night Whilest Liante's brain was agitated with a thousand such imaginations Boleslaüs reading the convulsions of his Mind by the alterations in his Face knew not however in what manner hee resented what hee had told him and whether hee conceived it right or wrong whereon depended his Life or Death and what was yet more dear the contentment or ruine of Iphigenes untill Liante breaking the silence of his long amazement thus began Friend I am like a Glass or Bottle with a narrow mouth which being too full of liquor cannot discharge itself My Spirits are so ravish't and over whelm'd with the transportments of Joy and Wonder at the recitall of so great a Marvell that although I see my self awake and believe what you tell mee yet methink's I Dream or am possessed with the fondest imagination that e're disturbed a Brain At length after condemning his own demerits and comparing them with the excellencies of Iphigenes hee continued saying Dear Boleslaüs I prethee mollifie that Hbroick courage for me which ought justly to be offended with my Levities indiscretion and ingratitude to the end according to the Dispositions you shall finde in that generous Soul I may at least indeavour by my Death to express the remorse I now conceive for having so ill ordered my Life and so unworthily abused his Friendship If you stay till you are killed by one that love's you more than himself you will live to a fair Age said Boleslaus his desire is to see you Live contented not Die with displeasure and assure your self that as his Love was alwayes greater than your Injuries so your Transgressions are less than his Clemency The variety of thoughts that mustered in Iphigenes minde whilest Boleslaüs was carrying this Message whose report was the sentence of his Life or Death I must leave to your imaginations Neither am I able to relate the Anxieties of Liante's minde whilest that trusty Agent flew towards Iphigenes to tell him in a jesting manner 〈…〉 that Liante took all his Discourse for Inchantments that hee rejected all Hee had told him of his Birth and Education as a thing no less incredible than improbable At which Narration Iphigenes ready to expire with grief said Father I would to God my Death had preceded this newes Oh! why did not I descend alive into my Grave Hereat Boleslaüs clearing the clouds of his Countenance and bursting into a laughter said I told you thus only to try your constancy take courage the Victory is our's I bring you Liante more gentle than a Lamb he com's
would execute upon his person all the cruelties they could imagine if they found him guilty of any persidious Action towards his Prince or Country This was onely a pretence which Mieslas had framed to effect what you shall hear The rumour of Iphigenes affections to Amiclea and the report of their Marriage beeing noised through the City of Minsce by the communication of the Besiegers with the Besieged during the Truce the Royall Camp was filled with this newes and at last it came to the Palatine of Podolia's Ears This incensed him with the greatest indignation against his Son that hee had ever yet conceived nothing beeing more sensible to Parents than when their Children marry against their Wills and match themselves with persons whom they think not fit for them Hereupon hee took occasion to detein his Son and accuse him of Treason against the Polonians because hee was about to contract an Alliance with the Lithuanians Besides beeing a Man of Blood and Slaughter hee produced diverse Arguments against the Treaty of Peace and hating mortally the Lithuanians hee could not indure that they should participate as Compatriots of the honours of the Crown of Polonia which was the principall point of all the Treaty Insomuch that desiring to hinder this agreement hee took this pretence of keeping his Son knowing that those of Minsce would presently take Armes hereupon and so the Truce should bee broken As hee presupposed it succeeded For immediately the Lithuanians shut their Gates inclosing and keeping Prisoners no small number of the Royall Army besides those that were delivered as hostages for the person of Iphigenes This bred much confusion and tumults on both sides Whereunto Mieslas added this stratagem There were certain Souldiers who for some crimes were condemned to Execution One of these hee caused to bee clad with a Suite of the same colour of that Iphigenes then wore and the next Morning having commanded a Scaffold to bee raised in sight of the whole Camp and City hee gave out that with his own hand hee would cut off his Son's head for beeing a Traitor to His Majesty The fatall hour beeing come hee drew up all his own quarters in Battalia then having ordered the Criminall to bee set upon the Scaffold and cloathed the Executioner with an habit not unlike his own by this spectacle hee intended to take away from those of the City all hopes of re-possessing Iphigenes by whom they expected much favour from the King in the conclusion of the Peace Iphigenes beeing kept close Prisoner in a Chamber knew nothing of all this But what became Liante at this deplorable sight What Amiclea what Olavius what the Palatine of Troc What all the Ladies What all the Inhabitants of Minsce It was then no time to sit in consultation all of what quality soever demaunded a Sally which could bee no more refused by the Palatines that commanded than a passage hindered to the fury of an impetuous Torrent Liante like the Poet 's desperate Coroebus seeing his Cassandra dragging to the Block placed himself at the head of this resolute Party and flying out of the City-gates with no less fury than a fell Lyoness hast's from her Denn to rescue her stolen Whelps filling the whole Forest with her horrid roaring precipitated himself to seek Death in the thickest of the Enemie's Squadrons beeing resolved to die a thousand times or save Iphigenes Life If all things else give place to Love it was verified at that time for if the assault was violent on the Lithuanian's part the resistance was but weak on the Polonians in regard divers Souldiers not well pleased to see their companion executed made way forthe Assailers and gave them so cleer passage by their flight partly Voluntary partly Forc'd that Liante arrived at the Scaffold as sodain as a flash of Lightning where terribly slashing th' Executioner whom hee took to bee Mieslas hee thought at the same time to rid himself of a mortall Enemy and save the Life of a Person whom hee esteemed the dearest in the World But having found out the deceipt hee ceased not to end the Hangman and set the Criminall at Liberty having cut the Cords that bound him and given him an opportunity to escape in the Throng Never were greater feats of Arms seen done by Man than those which Despair Love and Anger produced from Liante in this Action thinking hee had fought in the presence of the person beloved whom hee desired to give the strongest proof of affection that is betwixt Mortalls which is to lay down his own Life to preserve another's Mieslas who suspected they would make a Sally had prepared himself with a considerable Party of Horse to intercept them in their retreate and inclose them between the Army and his Men. But having a bad Cause and a cruell Resolution to cut them all off especially Liante if hee fell into his hands his Enterprise turned to his own confusion and he found himself intrapped in his own snares For they having released the Criminall another strong Party was sent out of Minsce to succour the former and facilitate their retreat Insomuch that Mieslas and his Men beeing ingaged betwixt both Parties the Souldiers were almost all killed his Horse was shot under him and hee beeing wounded in the Thigh besides bruised with a fall and loaden with Armes was constrained with an incredible Despair to render himself Prisoner and remit his Life to the mercy of Liante who threatned him with the cruellest of Deaths if it appeared that hee had attempted any thing against Iphigenes Mieslas to save his Life assured Liante that Iphigenes had no other harme than to bee lock't up in a Chamber and that hee had devised that Plot to execute a Criminall in his place thereby to spare his Ransom and hinder the alliance hee intended to make with the Lithuanians Upon this assurance Liante having commanded him to bee slung upon an Horse led him with diverse others in Triumph through the City To express the shame and rage of that brutall Podolian would require tearms that never yet were heard As there were divers Polonians taken so there were some Lithuanians that remained as pledges in the King's Camp aswell of those that had ingaged too far in the Enemie's Quarters as those that were shut out of the Gates of Minsce lest among Friends they should likewise let in Enemies as is often seen in like occurrences Among the rest was found a Gentleman extreamly young and whose marvellous beauty attracted the Eyes of every one exciting much more Envy than Pitty and much more Pitty than Anger Hee was led to the Generall who wondered that hee had taken Armes at such tender years After some demands hee desired they would give him leave to see Iphigenes who hee believed would know him having seen him in Minsce The Generall commanded his desire should bee satisfied Do you ask if the Palatine of Plocens was astonished to see that there was more than one Lady
in the Army that bore Arms This was the pretty Amiclea who upon the newes of Iphigenes Execution had taken a sodain resolution to die or revenge the Death of him whom shee loved with so much Passion And seeing that all sorts of People took Armes to follow Liante in that expedition shall a Lover said shee to her self be said to have less courage and fidelity than a Friend No no I must I will die gloriously for to survive such a loss is a thing impossible for Amiclea In this Resolution shee went to her Brother Polemander's Armory and having taken one of his Suits of apparell with an Armour shee mounted one of her Father's best Horses the Servants thinking her to be Polemander and in this equipage shee ranked herself among those that sallied and ingaged so far among the Enemies that shee remained Prisoner This was a singular testimony of Affection and Generosity and Iphigenes feining to requite this Obligation by consummating of her hopes was grieved at the Soul that hee could not recompence so great a Love as he could have desired If there was much joy within Minsce for the taking of Mieslas and a great deale of glory for the triumphing Liante there was no less sorrow for the loss of Amiclea no body could give an account what was become of her neither should they ever have imagined shee had done what shee did Some were of opinion that her Love for Iphigenes might perchance through Despair have made her make away herself in some secret Place a violent remedy yet frequently enough practised by weak Spirits Shee was sought for in every corner but found no where every one lamented her loss but the sad Parents above all in respect that beeing assured of Iphigenes Life they lost by this meanes the hope of an alliance which they held infallible by the imprisonment of Mieslas and the promise of Iphigenes Who beeing set at liberty by express command from the Castellain of Cracovia Generall of the King's Army took Amiclea with him to his Tent where beeing presently admitted He said Seigneur Castellain I beseech you do not refuse mee one grace that I shall demand at your hands Seigneur Palatine answered the Generall since the King denies you nothing I should be very ill advised not to agree to any thing that you shall be pleased to desire within the compass of that Power which His Majesty hath committed to mee especially being injoyned by particular Letters from him to give full credence to your Councells My Request replied Iphigenes is onely that you will give mee this Prisoner who is of such quality that I hope to get my Father exchanged for him Sir answered the Generall you may dispose of him as you shall think fit the Palatine your Father is the onely cause of his Misfortune For against all the Lawes of Arms having violated the Truce hee is but justly fallen into the Ditch which hee had digged for the Besieged My Lord said Iphigenes his particular disaster will be a benefit to the Publick For whilest hee is in the Lithuanian's hands wee shall be better able to conclude the Treaty of Peace according to His Majestie 's command and renew the Truce Mean time you shall see that this pretty Prisoner's Eyes are more redoubtable than his Sword and that naked he is more powerfull than arm'd with that lifting up Amiclea's Head-piece a long Tress of golden hair fell about her shoulders And judge you continued hee if I could perish beeing defended by such fair hands It is not needfull to relate the astonishment of those that were present at this agreeable Spectacle where Love and Loyalty appeared in a new equipage If diverse would have esteemed themselves happy to serve so exquisite a Beauty how happy ought they to account Iphigenes who was beloved and served by her with such proofs of Affection The Palatine of Plocens word obliging him to render himself prisoner again to the Lithuanians besides his own inclinations and the desire hee had to free his Hostages from further trouble of whom Pisides was one hee returned with his pretty Champion who not daring to appear before her Parents in that manner desired Iphigenes to make her Peace before shee came in their sight His excuses for Amiclea's disguisement were so well received that Olavius and his Wife commended her for that adventure as an Heroick Act and which would afterwards make her bee reckoned among the Amazons Mieslas beeing shut up like a mad wild Beast in a Tower where for his Son's sake hee was treated according to his Quality the Treaty of Peace went forwards The Truce was re-established more free than before the King disowned Mieslas for having acted against the Law of Arms and sent a Plenipotentiary power to Iphigenes to agree with the Lithuanians During this Conference there was nothing but Sports Turnaments Dancings Comedies Banquets and all sorts of rejoycing of both Parties infallible presages of an happy Peace Among other Playes represented at the Castle of Minsce for the recreation of the Besieged and those of the Camp that came to visit them Liante commanded the Players to act the Tragedy of Iphigenia Agamemnon's Daughter as beeing a lively Image of that which had passed in the deliverance of the Criminall who should have been executed in the place of Iphigenes Wherein there was not any of the Spectators so dull but easily comprehended that the Hinde placed in Iphigeniae's stead represented the poor Souldier whom Mieslas made pass for Iphigenes that the Anger of the Goddess offended for her Stag expressed the indignation of the King for the imprisoning of his Favorite every one interpreted this Embleme according to his own fancy But no body could conceive that the Marriage of Pylades with Iphigenia had any relation to our Lovers and that Orestes beeing cured of the Furies signified the appeasing of Mieslas Fury Yet Hee began to bee more tame seeing himself a Prisoner And as there is no man so covetous who will not bee prodigall of his Estate to save his Life the Proposition of restoring to Liante what hee had so long detained from him and giving him one of his Daughters in Marriage seemed no more so strange to him There is no Creature so daunted as a Wolf when hee is catcht in a snare nothing so tractable as a cruell Man when hee is in his Enemie's power This fierce Palatine condescended to whatsoever they would esteeming it a favour if Liante quitting the pretentions hee had to Clemencia whom hee had promised to the Prince Cassin would take any of his other Daughters leaving him the benefit of his Estate during his Life But Liante seemed to slight his Offers not to give any occasion of distast to the Palatine of Minsce who was desirous to make him his Son-in-law Mean time the Article for the restitution of Liante's Estate passed among the Commissioners of the Treaty of Peace which at length was concluded by the diligence and dexterity of