would be undone That then which concernes me to know more particularly is Whether they will deprive me of my dominion totally or with it subject me to another or neither this nor that but afflict me with long warres If no man can tell it me how shall I then behave my selfe for not opposing the divine will Nature teacheth me to defend my selfe The Gods forbid me not to doe it and men will commend me for so doing none will blame me for it save mine enemies to whom only my vertue will be detestable for being prejudiciall unto them If to conserve my state I bow my neck to the yoake of subjection I shall then oppose the Gods in case their will be to have me either afflicted or utterly ruined the same may I say of any other election of mine The Gods when they are disposed to subject ruine or afflict me will not send me Geniuses to buzze or trumpet it in my eares they need no meanes but can make my selfe serve for the instrument of my owne raising or downefall yea my owne ill directed actions will conduct nay hurry me to the end prefixed me by their will so as under such a pretext to doe this rather than that will give them cause not onely to crosse me but to be withall justly displeased at me for pretending to pry into that which is inscrutable whilst I should rather second it with the meanes bestow'd upon me which is defence As for the reason that Princes have no just title in their possessions presupposing their comming by them anciently to have beene by violence I would here faine know how the new may be termed just if the old justified by ancient possession with the prescription of times assent of subjects and confirmed with blood oftentimes spilt in defending it yea with the death of the Princes themselves be unjust And as touching the scene and its representations the Gods would not be spectators if there were no stage-players whose parts to act one Prince must defend if another assaile But if there be this day any Prince obliged to the defence of his Subjects you Prince of Venedotia are surely he you having no brother your father being sickly and weake your people left for a prey to their enemies without any Prince or defender With which prostrating himselfe at his feete he proceeded Therefore I humbly beseech your Highnesse that abandoning your incertaine deceivable conceits you reassume the filiall affection that you have forgotten the inclination of a Prince which you have left off and the duty of a Cavalier by you some while sithence abandoned More he would have said but that his tender-heartednesse restrained him so as with an affectionate respect kissing his knees he besought him with silence and teares more effectually than he could have done by either perswasions or entreaties But he graciously raising him up off the ground after a short pause said unto him Cataulo no more since you have already by doing your duty taught me mine and though ought otherwise than good should come thereof yet will I preferre the publick good before my owne private interesses I thanke you for the paines you have taken which shall not on my word prove to be sowne in the sands Behold I am now perswaded to goe and restore my selfe to my father and Countrey in hope the Gods will bee therewith well pleased At these words all of them rising up did him humble reverence with congratulating and praysing the resolution he had taken All that day passed they over exceeding joyfully and the ensuing the Prince desirous to know them enquired who they were especially the young Knight who now standing in a muse discovered by his face a confused minde he seeming at the instant of Feredo's resolution to ruminate some till then unthought of deliberations and to contemplate that site with greater curiosity than before Of which new passion of his the Prince taking notice could not choose but tell him that he much marveiled to see him so transported My Lord with blushing thereat said he I beseech your Highnesse not to take it ill I obey you not my fortunes and quality being so meane as the knowing them cannot be any way serviceable unto you and though that the concealing thereof might disadvantage me in the way of begging a favour at your Highnesse hands neverthelesse such is the opinion that I have of your generous and noble disposition that I hope you will grant it me by so much the willinger by how much the lesse my silence merits it And withall I should thinke my obligation doubled to your Princely favour if vouchsafing to admit of my excuses you deeme me the lesse discourteous by beleeving that I conceale my selfe for an urgent and necessary occasion Feredo that by this young Knights Squire had secretly learn'd who he was not caring to know thereof any further answered him Your aspect Sir promiseth so much as your quality and unseene merit cannot without injury be doubted of therefore if the desire I had to be acquainted with you onely to serve you made me desirous to know your being the same now teacheth me to content my selfe with what best pleaseth you so as your silence should no whit disencourage you from commanding me since it deprives me not of the will to obey you The young Knight blushing at this courteous answer with doing him humble obeysance said I must then my Lord in begging this favour at your Princely hands first tell you this much of my selfe that being a distressed Gentleman exil'd from my Countrey and in disfavour with my Prince I thought my heart indeede so giving me when first I had the fortune to see you that the tempest had brought me hither to shroude me here as in a sanctuary But seeing your Highnesse now resolved to returne home I bethought me of a new course which was to implore of your liberality the resignation of this place under such vassallage and obligation as might stand best with your Highnesse good liking Much wrought this request on the noble heart of Feredo who by his owne case had learn'd to have a feeling of that of anothermans full loath was he to say his demand nay and yet having beene informed of his desperate love he feared that the subscribing to his desire might turne to his prejudice Taking him therefore aside hee praid him to acquaint him with the occasion that moved him to settle himselfe in that Iland But seeing he could not draw any thing out of him he then by laying before his eyes his owne example counselled him to alter his resolution for the suspition or rather beliefe he had that some desperation had guided him to some ruinous resolution but the young man with a gladsome countenance assur'd him no manner of desperation now troubled him any passion tending that way being cured by that climate where it behoved him to stay some time to take the benefit of that ayre for confirming it Feredo would not
shippe and make it the meanes of his deliverance Their confused cries in the meane while mounting up to the skies equalized the rustling noise of the loud-roaring Sea which grew to be so boldly domesticke that it came and went familiarly in and out without asking any leave The now-despairing Pilot who with the furtherance of three assistants and helpe of his strongest Cables was not able to command the helme having now abandoned it and eased him of the burthen of his cloathes sought out for some thing serviceable for the conveying his body from the tyranny of the devouring Ocean whilst the night to the Sunnes shame which being totally eclipsed by the interposition of the terrestriall Globe continued its course in the opposite horizon recovering the possession of her hereditary darkenesse imparted to these distressed caitives a glimpse of dusky light to the end the sight of their miserie might encrease its sensibility The Ship like a Sea-bird among the surging waves held on her course diving under the foaming surface of the raging maine whilst the boiling billowes grew still more and more swelling and violent by how much the nearer they approached the shore till by buldgeing on an occult rocke it wanted little of being quite overturned so forcibly was it hurried along the dissembling smoothnesse of the water by the fury of an unresistable wind feare so encreasing their out-cries as they seemed to bee perswaded that they could with their vowes force the heavens to doe what they would have them Among other passengers there aboard was an aged Gentleman whose gray haires and grave countenance spake him worthy of a respective reverence he alone among all these clamours had the power to containe himselfe all this while within the bounds of silence Till now casting his eyes on the shoare and sailes at the very instant that with the benefit of a favourable wave they had surmounted the rocke though with their Ship shrewdly bruised and well neare split hee loudly pronounced this speech And is this my masters a time to be spent in lamentations and lazily invoking the heavenly assistance without using the necessary meanes of your deliverance Peradventure you beleeve it should by some strangely-miraculous way be prest upon you whilst it being already proffered you you have neyther the judgement to conceive it nor the will to make use of it To what end I pray you were your hands made and the reach of reason confer'd upon you you call out for instruments as though you wanted them and knowing that the gods ab horre idlenesse would yet have them be propitious to your sloathfull oraisons The danger is not yet such altogether as you conceive it to be though indeede it will doubtlesse grow to be such if you use not the remedy to prevent it Seeing we have yet a good way to the land our Shippe being almost all over leaky and battered the shore abounding in sandy shelves and all our Sailes strucken downe True it is that whilst the night lasted it was our safest course to strike all save a small Trinket Saile the violence of the winds and the darkenesse then requiring it But now alas our state is farre different For I tell you that if you put not in practise all the meanes you can imagine to runne us ashore with all expedition possible it will be unpossible for us to escape drowning This speech of his was so efficacious as it seemed to infuse new courage into their drooping spirits so as hoissing up all their Sailes the Ship receiving as it were a new livelinesse from the forwardnesse of their resolutions merrily ranne aground in a Channell not farre remote off the land whence after a short space at the ebbing of the Sea they had the convenienceie of conveying themselves at their leasure to the much desired shore The old Gentleman with a servant he had with him having landed tooke his way towards a wood where lighting on a small path hee followed it so farre that at last it led him to the mouth of a cave But by then the death-menacing disquietnesse hee had endured in the night the drowsinesse of his spirits for want of sleepe the tedious toilsomnesse of the uncouth way hee was come but above all the irkesome heavinesse of his old age had so overtired him as hee found himselfe unable to goe on any farther untill hee had first refresht himselfe with a little rest But here as hee thought to lay him downe hee heard an odde kinde of murmure in the cave hard by him and more attentively listning might distinctly heare two faintly-lamenting voices which with a pittifull accent enterchanged some few but weake words as though in sighes and sobbings they had beene two dolefull corrivals Whereupon entring into the cave its mouth being freed of a large slate-stone wherwith it was used to be clos'd up hee passed along through a narrow entrie so farre that hee came to finde out its doore through which although it was covered with a sumptuous piece of hangings embroydered with gold and adorned with a rich coate of Armes under a royall Crowne hee might yet espie a noble matron who having taken up in her armes a babe borne but that very instant laid him aside on a bed to goe lend her assistance unto his mother who lay groveling on a mattresse with her face in such a posture as it could not from where hee stood be seene continuing a pretty while in that plight with her spirits so retired from executing their peculiar offices as they seemed to have quite forsaken her But the matron assisted by an other Damsell by wetting and chafing her pulses with soveraigne waters brought her againe to her selfe when upon their lifting her to lay her in a more easie posture was discovered such a shape of a face as in despite of all palenesse was one of the fairest and best featur'd that ever was painted with celestiall pensill distended upon an youthfull tablet of some eighteene yeares of age her haire hung downe all disheveled about her seemly shoulders the onely fitte dressing to ravish amorous hearts her apparell too was costly and all things else in her promised no lesse eminencie than excellencie onely the place and her present condition wore the badges of a distressed state A long while continued shee deprived of the ability to make use of the Organs of her speech left alone of her women who were gone downe to the bottome of the cave to looke to the new-borne babe onely her sighes kept her company by turnes now and then interrupted by a weeping groane I might well say loving if a lugubrous and desperate love could be capable of so sweet an epithete The Matron returned more cheerefully than shee went so much pleased her a male childe but much more a manly beauty and making her a low reverence shee thus bespake her Most excellent and dearest Madame bee of good comfort I beseech your Highnesse for behold here the fairest and best
reason to love him no more This said hee stopt his speech which upon her not answering he thus continued I beseech your Highnesse to tell me if rather than to have Lucano dead you would bee contented to have him alive mistake me not not yours but a woman's whom he keepes and enjoyes before your face here in this Iland whilest you live like a serpent under ground for love and long of him and where because you could not dye with griefe you strive to kill your selfe with the rotting humidity and maligne exhalations of the dankish earth But be pleased I beseech you my Lady and Princesse whom I know to be discreet to tell me Is it not a strange thing that the Duke of Lucania who before was dead should be now risen againe to life who before a lover should be now a loather of his deservedly-beloved object and who formerly was a noble and loyall Gentleman should as for certaine hee now is become most perfidious and ungratefull Corianna become clay cold thereat had not the power to answer him the Dutchesse also with the Gentlewoman astonished at these strange newes stood mute like so many statues till shee her selfe at length having first dried her beteared cheekes thus said Lucano then is not dead but lives and yet is no more mine And is it possible that Lucania could bring forth and foster such cruelty and ingratitude No no the world will not beleeve it no more doe not I. Thou dream'st alack thou dream'st Carildo the constantly-good-gentle-carriage of Lucano is a cloth died in graine incapable of either spot or staine But hereupon Carildo's distinct relation of all he had seene taking for the right Lucano the true Almadero shee flung her selfe on the ground tearing her haire clothes and face and had doubtlesse kill'd her selfe in that passionate fury had not the discretion of her attendants hindered and crost that her so desperate intention Lucano on the otherside being by his loyally-loving servants conducted to the place where he landed and whither Carildo was wont to come to buy provision and to espie for the landing of any shipping was in a poore lodging provided of a poorer bed with small hope of life his griefe augmenting his feaver whilst his spirits hourely wasted Resolved then to dye he yet resolved first to be the death of the Knight that was the cause of his death Olmiro and Erinnio did by turnes the best they could to bring him out of the imminent desperation hee was in from which they could not thinke of a better or more powerfull diversion than the loathing of Corianna shewing him withall that in respect of loves being engendred by love the one should surcease to be upon the ceasing of the others beeing A correspondence in their judgement every way just for that if the hazarding ones life for any ones love was an effect not onely of affection but also of duty wherefore then since we have all of us reason to respect ever chiefly our owne good and to love our selves best should any man so love any one that loves him not as to hate himselfe to death with further telling him that amorous constancies were poeticall fables and if not that yet they could not be vertues their effects being vitious and against reason That that which was constantly to be liked and lov'd in a woman was constancie honesty modesty shamefastnesse and the like and not their opposites and unlike But Lucano arguing the case according to his passion returned them this answer My well-meaning friends the priviledge of men in health is to judge of sicknesses as they conceive of them and not according to the sicke mans paine Would not yee hold me for a madde man if I being well and you sick went about to perswade you that it is ill done to be sick and contrary to the reasons of loving a mans owne good and content with adding that your being sick makes your friends sorry disquiets your family and leades you the high-way to death and that therefore your best course were to bee well againe which if you please you may be Yet yee now perswade your selves that I can doe what I cannot thinkign that passions should bee ranked among things indifferent whereas indeede true love hath ever beene a supreame Commander and to this day exerciseth his Soveraignety not onely over reasonable men but also over reason itselfe how much more powerfully then must I needs bee tyrannized over by mine that hath beene already possessed of its sweetes and since in an examplelesse manner suspended from them by time and sufferings Thinke you that a thing so precious acquir'd with the hazard of my life and losse of my state and fortunes can be by me given over and resigned to another onely because my will and resolution you say should be to doe so You would perswade me to it out of charity to my selfe for sooth but I pray you tell me how can I expresse my selfe more charitable to my selfe than seeing a necessity of my death to dye quickly and willingly To love no more Corianna is unpossible for me nay more the meere instincts of love yet perswade mee shee is innocent and the Law wee live under enforces me to beleeve her such Againe that shee hates me I cannot beleeve nor yet dared yee tell me so Is shee having heard of my death obliged to languish perpetually Or doe the Lawes deny marriage to faire young orphan-widowes and in a plight so miserable as shee was in Corianna was borne to love me out of her voluntary noblenesse to cause mee to be slaine yea and slay mee too but innocently Corianna hath for my sake forsaken both Father and Countrey nay lived too like a worme under ground through my doings till occasion was offered her that a gentle Cavalier moved to compassion at her sufferings freed her thence and shee poore Lady was faine to accept of his courteous offer now that shee liv'd for loving me excluded and deprived both of Realme and honour Nor can I but acknowledge my selfe in some respect obliged to her Knight her new servant and am sorry that I cannot requite him since that Corianna being mine cannot be his too nor have two husbands at the same time living I therefore am necessitated to slay him with my owne hands or if he chance to kill me I shall then Heaven be my witnesse dye contentedly and dying wish him that felicity which my owne heart desired I should enjoy with my deere Corianna The disconsolated Princesse slept not all that night but spent it in bemoaning Lucano living as shee had before lamented him dead resolved the next morning to goe finde him out her selfe which because Carildo disswaded her from as both a thing unworthy of her and a subject of favour to Lucano and of triumph to the Princesse of Feacia shee bade him spare his speech and get her a few new-laid egges shee having not eaten any thing all the day before In
so farre from being a fault that hee was not held for a gentle spirit that did not both honour and in a manner adore him Corrianna then casting both her eyes and heart I know not whether more upon the comely and well-featured personage or sweete disposition and other excelling qualities of Lucano grew to be so affectionate both to the one and the other that her becomming blinde thereat so dimm'd his eyes that they stumbled or rather tumbled downe both together over the precipice of inconsiderate resolution into the bottomlesse gulfe of despairing miserie The King her Father had solemnly promised her to the King of Sicily for the Prince his Sonne and shee very readily had assented thereunto for being at that time a free woman shee wholly rendred her selfe obedient to the disposition of her parents But after that love the infringer of wholsome lawes and destroyer of good orders had violated her modesty and corrupted her minde shee then gave liberty to her licentious will which afterwards occasioned his fatall end and her utter ruine The Princes Lords of that Kingdome are for the most part used to resort to the Court but few moneths in the yeare for it being their humour to make a glorious shew the great expences they make therein doe so farre exceede their abilities that for not being able to maintaine themselves there any long time in their accustomed pompe they are constrained for feare of their utter undoing to retire themselves to their owne home and meanes The Father of Lucano by thus over-running his courses left at his death his estate so incumbred as it was judged a happinesse that hee died although for other occasions hee was well worthy of life and his Mother being his guardian assigning an honourable allowance towards her house-keeping and towards the maintenance and nobly breeding up of her sonne who at that time passed not nine yeares of age imployed the residue towards the discharging of debts so that at his going out of his minority hee was so rich that without prejudice to his estate he could liberally spend conformable to the unbounded greathesse of his minde and eminent degree of his nobility This was the reason that Lucano never frequented the Court but in his Fathers time when he was very young making his abode during the residue of his blooming yeares in forraine countries it being discreetly considered of his prudent mother that ones naturall climate and aire how temperate and pure soever is subject to the imperfection of being uncapable of it selfe to make any man compleate studie and instruction being of themselves dead things without Travell and Experience the onely meanes to pollish the rudenesse and imbellish the deformity both of mindes and manners At the publishing of these nuptials the Court was enriched with Princes Lords and Knights and pompously adorned with magnificent and glorious shewes in so much as Parthenope though alwayes gentile seemed now exeedingly to exceed her selfe so as such as beheld her wondred what wit could invent or purse minister and supply the excellencie and abundance of the Artifice and stately curiosities that were there seene The wals seen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such 〈…〉 expressible varieties of delightsome objects In the morning the temples refounded with the harmonious noise of care-ravishing Mufick and odoriferously smelled of sense-recreating and fragrant savours In the after-noone their faire large streetes strowed all over with rich Caroches and proud Coursers made a most glorious shew in the distinct medley of such a number of Nobility who towards the setting of the sunne retired themselves under the jetting-out windowes and faire balcones of the Kings Pallace enriched with a comely aspect of most beautifull Ladies a sight which wrought in the Cavaliers an ardent desire to deserve the being eyed and gaz'd upon The Sunne taken with the delightsomnesse of these heroicall exercises was loath to withdraw himselfe to his accustomed rest untill he had seene broken by two hundred lances that there were burst in shivers two hundred of his more resplendent rayes the vapours of the earth at that houre serving for sticklers to devide it equally among the tilters From the lists they betooke themselves to the dancing hall the first place of admittance granted novice-lovers in Cupids Academy and best affected solace of rosiall and love-adoring yeares In this happy time came Lucano to the Court entertained by the King with particular favours his worth speaking him the prime Peere of the Realme but much more his gracefull aspect and Princely presence qualities forwardly recommended by Nature unto other mens favours And having with all ceremonious reverence performed his duty to the Queene hee with a sweetly-respective-humblenesse kiss'd the hand of the Princesse But while they interchangeably beheld one another their eyes were at first sight so constantly fixed on each others countenance as though their objects had beene long before familiar to them and seene else-where for clearing themselves of which ambiguity their rayes as faithfull Heralds by peering while here while there question either the other about it What the particular answers of either side return'd were is unknowne onely most certaine it is that the scope of it was love for to love they concluded Now the daily newes of the future bridegroome began to sound harsh in Corrianna's eare all his rich presents were priz'd but as meere drosse in her esteeme nor could shee endure to give the Embassadours as much as a looke that might any way promise them that shee bare the least good liking to their embassie her thoughts affection and will were in a moment quite altered and if the fayning of her selfe sick had not depriv'd her of the sight of Lucano shee from fayning had become sick in good earnest her body being already disposed to follow the indisposition of its minde which was discovered by the evident signes of the alteration of her countenance were it for the relation that is between it and the minde or through her want of sleepe or rather because from that time her heart began to make an ominous presage of her ensuing disasters The sports and revellings were reduced all into one place where in dancing were by them laid the ruinous foundation of their utter ruine It never came within the reach of my knowledge to discerne which of them both was the first that made the motion of love but I am perswaded that their wounds being equall both at the selfe same time sought for the proper salve to cure them with yet I have heard the Princesse her selfe often say that shee alone was in all the fault and that the unfortunate Duke foreseeing the future misfortunes resolved to goe on rather because he would not have her beleeve that he little esteemed her than because he was either inconsiderate or any way uncapable of performing the office of a prudent and discreete Gentleman Nature having foreripened his bosome because the Destinies had over-forwarded his death But where
the rest of the whole Iland yet did the Royall House as farre againe surpasse that way all the Families of that Kingdome as the condition of a Subject is exceeded by one who borne to superiority beares the Royall thereof which are titles and Crownes The elder they waxed in yeares the more grew they though borne all of one and the same body and sprung all from one and the same seede to differ in qualities affections and inclinations to falsifie the common tenent that arguments of the body can determine any ones wit and disposition vertues and vices being here individually devided insomuch as looke what portion of good was owned by some of them even so much possessed the others of evill and because there was a disparity in the number badnesse would without any nay seize on the greater part so as two of them being wholly inclined to vertue the other three gave themselves altogether over to all lewdnesse and dishonest abominations The bringing up of them was in every respect equall or if otherwise yet but so much unequall or different as was due to the difference of the disequality of the sexes since for the rest as time direction and yeares the one enjoyed not any priviledge more than the other Their vertuous Father thinking it unfitting to bee partiall in the breeding of his children sithence Nature had given them him without partialitie in bringing them into the world The last borne among the males was call'd Feredo the very same you in a Druid's habit saw with me erewhiles of the other two the first-borne was named Edmondo the other Galfrido Scarce was Feredo full eighteene yeares of age when Gelinda his eldest sister fell in love with him whilst Edmondo and Galfrido blinded with the like affection doted on their younger sister named Adeligia Full glad was the King to see his children so loving each to other whilst hee good man was farre mistaken for conceiving himselfe blessed in that which made him afterwards an example of misery to all Fathers Gelinda nourished her fire so covertly that none could perceive it nor durst shee indeede discover it to her brother whose integrity which was a naturall inclination to goodnesse curb'd if not terrified her besides her owne conscience accusing her of the deformity of her love â—â—ine would shee have shaken it off when it shewing her the sweets of its delights ever also multiplied by imagination deprived her of the sight of her internall lights no servant had Feredo more diligent about him than was his sister for were he disposed to exercise himselfe in any feates of Chivalry his officious sister not trusting his Squires would with her owne hands arme him if arm'd hee hapned to be before shee forsooth must goe â—â—ite him and if disarmed 't was shee that rub'd and dri'd him were he 〈…〉 ride a hunting shee would never leave him but be his perpetuall companion no Roe-buck nor Grey-hound was to be found that for velocity surpassed her or her swift Courser no precipice could stop her careere If descending shee were shee seemed to precipitate if running to flee In affronting wilde beasts shee alwayes prevented him though then ever with a panting heart too for being still jealous and fearefull of her owne in anothers life In fine shee so behaved her selfe that Feredo had beene stupid if he had not perceived the occasion of all these curtesies instructed therein no more now by a vulgar prudence but by the love of the other two brothers towards Adeligia for which hee abhorring them abhorred also Gelinda for the selfe same regard conceiting with himselfe that the very thought of an affection so abominable was able to attaint him with guiltinesse For the first remedy hee determined to shunne her society without taking on him to conceive her designes so as hee continued to ride a hunting but without her company whereat when he saw her grieve he excused himself with displaying before her the inconvenience that time had laid before his consideration how that a Princesse ambuscadoed betweene hunters and savage beasts incurr'd continually manifest hazard of her life beseeching her therefore to stay at home or if shee would needs goe he wish'd it might be when her mother and sister went This so over-chary circumspection pleased not well Gelinda especially when shee once penetrated into the cause thereof And hee on the other side seeing that obstinate courtesie is wont to argue discourteously in who-so denies to accept it knew not how to disenvelop himselfe otherwise than by the hope he had of weaning her from it by litle litle without discontenting her The other Brothers in the meane while hotly sollicited Adeligia whose shunning them could not serve her turne Edmundo the elder and bolder of the two had the audacity to expresse himselfe unto her one day in these speeches I know not wherefore I affecting you Adeligia farre more than a sister you love not mee somewhat more than a brother Whereto shee answered My Lord if I lov'd not you I should surely hate my selfe yet if in loving you I surpassed the limits of a sisters love I should then neither love my selfe nor you but were worthy of both your hatred and scorne The Prince could as then make her no reply for his sister favoured with the occasion of her mothers comming who the very same instant entred into the chamber was rid of him for that time though it steeded her not much sithence hee still made use of any opportunity of meeting her but much lesse Galfrido for being the occasion of depriving him of the meanes of ever speaking to her any more A resolution irkesome and heavy to one but mortall to the other two for the Brothers gone one day out on hunting and in chasing the Hart happening to be severed a good distance off the rest the Prince made a stand that Galfrido might passe before him and then suddenly running him with his sword through and through bare him sheere off his saddle alighted that hee was off his horse to dispatch him hee might perceive him starke dead before Return'd home alone the Father who some dayes before had observed both the misaffections and disaffections of his sonnes ranne with his imagination to the very truth and giving thereupon order to some few but trusty Gentlemen to goe in search after him he was the selfe same night found out and carried into his chamber I will not take on me the taske of expressing his heavinesse because the tongue is not a pensill to pourtray the griefe of a Father to whom the death of one sonne may give just occasion of becomming cruell against the other Having therefore called before him the Prince he shewed him the corps with asking him if he had slaine him but seeing him deny it in away that argued somewhat of guiltinesse he said unto him he that makes no scruple to murther a Brother will surely make no great conscience to tell a lye the blood that at thy appearing
gurled out of this wound both convicts thee and requires at my hands Iustice which I will not deny it Onely I am sorry that thy quality in consideration of my selfe permits thee no other executioner with this snatching out his sword not as yet wiped fully dry from the blood of his Brother hee ranne it in his heart and then causing them to be laid in two coffins he strictly commanded that this tragicall case might dye with his sonnes charging all that knew it to give out that they were sick and three dayes after dead of a pestilentiall fever Well might the feare of offending the King tye mens tongues which are subject to sense but not their judgements which being internall and free enjoy the priviledges of a free exemption from any humane dominion But the best was that the Kingdome made no great reckoning of the losse of either both of them being by their behaviour growne to be as unworthy of bemoaning as of life But now the Sister good soule the innocent occasion of the evill could not be either comforted or quieted till her Father permitted her to retire to the I le of Man where under the discipline of certaine religious persons there residing shee dedicated the rest of her dayes to a contemplative life Onely Feredo now remain'd of the youngest the eldest and his so being the sole sonne had more endeer'd him to his Father if his other worthy qualities had not beene more singular and respect worthy than his being an onely Sonne Gelinda having understood the true tragick story of her Brother mortified her selfe a litle or at leastwise somewhat deprest the growing fire of her affection from suggesting occasion of more disgrace till seeing Feredo increasing together with his yeares in comelinesse of person vertue and the love of all shee deemed it very inconvenient for her to faulter in her affection Banishing therefore from her memory the sufferings and shame of her Royall House which till then taught her to be cautelous if not honest shee began to prosecute her desires anew with such fervent affection and winning-allurements that the Fort of Feredo's constant goodnesse remain'd therewith shaken if not battered But because in him goodnesse prevail'd more than youth and continencie more than the intising baites of an enchanting love he purposed for clipping the wings of her incestuous hope to goe live farre off her praying his Fathers assent thereunto under pretext of going to travell which hee no sooner ask'd than obtain'd for the good old King having noted his Daughters incestuous affection and fearing the arising thence of some new accidents found his absence for some time to bee to purpose hoping that time would in that while dry up in her that ill humour with the medicine of oblivion or some other new affections easie to be exchanged for old especially as hee imagined in the inconstant nature of that amorous sex But Gelinda more constant than the vertue of constancie permitted her obstinate in retaining her first designes and resolved either to die or transmute Feredo from a brother to a lover emboldened with her illegitimate love and raised by her mortiferous resolution within a degree of the height of impudence taking him from the company of some young Gentlemen that entertained him in discourse and conducting him in her hand to the garden shee thus bespake him I hold it my Lord and Prince a thing superfluous to consume the small time I have to stay with you in any other than a free and briefe language sithence neither the growth of yeares have beene sufficient to give you notice of my affection nor the late tragedy of our Brothers serv'd for a president to mollifie you which me thinkes it should if not for my loves sake yet at least for the honour of our Father our House and our selves you are now going to travell for not having mee neere you and conceit perhaps by so doing to shunne me but alas you much deceive your selfe for I am resolved not onely to be neere you but also closely to cleave to you as doth your inseparable Genius or shadow and if by violence you discoast or avoide me I will then so accoast and haunt you as doe what you can you shall not shake me off for if it lye in the power of spirits to doe it mine then perpetually shall doe it since you will not permit my selfe to enjoy so much happinesse Pity mee oh I beseech you pitie me that without you am worse than nothing nor let the deformity of my love serve you for an excuse for I sweare by the immortall Gods that if you quite reject and abandon mee I will when I am so scorn'd or hated transforme me into a Fury will haunt you whithersoever you goe nor will I so it be within the reach of my power suffer ever any other woman to enjoy you more than I. Strucken dumbe remain'd Feredo with this so rash and dishonest proposition about her eyes as kindled embers hee observed a deadly blewish palenesse arguing a mortall rancor and gastly despaire well knew he that neither reproach nor reproofe was able to terrifie one that feared not to dye nor was hee lesse confident of her desperately-bold haste which might easily raise her resolution to such a hight of frantick desperatenesse as shee would not stick to kill her selfe holding it therefore his safer course rather to shunne than hazard a certaine mischiefe hee return'd her this milde answer Deere Lady and Sister the love which I beare you is such that if you knew it you would then know you had no cause to thinke your selfe aggrieved I intend to part 't is true not to elong my selfe from you but to be more worthily neere you when the heavens shall be pleased to favour my returne Love deere Sister mine is not to bee required with hate as you seeme to doubt of especially by me towards you whom I for many speciall reasons am bound both to love and serve all then that I begge of you is that abandoning your passions you unite your selfe to reason which can of it selfe alone give you on my behalfe sufficient satisfaction Doe then but discreetly remember sweete Sister who wee are and what the name of a Brother imports in nature law and use and next call to mind and consider the miserable end of the others which should serve us for an example not of imitation but of detestation and horrour Grant mee I lovingly beseech you your good leave to be gone on my intended journey since I desire it may be with your free assent and good liking And to the end you may rest fully assured of my true affection towards you I here faithfully promise that if it come to my hands to dispose of you my Father not preventing me for manifesting my brotherly affection to you that way I will spend all the Royall treasure yea and my very Crowne besides but I will see you well setled to your owne hearts desire Vpon
Elimanto in this habit and yet the businesse went on never a whit all this while one day suggesting unto the other new articles of difficulty to hinder its conclusion Nor had he good Prince beene yet disinveagled so soone as he was neither so intent were all his thoughts on the object of his love but for the Princesse her selfe who was the first that shew'd him the false carde dealt him Now shee had endeavoured by all the meanes shee could to carry her selfe fairely for though of tender yeares yet being at one and the selfe same time no lesse prudent than upright-hearted divers conjectures had made her imagine that her Father treated of this alliance with no faire meaning so as shee gave not her affection full power to settle it selfe wholly on Elimanto doubting lest he should be betraid and so excluded from her watching therefore continually an occasion to cleere her imagination of that doubt Fortune at length favoured her better than she expected for chancing to be one day in her Fathers gallery whereinto no man entred but himself alone she at the chamber-doore heard him in discourse with one of his Councell favourites saying he was sorry that the King of the Sarmatans carried not himselfe more sagely in his courses than he seemed to doe since being assured of having Celene and that the holding of Irinico in hopes was but to establish what he had already conquered and to facilitate the way for acquiring of more he had for all that importuned him with perpetuall embassies as if the jealousie of Doricrene could not be otherwise extinguished than with the new love of his daughter A foule shame for a great Prince to love women for affections sake whereas his love should have no other end than his owne proper ends and interesses Whereof in respect hee had divers times written unto him without being able to make him yet conceive the mysterie of his intention hee was now resolved to send him thither to tell him by word of mouth That Celene was his and should be no other mans since he neither would nor indeede could settle her in a better or fitter place their blood and interesses loudly proclaiming her his That the late conquest of Vlmigaria did but make his way to greater enterprizes if he would be but ruled by him if not that then he might chance to encounter with greater difficulties than he yet imagined That his intention was to goe on the way he had begun which was to procure Armes of Irinico that hang rusting on the wals under the hopes of the marriage of Celene to his son That therefore if he heard of any treaty about it he should not be in the least manner moved thereat nor in any case beleeve it though his eares and eyes with all his outward senses shewed it him concluded That his designe was to negotiate it till such time as their joynt Standard-royall and victorious Armes passing the Rhene and Elbe were displaid victorious in the Countries and dominions of Irinico where he had infinite dependents that favoured their faction And that so high a designe merited his patience the delay not depriving him of his Spouse but presenting him together with her occasions to make him become the famousest King that ever wore Crowne to these added he many other instructions tending all to one and the same purpose But here the Princesse for feare of being espied retired astonished at such a master-plot of treachery and being conditioned differently from her Father could not choose but favour Elimanto's true affection and correspond thereunto as farre as her honour permitted her so as shee resolved whatsoever came on 't to open the matter unto him that he might be gone his wayes and dispose otherwise of his affection All this while had shee governed her selfe with such circumspection that he could never perceive that shee knew him and he on the other side was endued with such a singular modesty as he had not the boldnesse to discover himselfe content onely to contemplate in the sunne as doth a generous Eagle those rayes he so admired and loved and though youth prompt him on to more bold resolutions yet bore reason and discretion in him a greater stroake than any other affect whatsoever Celene went according as shee was wont into her parke to walke whither causing to be brought her by Elimante that gave out his name to be Velusio a litle mantle which she usually wore to keepe her from the cold ayre when shee walked shee thus bespake him Velusio I have hitherto knowne thee so discreete that I hope thou wilt serve me faithfully in a businesse wherein I meane to imploy thee which is that thou returne to thy countrey and tell Prince Elimante from me that all the meanes which hee and his Father use to obtaine me are but meerely vaine the King my Father being resolved to dispose otherwise of me acquaint him further that his love hath obliged me to correspond him if not in love yet at least in good will which hath transported me to discover unto him this countries crossing of his designe seeing I cannot with my honour requite him with any greater or other expression of my gratitude here told shee him all that shee had heard charging him to part suddenly and to advise Elimante to alter the object of his love and thinke of another wife I know not whether or no there distilled at these words some humidity from her faire eyes for the staidnesse of her countenance and speech made not any shew of any greater affect than her language uttered To describe the case Elimante was in were impossible for me whose heart good Prince was so overwhelmed with extreamity of anguish that if anger disdaine which served for a compound cordiall had not sustained his drooping spirits in their functions he had doubtlesse sunke to the ground But considering how much it then stood him upon he with a generous resolution returned her this answer Incomparable Madame I yeeld your Highnesse the greatest thankes that I can expresse or imagine since the favour you doe me farre excels any merit of mine onely in one respect I may thinke my selfe worthy which is that your Highnesse shall not be deceived in the opinion you conceive of my fidelity I see in this businesse two great extreames the King and your Highnesse Prince Elimante though betrayed will never repent him of having served so high and vertuous a Princesse whose exemplary gratitude shall make him thinke well employed all the time spent in bearing with the ingratitude of others I shall acquaint him with as much as your Highnesse commands me beseeching you to rest assur'd that he will never forget his beholdingnesse to your Highnesse for so great a favour One sole thing I doubt of which is that the badnesse of the newes will goe neere to kill him and by so much the rather that in the losse which he sustaines the same in the very act of
soone as I were gotten out of the walls an enchantresse to furnish mee with horse and Armes and some unknowne Prince to dubbe mee a Knight But meeting by chance with a pilgrime and putting my selfe into his company it was my fortune to be stopt for getting out by some of the watch that knew mee whom a litle more had incited to stay for company my new Camerade out of the suspicion they conceived of his having seduced me away Vpon this occasion Sotiro advertised my mother of my disobedience to him-wards whereupon shee good woman egg'd on with a motherly affection tooke on her to goe to performe a vow shee had made to Iupiter Ammon and so came in pilgrims weeds to see me which journey of hers though farre was yet neither very toylesome nor over-difficult for shee fraighting a-shippe in one of the mouthes of Nile fared by sea as farre as the port of the Goddesse Venus and thence without any great adoe came and found us out at Nepa where we then sojourned I know not whether was then greater the wonder or discontent of Sotiro to see her conceiting that her comming tended to the destruction of the foundation of my education laid by him rather with an intention to conserve me in safety from the knowledge of my cruell brother-in-law than to restore me with such eminent dangers to the greatnesse of my birth and thus much made he knowne unto her ere shee saw me All which notwithstanding shee were it for the greatnesse of her minde or that shee were impatient to live long without me having a purpose quite contrary to his would needs make me know her for my mother with intention to take me home with her till he discreetly reasoning with her of the imminent dangers that hung over my head and letting her plainely see how ruinous a foundation the relying on the wavering love of the people was after shee had for two moneths space staid with us perswaded her with much adoe to returne without me having first straightly charged me to the obedience of Sotiro as of the faithfullest and truest friend shee had found and tried in the worst of her adverse fortunes The course they resolved on was to suit my education to my yeares wherein I went advancing and in such a way as might enable me when I came to mature yeares to be mine owne counseller as soone as I had attained to the strength of putting it in execution and yeares not to be contemned of such as yet conserved in the closet of a loyall brest her and my fathers memory and affection My mother being then gone I remain'd with a minde more prompt and heedfull to the instructions of Sotiro being assured I should one day take such a course of life as were most conformable to my owne Genius Yet began I now to addict my selfe to the exercise of Armes and riding retaining of my old studies onely such things as bred in me the greater delight and liking for being such as might really steede me in some of my important occasions it being indeede a tenent undeniable that disciplines illuminate the intellect making it more apt for humane affaires and that from them discourse receives ornament and prudence an essentiall stay By now I was got free from under the subjection of Pedants the onely insupportable weight that over-loaded me the observant Sotiro was well pleased to see me without abandoning suddenly my first education apply my minde of my owne accord to the Mathematicks with an intention to steede me there with in the Art Millitary But the habit which I had gotten in speculation was the cause that not contenting my selfe with that part which that studie required I would needs assay the other which pretends to measure the heavens calculate the course of the Planets and stars and to know their nature influence and inclinations From which sprung the curiosity of knowing also what they promised me excepting alwayes the divine providence against which neither influence science art nor artist can in the least measure prevaile I comprehended that all was but vanity and found the wise-mans saying true that who-so accumulates knowledge heapes up but trouble and vexation of spirit For I found an unfortunate ascendent a fall of parents losse of goods recovery thereof none or small late and subject to the will and power of others the love of Princes but without effect a good fame and repute but a fortune bad lame and weake so as I could have wished never to have knowne it such adoe had I in striving not to beleeve it though both divinity and reason disswaded me from giving any credit to it Thus spent I my time while Sotiro lived which was till I came to bee thirteene yeares old with being by him sometimes instructed for travelling State-pollicie and practices of Princes Courts as farre as that age was capable of not as yet of the fittest for such judgement-requiring disciplines yet me thought it did me good in razing from my intellect oblivion and in its steede bringing in the memory of such things as I possest when I was last in the world If so be it be true that when the Firmaments slow gire is ended we either returne to live again with the same accidents manners and qualities as before or that we passe from one body into another After my mothers departure wee continued there some two yeares without hearing any newes from her or sending any body to her for that we daily expected some messenger from her till at length seeing no body came Sotiro mistrusting that some disaster had befallen her resolved to send to learne the truth thereof Hee and I having spent sometime in surveying of forreine parts were by this time returned from our travels to Etruria and thence to Capraia where we were to expect what answer the messenger would bring us but there to our griefe we found the Caban leavelled with the ground the dwelling under the soft stone broken open and discovered and all the treasure stollen away The other losses though no lesse than of kingdomes were all nothing in comparison of this which made the good Sotiro who examined its consequences more feelingly than I to fall into a mellancholy so deepe and grievous that for its being incureable by either Physitians skill or vertue of medicines hee shortly after our returne to Nepa tooke his last leave of both me and the world which I that drawne on with childish affections had till then wish'd him dead tooke now that I had obtained my desire so to heart as I wonder that I in some of my many extreame fits of griefe died not after him Then was it and not before that I came to know his tender loving care my obligations to him for it his happinesse to be rid of worldly troubles and my hard fortune to remaine over-loaden with them in a tender age without parents government meanes or counsell Onely the Heavens who caused mee to be borne for toyle
life subject to greater sufferings because shee saw no meanes of ever accomplishing her desires in that shee durst not discover them fearefull was shee of imparting to me her affection and mistrustfull of my greene yeares which shee conceived to bee either hazardous or unfit to bee trusted unto for being as yet too young to discerne a reall fire from an imaginary sparkle and againe to acquaint mee with her flames as it stood not with her honour so beleeved she that it might bring her into manifest danger All this while left I not my bed but simple as shee tooke me for conceived though which way the winde blew to my so excessive joy that if I had beene to ballance it with all the pleasures of the world I would have beene heartily content for the enjoying of it alone to rest deprived of all others Then and never till then was it that I first began to distinguish betweene charity and love betweene the effects of the one and affects of the other the consolation whereof restored me to both flesh and colour But now the more I amended the more shee drooped the more I fatned the leaner grew shee my recovery occasioning her sickning for that shee feared that I would not when I were fully recovered make any long abode with her Her sonnes following the mothers example came likewise often to visite me who though they punctually examined not my qualities yet did the neerenesse of our yeares and other proportions betweene us procure me besides their friendship their good opinion and affection so as delighting in my conversation they out of the hope they had of enjoying it so much the longer made wondrous much of me not without expressing withall so much unto their mother who therefore began now to hope shee would not loose mee so soone as shee-once feared shee should No sooner was I fully recovered than I began to manifest my selfe to be other than fortune shewed me to be In publick exercises I appeared no more him that was the other day robb'd stript and wounded now that it behoved me being wounded with a fresh and more inward wound and robb'd of my wonted liberty to subject my selfe to the cruell hazard of a severe and despaire-threatning destiny There was then Lord of Canne one named Cripasso a wealthy and well-esteemed Cavalier who being some-while before enamoured of the Dutchesse had done what he could to gaine her liking though for being composed of an indeede odious simmetry he could never gaine as much as her least good liking much lesse her affection His age was conformable to hers nor came he much short of her for nobility and riches I would say for vertue and good parts too but that the end of his actions and life together deprived him of the merit of so splendent attributes he was indeede famed to be one of the most courteous and valiant spirits of all that countrey but yet growne to be for his person much deformed through the dissolution of his youth consumed in disordinate lusts For his forehead growne to be deepely dented and foulely scarified through the want of a bone which for being rotted by the French malady was taken out of his skull made him looke monstrous ugly besides the littlenesse of his face disproportioned to the rest of his body and yet more disfigured with his hollow-squint-fired-eyes so as if the sweetnesse of his carriage his liberality and such other like noble conditions of his had not in some sort countervailed those his imperfections hee would have beene notoriously noted for the monstrous deformity of that age Many yeares before was Crisanta being left a widow in the flowre of her fairer yeares with two male babes sought for and sued unto by him in the way of matrimony though shee could not by any meanes bee drawne to hearken thereunto his good parts and laudable conditions being not onely obscured but come to be of no value in comparison of the contrary and therefore shifted she him modestly off with an excuse that shee never meant to marry any man the state of her sonnes and good as shee would alleadge of her house requiring her being free from the subjection of husbands Hee not thinking himselfe for all that rejected for being so excluded onely in generall termes daily waited on her and observantly served her hoping in time to enjoy her as a Mistresse if not owne her as a Wife wherein though the course of many yeares had shewed him his mistake yet lay it not for all that within the power of his discretion to withdraw from her his affection love being now growne a tytant over him and his desires not onely linked-in him but in such sort enflamed as meerely ceremoniall respects served him for touch-powder to fire it the more vehemently And since it is a thing in us so ordinary and naturall to conceit well of our selves it was no wonder if that hee never once observed as much as one among so many disproportions of his because his self-selfe-love flattering him hid in one and the same bundle among his good qualities his worser which later because he saw not he could not choose but be confident of and presume on those others which he saw by which he thought he merited not onely the Dutchesse Crisanta but even the worthiest fairest and greatest Lady of the Vniverse I know not how hee came by seeing mee to know himselfe somewhat better than he did before not in regard there abounded in me any womandelighting qualities but because there superabounded in him conditions not onely ill-beseeming but even odious in any man and by consequence more eminent in a person of his quality Mee then hee envied and beheld with a jealous eye before he knew of any of my doings without conceiting for all that any thing the worse of himselfe envy or rather emulation in love being numbred among the more generous defects But understanding how I was found on the high-way robb'd stript-naked he then imagined he had no cause to feare or doubt of mee as if love and hatred had forsooth their dependencies on the favours or defects of desert-seldome favouring fortune In the meane while Crisanta in whom during the time of my sicknesse love had as I told you sowed its heart-enflaming seeds felt them now that I was recovered sprowt up and grow to the prejudice and anguish of both her life and spirit I know not if or no it were her modesty that restrain'd her from having recourse to me for remedy in that I beleeved that true modesty neither proceedes from feares nor hath other ends than it selfe onely I must tell you that her silence interpreted by my simplicity to be coldnesse of affection made me resolve not to lose my selfe in an imaginative sense doubting or rather beleeving that all former demonstrations which made mee thinke my selfe beloved of her were but meerely sweete effects of a noble minde which then gave mee occasion to learne to discerne the true
if not a sister of sullennesse pride and subjection The presence of so great a Queene which else-where would have clos'd up all lips with silence and engraven in all hearts a modest mellancholy was here a motive to apparant joy and discourse Benigne Mercury diffusing himselfe in their mouthes and shewing himselfe heere as prodigall as else-where sparing and withall sending where hee was not himselfe some of his false ministers with his winged shooes and rode to bee taken for him and his impes though indeede they were nothing such Returned to their lodging there was no small adoe to imprint the pleasantnesse of their conceits in Lindadori who held it ill to nourish under a counterfeit habit the fiery thoughts of an harmelesse Girle so ignorant and unexperimented in all wylinesse and cunning artifice in her demeanour as to discover her love not onely to the more apprehensive but even to her in that behalfe dimme-sighted eyes whereof shee making her moane to her mother canestly besought her to bring her no more thither whilst her father and Coralbo could not refraine from laughing at both the occasion of her dislike and her manner of expressing it yet at length shee was though with much adoe pacified by being enformed that the Nobility and Gentry of that Countrey were wont though indeede they were farre otherwise enclined to take on them to bee ever in love onely for good manners sake because not knowing how otherwise to entertaine or court Ladies they had recourse to the Articles of Love being assured they could not be better pleased than to see deserving men so deceived as to beleeve and stile them beautifull though they were nothing so The two Princesses that with others had entertain'd in discourse the two Princes whereof the one was of Bernice and the other of Cirene remain'd beyond measure taken with their noble carriage upon considerate observation of their merits and passing liking they had to a certaine cold reservednesse by them judged to be an enemy to presumption and daughter to respect onely to Eromena this complementally-amorous way of courting was nothing pleasing who though happy in a husband worthy of other womens loves was yet unhappy long of that passion of love which by a cold name contrary to its fervide effects the vulgar call Iealousie which shee had long before victoriously fought withall and at length more by the confidence of her owne merits than with any force of her naturall inclination being assured that he might well enjoy but not possibly love other women than her which betweene jest and earnest shee had many times told him And now considering her being past the faire Meridian of her youth and his being not yet come to that of his and his now having not onely a likely but also to her thinking a neere occasion and faire opportunity of enjoying shee could not shut the doore of her minde against imagination which being lubricke and invisible penetrated ere shee was thereof aware into the closet of her heart so as shee could no longer refraine from thus briefely expressing her selfe unto him My indeer'd Lord wee are all of us fortunate in love but in an unequall degree mine cannot but make you pastime nor yours choose but displease and trouble me Lindadori shee frets and grieves and so doe I too shee for overmuch simplicity and I out of overmuch practice let us wend therefore hence I beseech you since we have seene already enough if not too much Which it much behooves us to doe were it for nothing else but to shunne the adventuring her in loves schoole wherein who-so studies in jest may learne in good earnest This Bernice likes me not for you nor this same Queene for mee both which will I doubt mee prove dangerous sports since you cannot but injure me nor I choose but deceive her meane while my father findes the want of us at home where for being aged and solitary he takes small joy of himselfe If we stay lingring here to prosecute our commenced practizes we shall not ridde us thereof a while and then too not without disgust-giving and therefore the sooner the better we end them fastidious and unprofitable creatures are for the most part by nature endowed with short life so our lives for being of the selfe-same quality deserve to be no longer lived than are the wind-flies that live not above a dayes space and could we ere their birth-time be abortively delivered of them for certaine we should be the lesse hurt by them Polimero smiled at these reasons of his beloved wife whom after having affectionately kissed her he thus answered Let us doe deere Lady of my life what please you not because the case with us so is but because you seeme to conceive it so to be why thinke you that your beauty is so slightly imprinted in the memory of my affection that any other womans can raze thereout the obliged respects I beare you you alas you wrong by so conceiting both your selfe and me your selfe because your merits are such that not the Princesse of Bernice but as many Princesses as are in the world cannot merit what you alone deserve and me because this suspition of yours loades mee with infidelity and ignorance There is no choyce without some kinde of equality how then can I make choyce of any other in your presence without notable stupidity and weaknesse of judgement Or admitting you were not present doe you hold me to bee so freed from the obligation of your love as that any other canallure me I know it stands us upon to wend us hence assoone as we conveniently can so as I stand indeede upon thornes as it were all the while I stay heere but alas how can we yet goe for shame shall wee sneake away like fugitives ingratefull to our courteous entertainers and not without being suspected that such our resolution sprung from cowardise and feare of trying our selves in Armes with these Knights For Lindadori your reasons were indeede considerable if the nature whereof shee is composed were like that of other Girles for you know that shee is an inexorable Enemy not onely to such a Schoole but even to all man-kinde so as I pray God that we may ever perswade her to like of any husband all which Eromena knew to be most true Wherefore it was betweene them agreed assoone as the next Tourney was ended which the Knights of that Court used to exercise twice a moneth to goe on their intended journey But among all the actors on this amorous scene Coralbo good Prince was that onely one who in appearance free was yet more than any other muzled and puzled with the occult love that he bare the fierce Desterrada Passe there did many an amorous complement and pleasing discourse betweene him and the Princesse of Cirene whom he well perceived to bee well enclined towards him nor would he have slighted such a fortune but that the finding himselfe under the lee of those three with whom
to finde a time to come in person to make a reall expression of his mindfulnesse of the obligations he stood bound to him in The courtesies were of both sides reciprocall entertwyned by those of Eromena who earnestly besought Coralbo to procure them speedy leave to depart which conformably followed to the amazement of all the Court and passing sorrow of the Queene her daughter and Berenice The King privately enformed by Coralbo of the urgencie of their occasions without making shew that he knew any thing thereof was content to let them goe on their way Onely Coralbo above all others felt extreame griefe at this separation I make no mention of particular affections of the words and offers of the three pretended-she-lovers of the promises of returne and well-carried dissimulations of the two shewarriers accompanied a good part of their way by Coralbo who had past on further too if they had permitted him Stammer out then hee did some service-intimating complements to Lindadori by her rather heard than conceived From Polimero and the rest the period of his parting-farewell was rather silence than any complement Come to the Sea-shore they imbarked themselves for Cyprus a Course though somewhat more giring yet more secure than the shorter cut whereof the Count of Bona was very glad making an account of informing himselfe there of the particular successes of Prince Melianto But there was thereof no neede there fortuning to bee aboord the ship they were in a Gentleman of that Court bound thither who being asked what newes stirr'd in those parts answered that Cyprus was now the joyfullest kingdome in the world sithence that alliance which was thought to prove the occasion of bloody warre was now growne to bee an indissoluble knot of unexpected friendship Whereupon Eromena seeming to be desirous to understand the particularities thereof the Gentleman courteously corresponds her desire in these words Illirium a most warlike kingdome hath for King one call'd Ormando a Prince many degrees above his predecessors both vertuous and excellent The feates of Armes he performed whilest he was a young man afforded rich matter both to poesie and story And now that he is become old his prudence and justice give yet a greater light to States-men who gathering from out this one Prince's life so many cases to judge by and so many examples to governe by apparantly saw that the world had now no more neede of any other exquisite patterne for the well-governing of Common-wealths and Idealty of Princes his kingdome being such a Common-wealth and his person such a really-formed Prince as others endeavour to forme imaginarily Acquired he had before his comming to the Crowne an infinite number of Countries which for being farre remote from our parts have names that never came to our knowledge excepting some of the lesse distant and more famous of them as those of the Misians the Dardans the Triballs the Sarmats the Bohemenians Russians and others in the large-extending Territories of vaste Germany to whom he gave both Princes and liberty content in memory of his Victories onely to tye them to speake for ever the Illirian tongue Hee fortuned whilst hee was a Knight-errant to become enamoured of Arnelinda Princesse of Cyprus who though already promised in marriage to Arbon King of Pontus a fierce young Prince could not yet choose but love him whose gestures disposition and presence were meanes but too potent to force her will But shee being among all the Virgins that ever Minerva nurst the most constant in good actions one day that hee made bold to speake to her of love thus wrothfully checked him Your words Prince Ormondo make me now perceive you are not that good Prince you are taken for seeing you that of mine as being a Virgins honour should be a defender are that only he that attempts its bane and that by undermining it goes about to destroy and ruine it Alas I have not any Knights to defend me Defend you mee then against your selfe I am already a married wife and that you well know too Seeing then you sinne not through ignorance 't is certaine you doe it out of malice What is it I would faine know that you pretend of mee Seeme I wonder either my behaviour or fame such in your prejudicating eyes as might suggest in your undermining heart so outragious a presumption Or though it so were that you loved me unfainedly and that through my ill fortune I lov'd you too yet what comfort nay what hopes of comfort could out desires have that can prove otherwise than treason and shame unto me and treachery and shame unto you It will then be the lesser evill that for not tormenting me you retire your selfe Fortune you see hath bestow'd me upon another sithence then be yours I cannot you must bee content that you cannot be mine neither At these words Ormondo remain'd astonished perceiving himselfe in an instant to be ere he was aware thereof beloved and yet againe in the very same moment of time contrary to loves nature refuted But the property of generous hearts being inclinable rather to hope than feare he returned her this answer Right excellent Madame as my words aymed no way at your prejudice so shall my actions tend ever to your service And though I bee not for the present a crown'd King as is that of Pontus yet am I to be one day such by the order of nature and of such a kingdome too that as I may without any vaunting say Pontus and tenne such cannot equall it Of the persons I meane not to make comparisons But if there be no other worth or good that makes for me than the courteous inclination to me-wards which to my good hap I discover in you yet shall that alone sufficiently serve my turne to merit you in your owne judgement and yet much more in the judgement of others for its depriving them of all merit I want and seeke for a wife my selfe too and marriages are written in heaven the prime Article of whose Law is that the married couple be thereunto voluntarily consenting Therefore although I say not that the King of Pontus is not worthy of you considering his noble conditions yet will I boldly affirme that he cannot be justly your husband in case you thereof are not contented otherwise than in obeysance of others I Madame never entertained a thought of motioning love unto you otherwise than in a lawfull and honourable way And so to doe both your fame and conditions emboldened me yea that fame which to your passing glory sounds a singular note of excellency in the eares of all men and these conditions which serve for a norme and patterne for all the Princesses and women of the earth to forme their lives and actions by for but for your being such I had ne're fixt on you an affectionate eye Moreover although I grant that your beauty and outward feature have force to violent hearts yet may there be for all that a heart arm'd
against them penetrable only by the Armes of innocence and internall purity Againe for me to get me gone without you is altogether impossible You say you are married and yet I know you are not the Embassadours of Pontus and your father had no authority to binde you you onely are shee that makes up the Matrimony and shee that may choose and refuse to make it The parts thereof are yet both in their entire and both free The bonds of the two Lawes Humane and Divine though they be made ready to binde you have not bound you yet though so as they cannot be thereby any way infringed A true and lawfull Matrimony indeede it would be that you accepting mee for your servant and husband would vouchsafe to blesse mee by pronouncing one single voluntary Yea that then I might ascertaine you that the hopes you please to build on me are neither vaine nor ruinous Humane inclinations were ever subject to perswasions The Princesse who meerely for Ormondo's fame was in some sort enamoured of him ere ever shee saw him now after seeing him accompanied with so many vertues so excellently-excelling as onely one of them was able to dignifie and make worthy any Cavalier whatsoever became so enflamed with love of him that the Matrimony contracted seemed a hell to her wherefore doubting whether shee should ever more light on the like occasion her affection being already unvail'd shee deem'd it best to unvaile also her desire fetching then a deepe sigh that intimated the as yet doubtfulnesse of her hopes shee thus bespeakes him Prince of Illirio I render you not thankes for your love as according to the custome of the times I should doe because I like not the being an affectate follower of the common stile I follow mine owne and have as I conceive my reason for it knowing that who so loves loves for his owne affections sake so as the obligations and reciprocall duties so complementally professed amongst friends are words meerely superfluous and tearmes and names unfit to bee used Touching now what you offer me I am perswaded you doe it not without having first examined the difficulty of the enterprize with your dangers and their consequences Let me now then see in case I pronounced your desired Yea what for the lesse dangerous course would you take to have me Whereto Ormondo all-joyfull answered The usuall course Madame in such cases throughout all the world The Prince of Thrace my Couzen will lend mee his Galley which is one of the swiftest that ever furrowed the Ocean Come once but to set footing in Illirico I then feare not all the powers of the world for your Father and Brother they will I perswade my selfe be glad upon comprehending the exchange you have made of a litle King for a great kingdome And for Arbone I conceive no occasion you have to feare him Arnelinda would not resolve of any thing for that present but tooke time to thinke thereon which served for an item for the now halfe-promised bride-groome to prepare himselfe Ormondo was then come from the Easterne parts with an intent to returne homewards but passing from Phenicia to Cyprus hee there chanced to finde Serpidoro Prince of Thrace his Cozen german with whom hee being bred up from a childe and both of them having learnt the exercises of Chivalry together there sprung from this their conversation a friendship which transcended the love of blood the strongest tye of the most part of kinsmen which gave to as many as knew them an example of an illimited love without paragon Now Serpidoro had after having given the chase to some vessels of pirates which he afterwards tooke in the Cilician Sea heard of the neighbouring nuptialls in Cyprus whither he thereupon retired with one sole Galley having sent the rest home with an intention to trie himselfe in Armes at the Tourney where finding beyond his expectation his endeer'd Cozen Ormondo they both resolved to maintaine the lists against all the adventurers of the jousts But this new amorous congresse set their braines a working on new deliberations Serpidoro causing upon Ormondo's scarce opening of his mouth his Galley to bee new-calk'd and rigg'd with giving speciall order that nothing should bee wanting her that might any way make her more usefull and serviceable to steed his friend Senesteo King of Cyprus and more than hee the Prince Ortomano his sonne enamoured of the qualities and faire disposition of Ormondo did him all imaginable honour not without repining though too late that it had not fallen to their lot to have had him insteede of Arbone now that they perceived him somewhat affectionately enclined to Arnelinda Love the fire of the minde being hardly smothered and therefore not unlike the elementall fire which if it flame not must needs smoake The Princesse assoone as Ormondo was parted from her summoned all her thoughts before the tribunall of her judgement the maine subject of her consideration in her case was the sole point of honour the arguments about which were great but all solved by the title of Matrimony For her father she imagined that he being discreete would not be displeased thereat not because children stolne away ease their fathers of their duty of caring or doing for them such being onely a shake-off excuse and advantage of base and servile-minded people but because the affinity with so great a King might steed him very much besides the having of so valorous a Prince for his sonne-in-law of whom hee might promise himselfe more than of the King of Pontus whose foole-hardy rashnesse could not but stirre up suspicion in him and in her feare and terrour A discourse wholly tending to the substance since shee could not light on any opposition touching any outward apparance feature or demeanour shee conceiting that no other man than Ormondo could ever make her happy that no other than he deserved the Epithet of handsome proper and well-carriaged that no face speech or behaviour could be esteeme-worthy or gracefull that either in aspect accent or manners any thing differed from his In briefe shee conceived that in him alone was comprehended all humane good wherein though shee indeed was not much deceived yet concludes that not for all that shee could not bee beguiled as for the most part are deceivable all such Matrimonies whose ends are venery and lust such not eiyng but where they like For pleasure being an enemy to the privation of it selfe abhorres the sight of the unlovely parts for not being constrain'd to loathe them and hath for feeding that its humour perpetually fixed on the lovely parts more eyes than Argos but is to the lothsome ones starke blinde Or if he hood-wink'd see any of them hee may then chafe and fret and perhaps perswade himselfe to bee mistaken but not have the power to disolve any part of his beloved object so as the thought there of either flies away like a bird or vanisheth like a spirit For her brother shee saw no
command her who though they came neere of taking them both napping yet he without losing any whit of his innate vivacity complaines to them that the Princesse making use of a maydens priviledge pretended her-selfe exempt from paying him any thing invoking with that justice the Gods and their assistance which he expressed with tearmes so pleasing that Deadora her selfe could not chuse but laugh thereat as well as the others But come that evening to entertaine her with his company as he was wont to doe the others being then by chance with the King shee thus bespeakes him Cozen you were telling me this morning something that I well understood not please you therefore to bee plaine with mee that I may know whether you be in jest or good earnest Madame answered hee with a Princesse of your condition and merit and by a person of my quality and one having withall such a relation to you as I have full ill becomes jesting in such a subject I was indeede borne very neere you in blood but your vertues tyed me yet neerer you in servitude and your beauty graces and merits with an indissoluble knot fast-bound me neerest you of all in love if loving you bee an offence then must the being your servant and Cozen be no lesse and if you judge me worthy of punishment then must you likewise judge that your vertues beauty and excelling parts deserve to be the first punished But I beseech you to beleeve peerelesse Madame that these though great occasions had not for all that made mee this day so bold as I was but that I knew that your nuptialls drew neere and that Erpandro now expects Ambassadours from his Father for effecting the Matrimony which if it stand with your good liking behold me then ready to serve you therein as I shall in all things else whilest I breathe If not then should I thinke my audacity to have beene necessary and as such worthy of both excuse and pardon Deadora who at first had determined with her selfe to act the disdainefull coy one pierced now through the heart with the very mention of that marriage replied Cozen your boldnesse is every way unexcuseable for I being long sithence married it is not for you to judge whether it be with my liking or not it behoving mee to subordinate my fancie to my Fathers liking who commands me And had you any such thought out of any charity to me-wards you should then have stripped your selfe of the interesse of your love to your selfe which adviseth mee not for my good but for his owne behoofe and such as perhaps too cannot well please mee My Brother and Vincireo who have not your ends have not that pity of mee a signe that your having it is more for your owne sake than mine therefore know I not whether or no I ought either to beleeve a person interessed as you are or make any account of your counsels But granting they were true and that I brook'd not such a husband me-thinkes then you that exposed the inconvenience should likewise propose me its remedy Well knew the warily-observant Gradamoro that the Princesse's words were not such as they sounded for and that for well understanding them it behoved him to make as though he understood them not wherefore as one pâ—â—â—tent for his presumption I will not Madame answered her he defend or excuse my over-boldnesse whilest I pretend both to confesse and crave pardon for it onely I beseech you that weighing the occasions that occasioned it you admit it to bee excuse-worthy Of your obedience to your Father I neither have nor meane to speake any disswasive word well affirme I that Fathers should be well-advised in their commands if they will not be disobeyed For sometimes out of their fatherly priviledge and authority they without thinking that they doe otherwise than well pitch upon such resolutions touching their children which they would not have done if they had but considered or foreseene their ensueable inconveniences Now for the selfe-good-tending ends or interesses that you accuse me of I am so farre from denying it that I openly confesse nay as it were proclaime it Why beleeve you sweet Madame that loves are other than interesses surely no love is even an interest or selfe-tending end of satisfying those affects in us but for whose being there wee should never be troubled with love so as when we love we in loving ever love first our owne affect and then that which it loves for its owne pleasure Therefore if you condemne mee for that then you can doe no lesse than condemne with mee both the World and Nature the later whereof having not the power to bee otherwise than such makes mee that I cannot chuse but love you whilst I cannot chuse but love mine owne inclination and affect which entirely loves you This said Gradamoro held his peace but seeing her make no answer hee thus proceeded Next for the counsell which you command mee to give you I should thinke any advice needlesse to such as meane not to follow it In which regard I should hold it expedient that you first resolve whether you will or will not have the Prince of Thrace whom if you please to like and accept for your husband it would be then but superstuous to discourse of what should be done But in case you will not have him Scarce had hee pronounced the last accent when they espyed comming running towards them the three Princes rejoycing that the King had told them that within foure moneths space he would have celebrated the nuptialls of his Daughter with Erpandro and had by letter signified so much to the King of Thrace to send Embassadours to that end and withall discoursed of the order he would have observed in the solemnities jousts and commanded Ladomonte to acquaint his sister with as much But hee was so discreete that taking on him to be glad whereas indeede hee was sorry for it he would not speake unto her a word thereof before their Cozens But taking occasion to conduct her to their Mothers Lodgings hee then perform'd his Embassie where with the Princesse stung with an envenom'd griefe thus bespeakes him My Lord and Brother you deliver me a message so crosse to my content as it drawes on me the greatest anguish and hearts-griefe that fortunes utmost spite can inflict on me I ought to obey my father t is true yet ought my father then give me such a husband as I abhorre not you are my brother and as being my onely one my onely hope in all adverse fortune I therefore conjure you to be my protector and a meanes for breaking off of this Marriage which ere ever I consent to I am resolved I here vow to you to dye a thousand deaths The Prince that tenderly loved her all-confused in minde thus answered her Deere Lady and deerest sister I never have nor meane to deny you any thing you aske of mee which any way tends to your behoofe or
proportioned creature that ever was borne Oh what a beautifull and goodly progenie would the world produce if really affectionate love were alwayes sole agent in himencall unions I have alwayes heard say that stolen embraces and furtive births prov'd to be ever the best goodliest and most beautifull all the spirits concurring and being with an affectionate will strongly united together and wholly intentive to the performance of that onely office The heavens be praysed for having now at length out of the masse of our diasters extracted us this dragme of comfort The young Lady raising her selfe upon her elbow tooke at one looke a full survey of her childe but being reduced to such weakenesse as shee was not longable to rest on the feeble support of her arme causing him wrapped in a rich mantle to be laid by her on the bed shee tenderly kissing him thus answered Ah Paralette And good reason have you to say hee is a goodly faire childe for so indeed he is unfortunate infant Peradventure hee pretends to make the deformity of his destiny seeme lesse ugly through the vaile of these his goodly beautifulnesse and comely making these alas looke not as if they were for their birth-place beholding to homely caves seated among desolate groves where the necessity of shunning the day-light presents their owner for his first object with darkenesse and horror But with this return'd to weeping and then againe to kissing him shee proceeded saying And seemes it unto you Mother that an effect so beautifull ought to be a just ease to my calamities and that the Gods have out of my misdeeds extracted that for my good which is likely to prove to mee a perpetuall occasion both of griefes and miseries No no the heavens not fully satisfied in having made mee in the highest degree miserable in my owne person onely are pleased to manifest their infinite power in an endlesse misery for in extending it to another they multiply my agonies with the multiplication of the causes of my fortunes shee was notable to utter another word for being fallen into a swound more through the extremity of her griefe than the agony of her sicknesse continuing a good while in this deadly trance whilest her women carefully employed the best of their endeavours for the recovery of her senses The old Gentleman full of noble pitty would willingly have added an helping hand to assist her but that he considered that extreame afflictions admit not of any other reliefe than little-availing compassion Besides that the quality of her infirmity prohibiting the presence of men would have made his curtesie beene construed for an unexcusable point of incivility Taking afterwards more observant notice of the place hee discovered in its poverty an object of discorrespondent furnitures the bed and arras hangings being all of silke and gold But whilest he thus stood observing what they were a doing Carildo a Squire appeared at the call of the Matron which caused him to retire from the cave but not to part away thence in that he conceived shee was sending him forth nor was he indeed therein mistaken for as this Squire would have put himselfe on his way out he came to meet him full butt at which unexpected sight the Squire carried by the violence of a just judgement to an unjust suspition was no lesse dismaid than afrighted till the Gentleman courteously saluting him enquired the way to some neighbouring village where hee might provide himselfe of a ship seeing that the vessell that had brought him thither had beene through the discourtesie of the sea and tempest wracked on that shore To which the Squire perceiving now by his language that hee had entertained a wrong suspition of him made answer That howbeit to finde shipping in that Iland would be somewhat difficult yet that he could not lightly misse of fitting himselfe in Feacia But in the meane time where may I replied the Gentleman provide me some victuals In a very good place answered the other for on the way that I am now going we shall passe by the house of a reverend Druide who entertaines very kindly all strangers but more especially Gentlemen of merit as you seeme to be who also will out of his ordinary goodnesse see you provided of shipping and supplied of all other necessaries Being then by the Gentleman asked the name of that Iland It is properly called said hee Ericusa but more commonly the Iland of Adventures for here arrives not any Cavalier that in a short time lights not on divers strange and unexpected accidents Certainely replied the old Gentleman I beleeve that to be most true since my shipwrack may very well be accounted in the number of these accidents but much rather that which I chanced to see within your cave Here observing the Squire grow pale at his pronouncing of these later words hee proceeded Be not dismaid my kinde friend for it was neither curiosity nor any ill intention that brought me to prie into your secrets onely I would to God it lay within the reach of my power to doe this noble Princesse any service you should then soone see that I would willingly effect it even to the effusion of my blood Now the Gentleman knew not as yet that the Lady delivered of the childe was a Princesse yet did he boldly stile her so for that hee ghessed her to bee such as well by the title given her by the Matron as by the Crowne he had discovered above her Armes perswading himselfe that by boldly giving her that eminent title he might easily worke out of the Squire the secrets of her being and quality which indeed fell out accordingly for the Squire hearing him relate the passages of the cave which induced him to conceive that shee was already knowne unto him had not the power to be longer silent and the subtle old Gentleman perceiving him come to the point he wish'd for praid him to disclose how her former fortunes had guided her to the state of her present being To the which he willingly condescending said Sir There is not any body here that knowes her otherwise than by meere conjectures so as what you might have beene casually informed of cannot choose but be farre wide off the truth Corianna my Lady and Soveraigne Mistresse became enamoured of Lucano Duke of Lucania a Gentleman in all excelling qualities the most accomplisht that was I will not say of all her Fathers Subjects but of all the Princes that are this day in the world For in nobility and estate there was not one that equalled him in the whole Kingdome of Parthenope nor else-where any that exceeded him in comlinesse of personage hardinesse or knightly valour yet were these though rare endowments but handmaides to others farre more prize-worthy at leastwise to those wherewith he captivated mens minds as his bounty and modesty and above all his discretion the moderatresse of all other vertues and of her selfe too So that to love then the Duke of Lucania was