béeing at the highest declineth and the Sea beeinge at full tide ebbeth caulme continueth not longe without a storme neither is happinesse had longe without heauinesse as by this couple may bée séene For when the kinges fancy had bene once fully fed the vehemency of his desire beegan to vanish away and hee began to loue his new married wife rather with reason then with rage by reason whereof with indifferency of iudgement hee could now note her naughty nature which at first partialyty of loue would not permit him to perceiue For what Gentleman soeuer shee saw in the court indued with a vertuous disposition and noble minde shee would with the kinge hinder his preferment by all meanes possible still aduaunsing the vylest to tipe of dignity If any Gentlewoman were famous for her honesty and chastity by some sluttish slights or other shée sought to slaunder them So that those in whom the kinge did only delight shée indeuoured with all dilygence to molest and spight Which the king perceiuinge and consideringe how from low estate hee had brought her to heighth of honour thought hée might more boldly refourme her faultes and began with seuerity sufficient and in déede more then was méete béetwéene man and wife to admonish her of her malitious disposition towardes those which were of vertuous inclination and made no curiosity though without curtesy to tell her that shee béeinge ignoble her selfe could not like of those which were noble But to mutch familiarity had bred so mutch contempt in her that shee beegan impaciently to pout to loure to snuffe to chase to thinke her self mutch iniuried by those wordes and sayd plainly shee would like of whom shee lyst shewinge her rude bringing vp her want of wit and gouernment her currishe nature her curst conditions and howe vnfitte shée was for the place shée was in Well the kinge was fayn to make a vertue of necessity and to take paciently that which hée could not take away easily For shée still perseuered in her peruersenesse and hated those chiefely whom her husband loued especially And amongest all other there was one proper yong gentlemā named Verecundus attendant vpon the kinge and in great fauour and credit with him whom when shée could by no means bring into displeasure or dislikinge shee went about to intrap by this traine of treason shee began to cast glaunces of good will towardes him and by alluringe lookes to thrall him in the thread of her beuty The young gentleman beeing made of fine mettall and therfore very apt to receiue the impression of loue in short time was so framed to her fancy that hee yeelded fayth to her fraud and requited her fayned lookes with vnfayned loue And as a pleasaunte praye soone intiseth a simple theife so hee thought her beuty sutch a booty that in his opinion no younge man in the world but would hazarde hanginge to haue it And herevpon fell to debatinge the matter with him selfe in this sorte It is a common opinion amongest men that hée which is once chayned in the linkes of loue is foorthwith restrayned of his liberty and freedome but if true lyberty bee to liue as one list I cannot but thinke my self to liue in most large and licentious liberty for that I lust not or desire to lead any other life then that which I doe which is in the secret seruice and continuall contemplation of my princely Pasiphae Yea I thinke euery sorrow sweet and euery paine pleasure which any passion proceeding of her beuty procureth mee and I thinke my selfe more then happy that the heauens thinke mee meete to suffer any martirdome for her sweet sake And if I might ende my dayes in dooing her seruice I should thinke it the only beginning of ioy the way to life and the readie and perfect path wherby to passe to the pleasures of Paradise Oh that fortune would minister some occasion wherby I might manifeste vnto her the manifolde goodwill I beare her and if without preiudice to her person it might bee done would to god she were drowned in some sutch depth of daunger that nothinge but the hazardinge of my life could preserue her from perill then should shee see the seruice which I haue sworne to doe her then should shee see the duty which I haue vowed to owe her then should shee plainly perceiue that neither the pleasures of the world neither the solace of freindes neither the sweetnesse of life neither the sowernesse of death should withdraw mee from sheadynge the déerest drop of bloud in mee to doe her good And then woulde shee say if any curtesy bee contained in her that my loue is most loyal and my friendship most faythfull then would shee paye if any gratefulnesse bee grafted in her my daunger and perill with the price of her person But alas how can she pay me with that which is not in her own power There is another only who hath interest therin she hath already payd her person as a price of a prince his whole kingdome so that I plough the barrein rockes and set my share into the shoare of the Sea I till with toyle sutch a kinde of soyle whereof another by right must crop the corne But admit she were disposed to incroche somwhat vpon her husbandes right yet is it likely shee will looke so low as let so meane a man as my selfe growe into so great acquaintaunce with her No fortune denieth mée any sutch fauour my good will as yet hath deserued no sutch gwerdon my desire is far aboue my desertes my ambition aboue my condition Why my birth is better then hers why should shee then neglecte mee But her calling is better then mine why should shee then respect mee My desire procéedes of loue why should shee not then accept it But alas it is contrary to law why should shée not then reiecte it I am of noble bloud why should shee refuse mee But shee hath a noble prince to her husband why should shee misuse him Yea if I my self were not a villaine altogether deuoyd of vertue I would not suffer it so mutch as enter into my thought to abuse him who hath alwayes vsed mee honourably who hath sought my prefermente by all meanes possyble who from my childhood hath brought mée vp like a louing lord Maister Shall I requite his liberalytie towards mee with sutch disloyaltie shall I deceiue the opinion whiche hee doeth conceiue of mee with sutche destable villany shall I returne the trust which he reposeth in me with sutch treson shal I defile my faith towards him by séeking to defile his bridly bed But alas loue is aboue lord or laws aboue Prince or priuiledge aboue friend or faith Where loue leadeth no maister is made account of no Kinge cared for no friend forced of no duty respected no honestie regarded but all thinges done accordinge to the passion which preuaileth ouer vs And séeinge it is not in our power to preuent that passion for it is either
more a do but tooke his knife and like a blouddy butcher cut her tounge foorth of her head This done hée caused her to bée locked fast in a chamber takyng euery thyng from her wherby she might vse violence towardes her selfe and so went home to the Quéene Progue his wife with this forged tale I am sory sweete wife it is my chaunce to bée the messenger of sutch sower newes vnto you but séeing of force you must heare it as good I now impart it as other here after report it vnto you And séeing it is an accident which ordinarily happeneth to mortall wightes I trust of your selfe you will giue sutch order to your sorowe that you will suffer it to sinke no depelier into your hearte then wisdome would it should caryinge this in your remembraunce that wée are borne to die and that euen in our swathe cloutes death may aske his due Alas saith shée and is Pandion departed No sayth hée Pandion liueth but his life is sutch that death would more delight him Then farewell my Philomela sayth shée thy death I know is cause of this desolation and thy death shall soone abridge my daies In déede sayth hée so it is the gods haue had her vp into heauen as one to good to remaine on earth Ah vniust goddes sayth shée shée is to good for them also what pity what pieti what right what reason is in them to depriue her of life now in the prime of her life béefore shée haue tasted the chiefe pleasures of life or any way deserued the paine of death Ah swéete wife sayth hée I béeséech you by the loue which you beare mée to moderate your martirdome asswage your sorrow only in mée to repose your felicitie for I protest by these hands teares which I shede to see your sorrow that I wil be to you in stéede of a father a sister yea if you had a thousand fathers a thousaÌ„d sisters al their goodwils together shuld not surmouÌ„t mine alone These louinge woordes caused her somewhat to cease from her sorrow and shée began to take the matter as paciently as her paine would permit her But to returne to Philomela who béeinge kept close prisoner determined to pine herselfe to death but the hope of reuenge altered that determination and shée began to cast in her head how she might open the iniury to her sister which that Tirant had offered them both at length shée went this way to worke shee wrought and imbrodred cunningly in cloath the whole discourse of her course and carefull case which being finished fortune so framed that a gentleman riding late in the night had lost his way and seeing a light in her chamber a far of drewe nere to the window and called to Philomela inquiringe the way to the next towne wherevpon Philomela opened the window séeing him to bèe a gentleman whom she thought would not sticke to put him selfe in some perill to redresse a Ladies wronge shewed him the cloath which shee so cunningly had wrought and in the first place thereof was plainly written to whom it should bée deliuered and from whom The gentleman tooke it at her handes and plighted to her his fayth safely and secretly to deliuer it to the quéene Sée the iust iudgement of god who will suffer no euill done secretly but it shalbée manifested openly as in times past hee made the infant Daniell an instrument to detecte the conspiracy of the two Iudas iudges who falsely accused the good Lady Susanna and other times other wayes but this tiranny of Tereus was so terrible that the very stones in the walles would haue béewrayed it if there had been no other meanes vsed Now Progne hauinge this cloath conuayed vnto her and fully vnderstandinge how the case stoode not withstandinge her greife were great in the highest degrée yet a meruailous thing a woman could do so shée â—oncealed y matter secretly hoping to be reuenged more spéedily But yet her husbands villany towards her caused her to inueigh against him in this vehement sort O diuelish déepe dissembling of men who would haue thought that hée which pretended so great goodwill towards mée would haue intended so great ill against mée Why if my person could not please him could none but my sister satisfie him and if hée thought her most méete for his mischeif yet was it not villany inough to vanquish her virginity but that hee must mangle and dismember her body also but what pity is to bée looked for of sutch Panthers which passe not of piety Hée sheweth his cursed carelesse kinde hée plainely proues him selfe to procéed of the progenie of that traitor Eneas who wrought the confusion of the good Quéene Dido who succoured him in his distres It is euident hée is ingendred of Iasons race who disâ—oyally forsooke Medea y made him win y golden â—léece Hée is discended of the stock of Demopheon who through his faithles dealing forced Phyllis to hange her selfe Hée séemes of the séede of Theseus who left Ariadne in the desertes to bée deuoured through whose helpe hée subdued the Monster Minotaur and escaped out of the intricate Labirinth Hée commeth of Nero his cruel kinde who carnally abused his owne mother Agrippina then caused her to bée slaine and ript open that hee might se the place wherin he lay béeing an infant in her belly So that what fruites but filthinesse is to bée gathered of sutch graftes What boughes but beastlines growe out of sutch stems no I will neuer make other account but that faith which a man professeth is nothing els but forgery truth which hée pretendeth nothing els but trifling loue lust woordes wyles déeds deceit vowes vanities faythfull promises faythlesse practises ernest othes errant artes to deceiue sorrows subtelties sighes slightes groanes guiles cries crafts teares treason yea all their doinges nothing but baytes to intice vs hookes to intangle vs ingins vtterly to vndoe vs O that my mouth could cause my woords to mount aboue the skies to make y gods bend downe their eyes to take vew of the vilany of this viper then no doubt but either the city would sinke wherin hee is or the earth would open swalow him vp or the at least some plague should bee thundred downe vpon him which might most painefully punish him Or why may not the gods vse mée as an instrumeÌ„t to execute their vengeance on him The wife of Dionisias the tirant wrought the will of the goddes on her husband and miserably murthered him and why is it not lawfull for mee to doo the like Yes I can and will deuise sutch exquisite punishment for this Tiraunt that it shall feare all that come after from the like filthinesse Now to further her furie shée had this oportunitie offred her it was the same time of the yeere that the sacrifices of Bacchus were to bée celebrated what time the vse was for the women to goe aboute the countrey disguised as if they had béen mad where
and churlishuesse in a man to deny his wife any thing which is reasonable so is it great imbecillity and childishnesse to graunte her any thing which is vnreasonable and hereof commeth the vtter vndooing of a great number of young gentlemen And as it is wise and louinge carefulnesse to prouide well for ones wife so is it fond and doatinge curiousnesse to seeke and prouide better for her then bee would do for himselfe whereof came the confusion of this noble Gentleman Germanicus Amphiaraus and Eriphile AMPHIARAVS a Gentleman Argiue sueth for marriage to Eriphile a widow either likyng others possessions better then persons Infortunio burnyng in fonde affection toward the same trull seeyng Amphiaraus land preferred beefore his loyaltie is at poynct to destroy himself Amphiaraus hidyng himself to escape from the warres is betraide by Eriphile for couetice of rewarde and settynge foote within the Theban soyle the earth openeth and swaloweth him vp Eriphile eftsoones a widow profereth her loue to her olde suter Infortunio by whom beeyng repulsed in choler she consumeth away and dieth THe aunciet Ppilosophers are of this mynde that there is nothyng that doth more argue and shew a base mynde then couetous desire of coyne ritches and nothyng more signe of a noble heart then not to desire wealth if one want it and liberally to bestow it if hée haue it But I am of this minde that nothynge doth more argue a mad minde then to desire goods which neuer did good but which haue been alwayes the cause of all our calamities What a world of men hath desire of wealth wasted in war What huge heapes hath it drowned in the Sea What infinite numbers hath it caused Phisitions to kill How many hath it mooued Lawiers to vndoe How many hath it driuen Deuines to sende to the Diuell Of how many Murthers thefts flaughters parricides patricides treasons rebellions periuries forgeries adultries fornications hath it been the cause As Iupiter himselfe abused golde and pelfe to abuse Danae that virgin But you will say though the desire of goods bee detestable yet the possession is profitable Wherto I pray you to maintayne vs in brauery in gluttony in venery in securitie in impunitie in pride in prodigalitie yea to brynge vs to perdition and distruction as kynge Midas wished that euery thynge which hée touched might bee gold wherby hée was starued to death Fabritius an auncient Romain waighed wealth so litle that though hée had béen Prince and Consul of Rome three or foure times yet at his death hée had not so mutch goods as might suffice to bring him honorably to his graue but was faine to bée buried at the common charge of the citie But though the immoderate desire of ritches bée to bée reprehended yet must I néedes say that moderately to account of them is not bée misliked for they are giuen vs by God to passe the pilgrimage of our life withall and we may vse them and yet not abuse them wée may make of them and yet not make our Goddes of them And as by duely desiryng and truly vsyng them they conuert to our commoditie so by gréedy couetinge and naughtie consumyng them they turne to our trouble care and confusion as partly béefore hath béen shewed and plainly here after by the hystorie folowing is prooued which is this In Greece amongst the people called Argiues dwelt one Amphiaraus who béeyng a man of great possessions and wealth heard of a Widdow in the same country of like liuyng vnto him selfe her name was Eriphile and her nature was sutch that shée thought gaine swéet how so euer shée got it It fortuned this Gentleman to come to her house to sée and assay her in the way of Marriage and not withstandyng hée had more likyng to the liuyng then wil to the woman yet hée laboured his sute as ernestly as if hée had loued vehemently and at conuenient time commenced his sute in this sort Gentlewomā I think it not néedful to enter into termes in commendation of mariage therby to perswade you the sooner therto for that you know the dignity thereof and haue already tasted the pleasures and commodities béelonginge to the same but this chiefelye lieth mée vpon earnestly to perswade and humbly to requeste at your handes that when it shalbée your good pleasure to enter into that life againe you will count mee worthy though altogether vnworthy to serue you in steede of a steward to order and dispose your thinges as your seemely selfe shall please to appointe and to ease you of the trouble of trauailinge in your owne affaires which I am sure for that you haue not beene accustomed thereto must needes mutch molest you For it is not méete your young yeres should bée tied to any trouble or trauaile but to passe your time in pleasure according to your bringinge vp and callinge and accordinge to the custome of your kinde and sexe And that you may not thinke my sute to procéed of any desire to your goods your selfe I thinke partly know and by litle inquiry may perfectly vnderstande that my landes and liuinges are sufficient to maintaine the port and countenance of a Gentleman of worship all which I willingly yeeld into your handes to bée disposed at your pleasure if it shall please you to yéeld your body into my armes to bée imbraced at my pleasure so y in acceptinge my offer you shall not only increase your substance but also haue a gentleman at your commaundement who shall make more account of you then of all the goods in the world His talke ended Eriphile smylinge made him this smooth answere Sir by how mutch more I know the inconueniences and infinite troubles mixed with mariage by so mutch lesse do I like to enter into that estate againe And as I was once linked with one according to my liking so looke I not to bee placed againe with any in whom I can take sutch pleasure And as by holy oth I firmely bounde my fayth vnto him so in this minde I am in only my death shal dissolue that bond and y sower remembrance of my sweete husbandes death shall take away the renewinge of all pleasures of life and altogether mortifie in mée the minde to marry any more For his loue was so excéeding great towardes mee that I feare to finde the like at your handes or any mans els For where you professe to be my steward and seruant I am sure if you were once sure of that you seeke for you would thinke your selfe good inough to bee my Lord and maister and you would dispose my goods neither at my pleasure neither to my profite but that which is mine should bée yours and yours your owne And where you pretend to prefer mee before al worldly goods I take it rather for wordes of course then talke of troth for as in the fayrest rose is soonest found a kanker so in fairest spéech is falshood and faigning rifest For I knowe the fashion of you men is by
the maine shete of her minde and by the anckers of aduise so stayed her course that no wynde which my wilfull youthe could blow could cause her any thinge to bow or wauer and by assuringe her to a large ioynter hée was chosen to rule her sterne wher the other was kept stil vnder the hatches Who all this while that they were concluding the contracte was in his chaumber busily deuisinge verses in the praise of his Misteris but hearing of the sory successe of his sute by a handmaide of the Gentlewoman hée was so confounded in him selfe that his inuencion was cleane marred and his deuise vtterly dasht yea hée was so far from writinge that hée had not a woord to saye or a thought to thinke And surely in my iudgment hée reaped the right reward of his doatinge desire for there only grafts of greife must néedes grow where sutch raw conceite doth set and sutch rashe consent dooth sowe For neyther was his loue grounded vpon vertue wherwith shee was not indued neither vpon beauty wherwith shee was not adorned For neither can cruelty be cloaked vnder vertue neither the treason of vntruth couered vnder beuty for the disposition of the minde followeth the constitucion of the body so that it was his own selfe will and fond fancy that drewe him into sutch depth of affection and therefore with greife was faigne to gather the fruites of his folly And beeing come to him selfe hee began to rage in this sort And is my true loue thus triflyngly accounted of Shall hée with his trash more preuayle then I with my truth And will shée more respect gayne then good will O iniquitie of times O corruption of manners O waueryng of women Bée these the fruites of thy fayre lookes Is this the hap of the hope thou puttest mée in Is this the delight of the daliance thou vsedst with mee Here in truly thou mayst bée fitly resembled to the Cat whiche playeth with the Mouse whom straight shée meaneth to slay or to the Panther who with his gay colours swéet smell allureth other beastes vnto him and béeyng within his reache hée rauenously deuoureth them But if I should set thée foorth in thy colours I thinke the sauage beastes would bee lothe to bee likened vnto thee for crueltie thou mayest compare with Anaxarete who suffred Iphis to hange himself for her sake for inconstancie with Cressed who forsooke her trustie Troylus for pride with Angelica who contemned all men for treason with Helen who ran away with Paris from her husbande Menelaue But what rashnesse is this in mee to rage and rayle agaynst her whereas it is loue and the destines that haue decréed my distruction For Marriages are guided by destiny and God hath indued women with this propertie to bee wedded to their wils Neither doth loue learne of force the knots to knit shée serues but those which feele sweet fancies fit for as streames can not bée made to run against their course so vnwilling loue with teares nor truth cannot bée won So that this only choice is left for mée either to die desperately or to liue lothsomely and as the birde inclosed in cage the cage doare béeing set open and the Hauke her ennemy sitting without watching for her betwéene death and prison piteously oppressed standeth in doubt whether it bée better stil to remaine in prison or to goe forth to bee a pray for the hauke so stande I in doubt whether it bée better by loosing life to get liberty or by lyuinge to become thrall and bond and liue in continuall torment and vexation of minde For loue hath taken so déepe roote in mee that neither reason can rule neither wisdome wield my witched will. But as the bytinge of a mad dogge rageth and rankleth vntil it haue brought the body bitten to bane so the poyson of loue is so spread into euery part of mee that it will vndoubtedly bringe mee to death and distruction O cruell captaine cupid is this the pay thou giuest thy souldiours O vaine Venus is this the victory thou vouchsafest thy champions Wouldest thou haue bene content thy darlinge Adon should rigorously haue reiected thee when thou wert furiously inflamed with his loue But the parish priest forgetteth that euer hee was clarke and those that bée in happines themselues way not the heauinesse of other Yea perchaunce thou fauour the falshood of this woman the rather for that thou thy self playedst the false harlot with thy husband Vulcan the smith and madest him a forked toole more then before hée had in his shop but remember yet how hée tooke thee and the adultrour Mars tardie in your trechery and lechery together starke naked in an iron nette and then called all the goddes to take view of your victous conuersation to thy vtter shame and confusion And so it may fall out that this your pupill may so longe delight in deceit that shee may bee taken in the net which shee layeth to intangle other But what meane I to blaspheme against the gods who doe but punnish mee iustly for louing so lightly and ouely mine owne careles faut is the cause of this curelesse fate Wherefore O death to thee I make ernest request that thou wilt speedily send Atropos vnto mee to cut in sunder the twyst of my troublesome life and seing my loue doth loth mee good death doe thou desire mee I know thou sentst out processe for mee euen in my swath cloutes and now I beeseeche thee serue it on me when I am most willinge and ready to appeare beefore thy presence While this foreldrue gentleman continued in these carefull contemplations the mariage was consummated betweene the widdow and Amphiaraus who liued quietly together about a yeere or two shee shewinge a presentiall obedience towardes him and hee bearinge an ordinary affection towardes her but in short time it pleased god to giue occasion to try the trechery of the one to worke the distruction of the other For it fell so out that Adrastus king of y Argiues was vpon vrgent causes mooued to infer war vpon the Thebanes and in mustringe his men hee thought Amphiaraus a meete man to make one of his captaines and willed him to prepare him selfe for that voyage who beeing well seene in astronomy and other secret sciences knew if hee went to the warres hee should not returne aliue for which cause hee couertly hid himselfe in his owne house makeing only his wife priuy therto Now the kinge takinge muster of his men missed Amphiaraus and knowing the cause of his absence was in great rage sayinge hee thought hee had had no sutch cowardes in his kingdome and promised great rewardes to them that could bring tidings of him Eriphile hauinge intelligence of this riche reward promised was merueylously set on sier in the desire therof notwithstandinge she was plentifully indued with ritches yet was she in desire as greedy as if she had been in estate most needy and as dropsy pacients drink and still be
found who would willingly die loose their owne life for him hee should begin the course of his life againe and continue on earth another age Now when the time of his naturall life drew to an ende there was diligent inquiry made who would bée content to abridge their owne dayes to prolong their princes life And first the question was put to his freindes who were néerest to them selues then to his kinsfolke whose loue was asmutch of custome as of kindenesse then to his subiectes whose affection was as mutch for feare as for fauour then to his seruauntes who thought their life as swéete as their mayster did his then to his children who thought it reason that as their father did first enter into this life so hee should first depart out of this life so that there coulde none bée founde so franke of their life to set this prince frée from the force of death Now Alcest seeing the death of her deare husband draw néere and knowinge her owne life without his life and loue would bée but lothsome vnto her of her owne accorde offred her selfe to bée sacrificed for her husbandes sake and to hasten her owne death to prolonge his life O loyall louing wife O wight good inough for god him selfe And yet had shée a husband good inough for her selfe for hee loued her so intirely that though by loosing her hée might haue gained life long time yet would hee not by any meanes consent to her death sayinge without her life his life would bée more gréeuous vnto him then a thousand deathes But shée perswaded with him against herself all that shée could saying I would not O peerles prince you should take the matter so kindly at my hands as though for your sake only I offred vp my life for it is in déede the commodity of your country and mine owne béeinge vnder your domynion which driueth mee hereto knowinge my selfe vnable to gouerne them you beeing gone And considering the dayly warre the spoylefull wastes the bloudy blastes the troublesome strife which your realme is subiect too I thought you had not loued mee so litle as to leaue mee behinde you to beare on my weake backe sutch a heauy burthen as I thinke Atlas him selfe could scarce sustaine Againe considering that death is but a fleeting from one life into another and that from a most miserable lifë to a most happy life yea from bale to blisse from care to quiet from Purgatory to Paradise I thought you had not enuied mee so mutch as to thinke mee vnwoorthy of it Doo you not know that Cleouis and Byton had death bestowed on them as the best gifte which God could deuise to giue them and doe you thinke it can doe mee harme especially seeing I may therby doe you good Alas sweet wife sayth Admetus this your piety is vnprofitable which is subiect to so many perils But if death bee so good good wife let mée inioy it who am inioyned to it and to whom onely it will be good for death is onely good to mée whom it is giuen not to you who are not appointed to it For it is not lawfull for any to leaue this life without speciall permission of the goddes And as in our court it is lawful for none to haue accesse vnto vs vnlesse by vs hee bee sent for so neither is it lawfull for any to appeare before the heauenly throne vnlesse by the goddes hee be sommoned Neither wil death bee so easy to you as to mee whose nature is apt to yeelde vnto it For you see fruite whiche is not ripe will scarce with strength bee torne from the tree wheras that which is ripe falleth easely of it owne accord Therefore good wife giue mee leaue to die to whom it wil bee onely good and easy to die Why sweet husband sayth shee the god Appollo allowed any that would to die for you otherwise to what purpose was that which hee obtayned of the destinies for you And for the vneasines of death nothing can bee vneasy or hard vnto a willing heart But bicause your pleasure is so I am content to continue my carefull life and with sorrowe to suruiue you And so left her husbande and went priuily to the Aulter and offred vp her selfe to death to prolonge her husbands life Which when the king knew hee would presently haue spoyled him selfe but his handes had not the power to doe it for that by the decrée of the destinies hee must now of force liue another age on earth Which when hée saw hée filled the court with sutch pitifull wayling sutch bitter weeping sutch hellishe houlinge that it pearced the heauens and mooued the gods to take remorse on his misery And Proserpine y goddes of hell especiallye pitying y parting of this louing couple for y she her selfe knew the paine of partinge from freinds beeing by Dys stolen frō her mother Ceres put life into his wife againe and with speed sent her vnto him Who beeing certified here of in his fleepe early in y morning waited for her cōming seing her come a far of hee had much a do to kepe his soule in his body from flying to meet her Beeing come hee receiued her as ioyfully as shee came willingly so they liued longe time together in most contented happinesse This séemeth straunge vnto you Gentlewoman that a woman should die and then liue againe but the meaninge of it is this that you should die to your selues and liue to your husbandes that you should counte their life your life their death your distruction that you should not care to disease your selues to please them that you should in all thinges frame your selues to their fancies that if you see them disposed to mirth you should indeuour to bee pleasaunt if they bee solemne you should bée sad if they hard you hauinge if they delight in haukes that you should loue Spanniels if they hunting you houndes if they good company you good housekéeping if they bee hastie that you should bee pacient if they bée ielous that you should lay aside all light lookes if they frowne that you feare if they smile that you laugh if they kisse that you cléepe or at least giue them two for one and so that in all thinges you should conforme your selues to their contentacion so shall there bée one will in two minds one hart in two bodies and two bodies in one flesh Meethinkes I heare my wish wishe mée sutch a wife as I haue spoken of verily good wish you wish your wealth great wealth and God make mee woorthy of you wish and your wishe and if I might haue my wish I am perswaded you should haue your wish But if I bee so good a husband as Admetus was if I forgoe father freindes and liuinge if I bee content to chaunge ioy for annoy court for care pleasure for pilgrimage for my wiues sake if I had rather die my selfe then shee should if shée béeinge dead with mournfull cries I moue the
beauty and cumlinesse continue not wheras curtesy and clemency remaine for euer Consider that vertue is the true beauty which carrieth coÌ„mendacion with it at al times which maketh men loue those whom they haue neuer seene and which supplieth all other wantes whatsoeuer Did not Antonius that lusty gallant of this city prefer Cleopatra that blacke Egiptian for her incomparable curtesy before all the blasinge starres of this citty and did not the puisant knight Persey in respect of her vertue fetch Andromade from the blacke Indians Wherby you see that bounty before beutie is alway to be preferred Whiche bounty I beseeche you imbrace both to preserue my life and your owne good name Alas what renowme shall you reape by killinge cruelly him that loued you intirely What glory shall you get by driuing into dispaire him y was drawen into desire towardes you No pitty is the onely patheway to prayse and mercy is the meane to make you immortall At the ende of the next measure shée replied in this sorte Why Gentleman doe you thinke it cruelty not to condiscend to the requestes of euery one that maketh loue Doe you count it vice not to yéeld to the assaultes of euery lasciuious young man Doe you make so mean a count of mariage that you thinke it meet for a maide so rashly to enter into it without sufficient knowledge of your selfe ignorante of your life and conuersation not knowing your state parentes or freindes againe without the consent of my freindes without their good will and furtherance and which is most of all without mine owne loue and likinge No I will haue more tryall of him whom I meane to marry then I haue had of you â–ª and I wil féele in my self more feruent affection towards him then as yet I doe beare you You must consider it is not for a day or a yéere that man and wife must continue together but euen for the whole terme of their life and that they may not for any respecte chaunge beeinge once chayned together but muste remaine content the one with the other in solace and in sorrowe in sicknesse and in safenes in plenty and in penury Way againe that the happy life of the wife only consisteth in the loyall loue of her husband and that shee reposeth her selfe only in the pleasure shee hath in him She for the most part sitteth still at home shee hauketh not shee hunteth not shee diseth not shee in a manner receiueth no other contentation but in his company Hee is the only play which pleaseth her hee is the only game which gladdeth her hee is the field shee delighteth to walke in hee is the forrest shee forceth to hunt in So that in my iudgement in takinge a husbande no héede can bee to wary no choyce to chary And therefore you must make a count that mariage is a matter neither so rashly to bee required as you doe neither so easely to bee graunted as you would haue mee to doe And if you adhibite any credite to my counsayle I would wish you to sowe the seede of your sute in a more fertill soyle for in mee no graftes of grauntes or flowers of affirming will by any meanes growe but only double denialles and ragged repulses His replie here to with diuers other discourses whiche passed beetwéen them I wil omit lest I should weary you with the weary toyle whiche hée made of it And besides I would not you should take example by her to hang of so straungly when you are sued to so humbly and not to faine dislikinge so deepely when in deed you loue intirely For notwithstanding all his ernest suâ—e hee could not receiue so mutch as one good worde of good will. At length the dauncinge beeinge done the banquet was beegunne wherevppon their talke ceased but his loue dayly increased in so mutch that hée fully resolued with himselfe hopinge thereby somewhat to bee eased of his greife to forsake country friendes lyuinge and all that hée had And there vpon wrote a letter vnto her to this effect Séeinge most mercylesse Misteris neither my person can please you neither my lyuinge lyke you neither my calling content you neither my singular affection towards you cause you to requite it with lyke loue I meane vtterly to abandon the place of your abode and to bestow my selfe in some sutch fare country whyther not so much as y report of your vertue and beuty shall come hopinge therby somwhat to appease my paine and to asswage the rygour of my raginge loue For as the sence of seeinge is most sharp so is that paine most pinching to see the thing one séeketh and can not possesse it Lyke as the Greyhounde is gréeued to see the Hare if hée bee kept in slippe and the Hauke the Partridge if she bée tyed in lunes and as the common saying is y which the eye séeth the hart géeueth Likewise to heare of your happie marriage with some other would bée litle better then death vnto mée to think any other should inioy that which by law of loue is proper to my selfe and to heare of your vnlucky linking with any would bee death it selfe vnto mee to thinke that my only ioy should liue in annoy Therfore I thinke the best way to mitigate my martirdome is to absente my selfe from both hearing and seeing I could reaue my self of life and so rid my selfe of strife but alas to imbrue my hands with mine owne bloud would but bring to my body destruction to my soule damnation to my freindes desolation and to your selfe defamation Where as by contynuinge my carefulll life I may at least or at laste make manifeste the constancy of my loue to the whole world â–ª and some way imploy my selfe to doe you seruice For assure your selfe this that what land soeuer I shall lodge in my hart and body shall bee dedicated to doe you duty and seruice And thus ready to goe to seaward I stay only to know whether it stand with your good pleasure to commaund mee any seruice yours while hee is CVRIATIVS Horatia hauing red this letter and thinking shee had sufficiently sounded y depth of his deuotion towards her returned him this comfortable answer Albeit sir I nothinge doubt of your departure out of your country for that nothing is more deere to any man then his owne natiue soyle and besides I know you vse it only for a meane to moue mee to mercy yet to confesse the truth the secret good will which longe since I haue borne you will not suffer mee to conceale from you any longer the secrets of my thoughtes Therfore you shall vnderstand I haue not vsed this straungnesse towardes you for that my minde hath bene enstraunged or alienated from you but only to try the truth of your good will towardes mee For if for one repulse or two like an ill hound which for one losse or twain giueth ouer the chase you would haue giuen ouer your sute â–ª I might haue iudged
rightly that you had loued but lightly But now I sée you continue to the ende there is no reason but you should bée saued if I may terme it sauing the hauing of so worthles a wife as my selfe But assure your selfe this I haue not shewed my selfe heretofore in loue so colde and fainte as hereafter you shall finde mée in affection feruent and faithfull I thinke your labour shal be litle to get my freindes good will for if their iudgment agrée with mine they will thinke you worthy of a worthier wife and rather thankefully accept you then daintily delay you Thus ready to restoare the iniury I haue done you with any curtesy conuenient to my maydenly estate I cease not ceasinge dayly to recorde the depthe of your goodwill in the bottome of my hart and in deuouring by all meanes possible to shewe my selfe thankefull for the same Yourâ— and her owne if yours HORATIA This letter so louinge so vnlooked for so swéete so sodaine raised him from heauinesse to happinesse from hell to heauen from death to life And presently herevpon hée procured her parentes consent who were so willing thereto that they gaue him great thankes that it would please him to match in their stocke and kinred thinking perchance that hee had bene a man of a higher callinge then in déede hée was and prayed to god that their daughter might become a wife worthy of sutch a husband And herevpon the day of the solemnizing of the mariage was appointed but many thinges as the sayinge is happen betweene the cup and the lip many thinges chaunce betweene the bourd and the bed man purposeth and God disposeth and it is the fashion of fortune commonly thus to frame that when hope and hap when health and wealth are highest then woe and wracke disease and death are nighest For in this manner it happened this mariage to bée marred There arose a quarrell béetwéen the towne Albania and the cittie of Rome which not with wordes but onely with weapons must bée decided great hurly burly there was in either towne nothing but war war war the Cannons roard the barbed horse neighed the glitteringe armour shined the boystrous billes and pearcing pikes pressed forward the dartes were dressed the bowes were bent the women wept the children cryed the Trumpets sowned Tan tara tara the Drummes stroake vp the mournfull marchinge forward and the souldiours on both sides marched in battayle aray vnto the field Amongst whom Curia as one of the most couragious captaines and boldest blouds of the Albanes was the formost But to leaue the battayle and come to the conflicte which Horatia had with her selfe when shée hearde that her beloued was in armes against her cittie Shée fell forsooth to reasoninge with her selfe in this sorte O most doubtfull distres that euer poore damsell was driuen to For whom shall I offer vppe sacrifice for whom shall I make my vowes For whom shall I pray for victory to whom shall I wishe the ouerthrowe on the one side fighteth my freinde on the other side my father on the one side the cittie wherin I am is in daunger to bee sacked on the other side the towne whither I must goe is in perill to bee spoyled on the one side I am like to loose my loue on the other side mine owne life So that I know not to whether part I ought to incline in hart No can Why a woman ought to forsake father and mother and followe her husbande But ought any thinge to bée more swéete vnto mée then the cittie to bée counted mine wée beeing both one flesh But life is sweet to euery one full sower God knoweth to mee without his loue and life So that if my will might worke effecte I would rather wish that of the two Rome might run to ruine But alas dareth hee lay siege to the cittie wherin I am Is hée not affraide to ouerthrow the house that harboureth mée Doubteth he not least some peece should perce my tender breast Yes no doubt of it hee deepely doubteth it but alas they that are bound must obey hee must follow of force his general captayne vnlesse hee will incur the suspition of cowardlinesse or treason or both Like as Vlysses was greatly defamed bicause hee faigned himself to be mad for that he would not go to the siege of troy No god sheild my Curiatius from shame god sende him either friendly to enter into the citie all quarrels beeing ended and truce taken either valiantly to venture into the cittie and with triumphant armes to imbrace mee By this time both the armies were met and to auoyd the effusion of bloud the general Captaines entred into this agreement There were in either army three brothers of great courage and countenaunce the Romaines were named Horatii brothers to the GentlewomaÌ„ before spoken of the Albanes were called Curiatii wherof one was y gentlemaÌ„ before meÌ„tioned Now it was concluded that these brothers on both sides should by dint of sworde stint the strife betweene these townes and if the Hor. conquered the Curiatii that then the Albanes should remain vnder the rule and empire of the Romains if otherwise then otherwise Herevpon these sire valiaunt champions at the sound of the Trumpets entred the listes and fell to furious fight within short time two of the Horatii were slayne and al the three Curiatii wounded the Romaine remaynynge alone to withstand three reâ—ired somewhat backe to the intenfe to single his enemies one from another which done hee slue them all one after another This valiant victory atchiued with great ioy triumph he returned into y citie amongâ— y rest ready to receiue him was his sister Horatia who knew nothing perticulerly of y which was done in y field but only y the Romayns were victors But seing a far of about her brothers shoulders y coate armour of her Cur. which she her self with needle work had curiously made being therby fully assured of his death she was driuen into these dolefull plaints Oh HeaueÌ„s what hellish sight doe I see far more dolorous and dangerous then monstrous Medusaes head And is my Curiatius slaine then care come cut in sunder my corps theÌ„ dole deliuer me to y dreadful darts of death For what lyfe alas in this lyfe is to bee counted lyfe without his life and loue for so to liue as not to liue why should I long any longer to liue What ioy in this coÌ„mon ioy can I count ioy and not him inioy who was my only â—oy No though the whole Cittie singe in triumphe I must sorrow in torment though the Romanes vaunt of victory I must complaine of ouerthrowe though they flourish in prosperytie I must fade in aduersitie though they swimme in blisse I must bath in bale though they liue in peace I must lead my lyfe in warre though they possesse pleasure I must pine away in paine For my triumph my victory my prosperytie my blisse my peace my pleasure is perished Yea now
pangues of death For as the colte the first time he is ridden snuffeth at the snaffle and thinketh the bit most bitter vnto him so the yoke of loue séemeth heauy vnto me beecause my neck neuer felte the force thereof béefore and now am I first taught to drawe my daies in dolour and griefe And so mutch the lesse I lyke this lot by how mutch the lesse I looked for it and so mutch the more sower it is by howe mutch the more soddaine it is For as the Bird that hops from bough to bough and vttreth many a pleasant note not knowinge how néere her destruction draweth on is caught in snare before shée bée ware so while I spent my time in pleasure assoone playing assoone parling now dawncing now dallying sometime laughing but always loytering and walking in the wide fields of fréedome and large leas of lybertie I was sodenly inclosed in y strait bonds of bondage But I se I sigh and sorow to see that there is no clothe so fine but moathes will eate it no yron so harde but rust will fret it no wood so sounde but wormes will putrifie it no mettall so course but fire will purifie it nor no Maide so free but loue wil bring her into thraldome and bondage But seeing the Goddes haue so appointed it why should I resist them séeing the destinies haue decreed it why shuld I withstand them seeing my Fortune hath framed it why should I frowne at it seeing my fancy is fast fixed why should I alter it seeing my bargaine is good why should I repent it seing I lose nothing by it why should I cōplain of it seing my choice is right worthy why should I mislyke it seeing Cephalus is my Saint why should I not honour him seeing hee is my ioy why shoulde I not inioy him seeing I am his why should not he be mine yes Cephalus is mine and Cephalus shall be mine or els I protest by the Heauens y neuer ani man shal be mine Euer after this shee obserued all oportunities to giue him intelligence as modestly as shee might of her goodwill towards him And as it happened a company of Gentlewomen to sit talkinge together they entred into commendation of the histories whiche beefore had bene tolde them some commending this Gentlemans stories some that according as their fancy forced them but Pro. seemed to preferre the histories of Cephalus both for that saith she his discourses differ from the rest and beesids that mee thinkes the man amendeth the matter mutch Cephalus though out of sight yet not out of hearing replied in this sorte And surely Gentlewoman the man thinketh himselfe much mended by your commendacion and assure your selfe you shall as readily commaunde him as you curteously commend him The Gentlewoman blushing hereat saide she thought hee had not bene so néere but touchinge your answere saith she I haue not so good cause to commaunde you as commend you for as I thinke you well worthy of the one so I thinke my selfe farre vnworthy of the other but bee bolde of this if at any time I commaunde you it shall bee to your commodytie I can not sayth hée but count your commaundment a cōmodytie only in that you shall thinke mée worthy to doe you seruice neither will I wish any longer to liue then I may be able or at least willing to doe you due and dutifull seruice If sir saith she softly vnto hym it were in my power to put you to sutch seruice as I thought you worthy of you should not continue in the condition of a seruant longe but your estate should bee altered and you should commaunde another while and I would obey It shal bée good misteris saith he in your powre to dispose of mée at your pleasure for I wholy cōmit my selfe to your curtesy thinking my estate more frée to serue vnder you then to raigne ouer any other whatsoeuer and I should count my selfe most happy if I might either by seruice duty or loue counteruaile your continuall goodnesse towards mee Upon this the companie brake of and therewith their talke But Cephalus seing her goodwil so great towards him began as fast to frame his fancy towardes her so y loue remained mutuall beetweene them Which her father perceuing and not lyking very well of the match for that hee thought his daughter not olde inough for a husbande nor Cephalus ritch inough for sutch a wife to breake the bond of this amitie went this way to worke Hee wrought so with the Duke of Venice that this Cep was sent post in ambassade to the Turk hoping in his absence to alter his daughters affection Which iourny as it was nothing◠ioyful to Cephalus so was it so painfull to Procris that it had almost procured her death For beeinge so warely wacht by herwaspish parents that shee coulde neither see him nor speake with him beefore his departure shee got to her chaumber window and there heauily behelde the Ship wherin hee was sorowfully sayling away Yea shee bent her eyes with such force to beehold it that shee saw the ship farther by a mile then any els could possibly ken it But when it was cleane out of her sight ▪ she sayd Now farewell my swéete cephalus farewell my ioy farwell my life ah if I might haue but geuen thée a carefull kisse and a faintinge farewell beefore thy departure I should haue bene the better able to abide thy aboad from mée and per chaunce thou woul dest the better haue mynded mée in thy absence but nowe I knowe thy wyll wyl wauer with the windes thy faith wil fleete with the flouds and thy poore Procris shall bee put cleane out of thy rememberance Ah why accuse I thée of inconstancy No I knowe the seas will first be drie beefore thy fayth from mee shall flye But alas what shal constancy prenayle if thy lyfe doe faile mée thinkes I sée the hoysinge waues lyke a huge army to assaile y sides of thy Ship me thinkes I sée the proulyng pirats which pursue thée mée thinks I heare the roaring Cannons in mine eare which are shot to sinke thee mée thinkes I see the ragged rocks whiche stande ready to reaue thy Ship in sunder mee thinkes I see the wilde beastes which rauenously runne with open mouthes to deuoure thee mee thinkes I see the théeues whiche rudely rushe out of the woods to robbe thee mée thinkes I heare the trothlesse Turke enter into conspiracy to kill thee mee thinks I feele the furyous force of their wicked weapons pitiously to spoyle thee These sights and thoughtes depriued her both of seeing and thinkinge for shee fell herewith downe dead to the grounde and when her wayting woman could not by any meanes reuiue her shee cryed out for her mother to come help who beeing come and hauinge assayed all the meanes shée could for her daughters recouery and seeinge no signe of lyfe in her shee fell to outragious outcries saiing O vniust Gods why are you the authours
deriued of our owne nature or discended from the heauens there is no reason I shoulde requier any proper or peculiar fortune to my selfe and séeke to be dispensed withal from that which is common to all and so mutche the rather I am induced to yeelde to the instinct of loue and to pursue my purpose for that I perceiue by the wanton lookes of the Quéene that she is determined to entertaine some secret friend béesides the King her husband and if I flatter not my selfe her very countinance towardes me imports some lykelyhood of loue shee beares mée therefore I think it wisdome to strike while the iron is hot and if it bée posible to ease my hart of the greif which her beuty hath bred mee And if shee be disposed to arme her husband with horned harnesse as good I be the instrument therof as some other of meaner calling and countenance After this hee sought all meanes possible to insinuate himselfe into her familiaritie courted her continually with dutiful seruice and secret signes of sincere affection hee so bribed her maides with benefits corrupted them with coyne that they made him a God vnto their misteris she could not looke out at her chamber window but that she saw him walke solitarily vnderneath casting vp countenances which séemed to containe humble praiers for pitie and compassion and throwing vp sutch sighes as might plainly signifie the sorrow of his thoughtes If she chaunced to walk abroade hee woulde méete her lyke a ghost in such ghastly maner with such a pale countenance and pined carkas that it woulde haue moued the stoany rocks to ruth But the Quéene séeing him so fast fettered in folly had that she desired and now she left her louinge lookes towardes him and the more painfully shee perceited him tormented the more disdainfully shee lokt vpon hym and would not by any signes which hee did shew of his affection séeme to know it to the intent hee should by writing make manifest his meaninge vnto her The yong GentlemaÌ„ séeing the hope which at the first he conceiued of her goodwill altogether without hap and in a manner dispairing of his purpose hee coulde take no longer dayes with his desire but that hee must know a final resolution one way or other And beeing driuen to carelesse desperatnesse hee feared not to commit his life to a tell tale péece of paper and beewrayed his miserie to his misteris in this manner Beecause most soueraigne Lady my duty and seruice heretofore hath béene nothinge acceptable to you I haue deuised a new way to woorke your contentation which is by writing to doe you to wit that since it liketh you not to geue mee lyfe I meane to beestowe vppon my selfe a desperate death the only thing I thinke which may procure you pleasure and so long as it may delight you I way not how mutch it spight mee Yea loue hath dealt so extreemly with mee that though I woulde my selfe I cannot keep my corps from confusion For as the frettinge Fistula past all cure runneth in the fleshe from place to place and maketh the sound flesh as rotten as the rest so y deadly poyson of loue first entred in at my eies and after spred into euery part of mee hath now dangerously infected my whole body vnto death But yet my death will bee nothing so gréeuous vnto me as to thinke what a blemish it wil bee to the brightnes of your beuty when your tiranny shal bee taken to bee the cause therof yea and when you shall haue no cloude at all to colour your crueltie For if you alleage for your selfe that you durst not make so deepe a wounde in your honour as to commit your body to any but to him who by marriage hath merited it why a louely looke onely would haue satisfied mee yea one glaunce of goodwill goyng from your eyes wil more content mee then all the actuall pleasure in the world receaued of any other woman in the worlde But séeing fortune doth wil and you do wish my destruction I am content to obey the decrée of the one and satisfie the desyre of the other beeseechinge you to take these witlesse wordes for a final fainting farewell wishing you continuance of beautie with increase of bountie Nether yours neither his owne VERâ—CVNDVS This Letter besprinckled with teares he gaue to one of her maides of honour to geue her But true the prouerbe is that fish bred vp in durtie pooles wil tast of mud one discended of meane race cannot bée endued with vertue fit for princely place set a begger on horsback and hée will neuer alight extoll one of base stock to degrée of dignitie and who is so haughtie who is so proude for this crafty coy Quéene hauing red his letter though she were right glad thereof for that thereby shee ment to purchase his vtter discredit with the Kinge yet shee seemed to bee in a great chafe calling him traytor that durst iniury her eyes with sutch leude letters with diuers other imputations of reproche and went presently to the Kinge and shewed him this letter who in a great rage seÌ„t his guard to apprehende him but hee hauing intelligence thereof was faine to flye the country See the force of fraude and the ende of lawles loue but marke moreouer the reward of her trechery and tiranny Her husbande euer after this was so ielous ouer her that hee woulde neuer suffer her to bee out of his sight and doatinge somewhat of her beauty but doubting more of her honesty he neuer rode forth any iourny but that hee set wary watche and warde ouer her at home yea this furious féende of hel did so torment him that hee could take no rest day nor night but his fancy still ran either vppon theÌ„ Gentleman that would haue done him that iniurie either vppon some other that shoulde be lyke to serue him in like sorte so that the pleasure which her proper person procured him was drowned with y doubt lest she would not remaine proper vnto him and that she would bee as common in possession as she was proper in personage Alas saith hee now my ioy is at an end y clouds of care haue quight couered my sun and light of solace delight yea the greater pleasure I take in practising with my Pasiphae y greater feare I haue that others déepely desyre to participate with y pleasure And the more free she is in sutch fréendship towards me y more franck I doubt she will be towards other Ah would to God I had neuer bene married rather then to bee thus martired or els would I had matcht with some sutch whose princely nature woulde haue participated only with Princes and whose royall bloude and birthe might haue feared the baser sorte to presume to practise her to their purposes but my chaunce was to chuse one who if as the sayinge is like like best of their likes is like to like better of any other then of my selfe
mee to this hurt and mischiefe no no the gods guide vs to goodnesse the furies of hell it is that force vs to silthynesse neyther doth it any way deserue the name of loue which bringeth such torment to my troubled minde that all the diuels in the world could not do the like But sée my rashnes why am I so blindly bolde beastly to blaspheme against that which procéedes altogether of nature which nature hath imparted to all men and which I ought to follow without repininge or resistinge for so long as I follow nature as my guide I cannot doe amisse seing nature hath taught vs to loue why should I not rather prooue her precepts then reproue that which by natures lore is allowed and touchinge torment of minde or either inconuenience that it bringeth is it all able to impaire the least ioy which I shall inioy in imbracinge my Camma is it not meete that hée which would reape should sowe he that would gather fruite should plant trées hée that would reach the swéete rose should now then be scratched with the sharpe briers I meane it is meet if I purpose to possesse so proper a péece as Camma is that I should sly no labour or refure any peril in the pursute therof And here vpon he determined to follow the fury of his fancy what pangues or perils soeuer hée incurred therby and hauing reuolued many wayes in his minde how hée might aspire to his purpose at length he resolued vpon this to institute a sumptuous Banquet wherto hée inuited the chéeif of the citie among whom Synnatus and his wife Camma were not forgotten to wit the only autors of the feaste Now for the more royall receiuinge of his guestes he met them at the entry into his Palaice and gaue them this gréeting Faire Ladies as I am right ioyfull of your presence so am I no les sorowfull for the paines which you haue taken in vndertaking so great a iourney this dark and misty euening for the which I must account my selfe so mutch the more beholdinge to you by how much greater your labour was in comming and by how mutch lesse your chere shal be able to counteruayle it now you are come taking Camma by the hande hee sayd softly vnto her I pity the peines of these gentlewomen the les for that you were in their company whose piersing eyes as celestiall starres or heauenly lampes might serue for lightes in the darke whose swéete face might parfume the aier from all noysome smels which might annoy them and by beholding your louely lookes and perfect shape they might take sutch delight that the wearynesse of the way could nothing molest or gréeue them Camma hearing her selfe so greatly praysed of so great a personages as hée was could not kéepe the Roseal redde out of her Alablaster chéekes and thinking no sutch serpentine malice to lie hid vnder these merry and sugred woordes shée gaue him this courteous answere If Sir the company had made no better prouision for lights and other thinges necessary then sutch as you speake of they might soone haue slipt into the mier but as I perceiue by your woords you are disposed to iest and bée méery so I am content for this once to bée made the instrument thereof thereby to ease some part of the paines which you are like to take in receiuing sutch troublesome guestes as wee are and for our chere you néede take no thought for it shal be so mutch to good for vs by how mutch lesse wée haue deserued any at all at your handes After this amarousin counter he caused the company to sit downe to the banquet and so disposed the matter that Gamma sat right ouer at the table against him wherby hée fréely fed his eyes on that meat which conuerted rather to nourishment of sicknesse then to wholesome humours of health For as the finest meates that bée eaten by one in extremity of sicknesse resolue not to pure bloud to strengthen the body but to watrish humors to féede the feuer and disease so though her face and lookes were fine and swéete and brought delight to all the beholders els yet to him they wrought onely torment and trouble of minde and notwithstanding hee perceiued her beauty to bréed his bane her lookes to procure the losse of his liberty and that as the Cocatrice by sight only sleath so shée by courteous countenance onely killed and wounded his hart yet could he not refrain his eyes from beholding her but according to the nature of the sickly pacient which cheifly desireth that which cheiflye is forbidden him hée so incessantly threw his amarous glaūces towards her that his eies were altogether bleared with her beauty and shée also at the length began to perceiue his louing lookes towards her which made her looke pale in token of the litle pleasure shee tooke in his toyes and of the great feare shee had least some other should marke them wherby her good name might come in question The banquet beeing ended euery one prepared themselues to heare a stage playe which was then ready to bée presented But Synorix being able to play but one part which was of a pore passionat louer determyned to go forward with the tragedy already begun betwéene Camma and him and séeing her set out of the husbandes sight placed him self by her and entred into reasoning with her to this purpose If faier lady this simple banquet had bene so swéete and pleasant to your séemely selfe and the rest as your sight is delightful to mee I am perswaded you would not haue changed your chere for Nector and Ambrosia which the Poetes faygned to bée the foode of the goddes but seeing there was no cause of delighte in the one and the other contayneth that in it which may content the gods them selues I shall desier you in good part to accept the one and courteously to accounte me worthy to inioy the other And though I haue not here tofore by dutifull seruice manifested vnto you the loyalty of my loue yet if my poore hart could signifie vnto you the assaults it hath suffred for your sake I doubt not but you would confesse that by force of loue I had woon you were worthy to weare you For albeit by humane lawes your husband only haue interest in you yet by natures lawes which beinge more auncient ought to be of more auctority he ought to inioy you which ioyeth most in you which loueth you best indureth most paine for your sake for proufe of natures lawes it may please you to consider the quality of the shée woulfe who alway choseth that woulfe for her make who is made most leane and foule by following her besides that my tytle marcheth vnder the ensigne of iustice which is a vertue giuinge to euery one accordinge to his deserte and that the desert of loue is onely loue againe I know you are not to know for all the goods in the worlde are not
ship be shaken with angry blastes yet in time I doubt not but to bee safely landed on the shore and haue my share of that which the showres of shroad fortune shall keepe mee from Hee is not worthy to sucke the sweete who hath not first sauored the sower And as the beauty of a faire woman beeing placed by a foule blaseth more brightly so eche ioy is made more pleasant by first tasting some sower sops of sorrow Did not the perill which Leander ventred in the sea and the paine which hee tooke in swimming make his arriuall to the hauen of his heauenly Hero more happy and pleasaunt Yes no doubt of it for besides the feelinge of the present pleasure the rememberance of the perill past delighteth Beesides that by how mutch more a man hazardeth him selfe for his misteris sake by so mutch the more hee manifesteth the constancy of his loue and meriteth méede at her handes the more woorthily This saying also is no lesse tried then true that fortune euer fauoureth the valiaunt and things the more hard the more haughty high and heauenly neither is any thing hard to bee accomplished by him which hardily enterpriseth it With these and sutch like sayinges incouraginge him self hée purposed to pursue his purpose and failed not daily to attend vpon his Misteris withal dutie and diligence and sought all occasions hee could to let her vnderstande his loyall loue and great good wyll towardes her which she perceiuing disdayned not acknowledge by her amiable and curtuous countinaunce towards him wherewith he helde himselfe as well satisfied as if he had bene made Monarche of the whole world And though he were often determined in woordes to present his sute vnto her yet when it came to the poynt he shoulde haue spoken feare of offending her altogether disappointed his purpose and made him mute in the matter he minded to vtter but at length perceiuing that delay bred danger for that she had many other suters and féeling by experience that as fire the more it is kept downe the more it flameth vp so loue the more he sought to suppresse him the more fiery forces he expressed within him he began to set feare aside and to force a supplye of courage in his faint harte and seeing his Misteris sit in the presence alone he entred into reasoning with her in this manner Madame for that I sée you without company I am the bolder to presume to preace in place wherof though I be altogether vnworthy yet am I altogether willing to supplye it and if my companie may content you as well as your sight satisfieth mee I doubte not but you will accept it in good part and so mutch the lesse I hope my company shal be combersome vnto you for that you are busied about nothing wherto my presence may be preiudiciall And verely when I consider the common cource of life which your sweete self and other maides of your estate leade methinkes it is altogether like the spendinge of your time at this present which is with your leaue bée it spoken idly vnfruitefully without pleasure or profit and if my credite were sutch with you to craue credite for that which I shall speake I would not doubt but to perswade you to another trade of life more commendable in the world more honourable amongest all men and more acceptable in the sight of god For beléeue mée I pity nothing more then virgins vaine piety who thinke they merit meede for liuinge chastly when in deede they deserue blame for spending their time wastly Sir sayth shee as your company â—ontenteth me wel inough so your talke liketh mee but a litle for though I must confesse I sit at this present without dooinge any thinge yet in my fancie it is better to bée idle then ill imployed as your selfe are now in reprehendinge that state of life which excelleth all other as far as the sunne both a starre or light darkenesse and wherin I meane for my part to passe the pilgrimage of this my short life if either god dispose mee not or my friendes force mee not to the contrary God forbid Madame saith he you should continue your time in any such trifling trade of lyfe which indeede is to be counted no lyfe at all as the Grecian Ladies most truly testyfie who as Homer reporteth count their age from the time of their marriage not from the day of their birth and if they be demaunded how olde they be they begin to recken from their mariage and so answer accordingly For then onely say they we begin to liue when we haue a house to gouerne and may commaunde ouer our children and seruants Tush saith the Lady this is but the sentence and proper opinion of one peculyer people who perchaunce by the nature of their country or otherwise are more desierus of husbands then other neither is it any more reason that we should be tied to their example theÌ„ they be bound to follow our virgin Vestals or other who consume the whole course of their life without contaminating their corps with the company of men Nay rather sayth he without receiuyng their perfection from men according to the opinion of Aristotle But Madame I did not produce that example as necessary for all to follow but as probable to proue and shew what course a count they made of virginitie which you so highly esteeme of But to leaue perticuler opinions and come to generall constitutions and customes I meane both naturall humaine and deuine lawes and you shall see them all to make agaynst you And first if you consider natures lawes which in the dooynges of creatures without reason are playnly set downe you shall sée no liuing wight in the vniuersall world but that so soone as by age they are apt therto apply themselues to that life whereby their kinde may bée conserued and number increased Behold the high flyinge Faulcon which soareth so high in the ayre that a man would think she would stoope to neither Lure nor lust yet shee is no sooner an entermuer or at the fardest a white Hauke but that of her owne accorde shee commeth to the call of the tassell gentle her make Likewise the Doe which sâ—ingeth so freely aboute the wooddes as though shée made no account of the male yet shee is no sooner a sores sister but that shee séekes the society of the bucke Yea if it would please your séemely selfe to enter into the consideration of your owne nature or if your curtesy would accounte mee worthy to haue the examination of your secrete thoughtes I doubt not but you would confesse your selfe to â—lee a firy force of that naturall inclination which is in other creatures which being so you must graunt to deale vnnaturall in resisting that naturall motion which cannot bée ill or idle bicause nature hath planted it in you for God and nature doo nothinge vainely or vily And in that some doe amisse in rebellinge against nature their owne scrupulous nicenesse
graunt of your goodwill in marriage without my consent Is the pietie towardes your parents and the dutie of a daughter towardes her father so vtterly forgotten that you will prefer the loue of an vnthrift before my displeasure to please him care not to displease your parentes who trauayle to bestow you with one worthy your estate and ours No neuer thinke Germanicus shall inioy you with my goodwill nor neuer take mee for your father if you graunt him your goodwill Agrippina hearing this cruell conclusion of her father with bashfull countenance and tremblynge tounge framed her answer in this fourme I béeséeche you good father not to thinke mee so gracelesse a child as once to thinke mutchlesse to do any thing whiche may heape your heauinesse or hasten your death the least of whiche two would bee more bitter vnto mee then death For if it please you to vnderstande I haue not graunted my good will to any vnlesse your consent bee gotten therto Neither haue I as you say preferred the loue of an vnthrift béefore your displeasure but as I cannot let that noble gentleman Germanicus to loue mee so can I not to confesse the truth but loue him mary in hart only for my body as you gaue it me so shall you dispose of it and as I faithfully promise you by the loue which of dutie I owe you that I will neuer haue any to husbande without your good will so I humbly béeséeche you for the affection which by nature you beare mée that you will neuer force mée to any without my good will. For if for the transitorie life you haue giuen mee you make mee pay so derely as to bée linked with one agaynst my likyng I must néedes count it a hard pennyworthe and well may I wish that I had neuer béene borne I béeseche you sir consider the inconueniences alwayes incident to those marriages where there is more respect of money then of the man of honours then of honestie of goods then of good will of the parties eche to other What strife what iarres what debate at bed at bourd at home and abroade aboute this about that neuer quietnesse with contentation neuer merry countenance without counterfaityng neuer louyng deedes without dissemblyng And whence but from this rotten roote springeth so many dishonest women so many ill liuyng men Is it not the lothyng of neuer liked lips that maketh women stray from theyr husbandes to straungers And is it not either the difference of yéeres either y diuersitie of manners or disagréement of natures that maketh the husband forsake his wife and follow other women And where are any of these differences or in equalities béetween the married but where the force of freendes not liberty of loue linketh them together These thinges by your wisdome considered I trust as you restraine mee from one whom I loue so you will not constraine mée to any whom I loue not In so dooing doubt you not but you shall finde in mée modesty méete for a maide vertue fit for a virgin duty méet for a daughter obedience fit for a childe Her father hauing mildly heard her modest talke tolde her hee ment not to force her to any but would prouide her a husband whom hee doubted not should like her better euery way then Germanicus did and therfore willed her to put out of her minde the likeinge shee had conceiued of him and so gaue hir leaue to depart And beeing in her chamber shee began to deuise all the meanes shee could to roote out of her heart the loue shee bare Germanicus and assone reuoked to her memory his lacke of liuing his litle countenance and credite assone her fathers displeasure and her owne preferment with many other discommodities arising that way But nothing preuayled for as the bird caught in lime or conny in hay or deare in toyle the more they strine the faster they sticke so y more diligently shee laboured to get out of the Labyrinth of loue the more doubtfully was shee intricated therein And as one climbing on high his feete fayling and he in daunger to fall more firmly fasteneth his hold then hee did before so loue seeinge him selfe ready to bee dislodged out of her breast tooke sutch sure holde and fortified him selfe so strongly within her that no force was of force to fetche him from thence Which the good gentlewoman perceiuinge thought best for her ease and quiet to yeeld to the sommonce of loue to bee disposed at his pleasure Wherin no doubte shée had reason for as the swifte runninge streame if it bee not stopped runneth smoothly away with out noyse but if there bée any dam or locke made to stay the course therof it rageth and roareth and swelleth aboue the bankes so loue if wee obay his lore and yeeld vnto his might dealeth gently with vs and raigneth ouer vs like a louinge Lorde but if wee withstande his force and seeke to stay the passage of his power hee rageth ouer vs like a cruell tiraunt Which this gentle woman as I sayd perceiuinge without any more resistance determined in her hart to loue Germanicus only and euer Now Germanicus notwithstandinge the angry lookes of the father the frowninge face of the mother and the strange counterfayte countenance of the daughter followed his sute so effectually vsed sutch apt perswasions to the maide and in short time insinuated himselfe so farre into hir familiaritie that her parentes lowred not so fast but shée allured as fast and thought shée receiued no other contentation in the whole worlde but in his company which her parentes perceiuinge and besides dreadinge the Emperours displeasure thought as good by their consent to let them goe together as by seueritie to kéepe them a sunder whom the goddes seemed to ioyne together And so mutch the rather they were induced therto for that they saw their daughter so affected to Germanicus that the hearinge of any other husbande was hatefull and hurtfull vnto her And herevpon the mariage was concluded and consummated and to this bargaine only the fancy of Germanicus forced him nowe see whither his ambicious desire draue him for beeing in proper possession of his proper wife he was not able to maintain her according as his princely minde desired for y his owne lyuing was litle and her parentes would not part with mutch bicause shee had matched her self not any thing to their minde where vpon in hope of preferment and aduauncing his estate he applied him selfe diligently to the Emperours seruice and in shorte time with valiant exploytes atchiued in warre and great wisdome and discretion shewed in time of peace hee wonne sutch credite with the Emperour that hee held him most deare vnto him and caused him to bee proclaimed heire apparent to his crowne Empire With which newes Germanicus congratulated his new maried wife in this sort It is not vnknowen vnto mee dere wife that for my sake you haue somwhat sustained the ill will and displeasure of your freendes
your subtelty to deceiue our simplicity and by a fewe filed woordes to bring vs into a fooles paradise Yea you haue set it down as a setled sentence amongst you that he which knoweth not how to dissemble knoweth not how to liue Therfore I yéeld no other faith to your wordes then their faygned falshoode deserues nor no other consent to your requeste then the smal acquaintance you haue with mée may iustly craue But if hereafter in déedes I shall see as playne proufe of perfect goodwill as your wordes import likelyhood of ernest loue perchaunce I shal bée as zelous to cast liking towardes you as now I am ielous to cast doubtes of you By this time dinner was serued in wherevpon their talke ceased and presently after dinner the Gentleman had occasion to depart Now Eriphile beeinge alone in her own house béegan to discourse vpon this matter by her selfe and notwithstandinge shee had no great minde to the man yet shee felt in her selfe a great lust to his landes and thought her selfe more then happy if shee might haue them safely assured and made ouer vnto her and in this thought vttred wordes to this sence Why what though I can not finde in my heart to loue and like him aboue all other Is it requisite that euery mariage bée grounded on loue as though we see not daily some to marry in respect of ritches some in respecte of honours some by constraint of freindes some vpon sundri other considerations and for my parte I count it sufficient to haue married once of meere loue ▪ and hauinge lost him whom I did loue intirely I thinke it not lawfull or at least not possible euer to loue any againe hartely For true loue euer decayeth when the party truly béeloued dieth And as my heart is hardened to take his death paciently so will it not bee mollified to suffer the loue of any other to sinke therein déepely Like as the potters clay beeing once hardened in the Ouen will not bee made soft againe to receiue the impression of any other forme But to speake my fancy freely I see not how wee women are bound to loue our husbandes so mutch wee are onely commaunded to honour and obay them which I count sufficiente and more then for my part I meane to perfourme Besides that loue consisteth in the heart now it is our bodies only that are bound to our husbande 's as by ioyning of handes béefore the congregation is plainely shewed But if I determine not to loue him how can I looke for any loue at his handes Tush that is the least matter amongest a hundred so long as I may abound in brauery ruffle in ritches and participate with his goods I care not to communicate in loue with him I am to olde now to liue by loue And yet wherefore is womens wit counted full of wyles if I bee not able so to dissemble the matter that hee maye thinke I loue him deepely though I hate him deadly But if it should come to the woorst that hee should perceiue my dissembling towardes him and reward my colde kindenesse with heate of hate why I know the worst of it So that all things considered I see not how I can doe better then to accept this gentlemans offer whose large landes and reuenewes are able to supplie al other wants whatsoeuer For what disease is so desperate which mony may not medicine what wound so deadly which coine can not cure What life so lothsome which goods can not make gladsome Shortly after this there made repayre vnto her house ▪ a youth more wilfull then wise named Infortunio who hauinge seene her once or twice beefore was so bleared with her beauty that it dazeled his sight and tooke away his foresight in all things and comming to her presence hée proferred sutch lamentable sute and ghostly resemblances vnto her that a rigorous repulse séemed sufficient to procure him a present death The Gentlewoman seeing the furious assaultes of this freshe water souldiour knew how to traine him to the fielde of her falshood and to make him march vnder the ensigne of a marciles Misteris and cruell captaine and sometimes fed him with wordes of comfort to put him in hope and by and by feared him with doubtes of deniall to driue him into dispaire And as the North East winde first gathereth vp the cloudes and then by puffes putteth them abroade agayne so shee first by louely lookes allured to bringe him in and then with frowninge face lowred to driue him away the only end beeing to sport her selfe in his paine yea and if shée could of his good will to make some gaine The poore gentleman perceiuinge these haggard trickes and that assone shée would be wel comming to the lure and by and by checke at it and soare away was so amazed ther at that hée knew not what to resolue vpon And as a trée hewen round with axes ready to fall with a blowe or twaine ▪ tottereth euery way béeing vncertaine which way to fall ▪ so his minde distracted with doubtfull deuises wauered vnconstanly nowe bending this way now bowing that way willing to retire his desire but not able to set his fancy frée And not with standinge her peruerse dealinge pitifully perplexed and terribly tormented him yet hée perswaded himselfe that as from most sharpe thornes to wit the Rose tree spring most swéete flowers so from bitter annoy would come pleasaunt ioy and of his heauy sute happy successe Tush saith hée y Merchant often sliceth the seas though not sure to returne with gaine The souldiour often ventreth his body in the field though not sure of booty the husband man still tilleth the ground though not certaine to saue his seed but yet hope of good hap carieth all these to their enterprises and why should not the same hope worke the same effect with mee Yes nothing venter nothing haue I wil pursue my purpose whatsoeuer come of it Now the gentlewoman as I sayd ceased not to bayte him continually with courtly banquets as dissembled fauour vncertaine hope curteous congies amiable lookes and sutch like but hée on the contrary as one that ment truly ceased not to feed her with faire words with faithfull promises with ernest othes with many a ritch iewel and costly gifte which shée willingly receiued without condition and wilyly kept with out restitution In this meane while came the other wooer againe to renew his sute a freshe and séeinge this younge Gentleman as hée thought in great fauour began greatly to feare his owne part and thought the grasse had bene cut from vnder his féete and as a conning Pilot séeing the seas rough and the winde contrary to his course casteth ancker least his ship bée driuen against the rockes or into some coast contrary to his minde so this Gentleman fearinge least wilfull waues in y gentlewoman should set her fast in the sands of slipper subtelty and dash his sute against the rockes of repulse hauld in
sute of the beseiger Neither is y prisoner to bée pitied who beeinge iudge ioyed only in staerity and cruelty neither is that clientes cause to bée considered who beeing a counsaylor dealt in the cases of other without conscience The gentlewoman séeinge her selfe thus reprochfully repulsed in very colorike conceites consumed away and died I am héere gentlewomen to admonish you not to suffer your selues to be caryed away with couetousnesse you sée to what miserable ende it brought this maried disloyall couple and as wel for your sakes as mine owne I would wish you who are indued with wealth sufficient to make a man as they say who are at your owne disposition and choice not to yéeld your selues as a pray to any who hath no néede of your wealth neither will gratefully accept your goodes but rather frankly to bequeath your selues to some poore younger brother who may thinke himself made by marrying you who may thanke his wise onely for his wealth who may impute his happinesse onely to hauing you whom you may binde to you by benefits who will no doubt indeuour to counterpeise your lyuing with his loue and your goodes with his good will who will rather serue you then séeke superiorytie ouer you who will rather be your man then your master your Liege then your Lorde your subiect then your soueraigne wherby you shal liue as you list your profits shall pleasure you your gooddes shall do you good And what so euer bee your common saying that you must as well loue to liue as liue to loue yet surely in my fancie I thinke it farre better for a married couple to liue together without liuinge then without loue for what litle liuing will suffice nature who knoweth not but what lothed liues be where loue doth lack looke but into the liues of the parties but now reported vnto you And if you credite not my report of them no more but marke your poore neighbours how quietly and merily they passe theyr time in pouertie assisted only by the calme of contentment and loue and then conuert your eyes to the view of many oother estates and looke how vnpleasantly and vncontentedly they spende their daies molested by the stormes of strife debate and hate Which contemplation I hope wil so confirme your iudgements that you will alwaies prefer loue before liuing or at least not so to respect th one as to neglect the other or at least if it be posible to ioine the one with the other Another thing also the death of Eriphile may driue into your mindes that you rage not lyke tyraunts ouer those whom your beautye hath made your bonslaues for you must know that it is more glory to vse the victory moderately then to get it mightely and farre more holdes haue bene woonne by clemencie then by crueltie For when the inhabitants know the captaines curtesie they wil rather yéeld to his assured mercy then stand to the doubtfull euent of battayle so gentlewomen if you minde to make breach into the harts of many and to win the fort of their faithes vnto you if you craue to conquer the goodwilles and to be courted with the seruice of suters you must with modestie make much of them with curtesie counteruaile their kindnesse with gratefulnesse accept their good wil with liberalitie requight their loue and with honest plainenesse answer to their demaundes you must not féede them with falshod draw them en with delay and torment them with trifling as Eriphile dyd her Infortunio to her owne infortunate hap as it luckely afterwards did light for it is Gods word and will that such measure as is met shall be measured againe and they that delight to drowne other in dolour shall not swimme long in pleasure them selues I knowe not what effecte my wordes will take for that I know not how you courtlye dames accounte of my cunninge but before mine owne face I am able to assure you this that the girles of our parish think that welch Sir Richard him selfe can not make a better preache then I can but it may be you wil thinke me ouer saucy with my lisping lips to prefer persuasions to them who are as voyde of folly euery way as my selfe of wit any way Yet considering how quietlye you tooke the rude railing of Amphiaraus against you I neede not doubt but that you will take in good part wordes whiche are well ment towardes you and if not follow them yet not mislike them and rather waigh the will of the speaker then the worth of the wordes Icilius and Uirginia ICILIVS a younge Gentleman of Rome fallynge in loue with Virginia is refused by her friendes for want of sufficient wealth but priuily contracteth himselfe vnto her and departeth into the warres Appius Claudius burning with vnchaste lust of the same mayden the better to obtayne her causeth Clodius his client to clayme her for his bondslaue and giueth wrongfull iudgement on his side But Virginius her father at her ernest request slayeth her with his owne handes to preserue her virginitie from the villainie of Appius who for that fact is cast into prison where desperatly hee doth himself to death IT is a doubt often debated but not yet decided whether loue discendeth from the heauens deriueth of our owne nature procéedeth of the similitude of manners commeth of acquaintance and familiarity taketh originall of our education and bringinge vp together whether it ariseth of beauty or of vertue whether it entreth in at the eyes or first bée rooted in the hart whether the cause come from the party that loueth or the party loued or whether it bée in our power to loue or to leaue I leaue to other to resolue vpon for for my part I yeeld god thankes for it I haue as yet been so litle troubled with loue that I know not what it is nor from whence it commeth and when I muse theron I am as bad troubled as Symonides was to thinke and say what god was but if an opinion grounded vpon reason without any proper experience on mine owne part may take place I thinke loue cheifly to bee grounded vpon the similitude of manners shewed and signified by familiarity and abode together For it is daily seene that those parties who at the first incountry and vew haue rather disâ—iked then loued ech other by continuance of conuersation and by conferring eche others conditions and nature together haue fallen into the fire of most feruent affection For true loue and faythful freindship is to will and to nill one thinge to haue one obiect of appetite and to haue like effect of affection I know there are infinite instances to bee giuen to this assertion for that some haue beene surprised with loue only vpon a louing looke some vpon a curteous word some vpon a single sight some vpon a vaine vision some vpon a doubtful dreame some vpon an vncertaine report and some some other way But as one swallow makes not sommer so one
particularity concludeth no generality And as an Aethiopian is sayd generally to bée blacke though his téeth bée white for that for the most partes of him hee is black so I thinke loue may bee sayd generally to procéede of the similitude of manners for that for the most part it doth so And besides infinite other examples which I can alleage for proofe hereof the historie which you shal presently heare shall also confirme it In the renowmed citie of Rome made his abode one Icilius who though hée were a gentleman of a worshipful house yet by reason that his parentes were yet lyuinge his patrimony was not great neither his liuinge more then might suffice to maintaine the porte of the place and countenance hée caried in the citie by reason wherof hee remained vnmaried as béeing not able to maintayne a wife accordinge to the estate of his callinge It was his chaunce amongest other youthfull company to passe the time for the space of a sennight in feasting and makinge merry at the house of one L. Virginius a worshipful gentleman of the same citie who had to daughter a damsell named Virginia who as shée was of ripe yeres so was shée of ripe iudgement and discretion in euery point beelonginge to a vertuous virgin modest maide Her shape though it were not precise yet was it perfecte her face though it were not blasinge yet was it beautifull her corps though it were not curious yet was it comely and as nature plentifully planted perfection in her so God super aboundantly bestowed his benefits vpon her sutch grauity in gesture sutch modesty in manners sutch curtesy in conuersation sutch troth in talke sutch wit in reasoning that Minerua her selfe could not haue mended her that it was doutfull whether men were more rapte into admiration of her wisdome or rauished in contemplation of her beauty the one contayninge contentment for the body the other solace and delight for the minde Now Icilius being in the company and society of this saint vsed litle other behauiour towardes her aboue his common regard to all the Gentlewomen of the troupe but spent his time in dauncinge dysinge cardinge and other sutch pastimes And notwithstanding this while he often felt a certaine restraint of liberty in his affections an alteration of minde and as it were a ciuell assault and discord within him selfe yet by reason of his younge yeres and small practise in the pangues of loue hee could not coniecture the cause of his sodaine passions but this made him most to muse that when hee was in his most dumps if shee chaunced to present her selfe to his presence his heart was presently lightned of that which lay so heauy in his stomake and as when the sun shineth the cloudes vanish away so when her beauty blazed in place the cloudes of care were cleare consumed Likewise beeinge often desirous to talke with her inioy the present pleasure of her pleasant speeche his sences were so rauished with the sight of her y he could not vtter one word vnto her Sitting also at the table with her casting a gazinge glaunce round about him his sight was neuer satisfied vntill hee had lent her a looke and séemed only to resolue his fancy vpon her face But notwithstandinge all this hee did not thorowly perceiue the cause of his sodain trouble of minde and thought it as it was a toy lightly taken so would it bée lightly left againe and therfore departed from her fathers house without preferring any sute vnto her or adding execution to the aduantage of the time and place But beeinge gone home and gotten solitarily to his chamber good god what mountaines of smooke did scaldinge sighes send foorth of his mouth what drops of bloud did galdinge greife make his heart to bléed what flouddes of teares did flow from his eyes what carefull complaints did hée send vnto the skies saying O heauens why heape you my heauinesse O planets why plant you my paine O destines why decrée yée my distruction O Gods why depriue you mée of liberty nowe my younge yéeres chalenge to liue most fréely O fortune why doest thou mixe my swéete meate with sutch sower sauce y is more bitter then gall and nolesse pleasaunt then death vnto mée Must the litle delight which I tooke in the company of Virginia wherof I fully vnderstood not her to bée the cause neither bée counteruayled with sutch direfull dispight and for the pleasure which her presence procured mée must her absence purchase me sutch displeasure then to true doe I finde that euery dram of delight hath a pound of spight and euery inch of ioy an ell of annoy annexed vnto it then well may I curse the chaunce y cause and the company which caused mée to come to that place which hath caught mée in sutch bondage And may I terme it bondage to liue in the seruice and contemplation of my Virginia Is it slauery to bée thrall to vertue It is her bountie not her beutie that bindeth mée it is her curtesy not her comlinesse that I care for it is her perfection not her person that I passe of it is her condiditions not her colour that I acount of for beuty bideth not comelinesse continueth not personage perisheth coulour fadeth but bounty curtesie perfection and conditions remaine for euer So that if I liue in bondage it is to vertue if I bée a slaue I am vertues slaue But doth vertue vse to torment men thus béelike that is the cause there are so few honest and vertuous No I ought not to count my trouble a torment but the fine gold must bee purified in the flaming fire white siluer is wrought in blacke pitch glory must bee gotten thorow depth of daunger and pleasure must bée purchased with the price of paine And though absence now be some torment to try mee and though dolour now drowne mee in the seas of sorrow yet doubt I not but shortly to swim in the fluds of feliciti and take land there where my heart hath already pitcht his abode But O presumptuous foole whether doth folly force mec doo I hope to win her whom my vnworthynesse willeth me not so mutch as to wish for Yea which way soeuer I goe to worke I am sure to haue a colde sute of it for if I profer her my seruice dishonestly why her vertue abhorreth it if I make loue in way of mariage her estate and ritches refuseth it O god and shall goods bee more accounted of then goodwill lucre more then loue Is the counsayle of Themistocles altogether reiected who willeth men rather to marry their daughters to a man that wanteth mony then to mony y wanteth a man to vse it Is the world so blinded in couetousnesse to prefer liuinge before learning wealth before wit Then farewell true freindship if it bée not grounded vpon loue then farewell true loue if mariage bée not the end of it then farewell true mariage if mony make it then
resteth for mee onely to beewayle my euill hap to lament my luckelesse loue and neuer to attempt that I am like neuer to attaine vnto By this time the earth was couered with a darke mantell and by reason that the Sun was departed out of our Horizon the light of the starres which the Sun lendeth them béegan to appeare in the firmamente where vpon this poore passionate louer weried with woe disposed him selfe to rest but hee whose bane loue hath brued neither by night nor by day neither in company nor solitary neither sléeping nor waking can take any rest or quiet For hee was no sooner in a slumber but the goddesse of his deuotions presently presented her selfe béefore him sayinge Myne owne why doest thou thus torment thy selfe for my sake who suffer no litle greife to see thy great sorrow wherfore be bolde to aske any thing at my hands honestly and bee sure I will graunt it willingly for I perswade my selfe the heauens haue reserued mee for thée Icilius hearinge as hée hoped this heauenly voice and séeing as hée thought that saint by his bed side with open armes reached to imbrace her but béeinge awaked with open eyes hée saw hee was deceiued which sodaine fall from heauen to hell tooke away his breath from him for a while but béeing come to him selfe hée began to cry out in this carefull manner O God is it not sufficient to vexe mée with vanities in the day time vnlesse thou torment mée with visions also in the night haue I not woe inough awake but that béesides I must haue sorrow in sleepe What gréeuous offence haue I committed that deserueth sutch gréeuous punishment if this bée the rewarde of them that loue woe woe bée to them that hate thou hast commaunded vs all to loue one another and if thou thus punishe the fulfillers of thy law what shall béecome of the transgressors therof but if thou bee disposed to punish mée and displeased with my deedes neuer suffer mée hereafter to do any thynge but cast mée into sutch a sleepe wherin I was erwhile and therein let mée continue continually O happy was Endymion who longe time inioyed the like sleepe O ten times happie are the dead if death bée any thynge like this sleepe But O hundred times vnhappie am I to whom wakyng is waylefull wheras to all thynges els it is ioyfull But was this but a vision which deluded mee was it but a dreame whiche I doated on And if it were but a dreame doth it portend nothyng and may there be effect in dreames Yea god wot commonly the contrary or as Cato saith wée sée sleeping that which wée wish for wakyng So that neither in dreaming nor doing neither in sleepyng nor séeyng neither in thinkyng nor sayinge finde I any cause of comfort or see any signe of solace This youthe passed his time so longe in these and sutch like passions that the carefull cariage of his eyes bewrayed his carefull minde and his pale countenance his painfull case Which a special fréend of his perceiuyng tooke sutch compassion and pitie on his painfull state that hée sought all meanes possible to sift out the cause of his sorrow to the intent to séeke some medicine for his maladie And hauyng oportunitie of time and place hée brake with him in this sorte Good freende if I should shew you what great sorrow I sustayne by your heauinesse you would perchaunce iudge my words to proceede rather of flattery and trifling then of truth but no more but trie how willyng I wil be to ease your payne and by that iudge how greatly it gréeueth mee But how great so euer my gréeif bee my wonder is more then great to sée you transfourmed from the estate of a pleasant Gentleman into sutch solitarie regardes that you séeme rather a Tymon of Athens then a courtier of Italy and so mutche the more cause I haue of meruayle by how mutch lesse I sée any apparent cause which should worke any sutch alteration in you For if want of worldly wealth coulde worke your woe why you want nothyng if you would eate golde as they say you might haue it If losse of freendes molest you why you haue an infinite number whiche loue you intirely If you bee disposed to trauayle to see straunge countries your parents wil bee well pleased with your departure If you bee wearie of your single life your freendes will foorthwith prouide for your Marriage If any repulse receyued of any dayntie dame doo daunt you why the Goddes them selues haue suffred the like as Daphne a seely damsel refused the God Phoebus Syrinx a simple mayde reiected the God Pan with infinite other If you haue fixed your fancie in place you thinke impossible to possesse why you haue reason to rule your affection you haue wit to compasse your desire you haue fréends to further it you want nothynge to finish it With this his colour beegan to chaunge and hee fetcht a deepe sighe or two whereby his freend perceiued hee had touched the cause of his calamitie and sore of his sorrow praying him very ernestly to vnfolde the secrets of his thoughtes vnto him sayinge two wittes are better then one and that which you blinded perchaunce by loue can not see I stirred vp by desire to doo you good may perceiue And for secrecy in your affaires assure your selfe that neuer Pithias to his Damon Pylades to his Orestes nor Gysâ—ppus to his Titus was more true then I will bee to you And though your learninge and wit to knowe what is best for your owne behalfe bee far better then mine yet the simplenesse of my wit shal bee supplied with the sincerenesse of my will which shal be alwayes so ready prest to pleasure you that if my seruice may satisfie you you shall commaund mee if my company may content you I will neuer be out of your sight if I may any way stand you in any steede account mee your owne only Icilius hearing this friendly discourse could not but say in his heart O friend vnfained O loue most loyall O curtesy incomparable and imbracinge fast his freend in his armes sayd if al the miseries in the world did muster in multitudes about mee yet this thing only is of force to fence mee from their furies to thinke I inioy so firme a friend as your selfe are and if I may liue but to requite some part of your good wil it is the second felicity I loke for in this life But touching the cause of my perplexity I must craue pardon if I make courtsy to disclose it for that many euils cary this nature rather to bee concealed with griefe then reuealed in hope of releife And as a greene wound by taking the aire spredeth farther abroad and is the hardlier healed so I thinke my tormente and greife beeinge once discouered would not bee so easely cured If sayth his frend the originall of your euil proceede of loue as in my fancy it doth then vndoubtedly the
of body and soule I thinke I may by more right craue your helpe herein for that partly by your meanes I am fallen into this extremity for y you would not agree to y consummation of the mariage betweene Icilius and mee and howe you can deliuer mee but by deliuering mee to death I see not for that your power is to weake to wreak the wrong which is offred mee and your force is to féeble to fence mee from the fury of my foes Therfore seeing hee will needes haue my body sweet father let him haue it dead that I may not feele the filthinesse which hee purposeth to force mee too Her father melting into teares at her pitifull sute carefully kissing her commended her couragious minde rather confirming her in her constant couragiousnesse then disswadinge her from her purpose By this time the tirantes traine beegan to flocke aboute them to haue her away which Virginius seeing snatched a butchers knife from the shambels and thrust therewith his daughter to the heart saying O daughter by this only meane wherby I may doe I make thee free Icilius seeinge his spouse thus spoyled spent no time in triflinge teares but by the helpe of his father in lawe Virginius prosecuted the matter so ernestly against Appius that hee was throwen into prison where for shame of his deede and dread of deserued punnishment hee did him selfe desperately to death You see here Gentlewomen a most lamentable death of a most vertuous virgin wherein you may note a noble minde in her to desyre it a stout courage in her father to doe it and most outragious tyranny in Appius to driue them to it wherby you may learne that vertue and chastity is to bee preferred beefore worlde or wealth beefore freind or father before loue or liuing before life or death Therfore if I were either in wit able or otherwise worthy to giue you counsayle I would aduise you to auoyde the traines of sutch tyrauntes to kéepe you out of the sight of sutch seedsuckers and to fly from sutch Senes fornecatores sutch raueninge wolues in shéepes cloathinge are rediest to deuoure sutch swéete shéepe sutch olde dogs euer bite forest sutch grauity for the most parte contayneth most incontinency For if their lust were not more then outragious either their great discretion would represse it either their many yéeres would mortify it either their owne wiues would satisfie it But vse of euill maketh vs thinke it no abuse sinnes oft assayed are thought to bée no sinne and these grayheaded gamesters haue the habite of this mischeife so déepely rooted in them that concupiscence will frie their fleshe till breath doe leaue their bodyes And as I would you should auoide these olde youthes in the way of wickednesse so if my wish might wield your willes you should neither medle with them in the way of mariage For perfect loue can neuer bée without equality there can bée no good agréement of affections where there is sutch difference of yéeres Can fire water can flowers frost can warmth and winter can mirth melancholy agrée together No surely Gentlewomen but if you wil haue it so I wil beléeue this matter mooueth you nothing Yet what say you to another point that a most perilous point when to impotencie shal be added Ielousy This is a pill of harde digestion this is a pill which if it bée a litle chewed it will bée so bitter that you will neuer bee able to abide it For when sutch an one shall measure your déedes by his owne desire and your life present by his owne life past when hée shall thinke you to bee naught bicause hee him selfe hath bene naught good god how cloasely then will hee mew you vp how carefully will hee looke to you How lothsomely will hee cloy you with his company Then will you wishe you vnmaried then will you wishe you had maried with a younge man they wil loue and not doate they will bée zelous and not Ielous And if your parentes in some curious or couetous respecte goe about otherwise to dispose of you humbly request them you may chuse where you like and link where you loue that you may bee married to a man rather then mony to quiet rather then coine Dutifully tell them that sutch presinesse of parentes brought Pyramus and Thisbe to a wofull end Romeo and Iulietta to vntimely death and draue Virginius miserably to murther his owne daughter Virginia Admetus and Alcest ADMETVS sonne to ATYS kynge of Lybla fallynge in loue with Alcest daughter to Lycabas kynge of Assur who recompenced him with femblable affection are restrayned eche from other by their parentes but beeyng secretly married wander in wildernesses like poore pilgrimes Atys shortly after dieth wherof Admetus beyng aduertised returneth with his wyfe and is established in the kyngdom The destines graunt him a double date of life if hee can finde one to die for him which Alcest her self perfourmeth for whose death Admetus most wofully lamentyng shee was eftsoones by Proserpina restoared to her life and louer agayne IT is a saying no lesse common then commonly proued true that Marriages are guided by destinie amongst all the contractes which concerne the life of man I think they only bee not in our owne power or pleasure which may plainly appeare by this that when the choice of sutch marriages doth chaunce vnto vs as wée our selues can wish when they may by their parents freindes countenance vs by their dowry and portion profit vs by theyr person and bewtie pleasure vs by their vertue and perfection euery way place vs in paradise yet it is often séen that wee set litle by them neither make any account of sutch profitable profers but by a contrarie course of the heauens and destinies are caried as it were agaynst our willes some other way and caused to settle in affection there where heauen and earth séeme to withstand our desire where freindes frowne on vs where wealth wants where there is neither fecilitie in pursuyng neither felicitie in possessing which the history which you shal heare shall more playnly set forth vnto you There raygned in the lande of Lybia one Atys who had to his neighbour more neere then was necessary one Lycabas kynge of Assur which princes rather couetynge their neighbours dominions then cōtentyng themselues with their owne incroched eche one vpon others right and continued continuall warre one against the other But at length Atys whether hee were weried and wasted with warre or whether hee had occasion to bend his force some other way or whether hée were disposed to enter into league and amitie with his neighbours I know not but hée sent his one sonne Admetus to Lycabas to parlée of a peace Now Lycabas either thinkyng hée had him at some aduaūtage either not minding to put vp iniu ries béefore receiued would accept no conditions of peace but by Admetus sent his father flat defiance So that the warre continued between them
in as great rage as it had done the former time of their raygne But yet hate caused not sutch hoate skirmishes between the parentes but that loue forced as fierce assaultes between the children For it was so that Lycabas had a daughter named Alcest who what time Admetus was in her fathers court to intreate of peace chaunced out at her chaumber window to haue a sight of him and hee at the same time happened to incounter a vewe of her And as small drops of rayne ingender great flouddes and as of litle seedes grow greate trees so of this litle looke and sight grew sutch great loue and delight that death it selfe could not dissolue it For as women bee of delicate and fine mettall and therefore soone subiect to loue so Alcest after this first sight was so ouergone in goodwill towardes Admetus that shee fixed her only felicitie in framyng in her fancie the fourme of his face and printyng in her heart the perfection of his person And as nothyng breedeth bane to the body sooner then trouble of minde so shee perseuered so longe in sutch pensiue passyons and carefull cogitations that her body was brought so lo for lacke of the vse of sleepe and meate that shee was fayne to keepe her bed and by reason that shee couertly concealed her greife it burned so furiously within her that it had almost cleane consumed her away Her father seeinge her in this heauy case assembled all the learned phisitions hee could learne of in the country who hauinge seene her were all altogether ignorant of her disease and were at their wits ende what medicine to apply to her malady Some thought it a consumption some a burning feuer some a melancholy humor some one thing some another And her father examyning her how it held her and what disease shee thought it to bee shee answered that it was a sicknesse which it pleased god to sende her and that it was not in y helpe of Phisicke to heale her but her health was onely to bee had at gods handes Nowe Admetus on the other side hauinge the profer of many princes made him in the way of mariage made very carelesse account thereof and seemed in his minde to bee very angry with those offers and as the sight of meat is very lothsome to him whose stomacke is ill or hath already eaten his fill so that litle sight which hee had of Alcest had fed his fancy so full that to see or so mutch as think of any other woman was most greeuous vnto him And notwithstandinge the gripinge paine of loue caused some graftes of greife to begin to growe in his heart yet by reason that hée had the conducting of the army royall vnder his father hée was so busily occupied that he had no great leasure to lodge any louing thoughts within his breast But sée howe the destinies dealt to driue this bargaine thorow There aroase a quarrell béetwéene the two armies touchinge certaine pointes wherin the law of armes was thought to bée broken to decide which controuersy Admetus was sent post to Lycabas who sitting by his daughters bed side had woorde brought him that Admetus was come to the court to impart matters of importance vnto him Nowe at this instant there chaunced one of the Phisitions to hold Alcest by the arme and to féele her pulses and where before they beate very féebly as if shée had béene ready to yéelde to the sommance of death shée no sooner heard that message brought vp to her father but that her pulses began to beat with great force and liuelinesse which the phisition perceiuinge perswaded him selfe hée had found the cause of her calamity but for more assured proufe hée whistered the king in the eare desiring him that Admetus might bée sent for thither and there to make relation of his message vnto him which the kinge caused to bée done accordingly Admetus was no sooner admitted into the chamber but her pulses beegan to beate againe with wonderfull swiftnesse and so continued all the while hée was in the chaumber Who séeinge his loue in sutch daunger of her life though hée vnderstood not the cause therof yet hée cast sutch a carefull countenance towardes her that shee easely perceiued hée did participate in payne with her which made her cast sutch glaunces of goodwill towardes him that hée easely vnderstood it was for his sake shée sustained sutch sorow and sicknesse But the feare of her father who was his mortall foe and the vrgent necessity of his affaires forced him to depart without manifesting vnto her the manifolde good will hée bare her And though his departure were litle better then death to the damsell yet for that shée knew her loue to bée incountred with like affectiō wherof before shée stoode in doubt shee beegan to driue away the darke cloudes of dispaire and to suffer the bright light of hope to shine vpon her Admetus béeing gone the Phisition tooke the king a syde and tolde him his daughters disease was not deriued of any distemperature of the body but only of the disquietnesse of the minde and to tell you the truth plainely saith hee it is only the feruent affection shée beareth to that younge prince Admetus your enemy that forceth this féeblenesse and faintnes in her And told the kinge by what meanes hée tried the truth therof The kinge at these wordes was meruailously disquieted perswading himself that it was so in déede and that Admetus on the other side bare affection to his daughter for that all the time of his talke with him hée continually turned his eyes towards her bed and wold often times giue him answeres nothinge pertinent to the questions which hée proposed vnto him as hauing his cogitations conuersaunt in other matters Upon this the king went to his daughter as the phisition first ministreth to his patient bitter pilles and purgations to expell grose and ill humours and then applieth lenitiues and restoratiues to bréede and bringe againe good bloud so hée first vsed sharpe threatnings vnto her to expell the force and fury of her loue and then vsed gentle perswasions to restore her to her former helth and quiet of minde But neither the sowernesse of the one neither the swéetnesse of the other could preuayle for salues seldome helpe an ouerlong suffred sore it is to late to shut the stable dore when the stéede is stolen it booteth not to stop the breach when the towne is ouerflowen it is to late to dislodge loue out of ones breast when it hath infected béefore euery parte of the body For as sowninge mortifieth euery member as pestilence infecteth euery part as poyson pierseth euery vaine so loue if it bée not in time looked too will bringe both body and minde to vtter confusion For this virgin was so vanquished by loue that shée neither forced her fathers faire wordes neither feared his fierce threatninges but tolde him plainly shée would not deny the loue she bare Admetus neither could
they thinke wee doate and that their owne wits are far better then ours if wée warne them to bee wary and thrifty they thinke it proceedeth rather of couetousnesse then of kindenes if wee prouide them no mariages it is bicause wee will departe with no liuinge to them if wée perswade them to mariage it is bicause wée would haue them forsake all good felowship liue like clownes in the countrey by the Plowe tayle If wée perswade them to learnynge it is that they might liue by it without our charge if wée perswade them to one wife rather then another it is bicause the one is ritcher then the other if wée looke seuerely on them wée loue them not if wée vse them familiarly wée feede them with flattery bicause wée will giue them litle and so of all our louing dooinges they make these leud deuises yea when wée haue brought them vp with greate care and coste when wée haue trauailed all our time by sea and by land early and late in paine and in peril to heape vp treasure for them when wée haue by continuall toyle shortned our owne liues to lengthen and inlarge their liuinges and possessions yet if wée suffer them not to royst and to riot to spill and to spoyle to swashe and to lashe to lend and to spende yea and to followe the fury of their owne frantike fancies in all things this forsooth is our recompence they wish an end of our liues to haue our liuings Alas a lamentable case why hath not nature caused loue to ascend as well as discend Why hath shee indued the Storke with this property to féede his damme when shée is olde and men with sutch malice to wish their parents death when they are aged But I speake perchaunce of mine owne proper greife god forbid it should bée a common case for my sonne Ah why doo I call him sonne hath not only wisht my death but wrought it Hée knew hée was my onely delight hée knew I coulde not liue hée béeing out of my sight hée knew his desperate disobedience would driue mee to a desperate death And could hée so mutch doate of a light damsell to force so litle of his louing father Alas a wife is to bée preferred before father and freind But had hee none to sixe his fancy on but the daughter of my most furious foe Alas loue hath no respecte of persons Yet was not my goodwill and consent to bee craued therin Alas hee saw no possibility to obtaine it But now alas I would graunt my goodwil but now alas it is to late his feare of my fury is to great euer to bee found his fault is to great euer to looke mee in the face more and my sorrowe is to great euer to bee saluted And therevpon got him to bed and in fiue dayes space his naturall moysture with secret sorrowe was so soken away that hee could no longer continue his careful life but yeelded willingly to desired death So it pleased God to prouide for the poore pilgrimes who hauing past many a fearful forrest and daungerous desert were now come to the sea shoare mindinge to take ship and trauell into vnknowen coastes where they might not by any meanes bee knowne and béeing on ship borde they heard the mayster of the ship make report that Atys king of the Lybians was dead Wherevpon Admetus desired to bée set on shoare againe and dissemblinge the cause thereof pretended some other matter and got to the next towne wherwith the mony and iewels hée had about him hee furnished him selfe and his lady with the best apparell could bee prouided in the towne and with sutch a trayne of men as hee coulde there take vp whiche done hee made the greatest expedition hee coulde vnto his owne country where hee was royally receiued as prince and shortly after ioyfully crowned Kinge And beeing quietly setled in the regall seate hee presently dispatched Ambassadours to Lycabas his fathers foe and his father in law whose ambassade contained these two pointes the one to intreat a peace for his people the other to craue a pardon for his wife who willingly graunted both the one and the other Wherby hee now liued in great quiet and tranquillity A meruaylous mutabylity of fortune which in the space of a moneth could bring him from happy ioy to heauy annoy and then from annoy againe to greater ioy then his former ioy For as the sunne hauing bene long time ouerwhelmed with darke cloudes when it hath bannished them from aboute it seemes to shyne more brightly then at any time beefore so the state and condition of this prince hauinge bene couered with the cloudes of care now it was cleared of them seemed more pleasaunt and happy then at any time before And verely as sharpe sauce giues a good taste to sweete meate so trouble and aduersity makes quiet and prosperity for more pleasaunt For hee knoweth not the pleasure of plenty who hath not felt the paine of penury hee takes no delight in meate who is neuer hongry hee careth not for ease who was neuer troubled with any disease But notwithstandinge the happy life of this prince albeit hee abounded in as great ritches as hee required albeit hee had as many kingedomes as hee coueted albeit hée had sutch a wife as hee wished for yea and inioyed all things which either god could giue him fortune further him to or nature bestow vpon him yet to shew that there is no sunne shineth so bright but that cloudes may ouer cast it no ground so good but that it bringeth forth weeds as well as flowers no kinge so surely garded but that the gamesome goddes fortune will at least checke him if not mate him no state so plentifull in pleasure but that it is mixed with paine hee had some weedes of wo which began to grow vp amongst his flowers of felicity some chippes of sory chaunce did light in the heape of his happynesse Yea fortune presented her selfe once agayne vpon the stage and ment to haue one flinge more at him For this prince possessinge sutch a pleasaunte life tooke great delight in good house keepinge and gaue sutch good entertainment to straungers that his fame was far spred into forrain countries yea the rumor thereof reached to the skies in so mutch that Apollo as the poets report hauing occasion to discend from heauen to the earth went to see the entertainement of Admetus who was so royally receiued by him that the god thought good with some great kindnesse to requite his great curtesie And as Philemon and Laucis for their harty house keepinge were preserued by the goddes from drowning when al the cuntry and people besides were ouerflowen so the god Apollo ment to preserue his life when all his countrey and people then lyuing should lie full loe in their graues And of the destinies of death obtained thus much for him that if when the time and terme of his naturall life drewe to an end yf any coulde bée
couered And whereof springeth this errour that women may not first make loue but only of a precise and curious custome nay rather a preiudicall and carefull custome I may tearme it to vs women for wherof commeth it that so many of vs are so euill matcht in mariage but only hereof that wée are tyed to the hard chose of those that offer their loue vnto vs where as if it were lawfull for vs to make loue where we lyked best we woulde neuer marry but to our minde and contentation Lastly I am not the first that haue played the lyke parte and that whiche is done by alowable example is lawfully done For Venus her selfe yéelded her selfe to her darlinge Adonis withoute any sute made on his part Phaedra made sute to Hippolitus Oenone pleaded her right with Paris Dido dyd Aeneas to vnderstande how déepely she desired him Bryses besought the goodwill of Achilles Adalesia by her gouernesse made loue to Alerane the Dutchesse of Sauoy went on pilgrimage to y Knight Mendoza infinit lyke exampls I could alleage and why is it not lawfull for me to do the lyke and make loue to King Minos who perchance would first haue sued to mée if he had first séene mée yes let the world iudge what they will I wyll doe what I shal iudge best for my selfe and with as conuenient spéede as I may I will either by letters or déedes do Minos to vnderstand what minde I beare him And as she was busely beating her braines here about one of her most trusty and louing women came ▪ vnto her humbly requestinge her to make her priuy to the cause of her perplexitie Alas good misteris saith she yf you want any thing let your friends vnderstand it and it shal be prouided If my poore seruice may any way serue your turne assure your selfe neither respect of honour lyuing or lyfe shall let mee from doing any thing which may deliuer you out of distresse if you haue imprisoned your libertie any where and giued your selfe in the fetters of fansy I know a Gentlewoman my familier freind who can stand you in as much steed for y obtaininge of your purpose as any gentlewoman in this Courte The princes desirous of aid in her distres prayed her woman to procure the comminge of that Gentlewoman with all possible spéede Whervpon the wayting woman caused one of the princesses gentlemen to goe to this honest woman and in her name to desire her to come to the princesse You shall vnderstande this gentlewomans name who was sent for was Pandarina in her youth a seruinge woman and one which knewe more fashions then was fit for honest women But nowe married to an honest Gentleman shée entred into a newe religion seeming to renounce her olde fayth setling her selfe in sutch hipocrysy y she rather counterfaited cunningly thē liued cōtinētly But to paint her out more plainly she was more coy thē cumly more fine thē wel fauored more loftly thē louely more proud then proper more precise thē pure more superstitious then religious more of spighte then of the spirit and yet nothing but honesty would downe with her more Ielous then zelous either iudging her husband by her selfe or iudginge her selfe vnworthy the seuerall vse of so cōmodious a commen as her husband was Well sutch as shee was this younge gentleman of the younge princesse was sent for her at the first comming according to the fashion hee kist her and hauing done his message with frowning face shee told him shee could not goe to the princesse and though shee could yet would shee not goe with him The Gentleman somwhat abashed hereat returned to the gentlewoman that sent him and told her what answere this honest woman made Who meruailing mutch therat went presently her selfe vnto her desiring that gentleman to accompany her Béeinge come to her lodging after a few salutacions Pandarina prayed the gentlewoman either to send vnto her a more modest messenger then the gentleman shee sent or els to teache him to kisse more continently The gentlewoman blushinge for bashfulnes told her she had not the skill to teache men to kisse shee thought that cunning concerned cōmon harlots or at least married women rather then her but sayth shee I will tell him of it that of him selfe hee may amend his fault and callinge the gentleman aside vnto her shée asked him how hée had misused him selfe towards Misteris Pandarina in kissinge her No way sayth hee that I knowe for but if I kissed her boldly I trust shee wil attribute it to young mens bashfulnesse and if I kissed her kindly I trust she wyll impute it to good will. Yes mary sayth the gentlewoman it was more hindely then shee cared for or liked of Uerily sayth hee if it were ouer kinde it is more then I know or more then I ment for to speake my fancy freely I know neuer a gentlewoman in this lande that I like of worse and if shee bee aferde I bee to far in loue with her I will bee bound in what bond shee will to hate her no man more But gentlewoman if you adhibite any credite to my counsayle flie her familiarity eschew her company sutch sayntes in shewe are Satans in déede sutch fayned holinesse is double diue lishnesse sutch counterfayte continencye I count litle better then baudry For sure this is a most sure marke to knowe dissemblers by that they will alwayes far excéede the meane for feare of béeing found in their fayning As those that fayne to weepe houle out right those that fayne to bee freindly shew them selues plaine Parasites as those that fayne to bee valiant brag most gloriously and as shee counterfaytinge continency sheweth her selfe altogether curious and hipocritiall But notwithstandinge I haue had no knowledge of her life and conuersation yet dare I lay my life on it that either shee hath bene naught is naught or wil be naught whensoeuer shee can get any foule adultrour fit for so filthy an adultresse The Gentlewoman hearing him so ernest prayed him to put vp the matter patiently sayinge shee thought it was but a shift to excuse her not comminge to the princesse and so went to Pandarina telling her the Gentleman was sory hée had offended her and so away they went together to the princesse I haue wandred Gentlewomen somwhat béesides the path of my promised purpose but yet not cleane out of the way of mine owne will and intent For though this digressiō pertaine litle to the history I haue in hande yet it may serue to admonish you that you take not executions of curiosyty against kisses which are giuen you of curtesy and if there chaunce to bée any fault in them either modesty to conceale it or presently to returne the kisses againe to him which gaue them But in excusing my former digression I shall enter into another digression therefore to the matter and purpose proposed Pandarina beeinge preferred to the presence of the Princesse hauinge done dutifull
thou art rated at to high a price to be reached auaunte foule beastly baâ—de thy counsell is withoute conscience thy aduice without honesty they which cleaue to thy help shall bée serued as he whiche ready to fall from a hedge catcheth holde of a sharpe bryer to staye himselfe they y follow thy phisick shal do as he which to heale his agâ—e slew himself they which prouide for their fathers peace and preseruation as thou wouldest haue mée to doe shalt with the Daughters of Pelias kill their Father to make hym younge agayne They which loue their Father as thou wouldst haue me to do shall with Thais to her Phaedria shut hym out of the dores and out of his kingdome for loue But what doe floudes drowne fieldes before they finde a bâ—ack can one be exalted without anothers wracke Can I be preferred to pleasure without some others paine But it gréeues mee my father shoulde bee pinched for my pleasure Why it is reason the greife should be theirs whose is the gaine But it is perilous for mee to enterprise so great a matter Why is it not reason the perill should be mine in pursuing when the pleasure shall bee mine in possessing but alas it nippeth mee nere to lose my father the victory to winne my selfe my loue Why alas gréeuous woundes must haue smarting playsters and those medicines euer soonest heale vs whiche most gréeue vs And shall I then preferre mine owne pleasure before my fathers profit why euery one ought to be nerest to them selues and their wisdome is nothing worth which are not wise for them selues Nay rather shall I preferre the commodytie of King Minos before the commodytie of King Nysus why Nysus is my father why Minos will be my Phere why Nysus gaue me lyfe Why Minos wyll yéelde mee loue Why Nysus made mee a maide Why Minos wil make mée a mother Why Nysus cherised mee beeing young Why Minos wyll make mutch of mée beeinge olde why nature bindeth mee to loue my father why God commaundeth mee to loue my husband Ah foole doe I call hym husbande who wyll not haue mee doe I call him phere who forceth not of mee Is it lykely hee will receiue a runnagate from her cittie a beetrayer of her Father Can hee think to finde mee faithfull towards him that am faithlesse to mine owne father Tush hee will attribute all this to loue and loue mée y better for it He will excuse beare with my doings by the exaÌ„ple of his owne daughter Ariadne who betraied him to her louer Thesius by the exaÌ„ple of Medea who betraied her father to Iason by the example of Hyppodamé who procured y death of her father by matching with Pelops And therfore al doubtes done away I wil without delay put the policie of Pandar â–ª in practise The night following sutch hast her hot loue required she shewd her selfe Misteris of her word though not of her selfe and performed that which shee sayde she would For her father beeing a sleepe shée got softly to him and cut of his precious haire which had in it sutch vertue Which done shée went to King Minos and presented him therewith who in most reprochefull wordes reprehended her déede and in most disdainfull sort reiected her loue But she not meaning to leaue her loue while shee had lyfe leapt into the sea to swim after him as hee sayled away And so quenched her desire in the bottome of the sea You see here Gentlewomen she y would not looke vpoÌ„ her Iphis coulde not be looked vpon by her Minos Shee that would make no account of her inferriour could not be accounted of by her superiour For it is a plaine case and therfore looke to it that they which deale rigorously with other shall bée rudely dealt withal themselues But I am by this story chiefely to admonish you that you pull not of your fathers haire that is y you pul not their harts out of their bodies by vnaduisedly castinge your selues away in matching in marriage with those who are not meet for you That is to pull of your fathers haire when you shall cast of the bridle of obedience rashly run at randon rudely neglect his precepts and presumptuously place your selues in marriage contrarie to his pleasure that is to pull of your Fathers haire But Soueraigne now your father is gone I will giue you more sound advice I will admonishe you all not to pull of your owne haire that is not to binde your selues to the froward faust of your politique parents but to make your choice in mar riage according to your owne mindes for ouer widowes you sée Fathers haue no prehemineÌ„ce of power touching their marriages and you are not to know that mariage is a contract consisting of the frée consent of both the parties and that onely is required in the consummation of marriages and the Rodians haue this law that onely the mothers haue rule ouer the Daughters But mum lupus in fabula I must I say admonish you y as your parents gaue you your bodies so they may dispose of them That you requight all their loue care and cost at least with obedience I must tel you that if you honour not them your dayes will bee short on earth I must tell you that Rauens will pull out the eye that blindeth the Father and neglecteth the good instruction of the mother as Solomon sayd Curiatius and Horatia CVRIATIVS a young Gentleman of the Citie of Albania in ITALY fallinge into extreame loue with Horatia a young Gentlewoman of the Cittie of Rome after longe sute and many delayes obtaineth her graunt to bee his wife But in the meane time contention fallinge out beetwene the two Citties Curiatius is slaine in the fielde by Horatius brother to the said Gentlewoman to whom hee was assured Whose death Horatia most pittifully bewaylinge her brother greatly disdayneth thereat and cruelly thrusteth her to the harte with his Swoord SUrely Gentlewomen either according to Ouid his opinion Forma numen habet Beutie hath some diuinity or Godhead in it or els contrary to the common opinion loue is some heauenly influence and no earthly accident For of euery earthly and mortall motion there may some probable reason or naturall cause bee giuen as euery lyving creature desireth that whiche is good and agréeable to it nature bicause euery thinge is déere to it selfe and desireth the conseruation of it selfe in it kinde As the earth draweth downward beecause it is heauy the fyre flyeth vpward beecause it is light the water contrarie to it nature oftentimes ascendeth to the top of high hyls to avoyde vacantnesse The aire for the same cause often times discendeth into the pores of the earth as cholerike complexions are soonest intensed to anger beecause they abound with heate as women are not so subiect to anger as men beecause they are more colde of nature And so of all humaine actions natural effectes there may be some probable reason and naturall cause yéelded But
of sutch vnnatural and vntimely death O furious féende not god of loue why dost thou thus diuelishly deale with my daughter O ten times cursed bee the time that euer Cephalus set foote in this court At the name of cephalus the maide beegan to open her eies which before had dazeled which her mother perceiuing saide beeholde daughter thy Cephalus is safely returned and come to see thee Wherewith shee start from the bed whereon they had laied her and staring wildly about the chamber when shee coulde not sée him shee sunk downe againe Now her parents perceiuing what possession loue had takē of her thought it labour lost to indeuour to alter her determination but made her faithful promise shee should haue their furtherance and consent to haue her cephalus to husbande at his returne wherewith shee was at length made stronge to indure the annoy of his absence It were tedious to tell the prayers the processions the pilgrimages the Sacrifices the vowes shee made for his safe returne let this suffice to declare her rare good will towardes hym that hearing of his happie comming towards the courte shee feared least his sodayne sight would bring her sutche excessiue delight that her sences shoulde not bee able to support it and therfore got her into the highest place of the house and beheld him comming a far of and so by litle and litle was partaker of his presence and yet at the méetinge shee was more frée of her teares then of her tounge for her greetinge was only wéeping word shee could say none Cephalus inflamed with this her vnfaigned loue made all the freindes hee could to hasten the mariage beetweene them But the olde saying is hast maketh waste and bargains made in spéede are commonly repented at leasure For married they were to both their inexplicable ioy which shortly after turned to both their vnspeakable annoy For the increase is small of seede to timely sowen the whelpes are euer blinde that dogs in haste doe get the fruites full sone doe rot which gathered are to sone the mault is neuer swete onlesse the fier bee softe and hee that leapeth before hee looke may hap to leape into the brooke My meaning is this that Cephalus his share must needes bée sorow who would so rashly and vnaduisedly enter into so intricate an estate as wedlocks is The Philosophers will vs to eate a bushell of salte with a man béefore wée enter into strict familiarity with him but I thinke a whole quarter litle inoughe to eate with her with whom wee enter into sutch a bond that only death must dissolue Which rule if Cephalus had obserued hée had preserued him selfe from most irkesome inconueniences But hee at all aduentures ventred vppon one of whom he had no trial but of a litle triflynge loue I like but litle of those mariages which are made in respecte of ritches lesse of those in respect of honours but least of al of those in respecte of hasty foolish and fond affection For soone hot soone colde nothing violent is permanent the cause taken away the effecte vanisheth and when beuty once fadeth whereof this light loue for the most part ariseth goodwill straight fayleth Wel this hot loue she bare him was the only cause of his hasty and heauy bargaine for womanlines she had none her yeres were to young vertue shee had litle it was not vsed in the court modesty shee had not mutch it belongeth not to louers good gouernment and stayed wit shee wanted it is incident to few woomen to bee shorte his choyce was grounded rather vpon her goodlinesse then godlinesse ▪ rather vppon her beauty then vertue rather vppon her affection then discretion But sutch as hee sowed hee reapte sutch as hee sought hee founde sutch as hee bought hee had to wit a witles wenche to his wife Therefore I would wishe my freindes euer to sow that which is sound to seeke that which is sure to buie that which is pure I meane I would haue them in the choice of sutch choyce ware cheifly to respect good conditions and vertue that is the only seed which wil yéeld good increase that is the onely thinge worthy to bee sought that is the only thinge which can not bée too derely bought And who soeuer he bee that in any other respecte whatsoeuer entreth into the holy state of matrimony let him looke for no better a pennyworth then Cephalus had which was a lothsome life and desolate death For within a yeere or two after they had bene maried his fancy was in a manner fully fed and his disordinate desire of her began to decay so that hee beegan plainly to see and rightly to iudge of her nature and disposition which at first the parciality of his loue or rather outrage of his lust would not permit him to perceiue And seeing her retchles regardes and light lookes which shee nowe vsed towardes al men rememberinge therewithall howe lightly hee him selfe won her hee began greatly to doubt of her honest dealinge towardes him and hauing occasion of far iourny and longe absence from her hée wrought this practise to try her truth Hee told her his aboade from her must of necessity bee fourty wéekes but at the halfe yeeres end by that time his haire was wildly growen hee apparelled him self altogether contrary to his wonted guise and by reason of his haire so disguised him selfe that hee was not knowen of any which done his necessary affayres dispatched he returned into his owne country and came to his owne house in manner of a straunger which trauayled the country where hee founde his wife in more sober sorte then hée looked for and receiued sutch courteous entertainment as was conuenient for a guest Hauing soiourned there a day or two at conueniēt time hée attempted her chastity in this sorte If faire Gentlewoman no acquaintance might iustly craue any credite or litle merites great méed I would reporte vnto you the cause of my repaire and craue at your handes the cure of my care but séeinge there is no likelyhoode that either my wordes shalbée beléeued or my woe releeued I thinke better with paine to conceale my sorrow then in vaine to reueale my sute The Gentlewoman somewhat tickled with these triflinge woords was rather desirous to haue him manifest the mistery of his meaning then willing hée should desist from his purpose and therefore gaue him this answere I am Sir of opinion that credite may come diuers wayes besides by acquaintance I my self haue knowen mutch good done to many without desert and therefore if your wordes bée true and your desire due doubte not but you shal bée both credited and cured For the truenesse of my wordes sayth he I appeale to the heauens for witnesse for the duenesse of my desir◠I appeale to your curtesy for iudgment The wordes haue to vtter are these There chaunced not longe since to traueile thorowe the countrie wherein lyeth my liuing a Knighte named Cephalus and though
was done for his misteris sake yf not hee was beecome a carpet Knight if hee fell out with any it was some open enemie to his priuye friend if hee were friendes with all men hee durst displease none least they should detect his doinges to her if hee went curiously in his apparel it was to please his misteries if negligently hee liued in absence if hee ware his haire longe hee mourned beecause hee coulde not bee admitted if shorte he was receiued into fauour if he bought her any apparrell or any other prety trifling trickes it was to please her and a bable for the foole to play with if hee bought her nothinge hee had inough to do to maintaine other in brauery if he entertained any seruant hee was of his misteris preferment if hee put away any hee had some way offended her if hee commended any man hee was out of question his baude if hee praysed any woman shee was no doubte his whore and so of all other his thoughtes wordes and déedes she made this suspicious suppose and ielous interpretation and as the Spider out of most sweet flowers sucketh poyson so shee out of his most louing and friendly déedes towards her picked occasions of quarrell and conceyued causes of hate And so long shee continued in these carefull coniectures that not onely her body was brought low by reasō that her appetite to meate failed her but also she was so disquieted in minde that she was in a manner beesides her selfe whereupon in great pensiuenesse of hart shee fell to preaching to her selfe in this sorte Ah fonde foole wilt thou thus wilfully woorke thine owne wrack and ruine if thy husbande commit treason against thée wilt thou commit murther vpon thy selfe if he consume himselfe away with whores wilt y then consume thy selfe away with cares wilt thou increase his mischief with thine owne misery if he be so wickedly bent it is not my care can cure him for that whiche is bred in the bone will not out of the flesh If hee bee disposed to deale falsly with mée it is not my wary watching which wyll ward him from it for loue deceiued Argus with his two hundred eies If hee should bee forbidden to leaue it hee will vse it the more for our nature is to runne vpon that which is forbidden vs vices the more prohibited the more prouoked and a wilde coult the harder he is rained the hotter he is If I should take him tardy in it it would but encrease his incontinent impudency for beeing once knowne to haue transgressed the lawefull limits of loue and honesty hee would euer after bee carelesse of his good name which hee knew hee could neuer recouer againe And why should I séeke to take him in it should I séeke to know y which I ought not to séeke no not so mutch as to thinke on was euer wight so bewitched to run headlong vpon her owne ruine So long as I know it not it hurteth mee not but if I once certainly knew it God knoweth how sodainly it would abridge my dayes And yet why should I take it so gréeuously am I the first that haue bene so serued Hath not Iuno her selfe sustained the like iniury But I reason with my self as if my husband were manifestly conuicted of this crime who perchaunce good Gentleman bée as innocent in thought as I wrongfully thinke him to bée nocent in déede for to consider aduisedly of the matter there is not so mutch as any likelyhood to lead mee to any sutch leud opinion of him hee vseth mee honestly hee mantayneth mée honorably hée loueth mee better then my leude dealinge toward him hath deserued No it is mine owne vnworthynesse that maketh mee thinke I am not worthy the proper possession of so proper a Gentleman it is myne owne lustful desire that maketh mee afrayde to loose any thing it is myne owne weakenesse y maketh mée so suspicious of wronge it is mine owne incontinency which maketh mée iudge him by my selfe Well the price of my preiudiciall doings towardes him is almost paide and if paine be a punishment then haue I indured a most painfull punishment but let this déere bought wit doe mee some good let mee now at length learne to bee wise and not to thinke of euils before they come not to feare them béefore I haue cause not to doubte of them in whom is no doublynge nor to mistruste them in whom is no treason and faithfully to loue him that vnfainedly loueth mée After this shee indeuoured to do sutch fonde toyes foorth of her head for a while shée liued louingly and quietly with her husband but sodaynly by reason of one looke which hée cast vpon one of his neighbours shée fell into her olde vayne of vanitie agayne And as second fallynge into sicknesse is euer most daungerous so now her folly was growen to sutch furie and her disease so incurable that shée could not conceale it any longer but flatly tolde her husbande to his teeth that she thought hee did misuse her Cephalus knowyng his owne innocencie and seeyng her imbecillitie gently prayed her not to conceiue any sutch euill opinion of him saying If neither regarde of God neither respect of men neither reuerence of the reuerent state of marriage could feare mée from sutch filthinesse yet assure your selfe the loyal loue I beare you would let mee from sutch lasciuiousnesse For béeleeue me your person pleaseth mee so well that I thinke my selfe sweetly satisfied therewith Yea if Venus her selfe should chaunce vnto my choice I am perswaded I should not prefer her béefore you For as her beutie would intisingly draw me to her so my dutie wold necessarily driue mee to you Therfore good wife trouble not your selfe with sutch toyes which will but bréede your owne vnrest and my disquiet your torment my trouble yea and in time perchance both our vntimely deathes Let Deinyra bée a president for you who suspecting her husband Hercules of spouse breache sent him a shert died with the bloud of the Centaure Messus who tolde her that shert had vertue to reuiue loue almost mortified but Hercules had no sooner put it on but it stocke fast to his flesh fried him to death as if it had been a furie of hell Which when shée knew with her owne hands shée wrought her owne destruction See y vnworthy end which that monster ielousy brought this worthy couple too foresee sweet wife that it bring not vs to the like bane These wordes could worke no effect with her but rather increased her suspition perswading her selfe that as in faire painted pots poyson ofte is put and in goodly sumptuous sepulchers rotten boanes are ryfe so fairest wordes are euer fullest of falshood Yea the more curteous hée shewed him selfe the more culpable shee thought him to bée Which Cephalus seeing bicause hee would take away all causes of suspition abandoned all good company and spent his time so lytarily hunting in the wooddes and séekinge the spoyle of
On her chéekes the Lilly and the Rose did striue for interchange of hew her haire cumly curld glistered lyke golde her pierceinge eies twinckled like starres her alabaster teeth stoode as a ranke of precious pearles her ruddy lippes were soft and sweete her handes fine and white yea all her partes so perfectly proportioned that nature sought to winne great commendation in caruing so cunningly so curious a carkas But as a rusty Rapier is no trusty Rampier to defende a man though the Scabbord bee of fine veluet so a woman with foule conditions is coursly to bee accounted of though her face bee faire and body bewtifull But destinies so draue that this King by chaunce cast a glaunce vpon this gorgious goddes and at the first view was so vanquished by vanitie that hee thought his life no longer pleasaunt vnto hym then hee was in her sight And fayled not dayly familierly to frequent the misteris company for the maides cause And hauing attempted her chastitie by shewing her his great goodwyll by beestowinge on her great giftes by large promises of preferment and many other meanes and neuerthelesse fayling of his purpose in pensiue perplexitie fell to parley with himselfe to this purpose I euer heretofore thought a Princes life to bee voyde of strife and that they had alwaies passed their time in pleasure without paine but now I sée wee are subiect to sorow so soone as the meanest subiect we haue Lykewise beefore this I was of opinion that number of frindes aboundinge in wealth abidinge in health and sutch lyke things which pertaine to the body were sufficient to attaine to a happy life in this lyfe but now I see it is the minde whiche maketh mirth and stirreth strife yea the contented minde is the onely ritches the onely quietnes the onely happinesse Good God how vnsauery seeme those sweete meats vnto mee wherein I was woont to delight how vnpleasāt are y sports wherin I was woont to take pleasure how cūbersome is y cōpany which was woont to content mee no game glads mee no daunsing delights mee no iusting ioyes mée no playes please me no triumphes no shewes no hauking no hunting no nothing vnder the Sunne doth solace mee And would I know the cause why I haue not a contented minde the perfect parts of Pasiphae do so diuersly distract my minde that only her sight is swéete onely her company is comfortable onely her presence is pleasaunt vnto mee And would I know the cause why in her y fates haue fixed my felicitie in her the heauens haue heaped my happinesse with her must I liue and without her must I die Why I haue pursued her goodwil with praiers and with presentes with loue and with liberalitie with gifts and with goodwill and yet am neuer the néere And would I know the cause why I sought not her goodwill in the way of marriage Only marriage is the meane only wedlock must locke and lincke vs together And shal I so much debase the height of my estate as to match in mariage with so meane a mate as though many princes haue not as meanely matcht themselues as though the Gods thēselues haue not maried with earthly creatures And for my Pasiphae though shee bee inferriour to me in parentage yet in personage shee is good inough for God himselfe And for her dowry or wealth what neede I way it who haue the most part of the world vnder my dominion no there shall no regard of honour or respecte of ritches detaine mee from that which doth only containe the contentment of my minde And in this minde ment to attempt her in the way of marriage but runninge frō Charibdis hee rusht vppon Scilla flying from one rocke hee fell vppon another thinkinge to quench the coales of his desyre hee fell into hot flames of burninge fier as hereafter you shall heare Now so soone as hee had oportunitie offered him hee made Pasiphae partaker of his purpose in these termes Séeing the onely touchstone to trie true and loyall loue from lothsome lust is marriage I meane if you bee content to consent therto to seale the sincere affectiō I beare you with the sacred ceremonyes and holly rites of matrimony and as I haue preferred your loue beefore all worldli respects so I trust you wil return my loue with such loyalty that I shall haue cause to count my selfe as well matcht as if I had married with the greatest princesse in the world Pasiphae hearing these wordes was so rauished with ioy that shée could not on the sodaine make the kinge an answere but hauing chaunged colour twice or thrise from red to white and from white to red in token of a minde mooued with hope assayled with feare and passioned with pleasure at length shée sayd vnto him As most worthy prince I euer thought my selfe far vnworthy of any sutch honour so if it please your highnes plainly to heare the truth I euer thought my selfe far to worthy to yéeld to your desire in the way of wickednesse which was the cause I made so course account of your curtesy heretofore But seeinge it hath pleased you to lodge your loue thu◠low and to thinke mée worthy the honour of wedlocke with so worthy a wight assure your selfe your maiesty shall finde mée in loue so loyall and in obedience so dutifull towardes you that in the one I wil supply the part of a louing wife and in the other satisfie the duty of a diligent handmayd Neither would I you should thinke that it is the name of a queene or estate of a prince y winneth mee thus willingly to your will for I know that name to bee vaine and that estate full of paine but it is your exceedinge loue towardes mee O noble prince that linketh my lykinge with yours it is your incomparable curtesy which forceth mee to yeelde the forte of my fayth and virginity into your handes For as the sunne the higher it doth ascende in the firmament the more heate it doth extend to the earth so vertue and curtesy in the more high and princely person it is placed the more force it hath to win the wils binde the heartes of people to imbrace it And as my loue is grounded vpon your vertue so I trust so to behaue my selfe that hereafter you shall haue as great lyking to my conditions and vertue as now you haue loue to my colour and beuty that when yéeres shal take away the pleasure of y one you may take delight solace in the other The king was so déepely delighted with this dutifull discourse that hee had not a woorde to reply but satisfiyng him selfe for the time with a few swéete kisses presently gaue commaundement to his officers to make preparation for the sumptuous celebrating of his mariage which shortly after was consummated with sutch royalty as is requisite in a matter of sutch maiesty So this married couple consumed two or three yeres in the highest degrée of happinesse But the sunne
her husbandes absence to sée a wilde Aegiption with one eye in his forehead whom shee longed to see that women ought to spin with Penelope to spill with Camma to kill with Lucrece to bee slaundred with Susanna with Sauoy and with others to indure any torment rather then to lose one iote of their chastity and honesty Pigmalions friende and his Image PIGMALION a Gentleman of Piemount continuing the space of certaine yeares in honest affection and vertuous loue with PENTHEA wife to Luciano a noble gentleman of the same country is at length by her reiected in respect of a base stranger Pigmalion abandoning the company of all women and giuinge himselfe to the arte of Caruing burneth in loue with an Image whiche himselfe had fashioned whom at his earnest sute Venus transformeth into a faire Mayde and hee taketh her to Wife TO make the reckoning without the host is the way soone to bee â–ª ouershot in the shot to resolue certenly vpon incertenty is the way neuer to be in any certenty to looke for constancy of those y lyke of inconstancy or to determine of those things which are not in our powers to perfourme is nothing els but to bee deceiued of our expectation and to be driuen to alter our determination as the History whiche you shall heare shal yéelde example of both the one and the other In the country of Piemount had his beeinge one Pigmalion a gentleman discended of noble birth indued with perfection of person perfectly pourtraied forth with y lineameÌ„ts of learning so that it was dooubtful whether he were more indebted to fortune for his birth to nature for his beauty or to his parentes for his learninge But as beautie birth ritches and the rest must néedes geue place to learninge so no doubt but his parentes deserued the preheminence of prayse For the other are but dim starres where learninge giueth light And as when the sunne shineth the light of the stars is not séene so where learning appeareth all other giftes are nothing to be accounted of Besides that beeside his learning he was indued with a great dexteritie in all thinges in so mutch as nothing came amisse vnto him whiche was méete for a Gentleman in feates of armes no man more couragious in exercises of the body none more actiue in game or play none more politike amongst the auncient who more graue amongst the youthfull who more merrie so that there was no time no person no place wherto hee aptly applyed not him self By reson wherof he was acceptable to all good companies wel was he that might entertaine him in his hous But most of al he frequeÌ„ted y â—hous of one Luciano a noble Gentleman of the same countri in continuaunce of time grew so farre in familiaritie with his wife that he reposed his onely pleasure in her presence Yea shee had made sutch a stealth of his harts that neither Father nor Mother Sister nor Brother nor all the friends he had in the country beside could keepe him one wéeke together out of her compani Yea this faithful loue hée bare her séemed in a manner to extinguish all naturall loue towards his allies and kinsfolke Who beeinge as they were wont desirous of his company at hauking hunting and sutche like pastimes coulde not by any erauing or importunity obtayne it but being ignorant of the cause they thought it had proceded of this that his minde vpon some occasion had been alienated from them which caused them on the contrarie somewhat to withdrawe their goodwils from him But hee forced litle thereof he cared not whom hee displeased so he might worke her contentation shee was the starre by whose aspect he did direct his doynges she was the hauen wherein he sought to harborough shée was the heauen whyther he coueted to come shee was the saint to whom hée did lend sutch deuotion that hee could finde in his heart to bend no liking to any other whatsoeuer In so mutch y hauing the profer of many ritch maryages hee alway refused them as hauing his hart so replenished with the loue of her y there was no roomth for the loue of any other to remayn within him Now shee on the other side whose name was Penthea béeinge a curteous courtly wenche gaue him sutch freindly entertaynment and vsed him so well in all respectes that her husband excepted shee séemed to holde him most dere vnto her of any wight in the whole world Shée neuer made feast but hée must bee her guest shee neuer rode iourney but he must be her companion shee neuer daunced but hee must direct her shee neuer dised but hee must bee her partner shee in a manner dyd nothing wherin hee did not something Her Husbande all this while beeinge fully assured of her vertue and very well perswaded of the honesty of the Gentleman susspected no euill beetweene them but lyked very well of their loue and familiarity together neither in deede had hee any cause to the contrary For Pigmalion knew her to bee indued with sutch constant vertue that he thought it impossible to allure her to any folly and besides that his loue was so exceedinge great towardes her that hee would not by any meanes bee the cause to make her commit any thinge which might make her lesse worthy of loue then shee was And if at any time as the fleshe is frayle the vehemency of his affection forced him to perswade her to folly he did it so faintly that it might plainly bee perceiued hee was not willing to ouercome For hee deepely doubted that if by the force of her loue towardes him or of his perswasions towardes her shee should haue yeelded the forte of her fayth and chastity in to his handes his loue towards her with the sun beinge at the highest would haue declined and decreased which would haue bene the greatest greife to him in the world No hee liued with sutch delight in the contemplation of her chastity and vertue that hee was voyde not only of Libidinous lust towardes her but also towardes all other women whatsoeuer Yea hee receiued more pleasure of her by imagination then of any other woman by y acte of generation So that betweene these friends was no cause of suspicion no cause of iarre no cause of ielousie but they liued together the space of three or foure yeares in most heauenly hauen of most happie lyfe The floud of their felicity flowed from the fountaine of most faithful friendship the building of their bidinge together was raised on the rock of vertu so y it was to be thought no seas of subtiltie or floudes of fickelnesse coulde haue vndermined it But what perpetuitie is to bee looked for in mortall pretences What constancy is to bée hoped for in kytes of Cressids kinde may one gather Grapes of thornes Suger of Thistels or constancy of women Nay if a man sift the whole sexe thorowly hée shall finde their wordes to bee but winde their fayth forgery