couered with teares Stanzaes on the death of Cleon. THe beauty which to cinders death doth turne Despoyling it of mortall state so soone Like lightning mounts and doth like fire burne So short a life hath so great beauty wonne Those eyes late authors of sweete vndertakings From more deare Loues are clos'd for euer fast Faire eyes that were of such a wondrous making That none beheld but lou'd them e're they past If this be true beauty from vs departs Loue vanquish'd weepes that conquered heretofore And she that gaue life to a thousand hearts Is dead yet liues in my heart euermore What good henceforth is worthy of our loue Since perfectest is soonest ranisht still As shaddow doth after the body mooue So euery good is seconded with ill Cleon it seemes thy destiny hath sworne Euen in thy East to finish vp thy day And that thy beauty dead as soone as borne Should meete her coffin in her cradles way No thou diest not it is much rather I Since all my life I liuing tooke from thee If louers life in thing beloued lie I hauing lou'd thee thou reuiu'st in me So if I liue Loue giues the world to know That his command he can to death impart Or being God his mighty power to shew Makes Louer liue without or soule or heart But Cleon if the will of Fate be so Of humane frailty that the smart you trie Loue wils to yours my fortune equall grow You by my plaints I by your death doe die Thus I powre forth my plaints that new life brings Death to surprise my sorrow being lame And my two eyes changed to lasting springs Bewaile mine ill but cannot lesse the same When Loue with me to shew compassion Laments this faire losse whence my paines dâ—still Drâ—e saith he teares mourne in another fashion So much all teares are lesser then our ill Licidas and Phillis were very curious to know the griefe of this shepheard if their own would haue giuen them leaue but seeing he had as much need of consolation as themselues they would not ioyne another mans euill to their owne and so leauing the other shepheards attentiue to finde it out they held on their way no man following them for the desire euery one had to know what this vnknowne company might be Licidas was not gone far before they heard another voice some good way off which seemed to come towards them and they willing to harken were hindred by the shepheardesse who held the shepheards head in her lap with these complaints Well thou cruell well shepheard without pitty how long shall this obstinate humour of thine indure against my prayers How long hast thou determined that I should be disdained and contemned for a thing that is not and for the sake of one dead I should bee depriued of that which cannot profit it Consider Tyrcis consider thou Idolater of the dead and enemy to the liuing what the perfection of my loue is and begin at last begin to loue the person that liues and not them that are dead whom you must leaue in rest to God and not disquiet their happy cinders with vnprofitable teares and take heed lest in holding on thus you draw not on you the vengeance of your cruelty and iniustice The shepheard not turning his eyes to her answered coldly Would to God faire shepheardesse I might be suffered to giue you satisfaction with my death for to free you and my selfe also of the payne wherein we are I would choose it rather then my life but since as you haue told me this were but to increase your griefe I beseech thee Laonice enter into thy selfe and consider how small reason thou hast to make my deare Cleon dye twice It is sufficient since my mis-hap will haue it so that she hath once paid the tribute of her humanity then if after her death she be reuiued in me by force of my loue why cruell will you haue her dye againe by the forgetfulnesse which a new loue will cause in my soule No no shepheardesse your reproaches shall neuer haue such power ouer me to make me to consent to so wicked a counsell because that which you call cruelty I name faithfulnesse and that which you thinke worthy punishment I iudge it to deserue high commendation I haue told you that in my Tombe the memory of my Cleon shall liue by my bones that which I haue sayd to you I haue a thousand times sworne to the immortall gods and to this faire soule which is now with them and thinke you that they will suffer Tyrcis to goe vnpunished if forgetfull of his oath he become vnfaithfull Ah! I shall sooner see the heauens cast forth their lightning on my head then euer offend either my oath or my deare Cleon. She would haue replied but that then the shepheard that went on singing interrupted them by comming vpon them with these verses The Song of Hylas IF she disdaine me then adew I leaue the cruell with her scorne Not staying till the morrow morne Before I chuse a mistrisse new It were a fault my selfe to pine By force to draw her loue to mine They for the most part are so wise They make no reckoning of our loues Wherein their heart a fire moues But that the flame must not arise So that we kindle other fires While we pursue our owne desires The ouer-faithfull vow-keeper Abused by his loyalty Loues beauty stuft with cruelty Seemes be not I doll worshipper That from an Image nothing strong Neuer findes succor for his wrong They say Who open passage leaue To be importunde euery day At last must giue himselfe away But so we little good receiue When we may easly meete some one To be importunate vpon These Louers lo that faithfull are Are alwaies full of dolorous feares Deepe sighes complaints and showring teares Are commonly their daintiest fare It seemes the Louers chiefest part Is onely to weepe out his heart A man how can you call him well That manly honour layd aside Cries like a boy cannot abide Apples losse or Wall-nuts-shell May you not rather call him foole That loues such displing in Loues schoole But I who all such follies flye That nothing bring with them but care By others harmes warn'd to beware Doe alwaies vse my liberty And am not discontent at all That they doe me inconstant call At these last verses the shepheard was come so neere to Tyrcis that he might discerne the teares of Laonice and because though they were strangers yet they knew one the other and to busie them a while by the way the shepheard knowing the sorrow of Laonice and Tyrcis rowsed himselfe to accost them in this manner O desolate shepheard for by reason of this sadde time of life such was the name that euery man gaue him if I should be like you I should thinke my selfe most vnhappy Tyrcis hearing him speake rose vp to answer him And I Hylas if I were in your place how might you call me vnhappy
Amasis and Clidaman tied him to stay some long time To deferre his departure he could not and to goe was death At last heÌ„e resolued presently to write to her yet a course rather to hazzard then to hope for any good fortune Fleurial did what hee could to present it speedily to Galathee but he could not doe it for that she feeling this displeasure at her heart was not able to beare this dis-vnion but with such griefe that she was constrained to keepe her â—ed out of which she rose not many dayes Fleurial at last seeing Lindamor gone tooke the hardinesse to seeke her chamber and I must tell you true because I wished ill to Polemas I did what I could to piece vp this affection of Lâ—ndamor and for this cause I gaue meanes for Fleurial to enter If Galathee were surprized iudge you for shee looked rather for any thing then that yet she was constrained to dissemble and to take that which he presented which were but flowers in appearaÌ„ce I would be in the chamber that I might be of the counsell and to bring somewhat that might be to the contentment of poore Lindamor And indeed I was not altogether vnprofitable for after Fleurial was gone and that Galathee found her selfe alone she called me and told me shee thought to haue bene exempted from the importunity of the letters of Lindamor when hee had bene gone but for ought she saw he had nothing to be his warrant I that would serue Lindamor though hee knew nothing of it knowing the Nymph to bee in an humor to talke of him made it very cold knowing well that if I contraried her at first it was the way to lose all and to affirme that which shee sayd would serue the more to punish her for though she were not well satisfied toward him yet loue as yet was the more strong and in herselfe she was willing that I should take Lindamorâ— part not to giue me way but to haue more occasion to speake of him and put her choler out of her soule so that hauing all these considerations before mine eyes I held my peace the first time she spake to mee She that would not haue this silence added But what thinke you Leonide of the arrogancy of this man Madame sayd I I know not what to say but if he haue fayled he must do penance But sayd she what may I thinke of his rashnesse why goes he disgracing me with his tales had hee no other fitter discourse then of me and then after she had looked on the letter he writ I haue some what else to do that he continues to write to me to this I answered nothing After she had held her peace a while she sayd And why Leonide answere you me not haue I not reason to complaine Madame sayd I is it your pleasure I should speake freely You shall please mee sayd shee I must tell you then continued I that you haue reason in all except it bee when you seeke for reason in loue for you must know that he that referrs himselfe to the lawes of iustice puts the principall authority out of himselfe which is to be subiect but to himselfe so that I conclude that if Lindamor haue failed in that he loues you he is culpable but if by the lawes of reasou and prouidence it is you that deserue chastisment that will put loue that is free and commands others vnder the seruitude of a superior And why sayd she haue I not heard it sayd that loue to make it praise worthy must be vertuous If this be so he must bee tied to the lawes of vertue Loue answered I is a thing some what greater then this vertue of which you speake and therefore it giues it selfe lawes without the publishing of any other person but since you command me to speake frankly tell me Madam are not you more culpable then hee both in that for which you accuse him and in that which concernes loue for if hee haue had the hardnesse to say he loued you you are the cause in that you haue sufferd him Though it bee so answered shee yet by discretion he was bound to conceale it Complaine you then sayd I of his discretion and not of his loue But hee hath more occasion to complaine of your loue since vpon the first report at the first conceit that hath beene giuen you you haue chased from you the loue you bare him without taxing him that he hath bene wanting in affection Excuse me Madam if I speake so frankly you do the greatest wrong in the world to vse him in this sort at least if you would condemne him to so great a punishmeÌ„t it ought not to be without coÌ„uincing him or at leastwise to make him blufh at his errour She stood somewhile before shee answered me at last she sayd Well Leonide the remedy shall be timely enough when hee returnes not that I am resolued to loue him nor to permit him to loue me but to tell him where in hee hath failed and so I shall content you and bind him from importuning mee more if hee bee not aâ— impudent as rash It may be Madam you will deceiue your selfe to think it will be time enough at his returne if you knew what the violencies of loue are you would not beleeue that these delayes were like other affairs at least looke on the letter That is to no purpose replied she for by this time he is well gone and with that word she gaue it mee and saw it was thus The letter of Lindamon to Galathee SOmtimes loue at this time the despaire of loue hath put the pâ—n into my hâ—â—d with a purpose if it returne mee no asswagement to change it into a sword which promiseth 〈◊〉 a full though a crâ—â—ll healing This blaâ—â—â— paper which you haue sent me for an answere is a true testimony of my innocency since it is as if it had sayd you haue found nothing to accuse me of but it is also an assurance to me of your disdaine for from whence can this silence proceed vnlesse it be from â—t the one contents mee in my selfe the other makes mee despaire in you If you haue any remembrance of my faithfull seruice for pitty I demand of you or life or death I depart the most desperate that euer had cause of despaire It was an effect of Loue which brought a change in the carriage of Galathee for I sawe her much mollified but this was no small proofe of her lofty humour not to giue knowledge of it and not beeing able to commaund her countenance which was become pale shee so tyed her tongue that she spake no word which might accuse her of relenting but going out of her chamber to walke in the garden not speaking a word of the Letter for the Sunne beganne to grow lowe and her disease which was but trauaile of spirit might finde more refreshing out of the house than in the bed so after she was quickely made
spoiles of many other mens liberties but in none more fully then that of his At this word hee kissed her hand and then held on thus after he was risen Among the papers where Aristander put his last Will we haue found this heere and because it is enclosed in the fashion you see and that he directed it to you I bring it you with the protestation which by his testament he commaunded me to make before you open it that if your will be not to grant the request he hath made you he beseecheth you not to reade it at all to the end that as well in death as in life he may not feele the strokes of your cruelty Then he presented her a letter which Siluie troubled with this accident would haue refused but for Amasis commandement And after Guymantes beganne his speech againe thus I haue hitherto performed the last Will of Aristander there remaines that I should pursue vpon his homicide his cruell death but if at another time the offence haue giuen mee the commaund at this time Loue ordaines that my most faire vengeance be the sacrifice of my liberty on the same Altar that yet smokes with that of my brother who being rauished from me when I breathed nothing against you but bloud and death giues witnesse that euery eye that sees you owes you his heart for tribute that vniustly euery man liues that liues not in your seruice Siluie somwhat confounded with this accident stayed some long while from answer so that Amasis tooke the paper which she had in her hand and hauing sayd to Guymantes that Siluie should make answer she withdrew aside with some of vs and breaking the boxe read these words If my affection haue not made my seruice pleasing nor my seruice mine affection at the least eyther this affection shall make my death in you more pittifull or my death assure you of the fidelitie of my affection and that as no man euer loued more of perfections so did neuer any loue with more passion The last testimony which I will giue you shal be the gift by him whom I hold most deare next you who is my brother for I know well what I giue you when I ordaine that he should see you knowing well by experience that it is impossible he should be and not loue you Desire not my sayre murderer that he should be inheritor of my fortune but heare of this that I haue lesse iustly merited of all others then of you He that writ it is a seruant who for hauing lesse of loue then one heart was capable to conceiue would rather die then diminish Amasis then calling Siluie demaunded what so great cruelty she had vsed against Aristander which brought him vnto that extremity The Nymph blushing answered that she knew not whereof he might complaine I would sayd she that you receiue Guymantes into his place then calling him before them all she asked if he would obserue his brothers will He answered Yes so it be not a thing contrary to his affection He requireth this Nymph sayd Amasis to receiue you into his place and that you haue better fortune then he To receiue you I command her for the fortune whereof he speakes it is neyther the prayer nor the commaundement of another that can frame that but the proper merit or the fortune it selfe Guymantes after he had kissed the robe of Amasis came to doe as much to the hands of Siluie in signe of seruitude but she was so displeased with him for the reproches which he had giuen her and with the declaration of his affection that without the commandement of Amasis she would not haue permited him As they were ready to depart Clâ—daman comming from hunting was aduertised of this new seruant of his mistris for which he made so loude a complaint that Amasis and Guymantes hâ—ard him and because he knew not whence it proceeded she told it him and she had scarcely ended when Clidaman snatching at her word complained that she had permitted a thing so much to his disaduantage that this was to call backe those ordinances which the Destinies had chosen for him which none nor she knew how to infringe without life Words which he spake with affection and vehemency because that out of good iudgement he had loued Siluie But Guymantes who besides his new loue had so good an opinion of himselfe that he would giue no place to any person in the world answered addressing his speech to Amasis Madam there be that would not I should be seruant to the faire Siluie they that speake it know little of loue otherwise they would not thinke that your ordinances nor of all the gods together were of sorce sufficient to diuert the course of our affection therefore it is that I declare couertly that if they deny me that which heeretofore hath beene allowed me I shall disobey and turne rebel that no consideration ought to change me And then turning toward Clidaman I know the respect I owe you said he but I feel withal the power that Loue hath ouer me If the Destinies haue giuen you to Siluie her beauty is it that hath gottâ—n me iudge whether of these two gifts ought to be most allowable Clidaman would haue answered when Amasis sayd to him Sonne you haue reason to grieue if they altered our ordinances but they haue not infringed them You were commaunded serue Siluie but they denyed to others Sweet oyntments giue the better smell when they are chased A louer likewise hauing a Riuall giueth more proofe of his merits So Amasis ordayned and now behold Siluie well serued For Guymantes forgot not any thing that his Loue commaunded and Clidaman out of enuy studied to appeare more carefull But aboue all Ligdamon serued her with such discretion and respect that oftentimes he durst not come neere her left he should giue notice of his affection to others And in my minde his seruice was as pleasing as any of the rest But indeed one time he almost lost his patience It happened that Amasis hand lighted on a bodkin made in the shape of a sword wherewith Siluie was wont to raise and dresse her haire and seeing Clidaman neere her she gaue it him to beare to his mistris but he kept it all the day to put Guymantes to some payne He doubted not Ligdamou and see how often one may hurt one man for another for the poyson which was prepared for Guymantes went to the heart of Ligdamon who not being able to dissemble it that knowledge might not be taken of it he withdrew himselfe to his lodging where after he had some-while inâ—enomed his euill by his thoughts he tooke his pen and writ this verse A Madrigall on the Sword of Siliuie in the hands of Clidaman Loue that lay hid in treason Of weapon stain'd with blond But not without all reason Cuts from my hope the good For wanting meanes to pay My heauy seruitudâ— With wages that would way To
before men and gods that as she is the most faire and the most vnfaithfull in the world so I am the most faithfull and most affectionate that liues with assurance notwithstanding neuer to haue contentment but in my death We no sooner cast our eyes on this writing but we knew it all three to be from Celadon which was the cause that Licidas ran to draw out the others which floated on the water but the streame had carried them so farre that hee could not come by them yet we ghessed thereby that hee abode about the head of the Lignon which caused Licidas in the morning to goe seeke him luckily and vsed such diligence that three dayes after he found him in solitarinesse so changed from that that he was wont that he might scarce know him but when hee told him that he must come to me and that I so commanded him he could hardly be perswaded but that his brother came to deceiue him At last the letter which hee brought from me gaue him such contentment that within few dayes hee came to his former countenance and came to finde vs out yet not so soone but that Alcippe dyed before his returne and some few dayes after Amarillis followed him And then wee were of opinion that fortune had done her worst against vs since these two were dead that contraried vs most But it fell not out so by the mischiefe that the suite of Corebe went on so that Alce Hippolite and Phocion would giue mee no rest and yet it was not from them that our mischiefe came though Corebe were in part a cause for when hee came to make suite to mee because hee was very rich hee brought with him many shepheards among whom was Semire a shepheard indeede repleate with good qualities if he had not beene the most pērfidious and subtill fellow that euer was As soone as hee cast his eye on me he had a purpose to serue me forgetting the friendship that Corebe bare him And because Celadon and I to cloke our amity had layd a plot as I told you to dissemble he to make loue to al the shepheardesses and I to suffer indifferently the wooing of all sorts of shepheards hee thought at first that the good acceptance that I gaue him was the breeder of some greater affection and he had not so soone knowne what was betweene Celadon and me if by mischance he had not found my letters For though to his last losse it was well knowne hee loued mee yet there were few that thought I loued him I carried my selfe so coldly since Celadons last returne And because the letters which Alcippe had found at the foote of the tree cost vs deare wee would no more rely on those we wrote our selues but inuented a new trick which wee thought more assured Celadon had fastened to a corner of his hat on the inside a little piece of felt so cunningly that he could hardly see it and this was locked with a button on the out-side where he fayned to bind vp the brimme of his hat in that he put his letter and making shew to play either he cast me his hat or I tooke it from him or he let it lye or fayning to runne or leap better cast it on the ground and so I tooke and returned the letter I know not by what misfortune one day when I had one in my hand to giue him running after a Wolfe which came neere my flocks I let it fall vnhappily for me which Semire that came after took vp and saw it was thus The letter of Astrea to Celadon DEare Celadon I haue receiued your letter which was as welcome to me as I know mine are to you and I finde nothing that doth not satisfie me except the thankes you giue which me thinkes is to no purpose neither for my loue nor for Celadon who of long time is wholly giuen mine For if they be not yours know you not that whatsoeuer wanteth that title can neuer please mee And if they be yours why do you giue me separated that which at once I haue receiued when you gaue your selfe to me Vse it no more I pray you if you would not haue me thinke that you haue more ciuility then Loūe After he had found this letter he purposed to speake to me no more of Loue vntill he had done some euill to Celadon and began in this sort In the first place hee besought me to pardon him for being so rash that hee durst raise his eyes on me which my beauty compelled him to doe but he well knew his smal merit and therefore he protested to me neuer to mistake more onely he desired me to forget his boldnesse And after that he made himselfe so great a friend familiar to Celadon that it seemed there was nothing which hee loued more and to abuse mee the more hee neuer met me without finding some occasion to speake to the aduantage of my shepheard couering his intent so cunningly that no man would thinke that he had any such designe These praises of the person whom I loued as I told you deceiued me so that I took extreme pleasure to entertaine him and so two or three moneths passed right happily for Celadon and me but this was as I beleeue the more to make me feel that which since I cease not nor euer shall cease to bewaile At this word in place of speech her tears represented her displeasures to her cōpanions with such abundance that neither the one nor the other durst open their mouth fearing to increase her sorrow for the more you labor by Reason to dry the teares the more they increase their springs At last she began again thus Alas wise Diane how can I remember this accident not die From that time Semire was so familiar both with Celadon and me that for the most part we were together And when hee thought hee had gotten sufficient credit with mee to perswade that which he meant to vndertake One day when he found me alone after we had long talked of diuers treasons that the shepherds did to the shepheardesses whom they made shew to loue But I wonder much said he that there bee so fewe shepheardesses that take heede to their deceits though otherwise they be very circumspect That is answered I for that Loue hath shut vp their eyes Without fayning replyed he I beleeue so for otherwise it were not possible but you should know what they would doe to you and then holding his peace he seemed to prepare himselfe to say more but as if he repented that he had told me so much he beganne againe in this sort Semire Semire what thinkest thou to doe Seest thou not that shee delights in thy deceit Why wilt thou trouble thy selfe And then addressing himselfe to me he went on I see well faire Astrea that my discourse hath brought you some displeasure But pardon me for that I haue bin compelled to it by the affection which I haue
that Lindamar did came so kindly to mee that I wonder I marked it no sooner I know not whether Polemas by reason of his being crossed haue changed his behauiour or whether the euill opinion which I haue conceiued of him haue altered my eyes when I behold him yet so it is that either mine eyes see not as they were wont or Polemas is no more the man hee was wont to be I must not lie to you when Galathee spake in this sort against him I was no whit sorry because of his ingratitude on the contrary the more to hurt him I sayd I do not wonder Madam that Lindamor is more welcome to you then Polemas for the qualitites and perfections of them both are not equall euery one that sees them will giue the same iudgement that you do of them It is true that heere in I fore-see a great hurly burly first betweene them and after betweene you and Polemas And why sayd Galathee Are you of opinion he hath any power ouer my actions or of Lindamors Not for that said I Madam but I knew the humour of Polemas so well that he will leaue nothing vnattempted and wil remooue heauen and earth to recouer the happinesse that he thinkes hee hath lost and for it he will commit these follies which cannot be hidden but to those that will not see them and so shall you haue displeasure and Lindamor be offended and God graunt it fall not out worse No such thing Leonide answered she if Lindamor loue me he will do as I commaund him if he do not loue me he will not care what Polemas doth and as for him if he passe the bounds of reason I knovv hovv to reforme him leaue that labour to me for I can prouide well enough for that At this word she commaunded mee to draw the curtaine and let her rest if at least these new desseignes would suffer her But at the breaking vp of the daunce Lindamor who had noted what countenance Polemas had made when he tooke Galathee from him had a conceit that he loued her Notwithstanding hauing neuer perceiued any thing by his actions passed he would aske him the question resolued that if he found him in loue he would indeuour to diuert himselfe for that he thought himselfe some what bound to it for the loue he made shew of which hee thought to be vnfained and so going to him desired he might haue a word with him in priuate Polemas who vsed al maner of cunning that a Courtier was capable of paynted his face with a fained shew of good will and said What is it that Lindamor is pleased to commaund of me I neuer vse commoundement said Lindamor where my prayer onely may take place and at this time I neede neither of them but onely as a friend demaund a thing of you which our friendship bindes you to tell me What may it be replyed Polemas since our friendship so bindes me you are to thinke that I will answer you with the same freedome that you desire to know This it is replyed Lindamor that I haue some while serued Galathee as I was tied by the ordinance of Clidaman at last I am constrayned so to do by that of Loue. For it is true that after I had long time serued her by the disposing of that fortune that gaue mee to her her merits haue since so wonne me that my will hath ratified that gift with so great affection that to draw backe would be as much want of courage as it is now arrogancie to say that I dare loue her Yet the friendship which is betvveene you and me hauing beene of longer date than this of Loue giues mee resolution enough to tell you that if you loue her and haue any pretention to her I hope as yet to haue that povver of my selfe that I can withdravv and giue proofe that Loue is lesse in me than Friendship or at least the follies of the one shall giue place vnto the Wisedome of the other Tell mee then frankely that which you haue in your soule to the end that neither your friendship nor mine may complayne of our actions That which I say is not to discouer the secrets of your intentions since I lay open to you mine you are not to be afraid that I should know yours besides that the lawes of friendship commaund you not to hide them from me prouided that not curiosity but the desire of preseruing our goodwill makes me demaund it of you Lindamor spake to Polemas with the same freedome that a friend should poore and ignorant Louer that thought he could since it in loue On the contrary the dissembling Polemas answered him Lindamor this faire Nymph of whom you speake is worthy to be serued of all the world but as for my selfe I haue no pretention yet this I will tell you that as concerning loue I am of opinion that euery one for his part should do what he can Then Lindamor repented that he had vsed a language so full of courtesie and respect since he required it so ill Here solued to doe his best to aduance himselfe into the good graces of the Nymph and yet hee answered him Since you haue no such dessigne I am right glad as of the thing most welcome to mee for that to haue withdravvne my selfe it would haue beene a paine to me little lesse than death So farre off aâ— I added Poleman from hauing any pretention of loue that I neuer looked on her but with an eie of respect such as we are all bound to giue her For my part replyed Lindamor I honour Galathee as my Lady but I likevvise loue her as a faire Lady and me thinks my fortune mayayme as high as it is permitted mine eyes to looke and that I shall offend no diuinity by louing her With such like discourses they parted neyther of them well satisfied yet some what differing Polemas out of iclousie and Lindamor for hauing found the vnfaithfulnesse of his friend From that day they liued in a pleasant fashion for they were ordinarily together and yet they concealed their dessignes Yet not Lindamor in apparance but in effect hid himselfe in all hee propounded and purposed to do and knowing well that occasions passed may not be recalled he would not lose a moment of leisure which he employed not to make his affection apparent to the Nimph. In which hee neyther lost his time nor his payne for she liked so well of this good will which hee made shew of that if shee had not so much loue as he in her eyes she had it at the least in her heart And because it is an hard matter to hide a great fire so well but something will discouer it their affections which beganne to burne in good earnest were hardly to be concealed for all the wisedome they could vse This was the cause that Galathee resolued to speake with Lindamor as seldome as she could and to find some inuention for him to
worlds â—â—crâ—ts tâ—â—s shepheard was seruant to Astrea and that which hindred them from marriage was the hatred of their parents And how sayde they replâ—ed Celadon was this shepheard lost They tell it sayd he in diuers soâ—ts some in speaking after their opinion others according to apparances and others after the report of some and so it is told diuersly for my part I came into that coast the same day that he was lost and I remembred I saw euery one so disquieted with that accident that there was no man that could giue me a good account At last and that is the more common opinion because Phillis Astrea and Licidas themselues told it so being layd to sleepe on the riuers banke he must needs fall in and indeede the faire Astrea did the like but her cloathes saued her Celadon then iudged that they three had wisely found this inuention lest they might giue occasion to many to speake some euill of it and was well pleased for hee had alwayes feare that they would suspect somewhat to the disgrace of Astrea and therefore holding on his demands But sayd he what thinke they is become of him That he is dead answered the desolate shepheard and assure your selfe that Astrea carries howsoeuer she dissemble such a loade of griefe that it is incredible how much they say she is changed Yet as it is if Diana be not a let shee is the fayrest of all those that euer I saw my deare Cleon excepted but those three may goe ioyntly Euery other man added Celadon will say as much of his mistresse for Loue hath this property not to shut vp the eyes as some beleeue but to change the eyes of them that loue into the loue it selfe and for that there were neuer soule loues neuer shall a louer finde his mistresse foule That answered the shepheard would haue serued well if I had loued Astrea and Diana but being not capable of it I am a iudge without exception And you that doubt of the beautie of these two shepheardesses are you a stranger or doth hatred make you commit an error so contrary to that which you say proceeds from loue I am neither of them sayd Celadon but indeede the most miserable and most afflicted shepheard in the world That wil I neuer yeeld to vnlesse you put me out of the number for if your euill come from any other thing then loue your stripes are not so grieuous as mine for that the hart being the most sensible part we haue we feel more to the quick the offences of it But if your euill proceede of loue yet must it giue place to mine since of all the euils of loue there is none like to that which hath no hope hauing heard say long agoe where hope may onely licke the sore it is not ouer grieuous Now this hope may mingle it selfe in all those accidents of loue be it disdaine be it anger bee it iealousie be it absence except where death takes place For that pale goddes with her fatall hand cuts off hope at one blow when the thred of life is broken But I more miserable then all others most miserable I go bewayling an euill without remedy and without hope Celadon then answered him with a great sigh Shepheard how are you deceiued in your opinion I will confesse that the greatest euils are those of loue thereof I am too faithfull a witnesse but to say that they that are without hope are the most grieuous so farre is it that they meriâ—e not to be felt at all for it is an act of folly to be waile a thing that cannot be remedied And loue what is it answered hee but a purefolly I will not replyed Celadon enter now into that discourse because I would finish the former But tell me bewayle you this death for loue or no It is answered he for loue Now what is this loue fayd Celadon but as I haue heard it sayd of Siluander and the most vnderstanding of our shepheards but a desire of the beautie which we finde to be such It is true sayd the stranger But replyed Celadon is this a thing in a man reasonable to desire a thing he cannot haue No certainly sayd hee Now you may see sayd Celadon how the death of Cleon ought to bee the remedy of your euills for since you confesse that desire ought not to be where hope cannot reach and that loue is nothing but desire death which by that which you say depriues you of all hope should by consequent put from you all desire and desire dying it should draw away loue into same coffin and hauing no more of loue since the euill you complained of is fallen I know not how you can feele it The desolate shepheard answered Be it loue or hatred so it is that it is truer then I can tell you that my euill is most extreme And for that Celadon would haue replyed hee that could not abide to be contradicted in that opinion thinking that if hee endured to heare the contrary reasons he should offend the ashes of Cleon saide shepheard that which is vnder â—ence is more certaine then that which is in opinion therefore all the reasons which you alledge are to giue place to that I feele And thereupon commends him to Pan and takes another way and Celadon likewise passeth ouer the riuer and because solitude hath this propertie to represent most liuely either ioy or sadnesse being alone he beganne to be so handled for the time by his fortune and loue that he had no cause of torment in him which was not before his eyes He was exempted onely of iealousie yet with such sorrowes that if that monster had taken hold on him I know not what armieâ— had beene able to haue faued him In these sad thoughts holding on his pace hee found the bridge ouer which being passed hee went against the riuer not knowing which way to take for in any case hee would obey the commandement of Astrea who had forbid him to come in her sight vntill she bad him At last being come neare Boulieu inhabited by the vestals hee was as surprised with shame for comming so neare vnwares from whence his resolution commanded him to go and minding to turne he thrust into a wood so large and in some paâ—t so fennie that hâ— could hardly get out this constrained him to draw nearer the riuer for the grauell was lesse trouble some to him then the mudde By fortune being weary of the long way he went about seeking a place wherein he might rest attending till the night might giue him leaue to withdraw himselfe without meeting of any body purposing to go so far where they might neuer heare news of him he cast his eye on a caue which on the side of the entry was washed by the riuer and on the other side was halfe couered with some trees and bushes which by their thicknesse tooke the sight of him from them that passed along that way and
and turnes it short another way Consider this tuft of trees without doubt this is it which was showne vnto vs in the glasse It is true said the former but there is no apparence of all the rest and mee thinke it a place somewhat too much with-drawne to finde that which we come to seeke And the third which had not as yet spoke There is said she apparence enough of that hee told for as much as it represented this place so fully to you that I doe not thinke there is a tree here which you haue not seene in the glasse with such words they came so neere Celadon that a few leaues onely hid him And for that vpon particular marking of euery thing they knew that without doubt this was the place that was shewed them they agreed vpon deliberation to see if the end would prooue as true as the beginning but they no sooner looked downe where to fit but the principall among them spyed Celadon and because she thought it to be a shepheard falne asleepe shee thrust forth her hand euery way ouer her companions after without speaking a word putting her finger on her mouth poynted with her other hand to that which shee saw among the little shrubs and rose as softly as shee could for feare of waking him but seeing him somewhat neerer she tooke him to be dead for he had yet his legges in the water his right arme raysed gently ouer his head the left turned halfe behinde him and as a prop vnder his body the necke was wryed by the weight of the head that let it selfe hang backward the mouth halfe open and almost full of sand dropped apace the face in many places scratched and fullyed his eyes halfe shut and the haire which he wore long so wet that the water ranne downe as from two fountaines along his cheekes whose liue colour was so defaced that a dead man lookes no otherwise the mid part of his reynes were so rased that they seemed to be broken and that made his belly shew more swolue though by reason of the fulnesse of water it was bigge enough of it selfe The Nymphes seeing him in this plight tooke pittie of him and Leonide that spake first as the most pittifull and carefull was the first that layd hold on the body to draw it on shoare when presently the water which hee had swallowed powred forth in such abundance that the Nymph finding him yet warme was of opinion he might be saued Then Galathea who was the principall turning towards the other that stood looking on but not offering any helpe And you Siluia said she what will my mynion say that you be so dainty Lay your hand to the worke if not to helpe your companion yet at least for pittie of this poore shepheard I am busied saith she in confidering that though he be much altered yet me thinkes I should know him and then stooping downe she turned him on the other side and looking neerer on him Certainely sayd she I am not deceiued this is the man I meant and indeed he is worthy to finde succour for besides that he is of one of the principall Families of this Countrey he is of such desert that our labour shall be well bestowed In the meane time the water issued forth in such plenty that the shepheard being well lightned began to breathe yet neither opens his eyes nor comes wholly to himselfe And because Galathea was of opinion that this was hee of whom the Druide spake she began to helpe her companions saying They were best carry him into the Palace of Isouer where they might best succour him And so not without paine they conueyed him to the place where the little Merill wayted with the Coach into the which all three hauing mounted Leonide was shee that guided them and lest their prey might be espied by the warders of the Palace she went about to enter at a priuie gate By that time that they were gone Astrea comming out of her swounding where she lay in the water as I told you while Licidas nor those that went to seeke for Celadon could heare other newes then that I spake of Whereupon Licidas finding but too great certainty of the losse of his brother came backe to bewaile with Astrea their common mishap All that she did was to get to the bâ—im of the riuer where enforced with griefe she sate downe so full of sorrow and amazement that a little before she had beene of so small confideration and so iealous She was alone for Phillis seeing Licidas returned was gone to learne some newes as well as the rest This shepheard ariuing what with wearinesse what with desire to know how this mischance befell sate downe by her and taking her by the hand said O God faire shepheardesse what a mishap haue we I say we for if I haue lost a brother you haue likewise lost the man that was not so much his owne as yours Whether it were that Astrea heeded some other thing or that this speech vexed her she made no manner of answer whereat Licidas being amazed by way of reproach held on Is it possible Astrea that the losse of this miserable sonne for so she called him touches your soule no more to the quick to make you accompany his death at least with some teares If he had not loued you or his loue had beene vnknowne to you it might be borne with if we saw you haue no feeling of his euill but since you cannot be ignorant of it that he hath loued you more dearely then himselfe this is a cruell thing Astrea beleeue me to see you so little moued as if you knew it not The shepheardesse then turning a sad looke towards him after shee had considered awhile answered Shepheard I am sorry for the death of thy brother not for that he loued me but because he had other conditions which may make his losse worthy to bee lamented for as for the loue you speake of it was so common to other shepheardesses my companions that they are to take it as heauily as I. Ah vnthankfull shepheardesse presently cried out Licidas I shall hold the heauens to be partakers with thee if they punish not this iniustice in thee You haue small reason to thinke him inconstant when the displeasure of a father the hatred of kindred the cruelties of your rigor could not lessen the least part of that extreme affection which you cannot dissemble to haue a thousand and a thousand times acknowledged apparently in him Truely this is a mis-vnderstanding which surpasses the greatest ingratitudes since his actions and his seruices haue giuen you no lesse assurance of the thing which no body but your selfe make doubt of So answered Astrea is there no body whom it concernes as it doth me Out of question it should replied the shepheard since he was so thorowly yours that I know not and if he did I should know that he was more ready to disobey the high God then the
the hatred he bare to this stranger by reason of his arrogancy and cruelty and presently caused the Visigot to be aduertised by an Herauld of armes To make short my father ouer came him and presented the sword to Pimander and without the knowledge of any body but Amarillis that saw him out of Cleantes house he returned to Bisantum where he was receiued as before In this space Cleante that desired nothing more then to see him at liberty in Forests discouered him to Pimander who was very desirous to know the name of him that fought with the stranger He at the first astonyed in the end moued with the vertue of this man demaunded if it were possible he should be aliue Whereto Cleante answered recounting to him all his fortunes and all his long voiages in the end what accompt he was of with all the Kings whom he serued Without doubt then sayd Pimander the vertue of this man merits to be esteemed and not to be banished besides the great pleasure he hath done me Therefore let him returne and assure himselfe that I will esteeme of it and loue him as he deserues And hence forth I pardon him all that he hath done against me Thus my father after he had stayed 17. yeres in Greece came into his country honored of Pimander and Amasis who gaue him the chiefe charge that was about their persons But see what we are of our selues One may delight him with all things in aboundance and the desire satiated remaines without force As soone as my father enioyed the fauours of fortune as he could desire behold he lost the taste and disdained them And then some good Angell that was willing to draw him out of this gulph where so often he was like to make shipracke represented to him as I haue heard him say these considerations Come hither Alcippe what is thy desire Is it not to liue happily so long as Clotho spins out thy life If this be it or thinkest thou to finde this good but in quiet rest or it may be out of affaires how can they beare the ambition of the Court since the happinesse of ambition is the multiplicity of affaires Hast not thou sufficiently proued the inconstancy whereof they are so full at least haue but this consideration in thee Thy ambition is to command many euery of them hath the same desire that thou hast these their desires propound the same wayes going the same wayes cannot they come to the same that thou art and attaine it since ambition is a place so strait that it can hold but one alone so that either you must oppose against a thousand that will set on you or else giue way to them If thou oppose what can bee thy quiet since you are to haue an eye to your friends and to your enemies and that day and night their weapons are whetting against thee If thou giue way to them there is nothing so miserable as a country decayed Then Alcippe come againe into thy selfe and remember that thy fathers and grandfathers haue bene much wiser then thou be not more selfe willed but fixe the diamond nayle at the wheele of this fortune which thou hast so often proued changeable come backe to the place of thy birth leaue this purple and change it into thy former habits let thy launce be turned into a sheephook thy sword into a culter to open the earth and not the bellies of men there shalt thou finde that repose which for so many yeeres thou couldst neuer haue elsewhere See Madam the considerations which led my father to his formeÌ„r profession And thus to the great astonishment of all but with the great prayses of the wiser sort he came to his former estate where hee caused our ancient statutes to be renewed with so good liking of all men that he might say he was at the height of ambition though he were impouerished since he was so well beloued and honored of his neighbours that they tooke him for an Oracle And yet this was not the end of his paines for being after the death of Pimander retired to himselfe hee had not beene long in our grounds but Loâ—â—e renewes his old blowes there being of al Loues arrowes none sharper then that of conuersation Then behold Amarillis so high in his thoughts that she gaue him more paine then all his former trauailes It was at that time that he tooke againe the deuice which he had borne during all his voyages of the Pen of a Iay meaning to signifie Peinjay Of this loue came great hatred for Alce the father of Astrea was infinitely amorous of this Amarillis and Amarillis during my fathers exile had permitted this suite by the commandement of her parents and at this time she cannot withdraw it without so great trouble that he is ready to despaire On the other side Alcippe that casting off the habite of a knight but had not left the courage could not suffer a Riuall came to handy strokes manytimes with Alce who wanted not courage and a man may thinke but for the parents of Amarillis who resolue to bestow her on Alcippe there had beene much mischiefe betweene them But though by this marriage they cut off the boughs of this quarrell yet their hatred liued so and grew so high that there was neuer familiarity betweene Alce and Alcippe And this is said Celadon addressing himselfe to Siluie faire Nymph which you heard them talke when you were in our hamlet for I am the sonne of Alcippe and of Amarillis and Astrea is the daughter of Alce and Hipolite It may be you may thinke it strange that not parting from our woods and pastures I know so many particulars of the neighbour Countries But Madame all that I haue learned was but from my father who recounting vnto me his life hath beene driuen withall to tell me the things you haue heard So ended Celadon his discourse and indeed not without paine for speaking hurt him much hauing his stomake as yet distempered and this was the cause that he recounted the History much shorter then otherwise he could But Galathes rested more satisfied then he imagined for that she knew of what Ancestors this shepheard was descended whom she loued The end of the second Booke THE THIRD BOOKE OF Astrea and Celadon WHile the day lasted these faire Nimphs yeelded so good company to Celadon that had he not been displeased with the change of Astrea he had had no cause of griefe for these were both faire and full of iudgement yet in the case wherein he was all this was not enough to stay him from wishing himselfe to be alone And because he saw it could not be without the helpe of the night that would constraine them to withdraw hee wished for it euery houre But when he thought to haue beene alone theâ— found he more coÌ„pany for the night being come and these Nimphs goâ— into their chambers his thoughts came to accompany him with so cruell remembrance
how much I doe owe them you may in some sort know the quality of my loue since it not onely counterpoyses but weighs downe so great a weight Farewell and be no more incredulous By this time Siluie brought backe the letter and Galathee told her with great griefe that he loued and more that he was infinitely beloued and read the letter to her agayne which strucke her to the heart seeing she was to assault that place where so strong an enemy was already victorious for by those letters she iudged that the humour of this shepheardesse was not to be an halfe Mistris but with a right absolute power commaunded ouer those whom she vouchsafed to entertaine for hers she liked well of this iudgement when she read the letter that had beene dryed it was thus Licidas told my Phillis that yesterday you were in a naughty humor am I the cause or you if I it is without cause for would not I alwaies loue you and be beloued of you And haue you not a thousand times sworne to me that you desire but this to be content if you then you doe me wrong to dispose without my knowledge of any thing that belongeth vnto me for by the donation which you haue made and which I haue receiued both your selfe and all that is yours doe appertayne to me Aduertise me then and I shall foorthwith perceiue whether I may giue you permission but in the meane season take this as a forbidding With what empery sayd then Galathee doth this shepheardesse deale She doth him no wrong answered Siluie since she gaue him warning from the beginning and without fiction if it be she that I thinke she hath some reason being one of the most faire and complete persons that euer I saw Her name is Astrea and that which maketh me thinke so is this word of Phillis knowing that these two shepheardesses are sworne friends and yet as I may tell you though she be so extreme faire yet this is that that makes her least amiable for shee hath so many other perfections that this is least apparent in her This discourse serued but to wound the deeper since they discouered nothing but the greatest difficulties in her dissigne And because she would not that Siluie as then should know she shut vp the papers and went to bed not without a great company of sundry thoughts among which sleepe came stealing by little and little It was hardly day when the little Merill went out of the shepheards chamber who had complayned all night and his trauell and his sickenesse had but little asswagement till the comming of the morning And because Galathee had commaunded him to marke particularly whatsoeuer Celadon did and to repeate it to her he went to tell her what he had learned At that time Galathee being awaked talked so loude with Leonide that Merill hearing them knocking at the doore Madame quoth he all this night could I not sleepe for the poore Celadon is almost dead by reason of the papers which you tooke from me yesterday and because I sawe him very desperate I was constrained to giue him some ease by telling him you had them How sayes the Nymph knoweth he that I haue them Yes certainely Madam answered Merill and I assure my selfe he will intreate you to restore them for he esteemeth them very dearely and if you had heard him as I did I doubt not but he would make you pitty him Ah! tell me Merill sayd the Nymph what he said Madame sayd he after he had asked if I had not seene his papers and that in the end he knew you had them he turned like a man transported on the other side and sayd Now all things fall out the worst they may and after he had beene silent some while and that he thought I was in my bed I heard him sigh very loude and after vttered these words Astrea Astrea ought these banishments to be the recompence of my seruices If your loue be changed why doe you blame me to excuse your selfe If I haue failed why tell you me not my fault Is there no more iustice in heauen then there is pitty in your soule Alas if there be why feele not I some fauour that hauing no power to die as despaire will haue me I may do so at least as the rigor of Astrea commands Ha rigorous If I may not call it cruell commaundement in such an accident as this who could take a lesse resolution then that of death would it not giue signe of lesse loue then of great courage And here staying a while he thus beganne againe But wherefore my traiterous hopes come you flattering to me is it possible you should dare to come neere me doe you say she will change Consider then enemy of my repose what likelihoode is there that so much time spent so many seruices and affections acknowledged so many disdaynes borne vp and impossibilities ouercome haue done so little and yet onely absence may Hope rather for a fauourable tombe at thy death then a fauourable repentance from her After many such discourses he held his peace a great while but when I was gone backe I heard him shortly after beginne agayne his complaints which he held on vntill day and all that I could obserue was but his complaints which he made against one Astrea whom he accused of change and cruelty If Galathee had knowne lesse of Celadons affayres by the letters of Astrea she had learned so much from the report of Merill that for her own rest it had beene good for her to haue beene more ignorant Yet in flattering her selfe she conceited to her selfe that the disdayne of Astrea might make the way more easie to that which she desired Young Scholler in loue that knowes not that Loue neuer dies in a generous heart till the roote be wholy pluckt vp In this hope she wrote a little scroule which she folded vp and put among the papers of Astrea After giuing the bagge to Merill Hold heere sayd she Merill restore this bagge to Celadon and tell him I would I were able to giue him all the contentment he wants that if he be well and would see me tell him that I am not well this morning She said this that he might haue leisure to ouerlook his papers and reade that which she had written to him Merill went foorth and because Leonide was in an other bed she could neyther see the bagge nor heare the charge which she had giuen him but as soone as he was gone she called her and made her come to bed to her and after some other talke she spake in this sort to her You know Leonide what I told you yesterday of this shepheard how much it importeth me that he loue me or that he not loue me since that time I haue vnderstood of his businesses more then I would I had you haue heard that which Merill hath reported to me and that which Siluie said of the perfections of Astrea
loues you and that the heauens haue permitted the disdaine of Astrea for that they like not that a shepheardesse should any longer possesse that which a Nymph desires acknowledge your good hap and refuse it not The astonishment of the shepheard was great notwithstanding seeing that Merill obserued his actions he would make no shew of it Then locking them againe together and lying downe in his bed he asked who gaue them to him I tooke them said he out of my Ladyes deske and but for the desire I had to put you out of the paine wherein I saw you I durst not haue gone for them for that she is not well at ease And who is with her demanded Celadon The two Nymphs which you saw yesterday where of the one is Leonide the Niece of Adamas the other is Siluie the daughter of Diante the glorious and indeed she is not his daughter without reason for shee is the most lofty in her behauiour that you shall lightly see So receiued Celadon the first aduertisement of the good will of Galathee for though there were neither cipher nor seale to the scroule hee had receiued yet iudged he that it would not haue beene done without her knowledge And then he fore-saw that this would be a surcharge to his sorrowes and that he must vndergoe it Seeing then that halfe of the day was almost passed and finding himselfe in good case he would keepe no longer in bed thinking that the sooner he left it the sooner he might take his leaue of these faire Nymphs And being risen in this deliberation as he was ready to goe out to walke he met with Leonide and Siluie whom Galathee not daring to rise nor yet shew her selfe to him for shame of the scroule she had writ had sent to giue him entertainment They went downe into the garden And because Celadon would hide his sorrow he shewed a countenance as pleasant as he could dissemble and seeming to be curious to know euery thing he saw Faire Nymphs said he to them is it not heereabout that the Fountaine of the truth of Loue is I am very willing if it be possible to see it It is hard by answered the Nymph for wee must goe downe but this great Wood. But it is impossible to see it and you must thanke this faire that is the cause poynting to Siluie I know not replyed she why you accuse me For for my part I neuer heard the sword blamed which cut the foole that laid his finger vnder it It is true answered Leonide but if I be not deceiued that which wounds and your beauty are not in the number of those that are seene without homicide Such as it is answered Siluie with a little blushing it hath lynes strong enow euer to let that goe that it hath once tyed vp She said this vpbrayding her with the infidelity of Agis who hauing somtimes loued her for aielousie or for an absence of two months was entirely changed and for Polemas whom another beauty had robbed her of the which she vnderstood well enough So I confesse my sister replyed she my lines are easie to slide but that is because I would neuer take the paine to stiffen them Celadon hearing with great pleasure their prety disputation that they might not breake off too soone he sayd to Siluie Faire Nymph since from you the difficulty proceedes of seeing this admirable Fountain we shall a little be obliged vnto you if from your selfe we know how this fell out Celadon answered the Nymph somewhat smiling You haue businesse enough of your owne without need to search into any other yet if curiosity can haue any place in your loue this prattler Leonide if you request her will tell you the end since without any motion she hath so well told the beginning Sister answered Leonide your beauty makes all them to speake much better that discourse of it and since you giue me leaue to tell of one effect the world should take knowledge of yet lest we too much should trouble the shepheard I wil abridge for this bout as much as I can possibly Not for that interrupted the shepheard but to giue leasure to this Nymph to yeeld you the like Make no doubt of that replied Siluie but according to her vsage of mee I shall see what I haue to doe So what by the one and what by the other Celadon shall learne from their owne mouth their life in particular and that in the deliuery he might better heare them they placed him betweene them and walking a soft pace Leonide beganne in this manner The History of Siluie THey that say that to be beloued there needes nothing but to loue haue not tryed it neither in the eyes nor courage of this Nymph otherwise they were to know that as the water of the Fountaine runs incessantly from the spring so the Loue which rises from this faire wanders from her as farre as it can If when you haue heard the discourse which I am to make to you you will not auerre that that I say I am willing you should accuse me of small iudgement Amasis the mother of Galathee hath a sonne named Clidamon accompanied with all the amiable vertues that a person of his age and quality may haue for he seemeth to be borne to all that pertaine to Armes or Ladyes It is about three yeeres since that to giue some proofe of his gentle nature with the permission of Amasis he became seruant to al the Nymphs and that not by election but by lot For hauing put all the names of the Nymphs into a vessell and all the young Knights into another before all the assembly he tooke the youngest among vs and the youngest among them to the man he gaue the vessell of the Nymphs and to the mayd that of the men And then after the sound of the trumpets the Youth drew and the first name that came out was Siluie and the same instant the lot was drawne by the youngest Nymph who drew that of Clidamon Great was the applause of euery one but greater the gentlenesse of Clidamon who after he had receiued the scroule came with one knee on the ground to kisse the hands of this faire Nymph who out of shamefastnesse would not suffer him without the commandement of Amasis who said it was the least part of seruice that was due vnto her in the honour of so great a god as Loue. After her all the rest were called to some it fell out as they desired to others not so it was that Galathee had a most accomplished person named Lindamor who as then was but lately come from the Army of Meroue As for mine he was called Agis the most inconstant and deceitfull that euer was Now of those that were thus bestowed some serued onely in shew others of good will ratified to these faire the deuotion which fortune had made of them and they that maintained themselues best were such as before had conceiued some affection
better their country in stead of Gaul take the name of Frannce While I was entred into armes among the Franks the Gauls the Romans the Burgonians the Visigots and the Huns my brother was among them of loue armes so much the more offensiue for that they turne all their blowes vpon the heart his disaster was such if now I may bee suffered to cal itso that being bred vp by Clidaman he saw the faire Siluie but seeing her hee saw his death also not hauing liued since that but as drawing towards his tombe t◠tell you the cause I cannot for being with Childerick I knew nothing but that my brother was in extremity though I found al the cōtentments that might be as being regarded of my Master beloued of my companions cherished and honored generally of all for a certaine good opinion they conceiue of me for affaires that fell out which it may be got me with them more authority credit then my age and capacity might merit I could not knowing the sicknesse of my brother stay longer time with Childerick but taking leaue of him promising him to returne very shortly I came backe with the haste that my loue required As soone as I was come many ranne to tell him that Guymantes was come for so they call me His loue gaue him strength enough to lift vp himselfe in his bed he imbraced me with the most intire affection that one brother could do to another It would serue but to trouble you and wound my selfe afresh to recount vnto you the things which our amity wrought betweene vs. So it was that either 2. or 3. daies after my brother was brought to that extremity that he could hardly draw his breath and yet that cruell loue inclined him more to sighing then to the necessity hee had of breathing and in all his raging fits we could heare nothing but the name of Siluie I to whom the displeasure of his death was so violent that I could hardly dissemble wished so much euill to this vnknowne Siluie that I could not hold from cnrsing her which when my brother heard and his affection as yet greater then his disease hee enforced himselfe to speake this Brother if you will not bee my greatest enemy for beare I beseech you these imprecations which cannot but displease mee much more then my disease I had much rather not bee at all then that they should take effect and being vnprofitable what will it auaile you vnlesse it be to witnesse to me how much you hate that which I loue I know well my losse will trouble you and therein I haue more feeling of our separation then of my end But since euery man is borne to dye why with me do you not thanke the heauens which haue chosen me the fairest death and the most faire murderer that euer man had The extremity of my affection and the extremity of the vertue of Siluie are the armes by which her beauty is serued to put me into my griefe and why do you bewaile me wish euill to her to whom I wish more good then to my soule I thinke hee would haue said more but his strength failed and I more wet with teares of pitty then when against Attila I was all on a sweat vnder my armor and my armes sprinkled with bloud all ouer me Brother she that takes you from yours is the most vniust that euer was and if she be faire the gods haue done the iniustice in her for either they should haue changed her face or her heart Then Aristander hauing gotten a little more strength replied to me For Gods sake Guymantes blaspheme no more in this sort beleeue that Siluie hath an heart answerable to her face that as the one is full of beauty so the other is of vertue that if for louing her I die doe not you wonder because that if the eye cannot without dazeling abide the beames of one Sun without cloudy how may not my soule remaine dazeled at the beames of so many Suns which glister in this faire that if I haue scarce tasted such diuinities without death I may haue the contentment of him that dies to see Iupiter in his diuinity I would tell you that as her death giues witnesse that no other had euer seene so much of diuinity as shee so that no man euer loued so much of beauty nor so much of vertue as I. Now I that came from an exercise that made mee beleeue there was no loue forced but voluntary with which men go on flattering themselues in idlenesse said to him Is it possible that one sole beauty should be the cause of your death My brother answered he I am in such extremity that I thinke I cannot answere your demands but said he on taking me by the hand for brotherly loue and for our particular which binds vs yet faster I adiure you to promise me one gift I did so Then he said on Beare as from me this kisse to Siluy and then he kissed my hand and obserue that which you finde of my last will and when you see this Nympho you shall know that which you demand of me At this word with a blast his soule flew vp his body lay cold in my armes The affliction that I felt in this losse as it cannot be imagined but by him that hath beene in it so it cannot be conceiued but by the heart that suffered it and hardly can the word reach that which the thought may not attaine so that without longer abode in bewailing this disaster I wil say Madam that as soone as my dolours would suffer me I haue set my selfe on the way as well to render you the homage which I owe you and to demand iustice of you for the death of Aristander as to fulfill my promise which I made him against his homicide and to present that which by his last will he left in writing to the end that I may call my selfe as iust an obseruer of my word as his affection hath beene inuiolable But at the instant when I was presented before you and that I meant to open my mouth against this murderer I haue found my brothers words so true that not only I excuse his death but desire and require the like This shall bee then Madam with your permission which I will performe and then making a great reuerence to Amasis he chose from among vs Siluie and resting one knee on the ground he said Faire murtherer though on this faire brest there fall but one teare of pitty at the newes of the death of the person which was so much yours you cease not to haue entire honourable victory yet if you iudge that to so many flames which you haue lighted in him so small a drop shall not bee a great asswagement receiue at least the burning kisse which hee bequeaths you when presently his soule turned into this kisse which he set in this faire hand rich indeed with the
I thinke on it I am yet ready to die for shame yet my haire was dispersed and almost couered mee on it I had no other ornament then the garland which the day before hee had giuen me When the others were gone backe and when he saw me in this sort by him I obserued that twice or thrice he changed colour but I neuer suspected the cause for my part shamefastnesse had tainted my cheek with so fresh a colour that hee hath since sworne vnto me he neuer saw me so louely and he would haue beene contented hee might haue beene suffered to stay all the day long in that contemplation but fearing to be discouerd he was cōpelled to shorten his contentment and when he saw I said nothing for shame had tied vp my tongue And how Astrea sayd het hinke you your cause so good that you need not as well as others seek the Iudges good will I doubt not Orithee answered I that I shall haue more need to seduce my Iudge by my words then Stella or Malthe but I know wel also that I must as well giue place to them in perswading as in beauty so that but for the constraint whereto the custome tyes mee I had neuer come before you in hope to win the prize And if you beare it away answered the shepheard what will you do for me I shall haue sayd I the greater obligation to you by how much I thinke it merits lesse How then replied he will you make me no other offer The demand sayd I must come from you for I cannot teach you who deserues to be receiued Sweare to me said the shepheard you will giue me that which I shall demand and my iudgement shall be to your aduantage After I had promised him hee asketh of my haire to make him a bracelet which I did and after he had folded it in a paper hee sayd to me Now Astrea I will keepe these haires for a pledge of the oth which you haue made that if euer you gainesay it I may offer it to the goddesse Venus and demand vengeance of her That sayd I is superfluous since I am resolued neuer to faile Then with a smlling countenance hee sayd to me God be thanked faire Astrea that my designe hath falne out so prosperously for know that which you haue promised me is to loue me aboue any in the world and to receiue me as your faithfull seruant who am Celadon and not Orithee as you suppose I say that Celadon by whom loue hath giuen proofe that hatred is not of power sufficient to disappoint his effects since euen among the displeasures of our fathers he hath made me so yours that I had no feare to dye at the gate of this temple to giue you testimony of my affection Iudge wise Diane what became of mee for loue forbade me to seeke reuenge of my shamefastnes and yet shame encouraged mee against loue at last after a confused disputation it was impossible for me to consent to cause him dye since the offence which he made proceeded not but of too great loue to me yet knowing him to be a shepheard I could no longer stay before his eies and without making other answere I ranne to my companions whom I found almost dressed and taking vp my garments scarce knowing what I did I made my selfe ready as soone as was possible But to be short when we were all ready the dissembled Orithee placed her selfe at the entry of the gate and hauing vs all three before her I ordaine saith she that the prize of beauty be giuen to Astrea in witnesse whereof I present her the golden apple there is no cause any body should doubt of my iudgement since I haue seene her and though a maide yet I haue felt the force In saying those words he presented mee the apple which I receiued being much troubled and the father when with a loude voyce he sayd Receiue this Apple as a pawne of my affection which is as infinite as this is round I answered him Be content rash man that I receiue it to saue thy life and that otherwise I would refuse it as cōming from thy hand He durst not reply for feare he might be heard and knowne and because the custome was that she that receiued the Apple was to kisse the Iudge by way of thankefulnesse I was constrayned to kisse him but I assure you had I not knowne him vntill then I should then haue discouered him to be a shepheard for it was not the kisse of a maide Presently the noyse and the applause of the company separated vs because the Druyde hauing crowned me caused mee to be borne in a chaire to the place of the Assembly with so much honour that euery one wondered I was no more cheerefull But I was so troubled and so sore beaten betweene Loue and Despite that I scarce knew what I did As for Celadon as soone as he had finished the ceremonies he lost himselfe amongst the other shepheardesses and by little and little without the heeding of any body got out of the company and put off his borrowed garments to put on his owne naturall clothes with which hee came agayne to vs with a face so confident that no man would euer haue suspected him As for me when I sawe him I might scarce turne mine eyes to him being full of shame and choler But he that noted it and made no shew of it found the meanes to come to me and to say loude enough The Iudge which hath giuen you the prize of beauty hath shewed good iudgement and me thinkes that albeit the Iustice of your cause do well deserue so fauourable a sentence yet must not you be fayling to beare him some kinde of obligation I beleeue shepheard answered I softly enough that he is more obliged to me then I to him for that if he gaue me an apple which in some sort was due to me I haue giuen him life which his rashnesse merited to lose So he told me answered presently Celadon that hee would preserue it onely for your seruice If I had not more respect replyed I to my selfe then to him I had not let him goe without chasticement for so great a presumption But enough Celadon let vs cut off this discourse and content your selfe that if I haue not punished you as you deserue it was onely for feare of giuing occasion to others to talke their pleasure of me and not for want of will to see you punished If there be nothing but that sayd he to hinder my death tell me in what fashion you will haue me die and you shall see I haue no lesse courage to satisfie you then I haue had of loue to offend you This discourse would be too long if I should tell you all our talke in particular So it was that after many replies now on the one side and the other whereby it was impossible for me to doubt of his affection if at least the
fire of his loue nor the admirable beauties of those Romanes diuert him from the least part of what he had promised me O God with what contentment came he to meete me he besought me by his brother that I would giue him opportunity to speake with me I thinke I haue yet his letter Alas I haue more charily preserued that which came from him then himselfe And then she drew out letters which she had receiued from him and pulling out the first for they were all layd in order after she had wiped her eyes she read these words FArre Astrea my banishment hath beene ouercome of my patience God grant the like of your loue I went out with such griefe and am returned with so great contentment that not perishing neither in going nor comming I shall alwaies giue proof that one may not die neither of too much pleasure nor too much displeasure Let me then see you that I may recount my fortune vnto you that are my onely Fortune Faire Diane it is impossible I should remember the discourse which we had without wounding my selfe so that the least stroke is as greeuous to me as death During the absence of Celadon Artemis my Aunt and the mother of Phillis came to see her kinsfolke and brought with her this shepheardesse poynting to Phillis And because our fashion of liuing better pleased them then that of the shepheards of Alleer she resolued to dwell with vs which was no small contentment to vs for by this meanes we grew familiar and though the friendship was not so strait as it fell out afterward yet her humour so pleased me that I passed ouer many vnquiet houres reasonably well with her And when Celadon was returned and that he had some while conuersed with her he gaue so good a iudgement that I may truely say he is the ground of the strait amity which hath since beene betweene her and me It was about this time that he being of the age of seuenteene or eighteeneyeeres I of fifteene or sixteene we beganne to carry our selues with more wisedome so that to hide our loue I intreated him or rather I constrayned him to make loue to all the shepheardesses that had any shew of beauty that the suite he made to mee might be iudged to be rather common then particular I say I constrayned him because I thinke but for his brother Licidas he would neuer haue giuen his consent For after he had many times falne on his knees before me to call backe the charge I gaue him in the end his brother told him that it was necessary for my contentment it should be so and that if he knew no other remedy he might therein helpe himselfe by his imagination and when he spake to others he should conceit to himselfe it was to me Alas the poore shepheard had good reason to make such difficulty for he ouer-well foresaw that from it would arise the cause of his death Excuse me wise Diane if my teares interrupt my discourse seeing I haue so iust cause that it were impiety to forbid them me And after she had dryed her eyes shee renewed her discourse in this manner And because Phillis was vsually with me it was she to whom at the first he addressed himselfe but with such inforcement that I could hardly refraine from laughter and because Phillis thought he was in earnest and that she vsed him as they ordinarily doe him that beginneth to be a suiter I remember that seeing himselfe rudely handled he often sung this song which he made on that subiect A SONG VPon a certaine fountaines bankes Which moldy mosse all ouer-growes Whose water with a winding flowes Wandring through plaines in many crankes A shepheard gazing on the waue Sâ—â—g to his pipe these verses graue Cease one day cease too faire for me Before my death cruell to be Can it be that this grieuous paine Which I for louing you indure If gods be not cal'd iust in vaine At last may â—e no good procure Or can it be that such a Loue May neuer any pittie mooue The rather being great and true As that with which I honor you Those eyes whose wanton passages Haue often made me hope in vaine Full of so many forgeries Will they forsweare themselues so plaine They oft haue told me that her heart At last would rigor force to part Agreeing to which false report The rest of her faire face consort But how faire eies of shepheardesse Shall they to such false courses yeeld As are the Courtiers practices It seemes these beauties of the field Though without fucus on their skin Yet can they paint their heart within And learne a lesson in their schooles To giue but words the bane of fooles Enough it is high time O faire To end this ouer-cruell fit And thinke that beauty n'er so rare Which hath not sweetnesse mixt with it Is as an eye that wants day-light And faire that is without loue quite As most vnworthy of that cole Is like a body wanting soule Sister interrupted Phillis I remember it well you speake of and I shall make you laugh at the manner of his speech to me For for the most part it was with such broken language that we had need of an Interpreter to make vs vnderstand them and vsually when he was to name mee he would call me Astrea But see what our inclination is I knew well that Nature had in some sort preferred Celadon before Licidas yet not being able to tell you the reason Licidas was more welcome to me Alas sister sayd Astrea you bring to my remembrance the speech which he vsed about that time of you and of this faire shepheardesse sayd she turning to Diane Faire shepheardesse said he to me the wise Bellinde and your Aunt Artemis are infinitely happy in hauing such daughters and our Lignon is much bound to them since by their meanes it hath the happinesse to see vpon her shores these two faire wise shepheardesses And beleeue me if I know any thing they only deserue the amity of Astrea and therefore I aduise you to loue them for I perceiue by that little knowledge I haue of them that you shall finde great contentment in their familiarity Would to God one of them would vouchsafe to respect my brother Licidas with the like affection that I beare And for that at that time I had no great knowledge of you fayre Diane I answered that I desired he should rather serue Phillis and it fell out as I wished for the ordinary conuersation he had with her at the first brought forth familiarity betweene them and at last he loued in earnest One day when he found her at leisure he resolued to declare his affection with much loue and with the fewest words he could Faire shepheardesse said he you haue knowledge enough of your selues to beleeue that those which loue you can not but loue you infinitely It can not be that my actions haue giuen you any knowledge
But how apparent is it to refuse a man so constant that had loued me but three moneths Lisis seeing before his eyâ—s that which her outrage would not suffer him to loue and which his loue would not permit him to hate knew not with what words to answer her yet to interrupt this torrent of words he said Stelle it is sufficient we haue long since proued that you do know better what to say then to do and that words flow highest in your mouth when reason in you is at the lowest ebbe But hold that which I tell you for inuiolable as much as I haue heeretofore loued you so much at this houre do I hate you and there shall neuer be day of my life that I will not proclaime you for the most vngratefull and deceitfull woman that is vnder heauen At this word offering violence to his affection and the arme of Stelle wherewith she leaned on the wall to keepe him in against the window he left her alone and went amongst the other shepheards that for that time warranted him against his enemy Semire as I told you heard all this discourse and remayned so astonied and so ill satisfied with her that from that time he resolued neuer to make account of a spirit so flitting And that which yet gaue him more will was that by chance hauing long sought occasion to speake to her and seeing Lisis had left her alone I went to her for I must confesse that her allurements and trickes had more force in my soule then the wrong she had done to Lisis had giuen me knowledge of the imperfection of her spirit and as euery man goes flattering his desires I went fancying so that that which the merits of Lisis could not obtaine of her my good fortune might procure me So that so long as his wooing lasted I would neuer let my affection appeare for besides the kindred that was betweene him and me there was a very strait amity but when I sawe that he went off thinking the place to be voyd I neuer tooke heed to the suite of Semire I thought it to some purpose to discouer somwhat to her rather then to attend till she had another dessigne So then addressing my selfe to her and seeing her very pensiue I sayd It must needes be some great occasion which made her so changed for this sadnesse was not vsuall to her quicke humour It is the rage of Lisis answered she that will alwayes remember the time passed and walkes reproching me for the refusall I made of him And that said I shall it grieue you It cannot be otherwise answered she for we cannot put off our affection as we may our smocke And he takes in so euill part my delay that he alwayes calleth it a farewell Truly sayd I Lisis deserues not the honour of your good graces since that not being able to winne them by his merits he ought at least to endeuour it by his long seruices accompanyed with a strong patience but his boyling humour and it may be his little loue will not suffer him If this good lucke might befall me with what affection would I receiue it and with what patience would I attend it Father it may be you will thinke it strange to heare mee tell you the sudden change of this shepheardesse and yet I sweare vnto you that she receiued the ouerture of my loue so soone as I made it and so that before wee parted shee liked well of my offer of the seruice which I made her and gaue me leaue to call my selfe her seruant You may well thinke that Semire who was listening remayned no more satisfied with me then he had beene with Lisis and indeede from that time hee withdrew his suite yet so discreetly that many thought Stelle had beene the cause by her refusall For she made no shew of grieuing much at it because the place of his loue was filled with a new dessigne which she had in me which was the cause that I receiued more fauours from her then otherwise I should Which Lisis soone perceiued But loue which will alwayes triumphs ouer friendship with-held me from speaking to him fearing to displease the shepheardesse and though hee were very angry that I concealed it from him yet should I neuer haue spoken to him of it without the permission of Stelle who made shew to desire that this businesse might passe by his hands And since as I haue noted she did it with a purpose to reimbarke him once againe with her But I who then tooke no heede to all her trickes and who sought after nothing but the meanes to content her one night when Lisis and I lay together I vsed this language to him I must confesse Lisis that at last Loue sports himselfe with me and more there is nothing can deferre my death but that which shall come from you From me answered Lisis You may be assured that I will neuer be wanting to our friendship though your mistrust hath made you commit as great an offence and thinke not but I haue knowne your loue but your silence which displeased me made me hold my peace Since you replied I haue knowne it and haue not spoken to me of it I haue the more cause of offence For I confesse I haue failed in some things against our friendship in my silence but you must consider that a louer is not himselfe and in all his errours you are to accuse the violence of his disease but you that haue no passion can haue no excuse but the want of friendship Lisis beganne to laugh when he heard my reasons and answered me You are pleasant Corilas to pay me with a demaund yet will I neuer gaine-say you and since you haue this opinion see wherein I may amend this fault In doing for me answered I which you could not for your selfe that is I must tell you at last that if I attayne not the loue of Stelle there is no hope in me O God then cryed Lisis to what passage hath your misfortune led you Flie Corilas this dangerous sea where indeede there are nothing but rockes and bankes marked with the shipwracke of those which haue taken the same course I speake out of experience as you know I hope your merits may else-where gaine you a better fortune then me but neither vertue nor reason can do it heere I answered It is no small contentment to me to heare you vse this language for till now I was in doubt you had yet some feeling and that made me the more reserued but since God be thanked it is not so I desire in this loue to draw out an extreme proofe of your friendship I know that the hatred which succeeds loue measures it selfe after the greatnesse of the fall and hauing so dearely loued this fayre shepheardesse comming to hate her the hatred should thereby be the greater yet hauing knowne by Stelle her selfe that I cannot come to that I desire but by
the first I was so vnaccustomed to make such answers that I assured my selfe shee would take small pleasure in them yet that I might deny him nothing I assayed to acquit my selfe the best I could At this word setting himselfe on one of his knees because we were set round taking one of my hands he beganne in this sort I should neuer haue thought faire mistrisse considering so great perfections in you that it should be permitted to a mortall to loue you if I had not proued in my selfe that it is impossible to see you and not to loue you but knowing well that heauen is too iust to command you a thing impossible I haue held for certaine that it pleased you should bee beloued since it suffered you to bee seene On this beleefe I haue fortified with reason the hardinesse I had to behold you and in my heart blesse that weakenesse which as soone subiected me to you as my eye was turned on you Now if the lawes ordaine that to euery one is to be giuen that which is his thinke it not euill faire shepheardesse that I giue you my heart since it is so acquired by you that if you refuse it I will disauow it for mine At this word he held his peace to heare what I would answer but in such a fashion that had hee not beene in the habit he wore hardly might one doubt he spake in earnest And not to contradict that I promised him I made him this answer Shepheardesse were the prayses which you giue me true I might haply beleeue that which you tell mee of your affection but knowing well that they be but flatteries I cannot beleeue but that the rest are dissimulation This too much wounds your iudgement sayd he to me to doubt of the greatnesse of your merit but with such excuses you are accustomed to refuse the things which you like not of I may truely sweare by Teutates and you know well I will not beperiured that you neuer refused any thing that was giuen you from a better nor more intire good will I know well answered I that the shepheards of this countrey are accustomed to vse more words where there is lesse truth and that they keepe among them as a thing approued that the gods doe not harken to nor punish the forswearing of the amorous if it be the peculiar fault of your shepheards I referre my selfe to your knowledge but I that am a stranger should haue no part of their blemish no more then I commit their fault and yet from your owne more cruel words must I draw some satisfaction for my selfe for though the gods doe not punish the oathes of Louers if I be not as it seemeth you make doubt of the gods will not forbeare to send mee the chastisement of periury and if they doe forbeare you shal be constrained to confesse that not being punished I am then no dissembler and if I be a lyer and am not punished you must confesse that I am a Louer And therefore on which side soeuer your fayre spirit turneth it selfe it knowes not how to deny that there is no beauty on earth where Diane is fayre and that neuer beauty was beloued as yours is of that shepheard that lies at your knees and in this case implores the succours of all the Graces to draw one from you which hee thinkes he merits if a perfect Louer euer found merit If I be faire replyed I I referre it to the eyes which behold me with sound iudgement but you cannot deny that you are periured and a dissembler and I must tell you Callire that the confidence with which you spake to mee like a man makes mee resolue neuer to beleeue words since being a woman you know so well to disguise And why Diane said he then smiling interrupt you so often your seruants discourse Do you wonder that being Callire I speake to you with such affection Thinke that there is no weakenesse of condition that shall euer make me diminish but it must rather be an occasion of preseruing it both more violent more eternall since there is nothing which so much diminisheth the heat of desire as the inioying of that which is desired and this not being to be had betweene vs you shal alwaies euen to my coffin be beloued and I alwaies a Louer And yet if Tiresias after he had beene a woman became a man why may not I hope that the gods may do me as great a fauour if it pleased you Beleeue me faire Diane since the gods doe nothing in vaine there is no likelihood that hauing placed in mee so perfect affection they will suffer me to labour in vaine and if nature haue made me a woman my extreme loue will make me such as shall not bee vnprofitable Daphnis who saw that this discourse went sharpely on and that it might be dangerous that this Louer should suffer himselfe to be carried so farre as to speake the thing that might discouer him to Amidor interrupted him saying Without doubt Callire your loue shall not vnprofitably be bestowed so long as you serue this fayre shepheardesse no more then the candle which spends not it selfe in vaine so long as it giues light to them that are in the house for all the rest of the world being but to serue this fayre you shall haue well bestowed your time when you haue spent them in her seruice But let vs change our discourse said Amidor for see here comes Filidas who will take no pleasure to heare it though you be a woman And presently Filidas came who made vs all rise to salute him But Amidor that passionately loued the fained Callire when his cousin arriued made that vse of the time that stealing away with Filander from the company and taking her vnder the arme began to speake thus Is it possible faire shepheardesse that the words you vse to Diane be true or haue you onely spoken them to shew the beauty of your spirit Beleeue me Amidor answered he I am no dissembler and I neuer said any thing more truely then the assurance which I haue giuen her of my affection and if in any thing I haue failed in the truth it was because I spake lesse then I feele but heerein am I to bee excused since there bee not wordes good enough to conceaue Whereto hee answered with a great sigh Since it is so faire Callyre I can hardly beleeue but you will much better conceiue the affection is borne you since you feele the same blowes wherewith you wound others more then them that are altogether ignorant and that shall be the cause that I will not goe to seek out other words to shew you what I suffer for you nor other reasons to excuse my boldnesse then those you haue vsed in your speech to Diane onely I will adde this consideration to the end you may know the greatnesse of my affection that if the blow which cannot bee auoyded must be iudged according to
knowledge you would come to heare her one night I promised her very freely and told her it should be shortly for Filidas told me the night before she would goe see Gerestan and fall in league with him Some dayes after Filidas according to his purpose carrying Amidor with him departed to see Gerestan resoluing not to returne of seuen or eight dayes that he might giue greater token of his loue and this remoue fell out fitly for vs for if he had beene at home hardly should we haue concealed the trouble wherein we were Now the day of his departing Filander following his custome fayled not to go downe into the garden halfe vndrest when he thought euery body asleepe On the contrary Daphnis that went first to bed as soone as shee sawe her goe out made haste to tell me and hastily casting a cloake about me I followed her speedily enough vntill we were in the garden But when she perceiued where he was she made signe to me to come softly after And when wee were come neere so that wee might heare we sate downe vpon the ground and presently after I heard him say But wherefore is all this patience to what end are all these delayes Must thou not die without succour or where mayst thou lay thy wound open to the Surgeon that can heale it And then resting a little while hee beganne agayne with a great sigh Say not thou O troublesome feare that she will banish vs from her presence and that shee will ordayne vs to a desperate death Well if we die shall it not be a great solace to vs to abridge so miserable a life as ours is and by death satisfie the offence we haue done And as for banishment if it come not from her how may we auoyde it by Gerestan whose impaciencie will not suffer vs to stay longer heere If yet we obtayne a longer stay of this importunate man and that death do not befall vs from the anger of the fayre Diane alas can we auoyd the violence of our affections What must I then doe that I tell her of it Ah! I shall offend her for euer if it were possible for me Shall I conceale it and why conceale it when my death shall giue her a speedy knowledge Why should I then offend her Ah! Wrong and Loue will neuer go together Let vs rather die But if I consent to my death doe I not make â—er lose the most faithfull seruant that euer she had I will tell it her then and at that time I will open my bosome that the yron may more easily punish my errour if she will Behold will I say where the heart of the vnfortunate Filander is who vnder the habit of Callire in stead of gayning your fauour hath met with your displeasure reuenge your selfe and punish it and be assured that if the reuenge satisfie you the punishment shall be welcome to him Faire shepheardesses when I heard Filander speake in this sort I knew not what became of mee I was taken with such an astonishment I know wel I would haue gone away that I might see no more of this deceit so full of despight that I trembled agayne But Daphnis for the full accomplishment of her treason held me by force and because as I told you we were very neere the shepheard at the first noyse wee made hee turned his head and thinking it was but Daphnis he came to her but when hee perceiued mee and that he thought I had heard him O God said he what punishment shall wipe out my fault Ah Daphnis I neuer looked for this treason from you And at this word hee ranne vp and downe the garden like a madde man although shee called him twice or thrice by the name of Callyre but fearing to be heard of others and the rather that despayre might not make Filander doe some euill to his owne person she left me alone and ranne to follow him saying to mee in choler at her going You shall see Diane that if you deale hardly with Filander it may be you will ruine your selfe so that you may feele the greatest displeasure If I were amazed at this accident fayre shepheardesses you may well iudge when I knew not which way to returne At last after I had some deale recouered my spirits I searched so on euerie side that I got into my chamber where hauing layd mee in my bed all trembling I could not close mine eyes all that night As for Daphnis shee made such search for Filander that at last sheeÌ„ found him rather dead then aliue and after she had chidden him for not knowing how to make vse of so fauourable an occasion and yet assured him that I was not so amazed at this accident as he shee brought him a little to himselfe and in some sort assured him but not so that the next morning he had the boldnesse to goe out of his chamber I on the other side infinitely offended with them both was constrayned to keepe my bed that I might not giue notice of my displeasure to them that were about vs and particularly to the neece of Gerestan but by good fortune she was not more spritefull then reason would so that we easily hid from her this euill carriage which was almost impossible for vs especially for Filander about whom she ordinarily kept Daphnis found her selfe not a little impeached by this occasion for at the first I could not receiue her excuses At last she so turned me on all sides and knew so well to disguise this affection that I promised her to forget the displeasure which she had done me swearing notwithstanding as for Filander that I would neuer see him more And I beleeue he had gone away without seeing me as not able to endure my anger had it not beene for the danger whereinto he feared Callyre might fall for she had to doe with an husband that was froward enough This was the consideration that held him backe but not rising from his bed fayning to be sicke fiue or sixe dayes passed before I would see him what reason soeuer Daphnis could alledge in his behalfe and had it not beene that I was aduertised that Filidas would returne and Callire also I had not seene him of a long time But the feare I had Filidas might not marke it and that which was so secret might not beÌ„ published thorowout the countrey made me to resolue to see him on condition that he should make no shew of that which was passed hauing not sufficient power ouer my selfe to stay me from giuing some knowledge of my displeasure He promised it and performed it for hee durst hardly turne his eyes towards me and when hee did it was a certayne submission which gaue me no small assurance of his extreme loue And by fortune presently after I was entred Filidas Amidor and the dissembled Filander came into the chamber the windowes whereof being shut gaue vs good commodity to hide our faces Filander aduertised
to my misfortune that a stranger passing thorow that Countrey spyed me sleeping at the fountayne of Sicamores where the coolenesse of the shadow and sweet murmuring of the water about the middest of the day had made me sleepe He whom the beauty of the place had brought thither to spend the heat of the day no sooner cast his eyes on me but he noted some thing that pleased him O gods what man or rather what monster was this he had a visage shining again for blacknesse his hayre curled and like the wooll of our sheepe after they haue beene a moneth or two shorne his beard in little tufts about his chinne his nose flat betweene his eyes but high and large at the end his mouth great his browes frowning and hanging ouer his nose but nothing was so strange as his eyes for in all his face there appeared nothing white but that which he shewed when he rowled them in his head This fayre louer was destined me by the heauens to put me quite out of loue with louing For being rauished to behold me he could not contayne transported as I thinke with this new desire but approaches to kisse me But because he was in armor and on horse-backe the noyse that he made awoke me and in so good time that as he was about to stoope to satisfie his will I opened mine eyes and seeing this monster so neere me at the first I cryed out and then laying my hand on his face I strucke him with all my might he that was halfe leaning not looking for this defence was so surprized that the blow made him stagger and for feare as I thinke he should tumble on me he chose rather to fall on the other side so that I had leisure to rise I thinke if he had touched me I should haue dyed of very feare For imagine that whatsoeuer is most horrible yet it comes short of the terriblenesse of his fearefull visage I was gone a pretty way off by that time he could rise vp and seeing that he could not ouer-take me by reason he was heauily armed and that Feare tyed wings to my feet he mounted presently on his horse and with a full gallop followed me when almost out of breath the poore Filidas which hard by entertayned Philander who was come to see vs and was falne asleepe as they talked hearing my voyce ranne to me seeing this cruell fellow pursue me with his naked sword in his hand for the choler of his fall wiped away all loue she generously opposed against his fury manifesting to me by that last act that she had loued me as much as her sexe would permit and layd hold on the bridle of the horse whereat this barbarous fellow was so offended that without regard of humanity hee strucke him with his sword on his arme with such a force that he cut it from the body and shee then almost dead with smart fell downe vnder the horses feet who beganne to bound so roughly that his master had much to do to stay him And because Filidas in dying gaue a great cry naming Philander aloude he being neere heard her and seeing her in so pittifull a case was extremely offended but much more when hee sawe this barbarous companion being alighted from his horse ranne after me with his sword in his hand and I as I tell you what with feare and what with the course I had made so much out of breath that I could scarce set one legge before another what became of this poore shepheard I doe not thinke that euer Lion robbed of her whelpes when shee sawe them carried away ranne more mainely after them then the couragious Philander after this cruell wretch And because hee was laden with armour that hindered his running he ouer-tooke him quickely and cryed Forbeare knight forbeare any more to wrong her that deserueth rather to be adored and because he would not stay were it for that being in a fury hee heard not his voyce or being a stranger vnderstood not his language Philander putting a stone into his Sling cast it with such a force that hitting him on the head but for the armour which he wore without doubt hee had killed him at that blowe which was such that the stranger stooped agayne but presently raysing him selfe and forgetting the anger which he had against me hee addressed himselfe in a rage towards Philander who was so neere that hee could not auoyde the vnhappy blowe he gaue him in his body hauing nothing in his hand but his sheep-hooke for his defence Notwithstanding seeing the sword of his enemy so high his naturall generosity gaue him that strength and courage that instead of going backe hee aduanced himselfe forward and setting his sheep-hooke against his brest ranne the yron end of it betweene his eyes so farre that he could not draw it our which was the cause that thus leauing it fastened he tooke hold on his throat and with his hands and teeth finished the slaughter But alas this was a victory dearely bought for as this barbarous wretch fell downe dead on the one side Philander for want of strength was faine to let himselfe fall on the other but so lighting ouer-thwart the sword which lay crosse the body hit in the poynt against a stone and the weight of his body made it come out of the wound I that from time to time turned my head to see if this cruell monster had yet ouertaken me sawe well where Philander ranne and then an extreme feare tooke me But alas when I sawe him wounded so dangerously forgetting all feare I stayed my selfe but when he fell downe the feare of death could not hold me from running to him and almost as dead as he I cast my selfe on the ground and called him all be-blubbered by his name He had lost much bloud and still lost more from both ends of the wound And see what force Loue hath I that could not looke vpon bloud without swowning had then the courage to thrust my handkercher into the wound to stoppe the course of bloud and tearing a piece of my veile I put it into the other part This little helpe stood him in some stead for hauing layd his head in my lappe he opened his eyes and came agayne to his speech And perceiuing me all couered with teares he enforced himselfe to say If euer I hoped for an end more fauourable then this I pray the heauens fayre shepheardesse that it take no pitty on me I sawe well that my small merit could not bring me to the happinesse desired and I feared that at the last despayre would constrayne me to some furious manner of resolution against mine owne person The gods that know better what is fit for vs then we can desire haue well prouided that hauing of long time liued but for youâ— I should likewise die for you And iudge what my contentment is since I not onely die for you but withall in preseruing to you the thing
for our place of abode was not farre from thence vpon the banks of the great riuer of Seyne And for that by reason of the great accesse of people which from all parts came to withdraw them there and the want of those commodities which they were vsed vnto in the Champaine the contagious sickenesse beganne to take so violent a course throughout the Towne that euen the great men could nor defend themselues It fell out that the mother of Cleon was attaynted with it And although that this disease were so fearefull that there was neither parentage nor obligation of loue that could retayne the sound about them that were infected yet the good nature of Cleon had such power ouer her that she would not depart from her mother whatsoeuer she sayd vnto her but on the contâ—ary when some of her familiars would haue withdrawne her representing the danger whereinto she thrust her selfe and that it was offensiue to the gods to tempt them in this sort If you loue me would she say vse not this speech to me for doe I not owe my life to her that gaue me it and can the gods be offended that I serue him that taught me to worship them On this resolution she would neuer abandon her mother and staying with her serued her as freely as if it had beene no infectious disease Tyrcis was all the day long at their doore burning with desire to enter into their lodging but the for bidding of Cleon stayed him who would not suffer him for feare lest they that were ready to thinke the worst might iudge his presence preiudiciall to her chastity He that would not displease her not daring to enter caused to be carried to them all things necessary with so great care that they were neuer in want of any thing Yet as the heauens would this happy Cleon would not escape the infectioÌ„ of her mothers disease whatsoeuer preseruatiues Tyrcis could bring When this shepheard knew it it was no more possible to keepe him backe from entring into their lodging thinking it was now no time to dissemble nor to feare the biting of the bad-speaker He then set in order all his affayres disposed of his goods and declared his last will then hauing left a charge to some of his friends to send him succour he shuts himselfe in with the mother and the daughter resoluing to runne the same fortune that Cleon did It would serue to no purpose but to lengthen the discourse to tell you what were the good offices what the seruices that he did to the mother for the consideration of the daughter for he could not imagine more then those which his affection made him performe But when he sawe her dead and that there remayned no more then his Mistris whose disease growing worse and worse I do not thinke that this shepheard rested one moment He 〈◊〉 her continually in his armes or else dressed her sores Shee on the other side who had alwayes loued him so dearely acknowledged so great loue in this last action that her owne was much increased so that one of her griefes was the danger wherein she saw him for her cause He on the contrary side tooke such satisfaction that Fortune though his enemy yet had offered him this meane to giue testimony of his goodwill that he could not giue her thankes enow If fell out that the disease of this shepheardesse being in case needfull to be launced there was no Surgeon that would for feare of danger hazzard himselfe to touch her Tyrcis whose affection found nothing hard being instructed what he was to doe tooke the launcer and lifting vp her arme launced it and dressed it without feare Shortly gentle shepheard all the most dangerous things and most noysome were sweet vnto him and very casie So it was that the disease hourely encreasing brought this Nymph beloued Cleon to that estate that there remayned no more strength but to speake these words I am sorry that the gods will no longer draw out the threed of my life not that I haue a desire to liue longer time for this desire can neuer make me wish it hauing had triall of the discommodities which follow mortals but onely that in some sort I would not die so much obliged to you but that I might haue time to giue you testimony that I am not attainted with Ingratitude nor misprising It is true that when I consider what are the obligations which I owe you I thinke the heauens are right iust to take me out of the world since that if I should liue as many ages as I haue done dayes I know not how to satisfie the least of that infinite number which your affection hath brought forth Receiue then for all that which I owe you not an equall good but indeed all that I can which is an oath which I make you that euen death shall neuer wipe out the memory of your loue nor the desire I haue to make all the acknowledgements that a true louing person may yeeld to him to whom she is bound These words were vttered with much payne but the loue she bare the shepheard gaue her the strength to deliuer them Whereto Tyrcis answered Faire Mistris I can hardly thinke I haue bound you nor that euer I shall because that which I haue hitherto done hath not satisfied my selfe and whereas you say you are obliged to me I see well you know not the greatnes of the loue of Tyrcis otherwise you would not thinke that so small a thing was able to pay the tribute of so great duty Beleeue mee fayre Cleon the fauour you haue done me so kindely to receiue the seruices which you say I haue done you charge me with so great a burden that a thousand liues and a thousand such occasions know not how to discharge me The heauens which haue caused me to be borne but for you will accuse me of misprisall if I liue not for you and if I haue any dessigne to employ one single moment of this life other then to your seruice He would haue held on longer but the shepheardesse ouerladen with her sickenesse interrupted him Cease friend and let me speake to the end that the small remainder of my life may be employed in assuring you that you may not be better beloued than you are of me who finding my selfe ready to depart giue you an eternall farewell and intreate you for three things alwayes to loue Cleon to cause mee to be buryed neere my mothers bones and to take order that when you are to pay the duety of mortality your body be layed neere mine that I may rest with this contentment that not hauing the power to be vnited to you in life yet I may be so at least in death He answered The gods should be vniust if hauing giuen beginning to so good an amity as ours they should sunder it so soone I hope they will yet preserue you or at least they will take me away before you
if they haue any compassion of the afflicted but if they will not I onely desire of them so much life as may satisfie the commandements which you make me and then permit me to follow you that if they cut not off my threed and my hand be free assure your selfe fayre Mistris you shall not be long without me Friend answered she I enioyne you beyond this to liue as long as the gods please for in the length of your life they shall shew themselues pittifull vnto vs since that by this meanes I shall make relation in the Elisian fields of our perfect amity you may publish it to the liuing and so the dead and liuing men shall honour our memory But friend I perceiue my disease enforces me to leaue you farewell the most louely and the best beloued among men At these last words she dyed leaning her head on the bosome of her shepheard To tell you the displeasure hee tooke and the complaynts hee made were but to strike the sword deeper into the wound besides that his gashes are yet so open that euery man seeing them may well iudge what the blowes were O death cryed Tyrcis that hast robbed me of the better part of my selfe either restore me that thou hast taken or take away the rest And then to giue roome to teares and sighes which this remembrance pluckt from his heart he held his peace for a while when Siluander told him he was to resolue himselfe since there was no remedy and that for things happened and may no more be complaints were but witnesses of weakenesse So much the rather sayd Tyrcis find I occasion of complaynt for if there were any remedy it were not the part of a man aduised or one of courage to complayne but he may be well allowed to bewaile that which can find no other asswagement Then Laonice taking agayne her speech continued in this sort At last this happy shepheardesse being dead and Tyrcis hauing rendred the last offices of loue hee tooke order she should be buryed by her mother but the ignorance of them to whom he gaue the charge was such that they placed her else-where for as for him he was so afflicted as he stirred not from off his bed there beingnothing to preserue his life but the cōmandements she had giuen him Somes dayes after enquiring of those who came to visit him in what place the body so beloued was layed hee knew it was not by her mother whereat he conceiued such a displeasure that contracting for a great summe with those that vsed to bury they promised to take her vp and to lay her with her mother And indeed they went about it and hauing opened the ground they tooke her vp betweene three or foure of them but hauing carryed her a little way the infection was so great that they were compelled to leaue her in mid-way resolued rather to die then to carry her furder Where of Tyrcis being aduertised after he had made them yet greater offers and seeing they would not respect it And why sayd he aloud canst thou hope that the loue of gayne may do more in them than thine in thee Ah Tyrcis this is too great an offence to thy Loue. Hee spake thus and as one transported he runnes to the place where the body was and though it had beene three dayes buryed and that the stinke was extreme yet tooke he it betweene his armes and carryed it to her mothers graue which was by that time couered And after so good a deed and so great a testimony of his affection withdrawing himselfe out of the Towne he stayed forty nights separated from all men Now all these things were vnknowne to me for one of my Aunts being sicke of the like disease almost at that time we conuersed not with any and the same day that he came backe I returned like wise Hauing vnderstood onely of the death of Cleon I went to him to know the particularities but comming to his chamber doore I layd mine eye to the key-hole because I came neere I heard him sigh and I was not deceiued for I saw him on his bed his eyes lifted to heauen-ward his hands ioyned together and his face couered with teares If I were astonished gentle shepheard iudge you for I did not thinke he had loued her and came in part to delight my selfe with him At last after I had beheld him some while with a sigh which seemed to part his stomake in pieces I heard him bring foorth these words Stanzaes on the death of Cleon. VVHy dowe hide our teares this is no time to faine A Loue which her sad death by my dole maketh plaine Whoceaseth to haue hope ought likewise cease to feare The hope that fed my life lies closed in her beare She liued once in me and I alwayes in her Our sprites with thousand knots so strait combined were Each knit to other so that in their faithfull loue We two were but an one and each as two did moue But in the poynt that Loue vpon a firme laid ground Assur'd me pleasures I the quite contrary found For that my happinesse had toucht the poynt that was Allotted me to reach and not to ouer-passe It was in Paris towne that those delightfull thoughts Which Loue infusde in me her death did bring to nought What time a man might see the Gaules right sore distrest Against th' inuading force of strangers doe their best And must there be a tombe of lesse celebritie Then Paris holding that I nurc'd so charily Or that my ill should fall in times lesse sorrowing Then when all Europe stood at poynt of perishing But I am wide O God my Cleon is not dead Her heart to liue in me farre from her selfe is fled Her body enely dyes and so by contrary My spirit dyes in her and hers dath liue in me O gods what became of me when I heard him speake thus my amazement was such that vnawares leaning against the doore I entred but halfe in whereat he turned his head and seeing me he made none other signe but holding out his hand to me prayed me to sit on the bed by him and then wiping his eyes for so he should alwayes need an handkercher hee spake to mee in this sort Well Laonice the poore Cleon is dead and we are left to bewayle her rauishment And because the paine I was in gaue me no power to answer he went onward I know well shepheardesse that seeing me in this plight for Cleon you are amazed that the fayned loue I bare her should giue me so true feelings But alas leaue that errour I beseech you so me thinkes I should commit a greater fault against Loue if without cause I should hold on that dissembling whereto my affection till now commaunded me Know then Laonice that I haue loued Cleon and that all other suites were but to cloake that and if you did euer beare me friendship for Gods sake Laonice condole with me this disaster
in loue to him And as for the recompences which you demand for the seruices and for the letters which Laonice carried from one to the other let her remember the contentment which she receiued how many happy daies she passed before this deceit which otherwise she should haue speÌ„t miferably let her ballance her seruices with that payment I assure myselfe shee shall bee found their debtor Thou saist Hylas that Tircis hath be guiled her This is no beguiling but a iust punishment of Loue that hath made her blowes fall on her owne selfe since her purpose was not to serue but to delude the wise Cleon that if she haue cause to coÌ„plaine of any thing it is that of two deceyuers she hath beene the lesse crafty See Siluander how briefly I haue thought fit to answer the false reasons of this shepheard and there remaines nothing but to make Laonâ—ce confesse that she hath done wrong to pursue this iniustice which I will easily doe if it please her to answer me Faire shepheardesse said Phillis tell me doe you loue Tircis well Shepheardesse replyed she no man that knowes me doubted euer of it If it were of constraint replyed Phillis that he were to goe farre off and that some other came in the meane time to woo you would you change this loue No sayd she for I should alwayes hope hee would come backe And reioyned Phillis If you knâ—w he would neuer returne would you cease louing him No certainely answered she O faire Laonice continued Phillis thinke it not then strange that Tyrcis who knowes that his Clâ—on for her merits is lifted vp into heauen who knoweth that from aboue shee sees all his actions and ioyes in his fidelity will not change the loue he bare her nor suffer that the distance of place should separate their affections since all the discommodities of life haue no more to do Thinke not as Hylas hath sayd that neuer any came backe ouer the floud of Acheron Many who haue beene beloued of the gods haue gone and returned and whom shall we rather thinke than faire Cleon whose birth hath beene beheld by the Destinies with so sweet and fauourable an eye that she neuer loued any thing whereof she gayned not the loue O Laonice if it were permitted your eyes to see the Diuinitie you might behold this Cleon who without doubt is at this houre in this place to defend her cause and is at mine â—are to prompt the words that I must speake Then you would iudge that Hylas hath done wrong to say that Tyrcis loues but cold cinders Me thinks I see her in the midst of vs clothed with immortality in stead of a frayle body and subiect to all accidents which reproches Hylas for the blasphemies which he hath vsed against her And what wilt thou answer Hylas if the happy Cleon say to thee Thou inconstant wouldst trayne vp my Tyrcis in thy vnfaithfulnesse if he haue heeretofore loued me thinkest thou it was my body if thou sayst Yes I answer He ought to be condemned since no louer is euer to withdraw himselfe from a loue begunne to loue the ashes which I haue left him in my coffin so long as they endure If hee confesse he loued my spirit that is my principall part then why inconstant will hee change that will at this time when it is more perfect than euer it was Heeretofore so will the misery of the liuing haue it I might be iealous I might be importunate I must serue I was marked by more then him but now freed from all imperfections I am no more capable to beare his displeasures And thou Hylas thou wouldst with thy sacrilegious inuentions turne from me him in whom onely I liue in earth and by a cruelty more barbarous than hath beene heard of assay to lay on me another death Wise Siluander the words which I deliuer sound so sensibly in mine eares that I doe not thinke but you heare them and feele them at your heart This is the cause that to leaue this diuinity speaking in your soule I will hold my peace after I haue onely told you that loue is so iust that you are to feare the punishments in your selues if the pitty of Laonice rather than the reason of Cleon moue and carry you At this word Phillis rising with a curteous reuerence made signe she would say no more for Tyrcis When Laonice would haue made an answer Siluander forbade it saying It was not now time to defend her selfe but to heare onely the sentence which the gods pronounced by his mouth and after he had some while considered with himselfe the reasons of them both hee pronounced such a sentence The iudgement of Siluander THe principall poynt of the causes debated before vs is to know if Loue may die by the death of the thing beloued Whereupon wee say that a loue that may perish is no true loue for it ought to follow the subiect that gaue it birth Therefore it is that they which loue the body onely must enclose all their loues of the body in the same tombe where it is shut vp but they that beyond this loue the spirit ought with their loues to flie after this beloued soule to the highest heauens no distances being able to separate them Therefore all these things well considered we ordayne That Tyrcis alwayes loue his Cleon and that of the two loues which may be in vs the one shall follow the body of Cleon to the tombe and the other the spirit into heauen In like sort it is ordered That suites of Laonice be forbidden that shee no longer disquiet the repose of Cleon for such is the will of the gods that speakes in me Hauing sayd thus without regarding the complaynts and reproches which he foresawe in Laonice and Hylas hee made a great reuerence to Leonide and the rest of the company and so went away without other companion than Phillis who would stay no longer to heare the sorrowes of this shepheardesse And because it was late Leonide withdrew into the Hamlet of Diane for that night and the shepheards and shepheardesses as they were accustomed except Laonice who infinitely offended with Siluander and Phillis sware not to goe out of that Countrey before she had done them some notable displeasure it seemed that Fortune brought her as shee could haue wished For hauing left that company and being placed in the thickest of the wood to mourne at liberty at the last her good spirit set before her eyes the insupportable contempt of Tyrcis how much vnworthy he was to be beloued of her and made her so ashamed of her fault that a thousand times she sware to hate him and for his cause Siluander and Phillis It fell out while these things thus passed in her memory that Licidas which some dayes before beganne to be euill satisfied with Phillis by reason of some coldnesse which he thought he found in her perceiued Siluander to come talking with her It was
that you may make question of my good will yet if the care I haue had to instruct your youth haue not giuen you sufficient knowledge of it I would you should take notice of it because I desire to do for you You know that my sonne Azahyde who tooke you and brought you to mee hath a daughter whom I loue as my selfe and because I determine to passe the few dayes behinde in quietnesse and tranquillity I haue a purpose tomarry you to her and to giue you so good a part of my wealth that I may liue with you so long as it pleaseth God And thinke not that I haue had this purpose on a sudden for it is long since I prepared for euery thing In the first place I was desirous to know what your humor was euen when you were a childe to iudge if you could frame your selfe to be with me for that in such an age there could be but little art and so might we see as naked all the affections of a soule and finding you such as I wished Azahyde to be I thought good to settle the repose of my last dayes vpon you and for that cause I put you to study knowing well that there is nothing makes a soule more capable of reason than the knowledge of things And during your long absence from me I haue determined to marry my young daughter to you who to please me desires it almost as much as my selfe It is true she would gladly know who and of what place you are And to satisfie her I haue enquired of Azahyde many times in what place he tooke you but he hath alwayes told me that he knew nothing but that it was at the riuer of Rosne of the prouince of Viennois and that you were giuen by one that brought you two dayes iourney for exchange of some armors But it may be you can remember better for you might be about fiue or sixe yeeres of age and when I asked him whether the cloaths which you then wore might not giue some coniecture of what parents you were descended he answered no for that you were then so young that hardly could one iudge by your habit of what condition you were So that my sonne if your memory doe not helpe you herein there is no body can free vs of this paine So the good old Abariel held his peace and taking me by the hand besought me to tell him all that I knew Whereto after all the thankes I could giue him as well for the good opinion he had of me as for the nourture hee had giuen me and for the marriage which hee propounded I made him answere that in truth I was so yong when I was taken that I had no remembrance neither of my parents nor of my condition This is replyed the good old man somewhat combersome yet we will not let to proceed further prouided you like of it not greatly caring to speake with Azahyde but to know your good will And when I had answered him that I were very ingratefull if I did not wholy obey his commandement at that instant causing mee to go aside he sent to seeke out his sonne and to tell him his purpose which before my returne hee knew of by his daughter and the feare of losing the goods which Abariel would giue vs made him so much to dislike it that when his father spake to him of it hee so long reiected it and with such reasons that in the end the good old man not being able to get his consent told him frankely Azahide if you will not giue your daughter to whom I will I wil giue my goods to whom you would not and therefore resolue to agree to Siluander or I will chuse him to be mine heire Azahyde who was very couetous and fearing to lose that good seeing his father in these termes came better to himselfe and besought him to giue him some few dayes space to think of it whereas his father being a good old man easily condescended desiring to do all things with gentlenesse and after told me of it yet he needed not haue done it for I perceiued so much by the eyes and speech of his sonne who began to deale so roughly with me that I could hardly endure it Now during the time that he had taken he commanded his daughter who had a better minde then hee on paine of death for he was a man of blood and murther to make shew to the old man that she was sorry her father would not satisfie his will and that she could not helpe it but with her disobedience that she was ready to marry me secretly and when it was done time might worke her fathers content and this he had in purpose to procure my death The poore wench was much entāgled for on the one side the ordinary threatnings of her father whose mischieuous nature she knew too well egged her on to play this part on the other side the loue which from her childhood shee bare me with held her So it was that her tender yeeres for shee had not passed aboue halfe an age would not let her haue resolution enough to denie and so al trembling she came to vse that speech to the good man who receiued it with that confidence that after hee had kissed her fore-head twice or thrice at last he resolued to put it in practice as she had sayd and enioyned me so peremptorily that notwithstanding all the doubts I had in it I durst not contradict it Now the resolution was taken in such sort that I was to climbe thorow a window into the chamber where I must marry her secretly This Towne is seated on the vtmost bounds of the Allobroges on the side of the Heluecians and it is on the banks of the great lake Leman in such sort that the waues beat vpon the houses and then disgorge themselues into Rosne which passeth thorow the middest of it The meaning of Azabyde was because their lodgings were that way to draw mee vp with a cord halfe the height of the wall and then to let me fall into the lake where being drowned they might neuer heare more newes of mee because that Rosne with his swiftnesse would haue carried me farre off or touching on the hard rocks I might haue beene so bruised that no man could haue knowne me And without doubt his designe had taken effect for I was resolued to obey the good Abariel had it not beene that the day before this was to be done the poore wench that was commanded to shew me good countenance that I might be the more abused moued with compassion and out of horrour to bee the cause of my death could not hold from discouering it to mee all trembling saying to mee a little after You see Siluander in sauing your life I procure mine owne death for I know well Azahyde will neuer pardon me but I had rather dye an innocent then liue guilty of your death After I
must doe in loue as in other things the mediocrity is onely commendable so that you loue after an indifferent fashion to auoyde all those troublesome importunities neither yet is this sufficient for to please her it is not enough not to displease but you must haue some allurements which may be louely and that is to be pleasant cheerefull to be alwaies ready to tell a merry tale and aboue all to be neuer silent before her Thus Siluander must be binde a shepheardesse to loue vs and so gaine her good Graces Now see mistrisse if I may not go for a master and what reckoning you are to make of my affection She would haue answered but Siluander interrupted her beseeching her to suffer him to speake And then he questioned Hylas in this sort What is it shepheard that you most desire when you loue To be beloued answered Hylas But replyed Siluander when you are beloued what do you wish for most in this loue That the person whom I loue said Hylas make more of me then of any other that she trust me and endeuor to please me Is it possible then inferrs Siluander that to preserue life you take poyson how will you haue her trust you when you will not be faithfull But said the shepheard shee shall not know that And see you not answered Siluander that you will do that with treason which you should doe with sincerity If she know not that you loue another she will thinke you faithfull and so this dissembling may profit you but iudge if dissembling may doe you as much good as truth You talke of contempt and despite and there is nothing that soonēr brings them both in a generous spirit than to think that he whom now I see before mee on his knees is weary with doing so before a score that may not compare with me that mouth with which he kisses my hand is dried vp with the kisses it giues to the first hand it meets and those eyes with which he seemes to commit idolatry to my face are yet sparkling with the loue of all those that haue the name of woman and what haue I to doe with a thing so common And why should I make much of him when he will doe nothing more for mee then for the first that vouchsafes to looke on him When he talkes to me he thinks it is to such or such an one and the words that he vses hee learned at the schoole of such an one or he comes to studie heere that he may goe vtter it there God knows how soone contempt and despite may make her conceiue this thought and so for the second poynt that to make himselfe beloued hee must loue but a little he must be merry and pleasant For to be iocund and alwayes laughing is fit for a Iester and one of such a mould But for a louer that is for another our selfe O Hylas hee must haue other conditions You say that in all things mediocrity onely is good That is it shepheard that hath no part of the extreme of the meane or defect as faythfulnesse For he that is but a little faithfull is not faithfull at all and he that is is in the extreme that is to say there can be none greater than other in faythfulnesse so it is of valiancy and so it is of loue for hee that can measure it or that can imagine any other greater than his owne loues not So you see Hylas that when you commaund to loue in a meane you set downe a thing impossible and when you doe so you doe like vnto the melancholique fooles that thinke they know all Sciences and yet know nothing when you haue an opinion you loue but indeed you loue not But be it so that one may loue a little and know you not that Loue hath no other haruest but loue and all that it soweth is but only to reape that fruit And how would you haue her whom you loue but a little loue you a great deale since it must fall out that what shee gayneth she shall lose a part of that which shee soweth in so ingratefull ground Shee shall neuer know sayes Hylas that I loue so See sayd Siluander the same treason which I reproached you with before And imagine you whereas you say the effects of an extreme loue are the importunities which you haue reckoned that if you render them not shee will not easily coniecture the feeblenesse of your loue O Hylas how little you know in loue These effects which the extremity of Loue brings forth and which you call importunities are such it may be to those that like you know not to loue and neuer approached neere vnto that god Who hath lost his sight but they that are thorowly touched they which do loue in earnest and know what are the dueties and what the sacrifices which they offer at the Altars of Loue So farre are they from giuing to such effects the name of importunities that they call them felicities and perfect contentments Know you well that to loue is to die in himselfe to reuiue in another that it is not to loue himselfe but so much as he is pleasing to the beloued and shortly it is to transforme himselfe entirely if it may be into her And can you imagine that one that loues in this sort can be combred with the presence of him whom she loues and that the knowledge which she hath to be truely loued is not a thing so delightfull that all others in respect of it cannot so much as be tasted And if you had at any time prooued that it is thus to loue as I say you would neuer thinke that hee which thus loues could do nothing but displease when that should not be but onely for this that whatsoeuer is marked with this character of Loue cannot be displeasing and your selfe will confesse that it is so desirous to please that if it commit a fault euen that error pleases seeing with what intent it is done whereas the desire to be pleasing giues such force to a true loue that though he render himselfe not so to all the world yet is he neuer fayling to her whom hee loueth Thence it comes that many which are not iudged in generall more louely then others yet are beloued and esteemed by some one Now you see Hylas if you be not very ignorant that till now you beleeued you loued and yet you did but abuse the name of Loue abuse them whom you thought you loued How said Hylas did I neuer yet loue What haue I then done with Carlis Amarauthe Laonice and so many others Know you not said Silander that in all sorts of Artes there bee some that doe right and others wrong Loue is of that kinde for one may loue rightly as my selfe and wrongfully as you and so one may call me a master and you a marrer of Loue. At these last words there were none could hold from laughter but Licidas who hearing this discourse
that she would vse this language to me When that shall be said Paris you shall haue but the more obligation to her It is true said Hylas but I shall not be afraid to binde my selfe in part to her to whom I am already so entirely Your obligations said Diane are not of those that continue for euer you can reuoke them when you will If the one answered he bring losse the others haue aduantage and aske Phillis if she be not well eased that I am of that humour for if I were otherwise she might make some account of my seruice With the like discourse Diane Paris many other shepheardesse came to the great medow where they vsed to meet before they went home and Paris giuing the good night to Diane and the rest of the company tooke his way by the side of Laigneu But in the meane time Licidas was talking with Phillis for the ielousie of Siluander had tormented him so that he could not stay vntill the next morning to tell her what was in his heart He was so farre besides himselfe that he tooke no heed who heard him but thinking he had beene alone with her after two or three great sighs he sayd Is it possible Phillis that the heauens haue preserued my life so long to feele thy vnfaithfullnesse The shepheardesse that looked for some other discourse was so surprized that she could not answer him And the shepheard seeing her mute and thinking it was to inuent some excuse went on You haue reason faire shepheardesse not to answer for your eies say as much indeed too plainely for my quie And this silence tells and assures mee but too well of what I demand and which I would not know The shepheardesse that felt her selfe offended at these words answered him in anger Since mine eies speake so much for me why will you haue mee answer in another fashion And if my silence giue you more knowledge of my small loue than my actions passed could of my good will thinke you I can hope to giue you better proofe by my words But I wel see what it is Licidas you would make an honest retreit you haue a designe elsewhere and because you dare not without giuing your sicklenesse some reasonable couerture you faine to your selfe Chimres and build vp occasions of displeasure wheâ—e you know well there is no cause purposely to make me blamed for your fault But Licidas bring foorth your reasons let vs see what they are or if you will not do it giue backe shepheard without accusing me of the errour which you haue committed and for which I shall doe long penance but let it content you to leaue the mortall displeasure but not the blame which you goe about to raise by your ordinary complaynts where with you importune both heauen and earth The doubt which I haue had replyed the shepheard makes me complaine but the assurance which you giue mee by your egre words makes me die And what is your feare answered the shepheardesse Iudge replyed he if it may be small since the complaints that proceed of it importune both heauen and earth as you cast in my teeth If you will know it I will tell you in few words I feare that Phillis loueth not Lieidas Yet shepheard sayd Phillis you may thinke I loue you not and beare in your memory what I haue done for you and for Olympe Is it possible that the actions of my life passed should returne before your eyes when you conceiue these doubts I know well answered the shepheard that you haue loued me and if I had beene in doubt my payne should not be such as I now seele but I feare that a wound as great as it is if it bring not death may heale in time so that which Loue hath made you do for me is by this time so fully healed that hardly the skarre onely may be seene Phillis at these vvords turning her head aside and her eyes with a playne gesture of discontentment Since shepheard said she that vntill novv by the offices and those testimonies of affection vvhich I haue done you I perceiue I haue got nothing assure your selfe that which I complaine most of is the paine and time which I haue employed about it Licidas knevv vvell the shepheardesse was much mooued but himselfe vvas so ouercome of ielousie that he could not hold from ansvvering her This anger shepheardesse giues me but more knovvledge of that vvchich I feared for to trouble ones selfe for the speech vvhich an ouer-great affection hat sometime brought out is it not a signe he vvas neuer touched Phillis hearing this reproach came a little to her selfe and turning her face to him You see Licidas all dissembling displeases me in any but I cannot beare it in them with whom I would liue How now hath Licidas the hardnesse to tell me that he doubts the loue of his Phillis and I not thinke hee dissembles and vvhat testimony may be giuen that I haue not giuen you Shepheard shepheard beleeue me these words make me thinke hardly of the assurance which sometimes you haue giuen me of your affectioÌ„ For it may be you deceiue me in that which concerns you as it seemes you deceiue your selfe in that that touches me or as you think you are not beloued being indeed more then the rest of the world so you imagine you loue when indeed you doe not Shepheardesse answered Licidas if my affection were of that common sort that haue more of apparence then of effect I would condemne my selfe when the violence of it did transport mee beyond reason or when I demand of you great proofes of a great amity but since it is not of that kinde and that you know well it imbraces whatsoeuer is greater know you not that extreme loue neuer goes without this feare though it haue no cause and for the little it hath this feare changes it selfe into iealousie and iealousie into paine or rather into madnesse wherein I finde my selfe While Licidas and Phillis talked thus thinking their words were heard but of them two and that they had no other witnesses but the trees Siluander as I told you lay like a skout and lost not a word Laonice on the other side which had beene asleepe in that place awaked at the beginning of their speech and knowing them both was infinitely glad to be found to so good purpose assuring her selfe that they would not part vntill they had acquainted her with much of their secrets where with she hapned to serue her owne turne to their ruine And it fell out as she hoped for Phillis hearing Licidas say that he was iealous demaunded very loude both of whom and wherefore Shepheardesse answered the foolish Licidas aske you me that question Tell me I pray you whence proceeded that great coldnesse towards me of late and from whence that familarity which you haue in so strait a sort with Siluander if the loue which you were wont to beare me be
not changed to his benefit Ah shepheardesse you may well thinke that my heart is without feeling of your blowes since it hath so liuely felt those of your eyes How long is it since to talke you haue withdrawne your selfe from me since you took no pleasure to talke with me and that it seemed you send about for other company that you may auoyde mine Or where is the care you were wont to haue of my businesse or the griefe which my stay from your presence brought you You may remember how svveete the name of Licidas hath beene to you and hovv often it slipped out of your mouth for the abundance of your heart when you meant to name some other You may remember your selfe I say and haue at this time nothing in the same heart and in the same mouth but the name and affection of Siluander with whom you liue in such asort that there is not so great a stranger in our Country but knovves that you him And thinke you it strange that I which am the same Licidas which I haue alvvayes yet beene and was not borne but onely for you Phillis haue entred into some doubt of you The extreme displeasure of Licidas raysed so great aboundance of words in his mouth that Phillis to interrupt him could not geÌ„t a time to answer him for if she opened her mouth to beginne he went on with the more vehemency not considering that his complayning made it worse and if there were any thing that might helpe him it was onely her answer which he would not heare and on the contrary not heeding that this torrent of words tooke avvay all leisure for the shepheardesse to ansvver him he iudged that her silence proceeded of the sense of her being guilty so that hee went on amplifying his iealousie at all motions and all actions that he savve her vse Whereat she found her selfe so suâ—prized and so much discontented that she thus letted knevv not with what words to beginne either to complayne of him or to remooue him out of the opinion vvhere in hee was but the passion of the shepheard vvhich vvas so extreme that it gaue him not leisure to dreame of iâ— for though it vvere almost night yet he saw her blush or at least he thought he savve her vvhich vvas the conclusion of his impatience holding that for certaine vvhere of as yet he had no cause to doubt And so vvithout furder stay after he had called twice or thrice on the gods as iust pâ—nishers of the vnfaithfull he ranne into the woods vnvvilling to heare or tarry for Phillis vvho vvent after him to discouer to him his errour but it vvas in vaine For he ranne so svviftly that soone left him in the thicket of the trees And in the meane time Leonice well pleased that she had discouered this affection and savv so good a beginning of her desseigne vvithdrevv as vvas the custome vvith the shepheardesses her companions and Siluander on the otherside resolued vvith himselfe since Licidas tooke such ielousie at so cheape a rate to sell him it for the time to come at a dearer making shew to loue Phillis in sadnesse when he should see him neere her The end of the eight Books THE NINTH BOOKE OF Astrea and Celadon LEonide in the meane time arriued at the house of Adamas and gaue him to vnderstand that Galathee had infinit occasion to vse him and vpon vrgent cause which shee would tel him by the way That he might not disobey he resolued to be gone as soone as the moone would shine which was some halfe howre before day On this resolution as soone as the light began to appeare they set themselues on the way and when they were come to the foote of the little hill hauing no more then one plaine to bring them to the Palace of Isour the Nymph at the request of her vncle began her speech in this sort The History of Galathee and Lindamor MY father for so she called him bee not moued I beseech you to heare that which I haue to say to you and when you haue occasion remember that the same loue caused this which at some other time hath driuen you to the like or more strange accidents I durst not speake to you of it if I had not a commission namely if I had not bene commanded but Galathee whom this businesse concernes is willing since shee hath chosen you as the Phisicion for this sicknesse that you should know both the breeding and the proceeding yet hath she enioyned me to draw some words from you that you will neuer speake of it The Druide which well knew what respect hee was to beare to his Lady for so hee esteemed her answered that hee had wisedome enough to conceale that which he knew might concerne Galathee that therein the promise was more then needed Vpon this assurance continued Leonide I will attempt to tel you what you are to know It is now a long time since Polemas became to be in loue with Galathee to tell you how it grew were vnprofitable so it was that he loued her so that in earnest one might call him amorous This affection passed on so far that Galathee her selfe could not be ignorant of it so much it wanted that in particular shee made it diuers times appeare that his seruice was not displeasing to her which tied him so fast that nothing since could euer withhold him and without doubt Galathee had some good occasion to fauour Polemas for he was a man that merited much for his race you know hee is of the ancient stocke of Surien that in nobility giues not place to that of Galathee as for his person he is very louely hauing both a face and fashion able to win loue aboue all hee hath great knowledge yet ashamed of it before the wisest But why go I about to tell you these things Your father knows them better then I. So it was that these good conditions made him so commendable that Galathee vouchsafed to fauour him more then any other in the court of Amasis yet it was with that discretion that no man noted it Now Polemas hauing the wind so fauorable liued with that contentment to himselfe as a man founded vpon hopes might But this inconstant Loue or rather this inconstant Fortune which delights in change as in her nourishment was willing that Polemas as well as the rest of the world should feele what the stripes are that come from her hand you may remember that it is somewhile since Amasis permitted Clidaman to bestow vs on his seruants from this occasion as from a swarme haue issued so many loues that besides that the court was pestered with them all the country feeles them Now among others by chance Lindamor was giuen to Galathee hee hath much worth yet she receiued him so coldly as the ceremony of that feast would suffer But he that before it may bee had some such intention which he durst not make shew
must speake plainely to him O God sayd the Nymph is it possible I am assured that if hee will vndertake it it cannot but all turne to my contentment for his wisedome is so great and his iudgement also that he cannot choose but bring about whatsoeuer he beginnes Madame said Leonide I speake not without ground you shall see If you will serue your selfe by him what will bee Now behold the Nymph the most contented in the world already figuring to her selfe the accomplishment of her desires But while they discoursed thus Silâ—y and 〈◊〉 spent the time about the same businesse for the Nymph who was well inquainted with the Druyde talked of them very openly He that was very wary that he might know if his Neeâ—e had told him true prayed her to tell him what she knew Silay that desired in any case to breake off this discourse did it without dissimulation and the shortest she could in this manner The History of Leonide KNow that the better to instruct you of all that you demaund I am constrayned to touch the particulars of some other besides Galathee And I shall doe it the more willingly for that it may be behoouefull for the time to come that they should not be hidden from you It is Leonide of whom I speake whom it seemes destinies would intangle more than ordinary in the dessignes of Galathee This that I tell you is not to blame her or to make it knowne For telling it to you I beleeue it is no lesse secret than if you had not knowne it You must then vnderstand that it is long time since the beauty and merits of Leonide wanne her after long suite the affection of Polemas and because the deserts of that knight were not so slender but they could procure themselues to be beloued Your Neece was not contented to be beloued but she would also loue but she carried it with such discretion that euen Polemas was long without the knowledge of it I doubt not but you haue loued and that you know better than I how hardly Loue will be hidden so it was that at last it burst out and both knew they were louers and beloued yet was this amity so honest that it would not suffer them to dare to shew it After the sacrifice that Amasis made euery yeere on the day that she married Pimander it fell out that after dinner wee were all in the Gardens of Mâ—nt-brison the more cheerefully to passe this happy iourney she and I to defend vs from the Sunne being set vnder some trees which gaue a pleasing shaddow We were scarcely there but Polemas came to sit by vs seeming that it was by chance he met vs but I obserued that he had some good while followed vs with his eye And because we sate without any words and that he had a good voyce I sayd to him that hee should binde vs much to him if he would sing I will said he if that fayre will commaund me poynting to Leonide Such a commaundement said she would be a great indiscretion but I will make vse of my prayer especially if you haue any new thing I will willingly answered Polemas and moreouer I assure you that this which you shall heare was made but in the time of the Sacrifice while you were in your prayers And how said I is my companion then the subiect of this song Yes in deed answered he and I am witnesse And then he began to sing We sate very attentiâ—e and it may be I had knowne more had it not beene for Leonide who fearing that Polemas would shevv that which she would hide from me suddenly as he had ended took hold I dare lay a wager said she that I can diuine for whom this Song was made and then drawing neere his eare made as if she named some but indeed she bade him take heede what he sayd before me He being discreete drew backe and answered You haue not diuined right I sweare vnto you it is not for her whom you named Then I perceiued she would hide her selfe from me which was the cause that fayning to gather some floures I went from them on the other side yet not without hauing an eye to their actions Now Polemas himselfe since hath told me all but it was after his affection was passed ouer for so long as that lasted it was not in my power to make him confesse any thing Being then alone they took vp againe the discourse which they had left and she was the first that beganne And why Polemas sayd shee doe you iest thus with your friends Confesse the truth for whom are these verses Faire Nymph sayd he in your soule you know for whom they are as well as I. How sayd shee doe you beleeue me to be a diuiner Yes certainely answered Polemas and of those that obey not the gods who speak by their mouth but make themselues obeyed of him What meane you by that enigmaticall speech sayd the Nymph I meane sayd he that Loue speakes by your mouth otherwise your words would not be so full of fire and loue that they can kindle in all that behold them so burning coles and yet you obey him not though he commaund that he who loueth should be beloued for disobedient you worke that they who die of loue for you may well feele you faire but neuer louing nor so much as onely pitifull I speake for mine owne particular that may sweare with truth that in the world there was neuer beauty better beloued than yours of me In saying these last words he blushed and she smiled answering him Polemas Polemas the old souldiers shew their skarres for witnesse of their valour and complaine not at all you that complaine of yours would hardly shew them if Loue as your Generall to giue you a worthy reward should demaund to see them Cruell Nymph sayd the knight you deceiue your selfe for I may onely say to him Loue put away thy skarfe and behold the eyes of mine enemy for he can no sooner open his eies but he shall see the wounds that I beare in my heart not as you say in my complaint but in making it my glory to haue so worthy an Author of my wounds So that you may iudge that if Loue will enter into reason with me I can sooner satisfie him than you for hee can perceiue the blowes which you cannot because that the fire cannot burne it selfe no more are you being insensible of your owne beauties to be so of our teares nor offended where the armes of merit cannot resist if those of pitty at the least abate the sharpenesse of your rigours to the end that they that adore you for faire may commend you for courteous Leonide loued this knight but would not he should know it as yet But she likewise feared that putting him quite beside all hope shee might also make him lose his courage which was the cause that she answered him If your loue be such the time will
know not what will become of her So as I may well say I ueuer sawe such a curiosity nor so strange a dreame as she hath had since she endured this euill But this is not all your wisedome sage Adamas in this which I am to tell you must worke one of his ordinary effects Your Neece is so ouertaken with Celadon as I know not if Galathee be more Aboue all â—elousie is so mingled among them and I haue endeuoured to excuse and abate the blowes of it the best I could yet I am out of hope for the time to come Therefore it is that I thanke God for your comming for without fiction I know not how things can be carried without you you must excuse me if I speake to you so freely of that which touches you the 〈◊〉 which I beare them both enforces me to it Thus ended Silâ—â—â— â—er discourse with such a demonstration of mistake to see this euill life that Adamas thought well of her for it and to giue beginning not to the healing of the shepheard but of the Nymphs for that euill was the greater Adamas asked what her aduice was For my part said she will you beginne to remoue from them the cause of this euill which is the shepheard but this must be done with some cunning for that Galathee will not let him goe You haue reason answered the Druyde but while we labour to doe that we must take heede that he fall not in loue with them for that youth and beauty haue no small sympathy and so we trauaile in vaine if he happen to loue them O Adamas said Siluie if you knew Celadon as I doe you would neuer haue this feare he is so farre in loue with Astrea that all the beauty of the world cannot please him and after we shall haue enough to looke to other things than to his healing Faire Siluie said the Druide you speake well like one that neuer knew what Loue meant and as one that neuer felt his forces This little god the more power he hath ouer euery thing the more sport he makes with euery thing so that when there is least likelihood that he should doe any thing it is then especially that he is pleased to make his power to be knowne Liue not you with that confidence for that as yet there was neuer any sort of vertue that could be exempted from Loue. Chastity it selfe could not witnesse Endymion Why presently said Siluiâ— O wise Adamas doe you presage so great a disaster To the end said he that you might arme your selfe against the forces of that god for feare that being ouer-assured in the opinion that it is impossible you bee not ouertaken before you are prepared I haue heard say that Celadon is so goodly so discreete and accomplished that there is no perfection wanting in him which may winne loue If it be so there is danger for that the treasons of loue are so hard to discouer that as yet there was neuer the man that could doe it Leaue the paine to me said she and onely see what you will haue me doe in this businesse we talke of Me thinks said the Druyde this warre must be made by the eye and when I haue seene how the world goes wee will dispose of our affaires to the least hurt that wee can and in the meane time let vs keepe our dessigne secret Then Siluiâ— left him to his rest and went to seeke Galathee who with Leonide was about the bed of Celadon for hauing knowne he was awake neither of them had the power to stay longer from the sight of him The welcomes that he gaue to Leonide were not small for for the courtesie with which she bound him he loued and esteemed well of her though Siluies humour pleased him better Within a while after they fell in talke of Adamas commending his Wisedome his Wit and Bounty whereupon Celadon asked if hee were not the Sonne of the great Pelion of whom he had heard spoken so many maruailes It is the same answered Galathee who is come expressely for your disease O Madame answered the shepheard it must be a good Physician that can heale that but I thinke when he shall know it he will sooner despaire of my health than dare to vndertake the cure Galathee thought he spake of the sicknesse of his body But sayd she is it possible you should thinke you are still sicke I assure my selfe if you will within two dayes you may leaue your bed It may be Madame answered Leonide hee is neuer the better for that for sometimes we carry our sicknesse so hidden that our selues know nothing till we be in extremity Their discourse had held longer had not the Druyde come to finde them that he might see what was necessary for his purpose He found him well disposed for his body for the disease had spent his fury and came to decline but when hee spake to him hee iudged his spirit distempered though he was not of beleefe that it was for these Nymphs and knowing that the wise Physician ought alwaies to apply his remedy to the euill that is ready to offer violence hee resolued to begin his cure on Galathee And on this designe desirous at once to be certified of the will of Celadon at night when al the Nymphs were gone he tooke heed that Meril might not bee by hauing shut the doore hee spake in this sort I thinke Celadon your astonishment is not small to see your selfe suddenly raysed to so good a fortune as that you now possesse for I assure my selfe it is beyond your hope that being borne as you are a shepheard and bred in the villages you now see your selfe cherished of the Nymphs made much of and serued I will not say of Ladyes that haue beene vsed to be commanded but by her that absolutely commands ouer this Countrey A fortune indeede which the greatest haue desired but whereto none could attaine but your selfe for which you are to praise the gods and giue them thanks that they may continue it to you Adamas talked thus to him that he might draw him to tell the truth of his affection thinking that by this meanes making shew to approue it he should make him best discouer it Whom the shepheard answered with a great sigh Father if this be a good fortune then must my taste bee distempered for I neuer felt more bitter Wormewood than that which this fortune that you call good hath made me taste since I came to bee in the state wherein you see me And how added the Druyde the better to couer his craft is it possible you should haue so small knowledge of your good that you see not to what greatnesse this aduenture hath raysed you Alas answered Celadon it is that which threatens a greater fall Why doe you feare said Adamas that this good lucke will not last I feare answered the shepheard it will last longer then I desire But wherefore is it that
life brings Wise Nymph answered the shepheard this that you say is more than true if we were out of the power of Loue but you must know that the same effects which Ambition bringeth foorth in Courts Loue causeth to growe in our villages For the enuy of a Riuall is no lesse than of a Courtier and the artificiall practices of Louers and Shepheards giue no place to others And that is the cause that slaunderers retaine the same authority among vs to make good their owne actions as well as among you It is true that we haue one aduantage that instead of two enemies that you haue which is Loue and Ambition we haue but one and from thence it comes that there be some things particularly among vs which we may call happy but none as I suppose among Courtiers for they that loue not at all neede not auoyde the allurements of Ambition and whoso is not ambitious shall not for it haue his soule frozen to resist the flames of many faire eies so that hauing but one enemy we may the more easily resist him as Siluander hath done hitherto a shepheard indeede repleate with many perfections yet more happy a man may say without offence than wise for though this may in some sort proceed out of his wisedome yet this is it that I hold That it is a great happinesse neuer to haue met with a beauty that pleased him and hauing neuer found the beauty that drew him he neuer had familiarity with any shepheardesse which is the cause that he so preserues his liberty because I thinke for my part that if one loue not else-where it is impossible for him to conuerse long with an amiable beauty but he must loue it Silâ—ie answered him I haue so small knowledge in this learning that I must referre my selfe to what you say yet doe I thinke that it must be some other thing than beauty that causes loue otherwise the Lady that is loued of one should be so of all There be many answers said the shepheard to this obiection For all beauties are not seene of one eie so that as among colours there be that please some and displease others so wee may say of beauties for all eyes doe not iudge alike besides that these faire looke not on all with the same eie and one shall please such whom she indeuoureth to please and another quite contrary whom she seekes not to be pleasing vnto But aboue all these reasons mee thinkes that of Siluander was very good when one demaunded of him why he was not in loue He answered he neuer yet found his Loue-stone and when he found such an one he knew well he must infallibly loue as others did And answered Siluie whom meant he by the Loue-stone I know not replied the shepheard whether I can better instruct you For he is well studied and among vs we hold him for a man of great vnderstanding Hee sayes hee learned it from the Druydes that when the great God formed all our soules hee touched euery of them with a piece of a Loue-stone and that after he put all those pieces into a place apart and likewise those of the women after hee had touched them he locked them into another store-house by it selfe Afte when hee sent the soules into the body hee brought foorth those of women where are the loue-stones which touched those of the men and those of men to those of women and caused them to fasten each to other If there be wicked soules they take more pieces which they hide It happens that as soone as the soule is in the body and that it meeteth with it that is his loue-stone it is impossible but hee should loue and from hence proceed all the effects of loue For as for them that are beloued of many it is for that they were theeuish and had taken more pieces as for that which loues euery one and is not beloued it is for that he had his loue-stone and she had not hers Many oppositions were made when he spake these things but hee answered them all very well Among others I said But what would he say that diuers times one shepheard loues diuers shepheardesses That is said he for that the piece of loue which touched it being among others when the god mixed them brake and being in diuers pieces they all as many as there were drew to them that soule But withall marke that those persons which are taken with diuers loues loue not much that is for that these little pieces beeing separated haue not that force as if they were vnited Moreouer he said that hence it comes that we see often some in loue with others which in our eyes haue nothing amiable in them whence proceede likewise those strange loues that fall out sometimes that a Gaule bred vp among the most beautifull Ladyes came to loue a barbarous stranger It was Diaâ—e that asked him what he sayd of Tymon of Athens that neuer loued any nor any loued him His piece of loue said he either was in the great gods Store-house when he came into the world or she which had it dyed in the cradle or before that Tymon was borne or of yeeres to know her So that euer since when we see any that is not beloued wee say his piece of Loue was forgotten And what sayd he said Siluie of that that no man loued Tymon That sometimes answered Celadon the great god reckoned the stones that remained and finding the number disagreeing because some of the theeuish soules had taken more as I haue told you that hee might set the pieces in their euen number the soules which were then ready to enter into the body carried none with them And thence it comes that sometimes we see shepheardesses compleate enough which are so neglected that none loue them But the gracious Corilas asked him a question concerning himselfe at that time what hee would say of one that hauing long time loued came to leaue her and to loue another Siluander answered to this that the piece of Loue that changed was broken and that that which he first loued should haue had a greater piece than the other for whom he left her And as when we see yron betweene two loadstones suffers it selfe to be drawne by that which hath most strength so the soule leaues it selfe to bee carried by the stronger part of his loue Truely said Siluie this shepheard must be gentle hauing so good conceits but tell me I pray you what he is It will be hard for me answered Celadon to tell for himselfe knowes not yet wee hold him to be of a good house according to the iudgement that may be made of his good qualities for you must know that it is some yeeres since he came to dwell in our village with smal meanes without knowledge of himselfe but that he sayd hee came from the Lake Leman where he was bred a childe So it was that after hee was knowne euery one
was very aduised and was not ignorant of the affaires of this shepheardesse but that he had heard speech of the loue which Colion bare her suddenly entred into conceit that this flocke was his and that Bellinde went to seeke him Now though he made no doubt of the chastity of his mistris yet did he easily beleeue that shee hated him not thinking that so long a suite could not haue beene continued if shee had misliked it And to satisfie his curiosity as soone as he sawe her vnder the trees and that she could not spie him fetching a compasse somevvhat about hee hid himselfe among some bushes where hee perceiued the shepheardesse set on the turffes which were raised about the Fountaine in the fashion of seates and Celion on his knees by her What an assault receiued he at this sight Yet for that hee could not heate what they sayd hee went softly and he came so neere them that there was nothing but an hedge which compassing about the fountaine like a pale shaddowed him From that place then casting his eyes betvveene the opening of the leaues and being very attentiue withall to their discourse he heard the shepheardesse answer him And how Celion is it power or will to please me that makes you wanting in this occasion Shall this accident haue more force ouer you than the power you haue giuen me Where is your courage Celion or rather where is your amity Haue you not heeretofore ouercome for the loue you beare me greater misfortunes than these If it be so where is the affection or where is the resolution that made you doe it Would you haue me beleeue that you haue lesse now than you had then Ah shepheard consent thou rather to the shortening of my life than to the lessening of that goodwill which you haue promised me and as hitherto I haue had that power ouer you that I listed so for the time to come let nothing be able to diminish the same Ergaste heard that Celion answered her Is it possible Bellinde that you can enter into doubt of mine affection and of the power you haue of me Can you haue so great a want of vnderstanding and can the heauens be so vniust that you can forget those testimonies which I haue giuen you and that they haue suffered that I should suruiue the good opinion which you are to haue of mee You Bellinde you may call into question that which neuer any one of my actions nor of your commaundements left doubtfull At least before you take so disaduantagious opinion against me demaund of Amaranthe what she beleeues demaund the respect which makes me silent demaund of Bellinde her selfe if euer shee imagined any thing difficult that my affection did not surmount But now that I see you entirely anothers and after the end of my disappoynted loue leauing you in the armes of a more happy man than my selfe I must be gone and banish my selfe for euer from you Alas can you say it is want of affection or of will to obey you if I feele a paine more cruell than that of death How shepheardesse can you thinke I do loue you if without dying I know you another mans Will you say it should be loue and courage that make me insensible of this disaster rather in truth shall it not be neither loue nor courage to suffer this without dispaire O shepheardesse oh that you and I shall be a Fable a long while for if this weaknes which makes me vnable to liue and support this misfortune makes you doubt of my affection on the contrary that great constancy and that extreme resolution which I see in you is to me an ouer-certaine assurance of your small amity But withall why must I hope more of you when another O the cruelty of my destiny is to enioy you At this word the poore shepheard fell on the knees of Bellinde without strength or sence If the shepheardesse were touched to the quicke as well at the words as at the swowning of Celion you may iudge faire Nymph since she loued him as much as was possible and she must dissemble that she had no feeling of this dolorous separation When she saw him in a swownd and that she thought she was not heard but of the Sicomors and the water of the fountaine vnwilling to hide from them the displeasure which she had kept so secret from her companions and those whom she ordinarily sawe Alas said she wringing her hands Alas O soueraigne goodnesse take me out of this misery or out of this life for pitty either breake off my cruell disaster or let my cruell disaster breake me And there casting downe her eyes on Celion And thou sayd she ouer-faithfull shepheard which art not miserable but in that thou louest miserable me let the heauens be pleased either to giue thee the contentments thou deseruedst or to take me from the world since I am the only cause that thou sufferest the displeasures which thou meritest not And then holding her peace a while she beganne againe O how hard a thing it is to loue well and to be wise withall For I see well my father hath reason to giue mee to the wise Ergaste whether for his merits or for his substance But alas what doth this knowledge auaile me if Loue forbid mine affection to delight in him I know that Ergaste merits more and I can hope for nothing more to my benefit than to be his But how can I giue my selfe to him if Loue haue already giuen mee to another Reason is on my fathers side but Loue is for me and not a loue lately borne or that hath no power but a Loue which I haue conceiued or rather which the heauens haue caused to be borne with me which grew vp with me from my cradle and which by so long tract of time is so insinuated into my soule that it is more my soule than my soule O God! can I hope to put it off without losse of life And if I cannot vndoe it tell me Bellinde what will become of thee In bringing out these words the great teares fel from her eyes and running downe along her face wet both the hand and cheeke of the shepheard who by little and little comming to himselfe caused the shepheardesse to breake off her complaints and wiping her eyes for feare lest hee should marke it changing both her countenance and voyce she spake to him in this sort Shepheard I will confesse that I haue a feeling of your paine it may be as much as your selfe and that I cannot doubt of your goodwill vnlesse I were the most mis-vnderstanding person in the world But to what end serue this acknowledgement and those feelings since the heauens haue subiected me to him that hath giuen mee being would you haue me so to be that I disobey him But be it that affection more strong preuaile aboue duty shall we therefore Celion be at rest Is it possible if you loue me that
you can haue any contentment to see me all the rest of my life long full of displeasures and griefes And can you thinke that the blame which I shall incurre whether for disobeying my father or for the opinion that euery one shall haue of our life passed to my disaduantage can leaue me one moment of quieâ—nesse It may be this will be more credible of another than of me that haue alwayes so blamed them that haue carried themselues thus that the shame to see my selfe falne into their fault will be more insupportable to me than the most cruell death which the heauens may ordaine Arme your selfe therefore with this resolution O shepheard that as for the time passed our affection neuer made vs coÌ„mit any thing that was against our duty though our loue were extreme so for the time to come we must not suffer that it compell vs to doe it Besides that to things which haue no remedy complaints seeme vnprofitable Now it is certaine that my father hath giuen me to Ergaste and that gift can neuer be reuoked but by Ergaste himselfe Iudge you what hope wee can haue euer that will be It is true that hauing disposed of my affection before my father did of me I promised and swore to you before all the gods and particularly before the deities which dwell in this place that for affection I would be yours vntil I were in my tombe that there was neither father nor husband nor tyranny of duty should euer make me doe against the oath which I haue made you The heauens haue giuen me to a father that father hath giuen my body to an husband As I may not contradict heauâ—â— so my duty forbids me to refuse the appoyntment of my father But neither the heauens nor my father nor my husband shall euer keep me from hauing a brother whom I will loue as I haue promised him whatsoeuer may come of it At these last words foreseeing that Celion would fal againe to plaints and teares to put it off she rose and taking him by the head kissed his brow and bidding him farewell and going away Shepheard God grant thee as much contentment said she in thy iourney as thou leauest me little in the case I am in Celion had neither the strength to answer her nor the courage to follow her but being risen and holding his armes acrosse he went accompanying her with his eyes as farre as he could see her and when the trees tooke away his view lifting vp his eyes to heauen all laden with teares after many great sighs he ranne away on the other side without care either of his flocke or of any thing he left in his cabbin Ergaste who lay hid behinde the bush and had heard their discourse was more satisfied with the vertue of Bellinde than hee could expresse admiring both the force of her courage and the greatnes of her honesty And after he had long stayed rauished with this thought considering the extreme affection that was betweene these two louers hee beleeued that it would be an act vnworthy himselfe to be cause of their separation and that the heauens had ordained him to meet with that farewell so fitly but to let him see the great errour which he went about to commit vnawares Being then resolued to worke for their contentment all he could possibly hee set himselfe to follow Celion but he was by this time so farre gone that he knew not how to ouertake him and thinking to find him in his cabbin he tooke a narrow path that led directly to it But Celion was gone a contrary way for without speaking to any of his kinred or friends he went wandring many dayes without any other purpose than to flie from men and fed on the wilde fruits which extreme hunger enforced him to gather in the woods Ergaste that sawe his purpose was broken on that side after a day or two's search went to finde out Bellinde hoping to know of her what way he had taken and by chance he found her at the same place where she had bid Celion adieu all alone on the side of the Fountaine at that time meditating on the last accident that befell her in that place the remembrance whereof brought teares from the depth of her heart Ergaste that sawe her long before came purposely to take her in the most priuate sort hee could possibly and seeing her teares like two Springs runne downe into the Fountaine he had so much pitty that he swore not to take a good nights sleeâ—â— vntill hee had remedied her displeasure And to lose no time aduauncing himselfe at once towards her he saluted her Shee that sawe her selfe ouertaken with teares in her eyes that shee might hide them making shew to wash her selfe and nimbly casting her hands into the water wet her face all ouer so that if Ergaste had not seene her teares before he could hardly haue knowne she wept which yet made him more to wonder at her vertue At that time she painted in her face a smiling countenance and turning to the shepheard said to him with a fashion of courtesie I thought to haue beene a lone gentle shepheard but for that I see you are come for the same cause as I thinke that brought me hither I would say to refresh you and without fayning see the best Spring and the most fresh that is in this Plaine Wise and faire shepheardesse answered Ergaste smiling you haue reason to say that the same cause which made you come hither hath likewise brought me For it is true but where you say that you and I come to refresh our selues I must contradict it for that neither of vs had it for our purpose For my part said the shepheardesse I confesse I may be deceiued for you but for mine owne particular you must permit me to say that there is none that knowes more than my selfe I grant sayd Ergaste that you know more than all others But you shall not therefore make mee confesse that the cause that brought you hither is the very same you haue spoken of And what thinke you then sayd she it was At this word she laid her hand on her face seeming to rubbe her eye-browes but indeede to hide in some sort the rednesse which was risen Which Ergaste marking and willing to free her of the paine wherein hee sawe her answered thus Faire and discreet shepheardesse you must vse no more dissimulation with mee that know as well as you that which you do thinke you haue most secret in your soule and to manifest vnto you that I lie not I tell you that at this present you are heere at this waters side thinking with great displeasure on the last adieu which you gaue vnto Celion in this place where you are I sayd shee presently all ouertaken Yes you said Ergaste but be not greeued that I know it For I doe so esteeme of your vertue and worth that it shall be so farre from hurting you
him O Lidias my child with what contentment and feare doe I see thee here for I thanke God that at the end of my dayes I see thee so much esteemed of by the report of them that haue taken thee but alas what is my feare to see thee in this cruell Towne since thy enemy Aronte is dead of the wounds which he had of thee and that thou hast beene condemned to death by the Lords of Iustice for my part I know no other remedie but to ransome thee presently and lye close till thou beest healed that being able to mount on horsebacke thou mayest bee gone with the Franks If Ligdamon were astonied at this discourse you may iudge and then knew well she tooke him for another But hee could not answer her because at the same instant he which had taken him entred into the Chamber with two Officers of the Towne to take the names and qualitie of the prisoners for there were many of their men taken and they would exchange them The poore Lady was surprized fearing they came to carry him to prison and hearing they asked him his Name shee was about to tell it her selfe but my Master thrust her back and called himselfe Ligdoman the Segusian She then had an opinion he meant to dissemble and to put out all suspition she withdrew her selfe with a resolution to ransome him with all speed that he might not be knowne And it was true that my Master resembled Lidias so much that all that saw him tooke him for him Now this Lidias was a young man of that Countrey that being in loue with a faire Lady had fought with Aronte his Riuall whose iealousie was such that it let him goe beyond his dutie speaking euill both of her and him Whereat Lidias offended after hee had spoken twice or thrice to make him change his discourse and thinking that he tooke it as out of feare which indeed proceeded from the wisdome of the young man he was at last enforced both out of duty and loue to come to Armes and with that happinesse that hauing left his enemie as dead on the earth he had the leysure to saue himselfe from the hands of Iustice which after that Aronte was dead pursued him so that though he were absent yet they condemned him to death Ligdamon was so wounded that he dreamt not of these things I that foresaw the euill that might befall him alwayes pressed his mother to redeeme him which she did but not so secretly but that the enemies of Lidias were aduertised of it so that at their request the same day the good Lady hauing payed the ransome and carrying him to her house those Officers of Iustice came vpon them and made him take the way to prison whatsoeuer Ligdamon could say deceiued like others by the resemblance of Lidias So behold him in as great danger as a man might be that had not offended But this was nothing to the next dayes worke when hee was questioned of points whereof he was so ignorant that he knew not what to say Notwithstanding they forbore not to ratifie the former Iudgement and gaue him no further terme then to the healing of his wounds The bruit presently ran throughout all the Towne that Lidias was prisoner and that he was condemned to dye not as a Murderer only but as a Rebell hauing beene taken with Armes in his hand for the Franks that for this cause he was to be put into the Cage of the Lyons and it was true that their custome was such but they would not pronounce this award to him that he might not make himselfe away Yet they talked of no other thing within the Towne and the voyce was so spred that it came to my eares Wherewith being feared I disguised my selfe so with the helpe of this good Lady which had redeemed him that I came to Paris to find out Meroue and Clidaman whom I gaue to vnderstand of this accident whereat they were much astonied thinking it almost impossible that two men should be so alike that there might be no difference And to remedy it they sent speedily two Heralds of Armes to let the enemies know the error wherein they were but this serued but to perswade them the more and to make them hasten the execution of their Iudgement The wounds of Ligdamon were almost healed so that to giue him no longer time they pronounced the Sentence That attainted of Murder and Rebellion Iustice had ordayned that hee should dye by the Lyons appointed to such an execution yet because hee was nobly borne and their countreyman they did him the grace to suffer him to carry his Sword and Dagger as being the Armes of a Knight wherewith if he had the courage he might defend himselfe or at least assay generously to reuenge his death And at this time in their Councell they made an answer to Mâ—roue That so they would chastife all their countreymen that were traytors to their Countrey Behold the poore Ligdamon in extreme danger yet that courage which yet neuer bended but vnder loue seeing there was no other remedy resolued to looke to his owne safetie the best he could And because Lidias was one of the better Families among the Normans almost all the people assembled to see this Spectacle And when hee saw they were ready to put him into this horrible close field all that hee requested was that hee might fight with the Lyons one by one The people hearing so iust a demaund agreed to it by their acclamations and clapping of hands what difficulties soeuer the contrary part propounded So that behold him thrust alone into the Cage and the Lyons on the other side the barres seeing this new prey roared so fearefully that there was none of the standers by that trembled not Without more Ligdamon seemed confident among so many dangers and hauing an eye on the first Gate that was to open lest hee might be surprized hee saw a furious Lyon come forth with staring looke and hauing three or foure times strucken the earth with his tayle began to thrust forth his great fore-feet and to open his pawes as if hee would shew him what death hee was to die But Ligdamon seeing well there was no safetie but in his valour as soone as hee saw him rise vp he cast his ponyard so fitly at him that he planted it in his stomacke euen to the haft wherewith the Beast being touched at the heart fell downe dead presently The cry of the people was great for euery one being mooued with his confidence with his valour and with his courage fauoured him in his soule but hee that knew well that the rigour of his Iudges would not stay there ran readily to take againe his ponyard and almost at the same time see another Lyon no lesse fearefull then the former that as soone as the Gate was opened came with open throat in such furie that Ligdamon was almost surprized yet as he passed he turned himselfe a little
the Wife the rest She smiling said vnto him And how friend Lidias it seemes you haue forgotten the custome you should haue left me my part God forbid said hee wife Ameryne for it is of poyson which I haue chosen to end my life rather then to be wanting in my promise to you and in the affection which I owe to the faire Siluy O God said she is it possible as yet thinking it was her true Lidias but that hee had changed his good will during his absence and vnwilling to liue without him ran with the Cup in her hand where he was that had giuen the Wine mixed for the day before he had caused it to be made at the Apothecaries and before it was knowne what my Master said notwithstanding any forbidding of his because it was the custome they gaue her the full cup which she presently drunke of And then returning to him she said O cruell and ingratefull thou hast loued death more then me and I also loue it rather then thy refusall But if that God which hath hitherto conducted our affections doe not venge me on a soule so periured in another life I shall thinke he hath neither care to heare false oathes nor power to punish them Then euery one drew neere her to heare her reproches and it was then that Ligdamon answered her Discreete Amerine I confesse I haue offended you if I were he whom you thinke I am but beleeue me that am now at the ende of my dayes I am not Lidias I am Ligdamon and whatsoeuer errour may bee of mee at this houre I assure my selfe that time will discouer my iustice And in the meane time I rather choose death then to be wanting to the affection which I haue promised to the faire Siluy to whom I haue consecrated my life not being otherwise able to satisfie both And then hee continued O faire Siluy receiue this will which I offer you and let this last of all my actions be best receiued because it is imprinted with the best character of my faithfulnesse By little and little the poyson gained on the spirits of these two newly married so that they could hardly draw their breath when turning his eyes on me he sayd Goe my friend finish that thou hast to doe and aboue all truly recount what thou hast seene and that death is welcome to me that keepes me from offending the fidelitie which I haue vowed to the faire Siluy Siluy was the last word hee spake for with that word the faire soule parted from the body and for my part I beleeue that if euer louer were happy in the Elisian fields my maister is attending vntill he may see you againe there And how sayd Siluy is it true that Ligdamon is dead without doubt answered he O God cryed out Siluy At this word all that she could doe was but to cast her selfe on a bed for her heart fayled her and after shee had lyen somewhile with her face towards the beds head she prayed Leonide who was with her to take Ligdamons letter and to tell Egide that he should goe to her lodging because she would haue him serue her So Egide withdrew but so affected that he was couered with teares Then would loue shew one of his puissances for that Nymph that neuer loued Ligdamon while hee liued at this time when she heard of his death shewed so great a feeling that the most passionate in loue could not do more It was vpon this speech that Galathee talking to Celadon fayde that hereafter shee would beleeue it is impossible but a woman once in her life must loue some thing for this young Nymph hath vsed such cruelties towards all them that loued her that some are dead for griefe others euen of despaire haue banished themselues from her sight and especially this whom she be wailes dead she hath heretofore brought to that extremitie that without Leonide the same had befallen him then so that I would rather haue sworne loue might rather haue found place in the Ice of the coldest of the Alpes then in her heart and yet you see now whereto she is reduced Madame answered the shepheard beleeue not that it is loue it is rather pitie In truth she must be harder then euer was stone if the report which this yong man hath made haue not touched her to the quicke for I know not who would not in hearing him relate it though one had no other knowledge of him but this onely action and for my part I must say true I hold Ligdamon happyer then if he were aliue since he loued this Nymph with such affection and shee vsed him with as great rigour as I haue knowne for what greater happinesse can befall him then to ende his miseries and to enter into those felicities which doe accompany them What thinke you was his contentment to see that Siluy laments him sorrowes for him and esteemes of his affection but I meane that Siluy that hath dealt so roughly with him And then what is that which the louer desires more then to bee able to giue assurance to the party beloued of his faithfulnesse and affection and to come to this point what punishments what deaths will he refuse At this time when hee sees from the place where he is the teares of his Siluy when he heares her sight what is his happinesse and what his glory not onely for that he hath assured her of his loue but for him to be certen that she loues him O no Madame beleeue me Ligdamon hath no cause to complaine but Siluy for and in time you shall see it all that shee will represent to her selfe shall bee the ordinary actions of Ligdamon the discourse of Ligdamon his fashion his amitie his valour briefly this I dole will bee ordinarily houering about her almost like an auenger of the cruelties with which shee hath tormented that poore louer and repentance which galling her thoughts will be the executioner of the Iustice of Loue. THese speeches were so lowde and so neare Siluy that shee heard them all and that made her burst for anger for she thought them probable At last after she had endured them some while and finding her selfe too feeble to resist so strange enemies shee went out of that chamber into her owne where there were none to let her from teares For hauing shut the dore after her and prayde Leonide to leaue her alone she cast her selfe on her bed her armes acrosse her stomacke and her eyes toward heauen in her memory shee passed through all their life what affection he had alwayes shewed to her how patiently hee bore her rigours with what discretion he had serued her how long time this affection had lasted and in the end said she all this is now enclosed in a little earth And in this sorrow remembring her owne discourses her adues her impatiencies and a thousand small particularities she was constrained to say Hold thy peace memory
let the ashes of my Ligdamon be at rest since if thou thus torment me I know he will disauow thee for his and if thou be not his I care not for thee At last hauing stayed some while silent she said well the die is cast let it shorten or lengthen my life as please the gods and my destinie but I will not cease to loue the memory of Ligdamon to cherish his loue and to honour his vertues Galathee in the meane time opened the letter which yet remained in Leonides hands shee found it was thus Ligdamons Letter to Siluy IF you haue â—eâ—e offended at the presumption which hath forced me to loue my death which followes it shall reuenge it for you But if it be indifferent to you I assure myselfe that this last acte of my affection shall gaine me somewhat more in your soule If it fall out so I shall cherish there semblance of Lidias more then my birth since by it I came into the world to be too troublesome to you and by the other I goe out of it to your good liking These are without faining sayde Celadon the great reuenges of loue It is very true answered Galathee that loue leaues not an offence against himselfe vnpunished and thereof it comes that we see herein more strange accidents then in all other of mens actions But if this be so Celadon how quakâ— not you for feare and how from moment to moment expect not you the reuenging arrowes of this god And why sayd the shepheard should I feare since I am the party offended Ah Celadon said the Nymph if all things were iustly ballanced how much heauier should you finde your selfe in the offences you doe then in those you receiue This is said the shepheard this is the heape of misfortune when the afflicted man is thought happy and they can see him languish without taking pitty on him But answered the Nymph tell me shepheard among all the greatest offences doe not those of Ingratitude take the chiefe place It doth without doubt answered the shepheard Now since it is so continued Galathee how can you wash your selfe since for the great loue I shew to you I receiue from you but coldnesse and disdaine I must at last tell you thus You see shepheard being the woman I am and seeing who you are I cannot thinke but in some thing or other I haue offended Loue since he punisheth me with so many rigors Celadon was extremely sorry that he had begun this discourse for he laboured to auoid it as much as possibly hee could notwithstanding since it was done he resolued to cleare it intirely and said thus to her Madame I know not what to answer to your words except by blushing and yet Loue which makes you speake constraynes me to answer you That which you call Ingratitude in me my affection calls duty and when it pleases you to know the reason I will tell you it And what reason interrupted Galathee can you alledge but that you loue elsewhere and that your loue tyes you to it But the Law of Nature proceeds quite otherwise thâ—â— commands vs to seeke after our owne good and can you desire a greater then my amitie Who is there in all this Countrey that is as I that can doe that for you that I can These be mockeries Celadon to relye on these follies of fidelitie and constancie words which old folke and they that are become deformed haue inuented to hold in their lynes the soules which their faces set at liberty They say that all vertues are chayned together then Constancie cannot be without Prudence but should this be Prudence to disdaine a certaine good to auoid the title of inconstant Madame answered Celadon Prudence neuer teaches vs to make our profit by vniust meanes and Nature by her Lawes neuer commandâ— vs to build before we haue layed a good foundation But is there any thing more shamefull then not to keepe promise Is there any thing more nimble then the Spirit that flyes about like a Bee from flower to flower drawne with euery new sweet sauour Madame if faithfulnesse be lost what foundation can I lay in your amitie since if you follow the Law you speake of how long shall I remaine in this happinesse â—o long as you remaine in that place where there is no other man then my selfe The Nymph and the shepheard discoursed thus while Leonide withdrew to her chamberâ— to make a dispatch to Lindamor who in the end was to come backe with all diligence that nothing should stay him otherwise he was to despaire of all things And the morning that Flurial came backe after shee had giuen him the Letter shee said to him See Flurial it is now that I shall by your diligence know the loue which you beare to Lindamor for delay can bring him no lesse then death Be gone then or rather flye and bid him come with all speed and as he returnes let him goe the direct way to Adamas his house for that I haue wonne him intirely for him and when hee is here hee shall know the most notorious Treason of Loue which was euer yet inuented but he must come vnknowne to any if it be possible Thus parted Flurial so desirous to serue Lindamor that hee would not returne to his Aunts house that he might not lose the least time and would haue no occasion to send him whom Lindamor had dispatched defirous to doe the seruice himselfe So passed ouer three or foure dayes during which time Celadon found himselfe so amended that hee almost felt no more of his disâ—ase and alreadie began to thinke the returne of the Druide to bee long for the hope he had to be goâ—â—â—rom that place And to shorten the ouer-long dayes hee went oftentimes to walke in the Garden and sometimes into the great Wood of the high growne Trees but neuer without being accompanied by one of the Nymphs and often by all three The humour of Siluy was it that pleased him best as more sympathizing with his owne therefore hee sought her out as often as hee could It fell out one day all foure being abroad to walke they passed by the great Denne of Damon and of Fortune and because the entrance seemed faire and made with great Art the shepheard demaunded what it was to whom Galathee answered Would you see shepheard one of the greatest proofes that Loue hath made of his power of long time And what is it answered the shepheard That is said the Nymph the loâ—es of Mandrake and of Damon for for the shepheardesse Fortune it is a thing ordinarie And who is replyed the shepheard this Mandrake If by the Worke said Galathee one may know the Workeman to make good that I say you will iudge shee is one of the greatest Magicians of Gaule for it is she that by her enchantment hath made this Den and diuers other rarities which are hereabout And entring in the shepheard stood rauished with consideration of
these three accidents at the comming of Amasis at the surprisall of Galathee and at your quicke inuention Shepheard sayd she that which I do proceedes of the good will I haue to rid you of your paine and would to God all the rest of your contentment would sort as luckily as this doth then you should know how much good I wish you For requitall of so great an obligation answered the shepheard I can but offer you the life which you haue preserued with such discourses they entertained themselues till Merill came into the chamber and seeing Celadon almost ready he was rauished and sayd There is no body that can know him and I that am all day with him would not beleeue it is he vnlesse I saw him dressing Celadon answered him who told you I was disguised Thus it was answered he My Lady who commanded me to call you Lucinde and that I should say you are the kinswoman of Adamas and sent me presently to the Druide to let him know it who could not forbeare laughter when he heard it and he promised me to do as my Lady had appointed See that all things goe well sayd the shepheard and take heed you forget not your selfe In the meane time Amasis being come out of her charriot met Galathee at the stayres foote with Siluy and Adamas Daughter sayd she you haue bene ouer long in your solitarinesse I must recreate you a little specially for that newes which I haue seene from Clidaman and Lindamor doe reioyce me that I can enioy it no longer alone therefore came I vnto you to giue you a part and desire to haue you goe with me to Marcellis where I will haue bonefires made for so good newes I thanke God answered Galathee for so great happinesse and I beseech God to keepe you yet an age longer but indeed Madame the place is so pleasing to me that it makes mee sorry to leaue it It shall not bee long replyed Amasis but because I will not goe backe till toward night let vs go walke and I will tell you al that I haue learned Then Adamas kissed her robe and sayd your newes madame must be good since to tell them to my Lady your daughter you came abroad so early It is two or three daies sayd Amasis since I receiued them and suddenly resolued to come hither for me thinks I cannot ioy at such contentment alone and indeed the thing deserues to be knowne With such discourse she descended into the garden where beginning to walke hauing Galathee on the one side and Adamas on the other she went on in this sort The history of Lidias and Melander COnsidering the strange accidents which happen by Loue mee â—hinks we are almost constrained to confesse that if Fortune haue many wheeles to aduance and cast downe to turne and change humane things the wheele of loue is that with which she often serues her turne for there is nothing that yeelds so many changes as this passion of Loue. The examples are alwayes so common before our eyes that it should be superfluous to tell them Yet must you confesse when you haue heard what I will I say that this accident is one of the most remarkable that yet you haue euer heard told You know how Clidaman by lot became seruant to Siluy and how Guimaâ—â—es by the letter which he brought from his brother became likewise amorous I assure my selfe since that time you cannot be ignorant of the designe that made them both depart so secretly to seeke out Meroue nor that I might not leaue Clidaman alone in a place so farre off I sent after him vnder the charge of Lindamor a company of yong knights of this country but you can hardly know what befell them since their departure and that is it which I will now tell you for there is nothing more worthy to be knowne As soone as Clidaman came to thearmy Guimantes who was well knowne there brought him to kisse the hands of Meroue and Childericke and without shewing who he was only gaue them to vnderstand that he was a yong knight of a good house that desired to serue them They were receiued with open armes and especially for comming in a time when their enemies had renued their forces and taking good courage had threatned to giue battell But when Lindamor was come and that they knew what Clidaman was the honour and welcome which they did him cannot be told for within two or three fights he was so famous that both his friends and enemies knew him and esteemed of him Among other prisoners which he and Guimantes tooke for commonly they went together in all enterprises they found a youth of great Brittaine so faire but so sad that it wrought pittie in Clidaman and because the longer he remained in captiuitie the more appeared his sorrow one day he caused him to be called before him and after he had enquired of his estate and condition he asked the occasion of his sadnesse saving that if it proceeded of his imprisonment he must like a man of courage beare such accidents and he was to thanke the heauens that had prouided hee should fall into their hands since hee was in a place where he should receiue nothing but curtesie and the delay of his libertie proceeded but from the command of Merouâ— who had forbidden that the prisoners should as yet be ransomed and when he would giue them leaue he should see what their curtesie was This yong man thanked him yet was not able to forbeare fighing whereat Clidaman somewhat more moued demanded the cause to whom he answered Sir knight this sadnesse which you see painted in my face and these sighes which steale so often from my brest proceed not of this prison you speak of but of another which binds me more stâ—aightly for time and ransome may free mee from this but from the other there is nothing but death that can â—â—deeme mee And I am resolued to beare it with patience if I did not foresee an ouer-speedie end not by my death onely but the losse of that partiâ— that keepes me in so strait hold Clidaman knew well by his words that it was Loue whereof he laboured and by the experience which he had found in himselfe considering the disease of his prisoner he tooke such pittie on him that he assured him his liberty the soonest hee could possibly knowing well by proofe that they be the passions and disquietnesses that accompany the person that truly loues Since faid he you know that it is Loue and that your courtesie binds me to beleeue that the knowledge you may haue of me shall not make you change your good will to the end you may iudge of the cause which I haue to complayne of or rather to despayre of seeing the euill so neere and the remedy so farre so you will promise me not to discouer it I will tell you things which without doubt will astonish you and when he had promised
toucht with iealousie He meant to steale quite from our eye So though as in a cloud it were The Sunne his face hide from vs all Yet cannot such a shadow small Couer a light that is so cleare But who will say but that it burnes When he beholds the other Sunne Makes with his lookes herbes dry and dunne While burning Dog-starre keepes his turne Why may not likewise then say I My Sunne she herbeâ— about her dry I meane it is my Ladies part O Loue to cast no conquering rayes On bodies that no soule bewrayes And will burne nothing but the heart Thou fountaine that borrows the name Of Sycamores growing by thee Thou late didst me contented see Why meete I now not with the same What fault haue I committed late That of the gods I winne the hate Are they subiected as are we To be enuious now and then Or can the change proper to men Reach vp vnto the Deitie Late on thy bankes my shepheardesse Said while her hand held my hand close Well may vncertaine chance dispose Of our liues full of brittlenesse But Celadon neuer in troth There shall be failing of the oath Which in this hand I sweare to thee Aliue and dead I loue thee still Or if I die my graue stone will Locke vp for aye our amitie You thicke leaues that this arbor dight And couer it with shade each way Remember you not well that day When mixing red with lilly white She fell a blushing all for shame For that a shepheard by her came Talking with me and cald her faire A blisse and honour where she stayes To no eyes but to mine she sayes To seeme so louely doth she care Thou rocke where oft for priuacie We met together in thy roome Tell if thou canst what is become Of all these loues for which I cry The gods that oft haue beene inuokt Will they brooke that they be so mockt Will they those prayers which â—o did bind Both her and me receiue in vaine Since she by this her change of mind Payes all those loâ—es with one disdaine The heauens graunâ— Astrea sayd That I may die before I see My fathers power more strongly made Out of a meere obstinacie In such a long continued hate Vs and our loues to separate Then can our loues holy and sure Ioyne vs together linked fast So I that all the losse endure Shall die to see it not to last Thou aged willow tree whose barke Defends thee from the weathers force Tell me haue I not reasons marke To make complaint of this diuorce And raise on thee my cryes most fit How oft haue we to other writ Relying on thy surest guard In hollow of thy trunke halfe-eate But oh as I thee now reguard Willow how comes thy change so great These thoughts had held Celadon longer in that place had hee not beene ouertaken by the desolate shepheard who continually bewayling his losse came sighing out these verses On too hastie a death YOu that behold my mournful teare If you knew what the mischiefes were With which my soule is taint In stead of blaming of mine eye You would ioyne with me in your crye To make vp my complaint Vnder the horror of blacke stone That which the earth held faire alone Doth into cinders tend O fates that play this rigorus part Why not my body as my hart May to the deepe descend She was not yet become so low As that the gods at one quicke blow Should rauish her from me So that alone for this intent To enter to her monument Her life seemes giuen to be Why should so great a world of loue Resemblance of a flower proue That but for one day springs The heauens haue shewd her but for show And that our teares might ouerflow For losâ—e which her fate brings As Yuy clasping fast the tree From trunke well cannot serued be Though it be dead and dry At least I would it might be tide That I aliue hard by her side Vnder her stone might lie With her I should contented liue And if they would me licence giue To speake and tell my minde For such a lodging I would blesse The death of loue that left no lesse Then such a pawne behinde Celadon that would not be seene of any that might know him when he saw this shepheard began by little and little to withdraw himselfe vnder the couert of some thicke trees but seeing that without staying at him he went to sit down in the same place from whence he came he followed after pace by pace and so fitly that hee could heare a part of his complaint The humor of this vnknowne shepheard simpathising with his owne made him curious to know of him some newes of his mistresse thinking he could not learne it more easily by another without being knowne Then approaching to him he sayd Shepheard God giue thee the contentment which thou wisheth for as I desire with a good heart and not being able to do more thou art to take it in good part and if it may binde thee to any touch of curtesie tell me I beseech thee if thou knowest Astrea Phillis and Licides and if so declare to me what thou knowest Gentle shepheard answered hee thy courteous words binde mee to pray heauen in exchange of that thou wisheth mee that it neuer giue thee occasion to bewayle that I mourne for and moreouer to tell all I know of the persons whom thou speakest of though the sadnes wherein I liue forbid me to meddle in other affaires then mine owne It may be abou ts month and an halfe since I came into the countrey of Forrests not as did many to try the fountaine of the veritie of Loue. For I am but too well assured of my euill but following the commandement of a God which from the flowry bankes of that glorious Seyne hath sent me hither with assurance that I shall finde remedy for my displeasure And since my abode in these villages seemed so pleasing and agreeing to my humor that I resolued to tarry as long as the heauens would permit me That purpose made me desirous to know the being and the quality of the most part of the shepheards and shepheardesses of that countrey and because they of whom you demanded newes are the principallest of that hamlet which is beyond the water where I made choice to abide I can tell you as much as you desire I would know sayd Celadon nothing but how they doc All sayd hee are in good health It is true that as vertue alwayes is that which is most â—ossed they haue had a blow of blinde and changing Fortune which they feele euen at their soule which is the losse of Celadon a shepheard whom I know not the brother of Liâ—idas so belâ—ued anâ— esteemed of all that riuer that his losse hath beene felt generally of them all but much more by those three persons whom you namâ—d for they hold that is to say they that know somewhat of the
Whereupon Alcippe meaning to make vse of it deuised this crafty tricke I tell you There was a shepheard named Squilinder dwelling on the bounds of the Forrest in an Hamlet called Argental a cunning fellow and vntrusty and who among his other industries knew so well to counterfet all kinde of Letters that the man whom he initated can hardly discerne thefalshood To him Alcippe shewes what he found at the foote of the tree as I haue told you before and causes him to write another to Celadon in my name which was thus The counterfeited Letter of Astrea to Celadon CEladon since I am compelled by my fathers commaundement you may not thinke it strange that I pray you to end this loue which heeretofore I haue coniured you to hold eternall Alce hath giuen me to Corebe and though the match be to my aduauncement yet can I not leaue to feele sensibly the separation of our amity Yet since it is folly to contrary that which must not fall out otherwise I counsell you to arme your selfe with resolution and so to forget all that is passed betweene vs that Celadon haue no more memory of Astrea as Astrea is constrayned from henceforth to lose for dueties sake all the remembrance of Celadon This LeÌ„tter was brought so sinely to Celadon by a young shepheard vnknowne O God! what was he at the encounter and how great was the displeasure that cut his heart Then sayd hee by Astrea It is true that there is nothing of duraÌ„ce in the world since that firme resolution which you haue so often sworne is so readily changed Now you will make me be a witnesse that what perfection soeuer a woman may haue she can not bereaue her selfe of her inconstancie by nature Haue then the heauens agreed that for my greater punishment my life should remaine after the losse of your amity to the end that I should onely liue more extremely to feele my disastor And then falling into a swowne he came no sooner to himselfe but the complaints were in his mouth And that which most easily perswaded him of this change was this that the Letter did but confirme the common report of the marriage betweene Corebe and me He lay all that day on a bed vnwilling to speake to any person and the night being come he depriued himselfe of his companions he tooke to the largest and desolatest wood shunning the meeting of men more like a sauge beast desiring to die farre from the society and companie of men since they were the cause of his sorrow In this resolution hee ranne thorow all the mountaines of Foreste on the side of Ceruieres where at the last he chose a place which he thought least frequented of purpose to finish the rest of his sad and mournefull dayes there The place is called Lapau where riseth one of the springs of the disastrous riuer Lignon for the other spring proceedeth from the mountaynes of Cholmesel Now on the sides of this fountaine he built a prety Lodge where he liued retired more then sixe moneths during which time his ordinary nourishment were teares and plaints It was at that time that hee made this song A SONG Of Celadon vpon Astreat change IT must be that my constancy Hath quite bereaued me of sence If I feele not the iniury Your change hath wrought to my offence And feeling it I should remaine Without recourse to your disdaine For sworne you haue disdained mee For one you scarce had in your eye Because he hath more it may be Of goods and wealthier is then I. Vnfaithfull dar'st thou be so bold To sacrifice to Calfe of gold Where are the othes which we did make Where are the teares that showring fell To gods when we our leaue did take No doubt the heauens did marke them well Though your heart do it now forget Yet your owne month did publish it Periured eyes vnfaithfull flame That louest nothing but to change Let Loue on beauty like the same Of thine for me worke vengeance strange That makes a shew of bearing loue Only the greater flame to moue So ouer-prestwith sad distresse In Loue betraid one'gan complaine When it was told him his Mistresse Did for another him disdaine And thundring heauen for meere pitty Promis'd to venge his amity The wretched downe himselfe he threw Neere Lignon floud and as he sate Vpon the sand with finger drew There ciphers as he vs'd of late This happy cipher oh said he To vs no more will proper be And then a teare chill'd of the paine Which dolour iust thrust in his face Vpon the sand dropping amaine These double ciphers did deface Deface sayd he oh showring teare Them in my heart but not these there Thou Louer that right cowardly So long bewayl'st so dolefully A soule all made of forgery Since thou her change know'st certainly Either thou shortly art to die Or else recâ—â—er presently The solitarinesse of Celadon had beene much longer but for the commandement that Alcippe gaue to Licidas to seeke out his brother hauing a purpose in himselfe since he so well saw how vnprofitable his trauaile was no more to crosse this amity Now Licidas had long sought him but for a chance that befell vs the same day I was vpon the banks of Lignon and held mine eies ouer his streame thinking at that time of the losse of Celadon and Phillis and Licidas talked together some good while when we saw some little balles that lay swimming on the water The first that tooke heed to it was Phillis who shewed it to vs but we could not ghesse what it might bee And because Licidas knew the curiosity of his mistrisse to giue her satisfaction he went as far as he could into the water and so reached with a long branch that he tooke one but seeing that it was but waxe because hee was wet and angry that he tooke such paine for a thing of so small worth hee cast it in a rage against the ground and breaking it vpon a great flint stone it fell all in pieces and there remained nothing but a paper which had beene put therein which Phillis ranne presently to take vp and hauing opened it we read these words Goe paper more happy then him that sends thee to see these shores so much beloued where my shepheardesse dwels and if accompanied with teares wherewith I make this Riuer to swell it chances thee to kisse the sands where her steps are imprinted stay thy course and abide with good fortune where my mishap denies me to be If thou happen to come to her hands which haue taken from me my heart and she demand of thee how I doe tell her O faithfull paper that day and night I turne my selfe into teares to wash away her vnfaithfulnesse and if touched with repentance she wet thee with some teares tell her that by vnbending the bow she can neuer heale the wound which she hath made in her faith my Loue and that my griefes are witnesses both
â—ongue will pardon nothing no not that which is not That men haue not spoken of it answered Diane I am more bound to our good intent then to our discretion and for the affection of the shepheard you may iudge what it is by the discourse which I shall make But the heauens which knew our pure and cleane intents would fauour vs from that good houte The first time that I sawe him was on the day we celebrate to Apollo and Diane when he came to the game with a sister whom he resembled so much that they held on them the eyes of the greatest part of the assembly And because she was neere of kinne to my deare Daphnis as soone as I sawe her I embraced her and I welcomed her with a face so open that from that time she thought her selfe bound to loue me her name was Callyre and was married on the coast of Furan to a shepheard called Gerestan whom she had neuer seene vntill the day whereon she was married which was the cause of the little loue she bare him The entertainement which I vsed to the sister gaue occasion to the brother to tarry by me so long as the sacrifice lasted and by fortune I know not whether I should call it good or euill for him I set out my selfe that day as well as I could thinking by reason of my name that this feast concerned me more particularly then others He that comming from far had no other knowledge of the shepheards nor shepheardesses then that which his sister gaue him for sooke vs not all that day so that in some sort thinking my selfe bound to entertaine him I did what I could to please him and my labour was not vnprofitable for from that time this poore shepheard gaue birth to an affection which neuer ended but with his death And euen yet I am assured that if in the graue they haue any remembrance of the liuing hee loues me and in the very ashes conserues the pure affection hee swore to me Daphnis tooke note both of the day and the deed being that night in bed because that Filidas not being well could not come to the games she told me it but I reiected this conceit so long that she said I see wall Diane that this day wil cost me many prayers and Filander much paine but howsoeuer it happen you shall not be quite exempted She vsed to warre on me with such assaults because she perceiued I feard them this was the cause that I stayed not to giue her answer So it was that this aduertisement was cause that the next day me thought I found some apparâ—â—e of â—hat which she had told mee After dinner wee vsed to gather together vnder some trees and to daunce to the voyce where we sate downe in a round and spent the time with the discourse which we liked best of that wee might disquiet our selues in that assembly as little as possibly we could It fell out that Filander being vnknowne but to Daphnis and me came and sate betweene her and mee and attending to knowe whereto all the troope would resolue not to be dumbe I beganne to enquire of that which I I thought he could best answer which Amidor taking heede of entered into so great iealousie that forsaking the company without shewing the cause hee went singing this Towne-song hauing before cast his eyes on me to make it knowne that it was of 〈…〉 e he meant to speake A TOWNE-SONG Of Amidor THat man shall haue hâ—â— in the end That serues her last in place of friend Of heart that hundred time is moued More shifting then the nimble winde Who thinkes himselfe to be beloued May not be held for wise of minde For he shall haue her in the end That serues her last in place of friend The weather-cocke to all winds moues That stands on top of Tower tall So she to euery proffering lone Turnes both her heart her head and all For he shall haue her in the end That serues her last in place of friend The Hunter doth not much esteeme That which he takes though fat it were Th' inconstant ouerpasseth him Disliking such as hold her deare But he shall haue her in the end That serues her last in place of friend As one naile driues another forth The last that comes into her grace Shall of the first for all his worth Right suddenly vsurpe the place Therefore shall he haue her in th' end That serues her last in place of friend I had had sufficient command ouer my selfe to stay me from giuing knowledge of the displeasure which this song brought me had it not bene that euery one looked on me and without Daphnis I could not tell what would haue become of me But she full of discretion not staying for the end of this song interrupted it in this sort addressing her selfe to mee A MADRIGALL Of Daphnis on the loue which she bare to Diane SInce at your birth beauteous Diane Loue made you Loadstoone of all harts Why should they say that I profane Such beauty when my loue imparts Worship to you by destiny If Loue that is most absolute Of likenesse growes as it is sayd Then ours should be of strongest sute Since you and I one sexe are made And that I might better hide my blushing and make them thinke I tooke no heed to the words of Amidor as soone as Daphnis had made an end I answered her thus A MADRIGALL Of the same substance VVHerefore should it be thought so strange That being as you are a maide My Loue on you should be so stayde If Louer to be loued change The change in me were not so hard A shepheardesse to shepheardesse As shepheardesse vnto a shepheard After we had euery one as we sate on a rowe sung some verses and Filander who had a good voyce when it came to his turne sayd this with a good grace STANZA'S Of Philander on the birth of his affection THat his desires are great and his attempts in vaine His Loues full of great fires and fuller much of paine That loues and cannot finde requitall of desire Or if he be belou'd he takes but small delight Vnlesse he might haue hope or if he hope oh spight It is but to the end to set him more on fire Thus on my cradles head by fatall ordinance Hard Destiny it selfe did nine sad times pronounâ—e What should infallibly accompany my dayes Vpon the right hand heauen thick clouded thunder had And since I knew too well that these presages sad Cast eye on my designes and follow them alwaies Then be not you amaz'd if after this decree My Loue commencement take when I your beauty see That if I must be beat out of designe fore-told It to my solace is that men shall guilty finde The Loue of my hard Fate and praise my faulty minde Saying A heart that 's base durst neuer be so bold So when the thoughtfull care of an vnfertile Loue Consumes it selfe in beames
of that worlds starre aboue It seemes in following it to say Sunne of my skie Burne me with thine owne raies make that I die by thee At least in dying so this pleasure rests with me That other fire could not burne me but thine eye When Phoenix bird alone out of composure rare By Nature taught thereto doth first her selfe prepare From relickes of her tombe her cradle yet to haue Sheâ— saith to that great fire the garden of her soule I shall in glory rise by dying in thy cole And take my life againe from ashes of my graue He sayd some others but I haue forgotten them so that mee thought it was I to whom these words were directed and I know not if that which Daphnis had told me made me think so or his eyes which yet spake more plainely then his mouth But if this verse gaue me knowledge his discretion witnessed it much more afterwards for it is one of the effects of true affection to serue with discretion and not to giue knowledge of his disease but by effects ouer which they can haue no power This young shepheard finding the humour of Amidor and for that Loue had made him curious and inquiring if it were but of Filidas hee thought that the best point of Arte to shut vp the eyes of them both was to compasse a strait league with them not giuing any shew of that he bare me Loue made him so cunning and wise that holding on his designe hee deceiued not onely Amidor but my eyes also because that vsually hee would leaue vs to goe to him and he would neuer come but in his company It is true that the crafty Daphnis found it presently because said shee that Amidor is not so louely that he can draw so honest a shepheard as Filander to vse so carefull a search so that it must needes be for a more worthy subiect She was the cause that I began to haue a care of my selfe and I must confesse that then his discretion pleased me and if I could haue suffred my selfe to be beloued it should be of him but the houre was not then come that I should bee strucke on that side yet did I not forbeare to please my selfe with his actions and to approue his designe in some sort When hee was to take his leaue of vs hee accompanied vs a good way and at our parting I neuer heard such assurance of amity as he gaue to Amidor nor so many offers of seruices as to Filidas and the foole Daphnis vnhappy whispered in mine care Conceaue you that it is to you that he speakes and if you doe not answer him you doe great wrong And when Amidor beganne to thanke him she said Oh what a foole he is to beleeue that these offerings are ordained for his Altar but he could so well dissemble that hee made Amidor wholly his and got such ground on his good will that when he returned and was to deliuer that which Filander had on his part desired him to say to Filidas that this maid had a desire to see him and some dayes after hee added so many ouer-lashing commendations not saying any thing to me of it because that when I spake of him it was with such a coldnesse that it seemed to bee out of neglect they sent for him desiring him to come and see them God knowes whether he neede bee sollicited more then once for it was the thing he desired thinking it was impossible that his designe should haue a better beginning And by fortune the day that he was to come Daphnis and I went out to walke vnder some trees which are on the other side of that pasture that is next to this scarce knowing to whom to go while our flocks were feeding we went vncertaine whither our feete without election guided vs when wee heard a voyce farre enough off and wee thought it some strangers The desire to know it made vs turne directly to the place where the voice conducted vs and by reason Daphnis went first she spied Filander before me and made a signe to me to tread softly and when I came neer her she whispered in mine eare naming Filander who sate leaning against a tree entertaining his thoughts wearied as it seemed with the length of his way and by chance iust as we came he beganne in this sort A SONNET IN pride of heart I did misprize Loue with his crafts and sorceries When changing armes to these of yours The crafty greater ayde procures And yet before he did me wrong He vsde this language with his tongue A God against my Lawes growne proud For hauing got the victory Ouer a serpent disallowde The glory that is due to me But what I made him Daphne loue On him my greater force to proue The fire that burnt that glorious Came but from Nymphs eyes beauteous Whom he without her feeling lou'd But I will yours more fiery prou'd Comes not from Nymph but Dian selfe When I heard my selfe named fayre shepheardesses I trembled as if I vnawares had set my foot on a serpent and without longer stay I went away as softly as I could that I might not be seen albeit Daphnis to cause my returne suffered me to goe a great way alone At last seeing I kept on my way she stole away from him by little and little that shee might not be heard and at last ouertooke me and being scarce able to take her breath she went crying out a thousand broken reproches And when she could speake Vnfainedly sayes she if the heauens do not punish you I shall beleeue they are as vniust as you and what cruelty is this of yours not to heare him that complaynes To what end sayd I should I haue stayed longer To heare sayd she the euill you haue done him I answered I You iest in saying that I doe hurt the man that I thinke not of That is replyed she whereof you labour most for if you thought often of him it were impossible but you should haue pitty I blushed at that word and the change of colour gaue Daphnis to vnderstand that these words offended me This was the cause that smiling she sayd I am pleasant Diane that I said was but to passe the time away and beleeue not that I thinke it and concerning that he sung when he named your name it is for certaine that it was for another that bare your name or to refresh himselfe he sung these verses which he had receiued of some other We went discoursing in this sort and so long that being weary of walking we came backe another way to the same place where Filander was For my part it was by errour it may well be that Daphnis did it of purpose and finding him so neere vs I could not choose but looke on him at the first he was sitting and leaned against a tree but now wee found him layd all along on the ground one arme vnder his head and it seemed he was awake for
her hand before her eyes and afterwards began to run as if shee had allured mee to run after her At the first I was so amazed with the blow I made as though I heeded it not but when she came back the second time I fell on running after her and she after she had somewhat run about her cōpanions started from them and when she was a litle from them faining to bee out of breath lay downe behind a thicke bush I that at first ran without any dessine seeing her on the ground and in a place where shee might not bee seene seeming desirous to bee reuenged for the paine shee had put mee to began to clap her whereto shee made a small resistance but so that she shewed this priuacy displeased her not especially for that seeming to defend her she discouered purposely as I thinke to make her white skin seeme whiter by much then one would iudge by her face At last being risen vp she sayd to mee I did not thinke Hylas you had bene so rude a gamester otherwise I would not haue meddled with you If this displease you said I I craue pardon but if it be not so I was neuer in my life better payd for my indiscretion then now How meane you that sayd shee I meane said I faire Floriante that I neuer saw fairer then that I spied eene now See said shee what a lier you are and at this word strooke me gently on the cheeke and ran backe to her companions This Floriante was the daughter of an honest knight that then was sicke and kept neere the shore of Arar and shee hearing of her fathers sickenesse went to seeke him out hauing stayed somewhile with one of her sisters who was married in Arles her face was not very faire for she was somewhat browne but she had such conceits and was of so liuely an humor that I must tell you this meeting made me lose the will I had to Aymee and that so quickly that I felt little displeasure in leauing her so that the contentment in finding this cleered me of all griefe I then forsooke Aymee me thought and addicted my selfe wholy vnto Floriante I may say me thought for it was not true altogether seeing that often when I saw her I tooke pleasure to talke with her though the affection which I bare the other drew me with a little more violence but indeed when I considered sometime what I sayd I found that whereas I was wont to loue but one I did now serue two It is true that this was with no great paine for when I was neere Floriante I neuer remembred Aymee and when I was neer Aymee Floriante had no place in my memory And ther was nothing so much tormented me as when I was far from them both for I was sorry for them both together Now gentle Paris this entertainement lasted with me to Vienna but being by chance at our lodging for almost euery night we went ashore and specially when we passed by any good townes lo there comes a shepherdesse to intreat the master of the boate where I was to let her haue a place as farre as Lyons because her husband being wounded by some enemies had sent vnto her to seeke him out The master who was curteous receiued her willingly so the next morning she placed her selfe in the boate with vs. Shee was faire but somodest and discreet that she was to be no lesse commended for her vertue otherwise so sad and full of melancholy that she moued pitty from all the company And because I haue alwayes had much compassion on the afflicted I had it infinitely ouer this endeuored to comfort her the best I could wherat Floriante was not contented what countenance soeuer she set on it nor Aimee neither for conceiue gentle Paris that though a woman dissemble yet shee cannot choose but feele the losse of a louer for that it seemeth to be a wrong to her beauty and beauty being the thing that this Sexe most esteemes is the most sensible part in her Yet I that with my compassion beganne to mingle a little loue not seeming to looke on those two wenches I held on talke with her and among other things to the end our discourse might not fayle and to haue the greater knowledge of her I intreated her to tell me the cause of her sorrow She then full of courtesie began to speake thus The compassion which you haue of my paine bindes me courteous stranger to giue you more satisfaction than that you demaund and you would thinke it a great fault if I refused so small a thing But I beseech you to consider withall the state wherein I am and to excuse my discourse if I abridge it as much as I can Know then shepheard that I was borne about the bankes of Loyre where I was as charily brought vp to the age of fifteene yeeres as one of my sort might be My name is Cloris and my father is called Leonce the brother of Gerestan into whose hands I was deliuered after the death of my father and my mother being of the age I told you and from that time I beganne to feele the blowes of Fortune for my vncle hauing more care of his owne children than of me thought himselfe ouer-layd with my charge All the comfort I had was from his wife called Collire for she loued me and prouided for what she could possibly without her husbands knowledge But the heauens would afflict mee in all for when Filander the brother of Collire was slaine she tooke such a griefe that none could perswade her to suruiue him so that within few dayes after she dyed and I abode with her two daughters who were so young that I had little contentment to be with them It fell out that a shepheard of the prouince of Vienna named Rosidor came to visit the Temple of Hercules that stands on the shore of Furan on the top of a rocke that rises in the midst of the mountaines much aboue them all that are there-about On that day there were together a great company of vs young shepheardesses For it was a solemne day for for that place I should vse but needlesse words to tell you the speech we had together and the fashion wherewith he shewed me his loue So it was that from that day he gaue himselfe to me so that hee neuer made shew of contradicting it He was young and goodly for his wealth he had much more than I might hope for for the rest his spirit so like that which appeared outwardly in his body and there was a perfect agreement His suite lasted foure yeeres and I cannot say that in all that time he either did or thought any thing wherewith he acquainted me not and asked my aduice This extreme submission so long continued made mee most certaine of his loue and his merits which then had not a little bound mee to loue him haue since that time wonne me in
such a fashion that I may say with truth there was nothing in the world better beloued then Rosidor was of Cloris with which he thought himselfe so strongly tyed to me that he encreased his affection if it could haue beene increased We liued so more then a yeere with all the delight that so perfect a loue might bring to two Louers At last the heauens seemed willing to make vs intirely contented suffered that al the difficulties which impeached our mariage were remoued Behold vs now as happy as mortals might be for wee were led into the Temple the voyce of Hymen Hymene sounding on all sides To be shor◠being returned to our lodging nothing might bee heard but instruments of reioycing nothing seene but dances and songs euen then as mischiefe would we were separated by one of the most vnlucky occasiōs that might befall me We were then at Vienna where are the most part of the Rosidors possessions It fell out that some forlorne young men of the villages without Lyoas on that side where our Druides went to lay the Guy where they had vsed it in the forrests of Mars called Ayrieu meant to commit some disorder my husband not able to brooke it after hee had gently admonished them empeached them for executing it where at they were so enraged that thinking the greatest offence they could doe to Rosidor was to hurt me there was one of them about to throw a vyole of inke at my face but seeing it comming I turned my head aside so that I was not touched but on my necke as said she stooping downe you may yet see the markes plaine My husband that saw my brest full of ynke and blood thinking I had beene grieuously wounded and besides conceiuing this outrage to be so great that taking his sword into his hand he strucke it thorow the body of him that gaue the blow and then thrusting among the others with the helpe of his friends hee draue them out of his house Iudge shepheard if I were troubled for I thought I was worse hurt then indeede I was and saw my husband besmeared with the blood of him whom he slew as also of a wound which he had on his shoulder But when this first fray was in part passed and by that the wound was dressed and he apparelled the Iustice came to seize on him and carried him away with such violence that they would not suffer mee to bid him farewell but my affection more strong then their defence made me way at last to him and casting my selfe on his necke clasped so fast about that it was as much as they could doe to put me off He on the other side when hee saw me in this case desiring rather to dye then to be separated from me vsed all the violence which a great courage and an extreme loue was able to worke which was such that all wounded as hee was he got himselfe out of their hands and went out of the Towne This defence kept him from being a prisoner but it made his cause the worse with the Iudge who in the mean time sent out threatnings and Proclamations during all which his greatest displeasure was that hee could not be with me and because that desire pressed him fore he disguised himselfe and came to me one euening and passed all the night with me God knowes what my contentment was but yet my feare was as great for Iknew that they which pursued him vnderstanding the loue which was betweene vs did all they could to surprize him and it fell out as I alwaies feared for at last he was found and brought into Lyons where presently I followed him and to good purpose for him for that the Iudges whom at all houres I sollicited tooke such pitty on me that they shewed him fauour and so notwithstanding all the pursuit of the aduersaries hee was set at liberty If I found much sorrow in this accident and paine when I saw him beleeue courteous shepheard that I had no lesse satisfaction to see him out of danger and acquitted from all that had passed But because the displeasure which he had receiued in the prison had made him sicke he was enforced to stay some dayes at Lyons and I being alwaies about him to giue him the best comfort I could at last being past the danger he prayed me to set things in order at home that we might entertaine our friends with that mirth that hee desired for the good successe of his affaires and behold these dissolute fellowes who had beene the cause of all our paine seeing they could haue no other remedy resolued to kill him in his bed and being entered into his lodging gaue him 2. or 3. stabs with a ponyard leuing him for dead fled away Alas courteous shepheard iudge what I ought to bee and in what repose was my soule like to be that in truth is touched with the most sensible accident that could befall me So ended Cloris hauing her face couered with teares which seemed so many pearles that rowled downe her faire bosome Now gentle shepheard that that I will tell you is a new head-spring of Loue. The affection which I saw in this shepheardesse touched mee with so much compassion that though her face had not beene able to haue wonne my loue yet the pitty struck me so to the quick that I must confesse that Carlis Stilliane Aymee nor Floriante neuer tied me with a stronger chain then this desolate Cloris Which was not for that I loued not the others but I had yet besides their place this voyde in my soule Behold mee then resolued into Cloris as well as into the others but I knew well it was to no purpose to speake to her while Rosidor were either not dead or not healed for the paine wherein she was possessed her altogether Wee came in this sort to Lyons where presently euery one parted It is true that the new affection which I bare to Cloris made me accompany her to her lodging where especially I visited Rosidor to haue some acquaintance with him iudging it best so to beginne thereby to come to the good graces of his wife She that thought him worse hurt then she found it for they alwaies make the euil greater then it is and the apprehension much encreaseth the accident which they doubt changed her countenance and behauiour when she found him vp and walking about his chamber But see what befell me the sadnesse which Cloris had in the boat was as I tolde you the cause of my affection and when being neere Rosidor I saw her ioyfull and content look how the compassion had made this loue to grow so also her ioyfulnesse and contentment caused it to dye proouing well as then that euery euill ought to be cured by the contrary I entred then a slaue and captiue into that lodging and I came out a freeman and master of my selfe But considering this accident I endeuoured to remember Aymee and Floriante and