wretch some pitie now to haue I which doe scorne the furious thunder blowe Of Iupiter and other Gods despise Thee Stela for my Goddesse I doe knowe And come to thee with humble weeping eies More then his bolts thy anger makes afraid And pearcing eies my senses haue dismaid Thou dost deserue more honour praise and loue Then Iupiter or all the Gods aboue It would not halfe so much haue greeu'd my hart That thou my loue so strongly didst denie Being so faire and such one as thou art If as from me from others thou didst flie But since Delicius wherein thou dost erre Before stout Gorphorost thou dost preferre His small imbracements and too far vnmeete Thou louest more then mine so great and sweete But let him swim in seas of his delight And with thy fauours let him now preuaile If time and place be graunted to my might Soone will I make him strike his puffed saile Soone shall he feele my strong and sine wed arme And how it will his amorous senses charme O greefe that time and place doe not affoord To make my deede as currant as my word If with my handes his tender trembling flesh I will dishiuer and in mammocks teare And then his bones in peeces I will thresh And in the forrest cast them heere and there And dye the riuers with his blood I will And throwe his members from this steepie hill Into thy lap where laughing I will stand To see if there he ioyneth hand in hand O woe is me that thus tormenting greefe And wrath doth make my toong to goe awrie O thoughts that feele no hope nor hope releefe In Aetnas flames I liue I burne I die I burne O greefe and die thou wilt not end To succour me that am thy louing friend If thus thou handlest those that languish for thee How wilt thou those intreate that doe abhor thee Gorphorost hauing cast these vaine complaints into the aire rose vp and like a mad Bull from whom the yoong heyfer hath beene taken away vnable to take rest in any place with monstrous skips went downe the hill along into the Iland whose pastorall song pleased vs well and the gifts he offered to bring me to his loue and especially how he made himselfe so faire if he had not concluded it with so cruell menaces Stay a little if thou louest me saide Syrenus for I cannot but note one thing in this song which hath pleased me woonderfull well And what is it said Seluagia that makes thee interrupt so pleasant a discourse as this I will tell you said Syrenus and promise you it will not please you all for it inueighed delicately against women How so said Felismena I will tell you answered Syrenus For in how many comparisons he fitly made of white and red gracious and fine he neuer made any exception thinking thereby he greatly honored Stela and that she was glad to be compared to those things but when he said she was faire he spake that with a certaine kind of reuerence and pardon saying And if thou dost not disdaine it more faire then a tilled orchard wherein he thought he offended her bicause in onely being faire he iudged that women with their wils would admit no equalitie nor comparisons But let them iest with you in what they will else beautie must be a religion not timorously touched And now passe on faire Stela in thy narration Euerie one laughed at Syrenus words and Lord Felix said It seemes well Shepherd thou art free since of thy selfe thou takest leaue to say what it pleaseth thee To take this strife from you said stela I will tell on Parthenius being afraide as well for the resolute furie wherewith hee made his threats as also for that which he saide to him the same morning not knowing what to do nor how to inuent a remedie in such an exigent oftentimes busied his wits to seeke out some one or other But casting many doubts in such affaires and thinking with himselfe what remedie he might finde out for Delicius auaile not respecting what might befall to him hee resolued to doe that which you shall nowe heare Staying on a night as he was woont for Gorphorost and being passed to the other side of the riuer with a merrie and smiling countenance contrarie to the meaning of his minde he saide thus vnto him As I haue beene carefull about thy affaires so knowe friend Gorphorost that I haue perswaded thy Corriuall to leaue of his loue to Stela the which not able to compasse I haue obtained thus much of him to sweare to mee to forsake this countrey and to absent himselfe from her Whereupon hee onely requesteth but eight daies respite for his departure the which he praied me in his name to craue of thee So that thou maiest now well giue me thy Sheepehooke for heere will I staie alone with thee in these parts and in thy companie Gorphorost being very glad to heare these newes that Parthenius brought him thinking that if Delicius were gone out of the way he might the better obtaine his purpose and my loue went by and by for the sheepehooke and hauing brought it gaue it him Then Parthenius said Behold Gorphorost since it is thy will to haue him depart and me to staie thou shalt sweare to mee to doe me no harme in the world bicause thou maist vnderstand that it is I I haue requested the sheep-hook of thee the which thou shalt continually see me carrie about with me and if thou pretendest any other matter not obseruing the lawes of holy friendship vnfold to me thy inward thoughts and I will also depart my selfe O goe not hence my Parthenius answered Gorphorost for I swear to thee by Stela mine only Goddesse that now nor at any time hereafter thou shalt haue no hurt at my hands nor by my procurement Parthenius satisfied with this agreement oath went to put that in practise which he had purposed in his minde before you shall hereafter see what his intent was hereby but when he found not Crimine nor me with Delicius bicause we were now gone from him he kept it till another day when we were altogither But as we failed not at our accustomed howers Parthenius brought forth the sheepe-hooke which Gorphorost gaue him the verie same that now Delicius hath and which you did but lately see at the fountaine of the Laurell trees and saide Before I make manifest my determination vnto you I will first haue you see what a faire gift Gorphorost hath giuen me though his intent was far different from mine But bicause with the rest you shal also heare this looke vpon it wel tel me your opinions then I will tell you more Then we three comming neere togither bicause he had viewed it well before looked vpon it verie earnestly euerie one of vs casting our eies vpon that which pleased vs most We would not haue left looking once and twise againe vpon the curious sheepe-hooke
knowe is not vaine The God Hymen not beeing hatefull to mee I coulde perhappes submit my selfe to this onely fault But I beseech the Gods the earth may first swallowe mee vp and Iupiter with his thunderbolt smite me to the mournfull shades of Acheron and perpetuall night before I violate thee O chastitie or breake thy holy bondes The chaste minde that euer I haue borne shall accompanie me to my graue But I know it offends me not by thinking to which of both I shoulde encline if my firme intent should turn to any side which of them both excels the other in disposition feature and beautie to loue the one more for that and forsake the other for this I cannot discerne who are so like that if they themselues beheld one another they could not knowe the one from the other Great is the goodnes of Parthenius for euen to the hazard of his life he offered it for safetie of his friend What wittie and readie answeres for Delicius What wisedome to make my companion helpe his and me not to forsake him and that fierce Gorphorost might not hurt him Parthenius in the end deserued well my loue but yet I thinke he goes not beyond Delicius who needed not the fauour of his brother to helpe him and could no doubt haue done no lesse then he And though he neuer had occasion to shew the sharpnes of his wit his pithie wordes and wittie answeres from the which he was cut off from the very beginning yet how cleerely by all his sweete songs and ditties that he made did he manifest it What verses did he carue in the tree or rather in my hart how modest by refraining not to offend me to speake of that which concerned him most O God and what great reason haue I then to loue him But who beleeues not that Parthenius if he had also loued me would not haue done as much Alas then for me to whether of them shall I incline Must Delicius be despised bicause he loues me and for desiring so much my loue againe Must I consent that he die bicause he desireth to liue with me Must he be guerdoned with vnworthy death for so high a desert of his great loue O haplesse Delicius I would I had neuer seene thee or thou not cast thine eies vpon me Thou well deseruest my loue if I had not vowed chastitie and if my importunate destinies had not threatened me with marriage But must Parthenius be reiected bicause he loues me not as Delicius doth For this he is more woorthie to be admitted into my loue It imports but little that he loue mee not so I loue him that hath so many good parts in him woorthy to be beloued That which most of all forceth me to his loue is that I cannot suffer with patience that Crimine should loue him But whither do I range in these wandring thoughts what need I take such care for them after so many whom I haue despised Why doe I thus torment my selfe Their beautie mooues me not and yet the same might well do it who are but yet boies They themselues mooue me not but their yong and flourishing youth But let them go hence in a good hower now that of mine owne free will I haue counselled them and the rather since marriage is denied mee Let them go and seeke forth some other loues since none that are wise will reiect them But alas for me this leaue is too harde With these last words not able to passe on further though many other things remained still in my minde I held my peace my toong was silent but my hart did still speake And with these and like wordes and praises poore soule without knowing what I did and rude in such affaires I loued without the sence of loue I conceiued the fire without seeing it and nourished a wound in my vaines without feeling it Three or fower daies passed in the which we went not to the Shepherds bicause Crimine came not foorth for seeing herselfe disdained of Parthenius she endeuoured to forget him by her absence which kindled her fire the more So that I would haue beene now glad that Parthenius had loued Crimine in lieu of seeing him and Delicius For the which I many times importuned her that we might go see them by putting her in mind of the hope that Delicius had giuen her but for all this she forced herselfe not to come before him There remained now but two daies to come of the time prefixed for Parthenius departure when not able to endure so long an absence I spake thus vnto her It might not a little reioice me deere sister if we went to see the Shepherds bicause I promised to speake with Parthenius before he went Crimine desiring the same no lesse then I as I imagined answered me saying Thou maiest go good friend although I will not denie that I desire to see mine enimie But this haplesse loue is so cruell that I cannot choose in the end but tell thee the truth that my going this time will auaile me as little I know as other times before Behold thou canst not tell Crimine saide I what Delicius hath done for thee in recompence of the good turne he owes thee for the promise he made thee and if this were not so remember that certaine daies past my selfe hauing lesse occasion and will to go yet onely to content thee I went thither So that thou art bounde now to performe my request when I was then so willing to do thy command Thou hast ouercommed saide she I will nor cannot gainsay thy forcible reasons Whereupon we went to the Shepherds whom when I espied gone aside for on purpose they were talking very earnestly togither I saide to my companion They should now talke of some great matters and it may bee Delicius is talking about thy affaires Nay about thine answered she againe And it was true indeed For both of them were in counsell togither as afterwards we knew it Being come to the Shepherds we found such an alteration in them that it seemed very strange to vs. What will you more but that Delicius seemed to haue changed the loue that he did beare me to bestow it on Crimine when he had greatest reason to loue me Who at the last time when I spake to him got more of me then euer he did before I coulde not by any meanes know the cause of this sudden change Truth it is that as I had perceiued Delicius loue to Crimine to be but colde as that I also held him for such an one who would not change without great occasion and not able to coniecture it by any fault of mine owne I haue suspected and Crimine thinkes no lesse but that Delicius by some waies should know of Parthenius secret loue to me and by sayning that he had forgot mee it was to giue place to his deere friend in my loue Which if it be so as we beleeue
although we could neuer get it of him it is Gentlemen one of the noblest deeds of friendship that was euer seene to this day For in more then a whole yeere that we accompanied togither he neuer solicited me for himselfe but for his friende beholding me euer with such modestie as if we had beene both borne in one bellie But I pray thee tell vs said Doria what meanes he vsed to shew that he did not loue thee That I will said Stela bicause there remaines now but litle of my tale for our long peregrination with many misfortunes that we haue passed shal be kept for some fitter time When we were come before the Shepherds Delicius shewed a certaine kinde of greater libertie and boldnes in his words and more merrines in his countenance then he was woont to do Whereat both of vs maruelling not a little and asking him the cause he answered Times are not euer all one nor equall Stela The fire many times mollifies that which is harde The finest plaister be it neuer so well tempered if it be too much charged fals downe againe So much water may be cast on the greatest fire that it will put it quite out My great loue serued me nothing at all to make thee gentle and thy extreme disdaine hath auailed me to make me forget thee I had grounded well mine affection on thee but thou hast choaked it with a multitude of torments sorrowes cares Great was the flame that burned cōtinually in my brest but thou hast quenched it with excessiue water of thy cold disfauours with th' abundance of my teares So that from this day thou maiest well match thee with one who is more vertuous wise constant then I am who may in iust proportion bee more answerable to thee in euery thing then my selfe for I confesse I am not sufficient for it Yet I will not denie but that I am now as truely and as much deuoted to thy seruice as euer I was before whereof thou maiest make triall if it please thee in whatsoeuer thou wilt command mee though in another kinde of respect then in these daies past We were all three looking with what libertie he tooke his leaue of my loue and maruelled more at his change Delicius had tolde Parthenius before of his determination but he neuer beleeued all till then when he verily thought his companion did not loue me bicause face to face so constantly he tolde mee it thinking if it had beene otherwise it had not beene possible for him to haue vsed the boldenesse nor courage by speaking to me in such sorte At this noueltie I stoode astonished and a certaine kind of remorse and repentance me thought troubled mee for handling him and mine owne matters so ill but dissembling it as well as I coulde I saide O howe glad am I to heare these good wordes Shepherd From this time forwarde I will loue thee more then euer I did But I know not said Crimine what I may say vnto thee friend Delicius neither can I sound the cause of such a sudden alteration Tell me if thou hast any occasion to complaine of Stela For heere I will cause her to make thee amends without the consent of such a breach The Gods be contrarie to me in all my desires saide Delicius if I haue any iust complaint of her but onely of my hap And by them I sweare vnto thee that I do this bicause I finde it most expedient for me Wherefore if thou desirest my good thou shouldst not speake to me about it In faith Crimine said I thou art verie pleasant how long I pray you had you leaue to trouble your selfe with my matters and such as like me not at all Bicause it should like thee wel said Crimine I spake it If such things liked me well said I smiling there is Parthenius who hath no lesse good parts in him to be loued then his friend if they haue not both perhaps agreed togither about this matter This did I speake but in iest but loue did not iest with me at all I would not make this agreement said Delicius if it were not for that which I loue most in this life which I wish thou wouldst loue leauing him to saile with the greatest prosperitie in the seas of thy happie loue Delicius laboured so much in the end by shewing himselfe also so appassionate for Crimine but truely but now that Parthenius discouered himselfe the next day to be my open louer and for Delicius his sake had kept it so long close which was the cause he said why he could neuer be mooued to loue Crimine I had not then beene a little proud and glad as I should be now if I had then knowen or did now know that I was equally beloued of them both as I loue them both alike Crimine had no end of her ioy and content thinking that she was in good earnest beloued of Delicius the which he cunningly shewed by words and deeds But now she is not I thinke in such glorie and content bicause he is as cold in her loue again although he euer makes her some shew thereof The last day of respit wherein Parthenius was to depart was now come when the night before Delicius said to Parthenius Since it is thy will deere brother to absent thy selfe from me a hard and heauie chaunce it shall be needfull for me to goe to morrow to Gorphorost and speake to him in thy behalfe bicause with the instructions that thou hast giuen me I may know from henceforth how to conuerse with him and as thou shalt afterwards aduise me how I may entertaine his company It may be he will keepe me till night Thinke not therefore much if I stay so long This agreement Delicius made with Parthenius bicause he had now determined to goe and seeke out his parents and to leaue Parthenius with me for he neuer meant to goe seeke out Gorphorost nor to speake with him at all but onely to absent himselfe secretly as afterwards he informed vs of it He knew or at the least suspected that Parthenius would not consent to haue him goe without him and therefore thought it good to vse this dissimulation bicause he would not haue him nor vs passe the hard traunce of his greeuous departure Hereupon he went towards the riuer and neere to the place where he was wont to stay for Gorphorost wrote this with a knife in an Elme in letters that might be discerned a good way off My deere friende Parthenius thou shalt feele by thy selfe if thy absence will not breede an extreme sorrow in me but bicause this is forced and necessarie I thinke it best for thee to tarie still since thou hast so great reason for it That which I commende to thy charge for the friendship betweene vs both is to make no change of place nor of thy faire yoong Shepherdesse for this shall be the greatest pleasure that thou maist doe
how and when Her praises be nor of her little force Nor vertues of this fairest one But then All in a heate her praise begins to babble And I to stay such furie far vnable For thousand times I sharply chide the same But more I chide the more it is to blame Counsell I giue it and with counsell threate That neuer it presume to meddle heere By telling it it is too base a seate For her high praise that neuer had her peere But shamelesse it replies let this not greeue thee And boldly saies T' is true I doe beleeue thee For I confesse I neuer did suffice But such a want I hope my will supplies As to a foole seeing her follies such Sometimes I yeeld at length to leaue the raine If then my Nymph so basely it doth touch It doth deserue no punishment nor paine For howsoere she praise her In the end I feare not that my loue it will offend But to returne fro whence my toong did run Breefly I will conclude what I begun Another Cupid raignes within my brest Then Venus sonne that blinde and franticke boy Diuers his works intent and interest His fashions sportes his pleasure and his ioy No slightes deceites nor woes he doth inspire He burnes not like to that vnseemely fire From reason will my loue cannot entice Since that it is not placed in this vice For beautie I loue not my Shepherdesse Although she may be lou'd for passing faire Beautie in her the lest part doth possesse Though hers doth make all others to despaire For mildnes wisedome and for vertues sake This zealous loue I first did vndertake And so my loue is honest chaste and sure Not wanton fleshly filthie nor vnpure I wish my flockes greene grasse may neuer finde Nor cleerest springs their burning thirst to slake Nor shades enioy in heate nor coolest winde And that they may no profit to me make That March may come with rigour to their harme And sheds and sheltor want to keepe them warme If euer any wicked thought had past My loue but what was honest cleene and chaste The Iuniper oile may neuer helpe my flockes With lothsome mangie being ouerrun Milke faile my sheepe decay my countrie stockes And little kid by hunger be vndone And let my masty lay him downe to sleepe So that the woolfe doth kill him and my sheepe If in my loue I euer had inuention Of wickednes bad thought or bad intention But thinke not that my loue so chaste and pure Without the slaine of vaine and wanton thought And louing so sincerely and so sure From vertue of mine owne proceedeth not Onely from her alone it is proceeding That no foule thought doth suffer to be breeding Dishonest motions in a fleshly soule Her modest sight most brauely doth controule For plainly and not vainly I suspect That if some boldface yonker did bewray His wanton loue or did to her detect His thoughts that did from honestie estray In looking on her onely I durst sweare His wordes would freeze within his mouth for feare And that he could not onely speake for shame But neuer durst againe presume the same If in this song I purposed to touch Her honestie and vertues to explaine I knowe I am not worthy for so much When thousand bookes cannot the same containe And more that once I somewhat sung and saide Before and that my voice was then afraide For being so base Now must it erre as lately Since that her praise is growne more high and stately Then louing as you see with such successe I doe not feare disfauours any whit Musing alone on my faire Shepherdesse Fauours doe come by heapes my minde to fit And so of her I neuer beg nor craue them But in this sort continually I haue them As many as my handes can hold and borrow Wherefore I liue in ioy deuoid of sorrow Louing in this samesort there is no feare Of iealousie that 's either true or fained A riuall heere sweete companie doth beare And all that in chaste loue in one are chained Yet name of Riuall fits not well this place Since chastitie together all imbrace Nor different mindes we can be said to carie Since our intents in no one point doe varie Come then all you that loue come by and by Leaue euery one his Shepherdesse and loue Come loue my Shepherdesse and for her die In that that 's pure and commeth from aboue And you shall see how that your fortunes far It dignifies to loue this radiant star Of vertue and the time you shall auerre Ill spent that is not spent in louing her They could not hold their laughter at the Shepherds admonition to whom Syluanus said By my faith friend Shepherd thou commest too late with thy counsell For to leaue of that which we haue already for this yoong Shepherdesse I thinke there is no remedie And if thou termest this time lost we are not sorie for it a whit I would you were better aduised said the Shepherd but I doe but my dutie It is well said Felicia that you my sonnes are content with your lots and he with his good fortune of one thing I assure you leauing aside your loue bicause we will make no comparisons that this Shepherd loueth and with the greatest reason in the world a soueraigne yoong Shepherdesse endowed with many gifts and perfections the lest whereof in her as he said in his song is peregrine beautie And his loue to her is so infinite and pure as he also said that though he be many times in her presence yet neuer any wanton thought turned his minde awrie Which in truth proceedes from her excellent and singular vertue And so no man I thinke hath gone beyonde him in purer loue then he as by his song you might well perceiue With what greater purity said Syrenus could any Shepherd loue his Shepherdesse then I did Diana Indeede it was very great said Felicia but in the ende thou didst presume to tell her of thy loue It is true said Syrenus why then behold said Felicia how far the loue of this yoong Shepherde extendes that he durst neuer manifest this sound and perfect affection to his Shepherdesse thinking by doing so he should greatly offend her honour Then let him tell vs said Lord Felix if thou thinkest it good reuerend Ladie some part of his chaste loues which thou commendest so much bicause we may passe away with something this gloomie euening To this the Shepherd answered It would content me greatly to spend this cloudie euening in so ioyfull a discourse if I were able to end it But now in my song if you be remembred I told you that I had another time sung of her and that for her great perfections and desertes I came very short of her due praise Being therefore somwhat afraid I am determined to hold my peace the rather bicause I haue no longer time to stay for I am going to seeke out a pretie fawne which my
thou purpose to destroy me When wilt thou make an end with woundes to noy me Not stretching foorth thy cruell hand to kill me Tell me the cause why dost thou so much will me To visit thee and with such words dost ioy me That to my death I rather would imploy me Then by such present pangs and greefes to spill me Woe to my soule since this doth cause thy sorrow That such a little fauour thou hast done me Little it is in sooth if it be peased With all my teares that neuer yet haue ceased To fall that to my death haue almost woon me They great this small those giue I this I borrow Firmius had scarce done when Faustus asked Diana how she knew that his loue to her was so small Who answered In that hoping to enioy thee inflamed in my loue thou complainest no purpose of a few teares thou hast spilt for my sake as if these were not as incident and requisite for loue as pasture for sheepe and oyle for the lamp To which wordes Faustus taking vp his Rebecke did thus answere her THou dost desire My life as thou dost say To see me in thy loues inflam'd at lest And yet an vncouth meanes thou dost suggest Which is to giue me care from day to day Dost thou not see the fier to decay Waxe cold and quench't within my louing brest With swelling teares which trickle without rest Out of mine eies to see thy hard delay The meade with raine her goodly greene redeemes The oile doth in the lampe the flame maintaine And loue with teares augmented is no lesse But loue the lampe and meadow as it seemes If that too much of these they doe containe Is spent is quench't and drowned in excesse As Faustus had thus made an ende Firmius said for all that I coulde not then heare he tolde me afterwards we are well content Diana that thou delightest thy selfe with our sorrowes since thou wilt take no pleasure in any of our other things if thy sweete voice in lieu of that might sound in our desired eares with some happie song Diana excused herselfe requesting them to pardon her saying she coulde not therein pleasure them since she wanted so much her owne content of minde They endeuouring to comfort her gaue her some hope saying that in the end sorrowes and griefes are not perpetuall and that she should remember that common song that saith Continuall griefe and sorrow neuer wanteth c. Bicause therefore you may see said Diana how ill this saying is vnderstoode tune your Bagpipe with your Rebecke and walking towards our flockes bicause it is now time to gather them vp although I thought not to doe it yet will I sing as well as I can vpon this theame and you shall take the tune of the song as of a woman so much tuned in miseries and mishappes as nothing more Firmius and Faustus made no delay And then Diana like a desperate woman with a mournsull and sorrowfull voice began thus taking for her first verse that which they had alreadie alleaged for her comfort COntinuall greefe and sorrow neuer wanteth Where feeding hope continues not decaying But euermore despaire that greefe recanteth From former course of minde doth cause estraying The glosse Riuers arise and run into the seas And waters without number day by day And yet the same seeme neuer to decay But new doe spring and run and doe increase So endlesse woes arise and multiplie Redoubled one vpon anothers head For one in truth is with another fed Still doe they come and yet they neuer die For since their fertill rootes each moment planteth Continuall greefe and sorrow neuer wanteth Torments of minde and vilest miseries Are sworne to dwell within a haplesse soule And there her ioies and pleasures doe controule As to my selfe my sweete content denies Then let not any Louer thinke to gaine The meanest thing that liues in any hope But liuing so to fall into a scope And wander in a world of greefe and paine For miseries men say continue staying Where feeding hope continue not decaying Who knowes it not Alas I knowe it well That if a wofull soule is hoping still She seldome doth enioy her mind and will But that her hope must euer be her hell So of this hope that flatters me I finde And doe confesse that with the same I liue But still in feare and therefore I would giue It for despaire to ease my doubtfull minde I wish not this false hope my iotes that scanteth But euermore despaire that greefe recanteth If any whit of goodnes euer came By vile despaire it comes to me in prime And it could neuer come in better time Then to be hoping still to haue the same The wisest and most prudent man at last Wanting the good that long he doth attend Which nourished by hope he did suspend Seeing the time that fed his hope is past And all his ioy by hope that is decaying From former course of minde doth cause estraying The Shepherds importuned Diana to proceed in her song or else if it pleased her to take some new matter for it was to be thought that Dianas song pleased them wel but they could not obtaine it at her hands for she rather requested them to sing something whilest they were going towardes their flockes Firmius then remembring that which a little before she had told him that he loued her not so much as he might began thus to tune his voice Faire Shepherdesse Iean no more But faine I would Loue thee more if that I could As this made also for Faustus purpose for the same cause he likewise sung to the same effect And so Firmius and Faustus sung by turnes and answered one another as followeth Firmius OF mine owne selfe I doe complaine And not for louing thee so much But that indeede my power is such That my true loue it doth restraine And onely this doth giue me paine For faine I would Loue her more if that I could Faustus Thou dost deserue who doth not see To be belou'd a great deale more But yet thou shalt not finde such store Of loue in others as in mee For all I haue I giue to thee Yet faine I would Loue thee more if that I could Firmius O trie no other Shepherd swaine And care not other loues to prooue Who though they giue thee all their loue Thou canst not such as mine obtaine And would'st thou haue in loue more gaine O yet I would Loue thee more if that I could Faustus Impossible it is my friend That any one should me excell In loue whose loue I will refell If that with me he will contend My loue no equall hath nor end And yet I would Loue her more if that I could Firmius Behold how loue my soule hath charm'd Since first thy beauties I did see Which is but little yet to mee My freest senses I haue harm'd To loue thee leauing them vnarm'd And yet I would Loue thee more if
die for loue of thee And I doe ioy to see the same Although thou laughest at my paine Which laughter is to me no gaine And so when that in me I finde The greeuous ill which makes me die I thinke when that comes to my minde No remedie thou wilt apply Bicause to see thou ici'st thy fill How much my comforts thou dost kill A remedie thou dost disdaine And then my soule with hope to feede I see it is as much in vaine When as it is by loue decreede To haue my life lie in thy hand And death in thy desire to stand I sawe thy shining beauties beames Faire Shepherdesse vpon a day Neere to great Duerus Christall streames Making the fields so fresh and gay And goodly banks to ioy and flourish The which thy beauties feedes nourish And there I sawe thee leane and stand Among those banks not long agoe Vpon thy sheepehooke with thy hand With naked necke as white as snowe And to thine elbowe seeming greeued With naked arme that was vnsleeued Where if there had beene any one That well had viewed euery part Admit he were as hard as stone And had not lou'd thee from his hart Reason would moue me then to say That he his folly did bewray And therefore thus when I had knowne Thy goodly giftes and beautie rare From thinking of them one by one No time nor rest I did not spare Thus I began loues force to trie And in his torments thus to die But if against me thou dost moue Saying It is to me a shame Being an old man thus to loue So yoong amaide and so to blame O giue me no aduice at all But remedies for which I call For I will neuer thinke this part Of mine hath made so great acrime By louing thee with all my hart As bauing lost so long a time Before I euer came to knowe Thy beauties which adorne thee so Alas I knowe that I am olde And that my prime long since did fall Which now I wish I had not tolde But that which greeues me most of all Is that my louing paine appeeres Not equall with so many yeeres Bicause since first I came into This life I would in all that space Haue loued thee as now I doe Since first I sawe thy sweetest face And as I must with Cupids powre Vnto my last and dying howre And let it not thy minde dismay To see my haire so gray and white For it is ill to take away The place from any that of right Belongs to him in any reason Though it comes out of time and season And though my valour not my hart And force not will thou dost exceede It is not yet so iust a part That any man should leese his meede For being old or be vnpaide Bicause a souldier now decaide The buildings newer that they are And lately built in any sort By no proportion may compare For statelines and princely port The which antiquitie doth showe With those of Rome built long agoe And so in things of woorthines Of prime or goodnes any way Of profit ioy or happines Commonly vnto this day They say and yet do say most true That th' old is better then the new Loue wise in that he went about Till now gaue me no sense of paine Bicause he sawe it did fall out That for the most part did remaine In aged men and like to mee More firmnesse as we daily see To loue thee more then I can tell I am resolued till I die And in my firmnesse doe excell Of all loues torments which I trie But olde againe and not to prooue In all my life the sweete of loue Yoong youthes that most of all doe faine Themselues to burne in Cupids heate Are false and double but to traine Beleeuing women to deceate For when they say That they doe die Then doe they liue most merily And so their false and changing loue And paines alledged in the same And all the torments which they prooue Is but their pastime sport and game It is their iest and common fashion It is no will nor any passion Besides Ismenia doe not feare That I am like to one of those Yoong louers that doe euery wheare Their fauours openly disclose For sooner they receiue not one But straight to many it is knowne For though I doe receiue at lest Three hundred fauours one by one Yet in my loue I doe protest To be as much a very stone In hiding fauours which I gaine As that I am in suffring paine But yet as far as I can see Resolued as thou art in minde To kill me with thy crueltie Suer I am that I shall finde Much to endure to be reueal'd Little ynough to be conceal'd For now ingratefull Shepherdesse The greatest fauour which I misse And faine the same would heere possesse Of all the rest is onely this To die bicause I would no more Complaine against thee as before Time onely will I thee accuse O time that art so great a friend To greefes and makest her refuse My loue who loues her without end For he that hath most part in thee Is little woorth in loue we see Alas that euer I did loue Too late a thing so passing faire And reason therefore that I prooue To die for her in deepe despaire Since when her birth day did appeere I was not borne that very yeere If I had beene faire She pherdesse With thee when I was in my prime As now thou art then more or lesse I had not wanted any time Delights and pastimes to present thee Nor thy sweete fauours to content mee For as for playing on a Pipe Or Rebecke with most sweetest sound To touch with many a daintie stripe And dauncing best in all the towne Amongst the youthes to win the prise All in my fauour did arise And therefore maruell not a whit If that in song I doe excell Famous Amphion as vnfit Compar'd with me to beare the bell Since that my singing hath surmounted Better then he was euer counted Of fields that goodly graine doe beare I plowe more acres then the rest And all my mountaines euery where And plaines that are for pastures best With flocks of sheepe and goates I cumber Mark't with my mark that haue no nūber But now what bootes my present store O cruell hap for my delight Or that that hath beene heeretofore Since now it is forgotten quite Nay which is more scorn'd and despis'd And vnto cruell death deuis'd Then sweetest foe let this auaile To make thy hardest hart relent Strike downe of pride thy puffed saile When to thine eies age shall present That in the same thy braue perfection Shall vade and be in times subiection O Shepherdesse thou art more hard Then sturdy rocke consum'd in time But yet perhaps for thy reward When thou hast lost thy golden prime Then freedomes want shall be thy paine Wherewith thou dost me now disdaine Wherefore let Loue take such de spite Reuenging one
two corruptly done with a confusion of verse into Prose and leauing out in many places diuers hard sentences and some leaues in the end of the third Part wherefore they are but blind guides by any to be imitated Well might I haue excused these paines if onely Edward Paston Esquier who heere and there for his owne pleasure as I vnderstand hath aptly turned out of Spanish into English some leaues that liked him best had also made an absolute and complete translation of all the Parts of Diana the which for his trauell in that Countrey and great knowledge in that language accompanied with other learned and good parts in him had of all others that euer yet I heard translate these Bookes prooued the rarest and worthiest to be embraced The faults escaped in the Printing the copie being verie darke and enterlined and I loth to write it out againe I pray you Gentlemen pardon since all the last Terme that it was in the Presse hauing matters of greater consequence in charge I could not intende the correction aduertising you by the way that the greatest faults are at the ende of the Booke set downe the lesse being of no moment purposely omitted Fare ye well and continue me in your woonted loue and fauours Yours in all friendly offices B. Y. THE EPISTLE To the Illustrous and noble Lord Don Iuan de Castella de Villa Noua Baron of Bicorb and Quesa of GEORGE of Montemayor ALthough this custome were not very auncient most noble L. for Authours to dedicate their workes to personages of honour and renowne by whome they were protected and defended notwithstanding your rare and high deserts as well for your noble and ancient house from whence you are descended as also for the resplendant valour and vertue of your person might with greater reason then I can expresse incite me to performe more then this obliged dutie And admit the base stile of the worke and the Authours small woorth in reason ought not so far extend as to dedicate it to your Lordship yet excluded from all other remedies I presumed onely on this that it was somewhat accounted of For precious stones are not so highly valued for the name they haue for they may be false and counterfeite as for his estimate in whose handes they are I humbly beseech your good Lordship to entertaine this booke vnder your Hon. ampare and correction as to the Authour heereof being but a stranger you haue done no lesse since his poore abilitie is not able to serue your Lordship in any other thing whose wished life and noble estate our Lord increase for many yeeres To the same Lord. Moecenas was to Maro of great fame A singular good Lord and louing frend And Alexander did enioy that same Rare wit of Homer death though him did end And so the Villanouas generous name The Lusitan poore Authour doth defend Making a base and wanting wit t' aspire Vnto the clouds and yet a great deale higher Don Gaspar Romani to the Authour If Lady LAVRAS memorie vnstained PETRARC in endlesse verse hath left renowned And if with Laurell HOMER hath beene crowned For writing of the wars the Greekes obtained If Kings t' aduaunce the glorie they haue gained In life time when fierce MARS in battell frowned Procure it should not be in LETHE drowned But after death by historie maintained More iustly then shouldst thou be celebrated O excellent DIANA for the fairest Of all the faire ones that the world hath brought foorth Since all those wits whose pens were estimated To write the best in glorie thou impairest And from them all the Laurell crowne hast sought foorth Don Hieronymo Sant-Perez to George of Montemayor Parnasse O sacred mount and full of glorie The Poets muse delight of their desires Me thinkes thou art too comfortlesse and sorie Compar'd with this whose famous name aspires In deede J am since that the Muses left me And with their gracious Quire from hence descended To mount this Hill whose Greatnes hath bereft me Of all my fame and glorie that is ended Thrise happie his Diana since her flower In top of this High Hill was set so lately That all the world might view it euery hower Where she doth liue most soueraigne and stately In all the world most celebrate and graced Being no lesse excelse then highly placed The Argument of the first Seuen Bookes IN the fieldes of the auncient and principall citie of Leon in Spaine lying along the bankes of the riuer Ezla liued a Shepherdesse called Diana whose beautie was most soueraigne aboue all others in her time She loued and was deerely beloued againe of a Shepherd called Syrenus in whose mutuall loue was as great chastitie and vertue as might be At the same time another Shepherd called Syluanus loued her also more then himselfe but so abhorred of the Shepherdesse that there was not any thing in the world which she hated more But it fell out that as Syrenus was constrained to be out of the kingdom about certaine affaires which could by no means be excused nor left vndone and the Shepherdesse remaining at home very sad for his absence time and Dianas hart with time were chaunged who then was married to another Shepherd called Delius burying him whom she had but of late so greatly loued in vniust obliuion Who after a whole yeere of his absence comming home againe with great affection and desire to see his beloued Shepherdesse knew before he came that she was already married And from hence the first booke begins and in the others following they shall finde diuers histories of accidents that haue truly happened though they goe muffled vnder pastorall names and style The first Booke of Diana of George of Montemayor DOwne from the hils of Leon came forgotten Syrenus whom loue fortune and time did so entreate that by the least greefe that he suffered in his sorrowfull life he looked for no lesse then to loose the same The vnfortunate Shepherd did not now bewaile the harme which her absence did threaten him and the feare of her forgetfulnes did not greatly trouble his minde bicause he sawe all the prophecies of his suspicion so greatly to his preiudice accomplished that now he thought he had no more misfortunes to menace him But the Shepherd comming to those greene and pleasant meades which the great riuer Ezla watreth with his cristalline streames the great felicitie and content came to his wandring thoughtes which sometimes he had enioyed there being then so absolute a Lord of his owne liberty as now subiect to one who had wrongfully enterred him in darke obliuion He went musing of that happie time when in those medowes and on those faire banks he fed his flocks applying then his minde in the onely care and interest he had to feede them well and spending the rest of his howers in the onely delight that he tooke in the sweete smell of those golden flowers at that time especially when cheerefull spring-tyde the merry messenger
awrie and contrarie to that which I euer coniectured and knew by thy behauiour and conditions For I thought when I heard thee talke of thy loue that in the same thou wert a Phoenix and that none of the best louers to this day came euer neere to the extreme that thou hadst by louing a Shepherdesse whom I knowe a cause sufficient ynough not to speake ill of women if thy malice were not greater then thy loue The second that thou speakest of a thing thou vnderstandest not for to blame forgetfulnes who neuer had any triall thereof must rather be attributed to follie and want of discretion then to any thing else For if Diana did neuer remember thee how canst thou complaine of her obliuion I thinke to answere saide Syluanus both these pointes if I shall not wearie thine eares with hearing me To the first saying That I wish I may neuer enioy any more content then now I haue if any by the greatest example that he is able to alleage me can with wordes set downe the force and power that this thanklesse and disloyall Shepherdesse whom thou knowest and I would I knew not hath ouer my subiected soule But the greater the loue is I beare her the more it greeues me that there is any thing in her that may be reprehended For heere is Syrenus who was fauoured more of Diana then any louer in the world of his Mistresse and yet she hath now forgotten him as thou faire Shepherdesse and all we doe know To the other point where thou saiest that I haue no reason to speake ill of that whereof I neuer had experience I say that the Phisition may iudge of that greefe which he himselfe neuer had and will further satisfie thee Seluagia with this opinion of me that I beare no hate to women nor in very trueth wish them ill for there is nothing in the world which I would desire to serue with more reuerence and affection But in requitall of my zealous loue I am but ill intreated and with such intolerable disdaine which made me speake so much by her who takes a pride and a glorie in giuing me such cause of greefe Syrenus who had held his peace all this while said to Seluaggia If thou would'st but listen to me faire Shepherdesse blamelesse thou wouldest hold my riuall or to speake more properly my deere friend Syluanus But tell me what is the reason that you are so inconstant that in a moment you throwe a Shepherde downe from the top of his good hap to the deepest bottome of miserie knowest thou whereunto I attribute it To nothing else but to your owne simplicitie bicause you haue no perfect vnderstanding to conceiue the good nor knowe the value of that you haue in your handes You meddle with loue and are vncapable to iudge what it meanes how doe you then knowe to behaue your selues in it I tell thee Syrenus saide Seluagia that the cause why Shepherdesses forget their louers is no other but bicause they are forgotten of them againe These are things which loue doth make and vndoe things which time and place alters and buries in silence but not for the want of womens due knowledge in them of whom there haue bene an infinite number in the world who might haue taught men to liue and to loue if loue were a thing that might be taught or learned But yet for all this there is not I thinke any baser estate of life then a womans for if they speake you faire you thinke them by and by to die for your loue if they speake not to you you thinke them proude and fantasticall if their behauiour be not to your liking you thinke them hypocrites They haue no kind of pastaunce which you thinke not to exceede if they holde their peace you say they are fooles if they speake you say they are so troublesome that none will abide to heare them if they loue you the most in the world you thinke they goe about to deceiue you if they forget you and flie the occasions of bringing their good names in question you say they are inconstant and neuer firme in one minde and purpose So that the good or ill woman can doe no more to please your mindes then neuer to exceede the limits of your desires and dispositions If euery one faire Seluagia saide Syrenus were indued with this finenesse of wit and graue vnderstanding as thou art they woulde neuer giue vs occasions to make vs complaine of their small regarde in their loue But bicause we may knowe what reason thou hast to finde thy selfe so much aggreeued with it so may God giue thee comfort needefull for such an ill as thou wouldest vouchsafe to tell vs the substance of thy loue and all the occurrents which haue hitherto befallen thee therein For it seemes thou canst tell vs more of ours then we are able to informe thee to see if his effects which thou hast passed will giue thee leaue to speake so freely as thou dost for by thy wordes thou seemest to haue more experience in them then any woman that euer I knewe If I were not the most tried woman in them saide Seluagia I am at the lest the worst intreated by them as any euer was and such an one who with greater reason then the rest may complaine of loues franticke effects a thing sufficient to make one speake ynough in it And bicause by that which is past thou maiest knowe that which I now suffer to be a diuellish kinde of passion commit your misfortunes a while to silence and I will tel you greater then euer you heard before IN the mightie and inuincible kingdome of Portugall run two great riuers which wearied with watring the greater part of our Spaine not far from one another enter into the maine Ocean Betweene both which are situated many olde and ancient townes by reason of the great fertilitie of the soile which hath not the like in the whole world The inhabitants liues of this prouince are so much sequestred and estranged from things that may disturbe the minde that there is not any but when Venus by the mightie handes of her blinde sonne meanes to shew her power who troubles his minde more then to sustaine a quiet life by maintaining a meane and competent liuing with those things which for their poore estates are requisite The mens endeuours are naturally disposed to spend their life time in sufficient content the womens beauties to take it from him who liueth most assured of his libertie There are many houses in the shadowed forrestes and pleasant vales the which being nourished by the siluer deaw of soueraine heauen tilled by their inhabitants fauourable sommer forgetteth not to offer vp into their handes the fruites of their owne trauels and prouision for the necessitie of their liues I liued in a village neere to great Duerus one of these two riuers where Minerua hath a most stately temple built vnto her the which in
certaine times of the yeere is visited of all or most of the Shepherdesses that liue in that prouince who with the faire Nymphes thereabouts begin a day before the holy feast with sweete songs and hymnes to celebrate it and the Shepherdes likewise to solemnize the same with challenges of running leaping wrestling and pitching the barre appointing seuerall rewardes and giftes for them that beare the bell away sometimes a garland of greene Iuie sometimes a fine Bagpipe Flute or Sheepehooke of knottie Ashe and other guerdons which Shepherdes make most account of But the festiuall time being come I with other Shepherdesses my friendes and acquaintance leauing of our seruile and worke-day apparell and putting on the best we had went the day before to that place determining to watch all that night in the temple as other yeeres before we were wont to doe Being therfore in companie of my friendes we sawe comming in at the doore a Beuie of faire Shepherdesses attended on by iolly Shepherdes who leauing them within and hauing done their due orisons went out againe to the pleasant valley for the order of that prouince was that no Shepherd might enter into the temple but to doe his deuotion and then presently to goe foorth againe vntill the next day when all came in together to participate the ceremonies and sacrifices which were made there The reason was bicause the Shepherdesses and Nymphes might sit alone and without trouble or occasion to thinke of any other matter then deuoutly to celebrate the feast and to make merry with one another according to the ancient accustomed manner And the Shepherdes to remaine amongst themselues without the temple in a faire greene meade hard by where by the brightnesse of nocturnall Diana they might disport themselues But the foresaid Shepherdesses being come into the sumptuous temple after they had saide a fewe prayers and presented their offerings vpon the altar they placed themselues downe by vs. And it was my ill hap that one of them sat next vnto me to make me infortunate as long as her memorie did importune me The Shepherdesses came in muffled for their faces were couered with white vailes tied vp aboue their hats which were artificially made of fine strawe and so curiously wrought with many workes of the same that it excelled the glittering golde in shew But as I was eying her that sat next vnto me I perceiued how she did seldome cast off her eies from beholding me againe and when I looked on her I might see her cast them downe fayning as though she would see me but in such sort that I might not perceiue it I did not meanely desire to knowe what she was bicause if she had spoken to me I might not vpon ignorance haue made a fault by not knowing her againe who all the while that I sat thinking of some other matter did neuer cast her eies off me but viewed me so much that a thousand times I was about to speake vnto her being suddenly enamoured of those faire eies which of all her face were onely discouered and open But she seeing me sitting in this perplexitie pulled out the fairest and most dainty hand that euer I did see and taking mine into it did with a sweete and amorous eie a little while behold me whereupon being now so striken in loue as toong cannot expresse I saide vnto her It is not onely this hand most faire and gracious Shepherdesse that is alwaies ready to serue thee but also her hart and thoughts to whom it appertaineth Ismenia for so she was called that was the cause of my disquiet and molested thoughts hauing now complotted in her minde to mocke me as you shall heare answered me softly that none might heare her in this manner saying I am so much thine sweete Shepherdesse that as such an one I boldly presumed to doe that which I did praying thee not to be offended with me for no sooner I viewed thy faire and amiable face but presently I lost the power of my conquered soule I was so glad to heare these wordes that comming neerer vnto her with a smile I answered her thus How can it be gentle Shepherdesse that thy selfe being so passing faire shouldest fal in loue with her who wants it so much to make her haue the name of such an one and more with a woman as I am It is that loue faire Shepherdesse saide she againe that seldome endes suruiuing all destinies and which is neither subiect to change of time nor fortune If the condition of my estate saide I againe could prompt me so fit an answere as thy wise and discreete wordes doe inforce the desire which I haue to serue thee should not let me from manifesting the same by most louing termes but in these few ones beleeue me faire Shepherdesse that the resolution which I haue to be thine not death it selfe can determine nor take away After these wordes our mutuall imbracings were so many and our louing speeches to one another so often redoubled and of my part so true and vnfained that we regarded not the Shepherdesses songs nor beheld the daunces nor other sportes that were made in the temple And now by this time was I earnest with Ismenia to tell me her name and to put off her muffler both which not onely she cunningly excused but very suttly turned her talke to another matter But midnight being now past and I hauing the greatest desire in the worlde to see her face and to knowe her name and of what village she was began to complaine of her and to tell her that it was not possible that the loue which by her wordes she protested to beare me was so great since hauing tolde her my name she concealed hers from me and that louing her as I did it was impossible for me to liue vnlesse I knewe whom I loued or from whence I might heare newes from my loue againe and many other things I tolde her in so good earnest that the same and my teares helped to mooue false Ismenias hart who rising vp and taking me by the hand to carry me aside into some secret place where none might heare her began to say these wordes vnto me making as though they came out from the bottome of her hart Faire Shepherdesse borne onely for the vnrest and torment of a soule that hitherto hath liued as exempt and free as possible might be who can choose but tell thee that thou requirest at my handes hauing now made thee the sole Mistresse of my libertie Vnhappie me that the chaunge of my habit hath deceiued thee although the deceit redoundes to mine owne harme The muffler which thou intreatest me to pull off behold to please thee I take away but to tell thee my name makes not much to thy purpose when as heereafter though I would not thou shalt see me oftener then thou maiest well suffer And speaking these wordes and pulling off her muffler mine eies behelde a face whose countenance though it
sudden he loose it doth not a little greeue him But now when Montanus perceiued that faire Ismenia his loue and Mistresse had at last mollified her long obdurate hart and now thought good to requite the great loue that he had so long time borne her Shepherdes you may well imagine what content he felt For so great was his ioy so obsequious his seruices to her and so many troubles that he passed for her sake that they were an occasion with the disfauours and contempt that Alanius had shewen her to make that fained loue prooue true which but in iest she began to beare him So that Ismenia yeelded her hart wholy to Montanus with such firmnesse that there was not any in the world whom she loued more then him nor whom she desired lesse to see then my Alanius the which as soone as she could she gaue him to vnderstand thinking that as by these meanes she was sufficiently reuenged of his for getfulnesse she had likewise busied my head with the cruell thought therof The loue that Alanius did beare me although it greeued him to the hart to see Ismenia loue that Shepherd whō in all his life time he could neuer abide was yet so great that he neuer seemed to make any shew of his secret greese But certaine daies passing on and thinking with himselfe that he onely was the cause of his enemies good hap and of those singular fauours that Ismenia shewed him and that the Shepherdesse did now shun his sight who not long since before died for the want thereof despite wroth and iealousie at once so fiercely assailed him that his impatience had almost bereft him of his wits if presently he had not determined to hinder Montanus his good fortune or in the pursuite thereof to haue lost his deerest life For performance whereof he began to looke on Ismenia againe and not to come so openly in my sight as he was wont to doe nor to be so often out of his towne least Ismenia might haue knowen it The loue betweene her and Montanus went not on so forwardes as that betweene me and my Alanius backwardes though not of my part when nothing but death was able to diuorce my minde from him but of his in whom I neuer thought to see such a sudden change For so extremely he bumed with choler and rancour against Montanus and so deepely enuied his good fortune that he thought he could not execute nor asswage that anger but by renewing the olde loue that he bare to Ismenia for furtherance whereof his comming to out towne was a great impediment whose absence from me as it engendred forgetfulnesse in him so the presence of his Ismenia rekindled his hart with a straunger kinde of loue then before whereupon he returned againe to his fust thoughts And I poore soule remained all alone deceiued and scorned in mine owne affection But all the seruice that he bestowed on Ismenia the tokens and letters that he sent her and the pitifull complaints that he made vnto her or any thing els that he was able to doe could neuer mooue her fetled minde nor make her forget the lest part of that loue which she bare Montanus I being therefore lost for the loue of Alanius Alanius dying for Ismenia and Ismenia for Montanus it fell out that my father had a certame occasion of busines about the buttals of certaine pastures with Phylenus father to Montanus by reason whereof both of them came often to our towne and in such a time that Mont anus whether it was for the superfluous fauours that Ismenia bestowed on him which to men of a base minde is a cloying or whether he was too iealous of the renewed and earnest suites of Alanius waxed very colde in his loue to Ismenia In the end when he espied me driuing my sheepe to the folde and with a curious eie looking on me he began presently to be enamoured of me so that by the effects which he daily shewed it was not possible for me to beare greater affection to Alanius nor Alanius to Ismenia nor Ismenia to Montanus nor Montanus to loue me more then in very trueth he did Beholde what a strange cousinage of loue If Ismenia went by chaunce to the fielde Alanius went after her if Montanus went to his flockes Ismenia after him if I went to the hils with my sheepe Montanus after me if I knew that Alanius was in the wood where he was wont to seede his flocks thither I hied me after him And it was the strangest thing in the world to heart how Alanius sighing saide Ah my Ismenia and how Ismenia saide Ah my Montanus and how Montanus said Ah my Seluagia and how Seluagia saide Ah my Alanius It fell out afterwardes on a day that we fower met together in a forrest that lay betweene all our townes and the reason was bicause Ismenia went to visite certaine Shepherdesses of her acquaintance which dwelt thereabouts which when Alanius knew being forced and driuen on by his fleeting thoughts he went after to seeke her out and found her neere to a fine spring kembing her golden haire I being tolde by a certaine Shepherd my neighbout that Alanius was gone to the forrest of the valley for so it was called tooke out before me a few goates that were shut vp in a little yarde neere to our house bicause I would not goe without some errant and went after him where my desire guided me whom by chaunce I found weeping and complaining of his ill fortune and the Shepherdesse laughing and iesting at his bootlesse teares and sighes When Ismenia espied me she was not a little glad of my companie and began to be merry with me although I had no cause to be so with her to whom I rather obiected the small reason and lesse regarde of modestie and discretion she had to greeue my hart with that vnciuill part and bad deceit whereof she so wisely excused herselfe that whereas I thought she would haue made me some amendes for all my greefe and sorrow by her wise and well ordered reasons she gaue me to vnderstand that I was rather bound to her in that if she had mocked me I had saide she satisfied my selfe as well and requited her againe not onely by taking Alanius her cosin from her whom she loued more then her selfe but also by enticing Montanus to my loue from that he was wont to shew her By this time came Montanus who was tolde by a Shepherdesse a friend of mine called Solisa that I was gone to the forrest of the valley with my goates And when all the fower discontented and discordant louers met there together it cannot be imagined what we all felt for euery one looked vpon another that would not haue bene viewed of those eies againe I asked my Alanius the cause of his forgetfulnes he sued for mercie at craftie Ismenias handes she accused and complained of the colde loue of Montanus he of Seluagias cruelty Being therefore in
Alanius ALthough my quiet it doth let Rather then blame discredit me For God forbid that I forget Let me with wrong forgotten be Not onely where obliuion raineth There is no loue nor can be none Nay where there is suspicion There is no loue but such as faineth Great harme it is to loue where set In bootelesse hopes the minde they free But God defend that I forget Forgotten though a iest it bee If that I loue why then loue I To sport or leaue to loue at all For what more honor can befall Then die for that for which I die To liue therefore and to forget Is such a shamefull life I see That I had rather loue one yet Forgotten though to death I bee When I had made an ende of my song the Shepherdes teares but those especially of faire Ismenia were so many that of force they made me participate some of her greefe which thing I might well haue left vndone for no fault could iustly haue bene attributed to my great mishap as to all those that were there it was sufficiently knowen After this euery one of vs went to their owne towne bicause it was not meete for vs to be out of them at such inconuenient and late howers And the next day my father without telling me the cause why caried me out of our towne and brought me to yours placing me there in the house of Albania mine aunt and his sister whom you knowe well where I haue remained a few daies since my comming hither not knowing the cause of my sudden exile but haue heard of late that Montanus hath married Ismenia and that Alanius was about to marrie a sister of hers called Syluia whereupon to conclude I wish that he may liue since it was not my good fortune to haue him as ioyfull a life with his new spouse that nothing may want to the full accomplishment of their content and happinesse For the loue which I beare him will suffer me no lesse then to wish him all the felicitie of this life When Seluagia had made an end of her sorrowfull tale she began to weepe so bitterly that both the Shepherdes being a kinde of friendly dutie wherein they had no small experience began also to helpe her with their teares and after hauing spent a little time in this sort Syrenus saide vnto her Great is thy greefe faire Seluagia and yet I iudge thy patience and discretion greater Take example by other mens harmes looke into their paines consider their woes if thou wilt the better support thine owne And bicause it growes now towardes night let vs be iogging towardes our towne and to morrow passe away the heate of the day neere to this cleere fountaine where we will all three meete Let it be as thou saiest said Seluagia but bicause betweene this and the towne there is a pretie way let euery one of vs to passe it away with some thing sing a song befitting the condition and qualitie of his loue The Shepherdes answered if she would begin they would follow which Seluagia did all three going on softly towardes the towne SHepherd who can passe such wrong And a life in woes so deepe Which to liue is to too long As it is too short to weepe Greeuous sighes in vaine I waste Leesing my affiance and I perceiue my hope at last With a candle in the hand What time then to hope among Bitter hopes that euer sleepe When this life is to too long As it is too short to weepe This greefe which I feele so rife Wretch I doe deserue as hire Since I came to put my life In the handes of my desire Then cease not my plaints so strong For though life her course doth keepe It is not to liue so long As it is too short to weepe With a burning sigh that came from her afflicted soule Seluagia ended her song saying How vnfortunate alas am I that see my selfe buried in iealousie despaire which cannot in the end but bring my life to no other passe then to that which is infallibly expected of them After this forgotten Syrenus to the tune of his Rebecke began to sing this song following WEepe not my dolefull eies But if you weepe thinke at the lest They tolde no trueth but lies And then it may be you may rest Since that imagination Doth cause so much in euery state Thinke that she loues thee as of late And thou shalt haue lesse passion And if you will mine eies Haue ease imagine then the best And that they told you lies And so perhaps you may haue rest Thinke that she loues as well As euer she did heretofore But this sad men caunot restore To thinke what once befell Then mournfull eies where lies Your helpe Yet thinke of some at lest If not weepe still mine eies Or make an end and you shall rest After that sorrowfull Syrenus with many teares had made an end of his song despised Syluanus began his thus MY life yoong Shepherdesse for thee Of needes to death must post But yet my greefe must stay with mee After my life is lost The greeuous ill by death that cured is Continually hath remedie at hand But not that torment that is like to this That in slowe time and fortunes meanes doth stand And if this sorrow cannot be Ended with life as most What then doth this thing profit me A sorrow wonne or lost Yet all is one to me as now I trie A flattring hope or that that had not bene yet For if to day for want of it I die Next day I doe no lesse for hauing seene it Faine would I die to end and free This greefe that kils me most If that it might be lost with me Or die when life is lost And in this sort the two Shepherdes went homewardes in companie of Seluagia departing from one another with accorde to meete the next day following at the same place The end of the first booke of Diana The second Booke of Diana of George of Montemayor NOw did the Shepherdes which fed their sheepe in the fieldes of Ezla begin to shew themselues euery one with his flockes along the bankes of those cristalline waters each Shepherde knowing choosing out the best place before the Sun did rise the better to passe away the burning heate of the day when the faire Shepherdesse Seluagia came down from the hil which frō her towne did leade to a thick wood driuing her gentle sheepe and lambes before her who after she had put them amongst the lowe shrubs which grew very thicke thereabouts and seeing them busie in knobbing the yoong and tender boughes to stanch their hunger went directly to the fountaine of the Sicamours where the day before in companie of the two Shepherds she had passed away the noone-tide heate and seeing the place so agreeable to melancholie and contemplation of her sorrowes she thought it not amisse to take the opportunitie of the time and place and to sit downe
man in the world for her sudden death for greefe whereof within a little while after he also died And bicause you may knowe faire Nymphes in what great extremities loue hath put me you must vnderstand that being a woman of that qualitie and disposition as you haue heard I haue bene forced by my cruell destinie to leaue my naturall habit and libertie and the due respect of mine honour to follow him who thinkes perhaps that I doe but leese it by louing him so extremely Behold how bootelesse and vnseemely it is for a woman to be so dextrous in armes as if it were her proper nature and kinde wherewith faire Nymphes I had neuer bene indued but that by meanes thereof I should come to doe you this little seruice against these villaines which I account no lesse then if fortune had begun to satisfie in part some of those infinite wrongs that she hath continually done me The Nymphes were so amazed at her words that they coulde neither aske nor answere any thing to that the faire Shepherdesse tolde them who prosecuting her historie saide My brother and I were brought vp in a Nunnerie where an aunt of ours was Abbesse vntill we had accomplished twelue yeeres of age at what time we were taken from thence againe and my brother was caried to the mightie and inuincible King of Portugall his Court whose noble fame and princely liberalitie was bruted ouer all the world where being growen to yeeres able to manage armes he atchieued as valiant and almost incredible enterprises by them as he suffered vnfortunate disgraces and foiles by loue And with all this he was so highly fauoured of that magnificent King that he would neuer suffer him to depart from his Court Vnfortunate I reserued by my sinister destinies to greater mishaps was caried to a grandmother of mine which place I would I had neuer seene since it was an occasion of such a sorrowfull life as neuer any woman suffered the like And bicause there is not any thing faire Nymphes which I am not forced to tell you as well for the great vertue and desertes which your excellent beauties doe testifie as also for that my minde doth giue me that you shall be no small part and meanes of my comfort knowe that as I was in my grandmothers house and almost seuenteene yeeres olde a certaine yoong Gentleman fell in loue with me who dwelt no further from our house then the length of a garden Terrasse so that he might see me euery sommers night when I walked in the garden When as therefore ingratefull Felix had beheld in that place the vnfortunate Felismena for this is the name of the wofull woman that tels you her mishaps he was extremely enamoured of me or else did cunningly dissemble it I not knowing then whether of these two I might beleeue but am now assured that whosoeuer beleeues lest or nothing at all in these affaires shall be most at ease Many daies Don Felix spent in endeuouring to make me know the paines which he suffered for me and many more did I spende in making the matter strange and that he did not suffer them for my sake And I know not why loue delaied the time so long by forcing me to loue him but onely that when he came indeed he might enter into my hart at once and with greater force and violence When he had therefore by sundrie signes as by Tylt and Tourneyes and by prauncing vp and downe vpon his proude Iennet before my windowes made it manifest that he was in loue with me for at the first I did not so well perceiue it he determined in the end to write a letter vnto me and hauing practised diuers times before with a maide of mine and at length with many gifts and faire promises gotten her good will and furtherance he gaue her the letter to deliuer to me But to see the meanes that Rosina made vnto me for so was she called the dutifull seruices and vnwoonted circumstances before she did deliuer it the others that she sware vnto me and the subtle words and serious protestations she vsed it was a pleasant thing and woorthie the noting To whom neuerthelesse with an angrie countenance I turned againe saying If I had not regard of mine owne estate and what heereafter might be said I would make this shamelesse face of thine be knowne euer after for a marke of an impudent and bolde minion But bicause it is the first time let this suffice that I haue saide and giue thee warning to take heede of the second Me thinkes I see now the craftie wench how she helde her peace dissembling very cunningly the sorrow that she conceiued by my angrie answer for she fained a counterfaite smiling saying Iesus Mistresse I gaue it you bicause you might laugh at it and not to mooue your pacience with it in this sort for if I had any thought that it woulde haue prouoked you to anger I praie God he may shew his wrath as great towards me as euer he did to the daughter of any mother And with this she added many wordes more as she could do well enough to pacifie the fained anger and ill opinion that I conceiued of her and taking her letter with her she departed from me This hauing passed thus I began to imagine what might ensue thereof and loue me thought did put a certaine desire into my minde to see the letter though modestie shame forbad me to aske it of my maide especially for the wordes that had passed betweene vs as you haue heard And so I continued all that day vntill night in varietie of many thoughts But when Rosina came to helpe me to bedde God knowes how desirous I was to haue her entreat me againe to take the letter but she woulde neuer speake vnto me about it nor as it seemed did so much as once thinke thereof Yet to trie if by giuing her some occasion I might preuaile I saide vnto her And is it so Rosina that Don Felix without any regard to mine honour dares write vnto me These are things Mistresse saide she demurely to me againe that are commonly incident to loue wherfore I beseech you pardon me for if I had thought to haue angred you with it I woulde haue first pulled out the bals of mine eies How cold my hart was at that blow God knowes yet did I dissemble the matter and suffer my selfe to remaine that night onely with my desire and with occasion of little sleepe And so it was indeede for that me thought was the longest and most painfull night that euer I passed But when with a slower pace then I desired the wished day was come the discreet subtle Rosina came into my chamber to helpe me to make me readie in dooing whereof of purpose she let the letter closely fall which when I perceiued what is that that fell downe said I let me see it It is nothing Mistresse saide she Come come let me
to be hid and you deere Ladie make that an occasion to forget me which should be rather a motiue to loue me better I cannot perswade me that you make so small an account of your selfe to thinke that I can forget you for any thing that is or hath euer been but rather imagine that you write cleane contrarie to that which you haue tried by my zealous loue and faith towards you Touching all those things that in preiudice of my good will towards you it pleaseth you to imagine my innocent thoughts assure me to the contrarie which shall suffice to be ill recompenced besides being so ill thought of as they are After Don Felix had read this letter vnto me he asked me if the answer was correspondent to those words that his Ladie Celia had sent him in hers and if there was any thing therein that might be amended Whereunto I answered thus I thinke Sir it is needlesse to amende this letter or to make the Gentlewoman amendes to whom it is sent but her whom you do iniurie so much with it Which vnder your Lordships pardon I speake bicause I am so much affected to the first loue in all my life that there is not any thing that can make me alter my minde Thou hast the greatest reason in the world said Don Felix if I coulde perswade my selfe to leaue of that which I haue begun But what wilt thou haue me do since absence hath frozen the former loue and the continuall presence of a peerelesse beautie rekindled another more hot and feruent in me Thus may she thinke her-selfe saide I againe vniustly deceiued whom first you loued because that loue which is subiect to the power of absence cannot be termed loue and none can perswade me that it hath beene loue These words did I dissemble the best I could because I felt so sensible griefe to see my selfe forgotten of him who had so great reason to loue me and whom I did loue so much that I did more thē any would haue thought to make my selfe still vnknowen But taking the letter and mine errant with me I went to Celias house imagining by the way the wofull estate whereunto my haplesse loue had brought me since I was forced to make warre against mine owne selfe and to be the intercessour of a thing so contrarie to mine owne content But comming to Celias house and finding a Page standing at the dore I asked him if I might speake with his Ladie who being informed of me from whence I came tolde Celia how I would speake with her commending therewithall my beautie and person vnto her and telling her besides that Don Felix had but lately entertained me into his seruice which made Celia saie vnto him What doth Don Felix so soone disclose his secret loues to a Page but newly entertained he hath belike some great occasion that mooues him to do it Bid him com in let vs know what he would haue In I came to the place where the enimie of my life was with great reuerence kissing her hands I deliuered Don Felix his letter vnto her Celia tooke it and casting her eies vpon me I might perceiue how my sight had made a sudden alteration in her countenance for she was so farre besides her-selfe that for a good while she was not able to speake a worde but remembring her-selfe at last she saide vnto me What good fortune hath beene so fauourable to Don Felix to bring thee to this Court to make thee his Page Euen that faire Ladie saide I which is better then euer I imagined bicause it hath beene an occasion to make me behold such singular beautie and perfections as now I see cleerely before mine eies And if the paines the teares the sighes and the continuall disquiets that my Lord Don Felix hath suffred haue greeued me heeretofore now that I haue seene the source from whence they flow and the cause of all his ill the pittie that I had on him is now wholly conuerted into a certaine kinde of enuie But if it be true faire Lady that my comming is welcome vnto you I beseech you by that which you owe to the great loue which he beares you that your answer may import no lesse vnto him There is not anie thing saide Celia that I would not do for thee though I were determined not to loue him at all who for my sake hath forsaken another For it is no small point of wisedome for me to learne by other womens harmes to be more wise and warie in mine owne Beleeue not good Lady saide I that there is any thing in the worlde that can make Don Felix forget you And if he hath cast off another for your sake woonder not thereat when your beautie and wisedome is so great and the others so small that there is no reason to thinke that he will though he hath woorthelie forsaken her for your sake or euer can forget you for any woman else in the worlde Doest thou then know Felismena saide Celia the Lady whom thy Master did once loue and serue in his owne countrey I know her saide I although not so well as it was needfull for me to haue preuented so many mishaps and this I spake softly to my selfe For my fathers house was neere to hers but seeing your great beautie adorned with such perfections and wisedome Don Felix can not be blamed if he hath forgotten his first loue onely to embrace and honour yours To this did Celia answer merily and smiling Thou hast learned quickly of thy Master to sooth Not so faire Ladie saide I but to serue you woulde I faine learne for flatterie cannot be where in the iudgement of all there are so manifest signes and proofes of this due commendation Celia began in good earnest to aske me what manner of woman Felismena was whom I answered that touching her beautie Some thought her to be very faire but I was neuer of that opinion bicause she hath many daies since wanted the chiefest thing that is requisite for it What is that said Celia Content of minde saide I bicause perfect beautie can neuer be where the same is not adioyned to it Thou hast the greatest reason in the world said she but I haue seene some Ladies whose liuely hewe sadnes hath not one whit abated and others whose beautie anger hath encreased which is a strange thing me thinkes Haplesse is that beauty said I that hath sorrow anger the preseruers mistresses of it but I cānot skill of these impertinent things And yet that woman that must needes be molested with continuall paine and trouble with greefe and care of minde and with other passions to make her looke well cannot be recknoed among the number of faire women and for mine owne part I do not account her so Wherein thou hast great reason said she as in all things else that thou hast saide thou hast shewed thy selfe wise and discreete Which I haue deerely bought said I
againe But I beseech you gracious Lady to answer this letter because my Lord Don Felix may also haue some contentment by receiuing this first well emploied seruice at my hands I am content saide Celia but first thou must tell me if Felismena in matters of discretion be wise and well aduised There was neuer any woman saide I againe more wise then she bicause she hath beene long since beaten to it by her great mishaps but she did neuer aduise her selfe well for if she had as she was accounted wise she had neuer come to haue bene so contrarie to her selfe Thou speakest so wisely in all thy answeres saide Celia that there is not any that woulde not take great delight to heare them which are not viands said I for such a daintie taste nor reasons for so ingenious and fine a conceit faire Lady as you haue but boldly affirming that by the same I meane no harme at all There is not any thing saide Celia whereunto thy wit cannot attaine but because thou shalt not spende thy time so ill in praising me as thy Master doth in praying me I will reade thy letter and tell thee what thou shalt say vnto him from me Whereupon vnfolding it she began to read it to herself to whose countenance and gestures in reading of the same which are oftentimes outwarde signes of the inwarde disposition and meaning of the hart I gaue a watchfull eie And when she had read it she said vnto me Tell thy Master that he that can so well by wordes expresse what he meanes cannot choose but meane as well as he saith And comming neerer vnto me she saide softly in mine eare And this for the loue of thee Valerius and not so much for Don Felix thy Master his sake for I see how much thou louest and tenderest his estate And from thence alas saide I to my selfe did all my woes arise Whereupon kissing her hands for the great curtesie and fauour she shewed me I hied me to Don Felix with this answer which was no small ioy to him to heare it and another death to me to report it saying manie times to my selfe when I did either bring him home some ioyfull tydings or carrie letters or tokens to her O thrise vnfortunate Felismena that with thine owne weapons art constrained to wounde thy euer-dying hart and to heape vp fauours for him who made so small account of thine And so did I passe away my life with so many torments of minde that if by the sight of my Don Felix they had not beene tempered it coulde not haue otherwise beene but that I must needes haue lost it More then two monethes togither did Celia hide from me the feruent loue she bare me although not in such sort but that by certaine apparant signes I came to the knowledge thereof which was no small lighting and ease of that griefe which incessantly haunted my wearied spirites For as I thought it a strong occasion and the onely meane to make her vtterly forget Don Felix so likewise I imagined that perhaps it might befall to him as it hath done to many that the force of ingratitude and contempt of his loue might haue vtterly abolished such thoughtes out of his hart But alas it happened not so to my Don Felix for the more he perceiued that his Ladie forgot him the more was his minde troubled with greater cares and greefe which made him leade the most sorowfull life that might be whereof the least part did not fall to my let For remedie of whose sighes and pitious lamentations poore Felismena euen by maine force did get fauours from Celia scoring them vp whensoeuer she sent them by me in the catalogue of my infinite mishaps For if by chaunce he sent her anie thing by any of his other seruants it was so slenderly accepted that he thought it best to send none vnto her but my selfe perceiuing what inconuenience did ensue thereof But God knowes how many teares my messages cost me and so many they were that in Celias presence I ceased not to powre them foorth earnestly beseeching her with praiers and petitions not to entreat him so ill who loued her so much bicause I woulde binde Don Felix to me by the greatest bonde as neuer man in like was bounde to any woman My teares greeued Celia to the hart as well for that I shed them in her presence as also for that she sawe if I meant to loue her I woulde not for requitall of hers to me haue sollicited her with such diligence nor pleaded with such pittie to get fauours for another And thus I liued in the greatest confusion that might be amids a thousand anxieties of minde for I imagined with my selfe that if I made not a shew that I loued her as she did me I did put it in hazard lest Celia for despite of my simplicitie or contempt woulde haue loue Don Felix more then before and by louing him that mine coulde not haue any good successe And if I fained my selfe on the other side to be in loue with her it might haue beene an occasion to haue made her reiect my Lord Don Felix so that with the thought of his loue neglected and with the force of her contempt he might haue lost his content and after that his life the least of which two mischiefes to preuent I woulde haue giuen a thousand liues if I had them Manie daies passed away in this sort wherein I serued him as a thirde betweene both to the great cost of my contentment at the end whereof the successe of his loue went on woorse and woorse bicause the Loue that Celia did beare me was so great that the extreme force of her passion made her leese some part of that compassion she should haue had of her selfe And on a day after that I had caried and recaried many messages and tokens betweene them somtimes faining some my selfe from her vnto him because I could not see him whom I loued so deerly so sad and pensiue with many supplications and earnest praiers I besought Lady Celia with pittie to regard the painfull life that Don Felix passed for her sake and to consider that by not fauouring him she was repugnant to that which she owed to her selfe which thing I entreated bicause I sawe him in such a case that there was no other thing to be expected of him but death by reason of the continuall and great paine which his greeuous thoughts made him feele But she with swelling teares in her eies and with many sighes answered me thus Vnfortunate and accursed Celia that nowe in the end dost know how thou liuest deceiued with a false opiniō of thy great simplicitie vngratefull Valerius and of thy small discretion I did not beleeue till now that thou didst craue fauours of me for thy Master but onely for thy selfe and to enioy my sight all that time that thou diddest spende in suing to me for them But now I see thou dost aske
I sawe thee then againe There 's no compare compare for it denies Nor glorie but thy sweete loue to containe It was not onely this which Arsileus sung that night to the sounde of his Harpe but as Orpheus when he demaunded his Nymph Euridice made the hellish furies gentle with his sweete song suspending for a while the paines of the damned ghostes so did vnfortunate Arsileus not onely amaze and mollifie their harts that were present but wretched Belisaes also who with great boldnes from a high garret windowe was harkening vnto him whose sweete musicke delighted moreouer the heauen the starres and the cleere moone which was then in her force and vigour that in what part soeuer I did then cast mine eies it admonished me me thought and tolde me that I loued him more then mine owne life whereof it was needlesse for any to put me in minde for if I had then beene Lady of all the worlde I had thought my selfe too meane to be woorthie of him And from thence I purposed to hide this affection as little from him as I could All that night I laie imagining by what meanes I might best discouer vnto him my griefe but in such sort that my vertuous name and modestie might not suffer any blemish though death when this was wanting with her appalled feare and danger should not haue hindred mine intent And yet when that should come and when we haue the greatest care to auoid the occasions that might hinder it euen then most of all they present themselues The next day after needs I must go with other countrey maides my kineswomen neighbours to a thicke wood in the mids whereof was a cleere fountaine whither euery other holy day we caried our kine as well for that there was good pasture for them as also for that the fresh hungry euening being come we might take the milke of the next day whereof we made sweete butter fresh cheefe and creame But I and my companie being set round about the fountaine and our kine liyng in the coole shades of the thick and branchie trees of that hedge licking their yong and tender caluelings that lay by them one of my friendes amongst the rest vnacquainted it seemed with that loue that warred within my soule with many requests importuned me vpon paine neuer to receiue any pleasure at her handes to entertaine the time and that companie with some song or other My many excuses with telling her besides that times and occasions were not alwaies one nor alike auailed me very little from performing that which with so great instance she requested of me And therefore to the sound of a Bagpipe whereon one of them most sweetely plaied I began to sing these verses LOue passed by me with his bowe vnarm'd His eies cast downe milde gentle modest gay And carelesse left me then behinde vnharm'd How small a time did I this ioye essaie For presently enuious Fortune saide Staie loue why passest thou so soone awaie Foorthwith the blinde boye turn'd to me and staide Angry to see himselfe so checkt with blame For ther 's no blame where his hot fire is laide Cupid was blinde but well he spide his game So blinded b◠he that he may see none That did so blinde my wit and sence enflame O that I might reuenge my selfe of one That wisheth harme to all and will not free With his consent not one poore hart alone Straight did the traytour arme his bowe and he with poysoned shaft did pierce my carelesse hart Which in his bowe he put and aym'd at me Fortune vnarm'd did take me for his parte Loue neuer plaies nor workes not any feate But on free soules exempted from his darte A hardned hart his arrow brake 〈◊〉 with heate And brake a neuer subiect freedome so That I did yeeld and his content was great O sole free quiet life that I forgo O meadowe seene so oft with freest eies Cursed be Loue his arrowes and his bowe Nowe follow loue and what he doth deuise Come from securitie to greatest care And passe from rest to thousand miseries See now how that a carefull hart doth fare Which lately was without suspect or thought Subiect to be to such a tyrants snare O soule with teares vndone and brought to nought Now learne to suffer since you learn'd to see But what auailes if this my Fortune wrought O wretched eies if with this terme he be Not angry whom you savve vvith free consent Where haue you put and plac'd my libertie O meadovves groues and vvoods of svveete content Which bred so free a hart as I had heere So great an ill vvhy did you not preuent Svvift running brooke and riuer pure and cleere Where once my flocke vvere wont to drinke their fill O euery season of the passing yeere Why haue you put me in a state so ill Since onely I did loue you and these plaines And this most pleasant vale and greenest hill Heere did I mocke a thousand Shepherd swaines Who now will laugh at me when they shall knovv That novv I doe begin to feele their paines They are not ils of Loue that vvound me soe For if they vvere then should I passe them all As thousands vvho haue died in Cupids vvoe Fortune it is that turnes and makes me fall From euery meane occasion path and way Wherby I might but shew my painfull thrall How can the causer of my passion say Helpe them if that their paine he neuer knowes But there 's no loue where reason beareth sway To how much ill is fortune drawing those Whom she makes loue since nothing can restore sea earth nor Sunne moone stars nor any showes Or giue delight vnlesse one loue before And all is thus and wretched thus am I Whom time perswades and hinders more and more Cease now my verse since loue with angrie eie Beholds how soone of him I doe complaine And for my harmes doe craue his remedie Complaine not oft for feare of his disdaine Now hold your peace since I seale vp my wordes And when you see Loues fell and angrie vaine Cease for Loues wroth no remedie affoordes These verses of the Shepherdesse Belisa pleased the Nymphes and Shepherdes no lesse then the sweete and sorrowfull note wherewith she sung them who prosecuting the historie of her mishap said But Arsileus was not farre frō thence when I sung these verses for hauing gone foorth that day a hunting being in the thickest of the woode to passe away the heate of the day it seemed he heard vs and as one that loued musicke well came softly pacing amongst the thickest trees that were neere vnto the fountaine bicause he might from thence the better heare vs. But our musicke being ended he came straight to the fountaine whose sudden sight engendred a forcible passion of ioy and feare in my amazed soule Which was no great maruell bicause an enamoured hart may be as well sursaulted with a sudden ioy as with an vnexpected sorrow
her The Nymph Doria sat her downe with Syluanus in one place of the greene meadowe and the Shepherdesses Seluagia and Belisa went by themselues with the most beautifull Nymphes Cynthia and Polydora into another so that though they were not farre asunder yet they might talke togither well enough and not trouble one another But Syrenus desiring that their talke and conuersation might be conformable to the time place and person with whom he talked began to saie in this manner I thinke it not sage Lady much beyond the purpose to demand a certaine question to the perfect knowledge whereof as I could neuer yet attaine so do I not meanely desire by your Ladiships wisedome to be resolued therein and this it is They do all affirme that would seeme to know something That true Loue doth spring of reason which if it be so what is the reason that there is not a more timerous and vnruly thing in the worlde then loue and which is left of all gouerned by it As this Question answered Felicia is more then a simple Shepherdes conceite so is it necessarie that she that must answer it ought to haue more then a sillie womans wit But to satisfie thy minde with that little skill I haue I am of a contrarie opinion affirming that Loue though it hath Reason for his mother is not therefore limited or gouerned by it But it is rather to be supposed that after reason of knowledge and vnderstanding hath engendred it it will suffer it selfe to be gouerned but fewe times by it And it is so vnruly that it resultes oftentimes to the hurt and preiudice of the louer since true louers for the most part fall to hate and neglect themselues which is not onely contrarie to reason but also to the lawe of nature And this is the cause why they paint him blinde and void of all reason And as his mother Venus hath most faire eies so doth he also desire the fairest They paint him naked because good loue can neither be dissembled with reason nor hidden with prudence They paint him with wings because he swiftly enters into the louers soule and the more perfect he is with more swiftnes and alienation of himselfe he goeth to seeke the person of the beloued for which cause Euripides saide That the louer did liue in the body of the beloued They paint him also shooting his arrowes out of his bowe because he aymes right at the hart as at his proper white And also because the wound of loue is like that which an arrow or dart maketh narrow at the entrance and deepe in his inward soule that loueth This is an inscrutable and almost incurable wounde and very slowe in healing So that thou must not maruell Syrenus that perfect loue though it be the sonne of reason is not gouerned by it bicause there is nothing after it is borne that doth lesse conforme it selfe to the originall of his birth then this doth Some saie there is no other difference betweene vertuous and vicious loue but that the one is gouerned by reason and the other not but they are deceiued because excesse and force is no lesse proper to dishonest then to honest loue which is rather a qualitie incident to euerie kinde of loue sauing the one doth make vertue the greater by it and the other doth the more encrease vice Who can denie but that in true and honest loue excessiue and strange effects are oftentimes founde Aske it of many who for the onely loue of God made no account of themselues and cared not to leese their liues for it although knowing the reward they looked for did not worke Io much in their minds And how many againe enflamed with the loue of vertue haue gone about to cast away themselues and to end their liues to get thereby a glorious and suruiuing name A thing truely which ordinarie reason doth not permit which doth rather guide euery effect in such sort that the life may honestly preserue it selfe But what diuersitie of examples could I bring thee Syrenus of many who onely for the loue of their friendes haue lost their liues and euery thing that with life is lost But let vs leaue this loue and come againe to that which nature hath bred betweene man and woman wherein thou must know that if the loue which the louer beares to the mistresse of his affections although burning in vnbridled desire doth arise of reason and of true knowledge and iudgement as by her onely vertues he doth iudge her woorthy to be beloued That this kinde of loue in my opinion and yet I am not deceiued is neither vnlawfull nor dishonest bicause all loue being of this qualitie doth tende to no other end but to loue the person beloued for her owne sake without hoping for any other guerdon or effect of his true and sincere loue So that this is as much as me thinkes may be saide in answer of thy question which thou hast put me Syrenus then saide vnto her I am resolued sage Lady of that which I desired to vnderstande and also belceue that by your gracious wisedome which is great and bountie which is no lesse I shall be thorowly instructed of whatsoeuer I woulde desire to know although some finer capacitie then mine were more requisite to conceiue these deepe reasons so perfectly alledged by your learned assertions Syluenus that was talking with Polydora saide It is strange faire Nymph to see what a sorrowfull hart that is subiect to the traunces of impatient loue doth suffer because the lest ill that it causeth in vs is the depriuation of our iudgement the losse of our memorie and the surcharging of our imaginations with his onelse obiects making euery one to alienate himselfe Iron himselfe and to impropriate himselfe in the person of his beloued What shall that wofull man then do who sees himselfe so great an enimie to pleasure such a friende to solitarines so full of passions enuironed with feares troubled in his spirits martyred in his wits sustained by hope wearied with thoughts afflicted with griefes haunted with iealousies and continually worne with sobs sighes sorrowes and woes which he neuer wanteth And that which makes me more to maruel is that the mind doth not procure this loue being so vntolerable and extreme in crueltie nor hath any desire at all to part from it but doth rather account it her enimie that giues it any counsell to that effect All this is true saide Polydora but I know well that Louers for the most part haue more words then passions This is a signe saide Syluanus that thou canst not conceiue them faire Nymph because thou canst not beleeue them nor that thou hast beene euer touched with this pleasing ill And I wish thou maist not the which none can beleeue nor knowe the multitude of woes proceeding from it but onlie she that doth participate of his bitter effects Why dost thou thinke faire Nymph when the louer that findes himselfe continually
Nay thou shalt maruell yet more after they awake bicause thou shalt see so strange a thing as thou didst neuer imagine the like And because the water hath by this time wrought those operations that it shoulde do I will awake them and marke it well for thou shalt heare and see woonders Whereupon taking a booke out of her bosome she came to Syrenus and smiting him vpon the head with it the Shepherd rose vp on his seete in his perfect wits and iudgement To whom Felicia saide Tell me Syrenus if thou mightest now see faire Diana her vnworthy husband both togither in all the contentment and ioy of the worlde laughing at thy loue and making a sport of thy teares and sighes what wouldest thou do Not greeue me a whit good Lady but rather helpe them to laugh at my follies past But if she were now a maide againe saide Felicia or perhaps a widow and would be married to Syluanus and not to thee what wouldst thou then do My selfe woulde be the man saide Syrenus that woulde gladly helpe to make such a match for my friende What thinkest thou of this Felismena saide Felicia that water is able to vnloose the knottes that peruerse Loue doth make I woulde neuer haue thought saide Felismena that anie humane skill coulde euer attaine to such diuine knowledge as this And looking on Syrenus she saide vnto him Howe nowe Syrenus what meanes this Are the teares and sighes whereby thou didst manifest thy loue and greefe so soone ended Since my loue is nowe ended said Syrenus no maruell then if the effects proceeding from it be also determined And is it possible now said Felismena that thou wilt loue Diana no more I wish her as much good answered Syrenus as I doe to your owne selfe faire Lady or to any other woman that neuer offended me But Felicia seeing how Felismena was amazed at the sudden alteration of Syrenus said With this medicine I would also cure thy greefe faire Felismena and thine Belisa if fortune did not deferre them to some greater content then onely to enioy your libertie And bicause thou maist see how diuersly the medicines haue wrought in Syluanus and Seluagia it shall not be amisse to awake them for now they haue slept ynough wherefore laying her booke vpon Syluanus his head he rose vp saying O faire Seluagia what a great offence and folly haue I committed by imploying my thoughtes vpon another after that mine eies did once behold thy rare beautie What meanes this Syluanus said Felicia No woman in the world euen now in thy mouth but thy Shepherdesse Diana and now so suddenly changed to Seluagia Syluanus answering her said As the ship discreete Lady sailes floting vp and downe and well-ny cast away in the vnknowen seas without hope of a secure hauen so did my thoughtes putting my life in no sinall hazard wander in Dianas loue all the while that I pursued it But now since I am safely arriued into a hauen of all ioy and happinesse I onely wish I may haue harbour and entertainment there where my irremooueable and infinite loue is so firmely placed Felismena was as much astonished at the second kinde of alteration of Syluanus as at that first of Syrenus and therefore saide vnto him laughing What dost thou Syluanus Why dost thou not awake Seluagia for ill may a Shepherdesse heare thee that is so fast asleepe Syluanus then pulling her by the arme began to speake out aloud vnto her saying Awake faire Seluagia since thou hast awaked my thoughtes out of the drowsie slumber of passed ignorance Thrise happy man whom fortune hath put in the happiest estate that I could desire What dost thou meane faire Shepherdesse dost thou not heare me or wilt thou not answere me Behold the impatient passion of the loue I beare thee will not suffer me to be vnheard O my Seluagia sleepe not so much and let not thy slumber be an occasion to make the sleepe of death put out my vitall lightes And seeing how little it auailed him by calling her he began to powre foorth such abundance of teares that they that were present could not but weepe also for tender compassion whereupon Felicia saide vnto him Trouble not thy selfe Syluanus for as I will make Seluagia answere thee so shall not her answere be contrarie to thy desire and taking him by the hand she led him into a chamber and said vnto him Depart not from hence vntill I call thee and then she went to the place againe where Seluagia lay and touching her with her booke awaked her as she had done the rest and saide vnto her Me thinks thou hast slept securely Shepherdesse O good Lady said she where is my Syluanus was he not with me heere O God who hath carried him away from hence or wil he come hither againe Harke to me Seluagia said Felicia for me thinkes thou art not wel in thy wits Thy beloued Alanius is without saith that he hath gone wandring vp and downe in many places seeking after thee and hath got his fathers good will to marrie thee which shall as little auaile him said Seluagia as the sighes and teares which once in vaine I powred out and spent for him for his memorie is now exiled out of my thoughts Syluanus mine onely life and ioy O Syluanus is he whom I loue O what is become of my Syluanus Where is my Syluanus Who hearing the Shepherdesse Seluagia no sooner name him could stay no longer in the chamber but came running into the hall vnto her where the one beheld the other with such apparaunt signes of cordiall affection and so strongly confirmed by the mutual bonds of their knowen deserts that nothing but death was able to dissolue it whereat Syrenus Felismena and the Shepherdesse were passing ioyfull And Felioia seeing them all in this contentment said vnto them Now is it time for you Shepherds and faire Shepherdesse to goe home to your flocks which would be glad to heare the wonted voice of their knowen masters And make this account that you shall neuer want any helpe and fauour at her handes who is soready to pleasure you in what shee may And the holy end Syluanus and consummation of thy loue shall be when with her whom thou dost so deerly loue thou shalt combine thy selfe in the sacred bonds of chaste and lawfull mariage whereof I will be carefull to put you both in minde when time opportunitie shal serue And faire Felismena prepare thy selfe also for thy departure for to morrow is the day wherein it behooues thee to go from hence After this all the Nymphes came in at the hall doore who now knew of the remedies that their gracious Ladie had giuen the Shepherds for their griefes which thing made them not a little glad Doria especially Cynthia and Polydora bicause they were the principall occasions of their content The two new louers did busie themselues in nothing else but in looking vpon one another with such
bicause it was now time to go home and that the flockes tooke their accustomed way towards the village they went after them and by the way faire Diana saide to Syrenus There are many daies past Shepherd since I sawe thee in these valleyes But more saide he since I woulde haue lost my life in lieu she had not seene me that made me passe it away in such great greefe whereas in the end it contents me not a little to talke of my passed fortunes that finde my selfe now in a safe hauen Dost thou then thinke this to be a sure estate saide Diana wherein thou now liuest It cannot be dangerous said he when I dare speake thus before thee I neuer remember saide Diana that I sawe thee so much lost for my loue but that thy toong might haue had as much libertie as now it hath Thou art as discreet in imagining this said he as in all other things else Why so saide Diana bicause there are no other meanes saide he to make thee not know that which thou hast lost in me but onely by thinking that I did not loue thee so much that my toong might not haue that libertie as thou sayest But yet for all this I pray God giue thee so much content as sometimes faire Diana thou hast wished me For though my loue be now past yet the relickes therof that remaine in my soule are sufficient to wish thee al the happines in the world Euery word that Syrenus spake was a dagger to Dianas hart For God knowes if she would not haue rather giuen a more willing eare to his wonted complaints then occupied her minde in beleeuing such apparant signes of his newe libertie And though she answered to euery thing the Shepherd spake vnto her with a certaine kinde of carelessenes and did helpe her-selfe by her owne discretion bicause she would not shew any signe of sorrow for their libertie yet in her minde she ruminated the discontent that by their speeches semblances she had so deepely cōceiued And with talking of these and other matters they were come to their village by that time the Sunne had hidden all his beames and taking leaue one of another they went to their owne houses But comming to Arsileus againe who went with great ioye and desire towards the wood where Dianas Temple was to see his Shepherdesse he came to a little brooke that ranne hard by the Temple amongst a row of greene Sicamours vnder whose coole shadowes he sat him downe hoping that Fortune would send some body that way by whom he might make his Belisa vnderstand of his being there bicause he thought it somwhat dangerous to come vpon her on the sudden especially when she thought him long since to be dead And on the other side the vnpatient desire that he had to see her would not suffer him to take any rest at all But the Shepherd consulting with himselfe what was best to be done espied by chaunce a Nymph of wonderfull beautie comming towardes him with her bowe in her hand and her quiuer at her necke looking on euerie side if she could espie any Deare or wilde beast to trie how she could bestow an arrow that she carried in her bow ready bent But seeing the Shepherd she went straight vnto him who rising vp did her such reuerence as was due to so faire a Nymph whom she curteously saluted againe For this was faire Polydora one of the three that Felismena and the Shepherds deliuered from the violent hands of the Sauages and a deere friend to Belisa But both sitting downe againe vpon the greene grasse Polydora asked him what countrey man he was and the cause of his comming thither Whom Arsileus answered thus The countrey where I was borne faire Nymph hath so ill intreated me that me thinkes it greeues me to call it mine although on the other side I am bound to loue it much and more then I am able to expresse And to tell thee the cause that Fortune had to bring me to this place it were first needefull for thee faire Nymph to tell me if thou dost belong to the sage Lady Felicia in whose Palace I heard say my deerest Belisia doth remaine the onely cause of my exile out of my natiue town of that infinit sorrow which her long absence hath made me feel I am of Lady Felicias house said Polydora the gretest friend in the world to the Shepherdesse that thou hast named and bicause thou maist also make such an account of me if I thought I might profit thee any thing by giuing thee some consel I would aduise thee to forget hir if it were possible or if it lay in thy power not once to haue an amorous thought of hir bicause the remedie of thy griefe is no lesse impossible then the helpe of that which she suffers since the cruell ground doth now feede on him who was once the hope of al her sorrow And may this be true said he that the earth doth consume hir seruant Arsileus most true said Polydora for this was he whom she loued more then her selfe and he whom I may iustly call the most vnfortunate man besides thee bicause thou hast setled thy thoughts in such a place where it is impossible for them to haue any remedie For though I was neuer in loue my selfe yet do I hold it for a firme opinion that the passion of death is not so ill as that which one suffers by louing her that hath her affection setled in another place I beleeue it well faire Nymph said Arsileus and that such are Belisas golden virtues and rare constancie that as imperious death cannot make her settle her affection in any other place so there is none in the world that can make her chaunge her minde wherein faire Nymph the whole summe of my felicitie consisteth How doth thy felicitie consist Shepherd said she by louing so as thou saist when as her loue is so strongly fixed in another place This is a strange kinde of affection and neuer heard of before Bicause thou maist no longer faire Nymph maruell at my words nor at the maner of the loue which I beare to Belisa the soueraigne mistresse of my thoughts giue eare a while said Arsileus and I wil tel thee that thou neuer thought'st to heare although the beginning of it thy friend and the loadstarre of my life hath perhaps told thee And then he told her from the beginning of their loues to Alfeus his inchauntments and braue deceit and euerie thing else that till then in his loues aforesaid befell vnto him which the Shepherd told sometimes with teares being loth to recall to memorie his passed mishaps sometimes with sighes that he fetcht from the centre of his hart imagining what his mistresse Belisa might feele in these occurrents and greeuous accidents And by his dolefull words and alterations in his countenance he gaue so great a spirit to that he said and shewed such signes of inwarde griefe that
imagination of the suspect that I had of her honestie hath bredde in her so great despite and hatred against me that to be reuenged of me she hath hitherto perseuered therein which greeuous torment she is not onely content to lay vpon me but when she sees me before her eies flies from my presence as the fearefull Hinde from the hungry and pursuing Hounde So that by the loue which thou owest thy selfe I pray thee good Shepherdesse iudge whether this be a sufficient cause to make her thus abhorre me and if my fault on the other side be so great that it deserues such endles and extreme hate Filemon hauing made an end of the cause of his greefe and iniurie wherewith his Shepherdesse tormented him Amarillis began to shape her answer thus This Filemon faire Shepherdesse that sits before thee hath loued me well I must needes confesse or at the least made a fine shewe thereof and such haue his seruices beene towards me that to say otherwise of him then he deserues it would ill beseeme me But if for his sake in lieu and recompence of that affection I haue not reiected the suites and seruice of many iolly Shepherds that feede their flockes vpon these downes and in these pleasant vales and also for his loue haue not contemned many countrey youthes whom nature hath enriched with no lesse perfections then himselfe let himselfe be iudge For the infinite times that with their amorous sutes I haue beene importuned and those wherein I haue kept that firmnes due to his faith haue not I thinke beene at any time out of his presence which neuerthelesse should be no sufficient cause for him to make so small account of me as to imagine or suspect any thing of that wherein I am most of all bounde to my selfe For if it be so as he knowes well enough that for the loue of him I haue cast off many that died by mine occasion how coulde I then forget or reiect him for the loue of another A thousand times hath Filemon watched me not leesing a steppe that the Shepherd Arsileus and I haue troden amiddes these greene woods and pleasant vales but let him say if he euer heard Arsileus talke to me of loue or if I answered him any thing touching such matter What day did Filemon euer see me talke to Arsileus whereby he might conceiue any thing else by my words but that I went about to comfort him in such great forrow as he suffered And if this be a sufficient cause to make him thinke ill of his Shepherdesse who can better iudge it then himselfe Behold then faire Shepherdesse how much he was giuen to false suspects and wrongfull iealousie that my wordes could neuer satisfie him nor worke with him to make him leaue off his obdurate minde by absenting himselfe from this valley thinking therby to haue made an end of my daies wherein he was deceiued when as he rather ended his owne ioy and contentment if for me at the least he had euer any at all And this was the michiefe besides that Filemon being not onely content to beare mee such a kinde of vniust iealousie whereof he had so small occasion as now faire Shepherdesse thou hast seene hee did likewise publish it at euerie feast in all bridales wrestlings and meetings that were made amongst the Shepherds of these hilles And this thou knowest good Shepherdesse howe it did preiudice mine honour more then his contentment In the ende hee absented himselfe from mee which course since hee hath taken for a medicine of his malladie which it seemes hath the more increased it let him not finde fault with me if I haue knowne how to profit my selfe more thereby then he hath And now that thou hast seene faire Shepherdesse what great content that I felt when thou toldst the Shepherd Arsileus so good newes of his Shepherdesse that I my selfe was most earnest with him to haue him go and seeke her out it is cleere that there could not be any thing between vs that might ingēder such cause of suspition as this Shepherd hath wrongfully cōceiued of vs. So that this is the cause that hath made me not only so cold in the loue that I did beare him but not to loue any more wherby to put mine honor good name in hazard of false suspects since my good hap hath brought me to such a time that without forcing my selfe I may do it at mine own choise libertie After Amarillis had shewed the small reason the Shepherd had to giue so great credit to his iealous imaginations and the libertie wherein time and her good fortune had put her a naturall thing to free harts the woefull Shepherd replied in this sort I doe not denie Amarillis but that thy wisedome and discretion is sufficient to cleere thee of all suspition But wilt thou now make nouelties in loue inuent other new effects then those which we haue heretofore seene When a louer would loue well the least occasion of iealousie torments his foule how much more when those were greater which by thy priuie conuersation and familiaritie with Arsileus thou hast giuen me Dost thou thinke Amarillis that for a iealousie certainties are needfull Alas thou deceiuest thy selfe for suspicions be the principall causes of their entrance which was also no great matter since I beleeued that thou didst beare Arsileus good will the publishing whereof was as little preiudiciall and lesse offensiue to thine honour since the force of my loue was so great that it made mee manifest the ill that I did feare And though thy goodnes assured mee when at stealth and deceite of my suspectes I thought thereof yet I alwaies feared least some aduerse successe might befall vnto me if this familiaritie had beene still continued But to that thou saiest faire Shepherdesse that I absented my selfe I answere that vpon a stomacke or to giue thee any offence or greefe thereby I did it not but to see if I could haue any remedie in mine owne not seeing the cause of my great mishap and greefe before mine eies and bicause my pursutes might not also offende thee But if by seeking remedy for so great an ill I went against that which I owed thee what greater punishment can I haue then that which thy absence hath made me feele If thou saiest thou didst neuer loue Arsileus it giues me greater occasion to complaine of thee since for a thing of so small importance thou didst forsake him who so greatly desired to serue thee So that I haue the more cause to accuse thee the lesse thy loue was to Arsileus And these are the reasons Amarillis and manie more which I do alleage not in mine owne excuse and fauour whereby I thinke not to helpe my selfe at all since in matters of loue they are woont to profite so little onely requesting thee gentle Amarillis that thy clemencie and the faith which I haue euer borne thee may be of my side and mooue thee
vnto pittie the want whereof can prescribe no ende to my greefe nor meanes of reconciliation in thy hard condition and crueltie And with this the Shepherd made an ende of his words and began to poure forth so many teares that they were sufficient with the requests and sentence that Felismena gaue in his behalfe to mollifie Amarillis hard hart and to make the enamoured Shepherd come againe into her good grace and liking for which he was so glad a man as neuer more and Amarillis not a little ioyfull by shewing how much Filemon was deceiued in his false suspicions of her And after this they passed away that day with great content of the two reconciled louers and with greater sorrow of faire Felismena who next day early in the morning departed from them after many embracings and promises to sende to each other newes of their affaires But Syrenus being now free from loue and Syluanus and Seluagia more enamored then euer before and faire Diana not a little discontent for the sorrowfull successe of her affaires passed away her melancholike life feeding her flocke along the bankes of the great riuer Ezla where many times meeting with one another they talked of that which pleased their fancies best And discreete Seluagia being on a day at the fountaine of the Sicamours the Shepherdesse Diana came thither by chance to seeke a lambe that had runne out of the foulde which Syluanus had tyed to a myrtle tree for when they came thither they founde it drinking at the cleere spring and by the marke knewe it to be faire Dianas But being come as I say and curteously welcommed of the newe louers they sat them downe vpon the greene grasse leaning to one of the Sicamours that stoode about the fountaine and after they had talked of many matters Syluanus saide vnto her Why dost thou not aske vs faire Diana for Syrenus Bicause I woulde not talke of matters past said Diana for the great greefe which present things do giue me The time was when I tooke more delight to aske for him and hee for mee and to speake and conuerse with one another then now which giues neither of vs the like contentment but time doth cure infinite cares that seeme remedilesse to many men which if I vnderstood not so there could not be now a Diana in these faire meades plaines in regard of the sorrowes and care that are daily offred me God neuer graunt so much harme to our pleasant fieldes saide Seluagia by depriuing them of such great beautie as hers is That shall not be wanting as long as thou liuest saide Diana and wheresoeuer thy grace and perfections are little may be lost by my want in truth whereof behold thy Syluanus who I thought would neuer haue forgotten me for any other Shepherdesse and yet in the end hath shaken hands with me for thy loue which deserued a great deale more This did Diana speake with a gracious smile although she laughed not so much in minde at these things nor with so good a hart as they thought For though she once loued Syrenus more then her owne life and despised Syluanus as nothing so much yet it greeued her more that Syluanus had forgotten her for the loue of another whose sight he now enioyed euery day with great contentment of his newe loue then that Syrenus had freed himselfe out of her loue whom nowe no new affection mooued When Syluanus heard what Diana said he answered her thus Time and the reuolutions of the heauens shall first cease faire Diana before I will forget thee for thy beautie and wisedome is not such that may be euer put in obliuion Truth it is that I am now bound to my Seluagia bicause besides many other good parts in her obliging me to her loue she neuer esteemed her Fortune to bee woorse by this that she is nowe beloued of him whom thou did'st alway so reiect and make so small account of No more of this saide Diana for thou art well bestowed and I was not well aduised by not louing thee as thy loue deserued it at my hands But if at anytime thou didst desire to giue me some content I beseech thee al I may and thy faire Seluagia to sing some song to entertaine the time and to passe the heate of the day aâ—way which now beginnes so fast that we must be faine to passe it vnder these Sicamours and there enioy the bubling of this cleere spring which shall not a little helpe the sweetenes of your song The new louers were not daintie to be praied though faire Seluagia was not very well content with this kinde of talke that Diana had with Syluanus But bicause in her song she thought to be reuenged on her to the tune that Diana plaied on her Bagpipe both of them began to sing as followeth I See thee iolly Shepherd merry And firme thy faith and sound as a berry Loue gaue me ioy and fortune gaue it As my desire could wish to haue it What didst thou wish tell me sweete louer Whereby thou might'st such ioy recouer To loue where loue should be inspired Since there 's no more to be desired In this great glory and great gladnes Think'st thou to haue no touch of sadnes Good for tune gaue me not such glory To mocke my loue or make me sorie If my firme loue I were denying Tell me with sighes would'st thou be dying Those wordes in iest to heare thee speaking For very greefe my hart is breaking Yet would'st thou change I pray thee tell me In seeing one that did excell me O noe for how can I aspire To more then to mine owne desire Such great affection dost thou beare me As by thy wordes thou seem'st to sweare me Of thy deserts to which a detter I am thou maist demaund this better Sometimes me thinkes that I should sweare it Sometimes me thinkes thou should'st not beare it Onely in this my pap doth greeue me And my desire not to beleeue me Imagine that thou dost not loue mine But some braue beautie that 's aboue mine To such a thing sweete doe not will me Where faining of the same doth kill me I see thy firmnes gentle louer More then my beautie can discouer And my good fortune to be higher Then my desert but not desier About this time came Syrenus downe from the village towards the fountaine of the Sicamours with great desire to meete Seluagia or Syluanus for hee nowe tooke no greater delight in any thing then in the company of these two louers And if he had perhaps a touch of Dianas loue in his memorie the time that he had spent in louing her did not leaue him altogither without some pensiue thoughts not for that her loue now gaue him any paine but because the remembrance of a good estate doth breed some small kind of griefe and discontent in him that hath lost it Before he came to the fountaine in the mids of the greene meadow which was beset
round about with Myrtles and Laurels he found Dianas sheepe that went by themselues all alone feeding amongst the trees vnder the keeping of two fierce masties And as the Shepherd staied to looke vpon them thinking of the time wherein he had greater care of them then of his owne the masties with great furie came running vpon him But when they came somewhat nigh and knew him by wagging their tailes and holding downe their necks that were armed with collers of sharpe nailes the one fell downe at his feete and the other by skipping vpon him fawned on him with the greatest ioy in the world And the sheepe did no lesse for the Bell-wether with his rurall bleating came to the Shepherd whom all the rest followed and knowing Syrenus came round about him which sight he could not behold without teares calling to mind that sometimes in the company of faire Diana he had fed that gentle flocke And seeing that in the silly beasts that loue and knowledge did abound which wanted in their mistresse it was so forcible a motion in his minde that if the vertue of the water which sage Felicia had giuen him had not made him forget his olde loue it might well haue beene that there was nothing else in the worlde that coulde haue let him from renewing it againe But seeing himselfe thus in the mids of Dianas sheepe and with the thoughts that the memorie of such a thing did put before his eies to the tune of his merie Recbecke he began to sing this song PAssed contents O what meane ye Forsake me now and doe not wearie me Wilt thou heare me O memorie My pleasant daies and nights againe I haue appaid with seuenfold paine Thou hast no more to aske me why For when I went they all did die As thou dost see O leaue me then and doe not wearie me Greene field and shadowed valley wheare Sometime my chiefest pleasure was Behold what I did after passe Then let me rest and if I beare Not with good cause continuall feare Now doe you see O leaue me then and doe not trouble me I sawe a hart changed of late And wearied to assure mine Then I was forced to recure mine By good occasion time and fate My thoughts that now such passions hate O what meane ye Forsake me now and doe not wearie me You lambes and sheepe that in these layes Did sometimes follow me so glad The merry howres and the sad Are passed now with all those daies Make not such mirth and wonted plaies As once did ye For now no more you haue deceiued me If that to trouble me you come Or come to comfort me indeede I haue no ill for comforts neede But if to kill me Then in summe Full well may ye Kill me and you shall make an end of me After Syrenus had made an ende of his song faire Diana knewe him by his voice and so did the two enamoured Shepherdes Syluanus and Seluagia They called to him telling him that if he was minded to passe away the heate of the day in the field there was the fresh fountaine of the Sicamours and faire Diana both which should be no small allurements to inuite him thither Syrenus answered him that be must needs stay all day in the field vntill it was time to go home againe with his sheepe to the towne and comming where the Shepherd and Shepherdesses were they sat round about the cleere fountaine as they were commonly woont to do But Diana whose life was so sorrowfull as one may imagine that euer sawe a Shepherdesse the fairest and wisest that was then knowne married so greatly to her greefe went day by day seeking out new occasions to entortaine the time and to passe her life away and studying often to preuent her continuall and sorrowfull thoughts But the Shepherdes sitting and talking of other matters touching the feeding of sheepe and their profite Diana brake off the substance of their talke saying to Syluanus It is a proper thing Shepherd that sitting before thy faire Seluagia thou talkest of other impertinent things and not of praising her beautie nor of the great loue that she beares thee Let the field and lambes alone the good or ill successe of time and fortune and enioy the good hap that Shepherd thou hast nowe by being beloued of so faire a Shepherdesse for where there is so great reason to haue continually such contentment of minde thou need'st not care for that which Fortune doth but sometimes giue How much I am beholding to thee Diana answered Syluanus none can expresse but he that knowes what great reason I haue to acknowledge this debt bicause thou didst not onely then teach me to loue well but now also shewest me the way to vse the contentment that my loue affoordes me The reason thou hast to warne me not to talke of any other matter my Mistresse being in presence but onely of the content that by her sight I receiue is great infinite the which I promise thee faire Diana to do while my happy soule shall be conteined in this ioyfull body But I maruell at one thing to see how thy Syrenus doth cast his eies another way when thou speakest vnto him it seemes thy wordes please him not or that he is not satisfied with thy answers Blame him not said Diana for carelesse men enimies to their own good will do more then this Enimy to mine own good said Syrenus If I was euer such an one let death punish me for my error This is a prety shift to excuse thy fault To excuse my fault said Diana If I haue not yet the first offence to do thee I pray God I may neuer haue any other cōtent then that which I now enioy It is wel that thou dost finde fault with me for being married hauing parets But it is wel said Syrenus that thou didst marry hauing another Loue And what power had that Loue saide Diana where obedience was due to parents And what power had those parents saide Syrenus that obedience those times those fauourable or sinistrous successes of Fortune to ouerrule so true a Loue as before my departure thou didst shew me Ah Diana I neuer thought there was any thing in the worlde that could dissolue so great a faith as that and how much more Dianas considering that well thou mightest haue married and not forgotten him who loued thee so entyrely But thinking of the matter vnappassionately it was now better for me since thou wert resolued to marrie and being married to forget me quite For what reason saide Diana For what saide Syrenus Bicause there is no woorse thing in the worlde then for a Shepherd to loue a Shepherdesse that is married nor that makes him that beares her true loue and affection sooner to loose his wits and sences the reason whereof as wee all know is that the principall passion which doth torment a louer after the desire of his Mistres is cruell iealousie For what dost thou
therof thou wouldest but remember how much I haue loued do yet loue thee here hast thou thy sword in thy hand let none therefore but thy selfe reuenge the offence that I haue done thee When the Knight heard Felismenas words and knew them all to be as true as he was disloyall his hart by this strange sudden accident recouered some force againe to see what great iniurie he had done her so that the thought thereof and the plenteous effusion of blood that issued out of his woundes made him like a dead man fall downe in a swoune at faire Felismenas feete Who with great care and no lesse feare laying his head in her lap with showers of teares that rained from her eies vpon the Knights pale visage began thus to lament What meanes this cruell Fortune Is the periode of my life come iust with the last ende of my Don Felix his daies Ah my Don Felix the cause of all my paine if the plenteous teares which for thy sake I haue shed are not sufficient and these which I now distill vpon thy louely cheekes too fewe to make thee come to thy selfe againe what remedie shall this miserable soule haue to preuent that this bitter ioy by seeing thee turne not into occasion of vtter despaire Ah my Don Felix Awake my loue if thou dost but sleepe or beest in a traunce although I would not woonder if thou dost not since neuer any thing that I could do preuailed with thee to frame my least content And in these and other lamentations was faire Felismena plunged whom the Portugall Shepherdesses with their teares and poore supplies endeuored to incourage when on the sudden they saw a faire Nymph comming ouer the stony causey that lead the way into the Ilande with a golden bottel in one hand a siluer one in the other whom Felismena knowing by and by saide vnto her Ah Doria could any come at this time to succour me but thou faire Nymph Come hither then thou shalt see the cause of al my troubles the substance of my sighs the obiect of my thoughts lying in the greatest danger of death that may be In like occurrents saide Doria vertue and a good hart must take place Recall it then faire Felismena and reuiue thy daunted spirits trouble not thy selfe any more for nowe is the ende of thy sorrowes and the beginning of thy contentment come And speaking these wordes she besprinkled his face with a certaine odoriferous water which she brought in the siluer bottle whereby he came to his memorie againe and then saide vnto him If thou wilt recouer thy life Sir Knight and giue it her that hath passed such an ill one for thy sake drinke of the water in this bottle The which Don Felix taking in his hande drunke a good draught and resting vpon it a little founde himselfe so whole of his wounds which the three knights had giuen him and of that which the loue of Celia had made in his brest that now he felt the paine no more which either of them had caused in him then if he had neuer had them And in this sort he began to rekindle the old loue that he bare to Felismena the which he thought was neuer more zealous then now Whereupon sitting downe vpon the greene grasse hee tooke his Lady and Shepherdesse by the hands and kissing them manie times saide thus vnto her How small account would I make of my life my deerest Felismena for cancelling that great bond wherein with more then life I am for euer bound vnto thee for since I enioy it by thy means I thinke it no more then right to restore thee that which is thine owne With what eies can I behold thy peerelesse beauty which though vnaduisedly I knew not to be such yet how dare I for that which I owe thee cast them in any other part What wordes are sufficient to excuse the faults that I haue committed against thy faith and firmest loue and loyaltie Wretched and accursed for euer shall I be if thy condition and clemencie be not enclined to my fauour and pardon for no satisfaction can suffice for so great an offence nor reason to excuse me for that which thou hast to forget me Truth it is that I loued Celia well and forgot thee but not in such sort that thy wisedome and beautie did euer slide out of my minde And the best is that I knowe not wherein to put this fault that may be so iustly attributed to me for if I will impute it to the yoong age that I was then in since I had it to loue thee I shoulde not haue wanted it to haue beene firme in the faith that I owed thee If to Celias beautie it is cleere that thine did farre excell hers and all the worlds besides If to the change of time this shoulde haue beene the touchstone which should haue shewed the force and vertue of my firmenes If to iniurious and trayterous absence it serues as little for my excuse since the desire of seeing thee should not haue been absent from supporting thy image in my memorie Behold then Felismena what assured trust I put in thy goodnes that without any other meanes I dare put before thee the small reason thou hast to pardone me But what shall I doe to purchase pardon at thy gracious hands or after thou hast pardoned me to beleeue that thou art satisfied for one thing greeues me more then any thing else in the world and this it is That though the loue which thou hast borne me and wherewith thou dost yet blesse me is an occasion perhaps to make thee forgiue me and forget so many faults yet I shall neuer lift vp mine eies to behold thee but that euerie iniurie which I haue done thee will be worse then a mortal incision in my guiltie hart The Shepherdesse Felismena who saw Don Felix so penitent for his passed misdeedes and so affectionately returned to his first thoughts with many teares told him that she did pardon him bicause the loue that she had euer borne him would suffer her to do no lesse which if she had not thought to do she would neuer haue taken so great paines and so many wearie iourneyes to seeke him out and many other things wherewith Don Felix was confirmed in his former loue Whereupon the faire Nymph Doria came then to the Knight and after many louing words and courteous offers in the Ladie Felicias behalfe passed betweene them she requested him and faire Felismena to goe with her to Dianas Temple where the sage Ladie with great desire to see them was attending their comming Don Felix agreed thereunto and taking their leaue of the Portugall Shepherdesses who wondered not a little to see what had happened and of the woefull Shepherd Danteus mounting vpon the horses of the dead Knights that were slaine in the late combate they went on their waie And as they were going Felismena told Don Felix with great ioy
good but iust no more Then it is meete for them to haue Fauours I craue by heapes of thee That thou wouldst giue me Shepherdesse But yet perhaps they may kill me For little force I doe possesse It hurts the driest field and meade As much to cast in them great plentie Of water as if they lay deade Of water and of moisture emptie So fauours in the selfesame sort If that they haue no rule nor measure Suffice to make ones life more short As wel as scornes hates and displeasure But in the end and howsoeuer Take thy full ioy although I die Whether it be with death for euer Or with my life I care not I. Mocke and with me doe what thou list And happen will what happen may My will thy will shall not resist But thy commaund shall still obay Commaund me then to be thy loue Commaund me in thy loue to end And he that rules and is aboue All harts commaund thy hart to bend Since mightie Loue commaunds my hart Of force thy louer I must bee Ioine thou with loue and take his part Then all the world shall honour thee But I haue written to be plaine Enough since thou hast not thy fill By giuing me continuall paine Desiring yet to serue thee still But in the end now will I cease Although my torment doth not end Desire is conquerd by the feare I haue thy patience to offend When Syrenus had made an end of reading this letter the Shepherd tooke it out of his hands without staying any longer went his waies singing That which he sung whilest they could heare him giuing great eare vnto him was to the purpose of that which he had told them before he shewed them the letter A Sonnet I Plaid with Loue Loue plaid with me againe I mocked him but I was mockt in deede He would not let my hart his art exceede For though a Boy yet mocks he doth disdaine A friend he is to those that doe not faine My iestes it seemes doe true affection breede And now if Loue is not reuenged with speede My hart can witnes that with earnest paine Goe louers then to iest it out apace With this God Cupid but a boy and blinde And you shall see if it be good or noe Thinking to haue delight you shall haue woe Seeking cold water fire you shall finde Who plaies with boies comes often to disgrace They maruelled not a little at the sweetenes of his song were no lesse sorrie bicause they knew not what Shepherd he was but seeing it was not then possible to know him they went on their nighest waies Some haste they made to passe away the heate of the day in that Iland where they found the desperate Shepherdesse Belisa taking the same to be a more fresh and pleasant place and more quiet for their recreation then any other Whereunto being come they saw how a little brooke couered almost all ouer with sweet and smelling herbs ranne gently thorow a little greene meadow amongst a ranke of diuers trees that were nourished and maintained by the cleere water vnder the shadowes of which as they were now determined to rest themselues Syrenus said Let vs see if you thinke good from whence this little spring doth issue foorth It may be the place is more fresh and cooler thereabouts if not or if we cannot finde out the fountaine from whence it flowes we will come hither againe It liked his company well and so they desired him to leade the way Euerie place and part that all the brooke vpwards they troad on inuited them to pleasant rest being all alike to the verie fountaine whereupon Seluagia said If we cannot finde out the beginning of this spring we shall not finde at the least any discontent for our selues or suffer any trouble in returning backe againe since so conuenient places as better and more pleasant we cannot wish for our desired rest in going vp higher are offered vnto vs. Hauing now gone vp a little along the running brooke and not found out the head and that euerie step as I said presented vnto them a pleasant place of rest they went staying somtimes somtimes reasoning with themselues where they might sit one of them saying This place is more fresh and another answering no but this let vs sit downe heere for this is more pleasant no but here said another So that the pleasant obiect of euerie place held them in such suspence that none of them could choose out the best But resoluing at the last vpon one they tooke the scrips of their shoulders and passing their sheepehookes from their left hands they tooke them in their right to lay them downe to rest when they saw that with greater quantitie of waters and fresher shades of green trees the brooke ranne vp higher so that for a new hope a new aire and place was obiected to them They had not yet scarce begun to goe vp a little farther when the brooke forsaking her right course towardes the left hand made them turne their steps backe againe where they discouered a great thicket and spring of diuers trees Comming to the which they saw a very narrow entrance and somwhat long whose sides were not of wals fabricated by artificiall hand but made of trees by nature the mistresse of all things so that the wooddy place was no lesse enobled and imbelished with the naturall verdure then the stately chambers with embossed gold For there was seene the deadly Cypresse the triumphant Laurell the hard Oke the low sallow the inuincible palme the blacke and ruggie Elme the Oliue the prickie Chestenut the high Pineapple one amongst another whose bodies were bound about with greene Iuie and the fruitfull vine and beset with sweet Iesmines many other redolent flowers that grew very thicke togither in that place Amongst the which many little birds inhabitants of that wood went leaping from bough to bough as in scornefull cages making the place more pleasant with their sweete and siluer notes The trees were in such order set togither that they denied not the golden sunbeames to haue an entrance in betweene the boughes and leaues to paint forth the greene ground with diuers colours which reuerberated from the flowers that were neuer steadie in one place by reason that the mooueable leaues did disquiet them This narrow way did also lead to a little greene couered all ouer with fine grasse and not touched with the hungrie mouthes of deuouring flockes At the side of it was the fountaine of the brooke hauing a care that that place should not drie vp sending forth on euerie side her flowing waters The water of this cleere fountaine came out of a stony rocke which a great Oke with his hard rootes did imbrace on either side whereof stood two great Laurell trees This fountaine did rise towards that place where the sunne beginnes to mount declining somewhat to the septentrionall part The same rockie stone whereby the water ranne out
so duly And aftervvardes if that the same deceased Body and soule may be in loue increased In life and death and after death so hainous Seluagia shall for euer loue Syluanus Syrenus being very glad for the contentment of their companie and to see them both loue one another with such mutuall and great affection and knowing that it belonged to the dutie of friendship and though he had refused that they woulde entreate him in the end to sing without more ado tooke his Rebecke and sung thus THe Gods graunt you to frolicke in your hall His yeeres that so long time vvith nature striue And that in happie fortune you may liue Free from all kinde of sorrovves great or small And in your loue one haire may neuer fall Of iealousie a plague eid like a sieue Let heauens to temporall 〈◊〉 their fauours giue Fire aire sea earth and nature at your call The rot may neuer touch your soundest stockes Feare of the vvoolfe your shades may not molest And vvily foxe not feare your pretie lambes In plenty may encrease your goodly stockes Tvvo kids may yeerely yeane your fruitfull dams And your faire Evves vvith double tvvinlings blest The Shepherds hauing made an end of their sweete songs rose vp and casting their hairy scrippes on their shoulders staying themselues vpon their knotty sheephooks began to go on their way Who being comen out of that pleasant place into a faire meade to passe the time away and lighten their trauell and length of their way went inuenting and exercising diuers pastorall sports of which they made Seluagia iudge betweene them both sometimes throwing with their slings at some white or marke that they could espie within their reach vpon the side of some hill or tree sometimes trying with great dexteritie the goodnes of their slings to see who coulde giue the greatest cracke with them sometimes striuing who coulde throwe his Sheepehooke farthest sometimes contending to pitch them neerest to some white or Daisie in the way before them and whether of them with the strength of his arme could come nighest to some other marke as farre as they could reach and sometimes striuing who could smite a stone fardest with them In this sort they passed the time and wearines of their way vntill the broade mantell of the darke night beginning to ouerspred those plaines and fieldes made an ende of their sports and warned them to take their rest where they lodged that night The next day in the morning betimes when the prety birdes with their warbling notes filling the aire not yet fully cleere with harmonie foretold the comming of the Vermillion morning they began to make an end of their former iourney And now did the sunne cast downe his beames hotter vpon their heads and with greater heate shewing his forces when the three Shepherds came in sight of their knowne fieldes and plaines so often troden of them before Whereupon they now began to know their wandring flockes and amongst those Dianas sheepe although they were mingled with the flockes of her vnwoorthy husband Delius And so as Syluanus was saying These are the flockes of the vngratefull and disdainfull Shepherdesse Diana and of the Shepherd Delius happie without desert Seluagia saide It is not good to go by and not salute Diana if we finde her there And so they went that way to seeke her out where they had not gone farre but they sawe her standing very sadde and leaning against a great Oke with her elbow vpon her sheepehooke and her cheeke vpon the palme of her hande whereby one might haue iudged the care and sorrow that so much troubled her pensiue minde After a little while as though she was angrie with herselfe for casting her-selfe into so great a greefe she put her hand into her bosome and tooke out a fine little Baggepipe the which putting to her mouth to play on it in that very instant she threwe it to the ground and without more adoe sliding downe along the bodie of the tree sat her downe as if for great feeblenes she had not beene able to staie herselfe on her feete and casting out a sorrowfull sigh and looking vpon her harmlesse Baggepipe she spake these words Accursed Baggepipe consuming fire burne thee for the greefe and anguish that thou hast giuen me I brought thee with me to lighten and asswage my cruell sorrow in which dutie thou hast not onely failed but redoubled it the more Thou shalt not then accompanie me any more for the ill requitall of that loue wherewith I did euer cherish thee Now I am not any more for thee nor thou to serue my turne There shalt thou lie for the parching sunne to open thee making thee as drie as I am comfortlesse and for the raine to rotte thee making thee as moist as my cheekes spunged with continuall teares Ah woe is me how am I deceiued in thinking that the silly and sencelesse Baggepipe is in fault of that which enuious Fortune hath made me feele and in forgetting being so skilfull in other things how more abundantly my fortune surchargeth my soule with paine and troubles then this poore Baggepipe with any fault or iniurie How do I afflict and molest my selfe for a smal cause hauing so many to wearie me withall O God how comes it to passe that the cause of my passed ioy and gladnes is now the occasion of my present sorrow and that those things which before were light and easie are now most greeuous torments and burdens to me Howe soone is pleasure exiled from my poore soule wherein it was woont to make so sweete a soiourne In how short a time haue I lost my deere content whylom my only trustie companion And how easily am I depriued of all ioy and happines which I once so much at will possessed To what end doth it auaile me to be endowed with beauty and wit which with modestie I may chalenge since all do affirme the same in me vnlesse they were sufficient to remooue some part of my greefe But I beseech the soueraigne Gods that I were so farre from beautie and wit as I am at this present from ioy and comfort so that either the first had not brought me to this painfull condition of life or want of the second passed it away without feeling it so sensiblie O Syrenus and Syluanus how are yee now reuenged of me although it be vnknowne to you thou Syluanus of the contempt I did vniustly beare thee thou Syrenus of the ill requitall I gaue thee for thy sincere and earnest loue How neere alas doth the sorrowfull memorie of that ioyfull time come to my minde that did so soone slide out of my hands I would the Gods had beene so pitifull to me at one and selfe-same time to haue ended my daies and those delightfull howers When she had spoken these words she gaue so great a sobbe and such vehement sighes that it seemed she had no more life left to animate her afflicted
with thankes repaying I made an excuse that I had some busines another way and bad him farewell wherewith I went backe againe to Parthenius and the olde man homeward to his house The next morning for there we passed away the same night we went to the place where Stela had cast her selfe into the riuer attending there her comming foorth and being come foorth to see if we might talke with her But before we came we espied the virgins olde Father walking vp and downe along the riuer bankes And going neerer vnto him to see if he offered to cast himselfe into the riuer we sawe how wearie of walking he sat him downe and then with as lowde a voice as his greefe would giue him leaue heard him in this sort singing to his deerest daughter DAughter that in this deere And christ all riuer hast thy dwelling place With Nymphes O har ken heere To me a little space Parisiles thy wofull fathers case Deny not him thy sight Who euer did for thee himselfe despise The absence of thy light And heauenly shining eies Vnto his soule a bitter death applies Which so consumes his breath That liuing thus his life he doth defie For such a life is death And he would rather die Then leaue to liue without thy companie Ioy now and doe not stay An aged man consum'd with greefe vnlesse That thou wilt haue him say The loue thou didst professe To him was all but fain'd as he may gesse Why dost thou stay so long A wretched soule with comfort to sustaine O come and breake this strong And mourning vale in twaine Of his affliction miserie and paine My soule thou woont'st with glee To heare this voice but either I am not As once I woont to bee Or thou art chang'd I wot Or thy poore father els thou hast forgot But first I pray to God Then such obliuion in thy brest should bee My vitall period May finish not to see My selfe forgot of her that loued mee Come then my hart and cleere Thee of this doubt this fauour let me trie If not this riuer cleere Shall hide me by and by For there with thee I meane to liue or die If the waues of the riuer and the neighbour sea being mooued to ruthe and pitie seemed to stay and the noise of them both with his dolefull voice made gentle and calmed ceased a while that his tender complaints might be the better heard how much more would you haue iudged our harts being wrought with pitie and compassion to be mollified with the amorous plaints wherwith the pitifull old man did cal vpoÌ„ faire Stela For it might be wel vnderstood by his impatience how much he loued her when as he thought euery moment he staied there a thousand yeeres But there passed not much time when the waters being gently opened out of the middes of them rose a faire companie of Nymphes with garlands of diuers colours vpon their yellow haire in the middes of which appeered faire Stela like chaste Diana amongst her gracious quire of Nymphes At whose sight old Parisiles for the incomparable ioy he had to see his desired daughter and we to see our new beloued Mistresse fell all downe to the ground but raised vp againe with the sweetenes of a Set-song a consort of heauenly musick which the Nymphes had made amongst themselues we harkened to that which was sung as followeth PArisiles thy dolefull song and playning Thy piteous sighes and weeping without measure To comfort thee haue made this goodly quire Leaue their aboades and stately seates of pleasure Afflict not then thy selfe but cease thy paining And let thy wearied soule to rest aspire Let plaints begun retire And be in ioy and happy gladnes ended And be not now offended Parisiles or carefull for thy daughter For hither we haue brought her In good estate for thee to see her knowing That more then this to both we all are owing If that the Gods are iust in any wise Then are they bound to helpe those that doe pray To them for helpe and in their seruice liue Then since that you your selues did euer giue To follow them and choose the better way In honouring vs by deede and sacrifice The best we can deuise Of all good turnes that may your loue requite Belongs to you of right Parisiles the Gods in heauen doe knowe In sea and earth belowe Thy things and haue of them a greater care Then thou maist thinke and of thy happy fare For which thing they themselues had first ordeined That Stela the most monstrous Shepheard flying Should cast her selfe into this cleerest riuer For knowing what her fates and stars would giue her Their influence with all their helpe denying By secret meanes her fortune they restrained And such a signe that rained Ouer her head that threat'ned to destroy her And present to annoy her They therefore will she liue within our bowres Vntill these lucklesse howres Doe passe and while this signe and fate expires Vnwoorthy her deserts and high desires The Sonne of Goddesse Cytherea shall Heer after be the cause of her despaire The cruell wounding her with doubtfull loue And so this loue that shall so doubtfull fall Great strife in her and many wars shall moue Not knowing which to choose that is most faire Her brest loues sweete repaire Continu ally shall wauer on two men Inclining now and then Her loue to one then to another straight Poore soule she shall await In this suspence not knowing to define To whether of them both she should incline And thinke not that th' immortall Gods intended To bar these loues that heere I am declaring Nor their successe would euer haue denied For being to a vertuous end applied Either of both they would not haue suspended Alas it is their fate such woes preparing Not one nor other sparing Both for one cause in one loue shall be chained And both alike be pained But yet the Gods shall euer be procuring That Stela then enduring These â—ardest haps shall not with those be placed Whom Fortune alwaies checkes and hath disgraced But thou must comfort thee aboue the rest If of these three the hard and cruell fate Cannot be shunn'd their ioies that must adiourne After these woes Fortune shall make them blest Shewing her face milde and propitiate Gentle and sweete Then shall they cease to mourne Forâ—…e her wheele shall turne Annoyes to ioyes their sighes to sweetest songs Shall turne and all their wrongs Shall cease Their woes their miseries and teares Their sorrowes greefes and feares Shall be one day conuerted into ioy Which neuer after Fortune shall destroy Thy daughter then Parisiles imbrace And so restore her to this place againe The heauens must haue their race Then let them run And cease to mourne in vaine This beuie of faire Nymphes when they had ended their propheticall song came to the riuer side and with a maruellous sweete consent did put into Parisiles armes his welbeloued daughter Betweene whom
power to do Wherby you see that I haue placed my loue on him that cannot though faine he would requite it with his againe But you will aske me perhaps in whom the cause impediment consisteth that they are not answerable to that which both are so iustly owing me To this I answere my greatest and deerest friend I haue in this worlde bicause for hir both are alike wounded with Cupids inuincible flight she dying no lesse in both their loues And who this is you may easily gesse for she can be no other then Stela And yet I sweare to you by all that a true louer can protest that I neuer wished Stela any ill though she is now and hath euer beene the cause why I am not beloued of these two peerelesse Shepherds For I could for mine owne part do no more in her cause then she doth in mine and though I hated her besides yet it stoode me in hand to be her friend when by her meanes I enioyed Delicius sight hope by the same to see Parthenius But bicause you may know how we lost our liberties and they remained without theirs I will onely tell you that which maketh for this purpose The same day as they afterwards tolde vs that Stela by the ordinance of the Gods came to our company for now you know that I am one of the Nymphes of the renowned and famous riuer Duerus Parthenius and Delicius did see Stela and both of them equally loued her though then it seemed not so for Parthenius concealed his affection bicause Delicius had manifested his before But when Delicius tolde that he was enamoured of Stela they agreed to stay in a forrest hard by to see if somtimes comming out of the riuer they might haue some occasion to talke with her But when she came out and they offred to come towards vs that went in company of her we fled away and ran back againe to our riuer Who perceiuing it was not possible to talke to her in that sort concluded to deceiue vs by wearing Shepherds weeds and leauing of their courtly apparell Thus therefore attending daily for vs Stela and I came foorth and as they saw vs though they made no shewe thereof one of them plaied aloud on his Baggepipe to inuite vs I thinke vnto their musicke which when we heard as it was a thing not vsed there manie daies before we came somewhat neere and hid our selues behinde a companie of thicke Sallowes But they who by stealth were looking on vs perceiuing their deuise to haue a good beginning made as though they had not seene vs and betweene themselues praied one another to play or sing some song In the end Parthenius getting the vpper hand Delicius tooke his Rebecke whereon he so sweetely played and sung to it that we thought Apollo had committed some newe fault to become a Shepherd againe and that it was euen he that made that sweete melodie The song was of great sentence the inuention wittie and the forme of it curious wherefore lend an attentiue care to the one and the other if you desire to delight you with it NEuer a greater foe did loue disdaine Or trodon grasse so gay Nor Nymph greene leaues with whiter hand hath rent More golden haire the winde did neuer blowe Nor fairer dame hath bound in white attire Or hath in lawne more gracious features tied Then my sweete Enemie Beautie and chastitie one place refraine In her beare equall sway Filling the world with woonder and content But they doe giue me paine and double woe Since loue and beautie kindled my desire And cruell chastitie from me denied All sense of tollitie There is no Rose nor Lillie after raine Nor flowre in wonth of May Nor pleasant meade nor greene in sommer sent That seeing them my minde deliteth soe As that faire flowre which all the heauens admire Spending my thoughts on her in whom abide All grace and giftes on hie Me thinkes my heauenly Nymph I see againe Her necke and breast display Seeing the whitest Ermine to frequent Some plaine or flowers that make the fairest showe O Gods I neuer yet beheld her nier Or far in shade or sunne that satisfied I was in passing by The meade the mount the riuer wood and plaine With all their braue array Yeeld not such sweete as that faire face that 's bent Sorrowes and ioy in each soule to bestowe In equall partes procur'd by amorous fire Beautie and loue in her their force haue tried To blinde each humane eie Each minde and will which wicked vice doth staine Her vertues breake and stay All aires infect by fire are purg'd and spent Though of a great foundation they did growe O body that so braue a soule dost hire And blessed soule whose vertues euer pried Aboue the starrie skie Onely for her my life in ioies I traine My soule sings many a lay Musing on her new seas I doe inuent Of soueraine ioy wherein with pride I rowe The deserts for her sake I doe require For without her the springs of ioy are dried And that I doe defie Sweete fate that to a noble deede dost straine And lift my hart to day Sealing her there with glorius ornament Sweete seale sweete greefe and sweetest ouerthrowe Sweete miracle whose fame cannot expire Sweete wound and golden shaft that so espied Such heauenly companie Of beauties graces in sweete vertues died As like were neuer in such yeeres descried Now as Delicius had ended his song and Stela thinking that he had made an end indeede of singing and playing although it was not so for Delicius was requesting Parthenius to play on his Rebecke and to sing she saide vnto me Tell me faire Crimine Enioyeth this solitarie place oftentimes such like voices ioyned with such heauenly sweetenes If it be so I cannot but in some sort complaine of the amitie lately commenced and confirmed betweene vs in that I haue not spent the time in such pleasure and delight as now by the sweetenes of this musicke and fine song we haue amply had After that cruell Gorphorost my deere friend saide I whom the Gods confound for bereauing vs of a great part of our pleasures began to dwell in these partes this is the first Bagpipe and Rebecke that in this forrest hath beene long since touched of so many Shepherdes and Shepherdesses that haue continually plaied and sung in other times before when they fed their sheepe heere and passed away the heate of the day vnder these greene trees whereupon I maruell no lesse at the noueltie of this accident then at the rare melodie of the song for I neuer heard the like since I first dwelt in this place nor that euer delighted my senses so much But bicause they begin to play and sing againe let vs goe a little to them for they seeme to be milde and courteous youthes and such that make a shew to haue some respect and reuerence of vs that be Nymphes When I had
spoken this we went towards them who perceiuing it felt an extreme ioy bicause they had now brought their desired purpose to effect But to dissemble the more with vs and bicause we might not take vs to our woonted flight they sat still without once rising to doe vs any courtesie vntill we first spake vnto them When we were come vnto them and sawe two such goodly yoong Shepherdes and so like in face and apparell turning to Stela I saide Behold what two faire Shepherdes but seest thou not how like they be There is not in my iudgement siluer to siluer gold to gold nor water to water so like as these be Our Iupiter and Amphitrion could not be so much one nor Mercurie so like to Sosia when to enioy Alomenas loue Iupiter in the likenes of Amphitrion kept him out of his owne house and Mercurie in the likenes of Sosia made his man feele the hardnes of his fist Then turning by and by to the Shepherds I spake thus vnto them Your vnaccustomed and sweete songs gracious Shepherds after the long suspence and silence of many that haue beene long since made in these fieldes haue forced vs to come thus abruptly to enioy the sweetenes of them if we therefore being Nymphes are of any estimation with you iolly Shepherdes we beseech you that our presence be not of woorse condition and entertainment then these trees which without moouing were euen now harkening vnto you nor may displease you no more then our absence and to make no more difficultie to sing now we are heere then when we were not At these wordes the Shepherdes rising vp and asking one another who should answere Parthenius said Sweete Nymphes in grace and beautie non pareille we will not deny but that in respect of your courteous speech to vs we are bounde to performe your gracious request at will they cast out golden wordes which sauoured of the glozings in the Court and confesse no lesse that we are constrained to obey you more for your owne sakes then for any thing else be it spoken with pardon of the rest of these goodly Nymphes So that onely tell vs wherein wee may giue you content and we will doe our best to please your mindes Our mindes saide I you haue already vnderstood Then since it is so saide Delicius begin Parthenius to sing It were better said Partthenius for thee to do it for in regard of the great sweetnes wherwith not without good cause thou hast alreadie delighted them thy selfe being also more skilfull in musicke whatsoeuer I shall sing after thee to my disgrace will be but yrksome and vnpleasant to their eares Thou hast no reason to say so said Delicius for thy verses will giue testimonie of the truth of thy side Whereupon Parthenius would haue begun but not finding himselfe satisfied bicause I onely entreated him and not Stela he said vnto me I would not gracious Nymphe by obeying thy request to content thee giue any occasion of dislike to thy companion which mooues me to speake it bicause I know not whether it be her will that I should sing or no There is not any thing answered Stela that likes this faire Nymph which doth not also please me how much the more if it were not so for hir owne sake should it suffice thee to fulfill her minde without making any matter of my liking at all Both of them would faine haue answered to these words but that I thinke they were afraid one of them because he would not shew himselfe on the sudden so appassionate the other not to displease or make me blush a thing that made much for their purpose and also because I now tooke them by the hands saying to Stela The Shepherd hath spoken verie well and hath great reason entreat him therefore to sing for he lookes for it Bicause then we will not delay the matter any longer said Stela leauing that aside which might be said heerein I request him with this warning that if another time thou entreatest him to do any thing and if he will not do it that he aske not counsell of me since by fulfilling thy will he shall satisfie mine We will obserue this charge said Delicius and see thou forgettest it not Parthenius Then the one began to touch his Rebecke the other to play on his Bagpipe And going about to begin his song Parthenius was a pretie while in suspence not knowing what matter to take in hand for he would haue saide something of Stelas beautie for whom he felt no lesse secret paine then Delicius publicke passion But the force of friendship on the other side diuerted him from it And so partly for ioy to do that which touched the loue of his friend Delicius and with griefe to go against that whereunto he was bound for himselfe he would by praysing Delicius perswade Stela to incline to his owne loue whose beginning was this entring after the selfe same sort as his friend did in the song before NEuer so true a subiect to great loue Put sounding Baggepipe to his mouth and toong Nor euer Shepherd that did keepe In any meade his silly sheepe And neuer did so gracious members mooue Shepherd so faire so lustie and so yoong In throwing of the barre or steeled dart As this my deerest friend and louing hart His songs and ditties which he sung and plaied Hath made the Satyres leaue the sweete pursute Of Nymphes that they had chaced And in their armes imbraced And them besides with his sweete musicke staied Forgetfull of their feare amaz'd and mute The hardest rockes he makes both soft and tender And mildnes in great wildnes doth engender Vnto his person beautie and his grace The Nymphes and Napees faire to yeeld are glad The Niades Hamadriades The Oreades and Driades For such a feature and so sweete a face Paris Alexis nor Endimion had The fairest in the world he doth despise But onely one whom iustly he doth prize Bicause that she may onely him admit Her onely and none else he doth obay She onely doth deserue Him he but her to serue She onely him he onely her doth fit For th' one is euen with th' other euery way For he for her was borne for her alone And she for him or else was borne for none So that if she had not beene borne at all He had not lou'd for he his like should want And so she to haue loued Her equall it be hooued That he was borne For none but he should fall Equall to her he then might iustly vaunt That she was borne onely for him reserued And she that he whom onely she deserued Fortune did fauour him aboue the rest By making him the gladdest man that liues If that perhaps she knew His loue so pure and trew And faith so firme within his constant brest She that her lights vnto each creature giues In whose braue beautie nature strain'd to showe More art and skill then euer she did
might of their eternall creator by explaining the accelerate courses and motions of the celestiall globes and the cause of their vnwearied swiftnes In which time Delicius and Parthenius gained so greatly to their wils the loue of all my companions Shepherds and Shepherdesses who also resorted thither knowing what Gorphorost had vowed that they were not meanely beloued of all as well for their sweete songs and playing as also for their wisedome demeanour and good graces But aboue all faire Stela and I without comparison exceeded them though my loue with Parthenius was more openly extended wherunto I had then most of al disposed my minde and for no other cause then that I knew Delicius had emploied his thoughts and loue on Stela and also bicause Ithought Parthenius was most free Betweene vs both like rude girles we knew not how to gouerne our selues in Cupids affaires Betweene vs both being but a littleprudent we were ignorant howe we should behaue vs in the effects of this childe and therefore endured him impatiently though harder and more violent he was to Stela then to me not bicause I had beene a longer scholler in Venus schoole or had more experience in her blinde Sonnes effects then she but bicause she desired and forced her-selfe to wring out the worme out of her hart that euery day without feeling it crept more and more into the center of it for of such qualitie is this traytour loue that the more one endeuors to shake him off with greater force he takes place and seiseth on his conquered soule So that Stela the more she laboured not to loue the Shepherds the more couragiously loue assailed hir which made her night nor day take any rest nor finde ease in any thing all which I afterwards knew by her owne mouth who at the first dissembled the matter so cunningly that I could gather nothing of it And so meaning to take away the effect by remoouing the cause she would sometimes slie from cōpany refraining to com where the Shepherds were staying for vs vnles she was importuned by me But after certain daies that we foure were al alone togither I said It is not reason yong Shepherdes that with therest we liue in doubt of knowing you but that in some point we may perceiue a difference betweene you when as oftentimes we cannot no more then the rest call you by your right names which I assure you troubles vs not a little So that I would faine haue one of you take some kinde of marke to be knowen from the other but in such secret sort to put vs out of doubt and make the rest remaine still therein Our intent answered Delicius hath beene hitherto gracious Crimine to haue our garments make no dissimilitude betweene them whom one will and shape hath made so like But to pleasure thee herein that by taking it no offence be ministred to thy companion let faire Stela set downe the difference betweene vs in outward shew since she hath made it in the inward soule I know not Shepherd said Stela what difference I haue put betweene you and Parthenius Thy conceit faire Stela is not I thinke so hard as thy hart but that thou maist easily coniecture how much loue workes in me for thy sake The putenesie of my thoughts saide Stela hath made me ignorant of that which I would had not beene The hardnes of thy hart said Delicius hath made me prudent in that which was not so much expedient for me Dost thou then speak it in good earnest saide Stela That thou louest me Dost thou then aske it in iest said Delicius if I loue thee No said Stela But then belike I am she as the matter fals out to whom thou hast adressed all thy songs and teares Delicius thinking to haue a prosperous gale whereof we also thought him assured for all this while she seemed not to be angrie but milde and gentle whereby she got that out of his hart which the forrowfull soule had kept so secret in his breast with a pitifull eie cast on her answered Euen she indeed thou art as the matter fals out to whom I auow the terme and seruice of my life and voluntarie subiection of my soule that is c. Enough enough said Stela I vnderstand thee too well and am now resolued of my former suspitions I neuer thought that the bold presumption of a miserable and obscure man could so far extend as to entertaine a thought so preiudiciall to my honor Wherefore from this day let come who will to enioy thy poisoned conuersation When she had spoken these bitter wordes with an austere and angrie countenance she flung from thence without any companie and with no lesse haste then the timorous virgin that walking by some hedge and treading with her fine foote vpon some carelesse viper appalled with feate flieth with speede away The tender harted Delicius not able to powre foorth any complaints as one stroken dumbe remained no lesse astonished then the Shepherde seeing the faithfull Mastie harde by his side stroken dead with a fearefull thunderclap and the grasse but euen now greene at his seete burned by the sudden lightning thereof On whom I tooke so great compassion that I could not staie my teares but turning my face to Farthenius to bid him helpe his fellow I espied him in a sencelesse trance representing more the image of a dead bodie then the sigure of a liue man to whom it was no lesse then death to see his deere friend in such a plight and woorse then death to his decaied soule knowing that he must nowe be depriued of the sight of his deere Stela the onely reward and comfort of all his priuate passions Seing my Parthenius in such a case like a true louer I clasped my hands togither and then opening them againe saide O dismall day At which very instant I cast my selfe vpon Parthenius for when Stela was risen vp to be gone I also rose vp from my place ioyning his pale face to mine kissed him softly he poore Parthenius hanging downe his head in my lappe At the voice that I gaue Delicius awaked as it were out of a deepe sleepe sighed and seeing Parthenius in like case fell againe into another swoune and remained in such sort as my Parthenius did I was a good while embracing my Parthenius for loue and pitie ouercame my due regarde of modestie and held him in such sort as you haue heard not taking away my face from his but at the end crauing helpe of Delictus I perceiued he stood in no lesse neede of the same Beleeue me Gentlemen if my paine might haue beene augmented I must needs haue felt it by this second sight of Delictus But my griefe being extreme and nothing able to adde more torments to my tortured soule I felt them not vnlesse it were to see my selfe all alone in such a case But animared by the desire I had to helpe them I tooke a fine
art that I might with that libertie that thou hast tell thee the cause of my cōplaints or that thou wert as I am to heare with my subiection What reason I haue to make them and to accuse thee But in the end with the possibilitie that I shall attaine to and as shortly as I can I will tell it thee to take away that suspition which thou hast of me and not to conceale any secret matter from one another an vnlawful part to our right of mutual friendship The reason that iustly moues me to complaine of thee is that thou wilt not go see Delicius and this is for another matter then thou thinkest of and therefore be attentiue It is now cleere enough to thee what great loue and amitie is betweene both the brothers which hath made Parthenius feele the griefe of his friend Delicius no lesse then he did himselfe whereby he is in as great dauunger of his life For when Delicius falling downe had lost his colour and was in such an agonie Parthenius was in no lesse to see his friend in such a case that thou wouldest haue thought the last period of both their liues had beene come who had beene long since deliuered from their paines if by some small hope I had not reuiued them yet thinking that either of them would be glad to liue not for himselfe but bicause the other might liue for both of them knew well that one of their liues could last no longer then the other enioyed his so that denying to go see Delicius thou leauest Parthenius in great danger Thou wilt perhaps aske me what I haue to do with the good or ill fare of this vnhappie Shepherd by seeling it so much as I do faine would I haue another tell thee this but in the end setting all virgin modestie aside with thee since it lies in my power to do no lesse Thou must know that since these Shepherds came hither for their ill I will not say for mine for though their sight cost me tenne thousand liues I cannot yet denie but that I haue beene happie I am not able to tell thee how I yeelded to loues commaund being forced to loue Delicius no lesse then Parthenius for I neuer found any thing wherein I liked the one more then the other with which doubt not knowing to what side to adhere I was certaine daies in suspence but afterwards knowing that Delicius was in loue with thee and Parthenius free I thought it best not to make my selfe subiect to him who was alreadie a captiue but to the other whose loue hath made so forcible an impression in my vnarmed hart that without him my life is hatefull to me Thou seest therefore by this faire Stela how for that which concernes me so much I wish some content to Delicius It can cost thee but a little deere friend to pardon him for the good that I shall gaine when also no harme can redound to thee thereby the rather since he craues pardon of thee with protestation neuer after to offend thee Thou demandest a hard matter at my hand saide Stela but bicause I see thy teares which I cānot suffer to issue out in such abundance wherby thou dost manifest the greefe which thou feelest and bicause thou maiest not haue any occasion to complaine of my friendship I will do that which I thought not to do but on such a condition that thou shalt neuer complaine on me againe if by committing anie other such fault I denie Delicius my sight for euer whom I would also knowe that neither he nor any desert of his part could obtaine pardon for so great a fault if he had not procured so good a mediatour for it is not my will that for his sake thou shouldst thanke me for it Embracing her then for this curtesie and gentle offer that she made me I thanked her for it and with her good leaue went my waies imagine how glad to seeke out my Shepherds and found Delicius all alone for Parthenius was with Gorphorost Needlesse it is to tell you if Delicius was glad to see me come to him with another kinde of countenance then I was woont some daies before for as I promised him so I performed to go and see him who perceiuing now my signes of gladnes said vnto me The only hope of my health comfort in my cares dost thou bring thy noble hart so ioyful as thy gracious countenance so full of content Tel me quickly without more circūstances for thou knowest that A good deed quickly done is twise done although it be but one by which words knowing him to be Delicius I said To morrow thou shalt see Stela What do I liue saide Delicius If between this and then thou dost not die saide I. In her good grace said he If thou wilt said I. O good words said he But thou must do better deedes said I. Doubt not of that said he but that I do and will make it the highest and best deed in the worlde to loue Stela my truest soule O Delicius saide I how do I conceiue that thy great loue or the small dissembling thereof I will not say small knowledge will be heere-after hurtfull to thee Let come what will saide Delicius for I will rather ioy to suffer for louing too much if there be any excesse in loue then to bee harmed for louing too little I will not counsell thee said I not to loue for it would auaile mee nothing at all But I must tell thee that it is expedient for thee not a little to dissemble thine affection especially before Stela if thou wilt not be onely odious vnto her but also depriued of her desired presence By performance whereof knowe that she will make truce with thee for her part and for thine Not for my part answered Delicius although I should yet passe greater harmes by this occasion which cannot be greater then these which I haue alreadie suffred But in the end she hath made such truce according to her will that she hath seemed the conquerour since none is able to come to resist her hand to hand Well well said I time consumeth many things and it may be that amongst so many the anger of thy Stela may also be forgotten God grant it answered Delicius but not to the preiudice of my great loue Tell me said I what is become of thy brother or where is he that he is not with thee In faith stept out Doria and said I was not a little woondring with my selfe that all this while thou didst not aske for thy Parthenius since thou wert so pained and lost or at the least as thou hast made shewe so much in his loue which made me long to aske thee the cause thereof Lost saidest thou nay rather found said Crimine and happie in it But I will answer to that which thou hast asked If assoone as I came I had asked for him Delicius woulde haue thought that
should there be wanting in whom I assure you was no more shewe of mercie then signe of heat in snow Whereat if I tooke any greefe wishing the Shepherd so much good for the reason that I haue alleadged thou maiest faire Nymph coniecture But I promise you now that I haue no occasion to complaine for loue hath as well paied me for the offence which then by her crueltie she gaue me that I may iustly complaine of too great pitie which she vsed towards him since being such it hath beene too cruell for me in this behalfe And for this time I will cease as well for that I wearie my selfe and you as also for that Felicia and the rest come in very good time who comming neere vnto them Felismena saide Lay thy hand of punishment vpon me Lady Felicia for I confesse I deserue it affirming that thy comming hath made me sorie hereof I know well who is in fault The same all the rest said Say you so said Felicia Then I sweare to morrow you shall be all punished for it With this they went to supper and to rest If I should set downe in order the braue daunces and songs that after supper were plaied and sung it would be an endlesse peece of worke The end of the fourth booke The fifth Booke of the second Part of Diana of George of Montemayor THe next day in the morning the three Nymphes that were rescued by the Shepherdes being there when the Sauages ranne vpon them desirous to giue them all the pleasure and contentment they could tolde them all what Crimine had discoursed vnto them before euen vnto that very point where Crimine by Felicias and their comming was interrupted which made Syrenus to say Did Felismena then say it grieued her for this bicause Felicia came Not for any other thing saide the Nymphes God neuer helpe me said Seluagia if euer I goe one foote from Crimine before she haue made an end of her historie and I hope Syluanus and Syrenus will doe the like We meane no lesse said they Dinner being done Lord Felix Felismena and the Nymphes desirous to knowe the rest of that which Crimine had begun the day before consulted togither to get her out of the companie she was in Which sage Felicia perceiuing and what they went about bad Lord Felix be content and told them that she would doe the best to fulfill their desires A little while after she went from thence to passe away the time with Parisiles and Crimine and left Stela with them all to tell out the rest bicause Crimine could not tell that which followed so well as Stela whereof Felicia informed Lord Felix When dinner was done Delicius went as he was woont to walke vp and downe in the woods spending those miserable daies in sorrowfull thoughts and teares So that Felicia Parisiles and Crimine being gone Lord Felix Felismena the Nymphes and the Shepherdes remained with faire Stela to whome Felismena began thus to say From that very instant most excellent virgine when first thou didst discouer to vs thy vermillion and snow white face we cleerely knew that for singular beautie thou didst get the prize and honour amongst the fairest wheresoeuer and till yesterday that Crimine shewed the hardnes of thy hart we had not knowen that thy exceeding crueltie deserued the palme and victorie amongst all mortall women Renowned Ladie said Stela cutting her off I thinke it will not greeue thee if I answere thy needelesse wordes after a rude sort since thou wilt giue me that but in wordes which thou hast deserued in deede I speake it concerning thy more rare beautie For as for being cruell I denie not but that I haue deserued a reward though I am now more worthie of a greater for being on the contrarie so pitifull as thou seest Thereof said Felismena we know the first and of the seconde being ignorant doe vs therefore the fauour to rid vs out of this false opinion of thee All of them with one voice likewise charged her with the same demaund For many respects said Stela I cannot woorthy companie denie your earnest requests for one bicause I was commaunded thereunto by sage Felicia to whom I owe all obedience and respect of dutie for another to fulfill your commaunds which I will not disobey and for the third bicause I take a pleasure in recounting mine owne passions to trie if with the greefe which I shall haue in telling them death will deliuer me once from them which though for this respect I chiefly desire yet life is pleasant to me onely for no more but to enioy the sight of my yoong Shepherdes to whom mine honour reserued I haue sacrificed my deerest libertie Other reasons I omit that mooue me to satisfie your mindes And now bicause you are informed to that point where my deere friend Crimine left from that I will take my beginning and proceede vnto the present estate that we are now in aduising you by the way that I durst neuer open my mouth with such boldnes to tell you of my loues if of mine owne part there had euer beene the lest staine or thought of impuritie in them The which thing affirmed as well by Crimine as by that which I will rehearse shall soone appeere And as I will also tell you which my companion could not but that which she did openly see what I did and spake with my selfe alone so cannot I report vnto you what she or the Shepherdes did or spake when they were by themselues alone And if I shall tell you any thing that I haue not seene it shall be after their owne report to me Giue eare therefore for now I begin CRimine could scarce pronounce the words of the song written in the tree and recited by her for pitie of Delicius which we knew well by the tenor of it to be his for if they had held out longer she could not haue made an end of them but hauing read them she said Woe is me how different are they in mind that are so like in face for now you know how Crimine died for the loue of Parthenius and how she had told me it Delicius burnes in loue and Parthenius is cold in the same Me thinks it were good that both of them should loue like faithfull companions or that Stela and I like good friends should hate O Stela thou mightest well agree with Parthenius who in condition of cruelty is so like vnto thee and shouldest forsake Delicius so like to me I assure you Gentlemen that the pitifull verses that Delicius wrote in the tree penetrated deepely into my soule but the words that were fixed in Crimines sorrowful breast mooued me without comparison to more ruth The perswasions that Crimine oftentimes vsed to me to induce me to loue Delicius were of great force but this last was so strong that it wrought more effectually with me then al the rest Delicius his singular parts and
the rare deserts of Parthenius were of great worth with me by noting how worthie they were to be beloued but the iealousie I had of Crimine perceiuing how glad she was to be beloued of either of them was more forcible in my minde O loue loue how iustly do they paint thee like a blind boy thy conditions being no other For a boy with a broken pate that will not suffer his head to be bound vp in a clout but seeing the same tyed to another boies head cries out for it So was it with me and Crimine I reiected the loue of the Shepherds but knowing that Crimine loued them I died for their loue and wept in my inwarde soule that Crimine was so much deuoted to them But marke my dissimulation for to that which shee saide I aunswered thus To this last my sweete friende which thou hast alleaged for as much as toucheth mee thou maiest well agree not onely with Delicius but with his friend if thou wilt This is not well saide Crimine that thou hast yet so much libertie to graunt me such leaue but in the end I am well content to take it for I loue not Delicius so little that I would do him such iniury neither do I see him so enclined to yeeld to my loue again And I see no reason said I why I should not giue thee leaue or any body else in this respect let vs leaue this said she go if thou thinkest good whither we were determined Come on said I let vs go whither we must not whither we should for the sooner we go the sooner we shal come back again Being therfore come to our wonted place we found the Shepherds merrie for the hope they had to see me wherein I deceiued not my selfe for if it was not so I am then sure I was well deceiued though somwhat sorrowful also for my long staying We therefore comming before the faire Shepherds a certaine feare possessed both their bodies no otherwise then if some fearefull and ghastly thing had suddenly appeered before their sight so that it caused a notable trembling in euery part of them Crimine went on sixe steps before it might be to bid Delicius take courage and a good hart and afterwards spake out aloud to them saying By force my friends I bring this my companion hither to establish a louing peace betweene you and her Delicius would haue answered but Crimine fearing least his loue woulde haue made a fault in something cut him off following her speech thus For confirmation whereof there is nothing more requisite but that without remembrance of that which is past we returne againe to our former pastimes Truth it is that I will not disswade Delicius from asking her pardon whom he hath mooued to anger and her I beseech by the faith of our friendship not to denie the same Then saide Delicius by and by his eies full of teares and his knees on the ground not onely for the offence committed but if in any thing I shall heereafter offend her with all humilitie I aske her forgiuenes If so for nought saide I a fault should be solde it would be held but for a sport and pastime in lieu of satisfying your wils to giue occasion of anger howsoeuer by redeeming it onely with pardon craued and obtained So that trust not to this Shepherd for the second shall not be forgiuen thee so good cheape Wouldst thou haue him liue so precisely faire Stela said Parthenius and in such continual feare that he dare not onely speake nor so much as breath for feare of offending thee I coulde not choose but laugh at Parthenius words and at the countenance wherewith he spake them To the which I answered thus Gracious thou art in sooth iolly Shepherd that art so ready to helpe thy companion I do not meaneit so extreamely as thou saiest he vnderstands me well enough I imagine as much said Parthenius but am not ignorant that thou art rigorous and that in this sort we are both in an ill case if for speaking perhaps or doing a light thing ignorantly one shoulde not be pardoned If so small faults are so heynously punished howe can the greater escape vncorrected Wherefore set downe this lawe if thou wilt at the least be accounted iust that the punishment exceede not the fault putting the fault and the punishment in an equall ballance of moderation We are more bound to our Gods for mercy which they shew vs then for their iustice whereby but a little they profite themselues Tell me then faire Stela as the Gods preserue thee still in thy singular and rare beautie if euery time that men offende high Ioue shoulde sende downe his thunderbolts howe manie dost thou thinke shoulde hee finde vnarmed I impute it not Gentlemen to any pride arrogancie or necessitie of mine owne part if lying sometimes I say faire Stela which are formall words of Shepherds and commonly vsed of them which besides although I might well leaue vnspoken yet could it not be well suffred bicause they are not without mysterie It is well said Doria let it be as thou wilt and tell on for we will not stay our selues vpon so apparant a matter as this I answered Parthenius said Stela That the errour committed is well manifested but after what sort shall the ignorance thou speakest of be cleere vnto me But I see thee Parthenius so free in thy speeches and bitter in thy reprehensions that I shall be forced with my will yea and for very feare to do something for thee Parthenius without more adoe humbled himselfe with Delicius who was all this while at my feete for of purpose I would not bid him rise desirous to see them both equally yeeld themselues vnto me bicause I equally loued them both and being in this sort he said If it be then so I beseech thee pardon him since he craues it on thee with so great humilitie I am content said I and taking them both by the hands I lifted them vp which when I had done Crimine said Tell me Parthenius how fals it out thou art not with thy friend Gorphorost to day Parthenius answered bicause I knew faire Stela would come hither to day And not bicause I came said Crimine Thou hast no cause to aske me this question gracious Nymphe answered Parthenius since thou art assured I would do it no lesse for thine but onely bicause faire Stelas presence was so much desired by reason of these passed discontents One thing I haue marked said Crimine whereof I should not be a little ashamed if there were any other heere besides Stela that thou dost call her euermore faire and me gracious Thou maist vrge me so farre saide he that I may confesse my selfe ouercommed Friend Crimine said I their faults cannot take away the due praise of thy beautie so that if thine were deemed by right and indifferent iudges it should euer haue the prize and superioritie And whom said
vpon his bodie it can do no harme but he that in high and loftie houses lodgeth though the thunderclap smite him not may be killed or wounded with the stones timber or some other thing that may fall from thence And may also be burned or choaked with the smoke of the fire that is kindled in the wood all which by experience haue beene often seene But bicause of good will you inuite me to do that which you request me I will go in although I was determined to lay me downe and sleepe if I had found out some fit place for the purpose bicause the thunderclap spareth those they say that are asleepe Thou wilt liue too long said Seluagia since with so many defences thou dost arme thy self Heereof thou maiest be ascertained said the Shepherd for there is not any who desires his life and health more then I do So me thinkes said Seluagia and the cause of it must be that thou art not in loue Naie rather the contrarie said the Shepherd which my song did euen now speake of Dost thou loue then saide Seluagia I loue said he with the greatest blisse and ioy as thou hast euer heard of Not onely heard but seene said Seluegia For they are before thee And this do I say said he And I that said she Leaue of these speeches said Lord Felix and let vs go in And do vs so much pleasure good Shepherd to tell vs by the way if thou beest in loue I am said he Are these loues thine own said Lord Felix They are mine said he none others I say not so said Lord Felix but if they be properly of thee thy selfe I haue not so many good parts said the Shepherd to be enamoured of my selfe and yet there is not any I thinke that loues me as much as I do my selfe But leauing this aside I loue as much as possiblie I may a most faire yoong Shepherdesse Thy loue is not perfect said Lord Felix bicause thou saiest there is none whom thou louest as much as thy selfe Why doth this hinder it said the Shepherd that it is not perfect Why not said Lord Felix Then by this I vnderstand said the Shepherd that there is none that loues in this degree But rather beleeue the contrarie saide Lord Felix for heere thou seest some who woulde gladly hazard their heades for them whom they loue This is an easie thing saide the Shepherd to saie it And easier said Lord Felix to do it I promise you sir saide the Shepherd if death knocked at your dore and if it were in your election to go with it your selfe or to sende your loue that it might be seene what I say But rather that which I affirme saide Lord Felix I thinke it a hard matter saide the Shepherd With these demands and answers they came to the Temple where they rested themselues and feasted that new guest who was well entertained of the sage Felicia bicause she knew him woorthie of it After they had made an end of their great dinner all of them requested him to sing the song that he came singing when he left it off at their sight He saide he was well content and glad if they woulde lende an eare vnto it not for his voice which was not woorth it but for the matter which deserued any good whatsoeuer But requesting that some instrument might play to him bicause his song might be the better set foorth Doria by Felicias command tooke a Harpe and tuning it to the highest note that he would sing the rest being all attentiue to him he began thus LOuers record my memorie and name For one that is more happie then the rest And solemnize my conquest and my fame which I haue got in being onely blest Extoll my glorie to the loftie sunne Which with this famous triumph I haue wonne To be the happiest man that hath beene borne Of all that haue to loue allegeance sworne What louer yet was found vnto this howre Though in his loue most fauour'd he had beene Of greefe that had not tasted yet some sowre And had not felt some paine and sorrowes seene Or who hath with such sweete his loue endured Though of his Mistresse he were most assured And though she loued him with truest hart That felt not yet a little iealous smart Amongst all these I onely am exempted From sorrowes troubles from mishaps and paines With both handes full I liue in ioies contented And more if I did tell yet more remaines Secure I am that in my happy brest Vile iealousie shall neuer build her nest And that I may with greefe be neuer paid A strong and firme foundation I haue laid Nothing in all the world shall breake this chaine If cruell death doth spare me with her dart And yet if loue in sepulcher remaine Death shall not there dissolue it in my hart See then how that most strong it needes must be Since to my will I wrought the same in me And for you may not say that I doe mooue it With blazons harke with reasons I will prooue i Who to himselfe could be so inhumane Vnlesse he were depriued of his wit That swimming in a pleasant Ocean Of ioies would wish for greefe not finding it Such ioies I taste as neuer more I could My loue admits no sadnes though I would For yet admit that I would now procure it My loue is such that it will not endure it I haue good fortune at mine owne commaund Since I haue fauours at mine owne free will My loue to her her loue to me is pawn'd Which fortunes spite and time shall neuer spill But now if ought with greefe my minde may mooue It is to haue Corriuals in my loue But they my ioy and glorie doe augment For more they are the more is my content If any care for these Corriuals dooe These faithfull louers in my brest remaine Then see how that with earnest suites I wooe And seeke them for my Shepherdesse againe And truly if it lay within my power A thousand I would send her euery hower But since I am so rude and but a clowne I cannot set her golden praises downe If that with all the faire one should resort Shewing her vertues and each goodly grace Little should then my homely praise import Hauing the world at her commaund and trace For saying naught her praise she better would Her selfe disclose though I said all I could And how much more since I want skill and art Of her to blazon foorth the meanest part But now behold how far from that aboue I haue estraied my promise and intent My promise was with reasons now to prooue That crosse nor care my ioies could not preuent I know not if by rashnes or aduice It was my thought that did my toong entice For when I thinke to praise my Shepherdesse Then straight my toong doth in her fauour presse It takes no heede and hath but small remorce To whom what where how oft why
matters and seeing how needfull it was for him to depart from his Mistresse by reason of the menaces of cruell Gorphorost against Delicius as it was told you he was many times about to kill himselfe but would not put it in practise onely bicause he knew Delicius would follow him therein as also for that the future blisse and hope of seeing his Mistres any more would haue ended Being therefore a greater while there then was needfull for the cause of his absence from his friend Delicius asked leaue of the Nymphes to go see why Parthenius staied so long And so seeking and finding him he came to him where he lay flat vpon his bellie with his mouth to the grounde who seeing him in this sort and thinking hee was asleepe came so softly to him that Parthenius could not perceiue him and in verie truth being in such extreme greefe of minde and deepe imaginations as hee was though he had come as fast and as loud as he could I thinke he had not heard him As these two were therefore thus togither and Parthenius now then speaking to himselfe thinking that no body heard him he vttered such lamentable wordes and complaints of himselfe and of his hard fortune that Delicius knew by and by he was a true-louer of Stela and that for his sake hee dissembled the same so much when Delicius perceiued this he went softly from thence againe bicause he would not be seene of Parthenius the better to do that which he had now determined Whereby he might shew that in his loue and friendship to Parthenius he had no lesse integritie and degree then Parthenius in his or to endeuour at the least to be euen with it And so without speaking or doing any thing he went backe to the Nymphes saying that he coulde not finde him but hoped he woulde not be long away After a good while Parthenius came to all their thinkings very ioyfull which made Delicius not a little to maruell knowing in what a miserable plight he had lest him wherupon he gathered it was but a sayned gladnes bicause hee might not suspect his greefe From this point therefore Delicius by little and little bicause he would not be suspected doing it on the sudden began to shew himself very cold in Stelas loue being merrier then he was wont to be saying it was needlesse to passe sorrowes and greefes for one that made no account of them nor cared a whit for him which he said he cleerely perceiued since so many daies she staied without comming to see him and that he had done a great deale better if hee had employed his loue on Crimine then on her of whom perhaps hee might haue beene rewarded so that with this he shewed that he made no great account of Stela and to beare no small affection to Crimine But for all this Parthenius would neuer declare his loue for he rather suspected that this was but a deuise to trie if hee loued Stela then once thought that Delicius knewe it the which hee imagined not at all But as Delicius coulde not by these meanes bring the truth out of Parthenius to light by forcing himselfe as much as he coulde he sung and plaied many merrie things like a man free from loue and without speaking any thing of Stela which was different from his wonted custome which he did not onely put in practise but determined to doe more if they met togither as he did indeed when face to face he told Stela that hee loued her not And behold heere what you desired to know We are satisfied said Lord Felix and truely it was a great part of friendship betweene them both But yet you shall see and heare said Felicia of many other proofes of their mutuall loue With these and many other speeches Lord Felix Felismena Syluanus and Seluagia passed that time meerely away while Felicia staied them there Parisiles Stela and Crimine with a meane content for the hope they had of their remedies to come But it shall not be amisse that leauing these Gentlemen heere we go on with the three Shepherds which went where Diana was if you will that we beginne to helpe Syrenus who now with his potion that Felicia had giuen him began to feele a tendernes of loue entring in by the passage of the late passed obliuion and a certain discontentment of Firmius and Faustus loues that followed the same Whereupon Syrenus musing with himselfe saide to Partheus By that yoong Shepherdesse which hath so great power ouer thee bicause with some thing we may lighten the wearines of our way I pray thee tell this yoong Shepherd and me something if thouknowest of that which passed betweene Faustus and Firmius with Diana Although it must be to mine owne greefe said Partheus bicause I shall reduce to my memorie a part of the troubles which so great a friend of mine as Firmius is passed yet to pleasure you heerein it lies not in my power gentle Shepherdes not to obey you Hauing intelligence from the place where he was that in the fieldes of Leon my Firmius had made his abode I went leauing on a sudden the presence of my soueraigne Shepherdesse for certaine daies to visite him and the very same daie I came thither found him sitting vnder the shade of a high Sicamour in companie of the faire Shepherdesse Diana To whom bicause she had not beene well at ease by reason of a conceit she tooke in leesing a paper that Firmius had giuen her he song this Sonnet IF that a small occasion had the power To make thee leese thy rosie hew and colour Diana say how fals it out this hower That all my woes to pitie make thee duller Hath now a little peece of paper made thee So milde and gentle in so short a morrow And cannot yet my greatest loue perswade thee To make thee take compassion of my sorrow How of my selfe am I my selfe ashamed That thou shouldst reckon of so short a writing Which cannot iudge nor vnder stand thy graces And yet thou wilt not bend thee to requiting Of that that 's written in my hart inflamed And which hath alwaies suffred thy disgraces I that behinde other trees hard by was harkening vnto him would not interrupt their pleasant conuersation with my abrupt presence but there wanted not a meanes that immediately hindred the same For Faustus going vp and downe to seeke Diana for now he knew she was gone to the field by chance he light vpon the place where they were who with the greefe he had to see her so fortunate in beautie as vnfortunate by marriage came singing this old dittie A faire maide wedde to prying iealousie c. The which he had scarce begun when hee espied Diana and Firmius togither Which sight if it greeued him not I leaue to your iudgements But as the beginnings are hurtfull to a louer to amend them by dissembling notwithstanding his greefe he came and saluted
it for a speciall fauour at thy hands The Gods keepe thee in their protection Then she opened the letter that Disteus sent to her to the graue style and iudicious conceate whereof I praie you Gentlemen giue an attentiue eare Disteus his letter to Dardanea TO thee the comfort of all mortall men Of all men liuing the most comfortlesse Health if discomfort any such can send If any left doth send with happinesse I wish no ease of all my ceaselesse paine If that a thousand times when I did take In hand to write to thee I left againe My pen as oft when hand and hart did quake I launch't into the maine and broadest seas Knowing no port nor friendly land or coast To saile vnto my shaken barke to ease With raging waues and furious tempests tost For on the one side if I thought to write To make thee knowe my paine which thou hast wrought Thy high desertes on th' other came in sight To beate downe such a far vnwoorthy thought My wearied torments did commaund an I Thy souer aine highnes did for bid a No And that commaund with reason did denie Such woorthinesse and glorie it did showe But after this proud boldnes came in place Perswading me I should doe well before To write to thee But feare did him disgrace And said I should but anger thee the more And therefore now as feare did ouer come Braue boldnes and had throwne it to the ground And now that all my senses waxed numme By feare which did my feeble hope confound Couragiously the God of Loue came in And said vnwoorthy feare packe hence away And come no more for now thou shalt not win I doe commaund Loue doth commaund I say And turning to me in this sort he saide As by commaund nor gently by request The fire when once it is in flames displaide Hides not it selfe but makes it manifest Euen so it is impossible to hide My firie flames from being sometimes knowne And though I would not yet on euery side They issue out that easily they are knowne Since then thy Nymph celestiall must knowe Either too soone or late thy cruell flame Let first thy mouth declare to her thy woe Then to thy hand and pen commend the same I answered God wot with fainting hart To write to her it is my chiefe desire But if she chaunce to frowne at this bold part O God defend my pen should cause her ire Thus Loue at last perceiuing what a faint And hartlesse coward I was in the end He wrote to thee by pitying of my plaint And in my name Loue doth this letter send And now bicause thy minde it may not mooue To anger by receiuing of the same And if thou think'st thy honour I doe prooue Knowe from a God and from no man it came Euen from the God of Loue who is a God Of highest birth whose power doth extend In heauen and earth where he makes his abode Both paying tribute to him without end So that it is the mighty God of Loue That erres if that in writing he doth erre Against Loue therefore all thy anger mooue If this to wrath thy modest minde may stirre Harke well my deerest Mistresse what I say That if this letter breedeth thy offence Be thou reueng'd of Loue which did assay To write and not of me for this pretence But by the way I tell thee as a friend That if with Loue thou dost begin to striue With nature and her lawes thou dost contend For making thee the fairest one aliue For if she haue of purpose giuen thee Beautie and grace and in thy brest hath fram'd The onely patterne of gentilitie That beauties Paragon thou maist be nam'd And to lay vp her riches all in one Of all her treasure she hath now despoild The world and made it poore in leauing none And to make thee the onely one hath toild Hath she not reason then to be offended If by the gemme where she her vtmost tride She would haue seene and knowne how far extended Her passing skill which thou dost seeke to hide Hath she not reason to be angrie when The patterne of her skill and onely one Hides from the world and buries in a den Her treasures which so faine she would haue knowne For sure I knowe if that thou meanest not To loue thou buriest all her partes in thee And dost thou thinke that anything is got By flying Loue and natures best decree And if thou think'st heerein to doe amisse Or hurt thy selfe by louing yet at lest Suffer thy selfe to be belou'd And this Fond error driue out of thy tender brest O suffer of thine owne accord and will For forced thou shalt be to this for euer While thou and I doe liue and shalt be still After thy death and mine and ended neuer Then will me not Dardanea to forsake My perfect loue which now I haue bewraied For more thou dost commaund the lesse I make Account of it and lesse shalt be obaied And thinke thou art not wronged any whit Bicause what thou faire Mistresse dost commaund Is not obaide for heere it is not fit Where life for loue and loue for life is pawn'd Leaue thou if that thou canst the same thou hast Yeelding to nature what so much on thee She hath bestowde and change thy life that 's past And leaue moreouer what thou mean'st to be Then shalt thou see thy most vniust desire Fulfill'd and will perform'd without defect Although thou didst the contrarie require As fearing colours with some vaine suspect But now why should'st thou leaue a perfect being By taking that which more imperfect is As first mens eies the like was neuer seeing The second voide of comfort ioy and blisse So that sweete Mistresse it becomes thee not To anger Loue and Nature to offend For thou art bound whom they haue not forgot Their lawes to loue their essence to defend Since that thy beauties in the world resound And dost in vertue hold the highest place And dost in knowledge and in wit abound In modestie and euery other grace Make them illustrous then by thy requiting Take heede Ingratitude is full of hate Hate to reuenge is euer more inuiting And so reuenge waites at obliuions gate And thinke not that I speake these wordes in iest For to a cruell Goddesse it belongs This vice which all the world doth so detest To punish and torment ingratefull wrongs And Nemesis the angrie is her name Whose vnresisted might who doth not knowe Equall she is and neuer but the same Impartially to deale with friend or foe Alas I would she might not finde in thee So great a fault as none more great then this Since from all other faultes thou shalt be free If but this fault alone thou wilt dismisse But thou maist say why should thy haplesse fare Trouble my minde or thy good please my will Or what haue I to doe to take such care Whether thy fortune fallout good or ill To
stormes and tempests and now am safely arriued in the secure hauen of content and rest And though thy paine be neuer so great yet hath not mine I dare boldly say beene lesse And since for the same I found out a happie remedie banish not hope from thy minde shut not vp thine eies from the truth nor thine eares from the substance of my words Are they words said Diana that shall be spent to remedie my loue whose workes exceed the compasse and helpe of wordes But yet for all this faine would I know thy name and the cause that hath brought thee into our fields the which if thou wilt vouchsafe to tell me shall so greatly comfort me that I will for a while suspend the complaints that I haue begun a thing perhaps which may not a little auaile for the lightning of my griefe My name said the Shepherdesse is Alcida but the rest which thou demandest of me the compassion which I haue of thy voluntarie greefe will not suffer me to declare before thou hast embraced my wholsome remedies though perhaps vnsanerie to thy distempered taste Euery comfort said Diana shall be most gratefull to me that commeth from thy hands which neuerthelesse is not able to roote out the strong loue in my brest nor to remooue it from thence without carying my hart with it burst in a thousand peeces And though it might yet I woulde not liue without bicause I woulde not leaue to loue him who being once forgotten of me tooke so sudden and extreme a reuenge of my vniust crueltie Nay then said Alcida thou giuest me no little hope and confidence of thy recouerie since now thou louest him whom thou hast heeretofore hated hauing learned thereby the pathway to obliuion and acquainted thy will with contempt and the more since betweene these two extremes loue and hate there is a meane which thou must embrace and follow To this Diana replied and said Thy counsell faire Shepherdesse contents me very well but I thinke it not sure enough for my safetie nor the best in common reason for my auaile For if my will were put betweene loue and hate I shoulde sooner yeelde to loue then to hate bicause being neerer to it mightie Cupid with greater force woulde assaile and ouercome me To this Alcida answered Do not honor him so much who deserues it so little calling him mightie who may be so easily ouercommed especially by those that choose out the meane aboue said for therein doth vertue consist and where that is all harts are armed with force and constancie against loue Thou mightest better terme those harts cruell harde vntamed and rebellious said Diana which pretend to repugne their proper nature and to resist the inuincible force of loue And yet when they haue oppugned it as much as they list in the end they haue little cause to bragge of their stoutnes and lesse helpe to defende them with their foolish hardines For the power of loue ouercomes the strongest holdes and makes most way thorow where it is most resisted of whose maruels and memorable deedes my beloued Syrenus did on a day sing in this verie place at that time when his remembrance was so sweete as now most bitter to my soule The which Sonnet and all his other Ditties which he then made and sung I well remember hauing euer a great care not to forget them for certaine causes which perswaded me to register the words and deeds of my deerest Syrenus in perpetuall memory But this which intreats of the mightie force of Loue saith thus THat mighty Loue though blinde of both his eies Doth hit the Center of the wounded hart And though a boy yet Mars he foiles with dart Awaking him where in his net he lies And that his flames doe freeze me in such wise That from my soule a feare doth neuer start Most base and vile yet to the highest part Strengthued by land and sea of heauen it flies That he whom Loue doth wound or prisoner take Liues in his greefes and with his giues content This is his might that many woonder at And that the soule which greatest paine doth shake If that it doth but thinke of Loues torment The feare of such a thought forgetteth that No doubt said Alcida but the forces of loue are well extolled But I would rather haue beleeued Syrenus if after hauing published the furie of Cupids arrowes to be so great and after hauing commended the hardnes of his chaines he had not also found out the meanes to set himselfe at libertie And so I maruell that thou wilt so lightly giue credit to him who makes not his word and deed all one For it is very cleere that the Songs and Sonnets are a kinde of a vaine and superfluous praises whereby louers sell their ils for dangerous things when that so easily of captiues they become free and fall from a burning desire to a secure obliuion And if louers feele passions it proceedeth of their owne will and not of loue which is not but a thing imagined of men a thing neither in heauen nor earth but in his hart that entertaines it whose power if any he haue onely by the default of those he vsurpes who of their owne accord suffer themselues to be ouercommed offering him their harts for tribute and putting their libertie into his hands But bicause Syrenus Sonnet may not so easily passe without an answere giue eare to this which as it seemes was made in countermaund of that and long agoe it is since I heard a Shepherd called Aurelius sing it in the fields of Sebetho and as I remember thus it said LOue is not blinde but I which fondly guide My will to tread the path of amorous paine Loue is no childe but I which all in vaine Hope feare and laugh and weepe on euery side Madnes to say that flames are Cupids pride For my desire his fier doth containe His wings my thoughts most high and soueraine And that vaine hope wherein my ioies abide Loue hath no chaines nor shaftes of such intent To take and wound the whole and freest minde Whose power then we giue him is no more For loue 's a tale that Poets didinuent A dreame of fooles an idoll vaine and blinde See then how blacke a God doe we adore Dost thou therefore thinke Diana that any one endued but with reasonable vnderstanding will trust to things in the ayre as thou dost What reason hast thou so truely to worship a thing so vnruly and false as the supposed God of loue is who is fained by fond and vaine heads followed by dishonest mindes and nourished in the braines of idle wantons These are they who gaue to Loue that name which makes him so famous thorow out all the world For seeing how fonde men for louing well did suffer so many sursaults feares cares iealousies changes and other infinite passions they agreed to seeke out some principall and vniuersall cause from whence as from a fountaine all
teares had melted me like snowe Marcelius is my name who knowes not that And I am hers since first I did her see That now I knowe not who I am nor what My hap shall be or shall become of mee Now did the light begin to giue place to darknes and the countrey villages with their domesticall fires began to smoke apace when the Shepherds being neere to their towne made an ende of their singing Euerie one went to his owne house as men not meanely glad for their passed conuersation but Diana founde no rest at all especially when she remembred that her beloued Syrenus was not in the towne She lodged Marcelius well in Mâ—libeus house cousen to Delius where with great kindnes and their best countrey cheere he was welcommed and after comming home to her owne house she called her husbands and her owne kindred togither and tolde them how Delius had forsaken her at the fountaine of the Sicamours by following a strange Shepherdesse that by chance came thither At which wordes she seemed to make so greeuous complaints and indeed to be so sorrie that in the end she told them all that earely in the morning she was purposed to go to Dianas Temple to enquire of sage Felicia some newes of her husband Delius They were all well content that she should go and offered her all the fauour and helpe they could in her iourney but the intent therof was for no other end but to see Syrenus whom she knew assuredly to be there Wherefore with many thankes she remained verie glad that her determination had so good successe and so with hope of her future ioy she gaue some rest that night to her wearied bodie and felt in her heauie hart a touch of vnwoonted pleasure and content The end of the first booke The second Booke of Enamoured DIANA VNiust and lawlesse loue is of such force that to augment his crueltie it hath the helpe of all things in the world his enterprises being fauoured and maintained by those things which are of most might and valour but especially aided so much by Fortune and by her mutabilities as for bestowing his paines and torments abroad he needs no better friend nor furtherer All which is verified by Marcelius disgraces since Fortune wrought so hard a conceite in his betrothed Alcidas brest that she was forced to giue credite to such a suspicion that though most false she held for an assured or at least an apparant ground of his inconstancie whereof ensued the hating of her husband who loued her deerer then his owne life and who in any thing had neuer offended her Heereupon it may be gathered how strong and certaine a presumption ought to be to make a wise and discreete person giue faith and credite to it since this that had but a colour of certaintie was so farre indeede from the truth of the matter But now though Loue and Fortune so ill entreated Marcelius yet in one thing they highly pleasured him which was that Loue wounded Dianas hart and Fortune conducted him to the fountaine where he found her whereby they might go both togither to sage Felicias house and passe away his sorrowes with lesse annoy in her comfortable and delighfull companie But the time being come when the redde morning with her golden habite did ouercome the starres of the passed night and the birdes with their chirping noise gaue warning that day was come Enamoured Diana wearied with the long and tedious night rose vp to walke the path of her desired iourney and committing the charge of her flockes to the Shepherdesse Polyntia her friend she came out of her towne accompanied onely with her rurall Baggepipe the deceiuer of her sorrowes and with her scrippe stored with some fewe victuals She came downe from the side of a hill which ledde from the towne to a thicke woode where in the bottome of it she sat her downe vnderneath a rowe of greene Sicamours attending for Marcelius companie as she had promised the night before But in the meane time whilest he came not she began to tune her Baggepipe and to sing this song following AWake a little light of cleerest day With calme aspect with milde and gentle grace A poore soule to beguile in sorrowes plight Stretch out that light Apollo from thy face That ioies the desert Champians in decay And driest plants with life and secret might In this most pleasant wood that doth inuite To sweetest rest Tormented thou shalt see my brest With carefull greefe my heauie lot To see it selfe by him forgot Who for my scorne a thousand plaintes did waste The fault is Cupids taste Who giues and takes on purpose discontent Where he perceiues he may the more torment What beastes with mildnesse doe not complaints acquaint What stone by sighes is not to softnes wrought The which a wearied brest doth yeeld with paine What Tigres or what lions are not brought To ruth and pitie hearing a complaint Which hath almost vndone my soule in twaine But to Syrenus I recount in vaine My sorrowfull mishap Who doth as little care for that As furious windes in raging seas The teares that all to little ease The mariners with carefull hart doe shill For more they crie the more it rageth still Thy loue Syrenus was not fine and good Which in these fieldes to me thou didst once beare When as my errour might offend it so Remember Traitour what thou then didst sweare Neere to the riuer sitting in this wood What then doth now thy hardnes seeme to show Shall not a small obliuion long agoe Be helpt by extreme loue And such that shall be far aboue My passed hate and fault before Then since I cannot loue thee more Nor satisfie the same with greater heate For remedie my death I will intreate Liue yet in paine the which I feele at last For thee who mak'st my sorrowes lesse appeere Though more it hurtes my wretched soule I see Bicause to haue thy present figure heere Giues to her thought a sweete delight some tast Who paining for thy sake doth thinke on thee But bend thy hart a little vnto me Ardent in my request Thou seest I liue in paine opprest Sustain'd by this desire alone In all my life to heare but one No if thou wilt in that I most doe loue But from a man so fierce what shall I proue Tell me the fauours how canst thou requite In that time past Syrenus when thy hart Thou hadst more tender now in hardnes dead When Traitour for my cause with enuies smart A thousand Shepherdes thou didst kill outright O ioyfull time and life that I did leade The vale shall witnes and the pleasant meade Where I of Roses white And sweetest flowers with delight Braue garlands for thy head I had Compacted and sometimes did adde Only for thy content some of my haire Which greeuous thought my life doth now impaire Now free thou dost abhorre me in the end Who for thy sake her selfe in paine
consumes But yet take heede of Cupids fine deceates For that proud hart that ouermuch presumes From cruell loue his senses to defend The more he yeeldes the more to striue he sweates O that thou wert so wounded in his heates As now my selfe I see But euer it is vnto mee The best aduise no good to craue For whatsoeuer it would haue Though heauen and earth the more it doth importune It euer was denied by Loue and Fortune My song in pine I will no wise ingraue thee Nor hardned Oke but rather will commend thee Vnto the windes where they will tosse and waue thee And to the deafe and desart Champian send thee Bicause my torments of their hope depriued And memorie of them which makes me sorie May be forgot and neuer be reuiued Now that my life is lost and chiefest glorie The delicate voice and excellent graces of Diana surmounted farre the praises of the fairest and most skilfull Shepherdesses of her time And the quauers and fine conceits wherewith so sweetely she brake her voice and adorned her songs made her to be the more admired For they were so rare and singular that they rather seemed to be fetcht from some maiesticall court then knowen in the homely countrey The which ought not to be so much wondred at nor thought so strange since Loue is able to make the simplest Shepherds discourse of high and learned matters especially if it finde a liuely wit and spirit which in those pastorall cottages is seldome wanting But as the enamoured Shepherdesse was now ending her song about that time that the cleere Sunne began to lessen the shadowes of the high hils despised Marcelius taking his leaue of his pastorall lodging to come to the place where he had appointed to meete Diana came downe from the hill aboue at the foote whereof she was sitting to attende him whom when she had espied a far off she held her peace bicause he might not vnderstand the cause of her griefe When Marcelius was come to the place where Diana stayed for him he saide vnto her The cleere light of this day faire Shepherdesse which with the more resplendant beames of thy shining beautic did arise be as ioyfull and happie to thee as to me most sorrowfull if in thy good company I passe it not away Truely I am ashamed to see that my slownes hath made thee stay heere all alone so carefull for my comming but this is not the first fault that faire Diana thou must pardon me during the time that I shall conuerse with thee As that pardon should be vaine answered Diana where there is no fault so thou art not to be blamed for any such small care but rather the earnest desire that I had to rise so early and to come hither where I haue passed away the time in sundrie fancies and in thinking of the effects which belong to a troubled minde But here is no time nor place for vs to stay since the desire I haue to be at Dianas Temple is great though the way is very short as also for that the morning being somewhat fresh we may before the Sunne begins to powre downe his beames with greater heat begin to take our iourney the better to refresh our selues in the heate of the day to rest our wearied bodies When she had saide thus they both went on their way crossing ouer a thicke wood that was before them and for lightning of their iourney began to sing that which followeth Marcelius INconstant loue and cruell which hast lately Setled my happy thoughts my loue and fire In such a place so famous high and stately Where mortall mens desarts cannot aspire Well hast thou shew'd thy power By quailing of my sorrow To double it each hower And make my torments greater euen and morrow Thou mightst haue left my hart in former sadnes Bicause lesser harme it were to die with anguish Then to receiue a gladnes So full of paine And so by fits to languish Diana Thou must not thinke it strange and must not woonder That thus the mighty Boy of paine and pleasure After one small delight doth send a hunder Nay thousand paines and torments without measure For firme repose to any He yet did promise neuer But cruell deathes and many Sobs sighes and teares complaintes and chaines for euer The Lybian sandes and Aprils fairest flowers Passe not the greefes with which fierce loue doth murder Each harte and into showers Distraines the eies And yet proceedeth furder Marcelius Before that euer Loue my soule inflamed His slightes wherein he most of all abounded I knew right well wherewith mens harts he tamed And captiues made and after deepely wounded Our liues with great offences Not onely he annoieth But yet our wits and senses And soundest iudgements wholy he destroieth And so torments a soule and so encumbers That one poore ioy it hardly doth recouer So by ten thousand numbers Most greeuous thoughts surcharge a wretched louer Diana If Loues deceites and his dissembling proffers Wherewith he takes vs are so knowne and tried Why then presents the soule it selfe and offers So easily to be taken and applied If that the hart so tender The troubles intertaineth That Cupid doth engender Why after then laments it and complaineth Reason it were in loue he should be pained That to his dartes doth yeeld and is consenting With fetters to be chained For ill affoords vs nought but paines tormenting They sung this song and many more the which hauing ended they were nowe out of the wood and then they began to walke ouer a pleasant and flowrie meade which caused Diana to vse these words They are no doubt maruellous and strange things which the industrie of man hath inuented in populous and great cities but yet those which nature hath produced in the wide and solitarie fieldes are more to bee admired For who woulde not woonder at the liuely greene of this wood and not be amazed at the beautie of this goodly meadow For to beholde the diuersitie of coloured flowers and the pleasant melodie of chirping birdes is a thing so full of content and delight that the glorious pompe and wealth of the brauest and most famous Court is not comparable to it There is indeed said Marcelius in this pleasant solitude great store of content and ioy and namely for those that are free from passions of loue since they may lawfully and when they list enioy such rare sweetenes and abundant pleasures And I am certaine that if Loue which is now so much my mortal enimy remaining in these sequestred places had in the village where I was of late giuen me halfe the grief which now I feele my life durst neuer abide it since with such like delights I coulde not haue mitigated the crueltie of my torment To this Diana answered not a word but putting her snowe white hande before her eies and therewith supporting her golden head she staied a great while very sadde and pensiue and after
sending foorth now and then a sorrowfull and painefull sigh said thus Then woe is me vnfortunate Shepherdesse that can finde no remedie sufficient to comfort my sorrowes when those which take away from others a great part of their paine doe bring to me a continuall and burning greefe I can now Marcelius no longer hide the paine which I suffer the force whereof though it compels me to publish it yet for one thing I am bound to thanke it that it constraines me to tell it in such a time place where thou art onely present since thy noble minde and experience in like passions will not I hope condemne it for a meere trifling follie especially when thou knowest the cause thereof I am to be plaine with thee Marcelius tormented with the like greefe that thou art and am also forgotten as thou art of a Shepherd called Syrenus of whom in times past I was greatly beloued For cruell Fortune which ouerturneth humane intents married me to Delius enforced more by the hard commandement of my parents then by mine owne will and to my great greefe made me a bondslaue to such a husband the intollerable thought of whose continuall iealousie besides the sufferance of many other greefes more is onely sufficient to kill this miserable soule Whose iniurious suspects I could be content yet to suffer if I might but enioy the presence of Syrenus who taking a iust occasion by my forced marriage to forget me forsooke our towne bicause he would not see me and as I vnderstande is in the Temple of Diana whither we are now going Whereupon thou maiest imagine what kinde of life I leade being alwaies troubled with the iealousie of my husband and tormented with the absence of my louer Then Marcelius said I cannot chuse but pittie thy greefe nowe I know it gracious Shepherdesse and am sorrie that I haue not heard it till now God grant I may neuer enioy any happie content if I wish it not as well to thy hart as to mine owne But bicause thou knowest how generall Loues arrowes are with what small partialitie they hurt the stoutest harts and most free and vertuous mindes then blush not to manifest his wrongs since it shall neuer the more be an empeachment to thy good name but an occasion to make me esteeme the better of thee And that which comforts me heerein is that I knowe that the torment of thy husbandes iealousie a greater corsiue to the hart then the absence of the thing beloued will suffer thee to take a little rest since Delius who is following the flying Shepherdesse shall now be separated from thy companie Enioy therefore the time and occasion that Fortune presents thee and comfort thy selfe for it shall be no small ease vnto thee to passe away the absence of Syrenus being now free from the importunous trouble of thy iealous husband I wold not esteem these iealousies so hurtful to me said Diana if Syrenus had them aswel as Delius bicause I would then thinke that they had their foundation and beginning of loue For it is manifest that they that loue would be glad to be loued againe must esteem the iealousie of the thing beloued to be good lawfull since it is a manifest token of loue springing from loue incident to loue euer accōpanied with it And for my selfe I am able to assure thee that I neuer thought my selfe more in loue then when I was a litle iealous neuer iudged my self to be iealous but when I was ascertained that I was most in loue To the which Marcelius replied thus I neuer thought that a pastoral plainnes was able to alledge such wise reasons in so difficult a question whereupon I must needes condemne that for an olde approoued errour that maintaines that onely in cities and in the court the finest wits and exquisite conceits do dwell when I finde them as well to be amongst the thicke woodes and in countrey and plaine cottages Yet for all this I will gainsay thy opinion whereby thou wouldst seeme to prooue that iealousie is the messenger and companion of loue as if loue could not be where iealousie is not ioyned with it For though there are fewe louers but are a little iealous yet we must not therefore say that the Louer that is not iealous is not a more perfect and truer louer For he rather sheweth being exempt from iealousie what valour and force he hath in loue and the qualitie of his desire which is pure and cleere and not troubled with the miste of iealous imaginations Such an one was I with modestie be it spoken in my most happie and passed times and so highly then prised my good Fortune that with my publike verses I did manifest the same And amongst many other times that Alcida maruelled to see me so much in loue and free from iealousie I tooke in hand on a time to write this Sonnet to her to that effect A Sonnet THey say Loue sware he neuer would be frend If mortall Iealousie were not in place And Beautie neuer be in any face Vnlesse that Pride did on her thought attend These are two hags which hideous hell doth send Our sweete content to trouble and disgrace The one the ioy of loue to paine doth chace The other pitie from the hart defend Beautie and Loue were both for sworne by mee And thee by making my vnsure estate In ioy and happinesse so fortunate Bicause smce first thy figure I did see Being so Faire yet Prouder wast thou neuer Nor I in Loue that could be Iealous euer The pleasure that my Alcida tooke when I rehearsed this Sonnet to her was so great perceiuing thereby the integritie of my loue that a thousand times shee would sing it knowing that I had well pleased her fansie with it And truely faire Shepherdesse I hold it for a great errour that such a horrible monster as iealousie is should be accounted a good thing as to say that it is the token of Loue and that it is not but in an enamoured hart For by this assertion we may say that a feauer is good bicause it is a token of life for it is neuer but in a body most likely to liue But both are manifest errours since iealousie affoords no lesse paine then a feauer For it is a plague of the soule a frensie disturbing the thoughts a madnes that weakens the bodie an anger consuming the spirits a feare abasing the minde and a furie that fils the will with folly But bicause thou maist the better iudge of iealousie to be most abhominable imagine the cause of it and thou shalt finde that it is nothing else but a little feare of that which is not nor shall be a vile contempt of ones owne deserts and a mortall surmise which cals the faith and sinceritie of that which is beloued in doubt and suspition The pangs of iealousie with words gentle Shepherdesse cannot be decyphered for they are such that do infinitely
a delightfull and coole shadow defending them from the heat of the radiant sunne which was with some heate mounted vp the Hemispheare Whilest Marcelius Don Felix Felismena Syluanus and the Shepherds were talking togither of these matters at the other end of the garden neere vnto the fountaine as it is saide before were Eugerius Polydorus Alcida and Clenarda Alcida had that day left of her pastorall weedes as Felicia had commanded and was now apparelled and adorned very richly with costly garments and iewels that she willed shoulde be giuen her But as Syrenus was also there Montanus Arsileus and Belisa singing and sporting togither they maruell ouslie delighted Eugerius and his sonne and daughters that were harkening to them And that which did most of all please them was a song which Syrenus and Arsileus did sing one against another in dispraise and fauour of Cupid For they sung with an earnest will and desire in hope of a braue christall cup which Eugerius had promised for a reward and prize to him that did sing best And so Syrenus to the sound of his Rebecke and Arsileus to the tune of his rurall Baggepipe began to sing in maner following Syrenus OEies that are not now as once tormented When first my star enueagled and disguis'd you O ioyfull thoughts and quiet minde absented O carelesse hart now will I once aduise you That since you made Diana discontented To see loue thinke on you let this suffice you That I doe hold your counsell best of many In vaine to see nor loue nor thinke of any Arsileus O eies that haue to greater light attained Looking vpon that sunne your onely treasure O toyfull thoughts in thousand ioies distrained O happy hart the seate of secret pleasure Although Belisa would haue once disdained To see to loue or thinke on me at leisure Yet hold I this a heauen as like was neuer To see to loue and thinke on her for euer Syrenus would haue replyed to Arsileus answer if he had not beene interrupted by Eugerius who said Since you must iolly Shepherds receiue your reward at my hands it is good reason that you sing in such sort as may best content me Sing thou Syrenus first those verses which thy muse shall dictate vnto thee and then thou Arsileus shalt sing as many againe or those which thou shalt best thinke good of It pleaseth vs well said they and then Syrenus began thus Syrenus LEt now the goodly spring tide make vs merie And fieldes which pleasant flowers do adorne And vales meades woods with liuely colours flourish Let plentious flockes the Shepherds riches nourish Let hungrie woolues by dogs to death be torne And lambes reioice with passed winter wearie Let euery riuers ferrie In waters flowe and siluer streames abounding And fortune ceaslesse wounding Turne now thy face so cruell and vnstable Be firme and fauourable And thou that kill'st our soules with thy pretenses Molest not wicked loue my inward senses Let countrie plainnes liue in ioies not ended In quiet of the desart meades and mountaines And in the pleasure of a countrie dwelling Let Shepherds rest that haue distilled fountaines Of teares prooue not thy wrath all paines excelling Vpon poore soules that neuer haue offended Let thy flames be incended In hautie courtes in those that swim in treasure And liue in ease and pleasure And that a sweetest scorne my woonted sadnes A perfect rest and gladnes And hils and dales may giue me with offences Molest not wicked loue my inward senses In what law find'st thou that the freest reason And wit vnto thy chaines should be subiected And harmelesse soules vnto thy cruell murder O wicked loue the wretch that flieth furder From thy extremes thou plagu'st O false suspected And carelesse boy that thus thy sweetes dost season O vile and wicked treason Might not thy might suffice thee but thy fuell Of force must be so cruell To be a Lord yet like a Tyrant minded Vaine boy with errour blinded Why dost thou hurt his life with thy offences That yeelds to thee his soule and inward senses He erres alas and fowly is deceiued That cals thee God being a burning fire A furious flame a playning greefe and clamorous And Venus sonne that in the earth was amorous Gentle and milde and full of sweete desire Who calleth him is of his wits bereaued And yet that she conceaued By proofe so vile a sonne and so vnruly I say and yet say truly That in the cause of harmes that they haue framed Both iustly may be blamed She that did breede him with such vile pretenses He that doth hurt so much our inward senses The gentle sheepe and lambes are euer flying The rauening woolues and beastes that are pretending To glut their mawes with flesh they teare asunder The milke white doues at noise of fearefull thunder Flie home amaine themselues from harme defending The little chicke when puttocks are a crying The woods and meadowes dying For raine of heauen if that they cannot haue it Doe neuer cease to craue it So euery thing his contrarie resisteth Onely thy thrall persisteth In suffring of thy wrongs without defences And lets thee spoile his hart and inward senses A publike passion natures lawes restraining And which with wordes can neuer be declared A soule twixt loue and feare and desperation And endlesse plaint that shuns all consolation A spendlesse flame that neuer is impaired A friendlesse death yet life in death maintaining A passion that is gaining On him that loueth well and is absented Whereby it is augmented Aiealousie a burning greefe and sorrow These fauours louers borrow Of thee fell Loue these be thy recompences Consuming still their soule and inward-senses Arsileus after that Syrenus had ended his song began to tune his Bagpipe and after he had played a little while vpon it answering euerie staffe of his Competitor in order he sung as followeth Arsileus O Let that time a thousand monthes endure Which brings from heauen the sweete and siluer showres And ioies the earth of comforts late depriued With grasse and leaues fine buds and painted flowres Eccho returne vnto the woods obscure Ring foorth the Shepherds songs in loue contriued Let olde loues be reuiued Which angrie winter buried hath of late And that in such a state My soule may haue the full accomplishment Of ioy and sweete content And since fierce paines and greefes thou dost controule Good loue doe not forsake my inward soule Presume not Shepherds once to make you mery With springs and flowres or any pleasant song Vnlesse milde loue possesse your amorous brestes If you sing not to him your songs doe werie Crowne him with flowres or else ye doe him wrong And consecrate your springs to his behestes I to my Shepherdesse My happie loues with great content doe sing And flowres to her doe bring And sitting neere her by the riuer side Enioy the braue springtide Since then thy ioies such sweetnesse doe enroule Good loue doe not forsake my inward
of sommer is spread ouer the face of the whole earth sometimes taking his rebecke which he euer caried very neate in a scrip and sometimes his bagpipe to the tune of which he made most sweete ditties which of all the Shepherdesses of those hamlets thereabouts made him most highly commended The Shepherd busied not his thoughts in the consideration of the prosperous and preposterous successe of fortune nor in the mutabilitie and course of times neither did the painfull diligence and aspiring minde of the ambitious Courtier trouble his quiet rest nor the presumption and coye disdaine of the proude and nice Ladie celebrated onely by the appassionate vowes and opinions of her amorous sutours once occurre to his imaginations And as little did the swelling pride and small care of the hawtie priuate man offend his quiet minde In the field was he borne bred and brought vp in the field he fed his flockes and so out of the limits of the field his thoughts did neuer range vntill cruell loue tooke possession of his libertie which to those he is commonly woont to doe who thinke themselues freest from his tyrannie The sad Shepherd therefore came softly on his pace his eies turned into fountaines the fresh hew of his face chaunged and his hart so tempered to suffer Fortunes vnworthie disgraces that if she would haue giuen him any content she must haue sought him a new hart to receiue it The weedes that he did weare was a long gray coate as rugged as his haps carrying a sheepehooke in his right hand and a scrip hanging on his left arme He laide himselfe downe at the foote of a thicke hedge and began to cast foorth his eyes along those faire riuer banks vntill their beames came to that place where first they beheld the beautie grace and rare vertues of the Shepherdesle Diana she in whom skilfull nature had consummated all perfections which in euery part of her dainty body she had equally bestowed Then did his hart imagine that which before it diuined of That sometimes he should finde himselfe put amongst sorrowfull memories And then could not the wofull Shepherd stop his teares from gushing out nor smother his sighes which came smoking out of his brest but lifting vp his eies to heauē began thus to lament Ah memorie cruell enemie to my quiet rest were not thou better occupied to make me forget present corsies then to put before mine eies passed contents What saiest thou memorie That in this medow I beheld my Lady Diana that in the same I began to feele that which I shal neuer leaue of to lament That neere to that cleere fountaine set about with high and greene Sicamours with many teares she solemnly sware to me that there was not the deerest thing in the world no not the will of her parents the perswasion of her brethren nor the importunities of her allies that were able to remooue her from her setled thoughts And when she spake these words there fell out of those faire eies teares like orientall pearles which seemed to testifie that which remained in her secret hart commanding me vpon paine to be accounted of her a man but of a base and abiect minde if I did not beleeue that which so often times she had told me But stay yet a little Memorie since now thou hast put before me the foundations of my mishap and such they were that the ioy which I then passed was but the beginning of the greefe which now I suffer forget not to tune me this iarring string to put before mine eies by one and one the troubles the turmoiles the feares the suspects the iealousies the mistrusts and cares which leaue not him that most truly loues Ah memorie memorie how sure am I of this answere at thy hands that the greatest paine that I passed in these considerations was but little in respect of that content which in lieu of them I receiued Thou hast great reason memorie and the worse for me that it is so great and lying and lamenting in this sort he tooke a paper out of his bosome wherein he had a few greene silken strings and haire tyed vp together and laying them open before him vpon the greene grasse with abundance of teares he tooke out his Rebecke not halfe so iocund as it was woont to be at what time he was in Dianas fauour and began to sing that which followeth HAire in change what libertie Since I sawe you haue I seene How vnseemely hath this greene Bene a signe of hope to me Once I thought no Shepherd might In these fieldes be found O haire Though I did it with some feare Worthy to come neere your sight Haire how many times and tydes Did my faire Diana spie If I ware or left you by And a thousand toyes besides And how oft in weeping sort Of deceitfull teares O springs Was she iealous of the things Which I spake or did in sport Those faire eies which wrought my woe Golden haire tell me what fault In beleeuing them I caught When they did assure me soe Saw you not how she did greeue Spilling daily many a teare Vnto her till I did sweare That I did her words beleeue Who more beautie euer knew In a subiect of such change Or more sorrowes or more strange In a loue so perfect true On the sand her did I see Sitting by you riuer bright Where her finger this did wright Rather dead then changed be See how loue beares vs in hand Making vs beleeue the wordes That a womans wit affordes And recorded in the sand Syrenus had not so soone made an end of his sorrowful song if that his teares had not bene at hand for such an one was he from whom fortune had cut off all the waies and meanes of his remedie Sorrowing thus his Rebecke fell out of his hand and taking vp the golden haire he put them in their place againe saying O pledges of the fairest and most disloyall Shepherdesse that humane eies may behold how with your owne sasetie haue you beguiled me Woe is me that I cannot choose but see you my whole greefe consisting in hauing seene you And pulling his hande out of his scrip he found a letter that Diana in time of his prosperitie had sent him which when he beheld with a burning sigh that came from his very hart he saide O letter letter burned maist thou be by his handes who may best doe what he list and woe be to him that now shall reade thee But who may doe it And opening it he sawe that it said thus Dianas letter to Syrenus HOw ill I should brooke thy words my Syrenus who would not thinke but that loue made thee vtter them Thou saiest I loue thee not so much as I ought to doe I knowe not whereby thou perceiuest it and conceiue not how I should loue thee more Behold it is now no time not to beleeue me bicause thou seest that the loue which I beare thee compels me to
beleeue that which from thy very thoughts and affection thou dost tell me I imagine oftentimes that as thou supposest that I loue thee not by louing thee more then my selfe so must thou thinke that thou louest me by hating me Behold Syrenus how time hath dealt better with thee then thou didst imagine at the beginning of our loues with safetie yet of mine honour which owes thee all that it may wherein is not any thing that I would not doe for thy sake beseeching thee as much as I may not to trouble thy minde with iealousie and suspicions bicause thou knowest how few escape out of their hands with safetie of life which God giue thee with all the content that I wish thee Is this a letter saide Syrenus sighing to make one thinke that obliuion could enter into that hart from whence such wordes came foorth And are these wordes to be passed so slightly out of memorie And that she then spake them and now forget me O sorrowfull man with what great content did I reade this letter when my Mistresse had sent it me and how many times in the same hower did I reade it ouer againe But for euery pleasure then with seuen folde paine I am now apaide and fortune could doe no lesse with me then to make me fall from one extreme to another For it had ill beseemed her with partiall hand to exempt me from that which to all others she is commonly wont to doe About this time from the hill beneath that led from the village to the greene medowe Syrenus might perceiue a Shepherd comming downe pace by pace and staying awhile at euery step sometimes looking vp to heauen and sometimes casting his eies vpon the greene medow and faire riuer bankes which from aloft he might easily view and discouer the thing which more augmented his sorrow seeing the place where the beginning and roote of his mishap did first growe Syrenus knew him by and by and looking towardes the place from whence he came saide Vnfortunate Shepherd though not halfe so much as I am that art a corriuall with me in Dianas loue to what end haue thy bootelesse suites serued thee and the disdaine that this cruell Shepherdesse hath done thee but to put them all on my score But if thou hadst knowen that the finall summe of all thy paines should haue bene like to mine what greater fauour hadst thou found at fortunes hands by preseruing thee still in this haplesse estate of life then by throwing me headlong downe from it when I did lest suspect it But now despised Syluanus tooke out his bagpipe and playing on it a little with great sorrow and greefe did sing these verses following I Am a louer but was neuer loued Well haue I lou'd and will though hated euer Troubles I passe but neuer any mooued Sighes haue I giuen and yet she heard me neuer I would complaine and she would neuer heare me And flie from loue but it is euer neere me Obliuion onely blamelesse doth beset me For that remembreth neuer to forget me For euery ill one semblant I doe beare still To day not sad nor yesterday contented To looke behinde or go before I feare still All things to passe alike I haue consented I am besides my selfe like him that daunceth And mooues his feete at euery sound that chaunceth And so all like a senselesse foole disdaines me But this is nothing to the greefe that paines me The night to certaine louers is a trouble When in the day some good they are attending And other some doe hope to gaine some double Pleasure by night and wish the day were ending With that that greeueth some some others ease them And all do follow that that best doth please them But for the day with teares I am a crying Which being come for night I am a dying Of Cupid to complaine who euer craue it In waues he writes and to the windes he crieth Or seeketh helpe of him that neuer gaue it For he at last thy paines and thee defieth Come but to him some good aduise to lend thee To thousand od conceits he will commend thee What thing is then this loue It is a science That sets both proofe and study at defiance My Mistresse loued her Syrenus deerely And scorned me whose loues yet I auouched Left to my greefe for good I held it cleerely Though narrowly my life and soule it touched Had I but had a heauen as he once shining Loue would I blame if it had bene declining But loue did take no good from me he sent me For how can loue take that he neuer lent me Loue 's not a thing that any may procure it Loue 's not a thing that may be bought for treasure Loue 's not a thing that comes when any lure it Loue 's not a thing that may be found at pâ—…re For if it be not borne with thee refraine it To thinke thou must be borne anew to gaine it Then since that loue shuns force and doth disclame it The scorned louer hath no cause to blame it Syrenus was not idle when Syluanus was singing these verses for with his sighes he answered the last accents of his wordes and with his teares did solemnize that which he conceiued by them The disdained Shepherd after he had ended his song began to reuolue in his minde the small regarde he had of himselfe and how for the loue of his cruell Mistresse Diana he had neglected all his busines and flockes and yet he reckoned all this but small He considered that his seruice was without hope of recompence a great occasion to make him that hath but small firmnesse easily cut off the way of his loue But his constancie was so great that being put in the middes of all the causes which he had to forget her who neuer thought of him with his owne safetie he came so easily out of them and so cleerely without preiudice to the sincere loue which he bare his Shepherdesse that without any feare he neuer committed any ignorance that might turne to the hurt or hinderance of his faith But when he sawe Syrenus at the fountaine he woondred to see him so sad not that he was ignorant of the cause of his sorrow but bicause he thought that if he had tasted but the lest fauour that Syrenus had sometimes receiued at Dianas handes such a contentment had bene ynough for him all his life time He came vnto him and imbraced him and with many teares on both sides they sat them downe vpon the greene grasse Syluanus beginning to speake in this sort God forbid Syrenus that for the cause of my mishap or at the lest for the small remedie thereof I should take delight or reuenge in thine which though at mine owne pleasure I might well doe yet the great loue which I beare to my Mistresse Diana woulde neuer consent thereunto nor suffer me to goe against that which with such good will and liking she had sometimes fauoured
the riuer in the heate where resting her With great care she was telling yet and heeding them After if that she was alone deuesting her Thou shouldst haue seene the bright sunne beames enuying her Resplendant hayre to kembe them manifesting her But on the sudden meeting and espying her My deerest friend Syluane how oft incended was Her fairest face with orient blushing dying her And with what grace how mildly reprehended was My staying long which she did aske correcting me Which if I greeu'd with blandishments amended was How many daies haue I found her expecting me At this cleere fountaine when that I was seeking her Along that thickest hedge to greefe subiecting me All paines and troubles what so ere in meeting her Of sheepe or lambes we straight way were forgetting them When she sawe me or when that I was greeting her Some other times Syluane we tun'd in setting them Our Bagpipe and the Rebeck which we plaied on And then my verses sung we nothing letting them After with bowe and arrowes we estraied on Sometimes with nets and she neuer refraining me And came not home without some chase we praied on Thus fortune went by these meanes entertaining me Reseruing for some greater ill and tendring me Which hath no end but by deathes end restraining me Syluanus Syrenus that most cruell loue engendring me Such greefe stints not nor hindreth the perswading me Of so much ill I die therein remembring me Diane I sawe but straight my ioy was failing me When to my onely sight she was opposing her And to my greefe I saw long lift inuading me How many tymes haue I found her in losing her How often lost in finding and espying her And I my death and seruice not disclosing her My life I lost when meeting I was eying her Faire louely eies which full of anger cruelly She turn'd to me when that my speech was plying her But her faire haire where Cupides in their fâ—…ll lye When she vndid and kemb'd vnseene then leauing me My ils return'd most sensibly which rue well I. But pitilesse Diana then perceiuing me Turn'd like a cruell serpent that in winding it Assailes the lion thâ—… my life be reauing me One time false hope deceitfully but blinding it My hart maintain'd ewen for my comfort choosing it But afterwardes in such an error finding it It mocked hope and then it vanisht loosing it Not long after that the Shepherdes had made an ende of their sorrowfull songs they espied a shepherdesse comming out of the thicket neere to the riuer playing on a Bagpipe and singing with as sweete a grace and delicate voice as with no lesse sorrow and greefe which by her countenance and gesture she so liuely expressed that it darkened a great part of her excellent beautie Whereupon Syrenus who had not of a long time fed in those vallies asked Syluanus what she was who answered This is a faire Shepherdesse that hath sed but a fewe daies since in these medowes complaining greatly of loue and as some say with good cause though others say that she hath bene a long time mocked by the discouerie of a deceite Why saide Syrenus lies it then in her to perceiue it and to deliuer her selfe from it It doth saide Syluanus for I thinke there is no woman though neuer so much in loue whose wits and senses the force and passion of loue can so much blinde that may not perceiue whether she be beloued againe or not I am of a contrarie opinion saide Syrenus Of a contrarie saide Syluanus Why thou shalt not flatter thy selfe so much for the affiance which thou hadst in Dianus wordes hath cost thee deere and yet I blame thee not considering that as there is none whom her beautie ouercomes not so is there not any whom her wordes deceiue not How knowest thou that since she neuer deceiued thee by word nor deede It is true saide Syluanus that I was euer if so I may terme it vndeceiued by her but I durst by that which hath hitherto fallen out that she neuer meant any deceit to me but only to deceiue thee But let vs leaue this and harken to this Shepherdesse that is a great friend to Diana who is well worthy for the commendable report of her wisedome and good graces to be harkened vnto But now was the faire Shepherdesse comming towards the fountaine and began to sing this Sonnet following A Sonnet MIne eies once haue I seene you more contented And my poore hart more ioyfull I haue knowne thee Woe to the cause whose greefes haue ouer growne thee And yet whose sight your comforts once presented But as this cruell fortune hath inuented Sweete ioy to roote thee vp where she had sowen thee So now Seluagia she hath ouer throwen thee Thy pleasures scarce begun she hath tormented Let me to time or to his changing take me Let me with motions out of order leade me Then I shall see how free my hart is to me Then will I trust in hopes that not forsake me When I haue staide her wheeles that ouertread me And beaten downe the fates that doe vndoe me After that the Shepherdesse had made an end of her song she came directly to the fountaine where the Shepherdes were and while she was a comming Syluanus smiling saide Marke but those woâ—… and the burning sigh wherewith she ended her song what witnesses they are of her inward loue and greefe Thereof I haue no doubt saide Syrenns for I woulde to God I could so speedily remedie her sorrowe as I beleeue to my great greefe all that she hath by dolefull song vttered And talking thus together Seluagia was by this time come and knowing the Shepherds curteously saluted them saying What doe you in this greene and pleasant medow despised Shepherds Thou saiest not amisse faire Seluagia by asking vs what we doe saide Syluanus for we doe so little in respect of that we shoulde doe that we can neuer conclude and bring any thing to passe that in our loues we desire to haue Maruell not thereat saide Seluagia for there are certaine things that before they ende they that desire them are ended True saide Syluanus if a man puts his rest in a womans disposition for she will first ende his life before she will ende or determine to giue him any fauour that he is still hoping to receiue at her handes Vnhappy women are these saide Seluagia that are so ill intreated by your wordes But more vnfortunate are those men saide Syluanus that are worse handled by your deedes Can there be a thing more base and of lesse account then that you are so ready for the lightest thing in the worlde to forget them to whom you haue borne the greatest loue For absent your selues but a day from him whom you loue well and then shall he neede to commence his suite new againe Two things I gather saide Seluagia by thy speech which make me wonder not a little The one to see thy toong goe so much
was somewhat manlike yet was the fauour and beautie of it so singular that it made me to woonder But Ismenia prosecuting her speech saide And bicause thou maist knowe faire Shepherdesse the summe of this paine which thy beautie hath made me feele and that the wordes which haue passed betweene vs but in sport are true knowe that I am a man and not a woman as thou takest me to be These Shepherdesses which thou seest heere in my companie my kinswomen and familiar acquaintance to make some sport and to laugh apparelled me in this sort for otherwise I could not haue staied in the temple by reason of the olde custome so strictly obserued heere When I heard these wordes and perceiued as I said before not those effeminate lookes in her face nor that demure modestie in her eies which maidens for the most part are woont to haue I verily beleeued that all was true that she tolde me and then was so far besides my selfe that I knew not what to answere her Yet mine eies did still contemplate that most perfect beautie and marked those words which with so great dissimulation she had tolde me for neuer could any make a false and fained tale seeme more apparant and true as that craftie and cruell Shepherdesse did Then I felt my selfe so intangled in her loue and so well content to heare that she was enamoured of me againe as gentle Shepherdes I am not able to declare And though I had not till then any experience of loue passions a cause sufficient not to make me expresse them yet forcing my selfe the best I could in this sort I saide vnto her Faire Shepherdesse that hast to make me liue without libertie or for some other respect which fortune best knowes taken vpon thee the habit of her who for thy loue hath entirely vowed her affections to thee thine owne had sufficed to ouercome me without making me yeelde with mine owne weapons But who can flie from that which fortune hath allotted her Thrise happy might I haue thought my selfe if on purpose thou hadst done that which by chaunce and onely for merriment thou hast deuised For if by changing thy naturall habit it had bene onely to haue seene me and to vnfolde to me thy amorous desires I would then haue attributed it to mine owne desertes and no doubt to thy great affection but seeing that the intent was of an other consequence although the effect hath resulted to this thou seest it contents me not so greatly I must needes confesse being done in such sort as I haue saide And let not this desire amaze nor greeue thee for there is no greater signe of a perfect louer then to desire to be beloued of him to whom she hath wholy offered vp her libertie Whereupon by that thou hast heard me vtter thou maiest gather how thy sight hath blinded my vnderstanding and made me become such an one as I am beseeching thee to vse the power thou hast ouer me in such sort that I may entertaine this opinion to thinke my selfe happie and fortunate to the end of our loue the which for my part while life doth last shall not die in my faithfull and louing brest Deceitfull Ismenia was so skilfull to frame a suttle answere to my simple wordes and to faine speeches so fit for the subiect of our talke that none coulde escape the cunning deceit whereinto I fell vnlesse fortune by the threed of wisedome had vnwound her out of so intricate a laberinth And in this sort we were together vntill morning came on talking of that which she may imagine that hath passed the like disordered occurrents in loue She tolde me her name was Alanius her countrie village Gallia three miles from our towne where we appointed to meete and see one another many times together But now gan the duskie welkin to waxe cleere and hastie morning was come when both of vs with many imbracings teares and sighes were constrained to depart from one another She went from me and I turning my head backe to beholde her and to see if she looked backe at me againe perceiued how she went away smiling to her selfe whereof thinking that mine eies did but deceiue me I made no regarde at all Away she went with the companie that came with her and I with more then I brought since in my troubled minde I carried backe with me the eies and Idea of fained Alanius the wordes by the which she had opened to me her malicious and ridiculous loue the imbracings that I receiued of her and the cruell greefe which vntill that time I had neuer prooued before And now you must knowe good Shepherdes that this false and suttle Ismenia had a cosin called Alanius whom she loued more then her selfe for in countenance and eies and in euery other part and lineaments she resembled him so much that if they had not bene of different sexe none could haue iudged the one from the other And the loue which she did beare him was so great that when I asked her her name in the temple and seeing that she must needes tell me some Shepherdes name or other the first that came to her minde and mouth was that of Alanius For there is no greater certaintie then that the toong in a sudden matter doth euer concurre with the hart And her the Shepherd loued well but yet not so much as she did him But now when the Shepherdesses were come out of the temple to goe home to their villages Ismenia went to her kinsman Alanius who to shew her all the curtesie that in so great and mutual loue was requisite leauing the yongsters companie of his towne accompanied her all alone whereat Ismenia was not a little proude and ioyfull who to entertaine the time with some talke by the way tolde him all that had passed betweene vs not omitting any thing and not without great sport and laughter of them both telling him also that I went away with firme beleefe that she was a man and greatly enamoured of her When Alanius heard these nouelties he dissembled the matter the best he coulde saying that it was a pleasant and pretie iest And picking all out of her that had passed betweene vs so that he thought there was nothing left vntold they came to their towne But eight daies after which I thought were eight thousand yeeres the traitour Alanius for so I may with greater reason call him then he had afterward to cast me off came to our towne and stood attending me in such a place where I could not choose but see him as I was going with other maides to the fountaine not far from the towne whom when I espied I was rapt out of minde for extreme and sudden ioy thinking he was the very same that in the habit of a Shepherdesse had spoken to me in the temple whereupon I made him some secret signes to come to the fountaine whither I was going who knowing my meaning performed foorthwith my minde
Thither he came and there we were talking together as long as time woulde giue vs leaue and the loue of my side at the lest was so strongly confirmed betweene vs that though the deceit had bene discouered as not many daies after it was knowne it was yet of so great force and vertue that it coulde neuer make me alienate my minde and affection from him And I also beleeued that Alanius loued me well and that especially from that time he was greatly enamoured of me though afterwardes in effect he did not so well declare it so that for certaine daies together our loue happily continued and was handled with the greatest secrecie that might be which was not yet so great but that subtile Ismenia in the end perceiued it who seeing her selfe to be the onely cause thereof and most in fault not onely by deceiuing me but by ministring occasion to Alanius of discouering himselfe and by that which passed to fall in loue with me and to forget her as indeede he did for very greefe was almost out of her wits but that with this poore hope she comforted her selfe againe that if I knew the trueth I would immediately forget and cast him off wherein she was not a little deceiued for as he afterwardes loued me more and more so by his seuerall beauties and singular deserts I was more obliged to loue and honour him But Ismenia purposing to open the deceite which by her owne follie and suttletie she had framed wrote me this letter following Ismenias letter to Seluagia IF we are bound to loue those well Seluagia that loue vs there is nothing in the world which I ought to esteeme deerer then thy selfe but if to hate them that are the cause why we are forgotten and despised I leaue it to thine owne discretion I would put thee in some fault for casting thine eies vpon my Alanius but wretched woman what shall I doe that am the organ of mine owne mishap O Seluagia to my greefe I sawe thee and well could I excuse that which I passed with thee but in the end such fonde prankes haue seldome good successe For laughing but one little hower with my Alanius and telling him what had passed betweene vs I must now weepe and lament all my life time if my greefe at the lest may not mooue thee to some remorse of pitie I beseech thee by all I may that the discouerie of this deceite may suffice and so worke with thee to make thee forget my Alanius and restore this haplesse Shepherdesse to that which being not a little thou art able to doe if loue will permit thee to graunt me this fauour which I request at thy hands When I had read this letter and imparted it to Alanius he then at large vnfolded vnto me the maner of her deceit but not one word of the loue that was betweene them both whereof I made no great reckoning for I was so assured of that which he seemed to beare me that I woulde neuer beleeue that any passed or future thoughts might haue bene an occasion to haue made him afterwardes forget me But bicause Ismenia might not by my silence thinke me discurteous I answered her letter thus Seluagias letter to Ismenia I Knowe not faire Ismenia whether I may iustly accuse thee or giue thee thankes for disposing my minde and affection in this sort nor can resolue with my selfe whether of these two I should doe vntill the successe of my loue doe counsell me heerein On the one side I am sorie for thy ill hap on the other I see that thou wentst foorth as it were to meete and imbrace it Seluagia was free when thou didst delude her in the temple and is now subiect to his will into whose handes thou wouldst needes deliuer her Thou praiest me to leaue off the loue that I beare Alanius with that which thou thy selfe wouldst doe in this behalfe I may easily answere thee Yet one thing makes me very sad that thou art greeued for that for which thou hast no iust cause of complaint which to the patient therof giueth the greatest paine in the world I do often consider thinke of those faire eies with which thou didst behold me and of that sweete face which after many importunate requestestes thou didst shew me and it greeues me Ismenia that such faire things and so like to my Alanius should suffer any sorrow and discontentment at all Behold then what remedie is left for thy greefe that for the bountie which thou hast vsed towardes me by giuing me the most precious gemme thou hadst I kisse thy faire and daintie hands which curtesie of thine being so great God graunt that by some meanes or other I may be able to requite If thou seest my Alanius there tell him I pray thee what reason he hath to loue me for he knoweth already how much he hath to forget thee And God glue thee the content thou desirest which may not be to the cost of that which I haue by seeing my affection so happily and well imploied Ismenia could not reade this letter to the end for in the middest of it her sighes and teares which she powred out were so many that she thought at that very time to haue lost her life She laboured as much as she could to make Alanius forsake me and deuised so many meanes for the same purpose as he to shun those places and occasions whereby he thought he might see her Not that he meant her any harme thereby but bicause he thought by doing so in some part he requited the great loue that I bare him All the daies that he liued in this minde there escaped not any wherein I sawe him not for he passed euermore that way feeding his flockes which from our towne did leade to his He accounted no trauels nor troubles too great which he did for my sake and especially if he thought I regarded them Day by day Ismenia inquired after him and neuer ceased to seeke him out who being sometimes tolde by others and sometimes knowing her selfe that he was in our towne had no patience at all to suffer such a corsiue at her hart And yet for all this there was not anything that contented and pacified her troubled minde more then when she could get some little time to speake with him But as necessitie is so ingenious and politike that it seekes out remedies where mans wit can scarce imagine any despised Ismenia aduentured to helpe her selfe by one which I woulde to God had neuer entred into her thought by faining that she extremely loued another Shepherd called Montanus who a long time had loued and serued her before And as she purposed so she put it in practise to trie if by this sudden change she might draw Alanius to that which so much she desired For there is not any thing which a man thinks he hath most sure though making but a small account thereof but that the losse of it if on a
this sort as you haue heard euery one tormented for them who loued them not againe Alanius to the tune of his Fiddle by this dolefull song began to complaine of Ismenias crueltie NO more O cruell Nymph now hast thou prayed Ynough in thy reuenge prooue not thine ire On him that yeeldes the fault is now apayed Vntomy cost now mollifie thy dire Hardnes and brest of thine so much obdured And now raise vp though lately it hath erred A poore repenting soule that in the obscured Darknes of thy obliuion lies enterred For it fals not in that that doth commend thee That such a Swaine as I may once offend thee If that the little sheepe with speede is flying From angrie Shepherd with his wordes affraied And runneth here and there with fearfull crying And with great greefe is from the flocke estraied But when it now perceiues that none doth follow And all alone so far estraying mourneth Knowing what danger it is in with hollow And fainting bleates then fearefull it returneth Vnto the flocke meaning no more to leaue it Should it not be a iust thing to receiue it Lift vp these eies Ismenia which so stately To view me thou hast lifted vp before me That libertie which was mine owne but lately Giue me againe and to the same restore me And that milde hart so full of loue and pittie Which thou didst yeeld to me and euer owe me Behold my Nymph I was not then so witty To knowe that sincere loue that thou didst shew me Now wofull man full well I knowe and rue it Although it was too late before I knew it How could it be my enemie say tell me How thou in greater fault and errour being Then euer I was thought should'st thus repell me And with new league and cruell title seeing Thy faith so pure and woorthy to be changed And what is that Ismenia that doth binde it To loue whereas the same is most estranged And where it is impossible to finde it But pardon me if herein I abuse thee Since that the cause thou gau'st me doth excuse me But tell me now what honour hast thou gained Auenging such a fault by thee committed And thereunto by thy occasion trained What haue I done that I haue not acquitted Or what excesse that is not amply paied Or suffer more that I haue not endured What cruell minde what angry brest displaied With sauage hart to fiercenes so adiured Would not such mor tall greefe make milde and tender But that which my fell Shepherdesse doth render Now as I have perceiued well thy reasons Which thou hast had or hast yet to forget me The paines the greefes the guiltes of forced treasons That I haue done wherein thou first didst set me The passions and thine cares and eies refusing To heare and see me meaning to vndoe me Cam'st thou to know or be but once perusing Th'vnsought occasions which thou gau'st vnto me Thou should'st not haue wherewith to more torment me Nor I to pay the fault my rashnes lent me Thus did my Alanius end his sweet song wherewith I would my life had also ended not without great cause since my mishap could not be more extreme then to see him whom I loued more then my selfe before mine eies to pine so much for the loue of another and so strangely to forsake me But as I was not alone in these misfortunes I did dissemble them for that time as well as I could as also bicause faire Ismenia casting her eies vpon her Montanus began to sing that which followeth HOw fond am I to hope for any rest In endlesse plaints vaine sighes and bootelesse teares The present now at hand to be exprest Yet few to these that with ten thousand feares I haue powr'd out vnto thy cruell eares And if at any time my life did tend To other loues in earnest or in iest This loue by that I neuer could offend Bicause I did but then begin to prooue And learne how well Montanus I could loue Then did I learne to loue my selfe I taught To loue by him who lou'd me not againe For I suspected that I should be brought Vnto thy loue Montanus when in vaine I loued him that did my loue disdaine I try'de I say my free and carelesse hart Of loue to taste some sorrow that it sought And let that Shepherd with his loue depart That loues with thee for all his paine and greefe Is but in vaine when vaine is his releefe Let none accuse me then if I disdaine Alanius loues whose loues are but a showe For I could neuer loue nor entertaine Any but thee for whom I will bestowe My deerest life since heauens will haue it soe And if at any time I fein'd to like I lik'd I say but how I did I knowe For neuer any Shepherd els could strike My hart indeede but thou to whom I giue My faith kept for thee since I first did liue Let burning sighes go forth and still increase Let both mine eies become two springs of teares Let accidents repugnant to mine ease Arise for thoughts which now my minde for sweares Shall neuer hurt that loue which now it beares Let sorrow goe and ill which way they will And now let ioies returne which way they please For where they are there will I houer still Since that no harme my purpose may reclame Nor cruell death it selfe although it came Ismenia by this song had reuenged me of cruell and disloyall Alanius if in the loue at the lest which I did beare him any desire of reuenge could befall but Montanus staied not long from requiting Ismenia againe who casting his eie vpon me sung this song as followeth FOolish loue ah foolish louer I for thee thou for another I am a foole and seeme no lesse For thee who will not be For he 's a foole I doe confesse That is not one for thee And yet this doth not well agree To be a foolish louer Or foole for her that is a foole for louing of another Now seeing thee thou seest not mee And diest for my foe Eate me with sauce that loueth thee Of him thou louest soe So shalt thou make me to my woe To be a foolish louer And such a foole for louing thee as thou art for another When he had made an ende of the last verses notwithstanding the present agonie and sorrow that we al suffered we could not choose but laugh hartily to see how Montanus would haue me deceiue my taste by looking on him with the sauce and appetite of Alanius whom I loued as if it might haue fallen in the compasse of my thought to suffer it to be deceiued by the apparance of an other thing But now with greater firmnesse then the rest I began to tune and play on my Bagpipe and to sing a song to it as you shall heare for by the same I thought to shew how more constantly then any of the rest there I had perseuered in my loue to
or feele this hower When torments waste their force and seuerall power Who made my Shepherdesses tresses twist all Of fine Arabian gold not gilt-like shining Her face of cleerest and of chosen christ all Her rubie lips two rowes of pearle combining Her dymond eies like to those stars aboue all Her necke that whitest Allablaster stayneth Her passing wit inforcing vs to loue all Her stately minde that all our loues disdaineth Why made shee not her hart of melting matter Then of such marble stone so hard to batter One day I do conforme me to my fortune And to my griefe that faire Diana causeth Next day mine yll doth vex me and importune My soule with thoughts of griefe that seldome pauseth Cruell and fierce and inhumane I call her And so there is no order in my sorrow For afterwards in phrases I install her What now I say I do deny to morrow And all is thus leading a life in anguish Which soone mine eies may see by death to languish When faire Seluagia knew the Shepherd Syluanus by his voice she went to him and saluting one another with curteous and louing words they sat them downe vnder the shadow of a thicke and leafie mirtle in the mids of a little medow which for the diuersitie of fine golden flowers wherewith it was spotted more then their sorrowfull thoughts could desire was most pleasant to the wandring eie And Syluanus began to speake in this sort The diuersitie of so many vnaccustomed mishaps that daily harme vs woefull true louers cannot be faire Seluagia without griefe and compassion of minde considered But amongst them all there is none me thinks that ought to be so much feared as that which he suffers who hath once seene himselfe in a good and ioyfull estate the which by experience as yesterday thou didst tell me I neuer came yet to know for the life which I passe is so far from rest and deliuered vp to sorrowfull imaginations that a thousand times in vaine I seeke out new inuentions and means to deceiue and alter my tast For remedy wherof I do sometimes think That I am deerely beloued of my mistresse which thought without opening any further passage to this fiction I retaine as long as I can in my mind but when I consider afterwards the truth of my estate I am so confounded with my selfe as I am not able to expresse it and then against my will am voide of all patience since then a bare imagination is not such a thing that may be suffered behold what the truth is able to do I would to God Syluanus I were free said Seluagia from this franticke passion that I might speake the better in it as in such a case it were most needfull For thou canst not know any greater signe of loue whether it be little or much or of passion whether it be small or great then by hearing her tell it that feeles it for a passion extremely felt can neuer be well manifested by her toong that suffers it So that I being subiect to my mishap and sorrowfull for that disgrace which Alanius doth me am not with words able to expresse the Chaos of griefe wherin I am ouerwhelmed Wherefore I leaue it to thy consideration and iudgement as to things wherin I may put an assured confidence and trust I know not Seluagia what to say replied Syluanus sighing nor what remedies we may hope for of our harms dost thou perhaps know any How should I not know said Seluagia And wottest thou what it is To leaue of to loue And this maiest thou do thy selfe said Syluanus As fortune and time shall ordaine saide Seluagia Then I tell thee said Syluanus maruelling much that thou needest not trouble thy selfe so much by complayning of thy griefe bicause that loue which is subiect to time and fortune cannot be so extreme to giue one any trouble or paine that suffers it And canst thou deny said Seluagia againe that it is not possible to haue an end in thy loue either by death or absence or by being fauoured in some other place where thy sutes seruices may be more esteemed and better recompenced I will not make my selfe saide Syluanus such an hypocrite in loue that I will not graunt what thou saiest may be possible but not in me For woe betide that louer that though he see such fortune fall to others would haue so little constancie in his loue to thinke that any thing contrary to his faith may befall vnto him I am a woman said Seluagia and thou shalt see by me if I loue not as much as any may And yet this offendes not my loue to thinke that there may be an end of euery thing be they neuer so firme and strong since it is the propertie of time and fortune with their vsuall changes to alter all things as they haue euer done And thinke not Shepherd that any obliuious thought of his loue that hath so iniuriously forgotten me makes me speake this but that which I haue seene by experience in these passions And talking thus together they heard a Shepherd singing as he came along the medow before them whom they knew by and by to be the forgotten Syrenus who to the tune of his Rebecke came singing this Sonnet GOe now my thoughts where one day you were going When neither fortune nor my loue did lower Now shall you see that changed day and hower Your ioies decaied and vncouth sorrowes growing And in the glasse where I was oft bestowing Mine eies and in that sweete and pleasant flower A sluggish drone vnwoorthely deuower That honie which for me sometimes was flowing And you shall see to whom I did surrender My subiect life that causelesse did despise it And though this ill no remedy can borrow Yet tell her that my minde did once ingender A feare of that vvhich after to mine eyes yet She makes more plaine to end my life in sorrow After Syrenus had made an end of his Sonnet he sawe faire Seluagia and Syluanus comming towards him whereof he was not a little glad and after some curteous salutations between them they determined to go to the fountaine of the Sicamours where they had beene the day before but before they were come thither Syluanus said Hearke do you not heare certaine voices singing Yes said Seluagia and me thinks of more then one Where might it be said Syrenus In the meadowe of the Laurell trees said Syluanus in the mids whereof the spring that comes out of this cleere fountaine so pleasantly runneth It shall not be amisse for vs to go thither but so softly that they that are singing may not perceiue or heare vs lest we breake off their sweete musicke Let vs go said Seluagia and so step by step they went towards the place where they heard that singing hiding themselues behind certaine trees neere vnto the brook they saw three Nymphes sitting vpon the golden flowers of such excellent beauty that it seemed nature had
thou dost see Which for my sake I pray thee weare That though our bodies parted bee Nothing shall part not death alone Two soules vnited both in one He saide with thee what shall I leaue Naught haue I but this Sheepehooke heere The which I pray thee to receiue And Rebecke to the which my deere Thou saw'st me sing in this greene meade And play and many a daunce to leade To sound of which my Shepherdesse A thousand songs to thee I soong Singing of thy great worthinesse Too high for my base song and toong And of our loues and of my passions And of my sweetest lamentations Each one imbrac't the other fast And this I thinke the first time was And as I gesse it was the last Bicause those times did change and passe And loue with time did change and varie From that which once they both did carie For though Diana felt great paine For absence of her louer deere Yet in the same she found againe A remedie as did appeere For after he the seas did passe She to another married was Faire Cynthia hauing made an end of her sweete song Doria and Polydora wondred that a Shepherdesse could be the cause that loue kindled such burning flames and marueiled no lesse how time had cured her greefe which seemed at their farewell to be remedilesse But vnfortunate Syrenus all the while the Nymph with her sweete song did manifest his old cares and sighes forgot not to breath them out so thicke that Syluanus and Seluagia could not by any meanes comfort him for he was now no lesse pensiue then at the very time when he passed them maruelling much how she knew of these particulars which passed betweene him and Diana And Syluanus and Seluagia were no lesse astonished at the passing sweete grace wherewith Cynthia both song and plaied the same But now the faire Nymphes tooke vp their instruments and went walking vp and downe the greene meadow lest of all suspecting that which happened vnto them for hauing gone but a little way from the place where the Shepherdes were secretly abiding three monstrous and foule Sauages came out of a thicket of high broome and bushes on the right hande of the woode armed with corselets and morions of tygres skins and so vgly to behold that to the fearefull Nymphes it was a strange and terrible sight The braces of their corselets were at the endes armed with gasping mouthes of serpents out of the which their armes shewed monstrously great and full of haire and their morions that encompassed their grisely foreheads with dreadfull heads of lyons being naked in euery other part of their body but that it was couered all ouer with long and thicke haire and bearing in their rude hands clubs armed with iron and sharpe steeled points At their neckes their bowes and arrowes and likewise their shields which were broad shels of monstrous Tortuses were hanging downe behinde them who with an incredible swiftnes ranne vpon the fearefull Nymphes saying Now is the time come ingrate and scornefull Nymphes that by our strength and wils you shall be forced to do that which our milde loue and longe suites could neuer bring to passe for it is not reason that fortune should doe such iniurie to our captiue harts with so long and great paine to defer our remedies In fine we haue now in our hands the guerdon of our sighes and lamentations which wearied the birds and beasts of the darke and enchaunted woode where we dwell and the recompence of our burning teares wherewith we made the raging and lothsome riuer that watreth the dreadfull fieldes and plaines of our territories to swell and ouerflowe his banks Since then you haue no other meanes to saue your liues but by easing helping our harmes be not so wilfull by resistance to make our cruell hands take vengeance of that paine which so long you haue made our afflicted harts to feele The Nymphes at the sudden sur-sault of these monsters were so amazed that they were not able to answer to these proude and cruell wordes but onely with silence and teares Albeit faire Doria who had more courage then the rest at last did stoutly answer them thus againe I neuer thought that loue could bring a louer to so foule an extreme as with violent hands and such vnseemly force to sease vpon his beloued It is the manner of cowards to carie weapons and fight with silly women in an open and desart fielde where none is able to defend them but their vertue and honest reasons But of one thing cruell vile beasts you may be ascertained that your menaces shal not make vs leese one iot of that which our honours require and that we will sooner leaue our liues in your barbarous hands then suffer our deer chastities by your beastly forces to be violated It is needlesse Doria saide one of them againe to harken to their reasons who had none at all to handle vs with so great scorne and crueltie wherevpon vnloosing the string from his bowe that hung at his necke he tooke her by both her faire hands and rudely tied them togither and so did his companions Cynthias and Polydoras The two Shepherds and the Shepherdesse Seluagia astonished at the monstrous violence of the Sauages and seeing what beastialitie they beganne to vse to the faire and tender Nymphes not able to endure it resolued to die or to defende them from their cruell handes Wherefore all three taking out their slings and filling their scrips with stones came out of the woode into the greene medowe and beganne to throwe them at the Sauages with such courage and dexteritie as though their liues had lien in their handes And thinking to plie them so fast with stones that the Nymphes while the Sauages were busie about their owne defence might escape and saue their persons from their vile immanitie they redoubled their force with the greatest speede and valour they coulde Whose driftes the suttle Sauages suspecting one of them had an eie to the faire prisoners for running away while the other two by winning ground on their enemies thought to make a quicke dispatch of them But the stones came so dangerously and so many that they had ynough to defende themselues so that as long as they lasted the Sauages fared very ill But as the Shepherdes were afterwardes occupied in stowping downe to take vppe more stones the Sauages came running in to them so speedily with their massie clubs that nowe they were without any hope of life if presently a certaine strange Shepherdesse of such singular beautie and comely feature as made both the Sauages and the rest amazed at her goodly personage had not come out of the thicke wood neere vnto the fountaine where they before were singing She had her bowe hanging on her left arme and a quiuer of arrowes at her shoulder in her hand a fine staffe of wilde oke armed at the end with a long and well steeled pike But when she saw the
see it saide I what mooue me not or else tell me what it is Good lord Mistresse â—…ide she why will you see it it is the letter I would haue giuen you yesterday Nay that it is not saide I wherefore shew it me that I may see if you lie or no. I had no sooner said so but she put it into my handes saying God neuer giue me good if it be anie other thing and although I knewe it well indeede yet I saide what this is not the same for I know that well enough but it is one of thy louers letters I will read it to see in what neede he standeth of thy fauour And opening it I founde it conteined this that followeth I euer imagined deere Mistresse that your discretion and wisedome woulde haue taken away the feare I had to write vnto you the same knowing well enough without any letter at all how much I loue you but the very same hath so cunningly dissembled that wherein I hoped the onely remedie of my griefes had been therein consisted my greatest harme If according to your wisedome you censure my boldnes I shall not then I know enioy one hower of life but if you do consider of it according to loues accustomed effects then will I not exchange my hope for it Be not offended I beseech you good Ladie with my letter and blame me not for writing vnto you vntill you see by experience whether I can leaue of to write And take me besides into the possession of that which is yours since all is mine doth wholly consist in your hands the which with all reuerence and dutifull affection a thousand times I kisse When I had now seene my Don Felix his letter whether it was for reading it at such a time when by the same he shewed that he loued me more then himselfe or whether he had disposition and regiment ouer part of this wearied soule to imprint that loue in it whereof he wrote vnto me I began to loue him too well and alas for my harme since he was the cause of so much sorrow as I haue passed for his sake Whereupon asking Rosina forgiuenes of what was past as a thing needfull for that which was to come and committing the secrecie of my loue to her fidelitie I read the letter once againe pausing a little at euery worde and a very little indeede it was bicause I concluded so soone with my selfe to do that I did although in verie truth it lay not otherwise in my power to do Wherefore calling for paper and inke I answered his letter thus Esteeme not so slightly of mine honour Don Felix as with fained words to thinke to enueagle it or with thy vaine pretenses to offend it any waies I know wel enough what manner of man thou art and how great thy desert and presumption is from whence thy boldnes doth arise I gesse and not from the force which thing thou wouldst faine perswade me of thy feruent loue And if it be so as my suspicion suggesteth thy labor is as vaine as thy imagination presumptuous by thinking to make me do any thing contrarie to that which I owe vnto mine honour Consider I beseech thee how seldome things commenced vnder suttletie and dissimulation haue good successe and that it is not the part of a Gentleman to meane them one way and speak them another Thou praiest me amongst other things to admit thee into possession of that that is mine but I am of so ill an humour in matters of this qualitie that I trust not things experienced how much lesse then thy bare wordes yet neuerthelesse I make no small account of that which thou hast manifested to me in thy letter for it is ynough that I am incredulous though not vnthankfull This letter did I send contrarie to that I should haue done bicause it was the occasion of all my harmes and greefes for after this he began to waxe more bolde by vnfolding his thoughts and seeking out the meanes to haue a parly with me In the ende faire Nymphes a few daies being spent in his demaunds and my answers false loue did worke in me after his wonted fashions euery hower seasing more strongly vpon my vnfortunate soule The Tourneies were now renewed the musicke by night did neuer cease amorous letters and verses were recontinued on both sides and thus passed I away almost a whole yeere at the end whereof I felt my selfe so far in his loue that I had no power to retire nor stay my selfe from disclosing my thoughts vnto him the thing which he desired more then his owne life But my aduerse fortune afterwardes would that of these our mutuall loues when as now they were most assured his father had some intelligence and whosoeuer reuealed them first perswaded him so cunningly that his father fearing least he would haue married me out of hand sent him to the great Princesse Augusta Caesarinas court telling him it was not meete that a yoong Gentleman and of so noble a house as he was should spende his youth idly at home where nothing could be learned but examples of vice whereof the very sameidlenes he said was the onely Mistresse He went away so pensiue that his great greefe would not suffer him to acquaint me with his departure which when I knew how sorrowfull I remained she may imagine that hath bene at any time tormented with like passion To tell you now the life that I led in his absence my sadnes sighes and teares which euery day I powred out of these wearied eies my toong is far vnable if then my paines were such that I cannot now expresse them how could I then suffer them But being in the mids of my mishaps and in the depth of those woes which the absence of Don Felix caused me to feele and it seeming to me that my greefe was without remedie if he were once seene or knowen of the Ladies in that Court more beautifull and gracious then my selfe By occasion whereof as also by absence a capitall enemie to loue I might easily be forgotten I determined to aduenture that which I thinke neuer any woman imagined which was to apparell my selfe in the habit of a man and to hye me to the Court to see him in whose sight al my hope and content remained which determination I no sooner thought of then I put in practise loue blinding my eies and minde with an inconsiderate regarde of mine owne estate and condition To the execution of which attempt I wanted no industrie for being furnished with the helpe of one of my approoued friends and treasouresse of my secrets who bought me such apparell as I willed her and a good horse for my iourney I went not onely out of my countrie but out of my deere reputation which I thinke I shall neuer recouer againe and so trotted directly to the Court passing by the way many accidents which if time would giue me leaue to tell them woulde not make you laugh
Page played his part by depainting foorth their properties in their liuely colours And because I thought nothing more commodious for my rest and for the enioying of my desire then to follow Fabius his counsell I answered him thus In truth I determined to serue none but now since fortune hath offered me so good a seruice and at such a time when I am constrained to take this course of life I shall not do amisse if I frame my selfe to the seruiee of some Lord or Gentleman in this Court but especially of your Master because he seemes to be a woorthy Gentleman and such an one that makes more reckoning of his seruants then an other Ha thou knowest him not as well as I said Fabius for I promise thee by the faith of a Gentleman for I am one in deede for my father comes of the Cachopines of Laredo that my Master Don Felix is the best natured Gentleman that euer thou knewest in thy life and one who vseth his Pages better then any other And were it not for those troublesome loues which makes vs runne vp and downe more and sleepelesse then we woulde there were not such a Master in the whole worlde againe In the end faire Nymphes Fabius spake to his Master Don Felix as soone as he was come foorth in my behalfe who commanded me the same night to come to him at his lodging Thither I went and he entertained me for his Page making the most of me in the worlde where being but a fewe daies with him I sawe the messages letters and gifts that were brought and caried on both sides greeuous wounds alas coruiues to my dying hart which made my soule to flie sometimes out of my body euery hower in hazard to leese my forced patience before euery one But after one moneth was past Don Felix began to like so well of me that he disclosed his whole loue vnto me from the beginning vnto the present estate and forwardnes that it was then in committing the charge thereof to my secrecie and helpe telling me that he was fauoured of her at the beginning and that afterwards she waxed wearie of her louing and accustomed entertainment the cause whereof was a secret report whosoeuer it was that buzzed it into her eares of the loue that he did beare to a Lady in his owne countrey and that his present loue vnto her was but to entertaine the time while his busines in the Court were dispatched And there is no doubt saide Don Felix vnto me but that indeede I did once commence that loue that she laies to my charge but God knowes if now there be any thing in the world that I loue and esteeme more deere and precious then her When I heard him say so you may imagine faire Nymphes what a mortall dagger pierced my wounded heart But with dissembling the matter the best I coulde I answered him thus It were better sir me thinkes that the Gentlewoman should complaine with cause and that it were so indeed for if the other Ladie whom you serued before did not deserue to be forgotten of you you do her vnder correction my Lord the greatest wrong in the world The loue said Don Felix againe which I beare to my Celia will not let me vnderstand it so but I haue done her me thinkes the greater iniurie hauing placed my loue first in an other and not in her Of these wrongs saide I to my selfe I know who beares the woorst away And disloyall he pulling a letter out of his bosome which he had receiued the same hower from his Mistresse reade it vnto me thinking that he did me a great fauour thereby the contents whereof were these Celias letter to Don Felix NEuer any thing that I suspected touching thy loue hath beene so farre from the truth that hath not giuen me occasion to beleeue more often mine owne imagination then thy innocencie wherein if I do thee any wrong referre it but to the censure of thine owne follie For well thou mightest haue denied or not declared thy passed loue without giuing me occasion to condemne thee by thine owne confession Thou saiest I was the cause that made thee forget thy former loue Comfort thy selfe for there shall not want another to make thee forget thy second And assure thy selfe of this Lord Don Felix that there is not any thing more vnbeseeming a Gentleman then to finde an occasion in a Gentlewoman to leese himselfe for her loue I will saie no more but that in an ill where there is no remedie the best is not to seeke out any After he had made an end of reading the letter he said vnto me What thinkest thou Valerius of these words With pardon be it spoken my Lord That your deedes are shewed by them Go to said Don Felix and speake no more of that Sir saide I they must like me wel if they like you because none can iudge better of their words that loue well then they themselues But that which I thinke of the letter is that this Gentlewoman would haue beene the first and that Fortune had entreated her in such sort that all others might haue enuied her estate But what wouldest thou counsell me saide Don Felix If thy griefe doth suffer any counsell saide I that thy thoughts be diuided into this second passion since there is so much due to the first Don Felix answered me againe sighing and knocking me gently on the shoulder saying How wise art thou Valerius and what good counsell dost thou giue me if I could follow it Let vs now go in to dinner for when I haue dined I will haue thee carie me a letter to my Lady Celia and then thou shalt see if any other loue is not woorthy to be forgotten in lieu of thinking onely of her These were wordes that greeued Felismena to the hart but bicause she had him before her eies whom she loued more then her-selfe the content that she had by onely seeing him was a sufficient remedie of the paine that the greatest of these stings did make her feele After Don Felix had dined he called me vnto him and giuing me a speciall charge what I should do because he had imparted his griefe vnto me and put his hope and remedie in my hands he willed me to carie a letter to Celia which he had alreadie written and reading it first vnto me it said thus Don Felix his letter to Celia THe thought that seekes an occasion to forget the thing which it doth loue and desire suffers it selfe so easily to be knowne that without troubling the minde much it may be quickly discerned And thinke not faire Ladie that I seeke a remedie to excuse you of that wherewith it pleased you to vse me since I neuer came to be so much in credit with you that in lesser things I woulde do it I haue confessed vnto you that indeede I once loued well because that true loue without dissimulation doth not suffer any thing
ill but he that first caused it But neuerthelesse I will fulfill your wils heerein and since your companie is such an ease and lighting to my paine it were a fond part to reiect that comfort whereof at this time I stande in so great neede I woonder said Cynthia that Don Felix al the while thou didst serue him did not know thee by thy faire face thy sweete grace and looking daily on such faire eies He did so little remember those beauties saide Felismena which he had once scene in me his thoughts being so deepely imprinted on Celias which he daily viewed that he had no power nor knowledge left to thinke once of mine And talking thus togither they heard the Shepherds singing that in companie of discreet Seluagia were comming down the hill the oldest songs they knew or that their seuerall greefes did put into their heads euerie one taking that which made most for his purpose And the first that began to sing was Syluanus who did sing this song following MY passion Loue thou dost disdaine But God keepe thee from such a paine I am of Loue disdained And Fortunes wheele doth broose me I care not now to loose me And hope not to be gained So care to care is chained By Fortune and by Loue againe But God keepe thee from such a paina In playntes Loue entertained Myhart such sport to choose me And fortune thus vndooes me To make me thinke vnfained That Time a change maintained But Both do still my greefes ordaine But God keepe thee from such a paine Seluagia who bare no lesse loue or at lest no lesse presumption thereof to her Alanius then Syluanus to faire Diana and who thought her selfe no lesse greeued for the change that he had made in his loue then Syluanus for the long perseuerāce in his harme changing the first verse of this old pastorall round that followeth she began to sing it applying it to her purpose in this sort SAie Shepherdesse what hath depriued thee Of curtesie and ioy Since that so merrie thou were woont to be The deere remembrance of my passed gladnes In middes of all my present greefe and paine Woe to my soule that feeles it with such sadnes If long in such a state it doth remaine And since that time hath changed to beplaine A Shepherd to offend and trouble me Merrie and pleasant I could neuer be Syrenus thought Seluagias song sufficient enough to manifest his greese if Syluanus and she had agreed thereunto who also perswading him to choose out some song that he had sometimes heard most fit for his purpose he began to sing this which followeth MIstresse thou hast forgotten me But more I loue and honor thee Haples I see I am forgot And yet I know no reason why To whom thy faith thou dost apply And tak'st from whom thou dost not wot Being belou'd he loues thee not And Mistresse thou dost not loue me But more I loue and honor thee Me thinkes I do behold with pride Those eies my ioyes not long ago And for thou wilt not see me so Thy fairest face from me dost hide And that I saie to thee beside Mistresse lift up those eies to me For more I loue and honor thee The Nymphes with no small delight and content were harkening to the Shepherds songs but the infinite sighes and teares which the noble Shepherde sse powred foorth did not suffer her to be idle while the Shepherds were a singing When they were come to the fountaine and had done their due reuerence they spred a faire white cloth vpon the greene grasse and setting that meate on it which they had brought with them from the towne they sat them downe to eate whom their thoughts at lest would giue leaue and they who had not such a priuiledge importuned by them that were most free must needes do the like And after they had refreshed themselues Polydora saide thus The remedie of your paines disdained Shepherds if it be lawfull to call you by that name which to your greefe fortune hath cast vpon you consisteth in the hands of the graue Lady Felicia to whom nature hath giuen that diuine knowledge which she hath denied vs And therefore since you see how greatly it importeth you to go visit her in the name of these two Nymphes to whom you haue done this day so great seruice I request you not to refuse our companie bicause by no other meanes you may receiue the rewarde of your trauell and paine the which this woorthie Shepherdesse intends to take who needes it no lesse then your selues And thou Syrenus whom Fortune hath tossed from a happie and ioyfull time to a life as haplesse and full of sorrowe despaire not but cheere vp thy selfe for if thy Mistresse had the remedie of the miserable life which she leades with Delius so neere her as thou of that which she makes thee suffer it would be no small lighting to those churlish wordes and iealous iarres which I know she passeth euery day with him There is nothing faire Polydora saide Syrenus that giues me now any greater discontent then that Diana hath reuenged herselfe on me so much to her owne cost for louing one who hath not any thing in him that deserues such loue and being perforce in his companie thou seest how much it must greeue her and as for me to seeke a remedie for my greefe I woulde do it if time and fortune would permit me But I plainly see that all the waies of it are stopped vp and know not whither thy selfe and these faire Nymphes will carrie me to seeke it out But let it be as it will I will followe you as Syluanus I thinke and Seluagia will do no lesse if they be not of so small vnderstanding that they conceiue not the great fauour that you do to vs all And so they two referring themselues to that which Syrenus had answered and committing their flockes to their friends which were not feeding farre from that place while they came backe again they went altogither which way the Nymphes did lead them The end of the second booke of Diana The third Booke of Diana of George of Montemayor WIth great content the faire Nymphes with their companie were going on their way thorow the middes of a thicke wood and now the sunne being readie to set they entred into a faire valley in the mids of which ran a swift brooke beset on either side with thicke Sallows and Sicamours amongst the which were many other kindes of lesse trees which twyning about the greater and the golden and coloured flowers of the one wouen as it were with the greene bowes of the other represented a goodly sight and delight to the eie The Nymphes and Shepherds tooke a pathway betweene the brooke and the faire arbours who had not gone farre when they came to a large greene meadow wherein was a very faire great moate of cleere water from whence the brooke did spring that with great force ranne
thorow the valley In the middes of that moate was an Iland wherein grew some greene trees amongst the which stoode a Sheepe-cote and about the same a flocke of sheepe went seeding of the greene and tender grasse The Nymphes thinking this a fit place to passe away the night which was neere at hand vpon a fine causey of stones most artificiallie as it seemed laide in order they passed all ouer into the iland and went directly to the cote which they sawe before them But Polydora going in first for she was a little before the rest was scarce entred in when she came foorth as fast againe and looking towards her companie did put her singer vpon her mouth in token that they should come softly on without any noise which the Nymphes the Shepherdes perceiuing with the least they could came into the cote and looking into it espied a bed in a corner not made of any other thing then of the greene bowes of those Sicamours that were growing about it and of the greene grasse that did growe about the water brinkes Vpon the which they sawe a Shepherdesse lying a sleepe whose beautie stroke them with no lesse admiration then if on a sudden they had seene faire Diana before their eies She had on a light skie coloured petticoate and vnder that a gorget of so passing fine net-worke that they might at pleasure behold the delicate proportion of her snow white brest and comely feature of her euen body for the vpper part being of the same colour with the rest hung so loose about her that they might take a perfect view of her fine and daintie waste Her yellowe haire in brightnes surpassing the sunnie beames were loose and hanging downe without any order But neuer did frizeling and adorned periwigge of any Lady in stately court beautifie in such sort as the carelesse disorder that these had and her white legge being bare by the negligence of her harmelesse sleepe laie seemely out of her petticoate but not so much that the lookers on might perceiue any part but what with modestie they might well beholde And by manie teares that sleeping yet went trickling downe her faire and rosie cheekes her sleepe it seemed should not hinder her sorrowfull imaginations The Nymphes and Shepherds were so amazed at her beautie and at her inward sorrow which by outward signes they well coniectured did trouble her waking soule that they knew not what to saie but were forced to shed teares for pittie of those which they sawe the Shepherdesse powre foorth who as with pittie and admiration they were looking on her turned her on the other side and with a greeuous sigh fetch 't from the bottome of her hart saide thus to her selfe How vnfortunate art thou Belisa that thy greefe consisteth in no other thing but in that thy life is of so small value that it is not able to pay those things with extinction thereof which by thine owne occasion are destroyed and lost And then with a sudden sursault she awaked in such sort that the end of her daies it seemed was neere at hand But when she sawe the three Nymphes and two such faire Shepherdesses with two Shepherds she was so amazed that it was a good while before she came to her selfe againe who at last lifting vp her eies to looke on them againe without stopping her teares which continually she powred out or putting silence to her burning sighes which her afflicted hart sent foorth began to speake in this sort Howe great a comfort to so comfortles a sonle as mine is should it be if I were assured that none by worde nor deede woulde endeuour to giue me any at all bicause the great reson that I haue faire Nymphes to liue enwrapped in such sadnes as I doe hath put such a kinde of emnitie betweene me and the consolation of my greefe that if I thought at any time to enioy it I would my selfe be the authour of mine owne death Whereat maruell not faire Nymphes or that I woulde seeke to preuent me of this remedie since there is no other that can greeue me more then this your sudden sight and comming to this vncouth cote a place selected out and fit for no other thing but to bewaile remedilesse greefes Wherefore let it be a warning to those that are attending their torments to go quickly out of this place bicause the misfortunes of loue haue stopped vp the waies in such sort that they neuer let any hope of comfort or remedie enter in But what hap hath ledde such a faire companie to this place where nothing is that yeelds content What is it thinke you that makes the greene grasse of this iland growe and the waters that encompasse it rounde about to encrease but my ceasles teares What is it that moues the trees of this faire valley but the voice of my piteous outcries and the violent breath of my sorrowfull sighes which filling the aire do execute that office for it which for it selfe it cannot do Why do the pretie birdes sing among these springes when golden Phoebus is in all his force but to helpe to lament and bewaile my mishaps Wherefore is it that the timerous wilde beastes come foorth to the greene meadowe but to heare my continuall plaints I pray God your fortune hath not brought you faire Nymphes to this place to that end that mine hath bicause nature according to the sorrowfull life that I doe passe in it hath for no other thing it seemes framed it but for those that are troubled with the incurable malladies of loue therein to passe away their sorrowfull liues If any of you therefore be in this extremitie let her passe on no farther if not let her go quickly from hence againe least by staying heere long she be forced by the nature and qualitie of the place The faire Shepherdesse spake these words with so many teares that there was not any amongst them that coulde staie theirs They were all amazed to see the spirit gesture and countenance wherewith she spake them for they came as it appeered from the verie center of her painfull soule And she coulde do no lesse then this because the sorrowfull successe of her loue did take away all manner of suspicion that that greefe which so extremely she shewed was either counterfaite or fained But faire Doria spake thus vnto her What is the cause faire Shepherdesse that hath driuen thy beautie to these extremities What greefe so strange coulde loue make an occasion of so manie teares accompanied with so sole and solitarie a life as thou dost leade in this place But what do I aske when seeing thee to complaine of loue thou tellest me more then I am able to aske thee It was thy desire when we came hether to be assured that none of vs would offer thee any comfort wherein I cannot blame thee since it is the propertie of sorrowfull soules not onely to abhorre comfort but to flie from them by whom
fathers brest But Arsenius greatly desiring to sende me a letter and to get it in such sort from his sonne for he knewe him to be an excellent Poet that he might not perceiue for whom it was he thought it most fit to discouer the matter and the summe of his loue to a great friend of his called Argastus a towns-man and our neighbour praying him earnestly to request his sonne Arsileus as a thing that he stood greatly in neede of to pen him a letter and to tell him that it was to be sent a good wale thence to a bonnie Shepherdesse whom he loued and serued And so he gaue him instructions of other things making most for his purpose that he was to request him to put in the letter Argastus was so carefull about his friends busines that Arsileus vrged thereunto by his incessant requests deliuered him the letter in as ample sort as he requested it Which Arsenius seeing so fit for his purpose wrought the meanes that it came to my hands the which receiuing much against my will I founde that it saide thus Arsenius his letter FAire Shepherdesse whose hap and fare That such it be it is Gods will Let not such grace and beautie rare Decay or be imployed ill And whose milde lambes and marked sheepe Thou maist behold with merrie cheere By flockes increase where they doe keepe On tops of these greene hillocks heere Harke to a Shepherdes wretched crie Vnto himselfe so great a foe As for thy sweetest sake to die He findes he doth it well be stowe Turne thy deafe eares vnto my smart And mollifie thy hard pretences And now begin to put thy hart Into the handes of thy sweete sences Turne these two faire and cruell eies Vnto this haplesse Shepherd Swaine Thy flocke regarde not but his cries And thinke a little on his paine Let that but mooue and change thy will To thinke thereof I pray thee deine yet And not to remedie mine ill But to behold how I susteine it How often hast thou come and leade 〈◊〉 the field thy flocke and dams 〈◊〉 many times vnto the meade Hast thou brought forth thy pretie lambes That I told not my little ease That I became a foole for thee But better had I held my peace So little it auailed me That which I feele for thy sweete sake With what wordes shall I now declare Or with what knowledge shall I make My faith but knowen and heauie care What humane senses shall suffice To feele that paine and that vnrest Which for thy lake Loue did deuise To giue me though I tell it best Why dost thou hide thy selfe from me Since thou dost knowe it very cleere That present when I am with thee Most absent from thee I appeere I in suspences to enfolde me Being where thy faire beauties are And thou when that thou dost beholde me From seeing me then art thou far To shewe me likewise thou dost knowe To mocke me when thou dost pretend Things from thy thought which euer goe And so deceiue me in the end See then who greater loue can giue Or greater grounded loue in hand That my deceiued thought must liue With that thou mak'st it vnderstand Behold th' extreme wherein I am Seeing my good in doubtfull state That silly creatures I became Lesse then my selfe to emulate For for the bird the winde doth beare And fish that in the waues doe liue For their sweete freedome euery where My vnderstanding I would giue A change of thousand times I see And nouels euery day doe raine Minds change from that they wont to bee Obliuions doe reuiue againe In euery thing there is great change The which I neuer saw in thee Whereby thou maist perceiue how strange And vaine my hope is vnto me The other day thou didst passe by Feeding thy fiocke vpon the hill For greefe I sighed somewhat high Meaning thereby to thee no ill A lambe the head then lift vp that it Did heare and did some pitie feele And thou didst fling thy sheepe hooke at it See what a hardned hart of steele Could'st thou not armed with such power After such long time killing me Helpe me a day or but an hower If that doth seeme too much to thee Doe it to see how I may proue Or how with fauours that ensue In better sort intreate this loue Then after kill my soule anew I doe desire to change estate From paine to paine and not to pleasure Nor yet to change from loue to hate And all in one degree and measure And though the ill in substance should Be but all one and of one sort Yet in the circumstance I would That more or lesse it did import For that may be of such behoofe And Mistresse so much it may doe That loue may giue thee greater proofe Then it hath giu'n thee hitherto And whom an ill and firmest loue Can neither greeue nor mollifie It may be such a greefe may moue Thee of some greater qualitie Vnto the meade if thou dost goe Vnto the riuer or the plaine Then am I diligent to knowe If thou art gone or come againe If angrie when I follow thee Or mocke me if behinde I stay See then how feare doth trouble me And what extremes I doe essay To Syluia then thy deerest friend I goe to seeke a poore releefe To know if haply in the end Thou hast inform'd her of my greefe But nothing when of thee she speakes Then doe I say this cruell foe Vnto her good companion breakes Nothing of me nor of my woe Some other times I watch the place To heare the singing in the night With singular and sweetest grace A thousand songs of great delight For I doe heare them one by one And thou seek'st out the worst of all And euer from thy mouth heare none That in loue matters doe befall I sawe thee yet the other day Talking with Maudline who in fine To thee her sorrow did bevvray O would to God it had bene mine I thought thou wouldst not long defer Poore soule to cheere her heauy hart But laughing thou didst answere her It is a iest in loue 's no smart Thou left'st her weeping all in vaine And I came thither by and by Of thy hard hart she did complaine And sighing this I did reply No wonder for this cruell one Delights not onely that aboue All others she loues not alone But that all others should not loue Some other times I thee espie Talking with other Shepherdesses All is of feastes and brauerie Who daunceth best and like digresses That this maide hath a seemely grace And he this or that interest But if of loue they touch an ace Then straight thou turn'st it to a iest Beware yet liue not too secure For in braue loue and fortunes art There is not anything lesse sure Then such a free exempted hart And it may be with after woe That cruell loue will subiect thee To one that will intreate thee soe Cruell as thou
intreatest me But if that fall out to thy cost God graunt the same may neuer bee And first I wish my life were lost Rather then such a thing to see For this poore hart which in my brest Is burning in so strange a fire Feares more thy harme and thy vnrest Then it respects her owne desire With the greatest signes of dolour and of a most afflicted hart indeede the Shepherdesse Belisa rehearsed Arsenius his letter or to say more truely the letter of his sonne Arsileus staying betweene many verses and repeating some of them twise and at other some lifting vp her eies to heauen with such anguish and greefe of minde that one woulde haue thought her hart would haue burst in peeces But prosecuting the sorrowfull historie of her loue she said vnto them This letter faire Nymphes was the beginning of all the harme of the woefull man that made it and the end of all the rest and content of the haplesse woman to whom he wrote it For when I had read it by some curious inuestigation that my surmise found out I perceiued that it sauoured more of his sonne his quicke wit then of the father his blunt affection And bicause the time was now at hand wherin loue came to take an account of the small care I had till then of his inuincible power or bicause in the end I should haue some feeling of his poysoned sweete I perceiued my selfe a little more mollified then before and not so little but that I gaue loue place to take possession of my libertie And that which this tyrant did by me was the strangest thing that euer hapned in matters of loue for he made me not onely loue Arsileus but also his father Arsenius Truth it is that I loued the father to requite the loue he bare me and the sonne to yeeld vp my entyre libertie into his hands as from that hower I did indeed giue it him So that I loued the one not to seeme vngratefull and the other because it was not in my power to do any lesse But when Arsenius perceiued me to be more gentle then before which thing he desired so long since there was not any thing in the world which he woulde not haue done for my content and pleasure For so many were the presents the iewels and manie other gifts he sent me that it greeued me a little to see my selfe so greatly indebted to him With euery thing he sent me came so many amorous verses and letters that I was forced to answer them againe whereby I shewed him no signes of loue to put him in any hope nor my selfe so coie as I was woont to be But the loue I bare to Arsileus tooke euery day deeper roote in my hart and molested my sences in such sort that it left no quiet place in all my soule It fell out afterwards that Arsenius and Arsileus being in companie on a sommers night with certain of their neighbours and sitting vnder a faire great Oke that stoode in a broade place before our house Arsenius began to commend the skill which his sonne Arsileus had in musick and musicall instruments to giue them occasion that were present to praie him to go fetch a harpe from home and to plaie and sing there among them who sat so neere to our house that I could not choose but heare the musicke And as he imagined it so it fell out answerable to his desire For Arsileus being earnestly requested by the companie sent for a harpe and sweetely thereon began to plaie and singe When I heard Arsileus and with what daintie melodie he plaied and enticing grace he sung I was gone almost as farre as might be in Cupids affects seeing his father would needes bestowe the musicke on me and vnwittingly enamour me of the excellent graces of his woorthie sonne Wherefore I saide to my selfe Thou dost no lesse deceiue thy selfe Arsenius by procuring thy sonne to sing that I might heare him then by sending me a letter of his owne hande If thou didst but knowe what will ensue thereof thou mightest well from this day admonish all louers not to procure their Mistresses loue by other mens gifts graces bicause it commonly fals out that women do sooner fall in loue with those that are the instruments and meanes then with those that thinke to benefite themselues by them But nowe by this time did my Arsileus with a singular sweete grace and voice begin to sing this Sonnet to the tune of his siluer sounding Harpe A Sonnet IN this cleere Sunne with golden beames that shineth In thu most high diuine and rare perfection In this sweete soule and figure that refineth Our age with ioyes with treasures and affection O blinding light and face each harts subiection Where beauties store to pities want inclineth Sweete words but hard condition of reiection Sweete lookes yet sight that many sorrowes shrineth For these sweete Mistresse I am thus enwrapped For these I feare to see mine owne desire And passe the time in thinking of thy treasures A case most strange effects that neuer happed That seeing thee I see my greatest pleasures And harmes when that to see thee I require After he had made an end of this Sonnet he began to sing this song with so maruellous sweete grace and delectable voice that he helde all his hearers in a great suspence and me poore sorrowfull soule that loued him more then euer any coulde be TO see thee I lift vp my happie eies And hauing seene thee cast them downe againe For further to proceede the same denies Nor other ioy but thy loue to containe What greater glory is there then to view thee If that he knew the sight that he did see For neuer was there any one that knew thee That could be wearie of beholding thee And though he could not knowe thee any wise As well as I haue knowen thee to my paine Yet should he be besides himselfe if dies Not at the least to see thee once againe If that my erring pen did others praise It was but trid I see vpon the lest For they were all but papers of essaies Of that wherewith thou truly wert possest And if before I lou'd thee with surmise My pen hath for some other writ in vaine It was not for bicause I sawe her eies But hop't it should see such a Soueraine Nature in framing thee did so excell And shew'd so braue a skill and suttle art That one of thy perfections serued well Beautie to thousand others to impart She that to thee is like in any wise In least of all I sawe in thee so plaine To passe no further she may well suffice Nor he that sees thee but must loue containe Who sees thee as God made thee and hath seene An other thing that 's faire and of delight He thinkes he sees a thing that would haue beene Thy selfe in any thing if that it might But if he sees thee with such perfect eies And Mistresse as
He came to vs where we were set and curteously saluting vs in very good sort and with a good grace requested pardon of vs That certes faire Nympes when I begin to thinke of the sweete behauiour and ripened wisedome of vnfortunate Arsileus I do not thinke that his sinister fates and fortune were the cause that death tooke him away so quickly from my sight but rather that the worlde was not woorthie to enioye any longer so singular a youth on whom nature had bestowed so many perfections of beautie and enriched with so many gifts of the minde as that hee left not his like behinde him After hee had saluted vs and leaue obtained which hee humblie requested of vs to passe away the heate of the daye in our companie hee cast his eies vpon me which had hee neuer done happie had we both beene and was as it appeered afterwardes by diuers signes whereby hee manifested his affection to me extremely ouercome in my loue Vnhappie I that needed not to looke on him to loue him being so much enwrapped in his by seeing him before as hee was nowe in mine after hee had seene me lifted vp mine eies to beholde him at the verie instant when he addressed his to looke on me which forcible encounter both of vs would willingly had not befell bicause that modestie and shame sharpely rebuked me and feare left not him without bitter punishment But he to dissemble his newe greefe began to discourse with me in matters cleane different from those which he woulde haue imparted to me to some of which I answered againe my thoughts and sences being then more careful to see if by the alteration of his countenance or mildenes in his words he shewed any signes of loue then fully to satisfie his questions For then so greatly I desired to heare him sighe to confirme me in my doubtfull hope that in lieu of such a happines I woulde not haue cared to haue passed any greefe whatsoeuer And in the end I coulde not wish for more apparant signes of loue in him then at that present I behelde for what with his toong he coulde not with his eies he manifestly declared vnto me the amorous and secret passions of his hart And being in these points the two Shepherdesses that were with me rose vp to milke their kine whom I praied to take the paines to milke mine likewise for that I felt my selfe not well at ease And needlesse it was for me to entreate them much and for Arsileus to haue any fitter occasion to declare vnto me his greefe wherein I knowe not if he was deceiued by imagining the occasion why I would be without companie but am assured that he was not a little glad to helpe himselfe by the opportunitie thereof The Shepherdesses were busie about milking their kine which suffered themselues to be deceiued with humane industry by tying their gentle cauelings to their feete That Arsileus now newly suprised in loue had yeelded himselfe so much to Cupids bonds that nothing but speedie death could giue him libertie I perceiued apparantly in that fower or fiue times he began to speake vnto me and euery time in vaine for the feare he had of my displeasure came euer betweene him and his speech and therefore I began to talke to him of another matter not farre from his intent bicause he might not digresse much from it inducing him thereby to tell me what it was that so often he went about to speake and could not vtter saying Doth this countrey like thee well Arsileus For the entertainment and conuersation of that where thou hast lately spent thy time is I knowe farre different from ours which therefore cannot so well content thee as that As of my selfe quoth he I haue not so much power so hath not my vnderstanding faire Shepherdesse so much libertie to answer this demand And changing this manner of talke to shewe him the way with occasion I said vnto him againe I haue heard say that in those parts are many faire Shepherdesses that paragonned to vs they so farre excell vs that we must seeme but meane in thy sight that are heere I might be thought too simple saide Arsileus if I woulde confesse this for though there are as faire there as you haue heard yet heere are they which with mine owne eies I daily see that so farre surmount them as the sun doth the chiefest stars in brightnes This is the greatest glose in the world said I againe and yet for all this I am not sorrie that our countrey-women are so farre in your good opinion and liking because I am one of them my selfe Which onely reason saide he if there were no other were sufficient enough to prooue what I haue said So that by word and worde he came to tell me that which I desired to heare though I would not then make him knowe so much but rather intreated him to stop vp the passage of his wordes But fearing least this might haue bene an occasion to qualifie his loue as often times it falleth out that disgraces and disfauours in the beginning are the meanes to make any leaue of their true commenced loue I began to tune againe my iarring answere saying thus vnto him And if thy loue be such Arsileus that it will not suffer thee to leaue of to loue me be secret therein since it is the manner of those that are wise and iudicious like thy selfe to be no lesse in things of meaner consequence Albeit by all this which I haue saide vnto thee I would not haue thee thinke to profit thy selfe any more then that I must for euer liue bounde vnto thee if thou wilt follow my counsell in this behalfe This did my toong speake but an other thing did my pitifull eies affirme with the which I still looked him in the face and casting out a sigh an assured messenger of my inwarde and sensible passion which Arsileus might haue perceiued well ynough if Loue at the least would haue giuen him leaue I held my peace In this sort we departed from one another and many times afterwards he talked with me of these matters who sent me besides many letters and fine Sonnets of his owne making And as he sung them night by night to the tune of his sweete Harpe with amorous teares I oftentimes harkened vnto him so that in the ende both of vs was assured of each others loue But now did Arsenius his father importune me in such sort with his messages and presents that I knew not what way to take to defend me from him And it was the strangest thing in the world to see how the loue which increased euery day in the sonne was also augmented in the father though they were both of different age and powers and yet the same I must needes confesse made me not reiect him nor refuse any thing that he sent me But liuing now in all contentment and seeing my selfe so truly beloued of Arsileus whom I loued
so deerely againe it seemed that fortune would make an end of all my ioy with the most haplesse euent that was euer seene before For thus it was that Arsileus and I appointing to meete together on a certaine night too darke and dismall for me bicause I neuer since knew perfectly what day meant we concluded that he should come into my fathers orchard and I to my chamber windowe which opened right vpon a Mulberie tree whereon he might easily get vp to be necre vnto me there to talke togither of our matters Accursed Belisa that shalt neuer conceiue to what purpose I brought him to such danger when as euery day sometimes in the fielde sometimes at the riuer side and sometimes at the wood when I carried my kine to pasture and sometimes when I driue my sheepe to the folde he might at pleasure haue talked with me as he did many daies before But my hard hap was the cause that fortune would be paied for the content which she had lent me till then with making me liue all my life time without it For now the appointed hower which was the ende of his daies and the beginning of my woes being come Arsileus came iust at the time and to the very place where both of vs talking together of those things which they may imagine that haue sometimes loued well his wretched father Arsenius that accustomed many nights to walke vp and downe about our house to see if he could see me which if I had so well remembred for it was so far out of my thoughtes as if I had neuer knowen any such matter I would neuer haue consented to put him in such danger in the ende happened to come thither that night and iust at that hower when his sonne was in the tree and so priuily that though he had quickly espied vs we could neither heare nor see him And knowing it was I that was speaking out at the window but not his sonne that was in the Mulberie tree not imagining who he might be it was the principall cause of our ill successe For thereupon he conceiued such great wroth and iealousie that without any noise at all he bied him home where bending a Crossebowe and putting a poisoned arrow in it came againe to the place where we were and aimed so right at his sonne that the arrow pearcing his tender hart he fell immediately downe dead from the tree saying How little time my deere Belisa doth fortune lend me to serue thee according to my great good will desire Which wordes he could scarce vtter when the accursed father who by his speech knew that he was the homicide of his owne sonne with a desperate outcrie saide Thrise wretched and accursed may I euer be if thou art my sonne Arsileus who seemest to be no other by thy voice Whereupon comming vnto him and by the light of the moone that shone vpon his face knowing him well and that he had giuen vp the ghost he saide Since cruell Belisa my vnfortunate sonne by thy means hath bene slaine it is not meete that the murdering father suruiue to lament his vntimely death At which wordes taking out his Woodknife he thrust it into his hart and fell downe presently dead O vnhappie chaunce O strange case neuer heard of nor seene before O greeuous scandale to their eares that shall he are the lamentable discourse of my balefull tragedie O miserable Belisa may thy guiltie hart thinke of these things and not take that way which both father and sonne haue taken for thy sake Alas it shall be great impietie not to mingle thy blood with theirs who desired so much to serue thee But when wretched soule I sawe this vnluckie accident without any more adoe I left my fathers house and went vp and downe wearying the heauens with importunate complaints and burning the aire with smokie sighes vntill I came to this place where accusing cruell fortune and hatefull death that had in so short time taught me to feele the woundes of their cruell dartes I haue liued sixe monethes without seeing or speaking to any person and not desirous of any companie or consolation whatsoeuer Faire Belisa hauing made an end of her pitifull tale began to weepe so bitterly that euery one there was forced with their teares to helpe to bewaile her dire misfortune And adding further she saide This is faire Nymphes the sorrowfull historie or rather dolefull tragedie of my haplesse loues and of their bloodie successe Behold then if this be such an ill that fortune or time may cure and remedie O Arsileus how often did I feare it without thinking of that which I iustly feared But she that will not beleeue her feare and preuent it let her not maruell when she sees that come to passe which she feared for well I knew thou couldst not be any long time without meeting me and that my ioy could endure no longer then when Arsenius thy father perceiued any thing of our loues I woulde to God it had so fallen out that the greatest hurt that he could haue done me had bene but to banish thee his sight and our towne For an ill which is cured with time may with lesse harme be suffered O Arsenius the death of thy sonne is no impediment to the greefe that I also conceiue for thine for the loue which thou didst continually beare me thy vertuous and pure zeale wherewith thou didst euer loue me thy bountie and cost bestowed on me the tempestuous and ill nightes that thou hast passed for my sake will let me doe no lesse then lament and bewaile thy disastrous end for by this time I had bene married vnto thee if thy sweete sonne Arsileus had not come to our towne If I should say that I did not loue thee well I should deceiue the world for in the end there is no woman if she knowes she is truly beloued but will loue little or much againe although otherwise she manifest the same But now my toong holde thy peace since thou hast told more then thou wert asked And pardon me faire Nymphes if I haue bene tedious in my sorrowfull narration bicause so great mishaps cannot be comprised in fewe wordes Whilest the Shepherdesse was telling that which you haue heard Syrenus Syluanus Seluagia and faire Felismena and the three Nymphes coulde not giue eare without some secrete teares although the Nymphes as women neuer touched with loue felt her paine and greefe but not the circumstances of it But faire Doria seeing the comfortlesse Shepherdesse did not leaue of her bitter complaint began to comfort her in this sort Let thy teares cease Belisa since thou seest what small remedie thou hast of them and waigh that two eies are not able to bewaile so great a greefe But what sorrow can there be which is not ended or endes not her that suffers it and yet I could shew thee the way whereby I could a little lighten thy paine Wherefore I pray thee goe with vs
artificiall tower Comming to the portall they staied a little to behold the strange workmanship and the imagerie that was so liuely grauen in it that it seemed rather a naturall then artificiall worke or wrought by humane industrie wherein were two Nymphes of massie siluer that stood on the tops of two pillers and helde vp betweene them a polished table of smooth Ieat with golden letters grauen in it that saide thus WEll let her life that enters heere be waighed And if she hath not chastitie estranged And she that loues or Loues lawes hath essaied If for anothers loue she hath not changed And if from former faith she hath not straied And kept her first true loue and hath not ranged May enter heere into Dianas temple Whose soueraigne grace to such appeeres most gentle When faire Felismena heard this she saide to the Shepherdesses Belisa and Seluagia I thinke we may safely enter into this sumptuous Palace without breach of the lawes that this table doth depaint vnto vs. Syrenus answering to that saide But faire Diana coulde not doe so bicause she hath not onely gone against them but against all that good and honest loue commaunds to be obserued Be not angrie with her Shepherd saide Felicia for before many daies hence thou shalt wonder that thou wert so much angrie and laugh at this harde opinion thou hadst of her And so handes in handes they went into the sage Felicias chamber which was richly hanged with cloth of golde and tissue of inestimable value And by and by after they were come in supper was made ready where fine white clothes being spred on the tables and furnished with daintie cates euery one was placed in order Felismena was set next to the sage Lady Felicia and the Nymphes tooke the Shepherdes and Shepherdesses betweene them whose talke at the boord was full of modest mirth and delight There were the rich tables of Cedar and stooles framed out of Iuorie with cushions of fine needle worke wrought with golde and siluer many cups goblets and glasses of diuers formes and mettals were common there and all of no small price some of them artificially made of strange glasse others of fine Cristall with the feete and handles of pure golde others all of golde and siluer most richly garnished with precious stones of inestimate value They were serued with such plentie of sundrie daintie dishes as is almost impossible in order to set downe After that supper was ended three Nymphes came into the hall one of them playing on a Harpe another on a Lute and the third on a base Vial de gamba but with such sweetenesse and melodie that they that were present were as it were enchaunted and rauished with it They placed themselues in one side of the hall and the Shepherdes and Shepherdesses being louingly requested by the three Nymphes and by sage Felicia placed themselues right ouer against them on the other side with their Rebeckes and a Bagpipe whereon Seluagia sweetely plaied And then the Nymphes began to sing this song and the Shepherdes to answere them in manner following The Nymphes THe authours of subiections Fortune and Loue and of most peeuish fashions Aboue the moone affections Doe place and hard reiections And in the same extremest paines and passions The Shepherdes Lessemay he vaunt and boast For ioy whom Loue did neuer yet molest Then he that loueth most And fauours euer lost Since they that suffer more are euer best The Nymphes If Loues extremes releene you And did not gainsay reason as we view them Perhaps we would beleeue you But seeing how they greeue you Happy are we that can so well eschew them The Shepherdes The hardest things the stoute And valiant persons euer take in hand And that of greatest doubt Braue courage brings about For t' is no honour small things to withstande The Nymphes The Louer well doth see To fight it out it is not Loues intent With magnanimitie In torments he must be Of those that suffring them are most content The Shepherdes If any ioy we sought By any ill of Loue which we obtaine It cannot be the thought Vnto the passion brought But he 's more happy that endures more paine The Nymphes The best estate and fare Where he doth see himselfe that loueth best Brings nothing els but care And yet doth neuer spare With flames to burne the dame and seruants brest And he that 's fauour'd most Is changed in the twinkling of an eie For with disfauours tost And in obliuion lost It kils his hart and makes his ioyes to die The Shepherdes To leese a good estate By falling from it is a greefe and paine Blamelesse is Loue but fate It is and Fortunes hate That no exception makes from his disdaine Vniust and far vnfit Is death if Loue doth say that we shall liue If death it promis'd yet No fault he doth commit For in the ende his promise he doth giue The Nymphes Fierce Loue they doe excuse That finde themselues entangled with his fetter And blame those that refuse Him but of these to chuse The blamed mans estate is far the better The Shepherdes Faire Nymphes it is denied The free and bond with one toong to debate Liue men and those that died The loued and defied All speake according to their owne estate Sage Felicia and the Shepherdesse Felismena gaue attentiue eare vnto the musicke that the Nymphes and Shepherdes made and to the sundry opinions which on both sides they shewed by singing And Felicia smyling on Felismena saide to her in her eare Who beleeues not faire Shepherdesse but that most of these words haue touched thy soule to the quicke who with a milde and sober grace answered her againe Such were the words good Lady that whose soule they did not touch the same should not be touched with such loue as mine is Felicia then lifting vp her voice a little higher saide vnto her In these loue matters I note a certaine conclusion which I finde for the most part true That the generous minde and delicate witte by many degrees excelleth him in affection that hath not these gifts Because as loue is a vertue and vertue doth euer choose her being in the best place it is cleere that persons of valour and dignitie are more enamoured and as they are properly termed better louers then those of baser condition and estate The Shepherds and Shepherdesses hearing what Felicia saide seemed to be somewhat angry in their mindes which made Syluanus to thinke that her words ought not to escape without an answer who therefore saide thus vnto her Wherein good Ladie doth a noble minde and fine witte consist Felicia who by and by perceiued to what purpose the Shepherd demanded this question because she woulde not giue him anie occasion of discontent saide In no other thing but in the proper and sole vertue of him that loues as to haue a liuely and quicke witte a mature and good iudgement a thought tending to high and stately things
they made an insurrection wherein with ten gentlemen more of their kinred they conspired to kill the King land to diuide the kingdome amongst themselues so to be reuenged of the vnworthie disgrace receiued by him This conspitacie whether it was true or false was discouered before it could be put in practise and they apprehended and condemned to die before the citizens had intelligence thereof who without all doubt for the great loue they bare them would haue risen not consenting that iustice should haue beene done vpon them For carying them to exequution it was the strangest spectacle in the world to see the lamentations that some made the priuie murmuring of one to another and the bootlesse excuses that for compassion of these gentlemen were generally made in all the citie They ran all to the King and offered to buie his mercie with great summes of gold and siluer but such was his seueritie that it expelled all motions of pitie and clemencie Which when the people beheld they began to weepe and lament againe The Lords Knights and gentlemen did weepe and mourne with whom they were wont to keepe companie The tender Ladies and Damsels of the Court wept whom they loued and serued And all the whole citie wept for the great honour and auctority that such noble citizens gaue them The lamentations and outcries were so many and so loud as if the earth had sunke or the world beene drowned anew But the King who to all these teares lamentations and pitifull outcries did stop his eares commaunded that his definitiue sentence should be presently executed So that of all that house and linage there remained not one man aliue that was not beheaded that day except my father and mine vncle who were not found complices in that conspiracie These ils resulted to them besides this miserable chaunce that their houses were ruinated they proclaimed traitours to the King their goodes lands and possessions confiscated And that no Abenceraje should liue any longer in Granada except my father and mine vncle and they but with this condition that if they had any issue they should send the men children as soon as they were borne to be brought vp out of the citie neuer to returne into it againe and if they were women and marriageable to be married out of the Realme When the Gouernor heard the strange discourse of Abyndaraez and the termes wherewith he complayned of his misfortune he could not stop his teares but did shew by them the sensible greefe which of such a disastrous accident could not be but felt And therefore turning himselfe to the Moore saide vnto him Thou hast good cause Abyndaraes to be sorrie for the fall of thy noble house and kinred whose heads I thinke coulde neuer hatch so great treason And were it for no other proofe but that so worthie a gentleman as thy selfe came out of it this onely were sufficient to make me beleeue that they neuer pretended such wickednes This gentle opinion which thou hast of me said the Moore and of the goodnes of my auncestors I know not worthie Gouernour how to requite but onely with vnfained and humble thankes But now when I was borne into the world with the inheritance of the selfe same mishap of my kinred they sent me because they would not infringe the Kings edict to be nursed and brought vp in a certaine fort belonging sometimes to the Christians called Cartama committing the charge and care of me to the Gouernor thereof with whom my father had ancient familiaritie acquaintance A man of great account in the kingdome vpright in the maner of his life and verie rich but chiefly in a daughter that he hath which is the greatest â—…ie which I account of in this life the which I wish I may neuer enioy if in any â—…g but onely her I euer tooke content pleasure With her was I brought vp 〈◊〉 my childhood for she was borne but three yeeres after me and as we were â—…erally thought of all to be brother and sister for like such was our education so did we also thinke our selues to be The loue that I did beare Xarifa for thus is the Lady called that is mistresse of my libertie were but little if I could tell it Let it â—…fice that time hath so confirmed the same that I would giue a thousands liues if â—…ad them but to enioy one momentarie sight of her faire face Euerie day encreased our age but euerie hower augmented our loue and so much that now me thought I was made of another kind of mettall then of consanguinitie I remember that Xarifa being on a day in the orchard of the Iesemynes dressing her faire head by chaunce I espied her amazed at her singular beautie and how me thought it greeued me that she was my sister And by the extreme passion of my loue driueÌ„ out of my musing I went to her who as soone as she saw me with open armes came to receiue me And sitting vpon the fountaine by her she said vnto me Why hast thou good brother left me so long alone It is sweete Ladie said I againe a good while since I hauing sought thee in euerie place found not any that could tell me what was become of thee my hart at last coniectured where thou wert Buttel me now I pray thee what certaintie hast thou that we are brother and sister No other saide she then of the great loue I beare thee and to see how euerie one doth call vs so and that my father doth bring vs vp like his sonne and daughter And if we were not brother and sister saide I wouldest thou then loue me so much as thou dost Oh seest thou not saide she that we shuld not be suffered to go so coÌ„tinually together al alone if we were not But if we were depriued of this ioy that which I feele in my selfe is a great deale more At which words her faire face being tainted with a vermillion blush she said vnto me What couldest thou leese by it if we were brother and sister My selfe and thee to said I. I vnderstand thee not said she but me thinkes being brother and sister it binds vs to loue one another naturally Thy onely beauâ—… said I doth oblige me to this brotherhood which rather qualifieth my loue 〈◊〉 sometimes distempers my thoughts At which words blushing for too much bolâ—…es casting downe mine eies I saw her diuine figure in the cristalline fountaine so liuely represented as if it had beene she her selfe and in such sort that wheresoeuer she turned her head I still beheld her image and goodly counterfaite truely translated into verie hart Then said I softly to my selfe O if I were now drowned in this fountaine where with pride I behold my sweete Lady how more fortunate should I die then Narcissus And if she loued me as I do her how happie should I be And if fortune would let vs liue euer together what a happie life should I
long desired And saying thus she went into the Coate and the Shepherd and Shepherdesse rose vppe offering her their places and all three sitting downe againe Arsileus saide to Felismena Haue you euer seene mee before faire Shepherdesse or hath any body tolde you of my name I knowe more of thee Arsileus saide Felismena and of thy estate then thou thinkest although thou art in a Shepherdes weede far different from that I sawe thee in when thou wert a student in the famous Academie of Salamanca If there be any thing heere to eate I pray thee giue it me for I will tell thee afterwardes a strange and true thing which thou hast desired long since to knowe This will I doe with a good will saide Arsileus though I can doe no kinde of seruice due ynough to the great apparance of thy vertues and deserts Whereupon Arsileus and Amarillis taking of their seuerallscrips gaue Felismena such victuals as they had And after she had refreshed her selfe desirous to make him a ioyfull man who liued so long a time in greefe and sorrow she began to speake to him in this sort There is nothing in the world Arsileus that ought more religiously to be kept then firmnesse and most of all in a womans hart where it is seldomer wont to be found But the reason thereof I plainly perceiue that men for the most part are occasions of their small constancie towardes them I speake this for the greatbond wherein thou art obliged to a Shepherdesse that I knowe who would not if she knew thou wert aliue exchange her ioy and content for all that the whole world could affoord And then she began to tell him in order all that was past from the time that she killed the three Sauages vntill she came to the Lady Felicias house In which discourse Arsileus heard the golden newes of the thing which he so deerely loued and all that had passed betweene her and the Nymphes when they found her sleeping in the Iland of the Lake as you haue heard before And that ioie which he then felt when he vnderstood that the loue and faith which his Shepherdesse did beare him remained yet sincere and inuiolate in her hart and the place certaine where he might finde her out was so extreme that he fell downe in a traunce betweene them both by putting his life in hazard with surfeit of that sudden passion But comming to himselfe againe he said to Felismena With what wordes shall I sufficiently faire Shepherdesse thanke thee for the great curtesie thou hast done me and with what deedes acquite that singular content wherewith thou hast now blessed me the like whereof I pray God so amply in euery thing may giue thee as thy hart can either wish or desire O my sweete Belisa is it possible that I shall see those eies so soone againe that had so great power ouer mine to kisse those delicate hands that made so intricate a knot in my hart to heare those angelicall words and see that singular beauty that rauished so much my admiring senses And that after so many troubles of minde and turmoiles of Fortune such soueraine felicitie to succeede in their places And speaking this with many teares he tooke Felismenas hands and with great reuerence kissed them And so did the Shepherdesse Amarillis saying Thou hast reuiued faire Shepherdesse the most sorrowfull man that euer I did see and filled him full of ioye who did lest deserue to haue it Sixe monethes hath Arsileus liued in this Cotage so sorrowfull and desolate a life as none coulde imagine the like without all manner of consolation but that cortaine Shepherdesses seeding their flockes in these plaines of the which I am one sometimes come in to visite him and to affoord him that comfort which his greefe were it at the lest capable of any at all woulde giue him leaue to embrace This is not such a greefe saide Felismena againe that he that hath it may thinke to take any comfort in any thing but in the first causer thereof or by whom he heareth such newes as I haue now tolde him which are so good for me faire Shepherdesse saide Arsileus that they haue reuiued a liuing hart in me which was mortified and worne almosT out with the clogge of continual care So much did the Shepherds words teares vttered and powred foorth for ioy mollifie her tender hart as by her owne she gaue manifest proofe thereof And in this sort they tarried there vntill the heate of the day was past and then Arsileus taking his leaue with great thankes to both the Shepherdesses with infinite ioy went towards the Temple of Diana the same way that Felismena did direct him Syluanus and Seluagia with that content as they are wont to haue which after a long absence enioy the sight of their desired Loue did goe towardes the pleasant meadowes where their flockes went feeding in companie of the Shepherde Syrenus who went also free and deliuered from that kinde of content that hee behelde in them and from the paine which the want thereof is wont to procure bicause hee neither thought of louing well nor cared whether he was beloued or no Whereupon Syluanus said vnto him Euerie time that I see thee my deere friend Syrenus thou shouldest not be the man me thinkes that thou wert wont to be but that iointly with thy former thoughts and affection thou art thy selfe also chaunged On the one side I haue in a manner pitie of thee on the other it greeues me not to see thee carelesse of loues misfortunes In what respect said Syrenus hast thou pitie on me Bicause I thinke it saide Syluanus the most malecontent and worst estate of life not to loue well nor to be beloued againe It is not long since that thou didst vnderstand this cleane contrarie said Syrenus And for mine owne part I pray God that Fortune may still preserue me in this ill estate and thee in that ioy pleasure which thou takest in seeing thy Seluagia For though there might arise some emulation of thy loue and being beloued of so faire a Shepherdesse yet can I assure thee that Fortune doth not neglect to tune you the content that you receiue of your mutuall loue The hurt said Seluagia that she may doe vs with her disordinate effects can neuer be so great as my ioy is to see my selfe so well bestowed Ah Seluagia said Syrenus to her I haue also seene my selfe as well beloued as none might be more and thought as little to see an end of my loue as you do now but let none account without Fortune nor lay his foundation without the consideration of the mutabilitie of time But I doe owe no small respect of loue and duetie to the sage Ladie Felicia whom the heauens requite For I neuer imagined to speake so freely of mine ill in such a time when I thought to feele it so little But I am more indebted to her saide Seluagia bicause shee was the
then thinke that a poore vnfortunate Louer that loues wel is able to do what griefe thinkest thou he passeth when he knowes that his Shepherdesse is in the armes of her new married husband and he bewailing and weeping his disgrace and ill Fortune in the streete And this is not all the torment when such a mischeefe and death remaines yet thereof that he must not complaine of it at all but must suffer silly man and holde his peace bicause by complaining he shall be thought no lesse then a foole or a madde man a thing as contrarie to his rest as may be For if the iealousies were of some other Shepherd that serued her by complayning of the fauours she doth him and by hearing her excuses the Louer might better passe away his greefe but this is such a kinde of torment that in an instant one shall loose it if he haue no stay in his desire Leaue of this talke said Diana for thou hast no neede to loue nor to be beloued In respect of not hauing it to loue saide Syrenus I am glad in not hauing it also to be beloued Strange is thy libertie said Diana but stranger was thy forgetfulnes said Syrenus if thou dost remember well the words thou spakest to mee at my departure But let vs as thou saiest leaue of to speake of things which are past let vs thanke time and Lady Felicia for those that are present And thou Syluanus take thy Pipe and I will tune my Rebecke to it and let vs sing some verses togither although so free a hart as mine cannot sing of anie thing that may giue content to thine that is of another qualitie I will giue thee a good remedie for this saide Syluanus For let vs imagine that we are both in the same case as this Shepherdesse made vs liue when we filled these hils and dales with our amorous complaints Syluanus deuise liked them all well but Seluagia was a little displeased thereat who for that time bicause she would not seeme to be iealous where she was ascertained of so great loue helde her peace And the Shepherds began to sing in manner following Syrenus IF teares cannot with tendernesse relent thee How can my song thy cruelty assured Since nought of mine could euer yet content thee What hart was euer that so much endured That to deride thou neuer canst suffice thee Agreefe that hath the worlds wonder procured Ah blinde conceite let loue nor time disguise thee And such a thought of change that neuer told me But to thy good and my content a duise thee Ah wilt thou in such cares and greefes enfold me Fierce Shepherdesse and in such lamentations To spend my dolefull yeeres wilt thou behold mo A hart that 's thine dispos'st thou in such fashions Intreat'st thou thus a soule to thee affied That the lest greefe it is to suffer passions Syluanus Loue such a knot that 's endles thou hast tied That 's blinde and thou and I more blinde intended She is blinde for whom my life 's denied For I sawe not my life and pleasure ended Nor she how I for her to death imploy me Nor thou that I in flames am thus incended Fell Loue shall faire Diana now destroy me With absence then conclude since hate surrounds it To end my life and fortunes that annoy me Ioy 's slowe time flies and with his shortnes wounds it Hope dies an amorous thought liues still augmented Loue shortens it prolongs it and confounds it To speake I am ashamed thus tormented And though it greeues me yet with ceaslesse payning Without the same I cannot liue contented Syrenus O soule forsake not now thy dolefull plaining And you my wearied eies Cease not in swelling teares my cheekes to steepe Since you haue learn'd to weepe And waile the chiefest cause of all my cries Syluanus And waile the chiefest cause of all my cries Yet cruell Shepherdesse Sometimes they were of my most sweete content O thoughts in sorrow spent How small time lasts a ioy and happines Syrenus How small time lasts a ioy and happines And that sweete gracious smile Fortune wherewith I sawe thee not accoyd Now all is well imployd In him whom time doth counsell and beguile Syluanus In him whom time doth counsell and beguile Loue works his behest But in his things who can him well aduise Or his deceites who spies O cruell Shepherdesse O cruell brest Syrenus O cruell Shepherdesse O cruell brest Whose crueltie is no Whit lesse then her braue beautie and her grace And my mishap and case How to my cost my sorrowes doe I knowe Syluanus My Shepherdesse in white and red more cleere Then both those roses pluckt in May we see And brighter then the sunne beames sent From their coruscant Orient By morning that vpon thy foldes appeere How can I liue if thou forgettest me My Shepherdesse thy rigour then impaire For crueltie becomes not one so faire Syrenus My faire Diana more resplendant then The Emerauld or Diamond in the night Whose beautious eies doe cease My sorrowes that increase if gently that perhaps to me they bend So maist thou with thy flocke so faire and vvhite Come to my shadovved sheepefold in the heate That such a vvretch thou vvould'st not ill intreate Syluanus My Shepherdesse when that thy yellow haire Thou combest in the beames of shining sunne Dost thou not see the same obscured My pride andioy by them procured That am from hence beholding it so faire Woon now with hope now with despaire vndone But so maist thou thy beautie braue enioy As thou wouldst giue ameane in such annoy Syrenus Diana whose sweete name in all these hils The wilde beastes tames and crueltie rebates And whose surpassing beautie to it Doth subiect fortune and vndoe it And feares not loue but wars against his wils Respecting not occasion time nor fates To thee thy flockes and folds such ioy may giue As carelesse of my greefe thou wouldst not liue Syluanus The heate is past Syrenus and doth cease The Shepherds to their folds begin to goe And wearie grashoppers doe hold their peace The night will not stay long which hid belovve Is comming in vvhile Phoebus in our skie Doth heere and there his vading light bestovve Therefore before the darkest shade shall lie Vpon the ground and vvhile the vvren doth sing In top of this greene Sicamour on hie Our vvandring flockes together let vs bring And driue them vvhere Diana novv doth stay For vs vvhile in the vvoods our voices ring Syrenus My friend Syluanus goe not yet avvay Since all his beames not yet the sunne doth hide And that vve haue sufficient of the day There 's time for vs and for our flocke beside And time to driue them to the riuer cleere For in this meade to day they shall abide And Shepherd let my song be ended heere All the while that the Shepherds were singing the Shepherdesse Diana was leaning her faire face vpon her hand whose sleeue falling downe a
as if he went about to preferre her before himselfe For after that the woman hath deliuered herselfe into the possession of her husband she therewithal yeeldeth vp to his iurisdiction the title of her libertie by the sweete and sacred bonde of marriage Whereupon I shall see the loue thou bearest me if thou vsest this pleasant bonde according to the iust lawes thereof by setting aside the superstitious vanities of vnlawfull and wanton loue Syluanus had not let Seluagia escaped so smoothly without an answer if he had not thought it an vndecent part to defer his to the sage Lady Wherfore giuing a becke with his head to his Shepherdesse in token of thanks and that he was well pleased with her louing words he answered Felicia thus Presupposing sage Lady that we must do all that you commaund and set downe and that there is nothing more behoouefull for our welfare then your will and pleasure therein it lies to command vs whatsoeuer I feeling no greater reprehension in mine owne behalfe then that which proceedes from your wise and louing aduise saying that I haue no care of my flocks nor thought of them at all For though I confesse I haue not remembred them as reason woulde I had done yet cannot I therefore be iustly blamed but rather thinke that if I had done otherwise I might haue beene in greater fault For it were not meete since I haue receiued such benefits in your house that I shoulde forget one minute that ioy and content wherewith such sweete and pleasant thoughts are ingendred and preserued to thinke vpon those flockes that feede vpon the vnsauorie grasse And you may also beleeue that if my fewe and silly sheepe nay if the whole worlde should perish and be lost and that if it lay in my hands to helpe them both in respect of employing my high and happy thoughts the least time that might be on my faire and vertuous Shepherdesse my sheepe should remaine without helpe and the world without succour Seluagia that was not vnskilfull in paying such debts with like coine again an swered him thus As it lieth not in me my deere friend so will I not find fault with any thing thou dost which I speake to this end bicause thou shouldest not vse as I told thee before any more words so apparantly manifesting that loue whereof I doubt not Although there is nothing if I must tell the truth after the glorie that I haue conceiued in my ioyfull thoughts by being thine that can please and content me more then to see how farre by wordes and effect thy true loue extendeth For though some say That where deedes be wordes are in vaine yet I take great pleasure in hearing them when they are by all probabilitie correspondent vnto deedes and especially in matters of loue whereof we now talke For since the interiour part is a hidden and secret thing and which is soonest discouered by wordes wee must therefore not meanely account of them that pretend to make the interiour knowne by th'exteriour True it is that such words and outward actes must be measured by the effects of him that pronounceth them For oftentimes we see that many things are vttred by a false and deceitfull toong which were neuer ment in the hart Which I speake not in preiddice of thy loue my deere Shepherd or to 〈◊〉 thee of disloyaltie assuring that I am glad to heare thy words whereby besides the certaintie that I haue of thy truest loue thou makest me the most contented woman in the world And in this I take no small glory and that thy loue not able to containe it selfe within the soule flowes out by the mouth like the little pot which filled with water is hardly set on the fire without running ouer And bicause thou maist not thinke to ouercome me in affection I would wish that as loue hath giuen me deedes it had also lent me some wordes to make a full satisfaction of those true signes of thy vnfained good will which hath brought me so much in thy debt But since they are so strange vnto mee I must with onely offring that which I am able to giue endeuour to discharge my selfe thereof They all tooke great delight to heare what amorous wordes passed betweene the Shepherdes which had not ended so soone if Felicia had not cut them off saying That since the one was satisfied and content with the others answere their complements should now cease and turning to Syrenus she said And thinke not free Shepherd that I haue forgotten thee for thou shalt hereafter see woonders at my hands I know not any thing good Ladie said Syrenus wherein I may truely say you haue forgotten me since you haue made me so much remember my selfe that with cleere eies I may easily discerne not only my follies past but also those which these Gentlemen and shepherds are so fondly fallen into Euerie one laughed at Syrenus words to whom Felicia said In sooth Syrenus all are of thy opinion if not aske thy corriuall Syluanus and his beloued Seluagia The blind man answered Syrenus cannot iudge of colours Whom wilt thou haue then for iudge said Felicia Him said Syrenus that hath the eies of reason And who is he said Felicia If there be no other said Syrenus my selfe So wouldest thou giue sentence said Felicia in thine owne fauour but knowest thou not that the iudge is not admitted when he is not free from passion But I am said Syrenus Otherwise said Felicia thy iudgement would not be allowed Not for me at the least saide Syrenus though it be for others Let vs leaue this for some fitter time said Felicia And Syrenus thou shalt to morrow accompany Syluanus and Seluagia home bicause thou camest in their company hither but with condition as theirs is of thy speedie returne againe Syrenus answered that it pleased him well It is well then said Felicia and therfore let vs go take our rest with some parting song to the tune of thy free Rebecke and Syluanus and Seluagia with their enamoured Bagpipes shall answer thee Then did Syluanus take his Bagpipe for Syrenus to sing to it and Syrenus his Rebecke to play to Syluanus when he had done And so Syrenus leading the song began thus Syrenus WHo hath of Cupids cates and dainties prayed May feede his stomacke with them at his pleasure If in his drinke some ease he hath essated Then let him quench his thirsting without measure And if his weapons pleasant in their manner Let him imbrace his standard and his banner For being free from him and quite exempted Ioyfull I am and proud and well contented Syluanus Of Cupids daintie cates who hath not prayed May be depriued of them at his pleasure If wormewood in his drinke he hath essated Let him not quench his thirsting without measure And if his weapons cruell in their manner Let him abiure his standard and his banner For I not free from him and not exempted Ioyfull I am and proud and
well contented Syrenus Loue 's so expert in giuing many a trouble That now I knowe not why he should be praised He is so false so changing and so double That with great reason he must be dispraised Loue in the end is such a iarring passion That none should trust vnto his peeutsh fashion For of all mischiefe he 's the onely Master And to my good a torment and disaster Syluanus Loue 's so expert in giuing ioy not trouble That now I knowe not but he should be praised He is so true so constant neuer double That in my minde he should not be dispraised Loue in the end is such a pleassing passion That euery one may trust vnto his fashion For of all good he is the onely Master And foe vnto my harmes and my disaster Syrenus Not in these sayings to be proou'd a lier He knowes that doth not loue nor is beloued Now nights and daies I rest as I desier After I had such greefefrom me remoued And cannot I be glad since thus estranged My selfe from false Diana I haue changed Hence hence false Loue I will not entertaine thee Since to thy torments thou dost seeke to traine me Syluanus Not in these sayings to be proou'd a lier He knowes that loues and is againe beloued Now nights and daies I rest in sweete desier After I had such happy fortune proued And cannot I be glad since not estranged My selfe into Seluagia I haue changed Come come good Loue and I will entertaine thee Since to thy sweete content thou seek'st to traine mee The rest of the companie tooke great delight to heare the Shepherds sing and how contrary they were in their opinions commending Syluanus his wit and skill very much which he shewed in euery point with the same termes to contradict Syrenus And after this they went to sleepe the Shepherds then taking their leaue for their departure earely in the morning bicause rising betimes not to trauell in the heate of the day their visiting in the morning might not hinder their quiet sleepe Felicia gaue Doria in charge to fill their scrips that night before with sufficient prouision for their way who like a friendly and louing Nymph that was neuer slacke to serue their necessitie going about it immediately did put into the same good store of victuals The opprobrious and rude shame of the ignominious coniunction had nowe thrust out vermillion and purple Aurora to leaue with her absence the deformed little old man in a solitarie sadnes for feare of being espied by Phoebus and the little stars as most obedient and of lesse force with the comming of the mounting Sunne into our Hemisphere hid themselues when the three Shepherds went from Felicias rich pallace towards their poore Cottages by their accustomed and knowen waies which with their pleasant and merry talke they ouercame and made lesse painfull conferring togither of bitter and sorrowfull memories of times past and entermingling them with recitall of the sweete and ioyfull remedies of their former greefes which by Felicias fauours they enioyed liuing now in a happie and wished estate But Clicies louing friend had scarce lifted vp his chariot ouer the face of the earth when from the side of a hill they espied a Shepherd comming downe with a paper in his hand staying betweene pace and pace and vnfolding it looked into it and put it by and by into his bosome againe and without playing on Bagpipe or Rebecke began to sing this Sonnet A Sonnet FRom whence O Paper mine such happie fauour That vndeseruedly thou must be placed Before that flowre that yeeldes the sweetest sauour Which nature hath with all her powres graced Thou shalt the figure see my louing Paper Where all the vertues make their wished dwelling And of the rest not any one escape her Graces and giftes and beauties most excelling Then when thou com'st before my heauenly treasure Say thus from me to her He sends me hither Who liues to serue thee whilst his life extendeth In onely this his thoughts are musing euer In ioy of this both nights and daies he spendeth To serue thee is his onely sport and pleasure At the very instant when the Shepherd made an end of his Sonnet the three Shepherds met with him for they might well haue come to the valley before where their way and the other Shepherds met both togither in a crosse path but that of purpose to heare him they lingred out the time as they went to whom after they had saluted him they saide Since our Fortune hath beene so good to vs iolly Shepherd to make vs take part of thy sweet Sonnet do not thus leaue vs in suspence by hiding from vs what this happy paper containeth I am content saide the Shepherd vpon condition when you haue read it you will let me go without any more questions as well for that I go in haste as also that it doth not please me to giue any further account and discouerie of my selfe Syrenus taking the paper to read it and seeing it was a letter saide Tell vs in briefe if it please thee the contents heerof bicause thou knowest how hardly otherwise the ground and meaning of letters are vnderstood No more said the Shepherd but this A most faire yoong Shepherdesse to whom in good qualities and excellent parts I come nothing neer I will not speake of the rest since in these she hath not her equall for want of better companie hath vouchsafed to like of mine whereupon she and I to passe away the time haue feined to play the parts of two true Louers Wherein when I tooke least heede I quickly perceiued that the faining of my side was turned to good earnest she remayning still in her former estate and libertie and that her iesting neuer made any true impression of loue in her owne hart as it hath done in mine The rest and almost all if thou wilt diligently reade or harken vnto thou maiest easilie gather Syrenus then beginning to reade it saw that it said thus POore I that am not now for thee If any health I haue to lend To thee that hast each part of me All that I haue I meane to send Receiue this letter left alone That to conuers all his to thine And not in any thing his owne This onely paper is behinde Since I haue giu'n thee all the rest Thine honour it shall not gainstand To take a thing that is the lest Apeece of paper at my hand So poore and base a thing as this Cannot offend thy minde so high Why then it cannot be amisse To take and reade it by and by But in the same if thou dost find Words written ill and not well coucht Knowe that my hand did like the winde Tremble when that my pen it toucht The blots which heere thou see'st disgrace My letter making it to blame My teares they are that fell apace Knowing to thee I wrote the same Reade it I pray thee to the end And make an
serued both for a mouth and channell which was not wrought with the blow of the hard Chesil but by the continuall running of the gentle water and so it was in some places a little more worne then in others being more soft or to say more properly lesse hard in one place then in another and by reason of the concauitie of the stone there was seene an inequalitie that represented a more pleasant and gracious running bicause it made the water come out more merily with high and low fals representing certaine cristalline in cleeres and shadows a pleasant and delightfull sight to the greedie eie The water fell into a fountaine of the same rockie stone wrought after the same forme as the channell was It was fouresquare and euery side was fower foote in bredth and in depth sixe or a little more The Petrenall was not right to smite fire with the blowe of hard steele bicause it was not blacke but so white that had it not beene for the hardnes thereof none would haue thought but that it had beene Alablaster And though it was not so curiously cut out and wrought like marble yet was it maruellous and strange for the turne it serued And so for the clecrenes of the water as also for the whitenes of the rockie stone it was so christalline that if any foule thing did fall therein it was so apparant to his sight that came thither that maugre his will hee was forced not to suffer it to receiue such iniurie but to bring it againe to the former purenes For which cause it was euer kept verie cleere and cleane The water ranne out of it into an Ilande on both sides to enuironne the greene plat which was set round about with white Poplars blacke Elmes and greene Sallowes It was in length about a hundred and fiftie paces and a hundred and twentie in bredth There was no entrance into it but where the Shepheds went in and by another way right ouer against the same made almost in the selfe same forme and fashion for the thicknes of the trees stopped vp all other waies and also bicause the water that ranne by the sides issuing towards the side without in some places of that brooke did wax so broad between the place of the trees that by the playne it could not by reason that it was somewhat higher Neere to this fountaine did the Shepherds sit vnder the shadow of a braunchie Oke and certaine Laurell trees and taking out some of those victuals that Doria had prouided for them after they had rested themselues a little they ouercame their importunate hunger satisfying their appetites sufficiently with the same and bicause they had a good way to goe that day they tooke not their rest as much as the place and their desires did inuite them but before all the heate of the day was past least the time should also passe away with it they were about to goe from that place But as they were preparing themselues to rise and to be gone Syrenus saide to Syluanus It is not reason Syluanus that liuing now in such ioy and content and in the presence of thy beloued Seluagia thou shouldest let thy Bagpipe waxe so drie nor is it meete that from this pleasant place the friendly entertainment and delights whereof thou hast enioyed thou shouldest depart without requiting it with the sweetnes of thy melodie and song With greater reason answered Syluanus should the Hamadryades preseruers of these trees and the Driades inhabitours of these green woods complaine of thee that wouldest go away without giuing them some part of thy sweete harmonie and melodious voice Let vs leaue this courteous contention said Syrenus and doe that which I request thee for the great reason which thou hast to do it for that which I told thee first though thou wilt not perhaps for that which I alleaged last For the first indeed I cannot deny thee said Syluanus but in faith I know not what to sing that might not grieue thee that art so far from loue or offend me that am so full of amorous thoughts so that in the end I can sing nothing vnlesse it be to mine owne griefe but that which belongs thereunto To heare thy delicate songs and inioy the sweetnes of thy voice saide Syrenus I will be content with any thing but since it must needes be in such sort in thy song I pray thee shew how far the firmnenes of thy loue extendeth which thou bearest to thy louing Shepherdesse for by occasion heereof I know she cannot nor will not choose but answere thee againe in whose sweet voice and song I shall take no lesse delight then in thine I am content said Syluanus And then thus he began Syluanus IT may fall out the heauens may turne at leisure And stay themselues vpon the highest mountaines And Ezla and Mondego at their pleasure With hastie course turne backe vnto their fountaines And that the flaxe or reede laid to the fire May not consume in flames but burne like wire But yet the day and time shall happen neuer When Syluan shall not loue Seluagia euer Immediately without any entreatie Seluagia bicause she would not die in Syluanus debt nor be beholding to him in this respect taking her Baggepipe vp in this sort did answer him Seluagia The ground shall first be void nor trod nor vsed Leesing her nature and her proper being First shall the raine and vvater be refused Of plants no moisture round about them seeing First shall our life vvith aire be not sustained And first the foode of hunger be disdained Before the vvorld shall see a deede so hainous Seluagia not to loue her deere Syluanus Syluanus The presence of the vvoolfe that doth deuoure The sillie lambes in shades shall not be feared As little shall the hare vvithin her bovvre The yalping hounds nor harts of lions teared Nor Mouse of Cat All hate shall be extruded And louing peace tvvixt all shall be concluded But yet the time and day shall happen neuer When Syluan shall not loue Seluagia euer Seluagia The flocke of little chickes the dams deere treasure Of rauening kites and gleades shall be eschevved The Partridge shall securely liue in pleasure Of praying Goshauke being not pursued The pullaine shall not be of Foxe molested But peace and truce tvvixt all shall be suggested But neuer lies a deede in her so hainous As that Seluagia should forget Syluanus Syluanus I say vvhile any part shall be maintained Of thy Syluanus vvith blood and vitall povvres And vvhilst each member of the same sustained Shall be vvith soule vnto their latest hovvres And if besides the soule can loue expired When to the graue the body is retired In life in death else let him prosper neuer Syluan sshall loue his Shepherdesse for euer Seluagia I say vvhile liuing breath shall not be vvanting In thy Seluagia louing thee so truly And vvhile her soule vvithin her body panting Shall make aboade and gouerne it
for the Shepherd was yet sleeping and the old man and the other Shepherdesse were still embracing each other Lord Felix comming to them both said Thou shouldest haue enough noble Lord of these vnfit embracements Whereat Felicia laughed to her-selfe to see how much in their mindes they disdained the Shepherdesse But the old man said Nowe may yee O Gods conclude my many daies with their last period since you haue granted me this vnspeakeable fauour to see my deerest daughter now may yee make an end of my wearied yeeres hauing before mine eies my onely beloued Stela for so was the Shepherdesse called that spake vnto him Stela mine onely hope my ioy and comfort of my life To this end my praiers tended to lengthen my decaying life and to see this ioyfull day This was the white whereat my petitions oblations and sacrifices aymed for prorogation of my death And now let it come when it wil since I haue her in my presence who in despite of death maintaines my life but yet gentle death rather then by any other misfortune that may ensue I might be depriued of her againe come and bereaue me of this common light O my deerest daughter who did take thee away from me for I coulde neuer beleeue that of thine owne accord thou wouldst haue left me without first taking leaue of thy louing father Woe befall to thee false Shepherde that liest there asleepe and an ill end betide thy friend wheresoeuer he be if he hath it not yet already Bende not thy eares O Iupiter saide the Shepherdesse to this cruell petition but rather turne it vpon me a thing more requisite for my miseries and not on them whose goodnes neuer deserued any ill at all I will not consent good Father nor be content to heare them accursed that in all points are so faultlesse Lo Loue she would haue said hath erred if modestie and maidenly shame had not staied her toong in the middest I haue erred or rather my Fortune to speake more truely hath beene to blame by granting me no meanes to take my leaue of thee Felicia who knewe the cause of the Shepherdesse her greefe said Let these excuses now cease And Parisiles forsake thy sadnes since now thou inioyest thine onely desire Who turning to sage Felicia and marking with what graue auctoritie she spake vnto him said vnto her Whosoeuer thou art noble Ladie whether thou dost recken thy selfe in the number of mortall women or art registred in the Catalogue of the immortall Gods for such an one thou seemest to be pardon me if hitherto I haue not done my obliged duetie and reuerence hauing so pitifull and condigne a cause of pardon in euerie thing hereafter I am wholy at thy deuotions and subiect to thy commaund whatsoeuer It is well said Felicia we shall thinke of that hereafter And bicause I will make thee more ioyfull then euer thou thoughtest to be for from him thy comfort shall proceed of whom thou dost most complaine let vs goe to rest vs vnder the shadowes of those Laurell trees neere to the siluer fountaine brincke and that thou maist beleeue my words to be true know that I am Felicia if euer my name hath sounded in thine eares Parisiles then with the Shepherdesses fell downe on their knees to kisse her hands saying Who of all those that honour our immortall Gods is there that is ignorant of the portion which thou hast with them Felicia lifted them all three vp and would not suffer them to do her such honour and taking one of the Shepherdesses by the hand called Crimine said to all the rest Go you my Sonnes to the fountaine and rest you there while I talke with this Shepherdesse and with that Shepherd a word or two And thou my friend Parisiles with thy deere daughter shalt keepe them company and tell them some famous historie or antiquite vntill it be time to go in to dinner Then taking Crimine by the hand she went towards the Shepherd that was yet sleeping all this while and shaking him by the shoulder awaked him said He should sleep but a little that comes as a guard to two faire yoong Shepherdesses Whereat the vnknowen Shepherd awaked and not seeing Stela without making the sage Ladie any answere with a sudden sursault of griefe said O Crimine where is Stela Be not afraid said Felicia for she is not far from hence Thou mightest do better to looke more aduisedly to thy selfe when as but euen now thy temporall slumber had verie neere cast thee into thy last and endlesse sleepe They of whose liues and honours they chose thee their onely ampare had more care to faue thy late endangered person then thou hadst of thy selfe or them And bicause thou maist see vnto what extremitie thy fates had almost brought thee knowe that it is not long since the knife was at thy throate readie to cut it The Shepherd could not imagine what she meant by these words nor what companie that was that sat about the fountaine where turning his eies about to see Stela he espied her but Crimine secretly admonished him to doe his duetie to Felicia who then making low obeisance vnto her craued pardon of her Felicia then told him in order what had passed and how Parisiles forgetting his aged weaknes and ayded by the force of his furie would haue killed him how they would not let him with that that folowed In the end the Shepherd was verie sad when he knew that old Parisiles was there not for feare of him but bicause he now thought to loose his beloued Stela which sage Felicia perceiuing said vnto him Abandon Shepherd these sorrowfull thoughts for all shall redound to thy content and ioy for now thou art in such a place where thou shalt haue no wrong and where thy passed troubles those of thy sweet company deerest friends shall be better ended then thou art able to imagine To all this the Shepherd could yeeld no more but humble thankes though it was not sufficient to comfort him bicause he was absent from a deere friend of his whom he loued more then himselfe and who euer requited him with no lesse loue againe as by manie proofes most often it appeered For well might they two haue been the thirde number annexed to the onely two paire of friends that after so manie thousande yeeres were accounted in the world for the greatest But the Lady Felicia assured him how she would finde out some meanes to haue him thither out of hande At which words he fell downe on his knees and kissed her hands for any thing that she could do the contrarie In these and other speeches they went talking vp and downe a pretie while But God knowes how Crimine was ashamed of her-selfe before Felicia though it was not long for Felilia did remedie that by and by hauing taken her aside to no other ende from the rest of the companie While these three were in these speeches Lord
With those same weapons that were threatned him So with his headed shaft of beaten gold He smot his brest and pass'd his carelesse hart Omitting not to wound faire Daphnes to With that of hate headed with heauie lead And so with this the Boy remayned glad And well did see though blind what he had done And thus content in minde he did depart Vpon some others to imploy his might O blinded Boy of strong and mightie force Where none is found but onely in thy hands That more the one with feruent loue doth burne The more the other freezeth with disdaine And proud Apollo now thou shalt perceiue That think'st no equall God to thee in heauen Nor celebrated in the earth beaneth With such like honours which thou claym'st alone That there is one that raignes in heauen and earth In hell and euerie corner of the world More puissant then any other God Bicause thou art inuentor of the skill Of phisicke and of musickes sweetest art Bicause besides thou tell'st with secret power Things that are past and present and to come Thou think'st thou raign'st alone as Soueraigne Now art thou subiect to a sillie maide Too base if she be paragon'd to thee And yet this greeues him not but that the more He loues this Nymph the more doth she contemne His mightie loue and all his vainest suites Faire Daphnes hart is hardened and congealed In loue of this great God of heauen aboue Apollos hart consumes with burning heat In loue of this poore maide in earth beneath The God desireth to inioy her loue And after this desire commeth hope But here his Oracles deceiue him much For in these things diuining is but vaine So with this hope which is but vaine and false He doth maintaine and feede his barren loue And feeling with great paine his burning fire To Cupid in this sort he mildly spake What fire is it that thus my breast doth tame And yet no flame I see that 's manifest Is this thy best reuenge O Cupid tell Fierce God and fell which on me thou dost take Hovv dost thou make the mightie Gods to bend And dost offend the rich the proud and vvise And dost despise and tame the great and small So easie shall not flixe nor tovv be burn'd Nor reeds be turned to fire laid thereby Alas as I vvith thy reuenging games Do burne in flames for thou hast made my hart To feele the smart of loue and vvith thy might And golden flight hast cruell vvounded it Which thou hast smit and smitten stolne avvay And made decaye of it vvithin my brest Where novv no rest nor vvonted ioyes do dvvell Then cruell tell the same vvhere hast thouput Where hast thou shut my hart of sorrovv vvhat And is that perhaps O that it is And novv in this faire forrest do they vse Thus to abuse Gods harts and steale and kill From hence I vvill Cupid make thee my mate And friend though late for euer thou shalt be Since linked me thou hast in such a chaine Her haire doth staine the golden Colchos fleece Which out of Greece Iason shall saile to seeke Her face and cheeke enameled vvith red With vvhite be spread passing the Roses gay In moneth of May that dare not come in place To see her face nor yet the Lillie vvhite Approch in sight vvhere her braue beautie shines Aurora pines in seeing her and dyes Her tvvinkling eies more then the heauenly lights In frostie nights doe shine where Gupid skips Her rubie lips with praise shall not be vouch't But onely touch't and kist of mine againe Her necke so plaine and smooth nothing doth owe Vnto the snowe for pure vnspotted white What els O spite her wrongfull garments grudge To shew I iudge that nature made each part With such braue art as neuer humane eies Did see the like or heauenly thought deuise Whilste God Apollo wandreth in her praise Daphne with hastie foote doth flie away Which when he did perceiue these wordes in vaine Continuing still his speech to her did say O thou the skies that dost excell stay stay Fly not away so fast thy friend I am So flies the lambe from rauening woolfe away The Hart againe of cruell death afraid With hart dismaid doth from the Lion flie The doues doe hie them from their praying king With trembling wing so each thing here belowe Flies from his foe But Loue that burnes Apollo Doth make him follow thee with friendly pace O see each place whereon thy feete doe tread With thornes bespread vnworthily to beare them The stones doe weare them like the shauing file Then stay a while and haste not so I pray Sharpe is the way and I for nothing would My following should make thee faire Nymph to fall I pray thee all I may to moderate Thy hastie gate and I with milder pace To saue thy face from hurt will follow thee Oh didst thou see and know but who it is That mooueth his great l ue vnto thee so Thou wouldst I knowe not flie but tarie still To knowe my will and thinke that thou wert blest To be possest of such a Lord so high I dwell not I in this poore harren hill Though heere I kill wilde beastes for my delight I hold by right as much as Tanais streames And Titans beames doe see where they arise This I despise but onely for thy sake Where thou didst take thy beauties first of all Which countrie shall be reard vnto the skies In all mens eies vvith fame and dignitie And lou'd of me more then th' Imperiall seate Of heauen so great from vvhence faire Nymph I came Neither I am a Shepherd nor doe keepe Cattell or sheepe but vvhat loue doth commend To me to tend In Delphos for mine honour Of vvhich the ovvnour I am incense burnes Claros by turnes and Tenedos likevvise Burne sacrifice to me The lands vvhich great Xanthus doth vveat vvherevvith such sudden voice I doe reioice the harts of them that craue Ansvvers to haue by Oracle diuine Delphos is mine and famous there I am Of birth I came more noble then the rest For at the lest the Gods are kinne to mee First in degree great Ioue my father is And she ywish that raignes in heauenly seate A Goddesse great Latona fairer then Faire Titan when in all his chiefest pride Vnto his bride Aurora he doth hast By me things past and those that present be I know and see and things to come can tell I do excell in verse and sweetest song With arme most strong I draw my bow and flight Where it doth light it hits with sure wound Yet haue I found that Cupids certaine arrow Doth hit more narrow in my wounded breast Where all my rest and pleasures it hath spent I did inuent the art of medicine My wit diuine found out the secret power Of euerie flower and herbs whose vertues still Vnto my skill and practise subiect bee But woe is me that neither herbe nor pill Nor phisickes skill
to loue no ease imparts Nor that those arts that profit euery one Cannot helpe me their master all alone Now running fast away betweene them both Daphne to flie Apollos wanton vvill Apollo follovving chaste Daphnes loue Loue helpe Apollo vvith his speedy vvings And vnto Daphnes feete feare tyed her vvings And both sufficient fauours haue of both But loue in fine doth ouercome pale feare Bicause he is more forvvard light and hot But vvhen the Nymph did see herselfe surpris'd And that the God embrac'd her in his armes Lifting her hands and eies vnto the heauens Succour she crau'd of all th' immortall Gods Forgetting not her father demy God And in this sort besought their fauours all Helpe each immortall power For ioyntly all your helpes I do desire And humbly do your fauours all inuoke None I except out of the heauenly quire O saue my virgine flowre Be readie else with force it will be broke O let the earth deuoure And swallow me within her hidden vaines With furious paines Or else destroy my shape with thunder clap Since this mishap It wrought Helpe Pene now my father deere If deitie be in thy riuers cleere Scarce had faire Daphne ended her request When by and by a trembling feare possest Her bodie with each member of the same Hard barke did winde about her snow-white brest Her golden haire was turned to greene leaues Her armes into two long and branchie boughes Her nimble foote which was of late so light Fastned remaind in rootes that could not stirre And such like shape remaind in euerie part Apollo deerely lou'd this Nymph in life And now he loues her turn'd into a tree Where thrusting his right hand into the barke Felt that transformed Daphnes hart did yet Tremble and quake vnder the same so new He doth imbrace those fine and tender boughes As though he would embrace her body yet The wood he kisseth but the wood disdaines His kisses and doth seeme to bend away So in this sort Apollo stood a while Speechlesse and thinking of no other thing After like one that is amazed in minde Not knowing whether he doth dreame or no Vpon the Gods and heauen he doth exclaime With angrie wordes of pitie and despite Bicause they vs'd such rigour to his loue For faine he vvould had Daphne to his vvife But vvhen he savv it could not come to passe He chose her for his tree and gaue to it Great honours as the like had neuer yet And in this great astonishment he said What thing is this vvhich I do see Is it a dreame or none O that it vvere A fansie or some vaine deceite What doe I erre Or is it night or day what might I be If it be true I see a losse so great With many harmes my burning soule will threat But yet awake I am for in my right Hand Python dead and headlesse I doe beare And on my left arme weare My bowe and low my quiuer and my flight Why this is Thessalie Which this fell beast did waste both day and night O woe and after such a ioy so high Must such mishap my sweete content deny What hard and cruell God is that That hath transform'd with enuie and despite Her goodly figure and her face Most perfect bright Me thinkes he nill deserues to banquet at The tables of the Gods nor heauenly place Since he hath wronged nature in this case My skill and powers beare not such a sway To change thee to thy former shape againe And that snowewhite And rosie face which first did breede my paine The reason is bicause that none Though neuer yet so learned any way And though they ioin'd their vertues all in one Can vndoe that which one did doe alone But now since all the fates so dire And wicked destinies this good forbid That thou my louing wife should'st be Yet though they did With more despite against my will conspire Thou shalt for euer be my louing tree And I will neuer cease to honour thee My yellow haire like shining threeds of golde To honour thee thy leaues shall compasse round My harpe with siluer sound Thou shalt adorne and quiuer shalt vphold In all the world thy noble fame shall bide And when triumphantly In honours chaire the Conquerour doth ride Before them they shall carry thee on high Lifting their conquest to the starrie skie And as my faire and youthfull head Adorned is with lockes of dangling haires Whereon were neuer yet imploid The little sheares Euen so thy leaues shall neuer be destroid And angry time thy honour shall not teare But euermore greene bowes and leaues shalt beare The lightning that all creatures doth offend And euery thing of beauties pride bereaues Shall neuer touch thy leaues But be obedient to thee without end From lightning to defend The okes with them thy branches they shall reare And euery where In honour of th' Imperiall palace gate On portals they shall place thee with great state This did Apollo speake vnto the tree And gratefully the Laurell bow'd her top In steed of moouing her new changed head And with her new and tender branches made A signe that she with thankfull minde receiu'd These giftes and fauours which that God did giue To her while Laurell on the earth did liue And now beholde noble companie how I haue fulfilled your commands although not so fitly to your demand nor my desire Woorthie Parisiles saide Lorde Felix you haue done no lesse then was expected at your hands but yet one doubt remaineth in my minde for what reason the Oke is better kept then any other tree since there are of others a great number more necessarie for mans life There is no God answered Parisiles but hath some tree birde beast or other thing dedicated to his deitie as the Oliue to Minerua the Laurell to Apollo the Turtle doue to Venus the Peacocke to Iuno and so foorth But bicause Iupiter is the highest of the Gods and the Oke is dedicated to him for this respect to that tree more then to any other we do greater reuerence I am satisfied saide Lord Felix But tell me I pray you why the Oke was rather dedicated to him then any other tree To shewe the infinite power and might of Iupiter saide Parisiles It is well answered saide Felicia And for this time let demands answers cease and let vs go about other necessarie busines without the which no mortall creature can any long time preserue life The tables therefore being spred and furnished with many daintie dishes Felicia tooke Crimine and Stela by the hands and caried them out of the meadowe to a fine spring where Stela being washed she apparelled them as richly as their woorthines and beautie deserued for she had commanded some garments secretly to be brought thither knowing what would ensue and then they returned by and by to the fountaine for now they were tarying for her althings being in a readines against her comming Felismena the
vpon him and pace by pace went towardes the sea shore that was hard by putting now and then his foore into the water Aboue the second figure of his first space the Bull leapt indeede into the sea before him vpon whose backe the Damsell sitting with great feare and not regarding her wette and drenched garmentes thought good to holde fast by his hornes to saue her selfe from falling turning her pitifull face and wrinkled for feare to the shore which shee was forced to leaue When they had behelde this peece turning the sheepe-hooke a little about they sawe in the second peece of it a goodly Shepherd amongst a flocke of sheepe wearing vpon his yellow lockes a bande of fine white silke loose to tie them vp on either side bicause they might not hang downe about his eies Whom for that a little before he was more earnestly and with more brightnes beholding the Moone they knew to be Endimion In the vpper part thereof they saw the selfesame man lying vpon the massie body of a tree cut down and the Moone with her artes power endeuouring to cast him into a deepe sleepe The intent why she had to make him sleepe was vnderstoode by that which followed for when he was asleepe she was louingly kissing the faire youth In the thirde part or space of it was the Goddesse Iuno talking with a Shepherd that had a hundred eies named Argus pointing with her finger to a faire white heyfer which she commanded him to keepe well and threatning him if he did otherwise The same Argus a little farther was sitting vpon a rocke with his ninetie eight eies which then watched looking stedfastly vpon the heyfer that was cōmitted to his charge In the vpper peece Mercurie was passing by in a shepherds habite playing on a Baggepipe who being inuited by Argus to sit downe and rest him at the sweetenes of his musicke all his eies fell asleepe A little before that Argus being killed by Mercurie he caried the heyfer away or to say more properly Io transformed into a heyfer and gaue her to Iupiter In the fourth part in Xanthus riuer bankes was Alexander engrauen who was afterwards called Paris casting his left arme about a Nymphes necke called Enone and with his right hande caruing these letters in a poplar the smooth barke whereof serued him for paper and a sharpe knife for pen and inke First shall these christ all streames their courses backward mooue Before I will forget my sweete and deerest Loue. A little farther was the Nymph with this Shepherd among'st the boughes of a lowe Tamarisque despoyling the harmlesse Nightingale of her deerest pretie ones and the sorrowfull Dame fluttering vp and downe ouer their heads and for that iniurie crying for vengeance to the impartiall heauens In the peece aboue Mercurie was shewing Paris who from that time tooke this name a golden apple pointing to it with a wande in his hand to giue it to the fairest of those three Goddesses that came with him A little before this were the three Goddesses stripping themselues naked at Paris command the better to giue his iudgement and after hauing viewed them on euery side and each ones seuerall beautie he gaue it to Venus who remained very proud and loftie by obtayning the prize and the other two hanging downe their heads with sadde countenances and angry against the Shepherd In the steele of it diuers artificiall sports were carued and sundry kindes of huntings not to be told or written heere to auoide tediousnes Although Lord Felix and the Shepherdes Seluagia and the Nymphes euery one by themselues viewed the sheepehooke yet Parisiles would neuer take it in his hands bicause it belonged to that Shepherd whom he hated aboue althings in the worlde After they had seene and marked the sheepehooke well and commended the fine workemanship and deuises of it Syrenus asked the Shepherd if he himselfe had made it The Shepherd answered no nor knew by whom it was made but onely him that gaue it him It seemed he meant thee no ill said Syrenus when he gaue thee so rich a gift as this Nay rather said Crimine he that gaue it him was euen then and yet is the most mortall enimie he hath and gaue it him to as cruell an intent and purpose as was euer heard of bicause it might haue beene the meanes to haue brought this Shepherd to a violent and vntimely death as it hath beene the occasion not onely of his banishment and ours but also of the cruell imprisonment of his deerest friend At these words the Shepherd Stela and Crimine could not hold their teares whereupon they would aske them no more of that matter But Felicia saide I knowe my friend Parisiles that it greeues this yoong people that you and I are heere who hauing respect and reuerence to our age cannot conuerse togither with such discourses as are most agreeable to their mindes and common amongst yoong folkes Let vs therefore giue them place if you thinke it best and go and talke togither for our pastimes shall be no lesse delightfull vnto vs then their 's to them But bicause they are a suspicious kinde of people Stela and Crimine shall go with vs. They laughed all at these last words and then without more adoe Felicia and they three went walking out of that meadow But as they were going being a little way from the fountaine where most of the company was Felicia saide to them that went with her Staie heere a little for I haue forgotten to warne them of one thing wherefore being come backe to the fountaine she saide to the vnknowne Shepherd Since I haue to talke with Parisiles about a matter concerning thee thy friend and the content of you all my departure from hence is to withdrawe Parisiles Crimine and Stela from this place bicause thou maist the better report to them that staie heere with thee who thou art or at the least as much as thou knowest of thy selfe why and how thou didst bring so good cōpanie with thee for as they greatly desire to heare it so shall I thinke thou dost much for me if thou wilt affoord me and them this content When she had said thus she went backe againe to her companie which she left staying for her with whom she walked to a secret place where sitting downe she saide Sit downe Parisiles and daughters forbeare vs a little or else go walke vp and downe there for I will not haue you beare witnes of the loue that I haue to impart to Parisiles They two therefore remaining all alone Felicia told him all that heereafter shall be rehearsed and that he should not take it in ill part that his daughter went in the Shepherds companie for such an one he was by whom nothing should be lost and the rather since he had entertained her and her loue with the greatest puritie and sinceritie in the worlde And that he shoulde expect that all things should succeede by a
ouer which he did out of hand and there they gaue to each other a particular account of their liues Parthenius hauing euer a speciall care to conceale that which by reuealing it might be hurtfull vnto him They passed away the time there a good while when at the last Parthenius played and sung such things as pleased Gorphorosts vain wherewith the fierce Shepherd was not onely most highly content but no lesse glad that he had got a companion and friend to whom he might impart his vneuen loues with Stela In this sort therefore they spent that day and tooke their leaue of one another Gorphorost requesting him not to forget that place of meeting While Parthenius was a gaining Gorphorosts good will wherein he had so much profited himselfe by his passing wit and discretion that in his armes to the other side of the riuer he oftentimes transported him to shew him all his riches and habitation I laboured to pacifie angrie Stela wherein I tooke such paines and was so forward that I had put her as it were in Cupids bosome to make her know his sorce and signory and in such sort that though she had no force to resist loue yet she encouraged her selfe to passe away her paine without discouering it once vnto me being her chiefest secretarie and deerest friend Neuerthelesse I studied by all meanes possible by procuring Delicius pardon to make her returne to her former companie and conuersation whereupon when most of our Nymphes were on a time in seuerall companies agreed to passe awaie the heate of the daie I saide vnto her I cannot but greeue beloued Stela that for so light an occasion wee shoulde leese so many pleasant howers as wee were wont to haue Truth it is Crimine saide Stela that I would faine enioy them if they were entertained with such puritie and honestie as at the first we found them And I know not why thou shouldst terme it light when to thy selfe as at the least to me it seemed it should be no lesse heauie to indure What harme didst thou get by it said I or how couldest thou be agreeued that so iollie a yoong Shepherd so wise and discreet should loue thee I know with such apparant tokens of true and sincere affection whom neither Apollo when he fedde Admetus heards nor any other did euer excell in any thing And how more auaileable if not for their deserts were it for vs to haue their companie to no other end but to passe away the heate of these daies which well thou mightest dissemble since in the end thy will remaines so free to do whatsoeuer shall like thee best Should I consent said Stela to haue one loue me beyond the limits of chastitie Why this said I is not in thy power bicause thou canst not let it for command Gorphorost to leaue of to loue thee and thou shalt see how much thy desire or command preuailes I know it well said Stela but then must I suffer him to manifest so dishonest a motion to me Thou art in the fault said I by prouoking him first vnto it as if it seemed thou hadst no other desire By meanes whereof the carelesse and simple louer thinking there was no such hidden deceit in thee as with thy faire words to draw that out of his brest which with fast and secret bonds he had enclosed there and thinking to take opportunitie by the forehead plainly laied open vnto thee his vnfayned and feruent affection wherein thou wert much beholding vnto him since otherwise perhaps he would neuer haue manifested it by passing rather in the meane time great paines for feare of offending thee vntill thou didst first command him Since it is then so saide Stela that thou wilt lay this fault vpon me I will take the blame and punishment vpon my selfe which shal be heereafter not to see nor speake with him nor to haue any thing to do with him bicause I will not fall with him into more errours And as for him let him taste the fruite of his owne boldnes which punishment as it will not I thinke be greeuous to me to suffer so will it not be hurtfull to him to gather that which he himselfe did sowe How easie a thing it is for thee said I I see well but how hard it is for him I cannot conceiue assuring thee that if thou hadst but seene him at that present thou wouldst consider better of that I say who is yet in such a case that thou art scarce able to knowe him with whose teares and burning sighes the hard dimonds and christall may be mollified and melted And beleeue me Stela if it had not beene for me and Parthenius that did put him in some vncertaine hope bicause he shoulde not despaire he had before this time paied deerely for his fault if by doing thy command he made a fault though yet in the end I greatly feare me that he cannot endure very long if thou dost stay too long from visiting him who now requires no other thing for his onely satisfaction and content Truely said Stela thou hast termed them wel vncertaine hopes for so they are indeede and of vncertaine they shall be for euer vaine When I perceiued her hardnes and of what small force my perswasions were with mine eies full of teares I said vnto her Ah Stela how ill dost thou requite my great loue towards thee how small an account dost thou make of the loue that thou owest me and howe ill dost thou thinke of the tender affection which I haue euer vowed vnto thee the reuenge of all which if with speede thou dost not prevent my ensuing sorrow I craue at the iust hands of our impartiall Gods Speaking thus vnto her and renting the fine vaile that weakely couered my amorous brests with many sighes and so profounde that my breath seemed to burst my inwarde soule I foulded mine armes and leaning my head vpon my knees for then I was set downe I made strange and pitious motions with my bodie Stela stoode astonished at such a sight not knowing whereunto she might attribute so great extremes and so was she in a great suspence vnable to speake or do any thing but weepe for loue and pitie not knowing wherefore onely thereby to keepe me companie and a little while after embracing me she began thus to say My deere Sister and Mistresse if this offence which without reason as I know no lesse thou hast conceiued against me thou takest in ill part at the first I do no lesse wonder at this new accident that thy vnwonted teares mooue me thus to pitie Tell me wherein I am culpable or how I haue offended thee and beware thou puttest me not in suspition that thy friendship to me is stained and vnpure when as mine hath euer beene towards thee vertuous and sincere For thou sayest I requite thee ill bicause I will not see that presumptuous Shepherd O my deere friend Stela said I how faine would I be as thou
my cheefest intent was to see Parthenius and not to helpe him which to get the good will of both was no good way at all I coulde giue thee other reasons faire Nymph but let this suffice But returning to that I was telling when I asked for Parthenius Delicius saide he was gone to Gorphorost and tolde me of the new friendship lately begun between them both whereof though I was somewhat afraide yet I could not thoose but thinke well of his policie to tary the safer and longer time in those parts I would haue stayed for him vntill he had come to haue counselled him how he might haue conuersed and behaued himselfe with that fierce Shepherd But I must needs go bicause Delicius told me that he would not come so soone againe for that Gorphorost was determined to shewe him the Iland and the Caue where he dwelt The next day before our accustomed hower chalenging Stela for her promise I carried her with me to the wonted place the which a Nymph to whose lot it befell that day watched as I said to see if any danger was at hand We going on therefore that way and Stela seeing the shadowes to be but narrow said We go too soone for the Shepherds be not yet come and admit they were it is not decent nor conuenient for vs to go before our accustomed howers bicause they might not thinke that being so desirous to see them we preuented our wonted time If therefore friend thou thinkest good let vs goe into the thickest of the forrest here to walke vnder the shades while it is fitter time to go I told her I was content bad her leade the way But going in this sort from tree to tree we might perceiue in the tender barke of a great and tall ashe from as high as a man of more then a meane stature might reach from the ground certaine verses written verie small and close togither and comming to the same to see what they were I began to read them as followeth SInce all my fortunes are so ouerthwart And so vnequall to my iust pretence That where dame Nature Mistresse of her art Did make an end to frame each beauties part There all my ils and sorrowes did commence Auguish and woes fierce torments griefe and paine With their braue force my soule doe ouerrunne That they doe worke it to their onely vaine As blustring windes vpon the cloudes and raine Or as the snowe that meltes before the sunne And then since that my wet and wearied eies Were woont to be enuious once to see Bicause they sawe the seate where nature lies With all her treasures and the chiefest prize Of beautie that in all the world might be Now shall they onely seeke and wish this hire Continually in bitternes to weepe Now shall they burne in swelling teares like fire And now in lieu of seeing that desire My cheekes in them shall neuer cease to sleepe Since th' absence of the Nymph I loue so much Hath deyn'd to beare me company of late Then needes my life must languish and be such That greefes and sorrowes will not also grutch To follow absence as their chiefest mate And since my Star is hid and gone away Whereby my life and senses I did guide I cannot choose but erre and goe astray And liue in senselesse darknes euery day Finding no light wherein I may abide And now exiled shall my body flie Since hard mishap the same did so oppresse But yet my soule shall euermore be nie And shall be neuer absent though I die From the sweete body of my Shepherdesse And so if that my vitall powers quaile Or bodie die by wandring heere and there Impossible it is my soule should faile Or death or danger should the same assaile Accompanying her body any where My soule for euer doth in her remaine My body but for absence doth lament That though my wretched body now is faine To wander heere yet doth my loue restraine My soule to stay that neuer would consent Then miserable body once begin This sorrowfull departure with no wonder To feele with paine and greefe And neuer lin To waile the cruell torments thou art in With soule and body parting thus asunder You shall my drenched eies no lesse then this Feele this great miserie that greeues me soe Your companie heere shall not be amisse Since that you were the onely fault ywisse Of all my troubles and tormenting woe Then seas of teares begin to drowne your marge And weepe for your attempt so rashly done Let weeping be your office and your charge And care no more to looke so much at large Let it suffice you sawe another sunne The intellectuall and inward eies Shall onely haue this charge and care to see And you my corporall with mournefull cries Bewaile my harmes in which no comfort lies Onely to you this office I decree And those which are impassible at all Shall see at length and in succeeding time Impossible and strange things to befall And you as passible heerafter shall Weary your selues by meanes of such a crime For you they shall with double sight behold That shining blaze that braue and glorious sight Without the feare of hurt and shall be bold With great delight their senses to vnfold On that which did your lookes with harme requite They shall behold that now I am and was Condemn'd without the course of iustice lore For if I did offend to loue her as My selfe then I confesse this fault did passe To make me suffer what I can no more And of this thing I meane not to repent For happen will what happen shall to prooue Each amorous torment I am well content And with good will with meere and franke consent I yeeld vnto the harme that comes of loue In louing her I doe all what I may Though to my minde it falleth out amisse I promise to forget her euery way And that my loue for euer shall decay If she would leaue to be what now she is Alas she cannot leaue to be the same A thing it is her minde that well doth please Hauing no peere in cruell beauties fame Nor I cannot but still maintaine this flame Nor t' is a thing conuenient for mine ease And if she said to me with little loue That it were best for me to hate and scorne And should finde ease if I began to prooue The same I answere that it doth behooue Me still to choose the worse to worser borne My piteous wordes she did condemne with fell And angry lookes for telling her mine ill Infernall greefe and to my soule a hell That with such crueltie she should repell Me so bicause I did obey her will She bid me tell her O accursed day If that my torments were for her or no And if I lou'd her so as I did say She did commaund Alas I did obay Why angry then if she will haue it so Weepe eies of earth O weepe and weepe no more My miserie and
Crimine shall we appoint for such iudges My selfe said I and those whom thou wilt besides that are of better iudgement and skill then these Shepherdes Why what saiest thou said Crimine I answered that which I said This sufficeth me said Crimine and now I care not a whit for that they shall say since the sentence is giuen with a better vow and voice in my fauour In these and other iestes which I omit to tell you bicause I know you are desirous to heare the other song we spent a pretie time wherein after we had sung some merie and ioyfull ditties we heard the sound that the Nymph our watch woman gaue to hie vs home because Gorphorost was comming downe the hils beneath whereupon with the greatest haste we could we hied vs away before he began to passe ouer the riuer Who by chaunce espying vs with humble requests began to perswade vs not to flie away since it was not his mind to offend vs in any thing To whose bootlesse speeches hating him for mine own part as much as I loued the Shepherds I would not abide to listen though Crimine requested me to stay a pretie way off to see what he would say and if offring to come neere vs he would not go backe with warning him to the contrarie we might then be gone and saue our selues being in so sure a place as then we were But I that had no desire to condescend to Crimines request with my company entred no sooner into our riuer when Gorphorost came on the other side where my deere Shepherds were To whom he saide Parthenius which of you two soeuer he be although by thee your likenes was so fully made knowen vnto me yet I thought it was not so great that it might trouble mee from knowing thee againe Nowe I confesse that I cannot tell which of you two is Parthenius Speake therefore to mee both of you and by your voice I shall discerne that which by your countenaunce and apparell I cannot Then they saide both togither I am Parthenius If I had not seene you both mooue your lippes saide Gorphorost I woulde haue thought it had beene but one voice Do me therefore this pleasure to speake each one by himselfe and then by that meanes I shall knowe you Delicius speaking first said I am Parthenius dost thou not know me Gorphorost said yes and that very wel Then spake Parthenius and said I am Parthenius dost thou not know me Now said Gorphorost I know not thee nor the other But which of both soeuer thou beest for the friendship betweene thee and me I pray thee sing those verses which thou didst sing the first time I sawe thee for I neuer remembred to demand it sooner at thy hands and when I heard thee first sing it I could not vnderstand them well being both so farre asunder Parthenius who as you knowe desired to giue him all the content he could taking out his Rebecke began to sing this Sonnet which he had made of purpose bicause with patience he might suffer the disdaine that I did beare him A Sonnet IF teares we spill by louing and bereaue not Our harts of troubles which for loue we faine not Dainties they are of loue which we obtaine not Dainties they are of loue which we conceiue not If that by louing passions we desire not And sighes for loue wherewith we doe complaine all Dainties they are of loue which we disdaine all Dainties they are of loue which we require not The false suspectes to be of all eschewed The ie alousies of euery Mistresse mooued Dainties they are of loue not well aduised To faine not without why not to be loued To thinke not without cause not to be viewed Dainties they are of loue of all despised O how glad would I haue beene said Syluanus to haue heard this Sonnet when I poured out so many vaine teares and had so many disfauours of ingratefull Diana What comfort couldst thou haue had saide Syrenus since his purpose and intent doth maruellously import that they are the pleasures and ioyes of loue to faine without any cause thereof that they are not loued so that to vnderstand that they are not loued hauing good cause to beleeue it they should be no sweetes nor dainties of loue Whereupon perceiuing so cleerely that Diana did not loue thee thou shouldst haue had but small comfort by this Sonnet I perceiued well enough answered Syluanus that I was despised but yet for all that would not conceiue that I knew so much It is well saide saide Doria talke no more of times that are gone and past since both of you are content with this that is present And thou faire Stela for the loue of vs all proceede in thy sweet discourse In many other songs said Stela they passed away a good time with sicice Gorphorost and now that Titan went downe to visite the other earth he tooke his leaue of them requesting Parthenius to come and visite him sometimes promising him that when he came to passe ouer the riuer he woulde not faile to come and helpe him ouer That night I slept not soundly in my bed nor with much rest for so manie imaginations of things that I had passed the day before of many other more ran vp and down in my troubled fantasies that I could take no rest at all For I thought of the goodly behauiour graces and beautie and personage of the two Shepherds each thing in them seeming to me being not men of flockes as I supposed more woorthie of greater things then my selfe The sorrowfull wordes of Delicius song written in the tree filled me full of pirie and the frantike iealousie that rooted in my hart I had of Crimine for Parthenius sake stung me mortally On the one side I endeuoured not to loue and was vnwilling on the other that any should loue them besides my selfe In the trouble of which considerations hauing a good while turmoyled my wearied spirits at the very point when faire Aurora began to awake a profound sleepe began to take more holde on me then in the whole night before I dreamed but will not tell you what bicause I desire to forget it let it suffice that th' extreme fear of so horrible a dream awaking me eased me in som sort Seeing my selfe free from that danger as if my bed had beene in fault the onely cause of my sorrowe and full of stinging vipers and fierie flames with a sudden seare I lept out of it At the noise whereof Crimine who lay with me awaked and enquiring the cause of my sursault I answered her that it was nothing but a starte in a fearefull and vnacquainted dreame which should not be a small one said Crimine since my friend it hath altered thee so much that there is no colour left in thy face but such as in dead pale bodies and thine eies swelling with seares not yet sully ascended vp to issue foorth seeme to burst
for the great force and desire they haue to weepe It was so said I for I would haue thought they had opened my brest Crimine with a gracious smile who is no lesse in all she doth began to iest a little with me and vnlacing my bodie looking into my brest said Truely thy dreame hath not shewed thee any thing contrary to the truth for it is open and hath beene to receiue into it there all possibilitie of beautie And yet if thou wilt giue me leaue I will tell thee more She had little neede to aske me leaue that tooke it of her-selfe so frankly to tell me what shee did But tell me what thou wilt saide I. Although thy brest said she is open yet hath Delicius his more open to receiue thee in But rather thine saide I to locke vp Parthenius in it That would not greeue me said she if this might be truely affirmed of thee and him but knowest thou what is come into my minde that we spent too short time yesterday in seeking out the rest of the song that was written in the tree Why what remained said I This would I know saide Crimine Dost thou not remember that the last verse of it said that bicause that tree was not able to containe any more he went to write it in some other tree It is true indeed said I. Now hast thou come said Doria to the point which we all desired to know but Stela said on As thou louest thy felse therefore said Crimine let vs goe a little sooner to day and we will seeke out the place where he wrote the rest and to reade againe that which we found yesterday Let it be as thou please said I. And so with this determination we went betimes to the place where we had beene the day before and began againe to read the song that we had read but not without manie teares where by and by not far from thence we found out a great Sicamour whose tender and white barke serued him for paper for this which he wrote in it AH well away how firme and suer ar Torments and paines in each true louers hart For when I thought that I did wander far And changed place this fierce and amorous war And wounding greefe would from my soule depart Yet now in fine by proofe too well I knowe That greefe and sorrowes absence doth not kill As some doe say but makes them more to growe And wit so deerely bought with double woe Is bought I needes must say against my will I goe from place to place and neuer yet My haunting greefe and cares doe goe away I am so diuers in my wandring wit That in one place I neuer rest nor sit Yet still the same are sworne with me to stay My fainting legs my drooping bodie beares From place to place and yet fierce paine sustaines It is so seasoned with my swelling teares That since my Life of late my loue for sweares All comforts that I offer it disdaines My cruell paine wherewith my life is spent I would contemne and would but little make If that my Mistresse would in minde consent That I should beare this ceaselesse punishment Onely for her for her most sweetest sake But that which makes so wide and deepe a tent Of greefe within my hart and makes it die As often as I thinke how she is bent Is that to that she neuer will relent Where remedie nor any helpe doth lie After that loue so strong and firme a fort Had built within my brest vnto his minde Louing a death I rather would support Then now to liue after another sort Or for my selfe in libertie to finde For speedie death I knowe must be my fate With such a life as now I doe endure With mine owne handes to end this hard debate To cruell death I will set ope the gate And in my brest will lodge it most secure Who doubts that if but once she came to knowe My greeuous paines and passions which I feele But that to me some pitie she would showe Though in her brest where pitie yet may growe She had a hart harder then any steele Who doubtes if that she did but knowe the smart Her louer feeles his plaintes and endlesse mone But that she would with milde and gentle hart Pitie his case although she had each part Of it as hard as craggie Dimond stone Orpheus when descended into hell For faire Euridice his wife and past The triple-headed-dog that did not yell Nor barke the Fiends that in Auernum dwell Made not so milde at his sweete sound agast As my tormenting passions and my paine Would mooue the hardest hart to heauinesse And euery hart in all the world againe And not without great reason nor in vaine But that of my most cruell Shepherdesse Ah woe how haue I thus deluded beene How haue I liu'd deceiued in this art Since that so simply I did ouerweene That there could be no difference betweene Her fairest face and her most cruell hart What man betwixt the cope of heauen and hell Is there of wit so simple and so slender That could but thinke or once imagine well That such a hard and cruell hart could dwell In such a daintie bodie and so tender What humane wit O greefe that I doe see it Would euer thinke that crueltie possest Her hart or such a Tygresse hart to be yet Placed in her whose outward shew to me yet Should promise peace and in so milde a brest Who would haue thought it almost was in vaine That from her toong distilling honie drops So fierce an answere should proceede againe And wordes she vtterea with so great disdaine Bittrer to me then gall or wildest hops And that I am deceiued in this ground Of my faire Nymph I ioy with all my hart Bicause I would not thinke there could be found In so great good a thing that should redound To so great ill and to so bad a part It shall be therefore best for me ywisse Not to suspect in her so foule a crime That she is hard or that she cruell is But my mishap that euer went amisse Euen from my birth-day to this very time Bicause my paines should neuer be aboue My ioies and care before my sweete content Should come I am most constant in my loue Sans widowhood like to the turtle doue That losse of her companion doth lament In liuing and in louing too amaine I thinke I goe beyond her euery howre But yet I am not like to her againe In that I did not first a sweete obtaine Before I tasted of a bitter sowre All that my wofull minde should recreate The water that is christall pure and cleere I cannot choose nor otherwise but hate Bicause I would not see so bad a state And such a haplesse body wander heere Like as the snake or adder that doth bite I flie with hastie foote and doe not stay In any place where greene may giue delight For this doth
But when dost thou meane saide she to make this difference betweene them To morrow I answered Shepherdes saide Crimine alowde turning to them The difference that Stela will giue you with her owne hands and the meanes how we should know you is deferred no further then to morrow When it shall please her said they for no other thing durst they speake Being come thither the next day I said vnto them My friends Shepherdes for this name I cannot denie you as long as your desires reach not beyonde that which is lawfull although I haue beene vrged by my welbeloued friend to giue you some token of difference with mine owne hands wherby we may come to the better knowledge of you both yet of mine owne free will by leauing her request aside I meane to doe it I deferred it yesterday to this present hower to thinke on it the better and in what manner I should giue it you without shewing any particular affection more to one then to the other and as with equall loue I am soundly affected to you both so was your great likenesse most agreeable to my minde But as that which is iust and due must not be denied so will I in such sort giue you the markes of your difference to ridde our selues out of doubt and hold al others still in it And therewithal you are not your selues I thinke able to iudge when I know not my selfe whether of you shall haue the greater fauour if it deserues such a name and bicause you may know that partially I decline no more to one part then to another vntill I haue made the same I will not haue you make your selues knowen vnto me by worde nor signe by discouering to me which is which but that the lot may fall to whom it shal and none refuse or gainsay that which I shall now do vnlesse he will refuse and hazard my good will from hencefoorth When I had said thus I tooke out of my bosome a little greene ribband and put it with a bodkin in one of their coates neere to his hart and then I went to the other and clipping from him with a fine paire of Syssers which I brought of purpose with me a peece of darke greene lace from that part where I had put the greene ribband in the other I sowed it on mine owne left side not farre from the secret seate of both their loues Whereby I meant to giue them to vnderstande that to the one I gaue hope and from the other I tooke torment Which being done I saide Nowe may you declare to whom I haue giuen the greene ribband and from whom I tooke the little peece of lace Then it was euident that to Delicius I gaue the first and tooke the second from Parthenius Nowe that they had declared their names and were knowne vnto vs Delicius being glad and ioyfull for the gift giuen him by mine owne hand with a certaine kind of merines saide Now doth the cause come to my remembrance faire Stela why Crimine hath beene so importunate with thee to make a difference betweene vs O how glad would I be to know this said I bicause I could neuer get it out of her If thou wilt craue leaue and pardon of her saide he for me to tell it I would quickly giue thee this contentment Bicause she may haue it saide Crimine it pleaseth me to graunt it though it were to my cost Thou must then knowe saide Delicius that though it hath beene the greatest fauour that we haue receiued at this present as a gift of thine owne hands yet that which was done to Parthenius in comparison of this was most singular and great being of greater qualitie in that kinde And this it was that when thou shewedst such rigour to me Parthenius to see mee in such an agonie as gracious Crimine thou knowest was so much dismaied that he was in no lesse danger then my selfe For as I spake not a worde but lying in such a pitious trance wherein he equally bare me companie at last comming to my selfe againe and turning my head aside to a certaine crie that Crimine gaue I sawe her embrace Parthenius a happie extasie for him since it was the occasion of so sweete a fauour done him and holde his head face to face in her owne lappe If any other thing passed betweene them aske it of her for I could see no more by reason of my late dismaied sences not then perfectly restored What thinkest thou of this faire Stela what a soueraigne pitie was this This he spake with a gracious smile and had no sooner made an end of telling it when a vermillion blush teinted al our faces though it proceeded of different causes It made Crimine blush with a decent shamefastenes mingled with ioy of so delightfull a remembrance It made Parthenius blush for greefe and anger at the passed act and me for iealousie incorporated with the offence of so vnwoorthie a deede against my loue So that Delicius thinking to make it but a iest and to delight vs with it found that it was in good earnest and filled vs full of sorrow and from that hower Parthenius and I liked not so well of Crimine though we made her not know so much for she was the meanes whereby we all three met and talked togither Truth it is that now I haue forsaken the ill will that I did beare her for diuers and sundry good turnes which I receiued of her and seeing what great reason there is to loue them as euery faire Nymph shoulde likewise doe for mine own part I giue her leaue frank consent to loue them as much as she will as also bicause I see her not beloued of them or at the least not so much as my selfe although in very truth had they as perfect knowledge of her deserts as they might haue they woulde neuer denie to do it But leauing this aside wee passed awaie manie daies there which lasted vs not so long as wee woulde for the great content that then wee beganne to take in each others companie which for mine part I would not haue chaunged for any other mortall delight and desire in the whole worlde In all which time neither Rebecke nor Bagpipe were heard vnlesse it were when other Nymphes came for when true louers are alone singing I thinke and musicke pleaseth not their musing minds so much as the mutuall contemplation and looking of one another and that talking and amorous conuersation should be more pleasant and sweete to them then the melodie of sweetest musicke I cannot tell you by what meanes but Delicius loue to me came to the knowledge of fierce Gorphorost which made him beleeue no lesse but that I must needs loue him againe since with meeting euerie day we entertained the time in discourse and pastimes whereupon being not a little enraged he purposed if Delicius desisted not from it to execute his furie vpon him which he had done indeed
but that he staied his hands as he said bicause he would not giue me any occasion of offence and was Loth to leese the cōpany of Parthenius also bicause indeed he could not know him from his friend Parthenius least thinking to be reuenged on Delicius he might hurt his friend Parthenius Wherefore to cleere himselfe of this doubt one day as Parthenius according to his woonted custome went where he was he said vnto him I vnderstand my friend Parthenius that thy brother Delicius doth loue Stela which thing if it be not more bitter to me then the wilde Olife I leaue thy iudgement since she is the onely Goddesse to whom my soule is subiect and I the onely man that can deserue her Of one thing thou maiest be assured that had it not beene for thy sake I would long since haue made him leaue such follies or else felt the hardnes of my sheep-hooke He might haue considered if he had any wit that he goes about to be a Corriuall with him who makes no reckoning of the Gods if there be any at all Aduise him therefore to leaue that to me which is worthily mine owne if not tell him that by my iustice he shall be punished and not without reason And bicause it is not my will that the great likenesse which is betwene you might preiudice or harme thee take this sheepe-hooke which for ransome of a iollie yoong Shepherde I had of a faire and gracious Shepherdesse the which carrying euer in thy handes I may knowe thee for Parthenius If thou dost meane Gorphorost saide Parthenius any harme to Delicius my deerest brother begin first with me which shall I promise thee least of both greeue me But bicause thou maiest knowe they haue not tolde thee true I sweare vnto thee by the Gods whom I adore and by her whom I loue more then mine owne life that Delicius loues Stela no more then I do For her I cannot tell thee if she loue him or not and he spake in truth in the one and other The Sheepehooke thou giuest me as an impious gift for so vile an effect I refuse to take if by taking it I thought thou wouldest giue it me to the intent to knowe vs one from another But yet bicause I know it is not sufficient for such a purpose I will take it bicause it shall not serue thee to that end that thou pretendest when as Delicius shall carrie it as often as my selfe for by carying it and not carying it thou maiest not knowe which of vs is Delicius whereby thou maiest cleerely perceiue if his life be deere vnto me or no Gorphorost was amazed at the great loue that Parthenius did beare Delicius but beleeued it was not so great in deeds as in words he shewed it wherefore he answered him thus Behold Parthenius I haue warned thee nowe for the great friendship that is confirmed between vs for surely I make more account of thee then thou thinkest bicause thou art onely he by whose meanes I finde with imparting my greefe vnto thee some ease in these my extreme paines But if with this intent thou wilt take the Sheepehooke of me I am not content to giue it thee nor for the woorth of it for I would giue thee more then this but bicause none of my things shoulde come to Delicius hands Of one thing thou maiest be ascertained that loue hath taught me how to know him and then thou shalt see how my despised counsell shall auaile to serue him more then his owne deceitfull opinion With this Parthenius came away very sorrowfull and full of melancholike thoughts not knowing what was best to bee done in such a case On the one side he sawe it was dangerous for Delicius to be there on the other he knew it was impossible for him to absent himself from me He conceiued by that which he found in himselfe the irrepugnable force of Cupid and considered by that he knew too well the vnbrideled furie of cruell Gorphorost But if they were desirous to kill him they thought it impossible vnlesse it were by treason which rather then they would haue done they woulde first haue lost a thousand liues That very euening at Sunne set all wee sower sitting vnder a leasie Sallow tree fierce Gorphorost came out of his caue and by and by was on the top of a high rocke that hung ouer the riuer right ouer against that place where I threw my selfe into it when I fled from him Who after hee had sit downe a little while and laid his scrip by his side and his Pine tree betweene his legges that serued him for his Sheepehooke staffe and weapon he tooke a Flute out of his scrip made of a hundred Baggepipes ioyned togither with waxe Putting it to his mouth and blowing it strongly to cleere it of filth within the hils resounded againe the riuers ranne backe the wilde beasts and fish were stroken in a feare and the forrests and woods thereabouts began to tremble And a little after that he began to sing the most amorous song of me that euer you heard which I promise you had pleased me well if he had not made so cruell an ende of it For with cruell comparisons borrowed of the fieldes and Shepherds he strangely praised my beautie and made me on the contrarie most cruell by offering mee such things afterwardes as hee thought fittest to win me most of all vnto him But to see howe he prooued himselfe faire being so fierce it is a pleasant iest By that which most of all thou louest saide Seluagia I pray thee faire Stela recite it if thou dost remember it which if it like not perhaps these Gentlemen a thing different from their estate shall woonderfullie delight vs if they will do vs so much pleasure to lend vs a little patience to heare it bicause it is fittest thou saiest for countrey Shepherds No saide Lord Felix and Felismena but she shall do vs as great a pleasure to see what so fierce a Shepherd could saie louing this faire damsell so much whom she hated more How can I denie your requests saide Stela being so brauely coniured Giue therefore attentiue eare for I promise you it will please you well STela mine onely Goddesse and my good Whiter then is th'vntrodden snowie way And redder then the rose but late a bud Halfe blowen and pluckt with deaw by breake of day To see more gracious then the Plane tree shape And sweeter then the ripe and swelling grape More pleasant then the shade in sommer time More then the sunne in winters coldest prime More fresh then any coole and trembling winde More noble then the fruit that orchards yeelds More iocund then the tender kid by kinde When full it skips and runs about the fields More flowrie then the rich and pleasant meade With painted flow'rs in mids of May bespred More soft then spotlesse downe in Cygnets brest More then the milke and cheese curds yet vnprest
although we turned it not a few times about if we had not a greater desire to heare what Parthenius had promised to tell vs. Who when he saw vs expecting what he would say began thus to speake vnto vs. Since the pitifull banishment of vs from our deere and natiue countrey is sufficiently manifest vnto you most soueraigne Nymphes and likewise the cause of our amorous staying in these parts it would seeme but time ill spent and tedious to make repetition of the same againe I will not say that my tarrying here to this present time hath beene onely commaunded by the request of my deere Delicius for that your sweete company and sight was sufficient to haue forcibly detained here a worthier person then my selfe But that which I minde to tell you is that as to this hower my being here hath beene perhaps conuenient so from this day forward my departure is needfull and in such sort that all affection laid aside you would iudge there is no other possible thing for our auayle Whereof bicause you may not be in suspence and of my late determination if with attention you will giue eare vnto me the inexcusable necessitie of my intended departure shal be cleerly known vnto you You are not ignoraunt of the odde and inconuenient loue of fierce Gorphorost with thee faire Stela nor of the euen and proportionable loue or of the sound to say better and perfect affection of Delicius with thee againe faire Stela But loue that discouers all things hath suggested into the fierce Shepherds eares as by his song you might well perceiue that he hath for riuall if it may be so saide my deere brother If he grieued thereat your selues haue heard him sing it on the top of yonder rocke and being in his company that same morning before I heard it from his owne mouth where he said vnto me that he purposed to be reuenged on him and onely for the great loue and friendship he bare me protested that he deferred the same But now not able to suffer it any longer and not knowing by what meanes to be auenged of his aduersarie without executing the punishment on me for the great likenes betweene vs and for auoiding the harme that might come thereof he gaue me this sheep-hooke bicause by carrying it he might know me from him the which for that it was offered me for a cruell act I then refused but afterwards seeing his great rage by studying out a good meanes for both our auailes I tooke it And this was my deuise I told him that Delicius by my counsell and perswasion would go his waies so that he might giue me the sheep-hooke whereby he might know that I remained still in this countrey For which departure I craued eight daies respit which he willingly graunted me Now therefore it behooues me to go seeke out my Father with whom or without him within a certaine time I will returne hither againe where Delicius in the meane time may stay in my place and visite Gorphorost in my name to dissemble the better with him whom before I will aduise and acquainte with all that I haue passed with him because hee may thinke it is I. This did Parthenius saie with ill vttered wordes for the greefe of taking his leaue of Delicius and mee whome hee loued so much woulde not let him frame them any better None of vs three had then the courage to answere any thing to Parthenius wounding wordes for the great greefe that wee conceiued of his sudden departure but after wee had all helde our peace a good while Crimine with watred eies for then she had not the power to dissemble the great loue she bare him any longer saide It is now no time my friend Parthenius by my forced countenance to dissemble the inward paine and greefe of my hart if hitherto by deedes and demonstrations thou wilt not vnderstand and see how much I loue thee by wordes therefore at this present let it be cleere vnto thee That I loue thee and louing thee more then mine owne life determine to goe in thy companie at the lest with thy consent if thou wilt not carie me with thee or else with mine owne hands if not with thine thou wilt not resolue to giue me my mortall stroke of death which shall be more glorious and acceptable to me then giuen by my selfe when thou art gone Then she being as it were cut off from her boldnes with a tainted blush and a sorrowfull sigh held her peace To whose amorous wordes Parthenius wisely answered thus Stela had scarce begun Parthenius answere when Felicia with the companie she brought with her came saying to Felismena Dost thou not thinke that I haue fulfilled that which I promised thee yesterday by comming hither to day at the woorst time Yes indeede good Lady saide Felismena But why must we pay for that saide Syluanus which she hath eaten bicause we must pay her something for her companie saide Felicia But more for your sakes then Felismenas I will be gone for I came to no other purpose but to accomplish my word and hereupon she went they remaining still that were there before Then Stela said But harke what Parthenius answered to Crimines words I am not able to iudge deere Nymph if thy ill fortune be greater by hauing placed thy loue in so miserable a man or my mishap greater by nothauing libertie to giue thee the like againe On the one side I would gladly satisfie thy desire and haue on the other no power to doe it yet I will not denie to doe thee this pleasure to carie thee with me whereby I should not gaine little if I thought not to doe faire Stela and my brother Delicius an ill turne her by bereauing her of so sweete companion him by depriuing him of her by whose meanes he hopes to be remedied whereas thou knowest how ill it would fall out for him with thy faire companion when thou art absent I was not a little glad to heare him with such modestie take an occasion to forsake Crimine bicause my life molested with the secret iealousie I had of Crimine depended me thought vpon his answere to her againe And so turning to Parthenius I saide For mine owne part good Shepherd I thanke thee for thy good will thou hast to doe me so much honour by not consenting to carie away with thee my friend Crimine But for that which I owe her and wherein I am bound to thee and for the content of both I agree thereunto though it be to mine owne cost wherefore denie not what she hath with such earnest affection requested But before thou answere me to this I must needes tell thee that it seemes thou hast taken more leaue bicause thou art going away then was reserued by taking so boldly vpon thee to speake for thy friend Delicius beyond the due limits of chastitie and common friendship which were promised me But I will pardon thee as I said
approoue the vertues and deserts that thou hast reported of her for the opinion which I spake of is that since she woulde do no hurt to any she also thought that none should offer any to her for this cause she would shew by the posie that it was her own It is wel said Felicia but leauing this aside giue attentiue eare to that which for the profit and pleasure of you all I will haue you do to morrow morning I know well Partheus it will be no pleasure for thee to staie heere vntill the next daies light bicause thou wouldest gladly see thy Shepherdesse for the good newes thou carriest with thee But bicause thy staying heere shall be for her profit and her husbands I hope thou wilt not thinke it greeuous nor too long And bicause thou maist vnderstand it so know that by my means this faune was lost by straying so far beyond his woonted fashion and let this suffice thee It is expedient therefore for let not any gainsay what I shall ordaine or thinke conuenient that thou Partheus carrie with thee to Coryneus and to his Shepherdesse this yoong Shepherd pointing to Delicius and shalt deliuer him a letter from me which I will write this night and he shall take order for that which I purpose to do It is needfull for thee Syrenus to accompanie them to thy fieldes for that way doth his lie bicause there are newe matters in hand When she had said thus after supper passed a little of the night in their woonted pastimes they went to bed though Crimine and Stela coulde not sleepe all that night for greefe of Delicius departure And it was to be thought that he slept as little as they for it greeued him to depart and leaue so good companie wherein he tooke the greatest ioy in the worlde but he coulde not chuse but obey Felicias pleasure for the great hope and trust he had in her The morning therefore being come before the three Shepherds tooke their leaue Felicia gaue Syrenus a certaine potion to make him by litle litle leese the contempt forgetfulnes that he had of Diana and Delicius a letter to carrie to Coryneus admonishing him to call himselfe by the name of Caulius and to tell him nothing of his owne matters nor aske him any questions concerning the same bicause it was not good for him vntill he came thither againe The contents of the letter were these TO thee noble Disteus Felicia seruant and minister in the Temple of chaste Diana sends all the health I may The Gods haue determined to make a period of thy infinite troubles and to augment thine honor and estate and haue deyned to humble themselues without any merit of mine to make a mediatrix for thee It is therefore requisite that with as much expedition as thou canst thou be heere with thy deere spouse Dardauea accompanied with thy louing nurse Palua and thy faire daughter Luztea This yoong Shepherd the bearer hereof shall beare thee companie and is one who shall best please thee Be not desirous to enquire more of him then he will tel thee of his own accord I wil be no longer bicause I hope very shortly to see thee And as for these wordes I doubt not but thou wilt credit and also her that could write vnto thee and the rest so right by their owne names This being done the three Shepherds went their waies hauing taken their leaue of all the rest Then that very night Felicia in presence of them all began to speake in this sort to Lord Felix and his wife Syluanus and his Shepherdesse I know well Gentlemen and my sonnes that I withhold you more then is conuenient from going to your owne houses but bicause it hath fallen out so to all the rest as afterwards you shall see and bicause you may know the Shepherd that I haue sent for and see the successe of his comming hither and of Parisiles Stela Crimine and their Shepherds I haue deferred it since it shall not be any long time with the soueraigne wils aboue All fower answered that what or howsoeuer she disposed of them they tooke it for no small fauour A little after that Lord Felix and Felismena came to Felicia saying Bicause it is alreadie manifest vnto vs most sage Ladie that nothing is hid from thy wisedome and knowledge we pray thee to resolue vs in this which troubles vs not a little bicause we do not know it Delicius and his companie these few daies past told vs as it were by peecemeale parts the abrupt processe of their liues and loues from their infancie vnto the present estate they are now in and though we know not who they are it skils not much and we care not greatly for it in respect of the earnest desire we haue to know the cause why Delicius did forsake if it be so faire Stelas loue who loued her so much as he did and at that time when he had receiued most fauour of her Whereof as it seemed Stela was either ignorant or else would not tell it Bicause I know you will keepe the cause secret said Felicia that mooued Delicius to do it I will tell it you You must therefore know that he left not of to loue her but fained to do it as he yet verie finely dissembles the same vnderstanding how his deere friend Parthenius loued her by shewing thereby the greatest part of friendship he gaue place to his friends affection and resolued to go without her himselfe A strange example of friendship said they all although it seemes it was no lesse due to Parthenius But Ladie we also suspecting this as Stela doth no lesse are desious to know how he knew it for by her discourse we could not gather it considering how he did so well dissemble it I will tell you said Felicia You must remember well as Stela told you that for the rigorous answer that Parthenius gaue to Crimine when she manifested her loue vnto him she determined not to goe where the Shepherds were to prooue if absence could worke that in her which it did in many by reason whereof some daies passed on in which they were not visited of them bicause without Crimine Stela durst not aduenture but for shamefastnes left of to goe to their woonted sports In these so sorrowfull daies for Delicius Parthenius and Stela and Crimine in the which these fower did not see one another as manie times they were wont to do there came some Nymphes to keepe the Shepherds companie and to passe away the time with them but they took no pleasure in their cōpany although outwardly they dissembled it as by singing playing on their instruments other pastimes From the which sports Parthenius on a time faining a little busines that he had to go into the wood went from that company and entring into the thickest of it in a secret place a good way off sat him downe where musing vpon many
them Diana by and by caused him to sit downe by her on the other side But before I passe any farther you must knowe that Diana to discharge herselfe a little of the great passion that made her complaine of her discontent of purpose bestowed fauours on both though small ones which maner of hers did arise of a desire she had in this sort to passe away and forget her asslicted life Faustus as I told you but now with the desire onely to see that beautie so much blazed by fame going from his owne fieldes came to those where Diana kept With whom he spent some daies in good companie very freely especially for her part for as it seemed he was in loue with another yoong Shepherdesse in his owne countrie Diana liked well of his discretion and wisedome and therefore loued him a little as Firmius no lesse for the like good parts in him So that to see which of them excelled each other she set them many times togither in contention to trie them both in discourse and song Wherein each of them to please her as of their owne selues also willing to the same studied for nothing else Whereupon arose a certaine kinde of emulation betweene them not bicause they hated one another but bicause one endeuoured to excell the other before the faire Shepherdesse Whereupon it came into their heads that there passed not one day nor yet I thinke there is anie wherein they striue not either in wrestling pitching of the barre singing dauncing and in other things which we Shepherds make account of appointing euer iudges to crowne the Conquerour but the one neuer went so smoothly away with the victory that the other went cleerly without it for Firmius was neuer conqueror nor Faustus conquered nor Faustus conqueror nor Firmius conquered Of this emulation and corriualitie there were none but tooke great delight to see it and especially Diana aboue the rest who to make them contend the more on a day after certaine talke that had passed betweene Faustus and her smiling alone to her selfe she said vnto him As thou speakest me thinkes Shepherd with great libertie and boldnes so are thy words full of suttletie and dissimulation O that I might see thee one day so far in loue with me that thou mightest once pay me this ouermuch libertie From this hower therefore Faustus began to loue Diana and leese his libertie whereof he had now verie little or none at all when he came to the place where Diana and Firmius were But returning to this point bicause as I was not present at the other I cannot tell it you as he was set downe Diana said vnto him Do vs this pleasure Shepherd to sing that againe which thou camest singing Who without more adoe tooke out his Rebecke and began thus A Faire maide wed to prying iealousie One of the fair'st as euer I did see If that thou wilt a secret louer take Sweete life doe not my secret loue forsake Eclipsed was our Sunne And faire Aurora darkned to vs quite Our morning star was done And Shepherdes star lost cleane out of our sight When that thou didst thy faith in wedlocke plight Dame nature made thee faire And ill did carelesse fortune marrie thee And pitie with despaire It was that this thy haplesse hap should be A faire maide wed to prying iealousie Our eies are not so bold To view the sunne that flies with radiant wing Vnlesse that we doe hold A glasse before them or some other thing Then wisely this to passe did Fortune bring To couer thee with such a vaile For heeretofore when any viewed thee Thy sight made his to faile For sooth thou art thy beautie telleth me One of the fair'st as euer I did see Thy graces to obscure With such a froward husband and so base She meant thereby most sure That Cupids force and loue thou shouldst imbrace For t' is a force to loue no woondrous case Then care no more for kinne And doubt no more for feare thou must forsake To loue thou must beginne And from hencefoorth this question neuer make If that thou should'st a secret louer take Of force it doth behooue That thou should'st be belou'd and that againe Faire Mistresse thou shouldst loue For to what end what purpose and what gaine Should such perfections serue as now in vaine My loue is of such art That of it selfe it well deserues to take In thy sweete loue a part Then for no Shepherd that his loue doth make Sweete Life doe not my secret loue forsake Firmius bicause he would not leaue of his accustomed contention tooke his Rebecke and sung thus IF that the gentle winde Doth mooue the leaues with pleasant sound If that the kid behinde Is left that cannot finde Her dam runs bleating vp and downe The Baggepipe reede or flute Onely with ayre if that they touched bee With pitie all salute And full of loue doe brute Thy name and sound Diana seeing thee A faire maide wed to prying iealousie The fierce and sauage beastes Beyond their kinde and nature yet With piteous voice and brest In mountaines without rest The selfe same song doe not forget If that they staid at Faire And had not passed to prying Iealousie With plaintes of such despaire As moou'd the gentle aire To teares The song that they did sing should be One of the fair'st as euer I did see Mishap and fortunes play Ill did they place in beauties brest For since so much to say There was of beauties sway They had done well to leaue the rest They had ynough to doe If in her praise their wits they did awake But yet so must they too And all thy loue that woo Thee not too coy nor too too proud to make If that thou wilt a secret louer take For if thou hadst but knowne The beautie that they heere doe touch Thou wouldst then loue alone Thy selfe nor any one Onely thy selfe accounting much But if thou dost conceaue This beautie that I will not publike make And mean'st not to bereaue The world of it but leaue The same to some which neuer peere did take Sweete Life doe not my secret loue forsake Diana bicause she would haue them sing more when Firmius had made an ende said Shepherd I will consider of this matter vpon condition thou wilt tell me for what cause thou doest publish it so much by words that thou louest me when as thy deedes shew thy small affection As Firmius did aske her how she knew it she answered him If thy loue Firmius extends so farre as thou saiest thou wouldest come to see me oftner it greeues me in the end of the fauor that not long since I did thee Firmius not suffring Diana to passe any farther being as it were halfe madde with himselfe for these cruell words in that she greeued and repented her of her fauour done him tooke his Rebecke and sung this Sonnet FAire Shepherdesse what hast with greefe to fill me And how long dost
that I could Faustus I euer gaue and giue thee still Such store of loue as loue hath lent me And therefore well thou maist content thee That loue doth so enrich my fill But now behold my chiefest will That faine I would Loue thee more if that I could They would not I thinke haue made an ende so soone for want of copie of their theame but that Diana went away from Firmius bicause her sheepe were in one place and his in another Faustus went with her who had nothing else to doe but walke vp and downe those fields in corriualitie with Firmius and waiting on Diana and staying to see when she would come foorth to them If Faustus accompanying Diana did any thing or sing I know not for seeing my Firmius all alone I made haste to him I will not tell you what ioy we both felt what embracing courteous louing speeches passed between two such deer friends meeting so ioyfully togither Partheus went prosecuting his tale when they heard a voice not farre from the place where they were as they thought to haue gon thither Syrenus said Here abouts we found the Shepherd Faustus and truely if that which he now sings be no lesse commendable and delightfull then that which he then sung it would not greeue vs to stay heere a little and lend him a gentle eare But approching neere bicause the song went verie low for that it was mournfull and full of lamentation they saw it was a Shepherdesse who espying them againe held her peace They came to her and saluting each other prayed her courteously not to leaue of her singing You may better say sorrowing said Cardenia for this was her name Be it as thou wilt said Delicius and ouercome vs by entitling it as pleaseth thee and let vs ouercome thee in doing that which we request thee In being conquered by such braue yoong Shepherds as you are answered Cardenia I shall carrie away the victorie If I brought not so much companie with me said Partheus thy selfe being all alone Shepherdesse I would endeuour that with thine answers thou shouldest not get the palme so soone But bicause thou maist aduantage thy selfe with saying that I tooke courage by the countenance which I bring with me I will hold my peace Whereupon dost thou repose such assurance said Syrenus laughing that we would fauour thee and not take this faire Shepherdesse her part Let these amorous iestes cease for a while said Delicius And gracious Shepherdesse deny not I pray thee our requestes Because I would not be thought worthie of reprehension answered Cardenia by denying that which such iolly and faire Shepherds haue requested of me I will enforce my selfe to it And because my sorrow not my song you may better vnderstand Know that it is not long since that Faustus a Shepherd rich in sheep and more in the treasures of nature and good graces whom the heauens fauour did once loue me Who in verie deed I thinke went neuer about to deceiue me although he hath now opened the doore of obliuion to his former loue bicause I am informed accursed be these ill newes that he is caught in the loue of deceitfull Diana whom for my ill and his owne he went to see and yet I feare that Diana though she be so full of guiles and suttleties with others cannot preuaile with them by entertaining my Faustus bicause he goes beyond her in deceit and also bicause I haue such an affiance of my hard and cruell fortune that Diana onely for my harme will be inforced to leese her wonted fashions These words greeued Syrenus to the hart who now by little and little began to renew his old decayed loue And this is my griefe said Cardenia that the more I procure to lay his ingratitude before mine eies the more doth his loue penetrate my soule Wherefore hearken to that which you requested of me and which I came singing all alone complaining of my iniurious Faustus FAustus in faith thou nill deserue A Shepherds name or keeping sheepe Since thou so ill thy faith dost keepe O that inpassed time of late My selfe had past with that as fast Then of this time I had no tast Hauing enioyed so sweete a fate Once was I in a happie state Which want mine eies in teares must steepe Since thou so ill thy faith dost keepe Ioyfull I was and well content Bicause I sawe vnto my will Thy loue so well thou didst fulfill Which answer'd mine in sweete accent But now I smell thy false intent Which is with suttletie becleepe Since thou so ill thy faith dost keepe Thy faith and more thy solemne othe Then to me firmely didst thou giue Not to forget me while I liue But now thou hast committed both Vnto the windes that also loth Their little woorth abroad to sweepe Since thou so ill thy faith dost keepe If thou dost thinke that to beguile Her that doth loue it is a glorie Alas I cannot be but sorie With thousand such thou maist defile Thy credit and triumph each while Of all that heere doe feede their sheepe Since thou so ill thy faith dost keepe Behold my matchlesse loue most deere And marke thy selfe and who thouart For if thou wilt with guilefull hart Thou maist deceiue a thousand heere Then greater doth my loue appeere Then thy disloyaltie so deepe Since thou so ill thy faith dost keepe Musing I am both night and day And sundrie waies my fancies mooue How that I might forget thy loue And then vnto my selfe I say That since thou dost me so betray My loue shall in obliuion sleepe Since thou so ill thy faith dost keepe But at the time when I decree To practise it then loue doth more Renew his forces then before So that if loue aboundes in mee And that the same doth want in thee What shall I doe shall not I weepe When thou so ill thy faith dost keepe A remedie and very short In th' end to take I will not feare Which shall be lesse for me to beare Then thus to liue in such a sort And death it is mine onely port To which my shiuer'd barke doth creepe Since thou so ill thy faith dost keepe Her syllables were not so many which she pronounced by singing as her teares which she powred foorth by weeping The which by little and little she wiped away with a christalline hand which made the Shepherds not a little to maruell when they sawe it wherefore Syrenus saide If thou hadst not told vs any thing faire and forlorne Shepherdesse thy soueraigne hand had beene enough to haue made me knowe thee O that they were cut off answered Cardenia since they were the cause of my miserable happe All of them being mooued to compassion of her sorrow sometimes accompanying her with teares and sometimes helping her with their comforts at last Syrenus saide vnto her It is not possible but Faustus if he knew thy firmnes and constant loue woulde mollifie his hart and
take pitie on thee when aboue all things thou deseruest to bee loued though hee had as much in him as a man might haue Speake not of his deserts saide Cardenia for in them he hath not his equall and as to the first thou speakest of that if he knew in what estate I were he would haue had some compassion on me I answer thee that since he went hence I enformed him in what paine I remained for his absence And being ignorant of that which now to mine owne harme I know bicause he promised to come backe againe as a woman ioyfull to heare such an answer I sent him this Sonnet THerest is sweete to him that wearied is Succour and aide poore wretches wish for fast The doome of death from him that now is cast With fauour to reuoke is thought a blisse The shade in chiefest heate is not amisse Pleasant of sheepe and Shepherdes to be past The water ioies the meade with drynesse waste The frozen ground with ioy the sunne doth kisse But yet the glorie ioy and sweete content The wish of wishes when the Shepherdesse Staies for her louer these doe far exceede Toong hold thy peace and thought tell my intent How great a lightening hope is in distresse Vnto the brest that louing flames doth breede Not long after seeing his tarrying there was longer then I desired I wrote this other vnto him NOw doe I knowe at last though to my smart How far the greefe of absence doth extend But that this knowledge neuer any friend Of mine may learne and wish with all my hart Thus haue I liu'd deceiued with this art Esteeming small of presence in the end But woe is me that proofe doth now commend And tels me cleere of this erronius part Come Faustus then with speede and stay no more For staying woundes my soule and euery sense Longer thy absence I cannot endure Marke well what they were woont to say of yore That by and by a hope and confidence After an absence doth succeede most sure A little while after that the bitter newes of his vniust change came to my knowledge being mad with the extreme passion of loue I wrote him this letter Sonnet FAustus if thou wilt reade from me These fewe and simple lines By them most cleerely thou shalt see How little should accounted bee Thy fained wordes and signes For noting well thy deedes vnkinde Shepherd thou must not scan That euer it came to my minde To praise thy faith like to the winde Or for a constant man For this in thee shall so be found As smoke blowne in the aire Or like quicksiluer turning round Or as a house built on the ground Of sandes that doe impaire To firmenesse thou art contrarie More slipp'rie then the Eele Changing as weather-cocke on hie Or the Camelion on the die Or fortunes turning wheele Who would beleeue thou wert so free To blaze me thus ench howre My Shepherdesse thou liu'st in mee My soule doth onely dwell in thee And euery vitall powre Pale Atropos my vitall string Shall cut and life offend The streames shal first turne to their spring The world shall end and euery thing Before my loue shall end This loue that thou didst promise me Shepherd where is it found The word and faith I had of thee O tell me now where may they be Or where may they resound Too soone thou didst the title gaine Of giuer of vaine wordes Too soone my loue thou didst obtaine Too soone thou lou'st Diana in vaine That naught but scornes affoordes But one thing now I will thee tell That much thy patience mooues That though Diana doth excell In beautie yet she keepes not well Her faith nor loyall prooues Thou then hast chosen each one saith Thine equall and a shrowe For if thou hast vndone thy faith Her loue and louer she betraieth So like to like will goe If now this letter which I send Will anger thee Before Remember Faustus yet my friend That if these speeches doe offend Thy deedes doe hurt me more Then let each one of vs amend Thou deedes I wordes so spent For I confesse I blame my pen Doe thou as much so in the end Thy deedes thou doe repent FAustus it needes must be a woondrous case And such a deede as one would not conceaue A simple soule so slily to deceaue Who quickly did thy faith and loue imbrace Thy firmnesse she had tride a little space And so she thought the same thou wouldst not leaue Which made her still vnto thy liking cleaue Bicause she thought it free from double face If of this conquest Shepherd thou dost boast With thousand such in time thou maist be crowned If thousand times thou mean'st to vndermine If high renowne is got for credit lost Onely of me a subiect thou shalt finde With guiles to be a thousand times propouned To any of these I neuer had an answer wherupon I think he neuer made account of them and of the last especially bicause he had now quite forgotten me when that came Of one thing I will aduise thee saide Syrenus if thou wilt take it at my handes This thou maiest be sure of said Cardenia for I thinke there is none that would not wish to haue som remedy of her ils if there were any meanes for them The meanes said Syrenus are easie enough for thee that haste such libertie as I vnderstoode by Faustus And it is to accompanie vs to the place where he is bicause our waies lie thereby For I cannot beleeue but thy presence wil make him with crauing pardon acknowledge his fault This counsell Syrenus gaue her to remooue such a block out of his way as Faustus was All of them liked his aduise well but Cardenia best of all and therefore answered thus It is therefore needfull for you my friendes if you will shew me so much friendship and vse this pitie towards me to tarry for me if it please you while I take some order for certaine kine which I keepe harde by heere and commit them to the keeping of a Shepherd that certes loues me more then Faustus who I hope will take the charge vpon him with a good will But I must in no hand tell him whither I go bicause with patience he cannot endure it wherefore I will faine that I go to some other place In the meane time I will giue you such entertainment as my poore abilitie can affoord though not good enough for your deserts Vpon this request they determined to staie and she went to seeke out the Shepherd whom she found out by and by for she knewe where he was commonly woont to feed Carisus for this was the Shepherds name seeing Cardenia comming to him contrarie to her wonted custome went with no little ioy to meete her and saluting her saide thus vnto her What noueltie is this my deerest Shepherdesse from whence comes so much good that this happie soule of mine deigneth to come to visite this miserable bodie
and so hiding his greefe the best he could he left off his garments and putting on mine went straight to Dardaneas house Where without knocking at the doore for so he was willed to doe he went vp as I was woont into a broad chamber that was next to Dardaneas withdrawing chamber where he no sooner knocked but a waiting maide comming to the doore but not to the place where he stoode went backe againe and told mine Aunt that I was there who willed her to bid me come in for so had hir Mistresse commaunded and true it was indeed Bicause you may therefore vnderstand wherin Dardanea would haue in ployed me you must know that Sagastes her brother was in loue with a yoong Gentlewoman well descended and rich enough called Marthea but she requited him not with like againe for his bad conditions and intolerable pride and also because shee was more affected to another Gentleman though not so rich nor so highly borne in respect of him but one that was vertuous noble and valiant and of whom she was truely beloued and serued againe But yet for all this she shewed Sagastes a good countenance in recompence of the great and continual seruices that he had done hir For how much doth not interest gifts preuaile which are the onely tamers of affections So that being glad to be serued by so mightie a man and bicause it is the fashion of women to glorie in themselues by seeing men howsoeuer they care not appassionate for them she gaue him as many superficiall fauours as he desired and more indeed then her honour required Wherein Sagastes taking no little pride beleeued that she loued him from her verie hart The which opinion confirming in his breast with this also That he was in fauour with the King of great authoritie in the citie and more nobly borne and richer then her parents thought that at the verie instant when he purposed to demaund her for his wife he should not haue any deniall Whereupon he did aske her Fathers good will who thanked him for his and for his part gaue his consent but alleaging that it was not amisse to leaue some part to his wife and daughter Whereat Sagastes like a proud and disdainfull man by his angrie countenance shewed some impatience who would not haue had the matter deferred any longer But the loue that he bare Marthea did so bridle it that contrarie to his naturall and woonted inclination it pacified him well at that time And therefore answered that it was well remembred This marriage pleased Martheas mother well to see her daughter so highly aduanced a propertie most naturall to the ambitious and couetous mindes of women but disliked Marthea altogither for that which is abouesaid Who answered them that as she was their daughter and thereby bound to obey their commaund so they should haue good regard to that they did for so weightie a matter as this craue some time and respit of Sagastes wherein they might determine with due consideration what was best to be done and that then she would giue them her answer of the matter And bicause Sagastes in the meane time might not thinke himselfe disgraced while they were concluding this matter to tell him that she was resolued first to make an end of certaine Pilgrimages and deuotions which she had of late begun and so in the meane time to feed him with hope whereby he might not thinke himselfe agreeued for staying so long This respit of time Marthea took to trie if in the end she could dispose her thoughts to loue Sagastes and forget her beloued Beldanisus for so was the Gentleman called who serued her and whom she loued And Sagastes was well content since that her parents had left the conclusion of the matter to Marthea in whom he had placed his libertie She with the consent of her parents not giuing him to vnderstand any such matter spake vnto him as often as he would but fayning that she did it by stealth But as Sagastes euerie day more by night walked vp and downe before her doore Beldanisus could not choose but perceiue it for what doth not a true louer suspect and finde out and this he surmised by the cold affection that Marthea had shewed him of late Whereupon wrath and iealousie seising vpon his hart at once he resolued to be well reuenged of him though it cost him his life and therefore certaine nights togither lay in secret waite for him accompanied with his brother and three of his cosins all three sufficient men to defend him in any broile And though sometimes they met him yet they durst not assault him not for feare but bicause there was euer so much people in the streetes that if they had killed or wounded him they had suffered if it had beene knowen no lesse then cruell death So that they onely attended fit time and opportunitie to do it to their owne sasetie By some of Sagastes seruants it came to faire Dardaneas eares that her brother vsed not to stay at home in the nights whereupon incited with desire and feare she would faine know wither he went And talking with mine Aunt Palna her nurse about this matter thought that there were no better meanes to know it then by my secret diligence to spie him out Dardanea therefore for this purpose commaunded mine Aunt to send for me and bicause Disteus might haue a sight of Dardanea she caused him to come thither in my name I left you if I remember when they bad me come in or else Disteus to say better disguised like me Mine Aunt being well aduised in euerie thing she tooke in hand a little before Disteus came in as if she had nothing to doe did set the candle before her Mistresse for two causes The one by the opposite brightnes of the light to dazle Dardaneas eies bicause shee might not knowe Disteus and the other to shewe Disteus the more light whereby hee might beholde Dardanea better Hee was nowe come in and if ioyfull to see her or sorrowfull for her mishap I knowe not when the bright reflexion of her faire face smit against his greedie eies wherewith he was not onely amazed but knew that her beautie was greater then the report that was spred abroad if it and that Fame had iniuried her by publishing it lesse then it was indeede which not onely hee in fauour of his affection but any other free from like passion might easily haue iudged And without all doubt he had beene in danger of some sudden extasie if his minde had not still run on her mischance that mine Aunt had seyned who thinking that he had now seen her enough which so much he desired came to him speaking somewhat aloude to hold him still in that opinion saying Placindus my Lady must employ you about her busines and therefore commands thee to go thy waies And so of purpose she came to Disteus to speake with him alone In good faith saide
answere this I cannot well replie Let it suffice thee that the lest suspect Of any harme thou hast doth make me die And worse then death torments me in effect Deere Lady then I would not haue thee prooue The cruell shaft of angrte Nemesis For first let each infernall power mooue Their plagues against me of eternall Dis. But now I would be glad if thou wouldst tast The sweete and golden flight of Cupids powre Bicause my torments which are gone and past Pitie thou might'st and those I feele this howre For if thou knew'st my paines and pitious case With pitie and teares thou wouldst my life deplore Not for my merits which are very base But for my loue which well deserueth more Each thing that is created heere so fit An equall hauing in a diuers kinde In such like kinde a paiment doth admit By measuring the debt that is behinde But as fell loue no equall doth containe In such a diuers kinde and different By selfe same thing it paies it selfe againe Loue must be paid with loue of good intent Then since it is most euident and cleere That I doe prize thy loue at such a rate Thou must requite my loue againe so deere If Nemesis ingratitude doth hate But if thou dost not purpose to requite The loue that I haue borne and beare thee still And with like loue to ease my heauie plight And greeuous paines for thy procuring ill My hands of life shall then vndoe the chaine But not of loue by death to ease my death And so requite me when no other meane Is left to make me still enioy this breath For sure if that my life be of this sort My life is death and dying is my life My death is sweete a pleasure ioy and sport Lining in such a world of amorous strife But now I cease my teares fall in such store And painfull soule for greefe can write no more O how wisely hast thou done Martandrus said Lord Felix by warning vs to be attentiue for this letter doth well beseeme the person of a discreete and enamoured Gentleman with what modestie and feare did he write it And how true is that said Danteus which is almost in the end of it That all things in this worlde in a different kind may be paide as grasse with sheepe sheepe with cloth and finally all with money but onely loue the which bicause with no other thing it hath neither equalitie nor proportion cannot but with loue be recompenced againe For touching my selfe I know that though my Shepherdesse Duarda would giue me all that she hath in the world yet she could not pay me that she owes me if she denied me her loue Felismena preuenting Duarda that was about to answere him said Let vs leaue this for this time And as you loue your selfe Sir tell on bicause we may know what this Ladie did with such a letter for I know not what she was able to answere againe but to yeelde her selfe to his loue whereupon I thinke she durst not take in hand to answere so wise reasons Not so Ladie said Martandrus for I assure you that Dardanea is not such an one that the high sence and stile thereof could put her to a non-plus in proofe whereof you shall see it by her answere But bicause we may not discontinue so sweete a discourse I will proceede This letter was of so great effect in Dardaneas tender hart that now in euerie point she perceiued her selfe yeelded to Cupids forces The which her cristalline teares that issued out of her cleere eies did make so manifest that she was vnable to stay them although many times in vaine she laboured the contrarie But as she could not satifie her selfe with reading it once or twise ouer the more she read it the more her loue encreased For knowing Disteus his vertues and valour to bee great and therewithall considering the qualitie of his person and with what milde modestie and discretion he wrote this letter the well conceiued words thereof were so forcible in her minde imprinted that they strangely disposed it to entertaine most louing thoughts of him that wrote them Her kinde and tender hart was no lesse pierced with pitie and compassion when she vnderstoode in what extremities his loue consisted since by the sequell of his letter she perceiued how abruptly he ended whereby he manifested the forcible passion that he had in writing of his paines and sorrowes To all which no meane motiues in her conquered minde this moreouer occurred that he offered to expose himselfe to any danger of death for Sagastes his mortall enemie onely to do her seruice that neuer yet had shewed him the least fauour in the world So that loue assayling her on the one side which till then had not notably signorized in her and her honour and vertuous reputation which she had euer religiously obserued pressing her on the other droue her vsetled thoughts into such suspence and troubled her doubtfull minde that being ignorant what course to take or what remedie to choose out for the best since she would neither offend this could not choose but obey that she was between two contraries so mightily assaulted that to yeelde to one without preiudice to the other shee would in a manner haue lost her deerest life which sorrowfull thoughts hiding in her secret breast and the letters in her amorours bosome she went to her chamber where casting her selfe vpon her bed and lying flatling vpon her pillow thus shee lamented to her selfe O what shall become of thee Dardanea being assailed by two such opposite enimies O heauenly Diana O inuincible Venus How haue you both with your diuine powers seised on my yeelding soule How could you being so great Goddesses make your habitation and seat in so humble a sublect and in so base and little a house as this is And being so contrarie and capitall enimies how haue you determined to your content and my losse to deraigne a hard and mightie battel in such a tender and weake field Why will you execute your vnresisted forces in the feeble breast of a yeelded and captiue woman Faine would I not open the gates Diana whose name I honor to thy cōtrarie but pardon me since I haue not my wonted forces for importunate Venus knowing how strongly this tower of thinc was defended being driuē many times from it hath now emploied all hir force in the enterprise and conquest of it O noble Disteus if thy words be fained which the Gods forbid then is my death certaine But why should I thinke so when as thou are Disteus whose name includes all generous virtues and I Dardanea whose minde such thoughts doth ill beseeme Alas poore Gentleman how vngratefully doth Palna thy nurse requite thy fauours which she confesseth thou hast bountifully bestowed on her since from thy first desire a matter but of small consequence she so bitterly repelled thee by denying to giue me a letter which to her hands
next to my hart thou didst so earnestly commend What wilt thou say nay what shall I doe since she that was the soule and onely meanes will haue nothing to do with the matter which she hir selfe did first begin Couldst thou not Disteus or wert thow affraide to open thy greese vnto me or was I vnable or too timorous to manifest my passion vnto thee Tell me cruell Palna what leaue hadst thou to send backe againe the letter that was onely directed to me by not letting me once see it Was it not meet thou shouldest do that thy master commaunded thee and that which was expedient for me But alas thou art not in fault but I and therefore will I onely take the punishment on my selfe and excuse thee from blame For since I haue entreated thee so sharply when thou didst speake to me of Disteus and in such things which did not any waies offend my honour thou hast then reason to vse me cruelly in that wherein my helpe and remedie doth chiesly consist And thus putting filence to her greefe she went musing what meanes she might vse to make Palna giue her the letter whereby she might haue some good occasion to write vnto Disteus and in the ende resolued to take Palna on the sudden with the letters in her hand and to see them against her will as she could not otherwise imagine Whereby the meanes to answer him againe might be fitly offered her This determination being put in practise when Palna had the letters in her hand for as I saide she read them many times of purpose to be seene Dardanea came into her chamber and she faining as though she would hide them Dardanea importuned her to see them commanding her in the ende to tell her to whom and what she wrote But she that desired nothing more making some simple excuses as though she were not content therewith at last shewed them which when Dardanea sawe faining that she was angry with Disteus she commended her that she had so wisely answered him though it sufficed not as she said for so presumptuous and bold a part and that she woulde therefore answere him with another letter to supplie the want of hers to warne him not once in thought to imagine speake or write of it againe In the end whereof she purposed to tell him by what meanes the letter came to her hands bicause both of them might be blamelesse The which thing she did put immediately in practise and so began to write The letter being ended she read it to Palna and thus it said Dardaneas answere to Disteus TO thee the most presumptuous without leaue Counsell not health by these few lines I send That am more fearfull then thou maist conceaue If that I thought mine honour to offend By answering thee constraind as thou maist see Or answering not it might the more extend Rather then I would thus much pleasure thee Or would vouchsafe to take my pen in hand First would I take a sword to murder me Mine end is good and doth with vertue stand And if thou dost thinke otherwise then so Thou art deceiu'd as much as any man For if my reason soundly thou wilt knowe And weigh my wordes but with attentiue minde And note each sentence that heerein I showe By all the foresaid thou shalt onely finde How I pretend to giue thee sound aduise And holesome counsell fit for one so blinde Which is that thou leaue of this enterprise If that thou canst and flie a thought so vaine Or at the least conce ale it from mine eies I knowe not and the ground cannot obtaine That made thee write to me this other day Nor yet from whence such boldnes thou might'st gaine But now I doe remember thou didst say That loue not thou those louing lines did write Bicause it did thy minde too much dismay Fancies they are like to the dreames by night Common to louers if there any bee To manifest his childish toies so light Poore God of loue thy seruants all agree As many as doe waite vpon thy traine To lay their faultes most commonly in thee If childish toies I saide doe not disdaine For this God whom thou dost so much obay Is but a childe thy wordes doe shew it plaine Thou seem'st to shew the same by wordes I say By deedes I knowe not nor I doe pretend To knowe though deedes by words thou dost display Which last of all in men I comprehend Which are more wordes then works in plaine effect In case this God of loue their mindes offend If that your harts so plainly could detect That which your mouth expresseth by her voice We should not hold your loues in such suspect But truth it is I doe no whit reioice For nothing it concerneth me at all To heare thee vaunt thee of thy loue and choice And that as firme as any brazen wall And more then rocks vpon the shorie sandes In fortunes fauour or in fortunes thrall That like an Oke against the winde it standes Like hardest Dimond to the beating steele Like Salamander in the flaming brandes And that againe it turneth like the wheele And wauers more then beames of shaken glasse More then the waues that tumble still and reele More changing then the weathercocke Alas In towres and more then Cynthia in her skie And more then men in loue their liues that passe This hurts me little nor I care not I Wherefore it shall be better for thy ease Not to loue her that doth thy loue denie Then seeke some other with thy loue to please Against thy loue that will not so rebell And where thou maist swim in contented seas For sooth thy person hath deserued well To be beloued of some other dame For many giftes in which thou dost excell There is no Lady but would wish the same Nor scorne thy loue but euer thinke her blest That she might call thee by her louers name And sooner shalt thou want to match thy brest A Lady fit respecting thy desert For none come neere though yet accounted best Of purpose he ere thy praises I insert For thou didst so much wander in my praise That onely this for thanks I doe reuert And wordes for wordes doe giue thee now in paise And if thou hast extolled me much better So all thy giftes in euerie place I blaze Ingratefull thou didst call me in thy letter And there the proofe was false and very vaine And therefore thou must yet remaine my detter Although it were not so thou saidst againe That I was bound to loue in being faire So worldling like thine argument was plaine But see how reason doth the same impaire For brighter doth each womans beautte shine The more she shines in praise of vertues rare So that I shall make nature more diuine In following Dianas honest traine Then Venus steps or her fond discipline To please her sonne I euer thought it vaine Since him I cannot and Diana please For she is chast dishonest is
his chaine To serue Apollos sister sweetest ease And greatest honour by her loue is got Who serues fond loue is drown'd in dolefull seas If after Venus sonne thou art so hot And dost intend to follow his desires If so it please then how maiest thou not I doe not meane to loue what he requires And let this God euen worke with me his fill He neuer shall consume me in his fires Let him not seeke but her that seekes her ill Let him not wound but those that loue his wounds Nor subiect those that care not for his will But now I knowe not to what purpose soundes These reasons that disswade me to imbrace Cupid thy God that reason still confoundes Since that vnto my will he giueth place And on the same his liking doth depend Reason in me his colours doe deface T' is therefore reason to the which I tend And great it is since it doth satisfie My minde and doth the same so well defend Thou writ'st that if to loue thee I denie That I would suffer thee to loue me yet Against my will for loue yet wilt thou die A pretie meanes procoeding from thy wit To pray me not thy deere loue to preuent Yet will I nill I thou to practise it I greeue I cannot hinder this intent But if in fine perforce vnto my paine thou wilt loue me perforce I must consent If that from being lou'd I could remaine As from all loue in faith I neuer would Haue left it to thy choosing to abstaine For he that lou'd me with such rigour should Be punish't that he should haue thence no soule To loue me if his loue preuent I could But I le doe that which no man shall controule Which is that none presume to manifest His loue to me so wanton and so bolde Let therefore punishment thy minde suggest To mooue this fancie from thy idle minde A fancie first conceiu'd within thy brest Of no good ground where hope thou canst not finde Hope is exil'd where honour taketh place Honour is deere to women of my kinde Virgins I meane and liuing in the face Of all the world with honour and renowne Which if it be but staind each other grace She hath with no recou'rie falleth downe If then these few perswasions cannot make Thee change thy minde nor now this present frowne Nor trembling hands which now for anger shake By writing of these lines with little rest Nor feare of punishment make thee forsake This fond conceit nurc'd vainly in thy brest When thou maist neuer hope to haue a day Then let mine honour mooue thee at the lest To make thee hide this fier if you may Wherewith thou saist thy brest is so inflam'd Marke this and let thy wits not so estray If that thou saist that hardly is reclam'd The fire of loue and hardly hid againe To tell it Palna lesse thou shalt be blam'd But since thy hope incertaine is and vaine And all thy harmes most sure then ope the dore To helpe thee to obliuion and disdaine And thus I end in hope to heare no more Martandrus interrupting Felismena that would haue praised the letter and haue noted some things in it prosecuted his tale thus Dardanea hauing made an end of reading the letter was not yet so quiet in minde but that she gaue true tokens of that which remained in her brest Whereupon and by the gentle and milde words in her letter Palna vnderstanding how fitly it made for her purpose did finely dissemble the matter and praised her for answering his letter so well harping still vpon that string that she was obliged to her honour and good name But bicause the seuere stile of the letter might not daunt Disteus she secretly sent him another wherein she aduised him what he had to do after so good a beginning which might be gathered by some wordes of the answere for proofe whereof hee might perceiue that she had written no austere and sharpe letter wherein if any bitternes had escaped her pen vnawares she did straight moderate it with a hidden temper of mildenes Aduising him besides to note that when she warned him to surcease his loue vnto her she saide vnto him if thou canst correcting her-selfe in a matter that made so greatly for her owne minde and to consider how greatly these affaires did trouble her who was continually thinking on them and that she was not perswaded that he loued her from his hart but aboue all things to take heede howe much it stoode him in hand to keepe this secrecie which she committed vnto him Palna moreouer perswaded him to hope well since Dardanea tooke delight in hearing these affaires whereof she made her her onely secretarie Finally not to be tedious to you with so long a discourse a few daies after Palna vsed so great diligence that she got that out of Dardanea which she kept so secret in her breast but could neuer winne her to speake with Disteus vnlesse he would first promise and sweare to marie her which was so ioyfull newes to him who thought he wanted nothing more to make him the happiest man aliue So that this being done Dardanea though at the first she made it somewhat coy gaue him leaue to come to her house where they inioyed a little while each others company in sweete and pleasant conuersation with all respect of reuerence and modestie that was requisite in such a case At the ende whereof the pleasanter the biginning was more bitter was the sequell since at the first loue seldome affoords one little pleasure without distempering it in the end with sorrowe and care it fell out that Disteus hauing gone verie early to Dardanea and Palna not remembring to shut the doore after him they lay togither in one bed which was made readie for them in a faire and large Summer chamber beneath where they had before sometimes lyen togither For Palna when Disteus was come in was warned to shut a certaine doore which was a passage into all the house bicause no maide nor seruant might come downe and goe thorow that way But as she remembred not also to shut the streete doore which they thought was safe enough Sagastes by chance came in suspecting least of all any such matter Disteus perceiuing a greater noise in the chamber then a womans treading could make couered himselfe the best he could with the clothes of the bed If Dardanea was not altered by seeing her brother iudge you Gentlemen though then it stoode her in hand to dissemble it Sagastes sat him downe in a chaire at the beds feete and asked her what the matter was that she went to bed so soone Who answered that shee was not well at ease and was therefore minded to take some Phisicke Sagastes hearing this would haue beene gone but turning his face for now he was on that side of the bed where his sister lay and seeing a little stirring in the bed asked her who was a bed with her Dardanea
Which I bestow'd and thought not of his passions And that the fault that heertofore did blame me Causeth my paine and with my paine doth shame me Hart breake in two for greefe when thought assailes thee Of those fell torments which thou once didst lend him Thou lou'st him now but little it preuailes thee To pardon that wherewith thou didst offend him Who cried once for that which now I crie for And died once for that which now I die for These present greefes of passions that confound me With ceaselesse paine torment not in such measure As thoughts of my late crueltie doe wound me Or when I thinke I lost so deere a treasure For they are heauen to thinke that now I prize him And these are hell to thinke I did despise him For if my little loue more fitly named Iniurious hate whereof I now repent me Were not in fault alas too lately blamed Of all these present greefes that thus torment me Then with complaints I would not cease t' importune Vngentle loue and raile on cruell Fortune But I so proude for my admired beautie That flattred me of sense was so bereaued That carelesse of my fault and forced dutie I owde to Loue I neuer once perceaued That Loue did take reuengement at his pleasure And Fortune change without all meane or measure But Loues reuenge wrought neuer such a woonder Nor to so great despaire did euer driue one As thus on euery side to breake a sunder And ruinate a hope that might reuiue one And Fortune in her change made neuer any So great as from one life to deathes so many Syrenus then how art thou now assured Of thy reuenge which thou hast deepely taken In my disgrace which I my selfe procured That since of late my loue thou hast forsaken No remedie for any greefe is left me That of my woonted comfort hath bereft me For heeretofore as thou hast euen and morrow Seene me disdaine thy sight with so small reason So maist thou now take pleasure in my sorrow And with thy scornes my feeble comforts season For now to loue me lies not in thy power Though I must loue thee till my dying hower So far from Cupids force thy haps haue blest thee And in thy libertie thou tak'st such glorie That gentle Shepherd I doe not request thee To cure mine ill which cannot make thee sorie But to beguile these paines by Loue or dained With one poore fauour though it were but fained And though mine ils which thou art not contented To remedie nor dost pretend to cease them When to thy carelesse thoughts they are presented Whose hot reuenge haue vowed to increase them Yet turne thine eies and see how mine are flowing With riuolets of teares that still are growing Behold my ruine and my life decaied My little hope which in despaire I borrow My teares my sighes my senses all dismaied Though not to take compassion of my sorrow Yet see how with them all I am affreighted In thy reuenge to be the more delighted For though with greefe wherewith I still am calling To mollifie thy hart and haue no power Nor that my teares which euermore are falling Cannot excuse my death one little hower Then will I die for loue of thee and neuer Enioy this breath without I loue thee euer Enamoured Diana had not so soone made an end of her delightfull musicke if on the sudden she had not beene interrupted by a certaine Shepherdesse which behinde a tuft of Hasels was hearkening vnto her Who therefore espying her gaue a pause to her sweete voice by cutting off the substance of her song and was not a little greeued which by a naturall blush that tainted her faire face might easily be coniectured that her song was heard and her griefe vnknowen especially perceiuing the same Shepherdesse to be a stranger and neuer seene in those parts before But she who from a far off had heard so sweete a sound with silent steps drew neere to enioy such daintie melodie and vnderstanding the cause of her dolorous song made on the sudden so goodly a shewe of her excellent beautie before her as the Nocturnall Moone is woont to doe when with her shining beames it pearseth and ouercomes the foggie thicknes of the darke clouds But seeing Diana to be somewhat troubled in minde at her sight with a merrie countenance she thus began to say vnto her I haue not a little faire Shepherdesse with my interrupting presence which to small purpose hath thus disturbed thee offended the great content which I had to heare thee but the desire I haue to know thee and to giue thee some lightning for thy griefe that causeth thee so pitifully to moane may serue if it please thee for my excuse and make me blamelesse heerein For the which griefe though it is bootelesse as some say to seeke any comfort yet by a free will and reasons deuoide of passion there may be sufficient remedies applyed Dissemble not therefore with me thy sorrowes and thinke it not much to tell me thy name and the cause of thy sad complaints since for this I will make no lesse account of thy perfections nor iudge thy deserts to be of lesse value Diana hearing these words stoode a while without answering her againe hauing her eies fastened on the rare beautie of that Shepherdesse and her minde occupied in a doubtfull construction of that which she should answere to her gentle offers and louing words and in the end answered her thus againe If the great pleasure which I take in beholding thee vnknowen Shepherdesse and curteous without compare and the comfort which thy sweete words do promise me might finde any small kinde of confidence or hope in my afflicted hart I would then beleeue that thou wert able to remedie my sorrowes and would not doubt to manifest my paines vnto thee But my griefe is of such tenour that when it begins to molest me it seiseth in such sort on my heart that it stops vp all the passages against remedie Yet know Gentle Shepherdesse that I am called Diana knowen too well in all the fields and villages hereabouts and so let it content thee to knowe my name and not to enquire further of sorrowes since thou shalt profit thee no more then to make thy selfe compassionate and condolent for my tender yeeres seeing them oppressed with so many cares and troubles Thus are they deluded answered the Shepherdesse that make themselues slaues to fonde Loue who but beginning to serue him are become so much his vassals that they desire not to be free and thinke it impossible to be manumitted from his seruitude If loue be thy greefe as by thy song I am sure it is then know faire Shepherdesse that in this infirmitie I haue no small experience For I my selfe haue beene manie yeeres a captiue in like bondage but now am free blinde I was but now haue found out the way of truth I haue passed in the amorous Ocean manie dangerous
That like a sturdie rocke it standes Against the cruell raues Though fencelesse in the naked sandes Of beating windes and waues And how much more with conquering hand my hart she doth controule By so much doe I adde more heate vnto my burning soule Berardus The woods and mount aines doe not beare Woolues of such crueltie Whose howling threats I feare not theare And yet aiealousie Doth make my hart to quake for feare And yeeld most cowardly I am not able to defend My weake and feeble brest From thousand feares where they pretend To build their strongest nest And with their entrance driue away my hopes my ioy and rest There they commaund and gouerne all And proudly tyrannize And there my soule to endlesse thrall And bodie sacrifice O cruell Loue whom cruell death must needes at last succeede O why with such consuming tortures die I not in deede Taurisus Neere to this Christall fountaine on a day I sawe Diana sitting with her spouse And as by chaunce I crost the woods that way Espied them behinde these hasell bowes Dying with greefe impatience and despite To see which I would not haue seene that sight Nothing he spake but with his clownish hand Did rudely touch and claspe her round about Her tender corpes the smallest in this land Too daintie and fine for such a homely lout And so he sat and did not stir In this vnseemely sort with her But when my iealous eies so basâ—… thing espied With mortall rage I burn'd and cruell enute died Berardus To walke the woods in sweetest moneth of May When winter hides his hoarie head for shame Diana with her husband on a day The glorie of the fairest women came A vaile of Lawne vpon her golden haire With siluer pins enfolded euery where A thousand sportes and pastimes did I see How she found out his minde to recreate And as I lurk'd behinde a Poplar tree How louingly she dallied with her mate Whom I did see reach foorth his hand Vnto her necke as white as swan Wherewith he did vndoe her vaile and loose her shining haire Which sight did kill my hart with feare enwrapped in despaire The Shepherds after they made an end of singing began to gather their flockes togither that went feeding vp and downe the woode And comming towardes the place where Marcelius and Diana were they could not otherwise chuse but see them for they had no handsome shift to hide themselues although they woulde faine haue stept aside At which ioyfull and vnexpected sight they receiued no meane content gladnes And though Berardus was somwhat altered and appalled thereat yet inflamed Taurisus to see the cause of his griefe before his eies kindled more and more his hot desire They curteoufly saluted the Shepherds and requested them not to denie them their companie to the village since good fortune had made them all so happely meete togither Diana whose custome was neuer to be coy nor discurteous was well content to do it So that Taurisus and Berardus praied the other Shepherds that were with them to come after by little and little with their flockes that they had now gathered vp togither towards the village whilest they in companie of Diana and the other Shepherds went on before which they willingly performed Taurisus by the way as he went praied Diana to answere verse for verse to the song that he would sing which she denied him not to doe and so they sung as followeth Taurisus THe cause why that thou dost denie To looke on me sweete foe impart Diana Bicause that doth not please the eie Which doth offend and greeue the hart Taurisus What woman is or euer was That when she looketh could be mou'd Diana She that resolues her life to passe Neither to loue nor to be lou'd Taurisus There is no hart so fierce nor hard That can so much torment a soule Diana Nor Shepherd of so small regard That reason will so much controule Taurisus How falsit out Loue doth not kill Thy crueltie with some remorce Diana Bicause that Loue is but a will And free will doth admit no force Taurisus Bebold what reason now thou hast To remedie my louing smart Diana The very same bindes me as fast To keepe such danger from my hart Taurisus Why dost thou thus torment my minde And to what and thy beautie keepe Diana Bicause thou call'st me still vnkinde And pitilesse when thou dost weepe Taurisus It is bicause thy crueltie In killing me doth neuer end Diana Nay for bicause I meane thereby My hart from sorrowes to defend Taurisus Be bold so foule I am no way As thou dost thinke faire Shepherdesse Diana With this content thee that I say That I beleeue the same no lesse Taurisus What after giuing me such store Of passions dost thou mocke me too Diana If answers thou wilt any more Goe seeke them without more adoo It greatly contented Taurisus that Diana sung with him whereby though hee heard the rigorous answers of his Shepherdesse yet he was so glad in his minde that she deigned to answer him that it made him forget the greefe which by the crueltie of her wordes he might haue otherwise conceiued But nowe timorous Berardus forcing his heauie hart and casting a pittifull eie on Diana not vnlike the sorrowfull Swanne that a little before her death singes sweetely in the cleere and christall brookes lifted vp his faint and fearefull voice which came foorth with great paine out of his panting brest and to the sound of his Baggepipe sung these verses following ENd now my life with daily paines affrighted Since that for all that I haue wept and greeued My teares are not requited And trustie faith not any whit beleeued I am in such a haplesse state of sorrowe That I would be content and so releeue me Vniust rewardes and scornes of her to borrow Onely that she would credit and beleeue me But though my life is thus with woes despited And though to be most constant neuer greeued My paines are not requited And trustie faith not any whit beleeued After that Berardus had ended his song both the Shepherds cast their eies vpon Marcelius and bicause he was vnknowne to them they durst not entreat him to sing But in the end bold Taurisus praied him to tell them his name and if it pleased him to sing them a song wherein they would thinke themselues beholding to him for either curtesie At which words Marcelius looking vpon Diana and making her a signe to touch her instrument without giuing them any other answere with one song pleased them both and satisfied their desire Whereupon fetching out a great sigh he began thus AH such an one I euer was since that My Shepherdesse so cruell I did see That now I knowe not who I am nor what My hap shall be or shall become of mee I knowe right well that if I were a man Greefe had my life consumed long agoe And if a stone I am most certaine then That dropping
togither and when she had set him there she saide vnto him Now thou art come to the place Montanus where thou must shew that thou hast courage and no abiect minde that is requisite in so good a cause goe into this chamber and there thou shalt finde thy mother a bed with the adulterer When she had saide so she ranne away as fast as euer she could Montanus being thus deluded with Syluerias falshood gaue credite to her words and in a furie plucking his dagger out of the sheath brake open the chamber doore with a thrust of his foote like a mad man with these loud exclamations rushed into it saying Here must thou die traytour by mine owne hands now shall the strumpet Felisardas foule loues helpe thee nothing at all And speaking these words he was so wroth that he knew not who he was that lay in the bedde and thinking to haue slaine the adulterer he lifted vp his arme to stabbe his Father as he lay a bedde But yet good Fortune awoke the old man who knowing his sonne by the light that was there thought verily that for the austere words vnkind disgraces which he had done him he came to kill him wherefore lifting himselfe quickly out of the bedde with holding vp his hands he saide O my sonne what crueltie is this that makes thee the butcher of thine owne Father For Gods sake remember thy selfe and spill nor nowe my innocent bloud nor ende my life before the appointed hower from aboue doth come For if I haue heeretofore vsed any rigour against thee heere vpon my knees I craue pardon for it with protestation that from hencefoorth I will entreate thee as louingly and gently as any father in the world may vse his sonne When Montanus perceiued the treacherie that was wrought and the danger that he had almost incurred by killing his owne Father he stoode there so astonished that his hart and arme so failed him whereby the dagger fell out of his hands and neuer felt it Being thus striken in a maze he could not vtter a worde but ashamed and confounded in his owne enterprise he went out of the chamber and out of the house wonderful sorrie for the treacherie that Sylueria had buzzed into his eares and for that which he had almost done but that his fortune was the better Feltsarda who knew all the matter before and how it would fall out when she saw Montanus come into the chamber she lept out of the bed and ranne into another inward chamber and locking the doore after her saued her selfe from her sonne in lawes furie But when she saw her selfe free from danger for now Montanus was gone out of the house shee came into the chamber againe where Filenus was yet shaking for feare and then she incensing the Father against the Sonne with loude vociferations began thus to say vnto him Now Filenus thou knowest well what kinde of Sonne thou hast and now canst tell if it be not true which I haue so often told thee of his wicked conditions and nature O cruell wretch O vile Traytour Montanus why doe not the heauens confound thee Why doth not the earth swallow thee vp Why do not the wilde beasts deuour thee Why do not men persecute thee to death Accursed be thy marriage thy disobedience thy loues and thy Ismenia that hath brought thee to this barbarous crueltie and to commit so horrible a sinne Traytour as thou art thou dost not punish Alanius who to thy shame and disgrace hath too familiar companie with thy Ismenia vsing her dishonestly and whom she loues more then thy selfe and carest not to kill thy owne Father who with tendernes of thy life and credit hath euer made account of thee Bicause he gaue thee good counsell would'st thou therefore kill him O woefull Father O vnfortunate gray haires O grieuous old age What fault didst thou euer commit that thine owne sonne should kill thee for it euen he whom thou hast begotten brought vp and for whom thou hast passed a thousand cares Plucke vp thy hart now leaue of thy fatherly loue giue place to iustice let him be duely punished for if he which perpetrated such wicked crueltie hath not his descrued punishment disobedient sonnes will not be afraide to do the like nor thine owne hereafter to murder thee once againe with his owne hands Old Filenus full of feare griefe and despite hearing the speech that his wife told him and considering his sonnes treason tooke so great displeasure at it that taking vp the dagger that Montanus had let fall early in the morning he went to the market place there assembling the chiefest men of the towne the Iustices togither after many teares and sobs said thus vnto them I inuoke God for witnes most worthie Shepherdes that the discourse which I must tell you torments my soule so much that I am afraide it will flye out of my bodie before I haue told it out Let not any therefore thinke me cruell or vnnatural by comming to publish my sonnes wickednes openly in this place since it is so strange and detestable that the greatest punishment that I am able to giue him is not sufficient for the enormitie thereof The which for that I am vnable my selfe to remedie it I will lay open before your eies that you may see how iust and needfull a thing it is to giue him condigne punishment and to forwarne all other sonnes by his grieuous example Needlesse it is to tell you with what tender loue and affection I haue brought him vp how carefully I haue kept him with what diligence I haue instructed him in commendable qualities what thoughts I haue suffered for him what good counsell I haue giuen him and how mildly I haue chastised him To my great griefe he married Ismenia and bicause I found fault with him for it in lieu of being reuenged of Alanius the Shepherd who as all the countrey knowes liues dishonestly with his wife Ismenia turned his anger towards me and this night would haue done me to death For this last night he found the meanes to get into the chamber where I was a bed with my wife Felisarda and with this naked dagger would haue killed me And had done it but that God did cut off his strength and abated it in such sort that being halfe astonished and afraide he went out from thence not able to put his damnable intent in practise leauing the dagger that fell out of his hands in the chamber This is the true report of that which this last night passed whereof you may be better informed by my louing wife But bicause I certainly know that my sonne Montanus would neuer haue committed so foule a deed against his Father if his wife Ismenia had not perswaded him to it I therefore beseech you all to consider well of this matter First that my sonne may be sufficiently punished for his wicked attempt and then that false Ismenia especially for the
That if he die not now for thee He will no doubt thy louer bee When that he sees thee heere And this is sure For loue doth knowe Since first my soule he wounded so That I should neuer want A stronger riuall and more stoute Then I who daily would seeke out My true loue to supplant Leaue then the barren sands and shore Forsake the cliffes come there no more Flie from that dangerous coast Take hee de no monster of the sea Surprise thee not faire Galatee Where many haue beene lost Flie now and see how I endure Ten thousand greefes to see thee sure Bicause with double paine Ie alous I am of thy content And for thy dangers imminent Great cares I doe sustaine In seeing thee so mery and glad My iealous thoughts doe make me sad And thinke of Europe faire Deceiued by a milke white bull As on the sea bankes she did cull Fine flowers to dresse her haire And more my ordinarie cares Make me to thinke how vnawares Disdainfull Alnade was Dishiuered and deuour'd by A huge sea monster that did lie Hard by where he did passe But well away that I doe see Signes of no feare nor greefe in thee For this my sorrow knowes That he that 's not of loue afraide Can with no dangers be dismaide And feares not where he goes O then my peerelesse Nymph take heede Lest Cupid doe reuenge with speede To see himselfe contemned For being such a God of might He will not suffer but will smite When he is once offended Come goe with me vnto the woods Where euery plant sprout foorth her buds And to the goodly fieldes Where we will spend the pleasant howers Amongst the faire and redolent flowers That nought but pleasure yeeldes If waters please thee I will bring Thee to so faire and fine a spring That to be first in praise Amongst the rest thy body white To wash within her waters bright For thee it onely staies Disporting in this naked place Thou hast no vaile to hide thy face Nor shade from parching sunne Pitie it were thy beauties blaze Which enutous Titan feares to gaze By him should be vndone Heere hear'st thou no melodious voice But still a huge and fearefull noise Of monsters hideous raues And seas that rore like tumbling thunder Tost with the windes that beate asunder The proude and raging waues What ioy and pleasure canst thou take To see the tossing billowes shake A ship vpon the sand And then to see the broken plankes And carcases in pitious rankes Come swimming to the land Come to the frithes and forrests tall Where nature hath beene liberall With many a pleasant seate Come to the coole and sweetest shades Where in greene pathes and open glades We passe away the heate Flie flie those proude and swelling seas Come come and thou shalt see what ease We take and how we sing Ditties so sweete that in suspence We hold the rockes and euery sence Of euery liuing thing And though that some be full of pitie Loue forceth them to such a dittie For loue is full of paine Yet all the Shepherdes will I mooue To sing no mournefull songs of loue Onely to please thy vaine There maist thou reade in euety tree And euery meade that thou shalt see The loues in knots disguis'd Of iolly Shepherdes and the names Of chiefest Nymphes and countrie dames In curious sort deuis'd But it will make thee sad I feare To see thy name ingrauen there By knowing it was carued By him whom thou didst euer blot Out of thy minde and hast forgot And with disfauours starued And though thine anger will be such Yet wilt thou maruell not so much To see thy carued name As thou wilt woonder then to see That he doth loue and honour thee That there did write the same Not to be loued and to loue It is agreeuous greefe to prooue But what a greefe or paine Could it in thee faire Nymph procure To be beloued with loue so pure And not to loue againe But now despis'd I reckon small Faire Galatee my torment all So that thou wilt forsake These swallowing sandes and seas so high Where monsters bellow out and crie And daily praies doe take What better pastime canst thou finde Neere to the seas of blustring winde Then in our woods and mountaines To listen to the nightingales And gather flowers in our vales And bathe in christall fountaines I would to God thou liuedst heere In our faire fieldes and riuers cleere And for to loue them more I would to God thou wouldst but see Before I should report to thee How they excell the shore Bicause I know the more I praise These woods meades springs louely laies The lesse thou wilt beleeue me And wilt not come where thou dost knowe That part of my content doth growe Which most of all doth greeue me Poore Lycius would haue spoken more To win her from that haplesse shore But that she bad him cease For with an angrie face and scoule She turn'd vnto the wretched soule And bad him hold his peace Then went she to her sportes againe He to his plaintes and woonted paine And in the selfe same sort He still remaines in woonted sorrow She in the sea bankes euen and morrow Contented with her sport The faire maides song and our supper ended al at one time which being done we demanded of Clenarda what had hapned vnto her since our last departure from her who tolde vs what villanie Sartofano offered vnto her in what case Alcida was left of thy imprisonment her captiuitie and in the ende all that thou knowest at large We bewailed bitterly our hard Fortunes which when the Fisherman hearde hee comforted vs vp as well as he could and tolde vs especiallie how that in these parts there was the sage Felicia whose wisedome was enough to remedie our greefes giuing vs also notice of Alcida and of thee to the which our desires principally tended And so passing away that night the best we coulde assoone as morning came leauing the marriners there that came with vs in the shippe we three alone went our waies and not long after came to the Temple of Diana where the wise Lady Fecia keepes her court We sawe there the admirable temple the most pleasant gardens the sumptuous pallace there we knew the great wisedome of the most graue Ladie and other things that filled vs so full of woonder that wee haue scarce anie breath to tell them againe There we sawe the fairest Nymphes examples of chastitie many Lordes and Ladies Shepherds and faire Shepherdesses and especiallie one Shepherd named Syrenus whom euery one there made great account of To him and many more besides did sage Felicia giue diuers remedies for their loues and greefes But the pleasure which but hitherto yet she hath done vs is to keepe our Father Eugerius in her companie commanding vs to goe towardes these parts and that we should not returne vntill we had found out some content or
good Fortune And for the great ioy that wee haue receiued by thy sight I thinke wee haue good occasion to go backe againe especially for that we haue left there our Father all alone and comfortlesse I know well that in seeking out Alcida is no small ease to his carefull thoughts but bicause Fortune hath not these manie daies giuen vs any newes of her we shall take the better course to returne backe againe then to suffer our old Father to be depriued so long of our companie After Polydorus had made an end of his discourse euery one was astonished to heare such strange accidents and after Marcelius had wept for Alcida he made a breefe relation to Polydorus and Clenarda of that which had hapned to him since he sawe them last When Diana and Ismenia heard Polydorus make an end of that sorrowfull historie they desired to go the sooner to Felicias court the one bicause she knew assuredly that Syrenus was there the other bicause she conceiued a certaine hope hearing of the woonderfull wisedome of Felicia to haue also some redresse for her greefes Being therefore possessed with this desire Diana although she was minded to recreate herselfe certaine howers in that pleasant place altered her determination esteeming more of Syrenus sight then of the greene hew of that goodly and fine wood Whereupon rising vp she said to Taurisus and Berardus Sit yee merrie Shepherds still and enioy the delight and sweetenes of this pleasant place for the desire that I haue to go to Dianas temple will not let me stay any longer here We are right sorie to forsake so delightfull a shade so good cōpany but we are forced to follow our Fortune in this behalf Wilt thou be so discurteous faire Shepherdesse said Taurisus to depart so soone from our dolefull eies and to let vs so small a while enioy thy sweet sight speeches These Shepherds haue great reason said Marcelius to Diana to demād such a gentle request it is therfore as great again that their demand be not denied them in reward of their constant faith true loue which deserues to enioy thy companie a little while in this pleasant place especially when thou hast time enough to be at Dianas temple before the Sunne wil hide his light All of them were of his opinion and therefore Diana woulde not seeme discourteous to anie of them but sitting down again in her place she would not rather please herselfe then displease so braue a companie as that was Now then louing Shepherds said Ismenia to Berardus and Taurisus since faire Diana doth not denie vs her presence it is not reason that you denie her your songs Sing iolly Shepherds that in your songs roundelaies shewe so great cunning and so perfect loue being for the one commended in al the townes and countries heereabout and moouing the hardest harts with the other to loue and pitie True saide Berardus all harts sauing Dianas and began to weepe and Diana to smile Which when the Shepherd sawe to the sweete sound of his pipe with the swelled teares standing in his eies he sung a glosse vpon this Dittie MY greeuous sighes and sorrowfull teares In stones doe make their liuely print But not in thee harder then any flint The glosse Let not thy Graces rare Be with my seruice any whit offended Since that my greeuous fare And torments past to thy deuotions tended Where neuer yet with greefe of thee lamented Nor with my sighes thy crueltie relented Thy hart was neuer changed with my cries With which I was importunate alwaies To wearied earth and skies Though thou dost see not onely nights and daies Spilt and consum'd with many feares My greeuous sighes and sorrowfull teares In thy conditions strange thou art That dost not cease with stranger deathes to kill me But strangest is my sorrowfull hart That suffring paines wherewith thou dost so fill me And huing in so strange and cruell passion It dies not in most strange and cruell fashion For if an ill a little time relents Although it be the hardest to sustaine It openeth yet some vents To ease and doth not giue such mortall paine But greefe that hath no end nor stint In stones doe make their liuely print Loue is a daintie milde and sweet A gentle power a feeling fine and tender So that those harmes and paines vnmeete Which I doe passe thou onely dost engender Onely to him his torments loue deuiseth That scornes his lawes his rites and loue despiseth And this is now my mortall paine and death That loue since first thy beauties I did see Like to my proper breath Wherewith I liue hath euer beene in mee In me it liues in me it makes his print But not in thee harder then any flint Berardus song pleased Diana well but perceiuing by it that he made her hart harder then the stones she would for her credite haue answered him againe therfore said It is a merrie iest by my life to call her hard that is modest and cruell that is carefull to keepe her honestie I woulde to God Shepherd my soule were no more sorrowfull then my hart is hard But O greefe Fortune hath made me captiue to so iealous a husband that I was many times constrained to shew discurtesie to gentle Shepherds in these hils dales and fieldes bicause I woulde not haue added more sorrow to my troublesome life with him And yet for all this the knot of marriage and reason oblige me to seeke out my rude and ill conditioned husband although I looke not for any thing else at his hands then sorrow care greefe and manie more annoies in his frowarde companie Taurisus taking nowe occasion at Dianas complaints which she made of her vnfortunate marriage began to play on his Baggepipe and to sing speaking as it were to loue and descanting vpon this common song that saieth The Song A Faire maide wed to prying iealousie One of the fairest as euer I did see If that thou wilt a secret louer take Sweete life doe not my secret loue forsake The glosse Beware good Loue beware it is not well To let blinde Fortune haue a greater part In women that in Beautie doe excell More then thy selfe since such an one thou art For Beautie being commended to thy power To grace the same Thou dost thy selfe dishonour euery hower And art to blame By suffring that this thing should euer be A faire maide wed to prying iealousie Thou dost but ill since thou didst euer make Beautie thy friend who therefore had prepared Sorrowes for him that viewed her for thy sake Which otherwise she would haue kept and spared And so my firmnesse and my faith so pure And all my paine A simple sight did not the same procure Nor did maint aine But sight of her and it was onely shee One of the fairest as euer I did see O Loue thou kilst so many without end For murdring is thy pastime and delight That once I hope thy selfe
soule The wise in ancient times a God thee nam'd Seeing that with thy power and supreme might Thou didst such rare and mighty woonders make For thee a hart is frozen and inflam'd A foole thou mak'st a wise man with thy light The coward turnes couragious for thy sake The mighty Gods did quake At thy commaund To birdes and beasts transformed Great monarches haue not scorned To yeeld vnto the force of beauties lure Such spoiles thou dost procure With thy braue force which neuer may be toulde With which sweete loue thou conqu'rest euery soule In other times obscurely I did liue But with a drowsie base and simple kinde Of life and onely to my profit bend me To thinke of loue my selfe I did not giue Or for good grace good partes and gentle minde Neuer did any Shepherdesse commend me But crowned now they send me A thousand garlands that I woon with praise In wrestling daies by daies In pitching of the bar with arme most strong And singing many a song After that thou didst honour and take hould Of me sweete loue and of my happy soule What greater ioy can any man desire Then to remaine a captiue vnto loue And haue his hart subiected to his power And though sometimes he taste a little sower By suffring it as milde as gentle doue Yet must he be in lieu of that great hire Whereto he doth aspire If louers liue afflicted and in paine Let them with cause complaine Of cruell fortune and of times abuse And let them not accuse Thee gentle loue That dost with blisse enfoulde Within thy sweetest ioies each louing soule Behold a faire sweete face and shining eies Resembling two most bright and twinkling stars Sending vnto the soule a perfect light Behold the rare perfections of those white And Iuorie hands from greefes most sure bars That minde wherein all life and glorie lies That ioy that neuer dies That he doth feele that loues and is beloued And my delights approoued To see her pleas'd whose loue maintaines me heere All those I count so deere That though sometimes Loue doth my toies controule Yet am I glad he dwels within my soule There was not one there amongst them all but tooke great delight in the Shepherds songs But Eugerius comming to giue his verdict praise and reward to him that had sung best could not so soone conclude of the matter he stept aside to Montanus to heare his opinion whose iudgement was that one had sung as well as another Then Eugerius turning to Syrenus and Arsileus said My opinion is cunning Shepherds that you are equall in the subiect of this contention and that if old Palemon were reuiued and made an indifferent iudge betweene you hee could not confesse I thinke any superioritie in your skill Thou art Syrenus worthie to beare away the cristall cup and thou Arsileus deseruest it as well so that I should offer you great wrong if I did not define who is conqueror and who is conquered To resolue my selfe therefore of this doubt with Montanus opinion I say that to thee Syrenus is allotted the Cristall cup and to thee Arsileus this Calcedonian cup of no lesse value which worthily thou hast wonne To both of you therefore I giue cups of like value both of them of account amongst Felicias treasure and by her bountifull hands bestowed on me The Shepherds were well pleased at the wife iudgement and rich rewardes of bountifull Eugerius to whom they gaue many thankes But Alcida by this occasion calling to minde her passed times said If the deceitfull errour wherewith I haue beene blinded so long had endured till now I would not then cōsent that Arsileus should be rewarded equally with Syrenus But since I am now free from it and wounded afresh with the loue of my betrothed Marcelius for the paine which I suffer for his absence I like well of that which Syrenus did sing and for the ioy and sweete delight which I expect I also commend Arsileus song But take heed carelesse Syrenus that these complaints which thou makest of Diana be not like to those wherewith I blamed Marcelius bicause thou maist not repent thee of thy hardnes of hart and disdaine as I haue done Syrenus smiled at this and said What greater blame may be laide vpon that Shepherdesse who after she had forsaken me married her selfe to a iealous peruerse and vnfortunate husband Then Alcida answered Vnfortunate indeed he hath beene enough since he cast his eies vpon me and bicause it comes fit to the purpose I will tell thee that which yesterday by reason of Felicias discourses and affaires with me I could not declare vnto thee when as we were talking about Dianas matters and to this end especially bicause thou mightest forget all iniuries past and shake off thy wrongfull obliuion when thou shalt vnderstand of the strange and vnluckie accident that by my contempt befell to miserable Delius I haue told thee before how I was talking and singing with Diana at the fountaine of the Sicamours and how iealous Delius came thither and sorrowfull Marcelius after him in a Shepherds habit at whose sight I was so grieued that I fled from him incōtinently into a wood that was hard by But when I came to the other side of the wood I heard a far off a voice that still cryed Alcida Oh Alcida stay stay which made me to thinke that Marcelius followed me and bicause I would not fall into his hands I ran as fast as I could away But by that which afterwards happened I knew that it was Delius husband to Diana that came running after me And bicause I had run a great way and began to be wearie I then went so easily that he followed me in sight I knew him and staied to know what he would haue not thinking once of him nor of the cause of his comming And when he was before me what by the faintnes of his running and by the anguish of his minde that troubled him he was not able to vtter one word At the last with rude and ill formed reasons he said that he was in loue with me praying me after his homely manner to loue him againe and many other things I know not what which shewed his little wit and simple behauiour To tell the very truth I laughed at him and the best I could endeuoured to comfort him and to make him forget his folly but it auailed nothing for the more I disswaded him from it the more foole he was In faith Shepherd I sweare vnto thee that I neuer knew man in my life so assotted with sudden loue But as I went on my waies and he following me at an inch we came to a village a mile distant from his towne and there when he perceiued my rigour that I had flatly denied him for verie griefe and anguish of minde he fell sicke He was lodged there by a Shepherd that knew him who as soone as morning came certified his mother of
serued in and most of them in plate of great value Dinner being done and returning to their former pleasures they made much sport and merriment with many feastes and pastimes which shall be set downe in the Booke following The end of the fourth Booke The fifth Booke of the third Part of Diana THese Louers were so well pleased with their happie estate euerie one seeing himselfe in his desired companie that they quite forgat their former troubles But wee that a farre off beholde and marke the paines and troubles that their contentment cost them the dangers that they were in and the mishaps and crosses that they had before they came to this happines must be well aduised and take good heed that we put not our selues into like inconueniences although our after reward and repose were more certaine then theirs and the rather being so vncertaine and doubtfull that for one that hath good happe a thousand there are whose long and painefull liues with desperate death haue beene rewarded But leauing this aside let vs entreate of those feastes and pastimes which were made in Felicias garden for ioy of the new espousals and obliuion of old iniuries and deceits although it is not possible to set them downe in particular Felicia at whose command all were obedient and in whose direction the whole order and substance of the feast consisted willed the Shepherds for their first pastime to dance togither to the tune of certaine songs that they themselues should sing And so sitting downe with Eugerius Polydorus Clenarda Marcelius Alcida Don Felix and Felismena she declared vnto the Shepherds her will and pleasure Then they all rose vp and Syrenus taking Diana by the hande Syluanus Seluagia Montanus Ismenia and Arsileus Belisa began to foote so braue and sweete a dance as anie that the fairest Driades and Napees with their yealowe haire like threedes of fine Arabian golde hanging loose and blowen abroad with the winde were euer wont to dance in the greene and pleasant forrestes There was no curteous contention amongst them who should begin to sing first For Syrenus who was the chiefest man in all that feast being somewhat ashamed of the small regard hee had of Diana till that time the thought whereof he also suspected was likewise a hinderance vnto him from iustly excusing himselfe resolued in song to tell Diana his minde which shame woulde not permit him to acquaint her with in familiar talke Therefore without any more adoo the rest answering him as it was decreed he sung as followeth I Should haue dide and neuer viewed thee Faire Shepherdesse vnwoorthily forgot Since that I durst presume to liue and bee Before thy sweetest sight and loue thee not A happy loue and fortune I should prooue Both which my paines and sorrowes should abate If by remembring of thy deerest loue I should forget the greefe of former hate For now the feare of death and leesing thee I feare will be my guerdon and my lot Since that I durst presume to liue and bee Before thy sweetest sight and loue thee not Diana was of a contrarie opinion For hauing satisfied her old obliuion and disdaine that she had of Syrenus with a renewed and entire loue of him againe and seeing herselfe sufficiently recompenced for her passed paines and greefes she had now no cause to lament the small care she had of him in times past but rather finding her hart filled with all content and ioy that she could wish and free from all paine by manifesting her gladnes and blaming Syrenus needlesse excuse she answered him with this song MY soule doth leape for ioy to haue My wished loue againe For there 's no other ioy to craue Nor greefe to giue me paine I doe not thinke of sorrowes past Our loue it may offend Of any present greefe to taste For hate that hath an end Reioice my soule such blisse to haue Since with so high a gaine There is no other ioy to craue Nor greefe to giue me paine While Diana was singing her song there came a most beautifull Shepherdesse to the fountaine but newly as it seemed come to Felicias Palace and being tolde that the Ladie was in the garden she came thither to see her and to talke with her Being come to the place where Felicia was she kneeling downe before her kissed her hands and said vnto her Pardon good Lady my boldnes for comming into this presence without leaue since the desire I had to see you and the neede which I haue of your skill and wisedome was so great that I was forced hereunto I bring with me my hart surcharged with greefe the remedie whereof is onely in your handes but it is so great that it requireth some fitter time occasion and place to tell it at large bicause it is against good manners to interrupt this merrie companie with matter of sorrow and greefe Melisea for so was this Shepherdesse called was yet on her knees before Felicia when she perceiued a Shepherd comming along in an Alley of the Orchard towards the fountaine and in seeing him saide This is an other greefe good Ladie so troublesome and painfull vnto me that for the deliuerie of the same also I haue no lesse neede of your gracious helpe and fauour By this time the Shepherd whose name was Narcisus came in presence of Felicia and of those Lordes and Ladies that were with her and making lowe obeisance he began to make a great complaint against the Shepherdesse Melisea that was present there saying that he suffered great torments for her sake and receiued not from her again one fauourable or gentle word Insomuch that in pursute of her loue and company to that place he had come very farre and she not suffred him so much as to declare his greefe to her cruell and disdainfull eares Felicia commanded Melisea to rise vp and cutting off their troublesome contentions saide It is not now time to harken to long and tedious complaints wherefore be content for this time Melisea and giue Narcisus thy hand and go both into that dance and for the rest wee will heereafter finde out a remedie at fitter time The Shepherdesse would not gain saie the Ladies command but hand in hand with Narcisus she went to dance with the other Shepherds And at this time happie Ismenia that was readie to sing shewing by her outward countenance signes of inward content which after so long sorrow she inioyed sung in this sort SVch ioy I feele doth in my soule surmount That now againe I thinke it nothing strange If that a pleasure of so great account Doth cost two thousand torments for exchange Rtill did I looke but still my comforts staied But when my soule did once enioy the same With their content and sweete delight I paied My staying and their tariance did not blame Let paines therefore within my soule surmount Sorrowes and plaints to me shall not be strange If for a pleasure of so great account They giue me
thousand torments in exchange All the while that Ismenia was singing and before and after she neuer cast her eies off her beloued Montanus But he who was somewhat ashamed of his fonde conceit wherein he had liued so long to the great griefe of his wife durst neuer looke on her but by stealth and at euerie turne of the daunce when she could not see him againe the reason whereof was bicause when sometimes he went about to looke her in the face he was so much confounded with shame of his folly that was yet so fresh in his memorie and was so much ouercome with the light of those two radiant eies of her which with great affection continually beheld him that he was forced to cast his downe to the ground Whereby seeing that he lost a great part of his delight by not looking on her whom he accounted his chiefest felicitie and making this the occasion and matter of the song he sung to his beloued Ismenia in manner following TVrne thy faire eies wherein my shame I see faire Shepherdesse aside For looking on me with the same To looke on thee I am denide With thy two sunnes so dost thou giue And cast me beames with pearcing eie That though by seeing thee I liue Yet when thou look'st on me I die Eies that are of such art and frame Thou must beware to keepe aside For looking on me with the same To looke on thee I am denide Like as the snowe vnto the sunne And as the marke vnto the fight As cloudes are with the windes vndone As waxe before the fires light So doe thy fairest eies with shame Confound me and my soule deuide For looking on me with the same To looke on thee I am denide Behold what mightie loue is bent To doe and fortune doth ordaine To make my sorrowes still augment By the sweete guerdon of my paine Thine eies doe feede my amorous flame And sight of them my life doth guide But if thou view'st me with the same To looke on thee I am denide Melisea who was all this while dauncing against her will with Narcisus whom she could not abide with a disdainfull song thought to be reuenged on this griefe and iust to the purpose of those paines and griefes wherewith the Shepherd said he died euerie daie for her sake making but a mocke and iest of them did sing thus YOng Shepherd turne aside moue Me not to follow thee For I will neither kill with loue Nor loue shall not kill mee Since I will liue and neuer fauour showe Then die not for my loue I will not giue For I will neuer haue thee loue me so As I doe meane to hate thee while I liue That since the louer so doth proue His death as thou dost see Be bold I will not kill with loue Nor loue shall not kill mee Narcisus tooke no meane griefe to heare the cruell song of his deerest Loue but encouraging himselfe with the hope that Felicia had giuen him and forced by the constancie and fortitude of his enamoured hart he answered her with two staues which he adioyned to a certaine old song that said thus IF to belou'd it thee offends I cannot choose but loue thee still And so thy greefe shall haue no end Whiles that my life maintaines my will O let me yet with greefe complaine Since such a torment I endure Or else fulfill thy great disdaine To end my life with death most sure For as no credit thou wilt lend And as my loue offendes thee still So shall thy sorrowes haue no end Whiles that my life maintaines my will If that by knowing thee I could Leaue of to loue thee as I doe Not to offend thee then I would Leaue of to like and loue thee too But since all loue to thee doth tend And I of force must loue thee still Thy greefe shall neuer haue an end Whiles that my life maintaines my will Melisea was so hardened in her crueltie that Narcisus hauing scarce ended the last words of his song and before another did sing she replied in this manner ME thinks thou tak'st the woorser way Enamoured Shepherd and in vaine That thou wilt seeke thine owne decay To loue her that doth thee disdaine For thine owne selfe thy wofull hart Keepe still else art thou much to blame For she to whom thou gau'st each part Of it disdaines to take the same Follow not her that makes a play And iest of all thy greefe and paines And seeke not Shepherd thy decay To loue her that thy loue disdaines Narcisus could not suffer Meliseas song to passe without an answer and so with a milde grace he sung these new verses vpon an old song that said SInce thou to me wert so vnkinde My selfe I neuer loued For I could not loue him in my minde Whom thou faire Mistresse dost abhor If viewing thee I saw thee not And seeing thee I could not loue thee Dying I should not liue God wot Nor liuing should to anger moue thee But it is well that I doe finde My life so full of torments For All kinde of ills doe fit his minde Whom thou faire Mistresse dost abhor In thy obliuion buried now My death I haue before mine eies And heere to hate my selfe I vow As cruell thou dost me despise Contented euer thou didst finde Me with thy scornes though neuer for To say the truth I ioyed in minde After thou didst my loue abhor The contention betweene Narcisus and Melisea delighted them all so much that the generall reioycing of that feast had beene greatly augmented by it had it not bin diminished with the manifest apparance of the rigor that she shewed Narcisus and with the pitie that they had of those paines which he suffered for hir sake After Narcisus had made an ende of his song all of them turned their eies to Melisea thinking she would haue replyed againe But she held her peace not bicause she wanted nipping and cruell songs to encounter and vexe the miserable Louer with nor will to reply but bicause she would not be troublesome to all that merie companie Seluagia and Belisa were afterwards requested to sing who excused themselues by alleaging their in sufficiencie Nay that were not well said Diana that you should goe from the feast without paying your shot And this must not so smoothly passe away said Felismena without the consent of vs all heere who meane to participate the sweete delight of so delicate voices as yours are We will not be slacke said they againe to do you anie seruice little though it be in this solemnitie but pardon our singing I pray you for in all other things we will be willing to do our endeuours I will not for my part giue my consent saide Alcida to exempt you from singing or at the least that some others shall sing for you Who can better do it said they then Syluanus and Arsileus our husbands The Shepherdesses say well said Marcelius and it
sonne Polydorus bicause they would not be depriued of that merrie song which they expected at Belisas handes said vnto her The praise faire Shepherdesse and defence of women is iustly due vnto them and no lesse delightfull to vs to heare it with thy delicate voice repeated It pleaseth me well said Belisa if it like you for there are many sharpe and stinging inuectiues if I could remember all the verses in it but yet I will begin to recite them bicause I hope that in singing them one will reduce another to my minde Then Arsileus seeing that Belisa was preparing herselfe to sing began to tune his Rebecke at the sound whereof she sung the song that she heard Florisia in times past sing which was this Florisias Song FLie storming verse out of my raging brest With furious anger malice and despite Indigned spirits once at my request Powre foorth your wrath and pen prepare to write With scornefull stinging and inuectiue stile Against a people brutish base and vile Avile peruerse and monstrous kinde of men Who make it but their pastime and their game With bar barous mouth and with vnciuill pen To slaunder those who lest deserue the same Women Imeane a work manship diuine Angels in shape and Goddesses in minde Thou wicked man that dost presume too hie Of thy perfections but without desart False man I say accustomed to lie What euill canst thou thinke within thy hart Or speake of her whose goodnes more or lesse Doth fill the world so full of happinesse But onely this that woman was the cause Though not alone of one exceeding ill In bringing foorth constrained by natures lawes A man whose mischiefes all the world doth fill Who after that he is conceiu'd and borne Against his mother proudly liftes his horne Whom if she had not borne poore silly dame With fewer greefes her life she might haue lead For then he should not slaunder thus her name And such a crowe she should not then haue bred That being hatch'd her dam would thus despise And daily labour to plucke out her eies What man in all the world did euer knowe Although the tendrest father he had beene Those cares and greefes that sorrow and that woe Which wiues haue for their husbands felt and seene And how the louing mother for her sonne With sorrow hath beene oftentimes vndone Behold with what affection and what ioy What gentlenes and what intensiue loue The mother dothintreate her little boy Which after doth a Traitour to her prooue Requiting ill her paines and loue so kinde With powring sorrowes still into her minde What iealous feares what fearefull iealousies Doe haunt the mother for her cruell sonne What paine when that in any paine he lies What greefe when that with greefe he is vndone What perfect gladnes and what sweete content When that he is to any goodnes bent Alas how pensiue and how sad they ar If that their husbands suffer any paine What sorrow when they trauell somewhat far What moane when that they come not soone againe A thousand greefes to heare their losse of wealth Ten thousand deathes to heare their want of health But men that are so full of false deceate Our daily sorrowes neuer doe requite Or thinke of them though they be neuer so great But rather such their malice and despite Is that our louing cares both great and small Vniust suspects and iealousies doe call The cause of which surmise is onely this That as these wicked and detested men Of custome are enclined to stray amisse And in false loue their wits and wealth to spend Do thinke it now a burden to their liues To be belou'd so truely of their wiues Then since in louing them we euer finde Our selues a payde with hatefull scorne and blame I thinke it best for easing of our minde Quite to forget their nature sexe and name Or else to leaue our ioies in looking on them Or if we looke not once to thinke vpon them But yet it is a pretie iest to see Some kind of men whose madnes is so great That if the woman will not wholly bee At their desires then in a franticke heat They call her Tygresse cruell and vnkinde And trasteresse vnto a louing minde Then shalt thou see these men vnseemely call The modest women whom they would haue naught Coy and disdainfull to conuerse withall And her that 's chaste vnmanner'd and vntaught Those that be wise and sober full of pride And cruell those whose honesties are tride I would to God that those dishonored names Did fit them all as well as all the rest Then none of them should bide so many shames Nor be deceiu'd by men that loue them lest For being cruell proude and rusticall They would not loue nay could not loue at all For if the thing which they so faine would haue By any meanes they cannot once obtaine Then do they wish for death or for their graue But yet the same no sooner they attaine But make it but a sport and merie game And straight forget that ere they lou'd the same They faine themselues most sorrowfull and sad And wearied with a long and painfull life They still do tell the paines that they haue had And other lyes which are with them so rise They call themselues vnhappie poore and blinde Confounded slaues yet all but words of winde O how they can make Oceans of their eies And terme their flames their torments and their paines And breath out sighes like vapours in the skies And belch out sobs like Aetnas burning vaines In many things the greatnes of their minde They shew contemning base and doubtfull feare As those whose tender loue hath beene so kinde Vnto their husbands when they liuing were That all their moanes and sorrowes for their death They ended soone by stopping of their breath And if for vertue and his chaste intent Hippolytus deserued any praise On th' other side behold that excellent And noble Roman Matrone in her daies With stabbing dagger giuing vp the ghost I meane faire Lucrece for her honour lost It was no doubt great valour in the youth As neuer like hath beene in all the rest Who vowing to his father faith and truth Deni'd his stepdames foule and fond request All which admit Hippolytus is but one But thousands of Lucrecias haue beene knowne Giftes haue we more our beauties set aside For in good letters famous haue we bin And now to prooue our iudgements often tride And sharpnes of our finest wits therein Let Sappho and Corynna well suffice Who when they liu'd for learning got the prise And learned men doetherefore banish vs Their schooles and places where they do dispute For feare if we should argue and discusse With praise we should their arguments confute Too proud therefore they would not by their will That women should excell them in their skill And if some authors scorned in their loues Haue written ill of women in their hate Not this our credits any whit
cause that I loued him well whose sight I euer enioyed before mine eies But Syluanus turning his eies to her saide This debt I shoulde with great reason my life requite if it were such a thing that might with life bee paied which God grant thee saide Seluagia since without the same mine shoulde be woorse then a continuall death Syrenus seeing the amorous words on both sides with a smiling countenance saide vnto them It is well that euery one can so well acquite himselfe for his good turne done him that the one will neither be in debt nor the other haue any indebted to him and yet in mine owne opinion it is better that you reioyce so much and so louingly entreate of your amorous affections my selfe not being a thirde in them With these and other speeches the newe Louers and carelesse Syrenus passed away the time and length of the way which they made an end of about sunne set And before they came to the fountaine of the Sicamours they heard a voice of a Shepherdesse sweetely singing whom they knew by and by for Syluanus hearing her saide vnto them This is Diana doubtlesse that singes at the fountaine of the Sicamours It is she indeede said Seluagia Let vs go behinde these Myrtle trees neere vnto her bicause we may heare her the better Agreed saide Syrenus although the time hath beene when her musicke and sight delighted me more then now But all three going into the thicket of Myrtle trees and bicause it was about the going down of the Sunne they sawe faire Diana neere to the fountaine shining with such surpassing beautie that they stoode as men that had neuer seene her before amazed and in a woonder Her haire hung downe loose from her head behinde and gathered vp with a carnation stringe which parted them in the middes her eies were fixed on the ground and somtimes looking into the cleere fountaine and wiping away some teares that nowe and then trickled downe her beautifull cheekes she sung this Dittie WHen that I poore soule was borne I was borne vnfortunate Presently the Fates had sworne To foretell my haplesse state Titan his faire beames did hide Phoebe ' clips'd her siluer light In my birth my mother dide Yong and faire in heauie plight And the nurse that gaue me sucke Haplesse was in all her life And I neuer had good lucke Being maide or married wife I lou'd well and was belou'd And forgetting was forgot This a haplesse marriage mou'd Greeuing that it kils me not With the earth would I were wed Then in such a graue of woes Daily to be buried Which no end nor number knowes Yong my father married me Forc't by my obedience Syrenus thy faith and thee I forgot without offence Which contempt I pay so far Neuer like was paide so much Iealousies doe make me war But without a cause of such I doe goe with iealous eies To my foldes and to my sheepe And with iealousie I rise When the day begins to peepe At his table I doe eate In his bed with him I lie But I take no rest nor meate Without cruell iealousie If I aske him what he ailes And whereof he iealous is In his answere then he failes Nothing can he say to this In his face there is no cheere But he euer hangs the head In each corner he doth peere And his speech is sad and dead Ill the poore soule liues ywisse That so hardly married is The time was once when Dianas teares and dolefull song and the sorrow that by her sadde lookes she expressed might haue so much mooued Syrenus hart as put the Shepherdes life in such danger that all other remedies but onely proceeding from the same had beene impossible to haue helpt it whose eies and hart since now they were deliuered out of that dangerous prison tooke no delight to beholde Diana nor greeued at her sorrowfull lamentations And the Shepherd Syluanus had lesse cause in his minde to be condolent for any greefe that Diana had considering she neuer had the smallest regard of the greatest woes which he passed for her sake Onely Seluagia helped her with her teares fearefull by the fall of her ioy of her own fortune whereupon she said to Syrenus There is no perfection beautie nor fauour in natures gift which she hath not liberally bestowed on Diana bicause her beautie is peerelesse her wit and discretion admired her good graces excellent and all other her commendable parts which a Shepherdesse should haue not to be seconded since in the lest of them that made her such a woonder in our age there was neuer any yet that excelled her Onlie one thing she wanted which I euer suspected and feared and this was her good Fortune which woulde neuer accompanie her to haue made her liue a contented and ioyfull life which to speake the truth she euer well deserued She that so vniustly hath taken it from so many saide Syrenus by great reason should not enioy such a happie estate which I speake not that I am not sorrie to see this Shepherdesse so sorrowful but for the great reason I haue not to wish her any content at all Saie not so said Seluagia for I cannot thinke that Diana hath offended thee in any thing What offence did she by marrying compelled thereunto by the constraint of her parents and kinsfolkes and not by her owne will And after she was married what could she do hauing due regarde to her honor and honestie but forget thee Truly Syrenus thou shouldest haue greater cause to complaine of Diana then I haue heard thee hitherto alledge In truth Syrenus saide Syluanus Seluagia hath so great reason for that she saith that none can well disprooue it And if there be any that of ingratitude can iustly accuse her it is I who loued her more then my selfe she requiting it so ill againe and with such cruell contempt as thou knowest well enough Seluagia casting an amorous eie vpon him saide But thou didst not deserue my beloued Shepherd to be so ill entreated since there is no Shepherdesse in the worlde that may not thinke her-selfe blest to enioy thy happy loue About this time Diana perceiued that their talke was of her for the Shepherds were so loude that she might heare them very well Wherfore rising vp and looking among the Myrtle trees she knew the Shepherdes and the Shepherdesse that was sitting betweene them Who perceiuing that she had espied them came to her and curteously saluted her and she them againe with a good grace and countenance asking them where they had beene so long a time Whom they answered with another kinde of wordes and countenance then they were wont to do which seemed so strange to Diana that though she tooke no care for any of their loues yet in the end it greeued her to see them so much altered from that they were wont to be and especially when she perceiued what great ioy Syluanus tooke in beholding faire Seluagia And
preordinate course from the Gods which we cannot attaine to saide she in bare conceite considering that they for the most part giue to those whom they loue wished ease and content when they thinke themselues farthest from it These and many other things did she discourse with him But the vnknown Shepherd that staied in the companie of Lord Felix Felismena the Nymphes and the Shepherdes Felicia being gone began thus to saie TOuching the first thing you demaund of me noble Lord and the rest to tell you who I am I know not how to resolue you therin for that not many yeeres since I knew these parts my parents not being those whom I tooke them to be and with desire to know who they were I came with a certaine friend of mine the halfe part of mine owne soule out of our supposed owne countrey The Gods made him and me not onely in body face and condition but in fortune and maner of life so like that it might be said they gaue vs two soules for one bodie or two bodies for one soule and so he knoweth no more nor lesse then my selfe who his father or mother is We beleeued we were brethren but that in distinct places with different persons we were brought vp I with a yoong and courteous Shepherd he with an old and reuerend Shepherdesse I who am called Delicius was brought vp in a little village in Tinacria in the corner called Pachinus and in the house of a Shepherd called Carpostus my friend whose name is Parthenius in another village in the second corner of one of the three which that Iland hath called Pelorus in the house of another Shepherd called Sarcordus From this base estate fortune lifted vs vp on high wherein we liued a while but bicause you may heare the braue and strange meanes whereby our good or ill hap did guide vs to it I will now tell it you wherein I must aduise you to carrie the names of my deere friend and mine in memorie as also of our nurses if you will delight you with the rare accident It happend that Carpostus my nune I being then but three yeeres old went about certaine busines to the place where my Parthenius was nursed who seeing him play with other children in the street stood halfe amazed thinking it was I so like were we to one another and that from out some Cannon I had beene shot into that place but yet he maruelled more when the child after he was come to him had kissed him against his will with his weake forces endeuored to winde himselfe from him At the crie that Parthenius gaue his nurse came out and with sharpe wordes blamed Carpostus who not so patiently endured her but that he had offered had it not beene for some of the townesmen which came running out at that noyse to haue rudely intreated her But he still affirmed obstinately that it was his child and made such adoe about it that of all of them there he was reputed for a man out of his wits In the end Carpostus held his peace seeing it was no point of wisedome to be opposite against the whole towne who affirmed with one voice that it was the child of that woman and seeing moreouer that the child ranne away from him which more perswaded him to the contrarie of that which he thought in his minde he was content to be quiet But the more he viewed the childes face handes qualities gesture age and stature the more he found himselfe incredulous And so much that he could not otherwise thinke but that the woman had bewitched them al or that he was surely in a dream To be briefe he returned as soone as he could to his owne towne in great feare and doubt not to haue found me there But the ioy that he conceiued in seeing me when he came home and with what a glad countenance I ranne vnto him as I was wont to doe made no lesse alteration in his minde the which my nurse Carpostus perceiuing with a moderate laughter said vnto me It is not long since my childe thou didst denie me for children sons our nurses called vs requested by them so to do that did first put vs to them to be brought vp And comming to his wife he asked her if I had beene at any time from home since his departure who answered no but some little while when I went to play with other children abroad But why said she Carpostus then told her all that had happened at which strange noueltie she wondred not a little and more when he told her of the great resemblance of vs both And who would indeed haue laughed hartily at the deceite but that her husband grew verie pensiue and sad which she considering well with her selfe asked him if any other thing had happened vnto him or what the matter was for if it were no more but that he might haue greater cause to be glad she said then sorrie Carpostus answered that he had made so great adoe in the towne affirming it was his childe that they might iustly iudge him for a sencelesse and drunken foole After my nurse Calasta for so she was called who was euer accounted suttle and wise had thought a little vpon the matter she resolued vpon this which you shall now heare And thus it was My nurse Carpostus and his wife carried me closely bicause I might not beé seene to the towne where Parthenius was brought vp where being verie priuately kept and Calasta tarying with me secretly at the Inne Carpostus went againe to seeke out little Parthenius and hauing founde him beganne to wrangle as before affirming still it was his sonne and that hee woulde prooue it before the best in the towne or anie Iustice else when as most of the townes-men that had flocked togither to see his madnes the other time before were laughing againe at his headlesse folly that nowe yet another time hee stoode stiffely in his former errour who neuerthelesse tooke away the childe Parthenius and for all that they could do to the contrarie running as fast as euer he could caried him home to the Inne It was woorthie the sight to see how he caried the childe that cried out amaine and how the people ranne after him fearing least like a frantike man he would haue done it some harme The bruite whereof being spred abroad Sarcordus nurse vnto Parthenius ranne vp and downe in a great heate to seeke Carpostus out fearing least some harme might befall to his little childe And hauing quickly found him in talke with other people in the street for by this time he had left the childe priuily with Calasta and me he woulde faine haue had a blowe or two with him but that the dissuasions of his neighbours staied his vnbrideled furie as also for the gentle and milde words that Carpostus gaue him who knowing him to be his father father he called him for he knew him for none other saide thus vnto him
me And as for the rest I promise thee to seeke out my father and thy mother with all diligence carying so good tokens with me as I doe of them both Within a yeere if the Gods spare me life and health I will returne and visit thee with report of that which I haue done and hath befallen vnto me I pray thee once againe not to depart from hence For if thou thinkest to seeke me perhaps thou shalt leese me bicause comming backe againe I shall not knowe where thou art The Sheepehooke thou shalt finde at the foote of this Elme hidden vnder the sandes The Gods remaine with thee and accompany me But Crimine and I knowing that Parthenius was to goe that day away went in the morning betimes to take our leaues of him or to say more truly for Crimine to intreate him in my behalfe for she had some suspition of me that I was affected to him who meant not to absent himselfe but that since they could not be there both together for the causes abouesaid one of them should goe to some neere place thereabouts and come thither by turnes the one going and the other comming in course and that thus by the absence of either Gorphorost might be deceiued by the Sheepehooke But when we were now come before Parthenius and sawe him all alone we asked him for Delicius who tolde vs that he was gone to Gorphorost to learne to keepe him companie after he was gone Which when Crimine heard without tarying any longer she went to attend her new loue where she knew Parthenius was accustomed to goe who taried with me walking vp and downe in a little greene meadow within the forrest Crimine comming to the Elme sawe what Delicius had grauen so lightly in it and reading it not able to endure any longer with patience she began to weepe and crie out alowde accursing her misfortune and as she determined to follow him she first thought good to tell Parthenius of it But going to take out the Sheepehooke Gorphorost from a high hill espied Parthenius and me and how all alone hand in hand we walked vp and downe and seeing him without the Sheepehooke thought surely it was Delicius Whereupon he began to crie out alowd and with such furie as he made the earth to shake saying Now haue I espied thee wicked Impe which I will make thy last sight and delight and then with an incredible swiftnes he came downe from thence and in an instant passed ouer the riuer I being fearefull with the terrible voice and warned of the Nymphes watchword got me to the riuer Parthenius fearing more the harme that might haue befallen to his friend then his owne danger staied for him without flying away which though he would haue done he could not bicause Gorphorost was so neere Crimine hearing the furious voice of Gorphorost suspecting what might happen like a wise woman for surely she is no lesse came running to the place where she had left vs to warne Gorphorost in time that it was his friend Parthenius least being deceiued he might haue done him some harme And beleeue me Gentlemen with her mastered wisedome she restored to vs all our liues So that she came to Parthenius for I was now gone and stept before Gorphorost saying Stay Gorphorost and behold him well for this is Parthenius and bicause thou maist thinke it is true behold heere the Sheepehooke which thou didst giue him for she had taken it out of the place where Delicius had hidden it Whereupon being somewhat pacified although not wholly pleased bicause he saw vs walke hand in hand and not assured who he was he tooke him saying to Crimine I will be better aduised who he is and accordingly will do with him what it pleaseth me And saying thus he tooke vp Parthenius vnder his arme and ranne away with him as fast as he could Parthenius durst not aske Crimine for Delicius although he saw the Sheep-hooke which he carried away with him that morning bicause he thought he was with Gorphorost For if he asked for him he had then giuen him to vnderstand that he was Parthenius So that he would haue rather suffered saying he was Delicius then not least any harm might haue happened to Delicius by confessing himselfe to be Parthenius With this incertainty Gorphorost cast him into a darke caue to the mouth whereof he rouled a great peece of a rocke insteed of a doore as afterwards we knew it Crimine with that content and sorrow as you may imagine knowing Delicius was gone and seeing Parthenius carried away in that sort came to our mansions to bring me newes of what had passed and to tell me what she had resolued to do When she came into our withdrawing chamber she found me almost breathles for I was reuoluing in my thoughts what had happened to me concerning both my loues When I saw her I rose vp from my bed where I had laid me downe and going towards her my breast bathed in teares and my haire torne with my handes I cast mine armes about her necke not able to speake a word but gaue a sorrowfull sigh which I fetcht out from the profoundest part of my amorous soule Crimine with a little more force then I had holding fast by me as well as she could came to the bed and there fell downe with me vpon it where we lay a good while without speaking or moouing We were not seene in these trances of the other Nymphes bicause they were most of them gone to solace themselues along the riuer banks After a little time therefore as I began againe to rent my clothes that couered my breast marking my tender flesh with my hard nailes Crimine awaked as it were out of a dreame helde my pitilesse or rather more pitifull hands To whom at last I said Let my hands alone Crimine for they do no more then they are bound to do For thinking perhaps to be pitifull be not in lieu thereof so cruell vnto me Let them pull out my hart to be openly knowen for that hitherto it hath beene euer secret O Stela O Parthenius O Delicius Hearken to me said Crimine if thou wilt haue me lighten thy greefes and augment mine owne passion Parthenius is safe by my meanes and Delicius lost for thy sake Dost thou affirme that to be true said I. Is Delicius dead Lost I haue said not dead said Crimine for what dost thou call lost saide I To me answered she for thy sake bicause to leaue Parthenius to thee he hath taken that iourney in hand which Parthenius was about to do to seeke out his parents Then somewhat appeased I asked her farther how she knew it which she told me in order as it was affirming afterwards how she had resolued to follow Delicius Hast thou such courage said I as that thou darest alone take vpon thee such a dangerous iourney I will not goe alone said she for loue shall accompanie
me which is afraide of nothing Being stung with the pricke of iealousie and not able to suffer that she should goe alone with one whom I loued more then my selfe I said Since thou hast so good a defence with thee I will also accompany thee But let vs first I beseech thee endeuour to know what is become of Parthenius for if he be dead I will not liue nor come before Delicius with such vnfortunate newes being assured that whosoeuer shall first aduertise him thereof shall giue him no lesse then death Whom we should rather informe as soone as might be if he were prisoner to seeke out some meanes to deliuer him from thence which counsell we thought was the best We remained therefore in this determination and such was our good hap that walking the second day vp and downe the riuer bankes at the narrowest place of it there came a strong and lustie Shepherdesse with a sling in her hand and being right ouer against vs did fling ouer to our side a certaine thing like a round ball and then running away as fast as shee could got her into the Iland before her We not coniecturing what that might meane and desirous to know what it was went to take it vp that ran trendling in the meadow before vs. When we had it into our hands we saw it was a peece of linnen tyed vp fast togither and within it a round stone which we thought was put in least with the lightnes of the linnen it had fallen into the riuer This peece of linnen was written all ouer and I thinke with the iuice of Mulberies for it seemed he wanted inke and paper looking vpon the letter we knew it to be the hande of Parthenius wherby he willed vs to be of good comfort told vs the order of his imprisonment and how by the tokens which he gaue Gorphorost he was now sufficiently resolued that he was not Delicius and that he vsed him verie well but would nor dimisse him bicause he kept him for a baite for Delicius knowing that it might auaile him for the great friendship that was betweene them and also bicause if he did let him goe he might take Delicius if afterwards he met him for Parthenius of whom he might not be deceiued if he kept him still in his caue And therefore because Delicius might not come in sight by any meanes said that he would take some order himselfe for his owne deliuerie With these doubtfull newes and happie aduenture we went to seeke out Delicius And truely if we had not carryed that peece of linnen cloth written by Parthenius owne hand to him the griefe of the imprisonment of his deere brother had made an end of him by reason of the great sorrow that he felt thereof as yet he doth as you daily see Behold heere therefore Gentlemen what you desired to know of the Shepherd and vs and for what cause we go vp and downe in his company And the reason why my father woulde haue killed him I suspect to be this That the Nymphes our fellowes seeing vs all fower waiting at one time tolde him perhaps that the Shepherds had carried vs away with them So that we founde out this yoong Shepherd with whom we go and the infinite troubles that we haue suffered and must still endure vntill we see Parthenius so well beloued of vs all three Wherefore I pray you do me this fauour to request no more of me at this time nor howe we founde him out vntill with more ioy we be altogither if our misfortunes shall haue an ende as sage Felicia hath promised vs for now you see what content one takes in recounting of aduersities that are gone and past when she is free from them and contrarie what greefe when we still suffer them Of purpose saide Felismena wee tooke fit time for our discourses bicause we might haue had opportunitie to know all But bicause thy will is to the contrarie wee will not gainsay it to satisfie our owne Whereupon with this that Stela told them they knewe what great reason Delicius Stela and Crimine had to be sorrowfull who were partly no lesse for pittie of these fower vnfortunate louers The night being come they went in and after they had supped they went all to take their rest they at the least that were capable of it The end of the fifth booke The sixth Booke of the second Part of Diana of George of Montemayor ALl that companie comming foorth except Felicta and Parisiles with some Nymphes that tarried still praying in the Temple in a cleere morning the day was but a little spent when the aire changed on a sudden with such thunders and stormie tempestes that what with feare of the lightning and with the water that seemed to threaten them they were nowe going in againe when they heard a Shepherd singing a farre off and who they thought was comming towards them And hearing him they saide It seems he cares but litle for the iniury of the weather They all agreed to stay for him who not tarrying long from comming out of the wood where his way lay seeing so many togither maruelled much and left of his singing But they woondred more when he came nigh them to behold his strange kind of habit For he had on the skin of a beast called Hiena tied about his middle with a great wreath of leaues like to Bryony or the white vine which runs winding about the bodies of trees like a snake On his head he ware a Laurell crowne in his hand in steed of his sheepehook he caried a great bough of a figge tree All which when they had well marked they said vnto him Tell vs iolly Shepherd is this thy common wearing No said he but as I nowe vse to weare this or some such like as the qualitie of the time shall counsell me arming my selfe euer against the iniuries of it And therefore I clad me thus as at this present you see me bicause I would not be smitten with the furious lightning not thūderclap which the vertue of any one of these doth maruellously resist manie other things that came not so soone to my hands We are glad to know it saide they but bicause the rigour of this day warnes vs to put our selues vnder couert do vs this pleasure Shepherd to come in with vs here to Dianas temple The good report fame of this house your noble company shal carie me in although in such a time as this by the aduise of a cunning and expert Shepherd that dwels amongst vs it is not safe to be in statelie and high buildings Why so saide Lord Felix Bicause he saide answered the Shepherd that the thunderclap as it comes not right down but circularwise encounters with that which is highest therfore alights for the most part on high places as vpon towers castles Whereas on the contrarie if there be any in the field vnlesse it smite