the rest of the whole Iland yet did the Royall House as farre againe surpasse that way all the Families of that Kingdome as the condition of a Subject is exceeded by one who borne to superiority beares the Royall thereof which are titles and Crownes The elder they waxed in yeares the more grew they though borne all of one and the same body and sprung all from one and the same seede to differ in qualities affections and inclinations to falsifie the common tenent that arguments of the body can determine any ones wit and disposition vertues and vices being here individually devided insomuch as looke what portion of good was owned by some of them even so much possessed the others of evill and because there was a disparity in the number badnesse would without any nay seize on the greater part so as two of them being wholly inclined to vertue the other three gave themselves altogether over to all lewdnesse and dishonest abominations The bringing up of them was in every respect equall or if otherwise yet but so much unequall or different as was due to the difference of the disequality of the sexes since for the rest as time direction and yeares the one enjoyed not any priviledge more than the other Their vertuous Father thinking it unfitting to bee partiall in the breeding of his children sithence Nature had given them him without partialitie in bringing them into the world The last borne among the males was call'd Feredo the very same you in a Druid's habit saw with me erewhiles of the other two the first-borne was named Edmondo the other Galfrido Scarce was Feredo full eighteene yeares of age when Gelinda his eldest sister fell in love with him whilst Edmondo and Galfrido blinded with the like affection doted on their younger sister named Adeligia Full glad was the King to see his children so loving each to other whilst hee good man was farre mistaken for conceiving himselfe blessed in that which made him afterwards an example of misery to all Fathers Gelinda nourished her fire so covertly that none could perceive it nor durst shee indeede discover it to her brother whose integrity which was a naturall inclination to goodnesse curb'd if not terrified her besides her owne conscience accusing her of the deformity of her love â—â—ine would shee have shaken it off when it shewing her the sweets of its delights ever also multiplied by imagination deprived her of the sight of her internall lights no servant had Feredo more diligent about him than was his sister for were he disposed to exercise himselfe in any feates of Chivalry his officious sister not trusting his Squires would with her owne hands arme him if arm'd hee hapned to be before shee forsooth must goe â—â—ite him and if disarmed 't was shee that rub'd and dri'd him were he 〈…〉 ride a hunting shee would never leave him but be his perpetuall companion no Roe-buck nor Grey-hound was to be found that for velocity surpassed her or her swift Courser no precipice could stop her careere If descending shee were shee seemed to precipitate if running to flee In affronting wilde beasts shee alwayes prevented him though then ever with a panting heart too for being still jealous and fearefull of her owne in anothers life In fine shee so behaved her selfe that Feredo had beene stupid if he had not perceived the occasion of all these curtesies instructed therein no more now by a vulgar prudence but by the love of the other two brothers towards Adeligia for which hee abhorring them abhorred also Gelinda for the selfe same regard conceiting with himselfe that the very thought of an affection so abominable was able to attaint him with guiltinesse For the first remedy hee determined to shunne her society without taking on him to conceive her designes so as hee continued to ride a hunting but without her company whereat when he saw her grieve he excused himself with displaying before her the inconvenience that time had laid before his consideration how that a Princesse ambuscadoed betweene hunters and savage beasts incurr'd continually manifest hazard of her life beseeching her therefore to stay at home or if shee would needs goe he wish'd it might be when her mother and sister went This so over-chary circumspection pleased not well Gelinda especially when shee once penetrated into the cause thereof And hee on the other side seeing that obstinate courtesie is wont to argue discourteously in who-so denies to accept it knew not how to disenvelop himselfe otherwise than by the hope he had of weaning her from it by litle litle without discontenting her The other Brothers in the meane while hotly sollicited Adeligia whose shunning them could not serve her turne Edmundo the elder and bolder of the two had the audacity to expresse himselfe unto her one day in these speeches I know not wherefore I affecting you Adeligia farre more than a sister you love not mee somewhat more than a brother Whereto shee answered My Lord if I lov'd not you I should surely hate my selfe yet if in loving you I surpassed the limits of a sisters love I should then neither love my selfe nor you but were worthy of both your hatred and scorne The Prince could as then make her no reply for his sister favoured with the occasion of her mothers comming who the very same instant entred into the chamber was rid of him for that time though it steeded her not much sithence hee still made use of any opportunity of meeting her but much lesse Galfrido for being the occasion of depriving him of the meanes of ever speaking to her any more A resolution irkesome and heavy to one but mortall to the other two for the Brothers gone one day out on hunting and in chasing the Hart happening to be severed a good distance off the rest the Prince made a stand that Galfrido might passe before him and then suddenly running him with his sword through and through bare him sheere off his saddle alighted that hee was off his horse to dispatch him hee might perceive him starke dead before Return'd home alone the Father who some dayes before had observed both the misaffections and disaffections of his sonnes ranne with his imagination to the very truth and giving thereupon order to some few but trusty Gentlemen to goe in search after him he was the selfe same night found out and carried into his chamber I will not take on me the taske of expressing his heavinesse because the tongue is not a pensill to pourtray the griefe of a Father to whom the death of one sonne may give just occasion of becomming cruell against the other Having therefore called before him the Prince he shewed him the corps with asking him if he had slaine him but seeing him deny it in away that argued somewhat of guiltinesse he said unto him he that makes no scruple to murther a Brother will surely make no great conscience to tell a lye the blood that at thy appearing
so farre from being a fault that hee was not held for a gentle spirit that did not both honour and in a manner adore him Corrianna then casting both her eyes and heart I know not whether more upon the comely and well-featured personage or sweete disposition and other excelling qualities of Lucano grew to be so affectionate both to the one and the other that her becomming blinde thereat so dimm'd his eyes that they stumbled or rather tumbled downe both together over the precipice of inconsiderate resolution into the bottomlesse gulfe of despairing miserie The King her Father had solemnly promised her to the King of Sicily for the Prince his Sonne and shee very readily had assented thereunto for being at that time a free woman shee wholly rendred her selfe obedient to the disposition of her parents But after that love the infringer of wholsome lawes and destroyer of good orders had violated her modesty and corrupted her minde shee then gave liberty to her licentious will which afterwards occasioned his fatall end and her utter ruine The Princes Lords of that Kingdome are for the most part used to resort to the Court but few moneths in the yeare for it being their humour to make a glorious shew the great expences they make therein doe so farre exceede their abilities that for not being able to maintaine themselves there any long time in their accustomed pompe they are constrained for feare of their utter undoing to retire themselves to their owne home and meanes The Father of Lucano by thus over-running his courses left at his death his estate so incumbred as it was judged a happinesse that hee died although for other occasions hee was well worthy of life and his Mother being his guardian assigning an honourable allowance towards her house-keeping and towards the maintenance and nobly breeding up of her sonne who at that time passed not nine yeares of age imployed the residue towards the discharging of debts so that at his going out of his minority hee was so rich that without prejudice to his estate he could liberally spend conformable to the unbounded greathesse of his minde and eminent degree of his nobility This was the reason that Lucano never frequented the Court but in his Fathers time when he was very young making his abode during the residue of his blooming yeares in forraine countries it being discreetly considered of his prudent mother that ones naturall climate and aire how temperate and pure soever is subject to the imperfection of being uncapable of it selfe to make any man compleate studie and instruction being of themselves dead things without Travell and Experience the onely meanes to pollish the rudenesse and imbellish the deformity both of mindes and manners At the publishing of these nuptials the Court was enriched with Princes Lords and Knights and pompously adorned with magnificent and glorious shewes in so much as Parthenope though alwayes gentile seemed now exeedingly to exceed her selfe so as such as beheld her wondred what wit could invent or purse minister and supply the excellencie and abundance of the Artifice and stately curiosities that were there seene The wals seen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such 〈…〉 expressible varieties of delightsome objects In the morning the temples refounded with the harmonious noise of care-ravishing Mufick and odoriferously smelled of sense-recreating and fragrant savours In the after-noone their faire large streetes strowed all over with rich Caroches and proud Coursers made a most glorious shew in the distinct medley of such a number of Nobility who towards the setting of the sunne retired themselves under the jetting-out windowes and faire balcones of the Kings Pallace enriched with a comely aspect of most beautifull Ladies a sight which wrought in the Cavaliers an ardent desire to deserve the being eyed and gaz'd upon The Sunne taken with the delightsomnesse of these heroicall exercises was loath to withdraw himselfe to his accustomed rest untill he had seene broken by two hundred lances that there were burst in shivers two hundred of his more resplendent rayes the vapours of the earth at that houre serving for sticklers to devide it equally among the tilters From the lists they betooke themselves to the dancing hall the first place of admittance granted novice-lovers in Cupids Academy and best affected solace of rosiall and love-adoring yeares In this happy time came Lucano to the Court entertained by the King with particular favours his worth speaking him the prime Peere of the Realme but much more his gracefull aspect and Princely presence qualities forwardly recommended by Nature unto other mens favours And having with all ceremonious reverence performed his duty to the Queene hee with a sweetly-respective-humblenesse kiss'd the hand of the Princesse But while they interchangeably beheld one another their eyes were at first sight so constantly fixed on each others countenance as though their objects had beene long before familiar to them and seene else-where for clearing themselves of which ambiguity their rayes as faithfull Heralds by peering while here while there question either the other about it What the particular answers of either side return'd were is unknowne onely most certaine it is that the scope of it was love for to love they concluded Now the daily newes of the future bridegroome began to sound harsh in Corrianna's eare all his rich presents were priz'd but as meere drosse in her esteeme nor could shee endure to give the Embassadours as much as a looke that might any way promise them that shee bare the least good liking to their embassie her thoughts affection and will were in a moment quite altered and if the fayning of her selfe sick had not depriv'd her of the sight of Lucano shee from fayning had become sick in good earnest her body being already disposed to follow the indisposition of its minde which was discovered by the evident signes of the alteration of her countenance were it for the relation that is between it and the minde or through her want of sleepe or rather because from that time her heart began to make an ominous presage of her ensuing disasters The sports and revellings were reduced all into one place where in dancing were by them laid the ruinous foundation of their utter ruine It never came within the reach of my knowledge to discerne which of them both was the first that made the motion of love but I am perswaded that their wounds being equall both at the selfe same time sought for the proper salve to cure them with yet I have heard the Princesse her selfe often say that shee alone was in all the fault and that the unfortunate Duke foreseeing the future misfortunes resolved to goe on rather because he would not have her beleeve that he little esteemed her than because he was either inconsiderate or any way uncapable of performing the office of a prudent and discreete Gentleman Nature having foreripened his bosome because the Destinies had over-forwarded his death But where
for an inapprehensive and simple fellow yet still neverthelesse persevering in observing him the heedlesse Princesse gave him occasion to build a great suspition on the foundation of her carriage for being allured by the sweete baite of his love and by their secret matrimoniall knot shee might be easily perceived by one that were a curious observer to entertaine Lucano with termes both of love and respect whereupon the other's envie increasing and his jelousie ingendring an indelible hatred himselfe having had the boldnesse to love her too in private and not enduring that another man should possesse what he durst not somuch as aspire to he resolved to sound the depth of his designes by his nightly frequenting the wals of the Pallace which he had not done the second time ere the Princesse under pretence of enjoying the prospect of the water and of going privately to take the benefit of the fresh sea-aire in a Barge was retir'd into a Castle scituated on the sea-shore the more conveniently to flie away from thence having altered her first resolution upon the feeling of her selfe to be quick with childe and upon the comming of her pretended Bride-groome from Sicily in person to fetch her away Lucano in the meane time had unknowne to his Mother secretly mortgaged so much of his lands as had rais'd him a great summe of money wherewith with the addition of his Iewels and those of the Princesse over and besides some other few but precious houshold-furniture hee made account to leade a contented life which may perhaps be lighted on by such who depending on the supply of their owne meanes and living free from the tyranny of affections especially of those two disquieting ones Covetize and Ambition have the fortune to live either alone or in company conformable to their proper humour and wayes But alas we see it but too frequently fall out that humane designes prove altogether deceitfull when the execution of them wholly relies on the favour of content-thwarting fortune The Dutchesse who was Corrianna's governesse seeing her thus precipitate her selfe the love shee bare her having by this time wrought an alteration in her minde determined now that shee saw no other remedy to participate both of her weale and woe especially seeing her to be with childe little for her owne particular regarding how the world would censure her yet repenting though now too late that shee had not in time revealed all to the King not without fearing the being punished for them all in case shee stayd behinde them Lucano glad of this company so necessary and acceptable to the Princesse by the meanes of a most faithfull servant of his provided himselfe of a pinnace that by chance then anchored in the haven ready to way anchor and hoise up sailes for the East and causing him to goe and stow their baggage aboord her he gave order that shee should ride at anchor just but so wide off the Castle as shee might well heare the signall that should be given which was the throwing of a stone into the sea in a direct line towards her The Princesse immediately after midnight came forth at a private doore where Lucano stood all alone expecting her comming and on her waited onely the Dutchesse her Gentlewoman and I loaden with a burden of apparell scarce were wee come to the doore which stood to the sea-ward when the Gentlewoman opening it and looking out at it all afrighted skreech'd out to the Duke Looke to your selfe my Lord I see people approaching And true it was indeede for three men came making hastily towards us upon this the Duke having made all of us to get speedily aboord the pinnace being by this time already come without any signall at the noise of the unbolting of the doore knew one and the foremost of them to be Fridone Now he by vertue of his Constables office might come and goe any where unquestioned yet not without speciall occasion into that Castle reserved then being a time free from all suspition of hostile invasion to the sole use of the Princesse so as Lucano's comming thither was alwayes by stealth even so was he also faine to use the like meanes for his entrance and now come neere Lucano was by him thus greeted What 's I pray you the best newes Cozen And if it may without offence be knowne whither away wend you so late To chastize thee for thy treachery answered the other With that word their swords were suddenly drawn out Lucano set upon by three at once made short work to rid himselfe of two of them whose so unmanly assault hee with two blowes so repulsed that they lay prostrate at his feete without hope of ever rising more to requite the curtesie he had done them being left now hand to hand with the Constable he thrust at him with his point wherewith he ran him quite through the body with this he feeling the pangs of death seaze on him advanced on so forwardly with a desperate passage that his mortally-wounded brest came to touch his enemies hilts and then throwing away his sword he with his dagger stab'd Lucano that hee fell to the ground himselfe having the precedencie of falling before him All this was done in a moment and I beleeve there passed not above foure Stoccadoes of a side but all mortall for I having hastily laid aside my burthen accompanied with the Dukes servant came in as speedily as I could to his succour but found him groveling on the ground with a whole streame of blood gushing out of his fainting body yet was hee alive and as yet unforlorne of either sense or memory for seeing us busied about him hee said Leave off now oh leave off Carildo sithence to employ any care about me is but labour lost I am alas a dead man with that laying his hand upon the wound in his throate as though he would a little while have kept in his latest breath he proceeded Carildo leade away the Princesse and that quickly too it will be easier for her to obtaine her pardon and reconcilement being a free-woman than a prisoner so shall shee avoide the imminent calumnie and be timely delivered of her burden Conjure her by vertue of our true immaculate love to support with a generous courage this my untimely death for my part I cannot choose but joy that I dye in her service The supreme powers have beene pleased to let her by my death see that I was not worthy of her Assure her also that if in the other world I shall finde any measure of compassion I will then procure a licence to passe the Acheron to come and hover about her peradventure that favour will not be denied me my case being but too compassionable besides the priviledge of lovers to continue after death in the perseverance of their affections There is nothing that makes me diffident therof but the meannesse of my deserts which cannot choose but fall short of the merit of so great a
gurled out of this wound both convicts thee and requires at my hands Iustice which I will not deny it Onely I am sorry that thy quality in consideration of my selfe permits thee no other executioner with this snatching out his sword not as yet wiped fully dry from the blood of his Brother hee ranne it in his heart and then causing them to be laid in two coffins he strictly commanded that this tragicall case might dye with his sonnes charging all that knew it to give out that they were sick and three dayes after dead of a pestilentiall fever Well might the feare of offending the King tye mens tongues which are subject to sense but not their judgements which being internall and free enjoy the priviledges of a free exemption from any humane dominion But the best was that the Kingdome made no great reckoning of the losse of either both of them being by their behaviour growne to be as unworthy of bemoaning as of life But now the Sister good soule the innocent occasion of the evill could not be either comforted or quieted till her Father permitted her to retire to the I le of Man where under the discipline of certaine religious persons there residing shee dedicated the rest of her dayes to a contemplative life Onely Feredo now remain'd of the youngest the eldest and his so being the sole sonne had more endeer'd him to his Father if his other worthy qualities had not beene more singular and respect worthy than his being an onely Sonne Gelinda having understood the true tragick story of her Brother mortified her selfe a litle or at leastwise somewhat deprest the growing fire of her affection from suggesting occasion of more disgrace till seeing Feredo increasing together with his yeares in comelinesse of person vertue and the love of all shee deemed it very inconvenient for her to faulter in her affection Banishing therefore from her memory the sufferings and shame of her Royall House which till then taught her to be cautelous if not honest shee began to prosecute her desires anew with such fervent affection and winning-allurements that the Fort of Feredo's constant goodnesse remain'd therewith shaken if not battered But because in him goodnesse prevail'd more than youth and continencie more than the intising baites of an enchanting love he purposed for clipping the wings of her incestuous hope to goe live farre off her praying his Fathers assent thereunto under pretext of going to travell which hee no sooner ask'd than obtain'd for the good old King having noted his Daughters incestuous affection and fearing the arising thence of some new accidents found his absence for some time to bee to purpose hoping that time would in that while dry up in her that ill humour with the medicine of oblivion or some other new affections easie to be exchanged for old especially as hee imagined in the inconstant nature of that amorous sex But Gelinda more constant than the vertue of constancie permitted her obstinate in retaining her first designes and resolved either to die or transmute Feredo from a brother to a lover emboldened with her illegitimate love and raised by her mortiferous resolution within a degree of the height of impudence taking him from the company of some young Gentlemen that entertained him in discourse and conducting him in her hand to the garden shee thus bespake him I hold it my Lord and Prince a thing superfluous to consume the small time I have to stay with you in any other than a free and briefe language sithence neither the growth of yeares have beene sufficient to give you notice of my affection nor the late tragedy of our Brothers serv'd for a president to mollifie you which me thinkes it should if not for my loves sake yet at least for the honour of our Father our House and our selves you are now going to travell for not having mee neere you and conceit perhaps by so doing to shunne me but alas you much deceive your selfe for I am resolved not onely to be neere you but also closely to cleave to you as doth your inseparable Genius or shadow and if by violence you discoast or avoide me I will then so accoast and haunt you as doe what you can you shall not shake me off for if it lye in the power of spirits to doe it mine then perpetually shall doe it since you will not permit my selfe to enjoy so much happinesse Pity mee oh I beseech you pitie me that without you am worse than nothing nor let the deformity of my love serve you for an excuse for I sweare by the immortall Gods that if you quite reject and abandon mee I will when I am so scorn'd or hated transforme me into a Fury will haunt you whithersoever you goe nor will I so it be within the reach of my power suffer ever any other woman to enjoy you more than I. Strucken dumbe remain'd Feredo with this so rash and dishonest proposition about her eyes as kindled embers hee observed a deadly blewish palenesse arguing a mortall rancor and gastly despaire well knew he that neither reproach nor reproofe was able to terrifie one that feared not to dye nor was hee lesse confident of her desperately-bold haste which might easily raise her resolution to such a hight of frantick desperatenesse as shee would not stick to kill her selfe holding it therefore his safer course rather to shunne than hazard a certaine mischiefe hee return'd her this milde answer Deere Lady and Sister the love which I beare you is such that if you knew it you would then know you had no cause to thinke your selfe aggrieved I intend to part 't is true not to elong my selfe from you but to be more worthily neere you when the heavens shall be pleased to favour my returne Love deere Sister mine is not to bee required with hate as you seeme to doubt of especially by me towards you whom I for many speciall reasons am bound both to love and serve all then that I begge of you is that abandoning your passions you unite your selfe to reason which can of it selfe alone give you on my behalfe sufficient satisfaction Doe then but discreetly remember sweete Sister who wee are and what the name of a Brother imports in nature law and use and next call to mind and consider the miserable end of the others which should serve us for an example not of imitation but of detestation and horrour Grant mee I lovingly beseech you your good leave to be gone on my intended journey since I desire it may be with your free assent and good liking And to the end you may rest fully assured of my true affection towards you I here faithfully promise that if it come to my hands to dispose of you my Father not preventing me for manifesting my brotherly affection to you that way I will spend all the Royall treasure yea and my very Crowne besides but I will see you well setled to your owne hearts desire Vpon
this the King calling him hee left her preparing himselfe to begin the morrow following his journey towards the Kingdome of Logria But shee to whom brotherly admonitions were reproaches courteous language abuses and promises of a rich dowry an unappealeable sentence of death putting on a manly courage and laying aside all appearance of griefe could so farre temper nay command her passion as with unbeteared eyes to see him at parting yea to salute him and bid him her last farewell and that in so free a way too as made him thinke her an altogether altered woman whereby he became so consolated as hee could not refraine at his departing to drop some teares for meere unlook'd for joy though gaz'd on by all the Ladies that stood by her and accompanied a good while on his way by the flowre of the Nobility But no sooner lost shee once the sight of him than that shee remained as a statue cold senselesse and immoveable Recovered out of her stupifying fit shee retir'd to her bed-chamber too too delicious God wote for a sceane of so lugubrous an act The returne of such as had sent Feredo on his way was the passing-bell that rang out her knill of death the recommendations sent her from him shee received with disdaine and contempt and then presently not having the patience or power to stay till night shee put off her cloathes and laid her downe where being as shee thought all alone shee burst forth into these termes It is now time Gelinda for thee to free thy selfe from the tyrannie of thy insulting enemy Love 't is high time that thou now revenge thy selfe on this thy neither brother nor lover Come thou must die and that 's no newes to thee death shall not seize on thee at unawares Thou shalt have the oddes of the rest of mortals in being thy selfe thine owne Iudge so freeing thy selfe both from the judgement of others and from the qualities and diversities of deaths being conditions that make unexpected death looke on the dying wretch with an aspect so fearefull and horrid A great spirit as thine is will flight it to be by it cruelly revenged on him that no lesse cruelly than ungratefully hath injured thee This said shee would have kill'd her selfe but thinking it too short a preamble for so dolefull an end her despairing soule roaring from within her with an horrible and gastly noyse shee proceeded Implacable Dieties yee infernall Powers to you have I forlorne wretch recourse to you doe I bequeath and consecrate this reâ—â—â—ed life of mine in recompence where of I desire no more than that I may persue and haunt the ingratefull Feredo whithersoever he goes put me no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implore the heavens or their influences for if mortals subject to the hâ—â—vie clog of a body and by consequence ignorant and feeble can domineere over them what may then the immortall soules doe which being separated from these imperfections must needs be more powerfull in respect of their habits corresponding to that privation I grant too that humane judgement and discretion may perhaps shunne them yet mighty yee whose power hath no paragon are able I am confident either to corrupt or alter them But alas if it prove not so to be how ill then am I advised yet how can I that despairing hope be possibly well advised whilst I beleeve revenge to have place among the infernall miseries which to the damned might prove happinesse and glory if glory and happinesse had any accesse to those dismall horrors Die I will were it but to spite and grieve Feredo But what place I wonder among the disordered confusions there shall the order of my uncouth affections hold Shall it be possible that among those eternall disorders there the soule be not confounded with all its parts especially the intellect and that also the order which I prefix to my revenge be not in danger to be broken But oh that the web I warpe here might be there spunne for then would I thinke hell were blessed and all would then goe thither But who will assure me thereof yet doubtlesse thy death Gelinda will grieve Feredo will it so dye then meerely to vex him But soft too too foolish were such a revenge as but makes an addition to the avengers proper prejudice But said I not that hell observes no order then no reason neither by reason of that disorder If so to what end tend then so many considerations they are needlesse and superfluous 't is true yet let them be dispenced withall in priviledge of being my last farewell Here respiting a while to vent out the anguish of approaching death shee with a heavy groane spake on Happy thee Gelinda had'st thou never beene borne since that being borne thou wast borne for hell whose first torments thou proved'st when first thou fell'st in love Yet if I deserved so much misery had it not beene a greater paine for me not to have beene borne at all if true it be that such had beene greater than to be borne to be damned as I was But ah me if this were true sure then I had never beene borne for if among all the things that I am none of there had beene but one that in privation of being had exceeded the not being of others then surely that same one thing had beene Gelinda Therefore Gelinda to her greater anguish beleeves that such a thing cannot be Besides the Gods were unjust if they punished such as were not any way blemished with as much as originall sinne Enough then let these be my last meditations Dye I must and will Feredo will none of mee no more will I him now and for not having him I must goe else-where The passage is I confesse hard the issue doubtfull but whatmatters all that I 'le even venture and runne with the rest the Furies of hell shall direct mee nay I 'le make one among them they shall adopt mee and I 'le be the fourth of those Eumenidan Sisters which if it cannot otherwise steede me it shall then suffice me that the diseâ—â—â—â—teous Feredo be troubled in his sleepe and in his repose desire death the sole remedy to his heart-wasting miseries and besides that in his loves never woman beloved by him may ever love him that some untimely end betide her not More shee would have said when one of her women that all this while had attentively observed her ranne towards the bed at the first trampling noise of whose feere Gelinda stab'd her selfe under the left pap with a long silver bodkin where with shee used to righten her haire but by her destined for this fatall effect which succeeded her desire so well if a man may say well in so ill a case that slipping betweene her ribs it pierced her heart which prov'd now as tender to the force of hand as it had before done to the dart of love The Gentlewoman that faw no signes of any violence done and by consequence not suspecting any such
Sunnes nor could it have other in respect of us though it were contrary to the spheare in respect of the firmament that same thing representing in the artificiall the convex which indeede is naturally the concave the eclipses likewise might be there seene when any were by a plate of darke-coloured Iron 's covering so much of the Moone as was requisite The figure of the Sunne drawne to a correspondent circumference corresponded to the truth of the Eclipses of the true Sunne covered or rather vailed by his fister according to astronomicall suppositions And being not able to imitate the spheare in setting and rising it shewed instead thereof the eclipses that were out of our sight in the other Hemispheare Vpon the spiry roofe stood a brazen statue of excellent workemanship representing time that in its footestall with the but-end of its cive struck the houres and quarters with so dainty an artifice as the eare could discerne no noyse of counterweights or wheeles nor the imagination conceive that any such could be contained in the streightnesse of so narrow a concave The doores standing one of them towards the East equinoctiall and the other on the opposite side were both of them adorned with seemely pillars the Easterne of snow-white Alablaster with staires threshold and lintell of the same The Westerne with its supplements of a cole-black touch-stone that garnished with a white Eagle being the Hieroglyphick of heaven this with a barking Cerberus sad embleame of hell never opened but when sacrifice was done to the infernall Deities for Gelinda's ghost For the same purpose also stood erected two Altars and on either of them an Image These briefly survaid all of them entred into the Temple where the sacrifices were the hearts of two white doves burnt upon the quick embers that done they retired to the house and were invited to sit at the table where the two guests were strucken with amazement at the servants and order of service they admired at such abundance without excesse and such delicacie without defect and withall to see conform'd to the humility of faire white earthen dishes such a royall personage place and service The Druide entertained them with pleasant discourse apparelling his countenance with an aspect to outward seeming cheerefull and blithsome shewing them withall how that Countrey was the utmost bound of Greece to the sea-ward and then made them a gratefull expression of the great courtesies hee had received at the hands of the Prince of Feacia Lord of that I le and was about to particularize somewhat thereof when altering his conceit upon turning towards the Count hee besought him to impart some occurrences of the Westerne parts it being ten yeares space sithence he had heard any newes from thence The Count willingly embracing the occasion of assaying to perswade him to returne home making no shew of knowing any thing thereof exprest a forwardnesse to satisfie him so as having made some prelueds proper to his ends he spake in this manner Irinico King of Gaula Belgica had besides two sonnes the eldest whereof died one onely daughter whose beauty though singular was yet surpassed with so many vertues that the people thought her the compend of the Kingdomes glory desired shee was of many wooed by few and wonne by one that was litle thought of among her Suitors the principall man was Teuton King of Scandinavia a Prince who though rich both in yeares and posterity was not yet by his yeares brought to any disability of body and now his disgusts which hee received every day more than other from his sonnes made him desirous of new heires since hee was growne resolute to raise wals against wals till he had levelled with the ground those which to his confusion were by them built against him a thing practised by him many yeares before to the cost of the lives of some of them and the brothers too Now hee had already taken many wives and had used them all very ill as indeede hee married them not for love but altogether for meanes nor ever admitted he any one of them to his bed on other than the sole hopes of their patrimoniall Kingdomes which conformable to his expectation failed him not Knowne it is not whether it was pollicie or nature in him to affect not one of them the sole ayme of his love being levelled at the enlarging of his Monarchie and making himselfe great Hee had already by the meanes of some Kings of his alliance gotten a great footing in neighbouring Countries whereupon growne desirous to become one day owner of Irinico's Kingdome hee made suit for his alliance meerely to ground thereupon a foundation for his pretentions and not to enjoy those incomparable beauties the onely white whereat the desire of all other Princes aymed And having gotten an use of letting himselfe to be seene but of a very few by withdrawing himselfe sometimes for many moneths together from the popular sight a fancie tooke him in the head to goe himselfe in person to Irinico and so under the vaile of an Embassadour to prie into the secrets of his Kingdome corrupt his subjects and winne himselfe a wife and by her in time a Kingdome Having then left such order as he thought requisite to such as were to manage the secrecie of his absence hee parted accompanied with very few increasing by the way his retinew with such persons as had never seene him before travelling with all the litle that he went by land so secretly by an invention that he had got to confine himselfe for some retired imaginations within his horse-litter that no man in the whole dominions could come to see him in the face Irinico receiving him with all possible courtesies understanding the summe of his embassie would not suddently dispatch him though he were already resolved of what he meant to doe but referr'd the businesse to his privy Councell not so much to understand their opinions as to know those who some while before were suspected to have beene corrupted Hee in the meane time being admitted to the sight of the Princesse prov'd to be in love indeed a strange effect in him and yet more strange by reason of his so fretting thereat for perswading himselfe that he could not choose but love his owne person the lesse by such a portion of affection as he setled upon any other so as hee could have heartily wished the possiblenesse of distinguishing the person of a Prince from that of an Embassadours had beene within the reach of his power that so in personating either he might exercise his cruelty over the other But love as the case stood domineering over the fury of his furious projects brought his pride to so low an ebbe as from a States-man he would have gladly subjected his stout spirit to any inferiour servile condition had it not shewed it selfe too too apparantly contrary to the issue of his desires No whole day suffered he to passe without visiting Doricrene this sollicitous Embassadour labouring to
Elimanto in this habit and yet the businesse went on never a whit all this while one day suggesting unto the other new articles of difficulty to hinder its conclusion Nor had he good Prince beene yet disinveagled so soone as he was neither so intent were all his thoughts on the object of his love but for the Princesse her selfe who was the first that shew'd him the false carde dealt him Now shee had endeavoured by all the meanes shee could to carry her selfe fairely for though of tender yeares yet being at one and the selfe same time no lesse prudent than upright-hearted divers conjectures had made her imagine that her Father treated of this alliance with no faire meaning so as shee gave not her affection full power to settle it selfe wholly on Elimanto doubting lest he should be betraid and so excluded from her watching therefore continually an occasion to cleere her imagination of that doubt Fortune at length favoured her better than she expected for chancing to be one day in her Fathers gallery whereinto no man entred but himself alone she at the chamber-doore heard him in discourse with one of his Councell favourites saying he was sorry that the King of the Sarmatans carried not himselfe more sagely in his courses than he seemed to doe since being assured of having Celene and that the holding of Irinico in hopes was but to establish what he had already conquered and to facilitate the way for acquiring of more he had for all that importuned him with perpetuall embassies as if the jealousie of Doricrene could not be otherwise extinguished than with the new love of his daughter A foule shame for a great Prince to love women for affections sake whereas his love should have no other end than his owne proper ends and interesses Whereof in respect hee had divers times written unto him without being able to make him yet conceive the mysterie of his intention hee was now resolved to send him thither to tell him by word of mouth That Celene was his and should be no other mans since he neither would nor indeede could settle her in a better or fitter place their blood and interesses loudly proclaiming her his That the late conquest of Vlmigaria did but make his way to greater enterprizes if he would be but ruled by him if not that then he might chance to encounter with greater difficulties than he yet imagined That his intention was to goe on the way he had begun which was to procure Armes of Irinico that hang rusting on the wals under the hopes of the marriage of Celene to his son That therefore if he heard of any treaty about it he should not be in the least manner moved thereat nor in any case beleeve it though his eares and eyes with all his outward senses shewed it him concluded That his designe was to negotiate it till such time as their joynt Standard-royall and victorious Armes passing the Rhene and Elbe were displaid victorious in the Countries and dominions of Irinico where he had infinite dependents that favoured their faction And that so high a designe merited his patience the delay not depriving him of his Spouse but presenting him together with her occasions to make him become the famousest King that ever wore Crowne to these added he many other instructions tending all to one and the same purpose But here the Princesse for feare of being espied retired astonished at such a master-plot of treachery and being conditioned differently from her Father could not choose but favour Elimanto's true affection and correspond thereunto as farre as her honour permitted her so as shee resolved whatsoever came on 't to open the matter unto him that he might be gone his wayes and dispose otherwise of his affection All this while had shee governed her selfe with such circumspection that he could never perceive that shee knew him and he on the other side was endued with such a singular modesty as he had not the boldnesse to discover himselfe content onely to contemplate in the sunne as doth a generous Eagle those rayes he so admired and loved and though youth prompt him on to more bold resolutions yet bore reason and discretion in him a greater stroake than any other affect whatsoever Celene went according as shee was wont into her parke to walke whither causing to be brought her by Elimante that gave out his name to be Velusio a litle mantle which she usually wore to keepe her from the cold ayre when shee walked shee thus bespake him Velusio I have hitherto knowne thee so discreete that I hope thou wilt serve me faithfully in a businesse wherein I meane to imploy thee which is that thou returne to thy countrey and tell Prince Elimante from me that all the meanes which hee and his Father use to obtaine me are but meerely vaine the King my Father being resolved to dispose otherwise of me acquaint him further that his love hath obliged me to correspond him if not in love yet at least in good will which hath transported me to discover unto him this countries crossing of his designe seeing I cannot with my honour requite him with any greater or other expression of my gratitude here told shee him all that shee had heard charging him to part suddenly and to advise Elimante to alter the object of his love and thinke of another wife I know not whether or no there distilled at these words some humidity from her faire eyes for the staidnesse of her countenance and speech made not any shew of any greater affect than her language uttered To describe the case Elimante was in were impossible for me whose heart good Prince was so overwhelmed with extreamity of anguish that if anger disdaine which served for a compound cordiall had not sustained his drooping spirits in their functions he had doubtlesse sunke to the ground But considering how much it then stood him upon he with a generous resolution returned her this answer Incomparable Madame I yeeld your Highnesse the greatest thankes that I can expresse or imagine since the favour you doe me farre excels any merit of mine onely in one respect I may thinke my selfe worthy which is that your Highnesse shall not be deceived in the opinion you conceive of my fidelity I see in this businesse two great extreames the King and your Highnesse Prince Elimante though betrayed will never repent him of having served so high and vertuous a Princesse whose exemplary gratitude shall make him thinke well employed all the time spent in bearing with the ingratitude of others I shall acquaint him with as much as your Highnesse commands me beseeching you to rest assur'd that he will never forget his beholdingnesse to your Highnesse for so great a favour One sole thing I doubt of which is that the badnesse of the newes will goe neere to kill him and by so much the rather that in the losse which he sustaines the same in the very act of
his reputation in both kingdomes together with the neerenesse of his affinity and alliance with the two neighbouring Kings of Majorica and Mauritania resolved not to have him by any meanes abide so neere him And knowing that it was his best course to confirme his banishment with the authority of his Privie Councell a prime article in the art of ruling to make other men the authors of things odious and displeasing to the people he call'd them unto him and told them That hee well knew that his kingdomes and some or perhaps all of them there present disliked his demeanour towards his sonne-in-law a Cavalier in all things else of royall parts and reall worth but yet that the reasons moving him so to doe were of so high a consideration as would astonish them were it but lawfull for him to publish them That now then the same reason that before induced him to banish him from Sardinia constrained him also now to exile him from Corsica hee would have said from Majorica and Minorica too if in those parts hee had had the same jurisdiction over him as King as he had as predecessor and father-in-law but where the one wanted his intention and will was that the other might supply its defects with promising that if as a good sonne hee so made appeare unto him the respects and observance he owed him by this implicite obedience not retiring into Majorica or Mauritania places by him suspected that then his such obsequiousnesse should serve as an instrument to scrue into his favour by and a prevailing Orator for obtaining leave for his more speedy returne telling them plainely therewithall That his sending for them to come to him was not to aske their counsels but to make them the authors of his which he straightly enjoyn'd them to execute in such forme as best suited with the accomplishment of his desire The sweetly-majesticall Princesse that till that instant knew nothing of her fathers designe remain'd blanke at such an Oration what to resolve of shee knew not contrasting with him being as perilous as profitlesse till at last with bending one knee shee thus briefly bespake him My Soveraigne Lord there is no reason for any one to contradict your Royall will and yet lesse for me than any other yet because I know that Prince Polimero is to you both a good sonne and a loyall servant and that though declared for such by your owne mouth you are for all that resolved to banish him it is not fitting that I being his wife be here consenting to any such decree against him much lesse by dissenting to oppose any will or command of yours Which said shee went her wayes out though then neither her warlike ferocity nor native generosity was able in that delicate sex to stop the lubrick channels of her eyes from dropping a few pearlike teares The King let her goe without speaking any word to her but seemed by his actions to expresse that he would not have her know all the decree was hard to be expounded it being unpossible for colours to subsist without any substance But that which made it the more difficult was that the King unwilling to expresse himselfe would yet have his intention effected as if they had understood him which was the occasion that they there spent the whole day about it the Secretaries being puzled in penning each his peculiar draught and the King leaning on the shoulders while of the one and while of the other was ever busied in reading cancelling or interlining all-to-be-blurring and blotting it as black and foule indeede was all that was there done At length a long edict was concluded upon couched in abstruse words with an equivocall sense to make it the more difficult to be understood of any that would conster it in the right and worse sense plainely discovering absolute authority in the whole justice never a whit words enough without any kinde of sense The contents of as much as might be understood thereby was That Prince Polimero was at the request of the Privie Councell banished both kingdomes during his Majesties pleasure for secret reasons concerning the State In this decree were involved particular letters from some of the Councell to Polimero wherein were plainely expressed their unwilling sorrow to be drawne to subscribe to such a resolution beseeching him to retire to some place unsuspected farre distant from the kingdomes of Majorica and Mauritania from which it lying not in their power to banish him they did as good as pray him to banish himselfe otherwise that the punishment of his transgression would be his being deprived of all hope of ever being recalled againe Eromena presently upon her going out as I told you from the Councell gave order that whilst shee arm'd her selfe the fleetest galley that then rode in the bay should be made ready to part suddenly nor knowing how otherwise to evaporate the bitternesse of the anger shee conceived against her father shee wrote him a letter and then accompanied onely with Aretia and a few servants shee went to the port where turning towards those that had attended her thither shee said unto them Countrie-men and friends I goe in expedition of a businesse that much imports both yee and me I leave you in a setled peace and recommend to your care obedience and love the King and Realme and you Count of Toralba I shall enjoyne to deliver the King this letter The people that no lesse loved than honoured her seeing her arm'd at all peies a habit not used to be worne by her save in time of warre or tourneyes remain'd amaz'd thereat kissing with all affectionate reverence some her faire hands and other some the skirt of her bases but she causing the ladder to be hoist a-boord the galley that none might follow her went a-boord the long boate and then without permitting either the Ghing to salute or any Trumpet to be touch'd launch'd out steering a direct course for Sardinia where the second day shee safely arrived and being there landed would not suffer any other messenger than her selfe to bring her husband the newes of her arrivall thither Polimero abode in Corsica adored by all insomuch as even those to whom by occasion of the warres he had beene somewhat prejudiciall seeing now in so many occasions his royall demeanour grew to be so affectionate towards him as that they accounted their losses well imployed for having made so advantageous an exchange of Epicamedo for him And though his domesticall affaires as the privation of his wife and daughter much troubled his minde yet the noble company of the Marquesse of Oristanio other accomplish'd Gentlemen much sollaced him who also discreetly endeavoured to weane his mind from griefe by being alwayes employed in some exercise or other And now it so pleased fortune that he was that day rode forth on hunting that very same way that Eromena came galloping to finde him out who hearing the winding of the hornes and deepe crie of the
new thoughts for being caught with the graces of the faire Princess without daring to manifest it upon examination with himselfe of her tender yeares and customes both those and these being incapable of any such affect And withall which seemed most averse to him of a nature farre from an amorous inclination a contemner of men and a mortall enemy of such of her sex who for conforming to their lovers passions shewed themselves any thing pliable to their loves And though hee hoped that time might alter her yet did the suspence of the selfe-same time also torment him for being unable to suffer the agony of such long-expecting and uncertaine hopes hee being but a traveller without either state or meanes deprived of any certaine place of abode yea and of all power to resolve of any thing excepting such as fortune might favour him withall But being unable to contrast with heaven upon re-examined deliberation with himselfe hee determined to serve her in a somewhat more than usuall manner and withall to smoother his flames by assaying if approached her they could by any meanes without her knowledge warme her Or in case nought else come of it yet should he not neede to despaire wholly were it but for the content that he hoped to receive from her most lovely presence and yet more lively because unparalled gestures and though the worst that could happened yet should hee not be the first that for nourishing his amorous hopes had beene voluntarily deceived for not yeelding himselfe up to deaths tyrannie The princely Mayden on the other side far God wot from any such thoughts beheld him with an indifferent eye onely fretting her selfe for his being such as shee could not hate Her youthfull spirit ruminated on nought else save warre and death with cruell revenges of wrongs which poore women every day as shee conceived received from men She held the subjection of her sex to be tyrannicall and conceiv'd that both Nature and the Law were therein deceived and that onely for being abased by tyrant custome it shew'd not its native vertue That it was now high time to let the world see it and by reacquiring their lost liberty to make the so inured female sex if not superior equall and companion to the other in favour whereof shee was egg'd on by examples Well knew shee that in Egypt where shee then abode the Kings had effeminated the men put them to domestick services to the distaffe and spindle to free themselves from dangers and suspitions shee had also read the Amazon's valorous enterprizes and thereupon contemplating the greatnesse of her owne spirit was confident of accomplishing the full of her intentions Wherein shee perceived but one sole difficulty which was to deprive women of their naturall feares though she beleeved them to be rather habituall than naturall Her selfe shee knew to be valorous not so much by the force of her body as by the courage of her heart shee comprehended that valour consisted in being neither carefull of ones person nor incumbred with the feares of death That the sensibility of wounds enfeebles the forces and blunts the edge of courage seeing it is the sole cause that makes it effeminate and backward in assailing and disadvantagious and slow in defending Shee therefore concluded them onely to be more valiant than the rest in whom had taken deepest roote the indifferencie of either living or dying confirmed in such an opinion by the nature of irrationall animals whereof the fiercer are not the stronger but the more courageous Since that for being endued with more force than men they would merit the title of fortitude rather than they if such vertue had its seate in bodily force that then since women were equally capable of the conceits of the minde wherefore then not of their effects too Such were her internall discourses which if they sometime tooke a turne about any passages told her of divers effects of love shee then ever sparkled out disdaine against the shee-lovers and could have found in her heart to have torne in pieces such of her sex as being rejected or slighted tormented themselves with love an affect to her thinking neither necessary nor necessiting but a simple proposition of free will an incompatibility by consequence unnaturall to love one that hates the person loving which if it be not conceiv'd shee a frensie must needs be an infirmitie of the braine to be cured with penance and fasting The day being come and the horses saddled the young woman there waited in a readinesse with her coates gathered up for the better trudging a-foote which the Princesse abhorring and failing to perswade her to make use of the benefit of the channell was therefore faine to consent that shee came along with her upon the importunity of her entreaties accompanied with such a quantity of teares that never mother shed so many for the losse of her children Causing her therefore to be put on horse-backe behinde Carasio shee asked her who shee was and whither shee meant to goe having already understood how shee was found and runne-away from Carasio she considering that no evasion could any thing steed her resolved now though not without being thereof ashamed to recite in the termes of truth the story of her selfe in such like words I redoubted Sir am the most miserable woman that ever was yet borne since whereas others miseries proceede from fortune mine spring meerely and wholly from my selfe so as though but too unworthy in all other respects yet in this above all I deserve to be pittied of no man in so much as if the unfained repentance of my faults had not enabled and prepared mee for supporting the pennance due for them with an intention to impose on my selfe others somewhat greater I should then not onely finde my selfe to be in a desperate case but should also have together with a perverse minde a lying tongue that in steede of faults and dishonour would blazon my merits and honours not so much to conceale from your knowledge my dishonesties which should indeede be buried in the center of the earth as to finde pitty in you and to gaine your better opinion At the hearing of these words the Princesse kindled as fiery-hot embers was about to make her hold her peace till upon her becomming more pliable because of Coralbo's expectation and shortning the longsomnesse of the way shee gave way to her relation My name said shee is Diatistera by Nation a Grecian and by birth of the noblest blood in Chio not because my Father possessing himselfe of its liberty became tyrant thereof but for that no other one Family in all Ionia is of more ancient memory than ours nor any ancestours more remarkeable for vertue nor renown'd for trophies than are our Forefathers I was conceived in a private estate my father then conformable to the stiles of republiques being himselfe but a Citizen though in greater estimation than the rest yet marked with no titulary dignity of
difficult for him in respect of his too raw yeares to escape the being ensnared by me During all the time of my abode in Persia ambition had made me patient of the Kings cold embracements he good man being of fifty yeares of age if not upwards without thinking of others but now freed of that affect I returned to my ordinary and former contents Now my loves were ever in their ingresse very vehement and full of jealousies and vexations of spirit which made those I loved beleeve that I could not turne my affection to others wherein they were much deceived nay the selfe-same in the end beguiled me too For come to Memphi rich with what I brought with me but farre richer for what the Gentleman presented me withall from the King in Iewels of an inestimable value wee forgetting our journey staid thereto enjoy each other in that City in the hight of luxury and lasciviousnesse without wanting any thing requisite to the fulnesse of our contents for satisfying whereof we every day sought out for new devices and inventions Here by the newes that flew from one Court to another understood wee my owne story and that my Physitian was found and in the ground buried alive up to the throate and that being exposed to the sunne and flies with his face all-to-be smeared over with honey he in that manner miserably died That the King having by my own servants understood my passed life ashamed for having suffered himselfe to bee so grossely beguiled but much more of having so lov'd mee had commanded Farnabazzo to take from me the Iland and in case he found me not to be hang'd to take and hang up my Father for mee which with other newes wee a little after heard was executed whereupon I suspecting that disloyalty in others which I knew to be in my selfe bethought my selfe how to ridde me of Ariobarzane for such was the Gentlemans name fore-thinking that upon my rejecting him as I was already taken with a new love it was likely he would requite me with the like or as great a discourtesie especially considering he had lost his Prince's favour and forsaken his Countrey fortunes meanes and all for love of me This Gentleman having beene borne and brought up in Court knew not how to leade any other than a Courtly life and conversation Whereupon in often-frequenting it hee got acquaintance enough to draw on him by my meanes his utter ruine Hee gave himselfe out to be of Susiana lest his professing to be as hee was a Persian and my being with him might make us knowne for what we were for better concealing whereof hee alwayes call'd me wife and I him husband Wee gave out that we were come to passe to the Oracle of Iupiter Ammon and that the reason of our sojourne there was but to stay for the season of the yeare Hee often brought along to dine with him a valiant and proper young Gentleman call'd Ersemeo one favoured of the King and highly esteemed of all that knew him his qualities conforming with those of my now supposed husband especially in suffering himselfe to be corrupted by me as the other had beene before Ariobarzane was no whit jealous but loving both his friend and his company favoured him with such liberty as he would many times when he found him not at home entertaine himselfe with mee to stay for his comming I that lived by or at least lov'd best often change grew soone to bee amorously enflamed of him and found wayes to let him see it too But he though he well enough conceived it being honest though and loyall to his friend either did not or would not understand me in the right construction of my intent Strange seemed it unto me that he being a young Gentleman an Egyptian and a Courtier too should or could be so continent and therefore because I durst not in plaine termes unbosome my selfe unto him for doubt of either his not consenting or bewraying me I bethought of a way of making him entrap himselfe thus I would take on me if it were in the fore-noone that he came to begin to goe dresse my selfe and would at the instant of his comming in be sure to be unsmockt letting him see my brest and paps in their lively colours and true proportions able to change both proportion and colour in Saturne himselfe If in the after-noone I then would be putting on my stockings or shoes the border of my coates and smock-hem being the while lifted up so high that though I with making a shew of being surprized would with a counterfeite bashfulnesse clap them downe yet did I not so before he had seene and conceiv'd enough to make him languish with an amorous desire In the sweltry hot noone-tides I would be little better than naked bare-foote and bare-legg'd naked-breasted with an exceeding fine and sight-penetrable Camrick smocke lasciviously discovering what it not hid but vailed From the waste downewards I wore a Kirtle of slight cob-web laune from under which appeared two relevated flanks accompanied with those parts which had as they should their proportionable risings Nature having given mee a body that needed not the common helpes of rectifying its proportion by bombace or the like And for my haire I wore it dishevelled in a carelesse fashion without either haire lace or crisping-wyre At these taking-objects the poore Ersemeo freez'd and burnt at one and the same time whilst Ariobarzane glorying in my beauty thought himselfe happy meerely out of the conceite hee had that other men did for it esteeme him such young mens felicity being thought to consist more in other mens opinions than in its proper substance Such as say that naughty women bewitch men are not otherwise mistaken than in the manner for the bodies are wasted away by such things as can naturally weare away or consume them but the Will onely feares the Magick of an advantageous beauty endowed with craft and enriched with taking qualities After that the poore Gentleman had layen a long time tormented with the flames of an intollerable passion and that friendship was forced to give place to concupiscence he ventured to proclaime himselfe in a silent way my to-death-enamoured servant but yet with such faire termes as I could not without proving too-too discourteous make any shew of being in the least manner therewith displeased So as at our next meeting we concluded on the time and place where we were to enjoy each other I being for my owne part in such affaires a mortall enemy of irresolutions Ariobarzane soone spies out our false play and so indeed desired I he should Never was there snake or serpent wrythen up so suddenly as hee hee grew pale leane and hoarse and all in an instant there was not a member of his that wasted and pined not away onely his bigge-swollen eyes flowed with the streames of a perpetuall river of brinish teares I could have found in my heart to have pittied him but that cruelty is the first
if not a sister of sullennesse pride and subjection The presence of so great a Queene which else-where would have clos'd up all lips with silence and engraven in all hearts a modest mellancholy was here a motive to apparant joy and discourse Benigne Mercury diffusing himselfe in their mouthes and shewing himselfe heere as prodigall as else-where sparing and withall sending where hee was not himselfe some of his false ministers with his winged shooes and rode to bee taken for him and his impes though indeede they were nothing such Returned to their lodging there was no small adoe to imprint the pleasantnesse of their conceits in Lindadori who held it ill to nourish under a counterfeit habit the fiery thoughts of an harmelesse Girle so ignorant and unexperimented in all wylinesse and cunning artifice in her demeanour as to discover her love not onely to the more apprehensive but even to her in that behalfe dimme-sighted eyes whereof shee making her moane to her mother canestly besought her to bring her no more thither whilst her father and Coralbo could not refraine from laughing at both the occasion of her dislike and her manner of expressing it yet at length shee was though with much adoe pacified by being enformed that the Nobility and Gentry of that Countrey were wont though indeede they were farre otherwise enclined to take on them to bee ever in love onely for good manners sake because not knowing how otherwise to entertaine or court Ladies they had recourse to the Articles of Love being assured they could not be better pleased than to see deserving men so deceived as to beleeve and stile them beautifull though they were nothing so The two Princesses that with others had entertain'd in discourse the two Princes whereof the one was of Bernice and the other of Cirene remain'd beyond measure taken with their noble carriage upon considerate observation of their merits and passing liking they had to a certaine cold reservednesse by them judged to be an enemy to presumption and daughter to respect onely to Eromena this complementally-amorous way of courting was nothing pleasing who though happy in a husband worthy of other womens loves was yet unhappy long of that passion of love which by a cold name contrary to its fervide effects the vulgar call Iealousie which shee had long before victoriously fought withall and at length more by the confidence of her owne merits than with any force of her naturall inclination being assured that he might well enjoy but not possibly love other women than her which betweene jest and earnest shee had many times told him And now considering her being past the faire Meridian of her youth and his being not yet come to that of his and his now having not onely a likely but also to her thinking a neere occasion and faire opportunity of enjoying shee could not shut the doore of her minde against imagination which being lubricke and invisible penetrated ere shee was thereof aware into the closet of her heart so as shee could no longer refraine from thus briefely expressing her selfe unto him My indeer'd Lord wee are all of us fortunate in love but in an unequall degree mine cannot but make you pastime nor yours choose but displease and trouble me Lindadori shee frets and grieves and so doe I too shee for overmuch simplicity and I out of overmuch practice let us wend therefore hence I beseech you since we have seene already enough if not too much Which it much behooves us to doe were it for nothing else but to shunne the adventuring her in loves schoole wherein who-so studies in jest may learne in good earnest This Bernice likes me not for you nor this same Queene for mee both which will I doubt mee prove dangerous sports since you cannot but injure me nor I choose but deceive her meane while my father findes the want of us at home where for being aged and solitary he takes small joy of himselfe If we stay lingring here to prosecute our commenced practizes we shall not ridde us thereof a while and then too not without disgust-giving and therefore the sooner the better we end them fastidious and unprofitable creatures are for the most part by nature endowed with short life so our lives for being of the selfe-same quality deserve to be no longer lived than are the wind-flies that live not above a dayes space and could we ere their birth-time be abortively delivered of them for certaine we should be the lesse hurt by them Polimero smiled at these reasons of his beloved wife whom after having affectionately kissed her he thus answered Let us doe deere Lady of my life what please you not because the case with us so is but because you seeme to conceive it so to be why thinke you that your beauty is so slightly imprinted in the memory of my affection that any other womans can raze thereout the obliged respects I beare you you alas you wrong by so conceiting both your selfe and me your selfe because your merits are such that not the Princesse of Bernice but as many Princesses as are in the world cannot merit what you alone deserve and me because this suspition of yours loades mee with infidelity and ignorance There is no choyce without some kinde of equality how then can I make choyce of any other in your presence without notable stupidity and weaknesse of judgement Or admitting you were not present doe you hold me to bee so freed from the obligation of your love as that any other canallure me I know it stands us upon to wend us hence assoone as we conveniently can so as I stand indeede upon thornes as it were all the while I stay heere but alas how can we yet goe for shame shall wee sneake away like fugitives ingratefull to our courteous entertainers and not without being suspected that such our resolution sprung from cowardise and feare of trying our selves in Armes with these Knights For Lindadori your reasons were indeede considerable if the nature whereof shee is composed were like that of other Girles for you know that shee is an inexorable Enemy not onely to such a Schoole but even to all man-kinde so as I pray God that we may ever perswade her to like of any husband all which Eromena knew to be most true Wherefore it was betweene them agreed assoone as the next Tourney was ended which the Knights of that Court used to exercise twice a moneth to goe on their intended journey But among all the actors on this amorous scene Coralbo good Prince was that onely one who in appearance free was yet more than any other muzled and puzled with the occult love that he bare the fierce Desterrada Passe there did many an amorous complement and pleasing discourse betweene him and the Princesse of Cirene whom he well perceived to bee well enclined towards him nor would he have slighted such a fortune but that the finding himselfe under the lee of those three with whom
against them penetrable only by the Armes of innocence and internall purity Againe for me to get me gone without you is altogether impossible You say you are married and yet I know you are not the Embassadours of Pontus and your father had no authority to binde you you onely are shee that makes up the Matrimony and shee that may choose and refuse to make it The parts thereof are yet both in their entire and both free The bonds of the two Lawes Humane and Divine though they be made ready to binde you have not bound you yet though so as they cannot be thereby any way infringed A true and lawfull Matrimony indeede it would be that you accepting mee for your servant and husband would vouchsafe to blesse mee by pronouncing one single voluntary Yea that then I might ascertaine you that the hopes you please to build on me are neither vaine nor ruinous Humane inclinations were ever subject to perswasions The Princesse who meerely for Ormondo's fame was in some sort enamoured of him ere ever shee saw him now after seeing him accompanied with so many vertues so excellently-excelling as onely one of them was able to dignifie and make worthy any Cavalier whatsoever became so enflamed with love of him that the Matrimony contracted seemed a hell to her wherefore doubting whether shee should ever more light on the like occasion her affection being already unvail'd shee deem'd it best to unvaile also her desire fetching then a deepe sigh that intimated the as yet doubtfulnesse of her hopes shee thus bespeakes him Prince of Illirio I render you not thankes for your love as according to the custome of the times I should doe because I like not the being an affectate follower of the common stile I follow mine owne and have as I conceive my reason for it knowing that who so loves loves for his owne affections sake so as the obligations and reciprocall duties so complementally professed amongst friends are words meerely superfluous and tearmes and names unfit to bee used Touching now what you offer me I am perswaded you doe it not without having first examined the difficulty of the enterprize with your dangers and their consequences Let me now then see in case I pronounced your desired Yea what for the lesse dangerous course would you take to have me Whereto Ormondo all-joyfull answered The usuall course Madame in such cases throughout all the world The Prince of Thrace my Couzen will lend mee his Galley which is one of the swiftest that ever furrowed the Ocean Come once but to set footing in Illirico I then feare not all the powers of the world for your Father and Brother they will I perswade my selfe be glad upon comprehending the exchange you have made of a litle King for a great kingdome And for Arbone I conceive no occasion you have to feare him Arnelinda would not resolve of any thing for that present but tooke time to thinke thereon which served for an item for the now halfe-promised bride-groome to prepare himselfe Ormondo was then come from the Easterne parts with an intent to returne homewards but passing from Phenicia to Cyprus hee there chanced to finde Serpidoro Prince of Thrace his Cozen german with whom hee being bred up from a childe and both of them having learnt the exercises of Chivalry together there sprung from this their conversation a friendship which transcended the love of blood the strongest tye of the most part of kinsmen which gave to as many as knew them an example of an illimited love without paragon Now Serpidoro had after having given the chase to some vessels of pirates which he afterwards tooke in the Cilician Sea heard of the neighbouring nuptialls in Cyprus whither he thereupon retired with one sole Galley having sent the rest home with an intention to trie himselfe in Armes at the Tourney where finding beyond his expectation his endeer'd Cozen Ormondo they both resolved to maintaine the lists against all the adventurers of the jousts But this new amorous congresse set their braines a working on new deliberations Serpidoro causing upon Ormondo's scarce opening of his mouth his Galley to bee new-calk'd and rigg'd with giving speciall order that nothing should bee wanting her that might any way make her more usefull and serviceable to steed his friend Senesteo King of Cyprus and more than hee the Prince Ortomano his sonne enamoured of the qualities and faire disposition of Ormondo did him all imaginable honour not without repining though too late that it had not fallen to their lot to have had him insteede of Arbone now that they perceived him somewhat affectionately enclined to Arnelinda Love the fire of the minde being hardly smothered and therefore not unlike the elementall fire which if it flame not must needs smoake The Princesse assoone as Ormondo was parted from her summoned all her thoughts before the tribunall of her judgement the maine subject of her consideration in her case was the sole point of honour the arguments about which were great but all solved by the title of Matrimony For her father she imagined that he being discreete would not be displeased thereat not because children stolne away ease their fathers of their duty of caring or doing for them such being onely a shake-off excuse and advantage of base and servile-minded people but because the affinity with so great a King might steed him very much besides the having of so valorous a Prince for his sonne-in-law of whom hee might promise himselfe more than of the King of Pontus whose foole-hardy rashnesse could not but stirre up suspicion in him and in her feare and terrour A discourse wholly tending to the substance since shee could not light on any opposition touching any outward apparance feature or demeanour shee conceiting that no other man than Ormondo could ever make her happy that no other than he deserved the Epithet of handsome proper and well-carriaged that no face speech or behaviour could be esteeme-worthy or gracefull that either in aspect accent or manners any thing differed from his In briefe shee conceived that in him alone was comprehended all humane good wherein though shee indeed was not much deceived yet concludes that not for all that shee could not bee beguiled as for the most part are deceivable all such Matrimonies whose ends are venery and lust such not eiyng but where they like For pleasure being an enemy to the privation of it selfe abhorres the sight of the unlovely parts for not being constrain'd to loathe them and hath for feeding that its humour perpetually fixed on the lovely parts more eyes than Argos but is to the lothsome ones starke blinde Or if he hood-wink'd see any of them hee may then chafe and fret and perhaps perswade himselfe to bee mistaken but not have the power to disolve any part of his beloved object so as the thought there of either flies away like a bird or vanisheth like a spirit For her brother shee saw no
from the setting of Lucifer to the rising of Hesperus of sixteene Galleyes there now appearing none save the Royall of Pontus the Admirall of Cyprus being farre a poope of her and the rest heere one and there another six and eight miles short of her Good pastime had Serpidoro all that day in observing Arbon's folly marveiling that the triall hee had two dayes before made of his Galleyes swiftnesse had not by now taught him more wit since the very Gray-hounds cease their course when they see their prey so farre out-strippe them as they see no possibility of overtaking it And his ghing though they seemed to row but for their pleasure got notwithstanding ever more and more ground of their pursuers and then upon the breathing of a gentle North-east winde entring into the Channell betweene Creete and Caria in the Ciclads Laborinth leaving on the right hand Stefalea and on the left Terasia they sayled with some danger till they struck into Ecatea where they cast anchor having got out of Arbon's sight the first evening without seeing any more signe of him For all which Arnelinda could not yet thinke her selfe safe enough All this way steer'd they in a short time although Ormondo all this while fretted exceedingly at the necessity of their flight whilest the enemy being severed from his company might bee well fought withall and vanquished his ghing being even dead with over-labouring his Souldiers quite tired in releeving them and Arbon himselfe over and besides his native rashnesse being now long of the torture of his owne chafing fury more than ever voyd of judgement and discretion By alleadging which reasons he changed from his former determination earnestly importuned and oft entreated his wives assent who as earnestly of the other side disswaded and begg'd of him to forbeare Reposed themselves that they had one night they waying anchor steered away aloofe of the Arbon's right way for Pontus and theirs for Bisantium and thence towards Maronea the first place of Thrace where they abode till Serpidoro by advertizing the King Ciriandro his Father of their arrivall received commodious meanes for conducting them to Court as beseemed such Princes Faine would Ormondo have under one brought his Bride straight to Illirio for not incommodating his friend which the other would by no meanes suffer him to doe but tooke hold of this occasion of entertaining and honouring his friend at his home as hee had often wish'd for which courtesie it behov'd the other to accept as well for Arnelinda's sake who was now weary of the sea as also for the hope he had that his sojourne there would not prove unnecessary considering the probability of Arbon's hostile incursions into Ciriandros dominions the two kingdomes being not otherwise separated than by the Bosforum and by consequence neere enough to molest each other Ciriandro understanding how the case stood was nothing pleased therewith as foreseeing what must in its respect befall him yet omitted he not for all that the sending of Litters Horses Ladies and Knights to serve the Princes taking there with hall such order as was requisite for his Statesdefence And then came himselfe in person together with his Queene Siledc being Ormondo's owne Aunt and Eliante his Daughter to the foote of Mount Rodope to meete them whence he conducted them to Nicopoli and thence to Bisantium by when he was advertized that Arbone was preparing to passe over the Bosforum with an indifferent strong Army impatient of staying for asmuch as the necessary provisions requisite for such an enterprize In the meane space King Chronno Prince Ormondo's Father a Prince rigorously-just advertized of the case by the Queene of Thrace his sister by speedy messengers banisheth from his State his sonne for being married without his consent for the stealing away of anothers Bride and the injury done to two Kings his friends yet forbare he not for all that to furnish him abundantly with all things needfull by sending him as from his mother monies for him and Iewels for Arnelinda and for the warres a silent assent to the Nobility and expresse Commissions to the Milice to passe in small disordered squadrons over into Thrace So as the number of Cavaliers was sufficient not onely to finish that warre but even afterwards to conquer the greatest part of the knowne world Arbon's first enterprize was to ravage and runne over with his Army all betweene the Bosforum and the Hellespont sacking and then to Ciriandro's more dammage burning whatsoever hee lighted on and thence crost over the sea to besiege Bysantium Permitted hee was to land but to his fatall ruine for that war was ended by that one battell his forces being almost all of them there cut in pieces and himselfe taken prisoner by Ormondo who passing afterwards with his Illirians over into Pontus tooke all that kingdome and with it Bonarea and Arselia King Arbon's sisters whom together with their brother he delivered over to the hands of Ciriandro Mette in his returne was Ormondo with great triumphs by his endeer'd Cozen Serpidoro who eying Bonarea became suddenly enamoured of her an affect necessitating his cheering her up with tearmes and offers betweene courteous and amorous which was the occasion that made her soone lay aside all womanish desperations and so account her imprisonment the meanes and occasioner rather of her joy than discontent She appeased as well as shee could the raving fury of her more than furious brother whose liberty shee might as shee presumed have begg'd ransomlesse but that his precipitous nature could not abide the motioning of such a resolution his prison was neverthelesse large enough for he might goe where he listed over all the Castle So was he like wise in all other respects honoured and served more like a King than a prisoner Serpidoro this meane while communicating his love to his friend besought him to bethinke himselfe of some way of satisfying his desire for that hee doubted that his Father despising the condition of a prisoner-princesse would hardly assent to his choyce Vpon this Ormondo after having considered with himselfe the importancie of the businesse goes to Bonarea whom hee findes gladsomely enjoying the sweete company of Eliante and Arnelinda Taking her therefore apart he thus bespeakes her If I pretended sweete Madame to implore of your goodnesse any favour for my selfe I were then ill advised to come in my owne person with any hope to obtaine it for knowing that my having done you so many injuries cannot choose but give you just occasion to hate me But so the Gods love me all passed faults of mine in that behalfe are mecrely innocent errours whereof the first was of love ere ever I knew your brother the second of naturall defence wherein he through his ill fortune lost his liberty the third of warre by which I tooke from him his State and your noble personage more esteeme-worthy than either kingdome Crown or any thing else and this thought I fitte to acquaint you with Madame before
command her who though they came neere of taking them both napping yet he without losing any whit of his innate vivacity complaines to them that the Princesse making use of a maydens priviledge pretended her-selfe exempt from paying him any thing invoking with that justice the Gods and their assistance which he expressed with tearmes so pleasing that Deadora her selfe could not chuse but laugh thereat as well as the others But come that evening to entertaine her with his company as he was wont to doe the others being then by chance with the King shee thus bespeakes him Cozen you were telling me this morning something that I well understood not please you therefore to bee plaine with mee that I may know whether you be in jest or good earnest Madame answered hee with a Princesse of your condition and merit and by a person of my quality and one having withall such a relation to you as I have full ill becomes jesting in such a subject I was indeede borne very neere you in blood but your vertues tyed me yet neerer you in servitude and your beauty graces and merits with an indissoluble knot fast-bound me neerest you of all in love if loving you bee an offence then must the being your servant and Cozen be no lesse and if you judge me worthy of punishment then must you likewise judge that your vertues beauty and excelling parts deserve to be the first punished But I beseech you to beleeve peerelesse Madame that these though great occasions had not for all that made mee this day so bold as I was but that I knew that your nuptialls drew neere and that Erpandro now expects Ambassadours from his Father for effecting the Matrimony which if it stand with your good liking behold me then ready to serve you therein as I shall in all things else whilest I breathe If not then should I thinke my audacity to have beene necessary and as such worthy of both excuse and pardon Deadora who at first had determined with her selfe to act the disdainefull coy one pierced now through the heart with the very mention of that marriage replied Cozen your boldnesse is every way unexcuseable for I being long sithence married it is not for you to judge whether it be with my liking or not it behoving mee to subordinate my fancie to my Fathers liking who commands me And had you any such thought out of any charity to me-wards you should then have stripped your selfe of the interesse of your love to your selfe which adviseth mee not for my good but for his owne behoofe and such as perhaps too cannot well please mee My Brother and Vincireo who have not your ends have not that pity of mee a signe that your having it is more for your owne sake than mine therefore know I not whether or no I ought either to beleeve a person interessed as you are or make any account of your counsels But granting they were true and that I brook'd not such a husband me-thinkes then you that exposed the inconvenience should likewise propose me its remedy Well knew the warily-observant Gradamoro that the Princesse's words were not such as they sounded for and that for well understanding them it behoved him to make as though he understood them not wherefore as one pâ—â—â—tent for his presumption I will not Madame answered her he defend or excuse my over-boldnesse whilest I pretend both to confesse and crave pardon for it onely I beseech you that weighing the occasions that occasioned it you admit it to bee excuse-worthy Of your obedience to your Father I neither have nor meane to speake any disswasive word well affirme I that Fathers should be well-advised in their commands if they will not be disobeyed For sometimes out of their fatherly priviledge and authority they without thinking that they doe otherwise than well pitch upon such resolutions touching their children which they would not have done if they had but considered or foreseene their ensueable inconveniences Now for the selfe-good-tending ends or interesses that you accuse me of I am so farre from denying it that I openly confesse nay as it were proclaime it Why beleeve you sweet Madame that loves are other than interesses surely no love is even an interest or selfe-tending end of satisfying those affects in us but for whose being there wee should never be troubled with love so as when we love we in loving ever love first our owne affect and then that which it loves for its owne pleasure Therefore if you condemne mee for that then you can doe no lesse than condemne with mee both the World and Nature the later whereof having not the power to bee otherwise than such makes mee that I cannot chuse but love you whilst I cannot chuse but love mine owne inclination and affect which entirely loves you This said Gradamoro held his peace but seeing her make no answer hee thus proceeded Next for the counsell which you command mee to give you I should thinke any advice needlesse to such as meane not to follow it In which regard I should hold it expedient that you first resolve whether you will or will not have the Prince of Thrace whom if you please to like and accept for your husband it would be then but superstuous to discourse of what should be done But in case you will not have him Scarce had hee pronounced the last accent when they espyed comming running towards them the three Princes rejoycing that the King had told them that within foure moneths space he would have celebrated the nuptialls of his Daughter with Erpandro and had by letter signified so much to the King of Thrace to send Embassadours to that end and withall discoursed of the order he would have observed in the solemnities jousts and commanded Ladomonte to acquaint his sister with as much But hee was so discreete that taking on him to be glad whereas indeede hee was sorry for it he would not speake unto her a word thereof before their Cozens But taking occasion to conduct her to their Mothers Lodgings hee then perform'd his Embassie where with the Princesse stung with an envenom'd griefe thus bespeakes him My Lord and Brother you deliver me a message so crosse to my content as it drawes on me the greatest anguish and hearts-griefe that fortunes utmost spite can inflict on me I ought to obey my father t is true yet ought my father then give me such a husband as I abhorre not you are my brother and as being my onely one my onely hope in all adverse fortune I therefore conjure you to be my protector and a meanes for breaking off of this Marriage which ere ever I consent to I am resolved I here vow to you to dye a thousand deaths The Prince that tenderly loved her all-confused in minde thus answered her Deere Lady and deerest sister I never have nor meane to deny you any thing you aske of mee which any way tends to your behoofe or
Planet signing its circle a litle wide from the line of our Tropick Gradamoro had remov'd well neere all his family to his pavilions in the valley where they also were often wont to lodge so as it was easie for him to get them embarked unperceived of any leaving for his wardrope and stable their Officers whom he could not commodiously provide for in the valley Deadora's Bed-chamber-woman used constantly to enter very earely into her Chamber and softly opening the windowes for ingresse of the fresh morning ayre to returne to bed againe without awaking her That morning on the breake of day going to doe the same shee espyed the bed empty but then not beleeving her eyes shee for more assuring her of the truth felt with her hand but found her not for shee was not there yet gave shee not her selfe over for all that to scritches and cries because shee knew not what the matter might be Entred into the Closet whereof her Mistresse selfe was wont to keepe the key then wide open shee might there see wanting her Armes and sword Yet could shee not imagine how shee could clothe her selfe all her apparell being assoone as shee was stript of them usually carried into a back-withdrawing Chamber and not thence brought back againe till shee listed to cloathe her selfe which as shee stood musing on there came to her minde Vincireo's twice comming thither and carrying with him by a Page a Fardle involv'd in Taffata Sarcenet and that come to the Chamber he had taken it out of his hand to give it himselfe to the Princesse so as no body else knew what it was she now imagines they were mans cloathes but fixing a more observant eye on all the corners about her shee might espie on a litle by-table many letters sealed To the King the Queene and the Prince with the three severall Seales of Illirium Cyprus and Pontus By this certaine of the fact and terrified with the likelihood of her being suspected for a Complice shee would have fled if shee had knowne whither or how Till assured by her conscience and the improbability of her staying behinde them had shee beene such shee held it her best course to bring the Queene the letters The Maydes of honour marvayling that shee desired to speake with her at such an houre could not resolve to goe to disturbe her rest till upon her importuning them with solemne protestations they at length ventured to awake her Shee without speaking ever a word to her presented her the letters which the Queene knowing by the Seales all-amazed opened reading in that of her Daughter which was the first the resolution taken for which shee craved her humble pardon shewing her punctually the reasons that induced her to doe it Reading afterwards that of her Nephew and the other shee compressing her teares hies her to her husbands lodgings who intending to aske her what shee made there at so rathe an houre forbare his speech upon receit of the letters He first began to reade Deadora's but had not the patience to reade the reasons having read the resolution speake he would in all haste with the Gentlewoman of her Chamber but was never a whit more satisfied by her and what more could indeed by the strictest examinations or more diligent inquiry be learnt in it since their being fled and gone was the first and last newes of it A good while stood Ormondo in a muze as not used to bee transported with the sudden fury of any passion and then discreetly weighing the case with calling to minde how himselfe had done as much and considering withall that his Daughter had made a better choyce for her selfe with the time than he could have assigned her before the time he both pacified himselfe and consolated the Queene so as nothing else now troubled him save the injury done Serpidoro which he knew not how to make him amends for But calling to minde that hee alone was with him at stealing the Queene away he thereupon said Our Daughter and Nephewes wife have erred but yet we must beare with them since 't is impossible that they have not looked into our lives and that our example hath not emboldened them Here sending for Ladomonte he gave him his letters By this time amazement being past and reason return'd to its proper seate of residence the King was no whit displeased at the change of his sonne-in-law The Queene likewise was glad thereof and the Prince exceeding joyfull was by his Father commanded to acquaint therewith Erpandro who was like to grow wilde at it Hee ranne to the King and Queen and then finding no Galleyes ready in the Haven would have leapt into the Maine and swome to overtake the fled-away Vessell But that remembring-himselfe of the Galleyes that rode expecting him at Peloponcsus that riding-poaste he might get thither before Gradamoro be mounted on horse-back and ranne poaste thitherward night and day Arrived he sent one of them to Zacinthus to espie if the other were passed and was joyed at the heart when at her returne he understood that shee was with a long prospective-glasse descried to be so farre discoasted as a good sight not interposed by the curvity of the Globe might discerne and that shee would be more than a day a comming calculating the slow course shee had steer'd sithence the time of her setting out And that there was placed on the Iland of Cithera a Centry who upon her comming by night which for certaine would not be shee sayling not by night by the proportion of their account should give notice by fire and by day with smoake So as it behoved him to transport himselfe presently to Capo Melio for being there ready to assayle her Erpandro approv'd of that counsell and launching from out the Promontory at the smoake hee descried from Cithera met and fought with her with very bad successe For notwithstanding his advantage of so many Galleyes he was in his very owne by the Princesse her selfe fought withall beaten downe and taken prisoner whilst two of his Galleyes were burnt and the rest retired But drest and cured with all possible diligence visited consolated and opportunely perswaded to reason and patience by Vincirco he not onely grew to be pacified but also upon calling to minde the passages betweene their fathers no lesse considerately than discreetly conceiv'd he had no occasion to find himselfe agreev'd Whereupon licensing the Galleyes that made after to recover him hee wrote to his Father praying him not to be displeased for what had happened since he for his part would conserve himselfe in the ancient love and favour of his Cozens and be present at the solemnizing of the nuptialls judging himselfe fortunate to have missed the marrying a woman that lov'd him not especially considering his being withall confident that at his returne King Ormondo would not faile to give him insteed of this Cecromma the other Daughter Arrived in Cyprus they were received by the King with great joy and
Carildo become now trayterous disloyall a pander of dishonesty and instrument of his Mistresse's shame whom he imagined to bee so retired aside of purpose to wayte for to reconduct her from the polluted grove to the wicked cave th' abominable receptacle of infamy The with-love-re-inveigled Almadero had ever sithence Feredo's departure employed all his studie to gaine the love of the Princesse of Feacia which succeeded him so well that the litle love she bare to her old husband so accelerated her resolution that shee from a love became to bee a lover insomuch as upon his many times forbearing out of the respect due to the husband shee whom another sort of intelligence ruled over not caring for any such observances would oftentimes come to finde him out just as shee had done that day because that though he had beene the day before a-seeing of her yet had shee not for all that the opportunity of being with him as shee desired Taking now therefore an excuse to goe to her wonted devotions in the wood shee left to wayte for her returne at the entrance there of her servants and horses for having no spie over her actions the same had shee done whilst Feredo was there for having beene enamoured of him without being for all that able with all her devices ever to winne him to pitch neerer the lure of her desires than in the farre distant grove of rigid lovers that but through the suggestion of an imaginary birth of her conceit neither And now because shee had the day before made a match with Almadero to come thither at that houre they therefore in respect of his being there before to waite her comming met jumpe together retiring themselves after their first reciprocally-halfecloying each other with burning kisses into the thickest of the wood in a place there made commodious for their loves Carildo upon the appearing of the true Lucano knew Olmiro and Erinnio but not him so disfigured by his habit and long sicknesse which in case they had not the force to alter him yet had his new-come griefe power enough both to transforme and deforme him Hee therefore now doubted no more of Almadero's being Lucano seeing these three infallible witnesses instruments to his thinking of the most detestable and basest treachery that ever was heard of imagining that upon their landing in Ericusa hee fell to be enamoured of that woman and that forgetting his lawfull love he was now given over to unlawfull adulterous lust without caring any more for her to whose affection he was so highly obliged But that which the more argued the basenesse of his foule fault was the impudencie wherewith he carried it in taking on him that he knew him not for thinking to keepe by such base shifts his villanously-disloyall fact undiscovered Whereupon resolved to unmaske his knavery though hee died for it he bent his pace towards the three to see what they would say to him But by then Lucano unable longer to resist the violent agony of his griefe seized upon by an extreamely-shivering cold caus'd himselfe to be conveyed out of the wood so as the trees tooke him and his out of Carildo's sight who finding them gone from the place he had seene them wandered all over the wood to seeke them out imagining then that upon their espying him they were slipt away for feare of being discovered by him which made him so mad with anger as he would willingly have slain Olmiro Erinnio that third man and himselfe too Till finding that hee could not wreck his spite that way hee thought it his next best course to expect for the comming forth of the supposed Lucano and to affront him in the presence of his new Mistresse Yet considering his Lady and Mistresse her being and dwelling in her countrey a friendlesse and acquaintantlesse stranger subject to wrong without any defender he resolved to returne home acquaint her with the fact perswade her to hate him perpetually and to get her thence to some other place lesse griefesome and lesse odious Accordingly then Carildo returnes home all-enraged and appeares before the Princesse a quite-altered man from what he was wont to bee Hee now observes neither measure nor reason in his actions hee speakes never a word nor makes any answer to any question asked him hee lets fall out of his hand whatsoever hee handleth stumbles and trips wheresoever he puts his foot His eyes are heavy and sunke in 's head his browes lowring his countenance grim sowre and pale The Princesse takes notice of him and imagining this change could not spring but from some great and extraordinary occasion thus bespake him What 's the matter Carildo that thou art so changed hast thou any ill newes for me that thou canst not find in thy heart to impart me if thou hast I pray thee tell it me boldly for I am now become a soyle fitte for such seede Hast thou tell mee met with Olmiro yea sure thou hast since thou mak'st me no answer and with that fetching a deepe sigh shee spake on yea yea I well knew that it was not ordinary to raise up the dead againe otherwise than in a dreame But yet I pray thee Olmiro wherefore comes hee not neere me Because he 's a wicked villaine answered her Carildo Shee stricken to the heart with so harsh an epithete by her thought blasphemy held her peace whilest hee thus proceeded Madame your Highnesse must both know how the case stands and resolve couragiously to accomplish and doe what I dare advise you Corianna who was even dead to understand his meaning answered him Tell me it then a Gods name if thou wilt not that thy faint-heartednesse in discovering it should teach mee how unable I must bee to support it Madame said he then I beseech you to pardon me if I proceede preposterously in this businesse For before I acquaint you with what is done I must first tell you what is to be done Well doe as thou wilt so thou but tell mee answered shee Madame replied he be not I beseech you then offended if I make bold to tell you that what you ought to doe is never to love Lucano more Thou shallow-pated foole answered him shee then thou sure either dotest or art madde what must I love him no more because hee is dead yet if thou beest not starke madde then shew mee the reason for 't since thou well know'st how impossible a thing it is for mee to resolve of a thing so unjust explaine me therefore if thou canst any possibility or reason for me to doe so Mary so I soone will said hee so you but vouchsafe me the patience to heare it which I briefly thus deliver If Lucano were alive and lov'd not you but seeing the present state of life you leade and either detesting or slighting it were become enamoured of another woman and past his time with her would you then thinke and grant that impossibility merited the becomming possibility and unreasonablenesse
reason to love him no more This said hee stopt his speech which upon her not answering he thus continued I beseech your Highnesse to tell me if rather than to have Lucano dead you would bee contented to have him alive mistake me not not yours but a woman's whom he keepes and enjoyes before your face here in this Iland whilest you live like a serpent under ground for love and long of him and where because you could not dye with griefe you strive to kill your selfe with the rotting humidity and maligne exhalations of the dankish earth But be pleased I beseech you my Lady and Princesse whom I know to be discreet to tell me Is it not a strange thing that the Duke of Lucania who before was dead should be now risen againe to life who before a lover should be now a loather of his deservedly-beloved object and who formerly was a noble and loyall Gentleman should as for certaine hee now is become most perfidious and ungratefull Corianna become clay cold thereat had not the power to answer him the Dutchesse also with the Gentlewoman astonished at these strange newes stood mute like so many statues till shee her selfe at length having first dried her beteared cheekes thus said Lucano then is not dead but lives and yet is no more mine And is it possible that Lucania could bring forth and foster such cruelty and ingratitude No no the world will not beleeve it no more doe not I. Thou dream'st alack thou dream'st Carildo the constantly-good-gentle-carriage of Lucano is a cloth died in graine incapable of either spot or staine But hereupon Carildo's distinct relation of all he had seene taking for the right Lucano the true Almadero shee flung her selfe on the ground tearing her haire clothes and face and had doubtlesse kill'd her selfe in that passionate fury had not the discretion of her attendants hindered and crost that her so desperate intention Lucano on the otherside being by his loyally-loving servants conducted to the place where he landed and whither Carildo was wont to come to buy provision and to espie for the landing of any shipping was in a poore lodging provided of a poorer bed with small hope of life his griefe augmenting his feaver whilst his spirits hourely wasted Resolved then to dye he yet resolved first to be the death of the Knight that was the cause of his death Olmiro and Erinnio did by turnes the best they could to bring him out of the imminent desperation hee was in from which they could not thinke of a better or more powerfull diversion than the loathing of Corianna shewing him withall that in respect of loves being engendred by love the one should surcease to be upon the ceasing of the others beeing A correspondence in their judgement every way just for that if the hazarding ones life for any ones love was an effect not onely of affection but also of duty wherefore then since we have all of us reason to respect ever chiefly our owne good and to love our selves best should any man so love any one that loves him not as to hate himselfe to death with further telling him that amorous constancies were poeticall fables and if not that yet they could not be vertues their effects being vitious and against reason That that which was constantly to be liked and lov'd in a woman was constancie honesty modesty shamefastnesse and the like and not their opposites and unlike But Lucano arguing the case according to his passion returned them this answer My well-meaning friends the priviledge of men in health is to judge of sicknesses as they conceive of them and not according to the sicke mans paine Would not yee hold me for a madde man if I being well and you sick went about to perswade you that it is ill done to be sick and contrary to the reasons of loving a mans owne good and content with adding that your being sick makes your friends sorry disquiets your family and leades you the high-way to death and that therefore your best course were to bee well againe which if you please you may be Yet yee now perswade your selves that I can doe what I cannot thinkign that passions should bee ranked among things indifferent whereas indeede true love hath ever beene a supreame Commander and to this day exerciseth his Soveraignety not onely over reasonable men but also over reason itselfe how much more powerfully then must I needs bee tyrannized over by mine that hath beene already possessed of its sweetes and since in an examplelesse manner suspended from them by time and sufferings Thinke you that a thing so precious acquir'd with the hazard of my life and losse of my state and fortunes can be by me given over and resigned to another onely because my will and resolution you say should be to doe so You would perswade me to it out of charity to my selfe for sooth but I pray you tell me how can I expresse my selfe more charitable to my selfe than seeing a necessity of my death to dye quickly and willingly To love no more Corianna is unpossible for me nay more the meere instincts of love yet perswade mee shee is innocent and the Law wee live under enforces me to beleeve her such Againe that shee hates me I cannot beleeve nor yet dared yee tell me so Is shee having heard of my death obliged to languish perpetually Or doe the Lawes deny marriage to faire young orphan-widowes and in a plight so miserable as shee was in Corianna was borne to love me out of her voluntary noblenesse to cause mee to be slaine yea and slay mee too but innocently Corianna hath for my sake forsaken both Father and Countrey nay lived too like a worme under ground through my doings till occasion was offered her that a gentle Cavalier moved to compassion at her sufferings freed her thence and shee poore Lady was faine to accept of his courteous offer now that shee liv'd for loving me excluded and deprived both of Realme and honour Nor can I but acknowledge my selfe in some respect obliged to her Knight her new servant and am sorry that I cannot requite him since that Corianna being mine cannot be his too nor have two husbands at the same time living I therefore am necessitated to slay him with my owne hands or if he chance to kill me I shall then Heaven be my witnesse dye contentedly and dying wish him that felicity which my owne heart desired I should enjoy with my deere Corianna The disconsolated Princesse slept not all that night but spent it in bemoaning Lucano living as shee had before lamented him dead resolved the next morning to goe finde him out her selfe which because Carildo disswaded her from as both a thing unworthy of her and a subject of favour to Lucano and of triumph to the Princesse of Feacia shee bade him spare his speech and get her a few new-laid egges shee having not eaten any thing all the day before In
willingly spent her deerest blood to bee without being deceived the beguiled and betrayed one so he but lived Whence we may gather that there is not any affect either more inconstant in its operations or more contrary in its selfe than that of amorous jealousie Hatred and love are ever constantly the same the one neverthinkes of loving the other never descends as low as hating but when once jealousie enters then they confound themselves The lover knowes not which of them he were best pitch upon if he enjoyes the one he covets the other which gotten hee abhorres and returnes to the first againe hence proceeds that vicissitude or perpetuall motion of warre and peace in amorous affections The Dutchesse observing the language of the to her thinking Lucano though she imagined not that shee was mistaken yet discreetly conceiving shee had too much offended him she with a milder countenance thus bespake him Nephew if with my fortunes and the rest I had lost my wits and memory I might then doubt of knowing you though I have no reason to wonder that you know not me but should indeede marveile more that in all the time that wee lamented you dead our hiewes and faces were not altered and more yet that we are not over-growne with grasse insteed of skin and haire But for all this alteration is it possible that I am so disfigured as you know not the Dutchesse of Magna Grecia your own Aunt That you could know the Princesse my Mistresse sooner than mee is to mee a double wonder her griefes and sufferings having beene greater than mine and her beauty and youth more subject to change than my wrinkles and withered agednesse But since you say you know her I pray you then how came you to know her if you be not Lucano The Knight at these words peering in her face stood as immoveable as a stone upon his comprehending of this mistake Glad then of being disburthened of the great paine that the alteration of his beleeved Lady and beloved Mistresse had drawn on him he with a smiling countenance thus answered her For certaine Lady I may well be your servant and so I now offer you to be the being such depending on my choyce but bee your nephew for truth I cannot that being an office reserved to Nature I am sorry that the resemblance which I might have to that nephew of yours Lucano hath deceived you as the likenesse in favour of this noble Lady to the Princesse of Feacia hath beguiled me but now that mistake deludes mee no longer seeing that it is impossible that shee whom I so lately saw so well and in such perfect health could in so few houres lose both flesh and colour and now if there be any thing in me that may better satisfie you for the further cleering of your mistake behold me most ready and willing to obey you The Princesse who till then had her pale lips sealed up with silence become now but too certaine of the truth said unto him Worthy Sir there needs no other proofe the acting of such a deceitfull part cannot be expected from a person of your quality and for this Ladie 's using you discourteously shee was indeede perswaded shee might doe it out of the conceit shee had that shee spake to her Nephew and upon the supposed ground of a fault whereof he unfortunate Gentleman is so much the more innocent by how much his being reduced to earth and dust deprives him of the power of sinning with that word shee sinking downe her head swounded againe and became as cold as yce Almadero the sweetest dispositioned Knight living had much adoe to refraine weeping for meere pitty and seeing some of his servants not very farre off him hee call'd for water which came but too late with the accourse of all that were above to helpe her Faine would hee then have knowne who shee was but held it no good manners to aske it yet of the Dutchesse who was both confused in minde for him and busied about the Princesse but having already understood the story of Corianna he ranne with his imagination to the truth Vse therefore he did all the meanes he could imagine by entreaty and perswasion to have her carried up whereunto the Dutchesse assented yet she could by no meanes be perswaded to it but suddenly parted to avoide his importunity Whereupon Almadero would at least have her carried to her Barge for they had made him beleeve they had a Barge that attended them but shee would by no meanes agree to that neither being resolved rather to dye by the way than to let any one know where shee abode Carildo gone out of the cave as was told you came where Lucano was lodged where as before he ghessed he should he met with Olmiro Both of them grew pale and in vent of their spitefull ire each against other Carildo first thus reviles the other Is it thus that Princesses ought to bee served Olmiro Is this the faith thou owest such personages Is this the gratitude to thy Soveraigne Mistresse for so many favours To know that shee pines and dyes for newes from Lucano and yet both Lucano being alive and thou living with him leade a most dissolute course of life whilst shee unfortunate Lady lyes a dying Now fie for meere shame if you have no charity yet should yee me thinkes have so much modesty and respect injuring her with so much ingratitude and with so litle reason as yee have to doe so as to doe it at least so privately as shee know it not Olmiro who understood the matter otherwise thought these the most dissembling and counterfeit words that e're were uttered and Carildo the unworthiest man breathing which made him thus retort If thou had'st served the Princesse as loyally as I have done thou had'st not then brought herto that dishonest passe shee now through thy meanes is brought unto Wee have well seene that shee lyes not a-dying but for her greater content lives in thy presence accompanied with whom I know not save with whom shee listeth or lusteth after Wicked miscreant is this the care thou should'st have of a Princesse Is this the thankes thou givest Lucano's bounty Is this the duty due to his favour and merits Must he unfortunate Knight who was slaine and halfe-buried live again and being come hither for life finde here his death Me thinkes yee should at least have had the patience to expect my returne sithence if hee were alive as for his greater misfortune it is but too certaine that he is he would then take from you the occasion of falling into the errour you are in if dead then would there rest to her being so ridde of her husband the field honorably free to other loves whereas yee are now through your frantick impatience become inexcusable by becomming your selves the murtherers of that unfortunate innocent Knight Carildo the noblest-minded Squire living conceiting that Olmiro had for hiding his and Lucano's faults invented
oh doe it not my deere Corrideo death though timely will seize on thee but too soone which alas he should not in this the faire spring-time of thy youth and in the budding forth of its flowres before the taking of its fruite and ere it be either gathered or tasted Looke on thy deere Mother her love towards thee is no new affect and thinkest thou that thou canst satisfie her by dying the debts thou owest her living For my selfe I say nothing for if I desired that thou should'st live for my sake I should not then love thee but my selfe but I loving both thee and her ought to procure thy life for her sake and thine More he would have said but here ceased for having his royall spirits o'rewhelmed with a fatherly affection seconding as raine followes thunder his lamentation with teares My Soveraigne Lord answered him the Prince if one that already feeles the ravishing sweetes of a better life would follow the affections of this he were unworthy to enjoy them I never the Gods know meant to abandon you which if it bee conceived by any that I by dying leave you such a conceit argues not wisedome in the hatchers thereof your Majestie I am sure is not of that opinion This life is a race unequall in all men mine whatsoever one it be is ended I finde my selfe at the marke in my best strength and therefore since I have wonne the prize you have no reason to repine or be sorry for my gaine The young man and decrepit dotardare when they are once parted hence in an equall degree nor would my dying an old man doe me any more good in consideration of my present yeares since eternity admits of neither number nor time Indeede if I abandoned you for the interest of my owne sole advantage you then had reason to grieve for it but alas the arrest that is laid upon mee comes from a higher power your royall commandement extends not so farre no more than my possibility in the effect of serving you Therefore my dread Soveraigne the accusing me with the argument of my duty towards you and my Mothers love to me corrupts to me the divine sweets which I already relish with the bitternes of unsavory terrene affects which like sharpe thornes prick me but too-too much already on this my death-bed Now for those things which you proffer mee with putting me in minde of my Countrey and kingdome they alas are not to be parallel'd with those I aspire unto besides I were most unworthy if it lay in my power to live to live for any other end than to honour and serve you That I by dying corrupt the hopes conceived of me I in my judgement in so dying dye an happy man having in these few yeares of mine learn'd that actions contend with opinions of volubility and inconstancie so as although who so doth well digresseth not yet escapes he not for all that the censure of opinions which like meere shadowes and Chimera's of spirits runne along with our dayes and alter with our yeares Therefore my Royall Soveraigne if your perswading mee to live be to command me be then pleased I beseech you that I tell you that neither your authority nor my obedience hath so large an extent since the spirit for being the better choyce hath more prevailing arguments than the flesh For the rest behold here my Brother Almondo on whom my memory may together with the heritage be setled If you but looke well into him you shall have no occasion to grieve for want of me Be not I beseech you blinded with my lovely livelihood and prompt forwardnesse now done and past that nature which you see sweetly-grave in him goes on indeed a slower but a surer pace To you Madame it rests that I make knowne that in this my passing over into the other world there lies no greater rub in my way than my affection to you-wards as yet not transmuted but halfe-terrene and mingled with your motherly affects yet I hope that the Gods will hold me excused for its being an effect of pitty to one whom next them I owe most unto Madame my Liege Almondo I now goe hence let the memory of me be deere unto you which to the end I may part hence contented I pray you promise it me without grieving With that word hee offered to reach them his hand which as he began to raise up sunke downe againe he with that restoring his divinely-sweet spirit to him that had sent it him Such was the end of Prince Corideo which may serve for an example to who so aspires to gaine that which should be desired farre before any earthly thing The lamentation and moane made for him was exceeding great the King also being no more capable of consolation than the Queen although to comfort her he tooke on him to grieve lesse than indeede he did They are now retired into that Chappell there pointing with that towards the place with his finger whither our Father Guardian a Priest of much holinesse and profound learning is gone a litle while since to comfort them and I was just now a going thither to see and heare them If you therefore can dispence with my service I shall crave leave of you to goe on or if otherwise you be possest with the same curiosity as I am I will then so you be therewith pleased see you seated in a darke window whence you may unseene see all Vpon acceptation of this last courteous proffer they mount up where upon the opening of a doore leading from a privy chamber they discovered a litle Temple wherein upon large velvet cushions sate the King and Queene whose Royall aspect so discovered their dignities that their mourning-habit voyde of both pompe and ornament could not disguise their native greatnesse Shee being endued with a beauty so majestically-grave as might strike reverence into the stubbornest spirits and he bearing stamp't in his forehead the true caracters of a magnanimous and generous heart In the same instant entred the Priest who being made sit on a low stoole close by the Queene thus fram'd his speech Madame the Gods send me hither to be both your Physician and Embassadour with command to comfort you as an Embassadour and to cure your griefe as a Physician so you therefore bee but pleased to make a short pawse on your hitherto-just-teares I will the Gods willing accomplish both the one and the other The Queene lifting up her eyes and seeing stand before her a reverend old man who cloathed in a snow-white rayment made a shew of something more than humane dryed her beteared eyes but return'd him no answer for being at one and the same time to doe two as it were contrary offices which was to retaine her teares and give free way to her speech Whereupon hee as one long sithence acquainted with the nature of griefe without expecting any answer proceeded Madame I am glad that saving health begins already