upon the beautifull Podolian shee fancied that beeing watched now no more by that Dragon shee should have better opportunity to disclose her intentions and conduct them to the desired end The same Death raised Iphigenes to the degree of Palatine which is the highest step of honour amongst the Grandees of Polonia for the King requited his innocence with the inheritance of his unjust Adversaire's Authority Thus the Weights which seem to depresse the Palms do make them grow up higher Thus the Knife that cut 's the Vines maketh them flourish and is cause of their producing new Leaves whose Bredth and Beauty do efface the luster of the antient stock As great Tempests are preceded by little Winds which curl the smooth-faced Waters and make the Tree's Leaves tremble As many little stones do tumble from an House-top before the whole building falls And as extreme Sicknesses are fore-run bymany slight indispositions So in great Prince's Favorites the declining of their Fortune hath it's presages and although oftentimes they feel the Thunder-bolt before they see the Lightning yet to those that have but indifferent judgements it is easie to prejudicate that some sinister accident doth threaten them When Pamphlets Songs Advertisements Satyres Poems and Diffamatory Libells are dispersed abroad it is as when those white Birds are seen flying upon the Sea coast which are infalilible fore-runners of foulweather The beautifull Face of Iphigenes which betrayed and almost accused his Heart was the Rock whereon equally those that loved and those that hated him were Shipwrackt It 's strange that Hatred and Love should deduce their Origine from the same Principle That which ravished his Lovers made the Jealous burst with Spight and when some praised exceedingly those perfections which charmed so many Eyes the Envious would take occasion thence to blame him as being Effeminate But as Iniquity commonly stop 's its own Mouth and give 's it self the Lye the two incounters of Augustus and Stanislas shewed evidently enough the nullity os that reproach and compelled those that called Iphigenes a cowardly Paris to acknowledge that Hee was rather to be honoured as a brave Hippolytus who could joyn Valor with Beauty Some others who knew that hee had been Married very yong and that hee had not proceeded to Consummation and besides although the Ladies generally were inamored of him seeing that hee repayed their flames with such indifferency accused him of Impotency For Courtiers have that base quality not onely to make little esteem of Continency themselves but blame it in others Besides Envy is a False Glass which changeth the Face of Objects which makes the handsomest things seem ugly and chargeth Vertue with the same defects that render Vices blameable It is true Iphigenes the better to conceal what really hee was would sometimes play the Courtier amongst the Ladies taking pleasure to foster in their Brests a Disease whereunto hee was incapable of applying a remedy and perceiving that divers amongst them layed Snares to intrap his Liberty hee delighted in cutting them out Work and paying them in the same Coyn. What Jealousies Quips and petty Quarrels did hee raise amongst that Sex who are naturally inclined to Self-conceit and Envy Their hearts were all as Brimstone to the fire of his Eyes all as Heliotropes or Turn-sols to the Luster of his Presence For besides the advantage of being the King's Favorite which is the North-Star of those whose hearts are touched with the Loadstone of the Court hee was possessor of so many amiable qualities that as soon as hee fixed his Eyes upon any Lady shee presently imagined shee had caught him when hee had taken her and this Opinion raising her Fancy to the skies shee thought to triumph over all her Competitors and be Queen of the Bean although shee had no part of the Cake For Iphigenes changed his discourse so often and knew how to amuse them all with such dexterity that although hee loved none hee seemed to consume at every fire hee approached This gave Occasion to some malicious Spirits Jealous of his Glory to blast with their Satyricall invectives the blossome of his Reputation Whilest these snarling Curs who cannot bite Iphigenes do bark after him casting stones at him without discovering their Arms and making Libells flie about which the Authors durst not own but to their surest friends Others more dangerous like to the worm that eat 's into the Root of the green Ivie did set their wedges to the Root of his Fortune to make the Tree fall down and sturck their Pick axes into the Foundation to undermine the Edifice Hee that hath been an Homicide from the beginning hath in all times been busie in forging Calumnies and indeavoured to establish Lyes in the place of Truth Hee hath alwaies sowed Darnell amongst the good grain and mingled in the pure Gold of the most generous Actions the Rust and Skum of false Reports and Detraction The wheel of Fortune like the Potter's is in perpetuall Motion alwaies framing new Vessells sometimes of Ignominy sometimes of Honour and seem's to raise those on whom Shee confer's Dignities meerly to dash them in pieces by their fall as Eagles deal with Tortoises This fickle Step-dame constant in nothing but Inconstancy and who hath nothing certain but her Incertainty favoring the designs of the malicious Enemies of the innocent Iphigenes whom shee had till then been elevating to the highest point of her Circle suggested to their Envie the Invention if not to work his utter Ruine at least to make him bee discarded from the Court and so by a Disgrace to precipitate him down the hill of his declining Greatness Thus was their Plot which they so cunningly contrived that those who were surprised in the same snare never did perceive it Some Divellish Spirits by means of certain Women good workers of such wicked Stratagems buzzed into the Queen's ears Imaginations that ought not to enter into the thoughts of so discreet and so vertuous a Princess perswading her that the King in his friendship to Iphigenes by an Orientall Licentiousness did passe the terms of Honour and his Devoir This was to touch the Queen on the Apple of the Eye and wound her in the most sensible place about her Insomuch that as those Meats which most delight our appetites in health are the most loathsome to us being Sick so the very name of Iphigenes on whom shee looked so favorably beofre this false report hereupon became odious unto her and his presence insupportable The matchless Civilitie Modestie and chast Demeanure which formerly shee had with leisure remarked in this beautifull Youth vanished all in one moment out of her Mind and the place of Truth was presently usurped by false Reports and vain surmises How easie it is in a Woman's heart to supplant the Innocent They had a fairer game to play with the King For the familiarity and free access which Iphigenes had to the Queen and the other Ladies more than ever was permitted
it to a withered old Woman whom it is fitter for mee to reverence as a Mother than embrace as a Wife as if Love which proceed's from our own choice were the child of Duty At length said Mieslas who felt Choller gaining the ascendant over his Reason you will say so much that my Patience beeing too far tempted will turn to Fury and constrain mee to let you see by some violent effect how much this Language displease's me Sir replied Iphigenes my sorrow is so just and my resentments so legitimate that if I were not moved for this outrage done to my Wife I should be unworthy of the Name of Husband And of friend if I did not with all my power oppose the mischief intended to Liante The worst that can befall mee is to lose by your hands the Life which you have given me but to take away my honour and fidelity is beyond the power of Man Hereupon Mieslas beeing ready to burst with rage and thundering out no small Oaths said Wee shall see Gallant if Liante ever fall into my clutches how you will hinder mee from executing my will upon him As for Modestina her innocence move's mee to some pitty besides that her Sex protects her from my choller with the design shee hath of espousing a Monastick life when you are married to this other who is more worth then shee or you which resolution will make mee treat her with less rigour and for the present I am contented to send her back to the same Castle whence shee made her escape but her Guards must bee more carefull than they were before or else I will commit her to Aretuza's charge who will bee watchfull enough of her deportments and execute upon her as I shall command I see that hence forwards you will follow your own fancies and do but what you list But in believing your self take heed you be not counselled by a fool For such have onely a dear repentance for their Wages The Court hath taught you loosnesse which it seem's you reserved to put in practise untill you came into your Palatinate and beeing puff't up with his Majestie 's favour you take upon you Liberties against my will by withdrawing yourself from my subjection However I will have patience and making Vertue of Necessity I will forbear expecting the time to express my Resentments But if you resolve not to marry the Princess who doth you too much honour in desiring your alliance let Heaven never pardon mee if ever I pardon you Sir replied Iphigenes Wee are Men onely by Reason and Reason is manifested by your Words I am a Man of both and I will never recede from what I promised So that the conditions annexed to my promise be performed the one is my dispensation the other if shee will have mee in the condition I am I would to Heaven answered Mieslas that the first were as ready as the second For in the Passion wherewith shee is inflamed for you I know there is no exile so disgracefull no condition so miserable wherein shee would not esteem herself happy to injoy you And for my part I think her very unhappy in having placed her affection on a subject so full of ingratitude and who acknowledgeth so little her Love and Merit After much other discourse to the same effect they parted very little satisfied of each other Mieslas went to see the Princess to whom though hee dissembled hee could render no pleasing account which put her into such distemper as may bee imagined in a Woman of her Spirit haughty by reason of the nobleness of her extraction eminence of her dignity and the vastness of her Estate besides all which beeing inflamed with Love and yet who perceived through all these advantages her affections repayed with some kind of slight Not long after Iphigenes went to visit her But to repeat what passed in this interview were to fill these pages with Passions which are better concealed than published and more easily conjectured than rehearsed All that I can say in short was that the affection of Respicia made her act the part of an earnest Suiter who indeavour's by all sorts of perswasion to charm the inclination of his Mistress And the reservedness of Iphigenes made him seem like a Virgin whom Modesty obligeth to express a pure indifference to those that court her and an absolute refignation of her will to her Parents pleasure All that shee could obtain of him was a solemn protestation which hee often iterated to take her to Wife when hee was released from Modestina with this Proviso That Shee would accept of him for her Husband when hee should be in full liberty of disposing of himself Which clause was offensive to her Ears as revoking into doubt her constancy and the resolution which shee had taken to bequeath herself irrevocably to the beautifull Palatine Mean time shee languished almost to Death though neer her remedy and in the midst of so many occasions of delight as his splendid entertainment afforded her shee could not hinder her sighs from discovering by stealth her grief So having imprisoned herself within her Closet where shee had full Liberty of expressing her thoughts shee brake her perplexed Silence with this Complaint against THE INCONSTANCIE OF MEN. I Can no longer hide this tort'ring pain Soul wast thy self in Sighs disclose my smart And since my Passion 's answer'd with Disdain Let Iphigenes know Love broke my Heart Unfaithfull Iphigenes who did force Thee to make shew of so much fervent Love To mee when by I know not what remorse Th' effects a perfect contradiction prove But of such faithless Souls it is the use To make a purchase of our firm Desires And by false Oaths our credulous Hearts abuse And quench with Icie difrespects our Fires Yet why should I be troubled at his Change Since 't is the humour of all Men to vary Their Words are Wind their Fancies love to range And all their Faith is but Imaginary The Constancy which they so deeply vow Is but the paint of their inconstant Hearts And by their Levities too late wee know They glory in augmenting of our Smarts That there a Phenix is most People say But who her spicy Nest did ever see And if by the Effects wee censure may Such is my Idol's vow'd Fidelity VVhile shee is spending her Breath in Sighs and thirsting like Tantalus in the midst of pleasant Waters Let us go see how Boleslaüs hath discharged the Commission of his Embassie Beeing arrived where Liante by Order of the Palatine was concealed Father said the young Gentleman your appearance rejoiceth mee no less than Phebus doth the VVorld when hee chaseth away the shades wherewith the Night had covered the Face of the Earth This last Night I had the most extravagant Dream and which put mee in the greatest paine of any I can remember For mee thought that beeing escaped out of the clawes of those Harpies which I belaboured so handsomely in
it was easie to judge hee was as much in his Element at those recreations as hee was out of it when his Spirits were tormented with the thorns of the Grammer One time it hapned that complaining to his dear Brother-in-law of the oruell Martyrdome which hee was made to suffer at his Book and how he abhorred that long robe hee was compelled to wear gret drops of tears like so many Pearls ran down his face from the Orient of his Eyes This sight so mollified the tender heart of Iphigenes who was of a Sex that hath tears at command that mingling his with Liante's hee fell on his face and casting his arms about his neck hee gave him manie loving yet innocent embraces which Liante received with such motions of joy and sweet delight as surpass the tearms of any expression then with an incomparable harmlessness they interchanged some kisses wherein the malignitie of Nature put some difference by certain ardours which are not found in those that pass betwixt persons of the same sex both of them feeling themselves transported with a certain pleasure and ravishment whereof the Cause was yet unknown to them but which proceeded from the treachery of Love disguised under the appearance of Brotherly Friendship Boleslaüs Seeing that this intimacie increased more and more betwixt the two Brothers was afraid lest those Caresses and familiaritie should pass to such tearms as might discover to Iphigenes that of which through his industrie and vigilancie Hee was yet ignorant concerning himself Aretuza never saw them together without unspeakable heart-beatings trembling for shee thought her husband would never pardon her if hee should come to the knowledg of the deceipt whereby she had abused and amused him so long time Besides she feared lest Iphigenes honour might bee interessed through Ignorance though not Immodestie Insomuch by this perplexity of thoughts her Mind did feel no less convulsions and pangs than a Woman in travell endureth in her Body Whilest shee was in this trouble the Union of the two Brother's hearts grew to such a perfection that it seemed as if there had been but one Soul in their two Bodies the same No and the same Yea comming at the same instant out of their Mouths You could never see the one without the other if they were separated their parting was never without tears Modestina was already become in a manner nothing with Iphigenes in comparison of Liante and if shee had been of a jealous disposition shee had cause enough to believe that her Brother withdrew the affection of her sweet Husband from her but she imputed that rather to Childishness then any thing else imagining that assoon as Iphigenes was advanced somewhat more towards Man-hood she should easily turn the course of his inclinations Iphigenes in mean time having opened Liante's eyes for his Sister Clemencia was not contented to have put or to have begun to put the fire into his brest if he conveyed not all the flame into his Sister's heart to whom hee gave such a Character of the vertues gracefulness and perfections of his dear Liante that in short time that spark grew to so furious a blaze that it was neer reducing her to ashes Hee had so framed the way to her Mind that she was taken on a suddain according to the Nature of certain subtile fire which takes sooner and more fiercely in green wood than in drie and whose first burning is alwaies the most violent There was no comparison betwixt Clemeneia's passion and Liante's for hee possessed far more attractive qualities to make him bee beloved of her than shee had to captivate his liberty Nevertheless Love being an Appetite which tends to the production of it's like it is no wonder as a Torch that 's burning doth easily communicate it's light to one that 's out if Love first begets another Love in the heart beloved since to wish well doth almost of necessity challenge a reciprocall well-wishing The Paleness which soon took up its seat on Clementia's cheeks The looks messengers of her passions which sent glances as suppliants to Liante's eyes The delight shee seemed to receive in his coversation The regret shee felt for his absence The fear of discontenting him The desire of pleasing him and the exceeding contentment shee expressed in speaking of him All these prettie Lovesymptomes spake her somewhat more than Child and bringing her neer Woman-hood changed the libertie of her Innocence into a Bondage whose chains did seem so golden and so sweet to her that shee thought shee never had tasted anie felicitie but since the time shee had rendred her self a prey to the amiable Liante's charms This Passion passing through her ear into her heart being ingraven by the tongue of Iphigenes as with an instrument of flame in the profoundest of her thoughts devoured or consumed her so that shee was readie to die of the wound if her kind Brother who had kindled the fire had not applyed the remedie by assuring her of the reciprocall affection of him whom hee had perswaded her to love Liante being acquainted herewith by Iphigenes ingenious to hinder his own advantages began by the gate of his Interest to receive some inclinations for Clemencia conceiving that might bee a means for him to recover his Estate and procure Honours Afterwards seeing her so full of affection that her too-much loving cast her into a languishing for him hee answered her desires more out of Compassion than Passion or rather for Pittie than Affection for indeed shee had more sweetness in her dispositions to mollifie than Beautie in her face to attract the heart of the brave Liante But the Conduct of these Amoretta's required more judgement and discretion than the small experience of such tender years could promise They were to deceive so many eyes that pryed incessantly into their actions that it was too hard a task Love like a fire being difficult to be kept hid within the Bosom And yet if any one perceived the least of this inteligence all 's lost all these Designs will vanish into smoak all these Projects flie away with the wind Nevertheless Iphigenes had the dexteritie to manage this business with such circumspection Liante had learnt to counterfeit with such subtilitie and Clemencia assured of her Lover's mutuall flame could dissemble with so much constancie that sex having a great empire over themselves when there is a necessitie of feining that they practiced for a good while this commerce of Love without discovering but very weak sparkles of their fire What cannot this Passion do when it refineth and subtilizeth thus such young Souls Observe but how it brings to School again all the Prudence of hoarie heads Modestina and Clemencia had but one Governess but the two Brothers-in-law had severall Conducters in regard they were applyed to different exercises yet neither Liante's Master nor Perpetua perceived any thing of this secret correspondence betwixt Clemencia and the intended Clergie-Man so attentive was shee to
her both Wife and Mother could not endure to thik of losing the sight of her Angel like husband who was more the life of her Soul then her Soul the life of her Body To register her Sighs her Groans and her Tears were no more easie than to number the puffs of winde in Autumn the parching minutes of Summer and the drops of rain in Winter How Modest soever shee was in heart as well as by name her exceeding Love turning to Folly and that Folly into Rage and Despair made her commit Immodesties which could be excused by nothing but the qualities of Wife and Lover Iphigenes seeing her in this condition so deplorable that it seemed the stroak of Death had been more favourable to her than to see her self deprived of the light of his eyes and plunged in the darkness of the Eclipse of that detested Absence was touched with such tender resentments of sorrow that Hee had much ado by falling in a Traunce to keep himself from discovering that in his body there was a womanish weakness hidden under the habit of a Man But this affection of compassion was nothing in comparison of the torment which shee felt when shee came to think of her Separation from Liante For since shee had the knowledge of her self having put as it were a bar betwixt those familiarities and privacies with him that might have hurt or any way blemished her honour by this restriction her smart was become more painfull and the fire of her brest like that in a narrow fornace was rendred the more ardent the more it was supprest All her fear was that the ignorance of her Sex wherein Shee must leave Liante and the continuall presence of Clemencia in whose affection Shee had ingaged him with the help of her absence would ravish from her that heart which was the aym of all her pretentions the golden Fleece whereunto aspired her most desired Conquests Clemencia who remained at home with no less passion for Liante than Iphigenes carried with her to Court yet covered the Coals of her desire with the ashes of Discretion Silence was in an extream pain for the absence of her Brother in whom Shee lost a faithfull interpreter of her thoughts Yet promising her self to supply that want with the Pen which should serve to convey her conceptions to him and likewise his to her Shee was the less afflicted for his departure But the grief of the disconsolate Liante was not so easily pacified for feeling himself bound to Iphigenes with bonds which hee could not comprehend and such strong ones as could not bee broken hee did like the Cimmerians who cry and groan when the Sun leaves their Countrie as if theywere never to see it any more Hee felt his very bowells rend within him at this Seperation And as Rebecca who had so much desired to be a Mother repented her of her wish when She felt the pains that her two Children strugling together in her womb did make her suffer So Liante could almost have wished that hee had never seen nor loved Iphigenes since that sweet Friendship produced so cruel a torment And as those who are troubled with worms which ingender in the head or th' Entrails endure strange indispositions without knowing the cause that doth afflict them So this young Gentleman feeling that Viper Love which gnawed his heart under the appearance of Friendship did suffer a far more penetrating smart for his being parted from that beloved Object than any one is accustomed to feel for the absence of a friend For Friendship doth kindle in the Soule a fire more sober and moderate than Love whose flames are more fierce and painfull Was it not enough said hee within himselfe that wee were separated in conditions and exercises without dividing by such a distance those whose hearts are so united that they are as the Unitie it self To whom shall I have recourse hence-forwards in my discontents Who shall selace mee in my sadnesses Who shall support and revive my decayed hopes O my dear Brother you are my onely stay my second Soul the light of mine Eyes Absent from you I shall never see the day more without pain and the life if it may be called life that I shall lead will be a continuall punishment to mee Yet if I might bee but suffered to follow you I should esteem my self too happie but I am born under too unfortunate a Planet to be otherwise than persecuted to the extremitie by Disasters Would to God there were no other obstacle than my passlng over all the interest I pretend in my Father's Estate according to the covetous pretensions of Mieslas and that I might injoy the felicity but to wait on you as your servant Indeed I prefer the meanest condition about your person before all the riches of the Earth that sweet servitude before any Liberty O Mieslas why cannot you read my thoughts why can you not see my intentions I doe not think you so void of Humanity as to keep mee any longer in this tortune if you knew my heart These Complaints recall to my remembrance the fable of the contestation betwixt the Sun and Boreas which should first make the Traveller put off his Cloak at last the one did by the gentle heat of his rayes what the other could not accomplish with his impetuous blustering The Poets have reason to feine and their cozen-germans the Painters to picture Love naked since his Power is far more prevalent to make a man strip himself of his Estate than are Cruelty and Rigor But if I should stand to relate all the discourses of these young Lovers I should never get out of this Farewell To conclude they were torn by Violence out of each other's Arms and the streams that ran from all their Eyes did make a little Ocean of Tears yet this deluge could not drown all their Sorrows I could borrow some pensills of the Poets to give the Colours to this Departure were I not unwilling to retard the greedy curiosity of the Reader who desires to be speedily informed of the good and evill adventures of Iphigenes The second Book ARGUMENT The Character of Iphigenes His Reception at the Court His Favour with the King and Queen The Envie and unworthiness of Augustus the Lithuanian His Banishment from the Court The Princess Respicia's affection to Iphigenes Her Policie to obtein her Desires and dissolve the Marriage betwixt Iphigenes and Modestina Modestina's complaints against the Court-Ladie's unjust attempts to bereave her of her beloved Husband Mieslas's indeavours to perswade Iphigenes to repudiate Modestina in favour of the Princess Respicia's propositions Iphigenes's answer and deportment towards Respicia The Jealousie of Stanislas Palatine of Uratislau and his plot against Iphigenes IPHIGENES was no sooner arrived at the Court with an equipage suteable to the humour and quality of his Father but the Eyes of all the Courtiers and Ladies were fixt upon this new Sun which rising upon the Horizon of
that Climat filled it with the splendor of his Rayes casting such fiery glances and so penetrating a light that it was hard for any if not blind to avoid the scorching of his presence The Spring is not adorned with so many flowers nor Titan's glorious Orb with so many beams as hee displayed Beauties and attractive Graces All his Actions his looks his words his deportments his exercises were as many Charms that inchanted the hearts of all those that did contemplate him The attribute of Beautifull was presently given him by the common consent of both Gentlemen and Ladies and hee was usually called The beautifull Podolian To see him and to bee in love with him were two things that followed each other as the Lightning and Thunder are observed to do And those that knew him but by reputation only cherished his Memory for besides his dexteritie in those Exercifes which Courtiers hold for vertues as Singing Dancing Vaulting Managing a horse with activitie and a grace handling well his Arms and having a good Garb His Language was so smooth his Disposition so sweet his Compliments so indeering his Conversation so winning especially amongst the Ladies his Modestie so remarkable his Chastitie so extraordinarie in a Courtier his Discretion so exquisite his Courage so undaunted his Tongue so moderate his Gesture so well composed his Generosity so splendid his Liberality so magnificent such Decency in his apparell a Sternness in his Armour so sweetly fierce that it seemed as if Venus having taken possession of his Face and Mars of his Heart and the Ferocity of the one being tempered with the Gentleness of the other had both conspired to give him the Empire over all hearts either by Force or Love It cannot bee imagined what ravage his beautifull face made in the Ladie 's brests every one took him for an Angell descended from Heaven to set on fire all the daughters of Men and what was most of all admired was to see that this glorious Starre like the Sunne ingendred a thousand flames without having in himself or at least without making shew of any degree of heat giving what he had not that is Love There was during the winter which is extremely rigorous in Polonia a new disease so universally catching that hardly any body did escape its malignity it was called there the COKELVCHE And in regard there were very few Ladies at Court that had not particular inclinations for Iphigenes and that spake not of him in tearms of admiration a Wit of the Times called him the COKELVCHE of the Court. To this purpose a certain Lady said That to be in love with him was a thing indispensable Another answered a Gentleman that seemed to wonder at the so generall passions for this young Noble-man saying I believe you are either without Heart or Eyes Hee was the Rock where their minds suffered shipwrack few going with curiosity towards this Angelicall Object but returned with a wound or at least with some distemper How many young Ladies longed hee were their husband how many Fathers and Mothers desired him for their Son-in-law When it was known that Mieslas had already married him to Modestina what sorrow was exprest how many great and more advantageous matches were offred him which made the greedy Father oft repent his hastiness and he grew so proud to see his Son so well beloved and so highly esteemed that he swam in satisfaction And indeed hee that will fancy a most exquisite feminine beauty a delicate white complexion sweetly mixed with a lovely red lively and sparkling Eys hair like Silk and the rest of those attractions that accompany that perfection which an Antient called an agreeable Tyranny and all this at the age of fifteen or sixteen years under a man's habit who cannot have so little beauty but 't is much for that Sex will find nothing strange of all that hath been said Oh! how could I extend this History if I should ingage my Pen to the recitall of the several evenements that befell him upon this Account That specious form which seemed to have been given him expressly to ruinate the pudicity of the most determinate and severe preservers of their honour how many assaults and strange attempts did it make him suffer from those Ladies that thought him of a contrary Sex But I fear in publishing the impudence of those shameless Souls to call the bashfull blood into more modest Faces who cannot endure any thing I will not say of Dishonesty for I should disclaim my Pen if it were tainted with any impure Relation but only tending to wantonness The Wits of the Court whose invention is very pregnant in such occurrences know already more then I am able to imagine others that are more simple shall remain by my consent in the commendable ignorance of such malicious practices Whilest these inconsiderate Lovers try in vain to draw into their Nets him who hath caught their Hearts and who takes pleasure in seeing them burn like Flies at the Fire of his eyes Hee doth like those Engineers who cast their artificiall fires all about without receiving any dammage in their own persons or like those Fountaineers who shewing curious Water-works and Grotta's where a thousand little Pipes cast water on every side set themselves in some known place where they remain dry whilst every one else is wetted to the skin And as the secure Shepheards standing to feed their flocks upon some eminent Hills neer the Sea-side behold from those firm and solid heights the tossing and agitation of Ships beaten with stormy weather So did Hee contemplate in the weakness of those spirits so passionately enamored of him the imbecillity of a Sex which bred in him rather Pity than Envy and Compassion rather than Love It was not on that side that Hee feared being surprised his naturall impotency rendring him most potent to resist all those temptations On the other side the attractive graces display'd in the countenances of so many brave Cavaliers wherewith the Court was as glittering as the Heaven is with Stars in a cleer night moved him as little An honorable desire of glory and the preservation of his chastity being a powerfull bridle against the assaults and surprises of the Sense besides that his heart was so prepossest with love for Liante that there was no room left to place any other Object Moreover his humor was so averse to vice and riotous deboshing which hee saw was the continuall practice of dissolute companions that their excesses made him rather shun than follow them rather abhor the lewdness of their deportments than fancy the handsomness of their persons pitying rather than envying their conditions whereas on the contrary his vertue and handsomness were more envyed than pitied by them Yea for as the Cantharides those stinking and venemous Flies do not settle but upon the most delicate Flowers So those young Courtiers were grown mischievously jealous because this new comer with his eminent beauty accompanied with sweet
although that Face and that Speech represent to my Eyes and Ears my dear Iphis yet I am so taken with Serife that if you change not that habit I shall never change my Passion and hence-forwards farewell the thoughts of any Woman For though I would rather that the Earth should open under my Feet to swallow mee than give that Crime admittance into my Brest which cannot bee imagined much less named without horror Yet I may say with much truth that my Soul is so glued as it were to yours and your affection hath so penetrated my Heart that I love you above the love of Women This is to bee understood in the chastest manner conceivable For without Honour and Vertue no Vnion of Hearts can bear the sacred name of Friendship Otherwise the Societies of Theeves and Infamous persons would assume that glorious title which would be too great a Profanation Therefore dear Serife do mee the courtesie to perswade your self that I use no Dissembling in my Protestation of Service to you or in the Declaration which I make that your Idea banisheth out of my Fancy all other Images Insomuch that my Spirits are so taken up with your perfection that there is hardly any room within my self for my self They had continued longer in this discourse Calliante being no less ravished with Serife's agreeable presence than Serife with a secret glory to see that shee had reduced under her obedience a Captive the possession of whom was the greatest happiness her Ambition did pretend But that Boleslaüs who playing the Mirth-marrer at this Triumph put Water into this fuming Wine lest drunk with delight they should bee surprised and their own Felicity render them unfortunate interrupted them shewing the danger they ran of discovering their Stratagem if they were found together by those whom they had left in the Village who Infallibly would leave no place in the Forest unvisited to seek them out Heavens what sweet words did hee stop in their Mouths separating them in that moment wherein they were producing expressions whose rehearsall would have much imbellished these Pages But since Action doth better satisfie the Reader 's curiosity than Discoursing let us see what succeeded this new changing of habits which for an Iphis and Almeria hath brought us forth a Serife and a Calliante Calliante took a way by himself and Boleslaüs accompanyed Serife a contrary unto a Village not far from that where Celian lived where leaving her hee returned to seek Pomeran Argal and Pisides where hee had left them But hee found none but the three Sisters Merinda Belida and Remonda who looked like Pictures that had lost their Colour and Lustre with the light For being deprived of Almeria who was their Ornament and Splendour though the Object of their Envie they were like Fishes upon the dry ground When they saw Beleslaüs who they thought had been gone away with Iphis and Almeria they were in hopes of hearing some news of them from him But hee feigning to have run severall wayes to inquire after them without meeting any one that could informe him seemed to bee much amazed at their so sodain departure and to underfeel their censures hee made very Sinister judgements of their stealing thus away Then asking what was become of his Companions hee learnt that they were gone with the Swains a hunting partly to follow the track of the run-awaies partly to divert by that exercise the discontentment which they suffered by their absence Whereupon the old Man who by the priviledge of his age was more inclined to his repose than so much Coursing which debilitateth Hunts-men and makes them buy a little pleasure with much pain resolved to expect their return passing the time in discourse with Celian and his Daughters and observing carefully the motions of those Souls diversly passionate upon the subject of those Fugitives Celian lamented their absence out of sense of his own Interest having lost the profits which hee hoped to have gained by their presence the rest either moved with Affection or prioked with Jealousie and all floating in uncertainties manifested their Passions the more naturally the less capable their Clownishness did render them of those arts which the more polite Spirits do use to cover their weaknesses Already Titan's panting Sleeds hasting to refresh themselves in the Western Waves extended the shadow of the Mountains when on a sodaine a great noyse and winding of Horns from the thickest part of the Forest peirced their Ears intimating that a great Troop of Hunts-men with a no small pack of Hounds were making that way These were our disguised Courtiers and the perfect Clowns which had met in the Forest with Iphigenes's chief Ranger who to keep his Horses and his Hounds in breath had taken all the Palatines hunting Equipage to harbour a lusty Stag which hee had imprimed there But in regard this meeting was not unpleasant it will not bee impertinent to spend a little time in relating the manner This Stag which bore all his rights and whom Age had taught many wiles made so many doublings or turnings that hee put the subtlest and best-sented Hounds to a loss whilest the nimble footed beast taking advantage of their delayes hastned his Course towards a Pond whose desired Waters hee had no sooner perceived but hee plunged himself into the midst bathing his over-heated tongue in that refreshing Liquor which hee seemed to suck all into his thirsty Throat to quench the Fire that burned in his Stomack ingaging his whole Body covered with Sweat and Foam so far in the Water that nothing appeared but his Head couching his Horns upon his Back in the same manner as when hee used to swim Our Clowns having discovered him made him quickly leave that agreeable refreshment galling him with their Arrows but the Wounds were so slight that they hindred not his Flight which they were not able to follow being not so light-timbred as that swift Animal and hearing on the other side by the retorting of the Eccho's the confused noyle of the Hunts-men and the Cry of the Hounds they resolved to direct their steps that way to inform the Hunts-men of the fearfull Fugitive's retreat And in effect they found them so puzled to finde out the cunning turnings wherewith that subtle Beast had imbroyled his Strain that without their directions the Chase had been at an end But the pleasure was to see the Hunts-men take the Change as well as their Hounds For Pomeran Pisides and Argal being disguised and mingled without distinction with the Swains they were not known by Arcade nor any of his Companions So that passing all for Country-fellows the custome of Prince's and Noble men's Hunts-men especially in that Conntry being to domineer over the Peasants and force them by menaces rather than intreat them to bee assistant to them Pisides and Argal seeming to bee the nimblest and most dextrous of the Gang were commanded by the chief Hunts-man to goe with them to the Pond
loss of mine own but I beseech you to consider that all Passions are Precipitated all Precipitation is Blinde Blindness is incompatible with Reason What we do through the violence of that Motion is not judicious that which is without Judgement is subject to great Failings those Failings to remarkable Repentance You may do what you please it is my Duty to Obey you and move in the Sphear of your Authority You are past Child-hood now the yoak of Paternall power doth no longer press your neck take heed of imitating the Birds whom Love driveth into the Fowlers Nets and thence to Death or at least into Captivity The Servitude whereunto Marriage obligeth Ladies is not small those Devoirs will seem very strange to you and for a Pleasure which you esteem the more the less you know it you will purchase to your self much Pain Besides what will People say nay what will they not say if you discover your self and be Married in this manner You will lose all your Estate and Honours and you shall be sure to make your Father your Enemy who will pursue you with Fire and Sword your Mother will run the hazard of her Life and not beeing advertised of your proceedings shee will be so perplexed that the fear of Death will perchance make her anticipate the Vengeance of the rigorous Mieslas Clandestine Marriages whatsoever can be objected are alwayes suspicious and bear the Mark of Dishonesty in their Faces What will these Gentlemen think that are in your company At first it may be they will conceit that all this was done by Witchcraft but when Time shall have made appear that there is no other Magick than Naturall if they do not blame your Conduct it will be either for want of judgement or through excess of Friendship Consider moreover that if the secret which we have so long concealed should be disclosed in this manner you will render yourself the Fable of the whole World and the most infamous and dishonoured Creature under the Sun Whereas if moderating your Desires a little you will but follow my former Counsels which you were than pleased to relish and your Mother approved and which are conformable to your Affection and Design for Liante Fame will speak you not onely in Polonia but through the whole Universe the most admirable the most Honourable and the most triumphant Virgin that ever Nature framed the Mouths of Mortalls will not have Tongues sufficient nor their Tongues words nor their Words tearmes elegant enough to express the Greatness of your Name and represent the Splendor of that unspeakable Glory wherewith you shall be crowned and which will one day by the Pen of some eminent Historian convey your Esteem into the Memory of succeeding Ages Marriage Madam is a sacred and indissoluble bond which ought to be treated of with Grave and Serious deliberation not amongst these Facetious Recreations Those that contract Matrimony ought to proceed with great Circumspection and think upon the establishment of their Fortunes and the good of their Progeny rather than the satisfying of their Lusts If you do otherwise the Shadow is not so inseparable from the Body as Repentance will be from your Action And it is far more easie to prevent a Mischief than remedy it when it is hapned I am not against your beeing Married to Liante since from your Infancy it seem's that Heaven where Marriages are made hath destined you for him but I would advise you to deferr your Wedding and of blameable render it glorious of private publick hide not with shamefull obscurity that which ought to be illuminated with the clearest Light that ever produced Day What is but prolonged is not lost and my judgement can foresee no Cause what Venim soever envious Fortune spit's in Vertue 's face capable of hindering so just and so Legitimate an Effect which may Crown your Father's Heart with Satisfaction your Mother 's with Gladness the King with Contentment and the whole World with Wonder These words pronounced with a zealous sincerity conformable to the disposition of him that uttered them were as Water cast upon the Fire of that Passion as a Bridle to that Temptation which began to transport the Reason of the vertuous Serife And immediately a Vermillion colour the livery of Modesty over-spread her Cheeks not without some trickling tears which the vehemency of her distemper extorted from her Eyes Hee that hath ever observed the Pearls that Aurora sprinkle's upon red Roses may fancy something neer the countenance of that Lady scorched with Shame and watered with Tears Thence the prudent Boleslaüs gathered that her Heart was in no ill temper and that Honour gaving gained the victory of Love did render Reason triumphant over Passion At length with no less Sweetness and Modesty than hee had Compassion to see her in that Perplexity shee answered Be assured Father that this assault nor any other Heavens permitting shall ever make me forget my duty neither have I hitherto admitted any thing into my thoughts contrary to what a Virgin of Honour oweth to her Reputation and Vertue The End which I pretend is so Glorious that it is sufficient to justifie all the means I use to atchieve it But since your Prudence ripened by the advantage of Years and much experience make's you judge that the fruit of my desire is not yet come to maturity I will deferr the gathering it untill you shall think it time for mee to cast off my veile This said not to press any farther her Heart big with Sighs Boleslaüs having made his obeisance and wished her good rest left her to retire to his other Companions Then Serife seeing herself alone and thinking shee was unheard having opened the Flood gates of her Eyes and given Air to her sighs shee eased the burthen of her overswollen Heart by the utterance of these dolefull words Wretched Serife how long must thou like a miserable Sisyphus rowle this stone which is no sooner brought to the top of thy pretensions but by a fatall weight in spight of all thy Force and Industry it take's the advantage of the steep descent to precipitate thee into the bottom of Despair Shalt thou never see an end of this Labour no less Vnprofitable than Painfull Shall a clear Day dissipating the foggy Vapors which environ thee never shine upon thy Repose Is it then Registred in the Book of Fate that thou must consume in these comfortless Woods the most flourishing season of thy Years in the Presence but not to the knowledge of him who is the innocent and amiable Cause of thy sufferings must thou then spend and perchance end thy Dayes in these obscurities without informing him who thou art and of the true manner of thy Love Oh Liante Oh Calliante if you could read within my Heart the Torments which you make mee feele as you finde in my Face the subject of your own Disturbances I am confident you would bee moved with the same
of mee would bee acceptable to you It was to convey her out of Prison which I effected very fortunately having covered her with one of my Suits and having provided Horses in a convenient place not far thence I conducted her hither where shee commanded mee to take the habit wherein you see mee whilest shee went abroad to inquire after you And here was confirmed to her the newes which made her resolve to finde you out beeing pricked with Jealousie and the apprehension of losing you by a Passion which shee was informed possessed you for a Shepherdess in these Neighbouring Forests whom you were reported to have been resolved to marry But her ill fortune was at the arrivall of Mieslas to bee observed by some of his followers or yours and to bee taken by them for Liante by reason of her likeness to him in Face and her beeing in Man's cloaths Upon this mistake shee was apprehended by order from Mieslas and I hear that hee hath sent her back into Podolia to the same Castle where Liante was Prisoner But when shee is known I believe shee will bee sent where shee was before with her Governess Perpetua And I My Lord remain here destitute of all relief having no hope but in your Pity no confidence but in your Mercy If I have transgressed in serving her in her desires which proceeded onely from the extream and incomparable affection shee bears you I am ready to receive such punishment as you shall please to ordain If your more favourable censure judge mee not culpable I flie for refuge under your Protection against the fury of Mieslas who will make mee bee torne in pieces if hee come to know that I have contributed any thing to her escape For hee dreaded nothing so much as to see her with you Iphigenes seeing that Menochius ended there his Speech asked him if hee knew no farther news of Modestina No answered hee For fearing to discover my self I durst not inquire after any other particulars By this Discourse Iphigenes presently perceived what gave the rise to that Report which Arcade brought him into the Prison and the veile fell from those Enigma's which held his imagination in suspense But this was to him a falling out of the Frying-pan into the Fire for as his Passion for Liante was great so his Affection to Modestina was not ordinary and if hee would have desired to change his Sex it should have been meerly for her sake and to bee really her Husband none among all the Ladies hee had ever seen deserving more than Modestina to possess his Body as well as his Heart And indeed Iphigenes had lost much of the glory of his sweet Disposition if hee had done less than love Her who besides their long education together the conformity of their humours and the bond of their Souls came to give him so remarkeable an evidence of her Love exposing her person to so many perills to seek him enjoy the felicity of his Presence So Liante being already secured from his Father's rage all his care was bent towards Modestina as the Object which had most need of his succour and having dismissed Menochius after advising him to continue in that Woman's habit and stir little abroad untill Mieslas were returned to Court promising him his Protection and Assistance against whomsoever and in acknowledgement of the service which hee had rendred to Modestina hee filled his hand with a good summe of Gold as an earnest of the favours hee would do him assuring him in mean time to exempt him from Danger and Necessity Which done hee cast himself upon his Bed overwhelmed with such a multitude of thoughts that his Eye-lids were hardly closed all night For his Heart beeing divided betwixt Modestina and Liante and suspended like a piece of Iron between two Load-stones hee knew not which way to incline his resolution This restlesness of Mind denying repose to his Body hee sent very early in the Morning for Boleslaüs to take advice of that faithfull Councellour how hee should shape his course in that tempestuous occurrence Hee repeated in brief what Menochius had told him and the fear lest Modestina beeing discovered by his Father's bloudy instruments they to comply with his severity should murther her put his Heart into an unspeakeable perplexity To post presently to her relief had been to contradict what hee had made the Princess and his Father believe of his slender esteem of that Wife from whom hee seemed to them to desire nothing more than a separation Not to go and not to assist her in so urgent a necessity hee deemed an ingratitude not to bee digested by any generous Spirit On the other side beeing too well acquainted with the cruelty of Mieslas and the design hee had against Liante hee began to think that hee had not provided sufficiently for his safety keeping him so neer that inexorable Sarmatian And although Palatines who are incontrouleable in their own Governments have no authority in another's Dominion yet the quality of Father gave Mieslas I know not what priviledge in that of Plocens which Iphigenes would not have permitted to another Having communicated all these painfull imaginations to Boleslaüs hee answered My Lord it happen's oft-times that recreative sports are the presages and as I may say the Prologues of more serious occurrences It was your pleasure to make your's lately in the Forest and perchance it is the Heaven's Will now to act their part You made Liante bee covered with Woman's cloathes whilest his Sister made her escape in Man's and whilest you courted Him in that feined appearance Shee followed you in her disguise Hee love's you with perplexity because hee think's you are a Man and Shee is jealous of you not imagining that you are a Woman You personated Modestina in the Woods while shee represented Liante at Plocens your Friends were deceived in you and your Father in her Observe how all these passages are linked to each other It was not without the particular providence of Heaven that wee escaped the affronts which those irritated Clowns would have made us suffer and I beseech the Powers above to continue us the same grace and draw us out of the Labyrinths wherein I foresee that wee are likely to bee involved Indeed it would require the thred of a greater Prudence than mine to conduct us safely forth But since you do mee the honour to believe mee my fidelity having been approved by you I can do no less than persevere in assisting you till Death with my Head Hands Advice and Life All the remedies you can now apply to Modestina will bee too late For since her beeing apprehended shee is infallibly either Dead or re-inclosed in her Prison besides by going in Person or sending to rescue her you would discover a Meaning contrary to what you have professed in Words to your Father and the Princess which would bee very prejudiciall to a person of your condition who never ought to
worth they cleare discern By teaching Virtues they can Virtues learn Shew young and old the Male the Female state Their Wills their Actions how to regulate Here Wisdome Valour Chastity discreet Comportment true Civilities strong sweet Rules for each Fortune in varieties Of Friends and Foes Noble Fidelities Their parts with such perswasive Graces act That they best Eyes and Hearts of France attract These Hee whose Love is my lov'd Ornament With equall Grace to England doth present That so in English minds his gen'rous Skill Those Virtues and their Habits might instill Though Hee to us this glorious Theater Of Pleasure and of Profit but transfer His Work with so Victorious Art is wrought The Dignity thereof exceeds thy Thought Yet Muse although I grant you are too weak Of all with a due Elogy to speak You with assurance of applause may say WRIGHT writes best English as best French BELLAY John Chapperline To his Friend the STATIONER on the publishing the Famous Romance CALLED THE INNOCENT IMPOSTOR T Will be expected now that I should raise Some Monument unto the Author's prayse The Work 's or the Translatour's else I feare The Reader'll wonder what I do make here T is grown Apocryphall And by the Wits Quite voted down Who hold it not be fits A true-borne Fancy to be Smithfield-wise Put off with Toll and Vouchers This defyes Such Crutches for 't is of so cleare a Nature T will passe without the Chaplins Imprimatur Or our Certificates Besides I carry Such a dislike to all things Customary I 'le cheate all Expectation and will be Thankfull to them but chiefly unto Thee In these Selfe-ended times we only do Or thank or praise those wee 're beholding to So call our Justice Charity and say We do bestow when we do only pay For though the worke be rare yet should it be Still in its Dress what had it been to me And though Translated by this worthy Pen If not exposed to the view of men I had ne're seen 't perhaps But since all three Have Clubb'd in this Production I must be Gratefull to all and to give all your right Must Prayse and Love and thank Bellay Dod Wright ALEX. BROME Vpon BELLEY'S IPHIGENES better'd into English by the Ingenious Pen of His Dear Brother Major WRIGHT I Need not injure Truth to Blazon thee Wer 't in my pow'r with Wit 's false Heraldrie For but to give thee all thy due would swell Too high and turne the Reader Infidell I 'le onely tell him hee 'll finde nothing here But what is Manly Modest Rich and Cleare No Dropsi'd-Monster-words all sweet and cleane As the smooth Cheeke of bashfull Iphigene Who as thy Pen has made her woo'd and wooe Might passe for Venus and Adonis too Thy melting Language big with nought but sense Delight and Wonder equally dispense Thy words fall from Thee like an April Shower Whose every fruitfull drop awakes a Flower Serpent and Dove first gently greet and kisse Then lend each other their best qualities Contract a conjugall alliance whence Springs thy Impostor's cunning Innocence Such rooted sweetnes growes in every part As if wise Nature taught thee all thy Art But why all this to thee may Criticks say Since what begin's the Page confesse Belley T is true wee owe the ground to him to thee Are Debtours for the rich Imbroiderie And t is but just the World should constru't so Rare Titian here copy'd from Angelo Ro. Loveday To my Learned and Judicious Friend Major WRIGHT Upon this Select Piece Intituled NATURE'S PARADOX Or The INNOCENT IMPOSTER DEar Friend I prize Thee high but now I 'le swear Th' art Metamorphoz'd to an Usurer A Paradox indeed I meane of Tongues Where Art 's the Scribe the Creditors Our Lungs Yet such a one that though the Increment Amount at least to Three times Eight per Cent. Maugre the Act which limits it to Six Wee 'l Plead no Forfeit nor Re-pay with Tricks The Reason's this Thy Treasure 's Beaten Gold Nor Wash'd nor Clipt but truly weight and told Th' Inscription Signall Learning Judgement Wit Not simply GOD WITH US but GOD WITH It Wherein there 's no IMPOSTURE no Offence But what concludes in Soveraigne INNOCENCE Nor do'st thou Covet or Extort at all Wee gaine by th' Use as well as Principall Why then an Usurer Because indeed Like unto Him Th' art alwayes Pleading Need A Need of Languages and yet I 'm sure Th' hast Conquered more than the Grand Signiour The Gulph of Venice Bounds that Monarch's Hand Thou gett'st where e're Thou go'st by Sea or Land The Spanish French Polonian and Dutch Italian Irish Welch and Hungry-Scotch Crow'd all within Thee many more beside I doubt ev'n Babell save the Bricks and Pride Learn but the Language of the Starres and then Th' ast both the Languages of Gods and Men. G. WHARTON NATURE'S PARADOX OR THE INNOCENT IMPOSTOR The First Booke ARGUMENT The manner of Government in the Kingdome of Polonia The Death of Rosuald Palatine of Podolia and his Wife Liante and Modestina their Children made Wards to Mieslas who succeeded Rosuald in the Palatinate Aretuza Wife to Mieslas Her Policie to deceive his Crueltie The Birth and manner of Education of Iphigenes His Marriage to Modestina Iphigenes endeavours to contract an Alliance betwixt his Sister Clemencia and Liante Iphigenes is made to understand his own condition by his Mother and Governour Boleslaus His love turn'd from Modestina to Liante His sorrow for having indeared Liante so much to Clemencia His departure from Podolia to the Court. THe Inhabitants of the Kingdome of Polonia do commonly give their Monark the style of the KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS Not that they are so prophane as by too execrable a Blasphemie to ravish that eminent quality from him that beareth it ingraven on the blade of his Almighty Justice who disposeth at his will of the Souls of Princes and who is terrible above all the Kings of the Earth But by reason of the form of Government in that Country which is ballanced with somuch Aristocraticall temperature that it seemes their King is Sovereign only by the benefit of Inventarie as it is tearmed For whereas other Kings are extreamly absolute and have an uncontrouleable Power over the bodies lives and estates of their Subjects disposing of them at their wills and pleasure which is but according to the institution of Royalty determined by Gods own Sacred Mouth and couched in express tearms in the holy Scripture It is nothing so amongst the Sarmatians so were the People of Polonia called where the Sea of Monarchie hath its bounds and what storm soever rises in their King's heart what impetuous Surges or motions of Passion soever agitate his breast hee cannot in any proceedings exceed those limits that are prescribed to his Authority by the Power of his States The opinion of that antient Emperor who said That properly to be a Sovereign was to do whatsoever hee lifted is of no
two lovely Creatures who like the twin kids in the Canticles did feed among the Lillies Hee that would be scandalized to see two hen-doves join their bills the union of the blooming Rose with the Morning dew or the beams of the Sun when he licks the Chrystall of the Waters might knit his brow at this innocent conjunction and exercise the malicious severity of his peevish melancholly like a snaile that sullieth with is slimy train the delightfull enamell of the most curious flowers If the agreeable Iphigenes bare much Love to his no less loving wife Nature by waies as secret as unknown to him bred in him as much affection towards his brother in-law Liante and although his sullen and discontented humor rendred him very unsociable and by consequent less amiable it cannot be said how hee delighted in his conversation how much hee endeavoured to divert him On the other side Liante who looked upon Iphigenes not as his Sister's Husband but as his enemie's Son as the usurper of his Fortunes and one whose greatness was established upon him ruines Notwithstanding all these thoughts whereby hee excited himself to Choller and Hatred like a Lyon that whets his fury by scourging his sides with his own tail could not conceive any aversion against him whether the sweetness of his disposition charmed him whether his kindness his complements and his compliance to his humor won his heart whether his beauty joyned with his gracefull deportment ravished him or whether which is most probable the Sense bent his inclinations naturally towards this Object for reasons which I had rather leave to conjecture than consign to this writing Hee could not choose but love Iphigenes although in appearance hee seemed much remiss and rather sensible of his injuries than susceptible of affection This cold reservedness increased Iphigenes heat according to the disposition of that sex who are commonly most passionate for those who do care least for them insomuch that the more Linate seemed to sight him the more hee redoubled his affection and courtesies as if hee had undertaken by the vigour of an ardent flame to dissolve the Isicles that environed his frozen Heart At first Liante whom Melanchollie had made mistrustfull fancied that those marks of friendship were but feined and proceeded from some artificiall Counsell or Plot to make him consent willingly to the donation of his Estate in favour of his Sister Modestina's marriage But having perceived by the perseverance that pur Inclination not Interest or Pretensions moved Iphigenes to affect him Hee opened his heart more to him complaining of the Rigour and Injustice of Mieslas who forced him to embrace a vocation whereunto hee was no way disposed This just discontent found in the soul of Iphigenes an humour so sweetly compassionate that although in all his discourse hee observed the respect which hee owed his Father yet hee freely condemned his violence protesting to Linate what design soever Mieslas had in marrying him with Modestina that hee would never take of his inheritance any other Portion than what hee would please to give his Sister judging it very unreasonable that a younger Sister should not only make as she listed a Portion for her elder and only Brother but deprive him absolutely of his Patrimony in obedience to a superior Power that would carry all away by main force That if the condition of an Ecclesiastick was not conformable to his humour there was a possibility to satisfie him and content likewise the greedy pretensions of the Palatine by making a double alliance and giving to him in marriage his Sister Clemencia with so much of the Estate as belonged to him by his Father's death being more willing for his own part to live a private Gentleman remitting his Fortune to his personall valour and the point of his Sword reserving to himself only Hope which was Alexander's portion than to possess unjustly another's means with continuall Remorses and internall Reproaches These Reasons so conquered Liante's heart that thence-forwards all his affections hee thought too little for Iphigenes whom hee began to consider as his Redeemer as one who breaking his Iron bonds was to release him out of the hands of Pharaoh and free him from the house of Bondage Covetousness is a disease which reigns but little among young unexperienced People who think as the Proverb goes that the World will never be at an end with them The desire of pleasures liberty and vanity torments them infinitely more All that opposes this Torrent seems to turn the course of their Nature and reduce them to despair This made Liante building an entire confidence on his Brother-in-law Iphigenes declare unto him that the Regret which undermined him and led him insensibly to the grave was not so much for the loss of his Estate which hee esteemed well bestowed seeing it fell into so beloved hands as to see himself bound up in a Cassock and ingaged in a manner of life which denyed him the use of Arms whereunto his inclination called him and whither all his Ambition tended for War was his Element where hee would rather choose to meet an honorable death then lead a sweet plentifull and peaceable life in the most rich and eminent Dignities of the Church to the honors whereof hee never would pretend not perceiving himself called thereunto like Aaron that is by a good and Royall way Brother replyed Iphigenes take courage suffer not Melanchollie to or'e-master or distemper you preserve your self for generous enterprises If you have a mind to take wing and leave this nest of sluggishness I have no less desire than you to seek in Militarie adventures the Laurells that grow in Mars ' s field therefore let 's goe together let 's steale away some favourable Night and enter into the harvest of glorie in those places where Cowards dare not appear These words revived the afflicted Liante who was so overcome by the inevitable charms of Iphigenes's Countenance and Conversation that hee could live no more without him being in his absence like a Marigold when the Sun hath left its Horizon For as that flower doth close its leaves when it is deprived of the aspect of that glorious Planet so Liante when seperated from Iphigenes was overwhelmed with sadness in such sort that Hee seemed to bee rather a fensless Statue than a living Creature Oh how it grieved him to bee divided in his exercises from him to whom his heart was so united by inclination To bee called to his studie was death to him but if for divertisement his Master permitted him to see the riding of the great Horse fencing dancing vaulting and other exercises which Iphigenes learned with as much care on his Parent 's part as dexteritie and aptness on his own hee applyed his Spirits with such attention to them that for a good while after hee could think on nothing else if hee handled a foile hee did it with such a grace if hee Jumped it was with such activeness that
hinder Iphigenes and Modestina's private communication and so handsomly did Liante with his ordinarie sadness hide from his Over-seer his affectionate pretensions Only Boleslaüs who watching like a Dragon that never shuts his eyes to preserve the secret of Iphigenes observed that the great familiarity 'twixt him and Liante put in evident danger of beeing revealed all the Mysterie which hee had till then concealed with so much care and fearing lest Liante rather than Modestina should discover what kind of man Iphigenes was had a serious conference thereupon with Aretuza who jumping with his opinion thought it most expedient to single out Iphigenes and declare unto her all the passages of her birth and education to the end that seeing her self obliged under pain of losing her life which punishment shee could not escape by discovering her self no more than Aretuza to keep this secret and so to demean her self that living with the libertie of Males Shee might no way blemish the honour of her sex Necessity which is a very harsh Mistres made them embrace his resolution and it was no sooner concluded than put in execution To tell you the astonishment that seized Iphigenes at the recitall of his own storie would bee too difficult an enterprise Hee thought that hee either dreamt or was inchanted and hardly could give credit to his ears and eyes The joy that the Maydens had or might have received being transformed into Men as some Histories make mention may make us conceive some shadow of that sadness which struck Iphigenes heart when hee saw himself fallen from that degree of glorie whereunto hee fancied the condition of being a Man might have raised him Hee could hardly refrain from falling out with those that had unseeled his eyes with the Medicine of their advertisement and who had dispossessed him like Trasimenes cured of his follie of that sweet errour which contented him Hee apprehended to be reduced to that almost servile Subjection of the female Sex having by Custome made Nature of the libertie which Men enjoy What shall this Amazon change her Sword and Lance for a Needle and a Distaff shall shee leave so many noble Exercises wherein her generous Spirit took such pleasure to sit constantly in a Chamber tricking up her self and consulting with her looking-glasses how to ensnare inflame lover ' s hearts What in stead of having the Empire and command over Men shall she be reformed to the submission and obedience that is the only portion and propertie of Women No such a resolution is less supportable than death Having been bred the beginning of her daies like a Man shee will end them like a Souldier and seek in the bed of Honor an heroick Death since shee hath lost the hope of a happy life But this resolution is too extream there 's a remedie for every thing but dying Aretuza flattered and as a Mother conjured her shee-Son not to disclose himself Boleslaüs to second her beseeched him to have pittie on his gray hairs and not to hasten his journie to the grave by paying with too unworthy an ingratitude his faithfull services representing that upon him who had been the Manager and Concealer of that Deceipt Mieslas would chiefly discharge the burthen of his furie if that Mysterie should come to his knowledg Moreover that the advertisement they gave him was not to oblige him to change neither manner of life nor habit or to leave the exercises of Chivalrie wherein his Courage and Activity gained the admiration of everie one But quite contrarie they desired him to continue them with more eagerness and to feine himself to bee a Man the more the less hee knew it That Time might produce some expedient means to gain his father's heart wihtout hazarding the lives of so manie persons and in stead of Modestina who could not bee his wife by reason of those obstacles which nature had interposed hee might lawfully injoy Liante as a Husband so that some one of their Children bare the Name and Arms of Mieslas whereby his intention would not bee altogether frustrated in the Alliance which hee projected with the house of Rosuald Judg how great the advnatages of Love are above the Sense of Friendship This last Clause which ingendred some Hope in Iphigenes to see herself united by marriage to the beloved Liante effaced almost in an instant that incomparable sorrow that dejected her at first seeing her self fallen from a quality so honourable and advnatagious as that of Man Insomuch that immediately changing the Love shee bare Modestina into a pure Friendship and the entire Friendship shee had contracted with Liante into a fervent Love but vertuous since that it justified it self by the design of a chast Matrimony shee personated a Man better then ever betook her self to her Military execises again with more eagerness looking upon Liante with other eyes than of a Brother-in-law Shee treated him with more reservedness deducting somewhat from the liberty of a Man to add to the moderation of a Virgin to whom Pudicity ought to be more precious than Life O how much did shee repent her possessing Clemencia with so much Love for Liante whereby shee had made her Sister her Rival and kindled a fire which shee ought rather to have quencht and which thence-forwards shee promised her self to smother by all the industrie her invention could suggest As for Modestina whose friendship obliged her to a reciprocall affection shee feined to be more passionate for her than ever and the better to act the Husband Shee made a shew of desiring with much ardour the possession of her wife being by that time neer fifteen years of age Perpetua wrote to Mieslas then at Court that shee should be constreined to suffer what shee could no longer hinder and that if Iphigenes would make use of Modestina as her Husband Modestina had no less desire to serve him as his Wife Mieslas who had desired nothing more than the accomplishment of that marriage out of an odd fantasticall humor would not consent to the Consummation but delayed it from day to day untill his return into Podolia But being not able to obtein leave from the King who finding him very fit for the managing great affairs had every day some new imployment for him Hee bethought himself to send for his Son to the Court which is the Theater of young Nobility where hee would present him to the King and make him appear according to his quality This Command somewhat troubled Aretuza at the first but Boleslaüs quickly perswaded her to condescend to that which shee could not oppose promising her to watch so carefully over the deportments of his Nursling that shee should receive neither reproach nor discontentment This news was diversly received among our yuong Lovers all their four hearts did feele at the same instant very different assualts For Modestina pressed with the just impatiences of a marriageable Virgin that expects till the maturity of a too-tender husband makes
Tears are cast such speaking looks Yet all these artificiall affectations were Vainly employed by this Princess to conquer or inveagle Iphigenes whose Heart was no less susceptible of these flames than his Body was capable of those legititimate Embraces to which shee did aspire However Iphigenes did very much esteem her person but it was in that manner as hee could and ought not as shee desired This cautelous Student in Love's Politicks had learned particularly by Mieslas the depth of whose thoughts shee had sounded by her sugred speeches that the marriage of Iphigenes with Modestina was not consummated Whereupon shee contrived a Plot that will make appear the subtilty of a Wit refined by that Passion which puts Invention into the simplest and most blockish brains Shee who had a conceit that Marriage consisted only in the use of the Bodies never considering that the Union of the Hearts and the consentment of the Wills are the materialls whereof if formed the Essence of Matrimony flattered her self that shee should easily disannull or untie that knot betwixt Iphigenes and Modestina and put her self in Modestina's place But fearing lest a repulse should make her the fable of the Court and expose her to the people's scorn shee thought best to bring her Daughter into play and propose her to Mieslas for Iphigenes with such advantages as were neither in the Fortune nor person of Modestina This Daughter of her's named Simphoroza was yet very young but did promise in the Aurora of her age great perfections of Beauty at her Noon The Palatine of Podolia who devoured in his greedy thoughts all those high proffers of the Princess Respicia believing that Rosuald's Estate would however be intirely his own by making Liante imbrace an Ecclesiastick life and giving some slight Dowry to Modestina was easily induced to hearken to her propositions considering besides the great fortune shee promised to make her Daughter the splendor of so Noble an Allaince But this cunning Mother ' s designe was only to substitute her self in her Daughter ' s place who was yet nothing neer Marriageable and to supply with the luster of her Gold and immense Estate what shee wanted in Beauty or was superabundant in Years Thus the Father was gained which seemed no small advancement to our Pretendant ' s intentions every one being apt to believe easily what they do desire But the difficulty ws in obteining the Son's consent who being advertised of this Design by Mieslas and knowing in his Soule that hee was no less unfit to bee Simphoreza's Husband than Modestina's not to multiply his deceipts rejected the propositions feining scruples of Conscience much passion for his wife and giving Mieslas to understand that hee had proceeded further in the terms of Marriage with Modestina then hee imagined The rigorous Podolian who had in a manner ingaged his word to the Princess thinking to finde more obedience in his Son's spirit was ready to burst into a furious fit of Choller at this resistance but considering that Iphigenes by his favour had all the power with the King hee reteined the impetuosity of his passion giving testimony enough however of his displeasure by the alterations of his Countenance Notwithstanding this refusall Respicia gave not over her pursuite feining like a good Mother to bee passionate for the advancement of her Children for whom shee could procure nothing more advantageus than the Alliance with Favour mean time it was her own interest made her act with so much solicitude According to the nature of her Sexe which never ceaseth asking untill they atchieve their end shee prayed pursued pressed in time out of time leaving no means unattempted and it was partly her perswasion that made the Prince Cassin her Son render such devoirs to Iphigenes which made him worthy of his friendship wherein hee succeeded as is already mentioned Thus did this crafty Spider spread her Web to insnare the beautifull Adolescent and make her self wife to him of whom shee might have been the Mother Shee had such a hand over Cassin that this young Prince at her instance used all the arguments his Invention could suggest to induce Iphigenes to marry his Sister to whom for quality Modestina was not comparable But Iphigenes had the skill to divert his discourse with such modesty and dexterity that without giving him any occasion of distast hee amused his expectation and by little and little made him relinquish that thought which hee esteemed unjust It is an opinion that Batteries made Crosse-wise are the most destructive Respicia raised her's in this manner and as if shee had been desirous to sink all her house which was one of the most opulent of Polonia into the family of Mieslas shee offered him to give her Dauther to his Son and her Son to his Daugher Clemencia and so make but one of both their Families which the Palatine dazled at the splendour of so much honour imbraced with both hands not perceiving the hook that was hidden under this bait Mean time Respicia covered so dexterously her Love under the mask of Ambition that whilest shee was called a carefull and loving Mother shee aymed at another Mark. Her importunities together with the oppressing instances of Mieslas did shrewdly tempt the patience of Iphigenes who against all these assaults had no other defence than the rampier of the Fidelity which hee owed which hee had sworn to his wife Modestina to whom being pressed with these agonies Hee wrote such passionate letters that the most affectionate of Lovers could not express his imaginations in a style more Patheticall Which kindled such a fire in the bowels of this Maiden Spouse that the too much sense of Love deprived her of all sense You may add to that Love the Fear which is insepirable from those who fervently do affect and the Apprehension of losing by Change that which is more pretious than Life For shee knew by the mouth of Fame which hath a thousand tongues and by letters from Iphigenes own hand that hee was the common object of the Eyes and Hearts of all the Court Ladies which bred a torment in her Miad inconceivable by any Soul that hath not experimented the just and incomparable affections that possess'd her heart A thousand times shee was in the mind to go to Court to her Husband and say to all her Rivalls What do you hee is intirely mine as I am solely his Your pretensions are too unjust to find any access into his brest who is nothing but Fidelity who feeds amongst the Lillies of Purity and the Roses of Honour Your attractions are too slight to move so constant a Spirit Your Passions bee they fein'd or reall are but weak Vapours before the Sun of his Reason Why then with too licentious a desire do you indeavour to purloin a treasure that belongs peculiarly to mee withdraw your fond affections banish those no less Vain than unanswerable pretensions from your thoughts for Iphigenes hath ingaged his
faith to mee by the indissolvable tyes of a most sacred Hymen Thus did this loving Spouse entertain her troubled mind but Shame opposing her Design if there can bee any shame in the legitimate desires of a chast wife or rather the impossibiity of disengaging her self from under Aretuza's wing and the strict guard of the too severe Perpetua made her seek in Patience the common Remedy of all her discontents How often did shee please her fancy with the imagination of transvesting her self and by the help of a Man ' s disguise deceiving the eyes of those that watched her deportments to convey her self into the Court to her beloved Iphigenes But that Honour whereof shee was so Jealous did choak this Resolution at its birth considering that such an Equipage would not only make her the discourse of inconsiderate Censurers but in stead of rendring her Husband a testimony of her Love might perhaps attract upon her Innocence his Dislike At length not to do any thing unbeseeming her quality shee resolved to hearken to Modesty and let Discretion prevail over all those Surges of Passion Shee comforted her self with her letters from Iphigenes the words in every line whereof were as many protestations of Constancy and new oaths of Fidelity The severall vertues shee had remarked in her dear Husband were as many Proofs and those Proofs as many Assurances of his invariable Purity whereupon shee reposed all her thoughts And these thoughts which often made her sequester her self into sad unfrequented places were her most delicious recreations The shade of woods the coolness of Gardens and the agreeable murmuring of Fountains fomented in her brest that humour which nourished it self with the dear remembrance of her adored Husband's perfections And if such were the resentments of this Turtle being separated from the presence of her mate Think not that Iphigenes felt any less discomfort amongst all his greatnesses which hee would willingly have shared to his dear Friend and Wife or to have rendred the contentment perfect have injoyed in their presence His affection to Modestina and the Love hee bare Liante never suffered him to take any rest notwithstanding the multitude of Felicities wherewith the King's favour had in a manner overwhelmed him Thus in this world wee can have nothing perfect Those whom wee do many times imagine seeing them born up by the wings of the Wind of a Prince's favour to Swim in an Ocean of Delights do find amongst the agreeable flowers of Pleasure some secret prickle of Sorrow which marreth the harmony of their Prosperity Of so many Objects whereunto the Court did invite Iphigenes to affix his affections hee saw as few that hee deemed worthy of the application of his thoughts as Hee who looked for a Man with a candle at mid-day amongst a great Assembly in a publick place Whether the want of Freedome and Vertue which is great amongst Courtiers made him meet with a scarcity of friends in that multitude which environed him or whether which is very probable the first impressions of affection had so seasoned the new Vessell of his Heart that here was no possibility of making it take any other tincture or tast than that which hee had relished in the conversation of Modestina and Liante the sweet Objects of his education and most tender years His Disposition being of an excellent temperature and his Heart no coveter of Wealth Avarice and Vanity which are the two Bonds the two Charms and as I may say the two poisoned Tets of the Court-favour had very little interest in his Soul And Voluptuousness which according to the saying of an antient Orator hath no place of abode in the Kingdom of Vertue could find no access in his Body too Honest not to bee Continent No wonder then if the fetters of the Court though made of Gold and pretious Stones were irksome unto him and the sincere chaste and true affection which hee bore those two absent Objects of his Love made him in the midst of so many pleasures languish with the desire of their presence The passionate resentments of his Soul for this detested Separation He feelingly exprest in severall letters to Modestina and Liante which they interchangeably communicated to each other according to the permission of their Overseers in order to Iphigenes particular injunction who at his departure from them did earnestly intreat Liante to take as intended to him the affectionate letters hee should write to his Sister protesting that the Friendship hee did bear him was no less tender nor less ardent than his Love to Modestina as may easily be believed by one that knows the reason whereof Liante as yet was ignorant One day Modestina and her Brother having been allarmed by letters from the faithfull Iphigenes with the Princess Respicia's design of breaking their Marriage and giving him her Daughter to wife whereunto hee had been Sollicited by Mieslas whom shee had gained But that hee had rejected their propositions choosing rather to lose his life than his Loyalty Hee received letters from them full of complaints and stinging resentments of Jealousie Modestina feining to fear or fearing in effect that the rare Beauties and great Honors whereof the Court is the Element would in time ravish from her the Mind as well as the Body of her Iphigenes And Liante writing that the acquaintance of great Ones would perchance make him not value the friendship of meaner Persons in which rank hee placed himself Whereunto a Reply was speedily dispatcht which conteining large expressions of a holy and reall affection comforted a little those two tender hearts which languished one for her Husband the other for his sincere Friend But why do I say comforted I should rather say that it caused the same effect in the sorrow of their Privation as water in a Smith ' s forge being cast upon burning coals whose heat it doth increase Or as those hot drops of raine extorted by the Sun during the ardors of Summer which rather Scald than Wet Indeed if wee measured their discontents for his absence with the satisfaction they would have received by the presence and possession of Iphigenes wee might judge of its extremity However not to give Iphigenes any occasion to bee afflicted at their suspitions they made him understand by Letters how great a confidence they had in his promise and constancy acknowedging that those honours which are accustomed to change the dispositions of weak and vulgar Souls are below the thoughts of them that place their honour in their Faith and who are not Reeds of the Desart in unconstancy but Pillars of the Temple of Stability By this reciprocall intelligence of Letters these three loving Hearts mainteined the harmony of their concord that served for Oyl to nourish the Lamp of their mutuall affection Mean time Iphigenes blessed with the dew of Heaven and Earth was the true Child of Increase and the Nursling of Fortune Fortune in him seeming to have lost those two qualities of
Blinde and being an Enemy to Vertue since shee knew so worthily and so abundantly to acknowledge his Merit The greatest secret to gain Fortune is to be Just to abstein from Evill and do Good for it is with Justice as with Wisdom all sorts of felicity do attend her The same success doth not accompany those who by oblique and undirect wayes do seek to accomplish their pretensions in imitation of Ships who having but a bare quarter wind do laveer and turn severall wayes before they can arrive at their intended Port. The Princess Respicia being stung with that Wasp that rob's Minds of repose sollicited Mieslas without intermission to press Iphigenes to the rupture of his non consummated Marriage and become Spouse to her Daughter Simphoroza Which proposition jumped with the Father's disposition being equally greedy after her Wealth and Honour especially the Prince Cassin likewise promising to marry Clemencia As for this last Marriage Iphigenes's consent was easily obteined thereunto nay more hee desired it might be accomplished to draw that thorn out of his foot I mean that point of Jealousie which sticking at his Heart did cause him to fear lest Liante should bee so deeply ingaged in Clemencia's Love that Hee should not be able to conquer his inclinations when the time for his Revelation and Metamorphosis should be expired But for the other hee labored all hee could to hinder it alleadging his Faith given the Honour of his Word his Affection to Modestina and the Obligations hee had to the fervency of her Love whom hee would have them esteem as his Wife All this Mieslas after the manner of great Persons who use to make and unmake Marriages according to their Interests called Superstitious and frivolous Scruples telling his Son by way of reproach that hee was too Religious for a Courtier and too strict an observer of his word for a Favortie At least sayd hee Do not oppose the advancement of your Sister's Fortune by your too fond inclinations for Modestina whereupon Iphigenes sodainly replying promised That hee would contribute the utmost of his endeavours to further the Match between the Prince Cassin and his Sister Clementia and to that effect hee became a frequent Visiter of Respicia who did express such extraordinary kindness in her receptions that Iphigenes might easily have perceived the full scope of her thoughts and whereunto did tend those Nets which shee prepared for him For producing her Daughter before him rather loaden than deck't with Jewells besides her Youth being yet Infantine in a manner an Age that hath neither Beauty nor Ugliness her design was to induce him to make a Change and catch him in her own Trap by attracting his looks upon her self But Iphigenes being what hee was ran no danger of being intangled in such Snares this Bait and Line were not proper for that Fish Love how blind soever hee is esteemed hath Linxe's Eyes which penetrate to the very thoughts Stanislas Palatine of Vratislaü being a Widower in the strength of his Age and having no other issue than an onely Daughter had cast his Eyes upon the Princess Respicia as the Party of all the Court most suitable to his quality Shee through a vanity common to all Women who take a pride in seeing themselves Observed Courted and Adored admitted of his Visits and by a tacite consentment approved of his Suite in not rejecting it For yong Widdows that suffer Men to accost them that give ear to their offers of Service and their protestations of Fidelity do seem as Mistresses of their Motions to give these Suiters some hold upon their liberty or at least to foment a hope in them that their Vows shall not be displeasing This Noble-man holding Respicia for his Mistress was not well satisfied to see her visited by our Favorite whose glory dazled all the World and effaced the luster of the most Eminent persons But his displeasure was redoubled when hee perceived by Respicia's actions and countenance that shee participated of the Court-vertigo for this fair Podolian At last hee grew beyond all temper having intelligence of the Marriage which was projected betwixt the Prince Cassin and Clementia for hee Marrying the Mother intended to match his Daughter to her Son and by their double Alliance to draw the Princesse's vast estate into his own hands But when hee heard of the advantages that were offered to Iphigenes if hee would take to Wife the Princesse's Daughter Simphoroza this raised so furious a disorder in his Mind that hee believed the Favour would ruine all his pretentions if hee did not speedily rid his Hands of the Favorite Already Respicia had no more any Eyes to see him no Mouth to speak to him no reception for his Visits hee perceived nothing in her Actions but a cold Reservedness in her Countenance Disdain at his arrivall Sadness at his departure Joy apparent signs of his being in disgrace if hee prevent it not all his hoes are vanished Ambition kindled his Love Love suscitated Jealousie Jealousie hatched Despair and Despair precipitated him into such a rage as made him espouse the wickedest of resolutions to Sacrifice to his Revenge the Innocent blood of him who thought nothing less than to supplant him in the Princess Respicia's Favour The Third Book ARGUMENT The Combate betwixt Stanislas and Iphigenes Stanislas killed by Iphigenes The manner of his Death The Palatinate of Uratislau given by the King to Iphignes The Envy of the Courtiers and their plots against Iphigenes The King made jealous of the Queen Shee no lesS umbragious of him and both for Iphigenes Iphigenes by the King's command is difmiss'd the Court His generous deportment in this Disgrace Perpetua having discovered the intelligence betwixt Liante and Clemencia advertiseth Aretuza and Mieslas Liante made close Prisoner by express command from Mieslas Iphigenes obtein's leave of the King to pass through Podolia into his Palatinate under pretence of seeing his Mother and taking his Wife Modestina with him Mieslas having indeavored in vain to disswade him command's Modestina to be imprisoned and strictly garded in one of his strongest Castles The King 's and Queen's deportments when Iphigenes came to take leave of them His speches to them at his departure The manner of his retiring from the Court The Princess Respicia having followed him into Podolia presses Mieslas to make him repudiate Modestina in favour of her Daughter Simphoroza His Evasions ONe Day Stanislas attended by divers Gentlemen besides his ordinary Train on Horse-back after the Polonian manner met Iphigenes accompanied like a Favorite And it being in a publick place where the Noble-men used to take their pleasures Hee accosted him desiring that Hee might speak two or three words to him in private Iphigenes who for Courtesie had not his equall through the whole Universe presently left his company and being retired some little distance Stanislas said to him in a fierce arrogant manner That hee porceived hee had a design to establish a
length make it known Perpetua sleeping in security as for Modestina's part by reason of Iphigenes's absence applied all her care to observe the deportments of Clemencia in whom like a subtile Matron having perceived either by her Complexion in her Eyes or her Actions the Tokens of an Heart distemper'd and taken with some Object like a cunning Hound shee followed the sent so close that in short time shee found where the Hare had made her Form and discovered on which side Clemencia's Pulse did beat The more knowledges hee gained of this secret intelligence 'twixt her and Liante the more shee feined ignorance like Fishers who let their Angles loose the better to draw the Fishes to them or drive them genlty into the Leaps there to make prey of them Or like Fowlers who seem to go away when they would have the Birds come into their Nets Indeed how witty and inventive soever young heads are it is hard for them to deceive old People for if their Bodies be decayed with Age their Spirits beeing refined by Experience do lead the others to the School of Prudence In a word this old Governess was too quick-sighted for our young Lovers Shee like an Owle could see by Night that is in the most obscure corners of their retreats Shee understood the Language of their Looks Shee could Divine the meaning of their Hearts Shee clearly saw the complacency of their conversations whether in the House sitting alone in the Gardens walking in the Fields or in company Shee perceived that Modestina was likewise of their intelligence and that Shee contributed what shee could to the unity of these two Hearts for the contentment of her Brother whom Iphigenes had recommended to her above all things Alas with a quite other intention But that which made this Lynx penetrate into the depth of this Mystery was the discovery which the restless old Ferret made of a private place where our young Lovers were accustmed to put their Letters and so interchange their correspondence without beeing perceived by any This crafty Female finding them perused them and then put them into their place again for they had no other seal than a little band of Silk in regard they were to pass through no third hand the secrecy of the place suffised to keep them close Although Perpetua found by a long file of circumstances that there was nothing but what was chast and honest in their pretensions since all their designs did aym at that great Sacrament whose sacred end doth in some manner justifie all the wayes that do conduct to the accomplishment of it yet knowing the design of Mieslas which was to make Liante espouse an Ecclesiastick like thereby to draw al the Estate to Iphigenes by the right of his Wife Modestina and besides being advertised of the Match which was in agittion at Court betwixt the Prince Cassin and Clemencia Shee thought it no less than her duty to acquaint Aretuza with the secret affections of her Daughter and Liante to the end they might be cropt in the Bud and that such remedies might bee applied as should bee thought most convenient Aretuza who had other thoughts in her mind knowing that Iphigenes according to the hopes shee her self had given him pretended to Liante with a more than ordinary passion was glad of this advice and being desirous to break this intelligence to preserve Liante for Iphigenes Shee forthwith gave Mieslas notice as also did Perpetua Mieslas who was Rigour and Barbarism it self commanded immediately to separate those two Lovers as if Hearts could as easily be dis-joyned as Bodies that Liante should be kept so close Prisoner in one of his Castles with onely his Tutor and such Servants as were requisite that hee might have no possibility of continuing his correspondence with Clemencia whom hee had promised to the Prince Cassin and the Princess Respicia and would have the Marriage concluded with all expedition This command was no soner received but executed and to the end the Process might be made by Evidences that could not be denied Perpetua like an hungry Kite wheeling too fro having pryed out the Cabinet where Clemencia kept the Papers shee received from Liante one day shee fell upon it and finding the Nest full of young ones shee seized on them with her greedy claws Liante was the Father and Clemencia the Mother of them since as Hens do their Chickens shee kept them under the shelter of her Wings The loss of those dear Pledges of Affection was resented by Clemencia with such sorrow as you may imagine a vertuous Virgin would conceive beeing surprised in that manner Liante's Tutour having received instructions from Perpetua did the like to his Pupill which cast him into such a perplexity as no words an express And to heap up the measure of his sorrow hee saw himself debarred of the presence of Her whose sweet Disposition and Fidelity Hee had more reason to love than Her beauty whereof Nature had been but sparing to her and not onely that but confined to a Prison which was no less odious to him than the cause of his imprisonment was unjust Iphigenes received intelligence of all these passages from Aretuza who knew that if this rigorous treatment did dislike him in one respect it would be pleasing to him on the other since it did put an obstacle to that Alliance which might have been prejudicall to his design But Iphigenes who was grown so Rich and so Great that the advantage of Rosuald's Inheritance was nothing considerable to him and who loved Liante with a Love of perfect Friendship that is with an affection so free from Interests that it aymed at no other end than the good of the person beloved though glad on the one side to see that Mieslas so played his Game as to stop the current of Liante's and Clemencia's corresondence was much grieved on the other for the captivity of his dear Brother-in-law whose liberty hee resolved to procure some way or other though to the hazard of his own contentment This was the occasion that before hee went into his own Palatinate of Vratislaü hee demanded leave of His Majesty to go first into Podolia under pretence of taking his Wife along with him into his Government which request was so reasonable that there was no Probability of its beeing subject to a Deniall Mieslas knowing of his Son's Design to go into Podolia and fearing amongst divers other things the Consummation of his Marriage with Modestina which hee had least reason of all to apprehend and lest by the importunities of his Wife Hee should be constrained to give Liante his liberty and not onely that but also to confirm the Match betwixt him and Clemencia as hee had formerly seemed to desire All which was extreamly contrary to the Resolutions which hee had made with the Princess Respicia concerning the double alliance of their Children Fearing I say all these events severally and much more beeing put together Hee
his Brest lest his Heart being prepossessed could not admit of his Affection in that just manner hee desired and you may easily Conjecture As a great Light doth dimm a less and according to the Proverb one Naile drives out another So it is seldome seen that two Violent Passions do reign together in one Heart the Bed is two narrow to receive them both Where Love hath the Empire Vanity must yeild For that Quality which causeth Love hath little Ambition But where that aspiring desire of Honours hath the Ascendant Love must deliver his Arms. And whatsoever the Fable telleth us of the Association of Mars and Venus it is hard to finde them together as Vulcan did without rendring them ridiculous These Planets in their Aspects have never any favourable Conjunction for how can one joyne two things so directly contrary as the Exercises of War and Peace The Judgement of Paris doth sufficiently demonstrate that the Apple could not bee divided but that either Glory which is denoted by Pallas and Juno must give place to Pleasure or that Delights must yeild to the Desire of Honours For as there is no entrance into the Temple of Honour but by the dore of Vertue so there is no admittance into the Temple of Vertue but through the Porch of Labour This I say because Liante who was more Ambitious than Amorous quite contrary to Iphigenes catched with both hands at his Brother's propositions promising him not to think of Clemencia any father than his Commandements or Permission should allow remitting his Fortune solely to his Conduct and esteeming it a great happiness to attend on him in quality of a Servant and depend absolutely upon his Will O Iphigenes how sweetly did these last words flatter thy Imagination since this Shaft hit so directly the Blank of all thy thoughts As Iphigenes had even upon the Brink of his Lips the discovery of his Project to advance Liante in the World which was the point that tickled most his generous Heart therein not unlike Virgins whose Sensuall Temptations are the more pressing because they fancy the Nuptiall pleasures to be far greater than they are Fortune like the Sea which never keep 's its face long Calm thwarted the impatient desire of our disguised Shepherdess to make her know that in this transitory dwelling wee have nothing perfect that the fairest dayes are followed by Nights the sweetest flowers environed with Thorns and no Hony to be gotten without some Stinging For as he had assembled all the faculties of his Soul in his Ears to hear what his Brother had designed for his Promotion the winding of the Hunter's Horns making the Forest resound with a thousand Ecchoes gave them notice that the Game was not far off So that not to bee surprised together they were inforced to part not without promising to meet again with the first conveniencie The Hunts-men who were more in pain for the straying of their Master than their missing of the Stag whose Strain they could not finde all their Hounds being at a loss seemed to ask news with their Horns and Hollowes of the Palatine who rushing through the thickets to the place of the noyse found his Men but no Game With whom hee returned as much contented that hee had seen Liante as little satisfied for having discovered that hee reteined yet so much Passion for his Sister Clemencia The Reader perchance will think strange why these Brothers should use such Circumspection in their Interviews in regard Iphigenes as well as other Palatines being very powerfull and in a manner Sovereign in his Palatinate might have made Liante of his Train and protected him in his own Pallace But what safegard or Protection can shelter a man from Traitors and secure him from the hands of those who Persecute him by waies the more dangerous because least known you are then to take notice that as soon as Liante had made his escape out of Prison by means of his dear Brother-in-law Miestas whose Rigour and Cruelty passed the quality of a Sarmatian and who from the beginning did express an unheard-of malice against this Innocent Youth gave Commission to severall murtherous Villains who bound themselves by Execrable Oaths to bring him back to Prison or if they could not take him alive to bring him his head and in case they could not accomplish this by force that they would make use of Policy and Poison In this Barbarisme the Salvage Podolian had two ends One to hinder Liante from pretending to his Daughter and that being out of the World his consideration should be no hinderance to her Alliance with Cassin which hee exceedingly desired The other to gain his whole Inheritance to himself by muing up in a Monastery with his other Daughters the unfortunate Modestina Iphigenes having got an inkling of this accursed Conspiracy gave notice thereof to Liante which obliged him to conceale and Disguise himself as is said For if hee had been known how could hee have secured himself from the Ambushes of Murtherers who founding their Fortunes upon his Death would alwaies have been Levelling at him and held him in continuall fear Was not this apprehension together with the difficulty hee had to accost Iphigenes who was his only Solace and Refuge enough to afflict this young Spirit but the Fates must persecute him with further Disasters and assail him with unsavory Rustick importunities in his Disguisement The Country-man in whose House hee had retired himself beeing a Widdower committed the managing of all his Husbandry and Houshold to the charge of a Son yet unmarried and two Daughters ready to be Married the Elder whereof named Merinda hee was constreined to acquaint with the secret of Liante telling her that hee was a young Man who having committed a Murther was fled for shelter in his Cottage and that to avoid the hands of Justice hee was advised to disguise himself therefore hee willed her to help him to a Country Wenche's habit and hee would entertain him to keep his Cattell in nature of a Shepherdess Injoyning her to bee silent under pain of his Displeasure and making her understand besides the great profit they should gain thereby hee being a Rich Man's Son and who might bee very beneficiall to them Merinda put this Coal into her bosom I should say this secret but it is all one for a Maid to hold the one or the other yet I spake in some kind more properly than I was aware For Judge you if it was not to put a Coal and of the hottest too in the bosom of a lusty Lass the giving her a handsome young Man for a constant Companion In summe the Face of the feined Almeria insensibly made impression in Merinda's Heart which put her in the like Condition as those that are stung with a certain venimous Creature known in Italy by the Name of TARANTOLA whose pricking because not to bee perceived upon the skin the affected place is never discovered by any swelling untill the
venim hath possess 't the Heart and become remediless Sight and Conversation are the two Wings of Love which beating the Wind make the flame kindle Merinda was all on fire and reduce almost to Ashes before her little wit perceived the Burning Fire is hard to take in great pieces of Wood but if it bee once lighted it is not easily quenched This Element is so active that in Penetrate's and melt's the hardest Mettalls it calcine's Stones no substance is able to resist its vivacity But that which causeth Love is yet far more subtile For it is so generally spred through the whole Universe that the Antient Philosophers esteemed it the Soule of the World Therefore the Poets did Marry Olympus with Rhea intimating that it was the Ligature of Heaven and Earth It burn's the Fishes in the midst of the Waters the Birds cannot avoid it in the Aire and much less the Creatures that are more Terrestiall Flints have secret sparkles in their hard Bodies and if Mankinde were repaired by them according to the fabulous Invention of Deucalion and Pyrrha yet should they be sensible of the Motions and Heat of Love What wonder then if Merinda who was not composed of Marble did feel the Effects of this all-conquered Fire beeing taken with the Graces of the amiable Liante I will not stand to describe the Symptomes whereby his quick-sightedness read her Disease but if Shee was forbidden to communicate to any other the Disguisement of Almeria without Disguisement Shee manifested her own Passion to him with as few Words as much Sincerity telling him that shee loved him I might give the Reader some Recreation here if I would extend my self in her Homely and Naturall Expressions For as her Face beeing no less exposed to the inclemency of the Air than the Shephard's Tabernacles or the Skins of Salomon was without Painting So her Discourse was without any Artificiall Contexture What pleasure do you imagine was this to Almeria thus wee must call Liante as long as hee shall continue in his Sheperdesse's Weeds to see her self Courted in this manner by her whom shee called Cousin for Celian Merinda's Father commanded his Daughters to use that tearm to her saying hee was her Uncle as Liante had desired him This pleasant humour contributed not a little to the diverting of the Melancholly which otherwise would have overwhelmed his Heart in that solitary Residence especially beeing in a Condition which was as strange as difficult to him to personate a Sex whereof he never had studied the Deportments However the Cassack which hee had been forced to wear made him the sooner acquainted with the long Coates and the Modesty which had been taught him afforded some Decency to his Transformation Almeria thinking onely to make a pastime of Merinda's absurd Passion pestred her self in the greatest intricacy imaginable for as there is no great difference betwixt Folly and Fury nor far from Fury to Despair that little Spark was enough to cause a furious Flame For suffering the innocent Wench to intangle her self in her Nets and feining to hearken to her Reasons imbarked her so deep in the pursuit that shee could not live without the conversation of this new Cousin And as the Fire doth refine Iron untill it becometh Steel so Love sharpning the Wits of those whom it possesseth gives them more Penetrating Reasons then are observed to proceed commonly from cold and raw Judgements Which if you will have confirmed by Example heare what Merinda sayd one day to Almeria as they were sitting alone under rhe shade of a great Elm-tree whilest their Sheep were feeding Although I am a Woman do not you think good Sir that I can keep a secret no more then a Sive hold Water for I would rather indure my Soul to bee torne out of my Body than suffer that to come out of my Mouth which my Father hath committed to my Silence You may assure your self that never any disaster shall befall you through fault of my fidelity I would rather imbrace death a thousand times than harbour so unworthy a thought And to let you see for all I am but a Country-Girl that my Soul is seated in a good place and indeed it is well-seated since it is wholly fixed to your Perfections I pray hear what project is come into my Fancy and which I will freely put in Execution if you are so contented You can pretend nothing more in the World since having killed a Man of greater quality than your self as my Father hath informed mee it is to bee supposed that all your Estate is confiscate all your Hopes lost and that the Justice which is so rigorous in this Country hath not pardoned your Memory but hath done some publick ignominy to your Effigies not beeing able to light upon your Body to punish it according to the Laws Therefore as you have covered your self with my Cleaths to secure your Person give leave to the Passion which I suffer for you that I may make use of yours which I have carefully lock't up to venter my Life by going to take down that shamefull Picture which without doubt serving as a spectale to all Passingers tarnisheth the luster of your Reputation and dishonoreth your Glory I believe you did not commit that Homicide treacherously but that it was in your own Defence or in running half the Danger the Deportments which I have remarked since I frequent your Company give mee a strong confidence that you have too much Gallantry in your mind to do an Act unbeseeming a Man of Honour If I should be surprised in this Exploit which will offend the Justice the torments that I shall indure beeing a Testimony of my Affection to you I shall expire contented for not beeing worthy enough to live to and with you I shall be glad to die for you and make you see by my constancy that in a rustick Body there is some spark of Generosity Almeria hearing such Language fall from that Silly Countrywenche's Tongue was no less astonished than Esop's Cock that scraped a Pearl out of a Dunghill or to speak more Religiously than the high Priest when hee found the Sacred Fire in the Mud. But why so amazed Almeria Do not you know that Love is the true source of Hippocrene the true top of Parnassus that the Extasies of this Passion are as many Enthusiasmes which raise the Soul above it self and that as a Squib flieth from the Earth into the Sky assoon as the Fire is applied to its Train So the clownishest Bodies do become gentile and the dullest Spirits subtilized when once they are touched with this fire Can you imagine a more Naturall and a more generous manner of discovering an ardent Affection or of demonstrating at the same time that one loveth not verbally but in effect and the most signalized of Effects which is to expose one's Life for the party Beloved than that which Merinda used to manifest to Almeria the Fire which shee had some
time kept hidden under the Ashes of Discretion Indeed there are some Productions of Nature so admirable which all the Art in the World can never reach with imitation At Court they talk of nothing but Despair poure our such deep Protestations as make the Hearers tremble and Death whom one of the Antients called the Diety of Lovers is invoked every Moment There it is ordinary to threaten to cast themselves away to thrust their Souls out of their Bodies at a Sword 's Point they exclaim against Rigours call Honour Cruelty and the Impatience of Desires an insupportable Torment their Tears are feined their Tearms Specious But all that is but vain babbling a motion of the Lips not of the Heart an idle Resignment no reall Resentment They say enough but see who perform's Fidelity is onely in their words Infidelity in their Actions Loyalty in their professions Treason in the Execution Purity in their Tongues and base Designs in their thoughts In summe Fraud and Duplicity are the Pastimes of Courtiers but their end is the ruin of Hearts and the Poyson of Souls Amongst Country People it is clean otherwise their Cloaths Diet Lodgings Industries all are plain and simple So are their sayings and their meanings what they have upon their Lips come's from the profoundest of their thoughts not belying by their proceedings the Union which Nature hath made of the Root of the Tongue with the Heart So that Almeria easily perceiving the reality of Merinda's Passion and being moved with Compassion to see that Shee fruitlesly aymed at an Object beyond her Port and that her Desires were supported more by the Wings of Love than of Ambition thought herself obliged to esteem her Courage and repay her Affection with this Answer Dear Merinda I fear I shall never bee able to do any thing for you that can countervail the Obligations I have to you already without adding this incomparable Testimony of your Affection offering to expose your Life for the defence of the Shadow of my Honour It would bee too sensible a displeasure to mee that you should employ your Body for a Fantome for so I call the Execution of an Image or rather imaginary Revenge which the Rigour of Justice may exercise against mee in my absence as for my true Honour it is out of all danger in regard it was rather to defend than offend that I did kill my Enemy But his Kindred are so powerfull that they will weigh down the Scale of Justice and reduce mee to the greatest extremity that disasters can compell an unfortunate Man to undergoe Therefore I pretend to nothing now in my Country nor to my Estate but shall think my self happy enough if with preservation of my Life I can secure my Person from those ignominious Torments which my Adversaries would make mee suffer if I fell into their Hands who seek to glut their revengefull Spirits with my Blood This is the Reason which made mee have recourse to the Fidelity of your Father and you not contenting my self to embrace a Condition so much below that unto which by the Favour of Heaven I have hitherto been educated but by changing my Habit to render my self under this Disguise less Subject to the strokes of Fortune As for the service you proposed to do mee in tearing down my Effigies from an infamous place I believe that indeavour will bee needless for my own Kindred interessed by that dishonour to their Family have doubtless e're this used means to take away that disgracefull Remembrance But wherefore do I call it disgracefull since the Infamy is in the Fact not in the Punishment So that not feeling any remorse in my Soul for that I ought not to esteem this any Disparagement quite contrary when I recall to my memory with what valour I prevented the Assassinate which was intended to my Person and how I behaved my self in the Combat the Gibet whereon they have hung mee in Effigies Seemeth to mee as an Obelisk or Pyramide erected to the Glory of my Vertue Nevertheless I cannot but acknowledge a singular Obligation to you for that worthy Office which your Friendship perswaded you to render mee and I will indeavour by all possible devoirs to ascertain you that Ingratitude hath no harbour within my Brest Merinda who was not so well acquainted with the Art of placing her words but who had very reall Resentments of Affection for Almeria replied after her manner That what shee had proposed was to let him see by the little esteem shee made of her Life that thence forwards shee never would imploy it but to Honour and Love him to the end that if her mean Birth did render her unworthy of possessing his Favours her Humility and perfect Submission might supply the place of Desert But why do I stand to disguise the Language of a simple Shepherdess in whose Mouth polite words would sute as ill as Painting upon her Cheeks I might have onely said That Shee freely disclosed the Design shee had to Marry him if he pleased and follow him to the World's end imagining as the Helmet of a Valiant Warrier is sometimes changed into a Bee-Hive and Chambers that have been hung with the costliest Tapistries become Work-houses for Spiders the beautiful Adolescent disgusted with the trouble in Cities and glutted with the Grandeurs of the World like that Antient Emperour who resigned his Scepter for a Gardner's Spade would perchance bee glad to reduce himself to a Pastorall Life and endure some hardship after his sweet Delights But Almeria was far from any such thought her Ambition which aymed at nothing but Governing Provinces commanding Armies could not descend to follow silly Sheep Her dear Iphigenes who had put a Flea in her Ear and by his large Promises had left a thousand strange imaginations in her Brain gave her other Ideas than this poor Shepherdess did conceive Shee harboured The Fifth Book ARGUMENT The Rustick's Labyrinth and their generall mistake of Almeria Manile Celian's second son thinking Liante in a Shepherdesse's habit to be really a Woman fall's in Love with Him Lupicin Eldest Son to Celian and Husband to Belida seeme's to be taken likewise with the Beauty of Almeria Fleurial Brother to Belida and Antalcas Suitor to Merinda become Rivalls to Manile Remonda younger sister to Merinda is inraged with Jealosie against Almeria because her Lover Polemas left her to make his Addresses to the gracefull stranger Belida no less incensed because her Husband made shew of Affection to Almeria Iphigenes returns to his Shepherdess who inform's him of all the Passages of her Country Lovers Their Plot to increase the Country-People's Errors Merinda is brought into some suspition of Almeria's condition by Iphigenes ambiguous speeches Almeria at Merinda's importunity to discover her Sex make's her believe that shee was really a Woman Merinda's distemper at this Relation Her spight in accusing Almeria to her Father and Brothers to bee a lewd Woman to Belida and Remonda shee affirmed
her a Vomiting against her Husband such outragious speeches as no discreet Woman would have been heard to utter But her quality excused her somewhat besides a slight Imposition of Hands which Lupicin made upon her Face trying to strike Dumb that Evill Spirit which made her scold with so much Insolence But when shee perceived that Fleurial was infected with the same Disease and that hee began to talk of Marrying Almeria shee expressed no less Impatience and Extremity of Choler against him seeing hee would bring into their Family one whom shee wished under ground or at least at the World's end What shee did and what shee said to hinder that design which shee foresaw would bee the Banishing of her from her Father's house and the continuall Object of her Fear or rather of her Fury is needless here to mention Mean time Almeria managed her Deportments and Favours with such Industry and Modesty that Shee was the Idoll of all those Peasant's hearts who Adored her as if shee had been a Mortall Goddess But as it is impossible to force Nature so it is hard to bend it and make it so pliable that it discover not some tokens of its reall Beeing Achilles disguised in woman's habit could not forbear handling of Weapons besides his gate and discourse did oftentimes betray him onely Iphigenes was able to appear directly other than what shee was for having been alwayes bred as a Man and been possessed for a long time her self that shee was so Education had taken the place of Nature and reteined almost all her qualities It was not so with Almeria for sometimes unawares and not heeding the personage shee was to represent shee did let fall some generous words and performed actions more Vigorous than ordinary Females are guilty of undertaking which after some observation made Fleurial Belida likewise harbour a suspition that shee was a Youth in Woman's cloathing Yet considering the sweet attractiveness of her countenance and the delicacy of her complexion they returned to their former opinion thinking that she was really some Gentlewoman and that perchance those that had their breeding in Cities for what may not people imagine of a manner of life whereof they have no knowledge were as dexterous and Valiant as Amazons and no less capable of conquering with their Hands than with their Eyes At length Belida whether by the inevitable instinct of Nature whose secret vertues wee are not able to comprehend or whether through the suspition of that suit of Cloaths which Remonda had discovered did feel certain motions sometimes of Hatred against Almeria as believing her a Woman and sometimes of Affection as fancying the contrary Thus this Feaverish Passion which agitated her thoughts made her fall from Heat to Cold and from a chill Shivering into a scalding Sweat To relate what thoughts ran through the Brains of the four Pretendants Manile Fleurial Antalcas and Polemas were to no purpose As for Lupicin his design as you have heard was rather to punish his Cross-grain'd Wive's perversness than for any other pretension Only Merinda and Celian who knew the secret did participate with their new Kinswoman of the Divertisement shee had in this pleasant Cozenage Which Almeria longed to communicate to her dear Iphigenes as the most agreeable Pastime that could be imagined And to the end the Comedy might be exactly perfect Celian and Merinda must likewise be brought into the Labyrinth which was thus but not without an extream Intricacy Iphigenes having once more lost himself to finde out his Almeria met Merinda with her who stirred no more from that beloved Companion than the Shadow is seperated from the Body He was so advantagiously Apparelled that the silly Shepherdesse's eyes were dazled at such extraordinary Gallantry but if shee was amazed to see him hee was no less surprized to meet her for hee knew not how to bee rid of her that hee might discourse more freely with Almeria At last hee told them that hee was one of the Palatine's followers who had lost his way and Company in Hunting but hee had reason to rejoyce at his beeing strayed since hee had found such honest Virgins as might give him some directions It must be my Sister then replyed Almeria that must render you that good office for I am Ignorant of the waies in this Forrest beeing a stranger and arrived but very lately in these parts Iphigenes who asked no better than to fall into talk without taking notice that he knew Almeria said So mee think's Vertuous Shepherdess for your Language is far different from that of this Province and by your Face one may judge that you are as unused to that habit as unacquainted with the waies of the Country if all Shepherdesses were like you the Citties would become Desarts and the Desarts bee quickly fill'd with People many Young Gentlemen would leave the Court where nothing but Mischief and Envie is practised to apply themselves to such agreeable Objects and so worthy to bee beloved Here Merinda imagining that Almeria's eyes had wounded the Gentleman's heart as well as the Country Swain's partly out of Jealousie partly out of Simplicity briskly thus answerd addressing her Speech to Almeria In good earnest Cousin I think the Gentlemen will fall in Love with you as well as the Plough-men and that in the end you will set Fire in every place if you take not heed But you are too wise to hearken to such Gallant 's words who so much contemn us Country-maids and never commend us but when they think the contrary of what they say or if they do speak as they mean it is but to abuse us And you Sir continued shee turning her self towards Iphigenes should do better to pass on your way without suffering your Mind to stray amongst us as your Body hath done in these woods that you may not lose both together and like an ill Hunts-man in stead of taking bee taken your self The brave Palatine was not a little Astonished at her Language For besides that hee expected not such clear Reasons from so gross a Soul hee feared lest by replying he might catch himself and discover that hee had a better part than shee in the acquaintance of Almeria who made him Signes with her Fingers and Eyes not to take notice of her Nevertheless not to remain absolutely without answering hee thus said Sweet-heart You answer according to your own fashion that is uncivilly to one that treat's you with Courtesie your Companion is better taught and whether shee bee a Citizen or hath had her Education in some Citty as her Countenance her Speech and her Carriage do testifie shee would have had more Civility than to have returned such an answer The sweetness which doth polish those that are well bred is esteemed amongst you Rusticks Treachery for you are Naturally so Distrustfull that when a man speaketh kindly to you you think hee will betray you You must not deal so ruggedly with a poor Gentleman that is
Strayed and who desire 's to bee put again into his way the rather that hee may bee rid of such rude Conversation as yours In sooth that shall not hinder you replyed Merinda from leaving us in Peace follow mee and I will set you in the way that shall lead you to the next Village where you may bee farther informed of those whom you seek This said shee advanced to direct him But Almeria who was unwilling to let slip this occasion the visits of her Iphigenes being very rare drew her back and whispered softly to her Sister what is your meaning I know this Gentleman hee is one of my best Friends and who may bee very usefull to mee as my business now stands doubtless hee doth not know mee in this habit but if you please to retire your self into yonder Copse whilst I Discourse a little with him you will oblige mee infinitely Merinda who desired nothing more than to please Almeria thought her self able to make no better excuse on the sodain than to satisfie her demand Shee beeing thus separated to give the two Friends liberty to talk freely together it cannot bee exprest what pleasure Iphigenes took in hearing from the Mouth of the Feined Almeria the Relation of those Flames which shee had kindled in those Rustick Souls and the uncertainty wherein they were of her Sex by reason of the different Tales already mentioned Whereof beeing willing not onely to take share himself but to make some of his Favorites participant likewise that they might recreate themselves with the simplicity of those Swains they conspired so to lay their Plot that the Gentlemen might bee abused as well as the Clowns Great Persons would not esteem their pleasures if they were not singular for as their Condition raiseth them above the Vulgar their Entertainments their Occupations and their Divertisements ought not to bee Common Greatness like Bodies o're-charg'd with Fat draweth so many Inconveniences after it that those that are in important Charges and elevated to high degrees of Honour are glad sometimes to pack up all that Baggage of Vanity which environ's them to lead by stealth a low popular and obscure Life mingling themselves amongst the Lees of the People and abasing their Dignities to the condition of the lowest Subjects of whom the Plough drivers march in the last Rank beeing as it were the Earthen Feet of that Statue which the King of Assyria saw in his Dream Almeria whose spirit Ambition much more disquieted than these Recreations delighted desired Iphigenes in mean time to tell her how hee would dispose of her after those Rurall Merriments were past Whereupon Iphigenes who aymed at nothing but to divert the affection shee bare to Clemencia proposed the Desire hee had to raise her to a great Fortune this was to feel how her Pulse beat by the pretention of Glory by Marrying her to Simphoroza or the Princess Respicia her Mother to the end hee might divert her Passion and hinder her from breaking off his own Marriage with Modestina in the Continuation whereof Liante's honour did seem to be ingaged But if all that failed Hee promised to give her his Ward Leonora Daughter to Stanislas whose Estate hee might have injoyed as well as his command of Palatine if hee had listed the King having given him the confiscation All these Propositions were as many specious Ports to let Liante hidden under the name of Almeria and with the veil of a Shepherdess forth of that odious condition wherein Mieslas had enthralled him and gave him at the same time entrance into that of Wealth and Honours after which hee so ardently did thirst But all this disguised Nymph could do during the short space of their Interlocution was to remit the conduct of all her Fortune into the hands of the beloved Iphigenes to whom shee needed not to have made so strict a Recommendation since therein Hee laboured for his own Interest In mean time they resolved to play the Country-men the pleasantest Trick that could bee imagined for ground whereof they agreed that within few dayes Iphigenes accompanied by some of his Friends disguised like Peasants should come to a certain Neighboring Village where a Wake or some such Solemnity was to assemble a multitude of Country-People and that they should make shew of beeing in love with Almeria to see what mettle Jealousie would put into the four Rivalls already mentioned And to leave the seeds of some suspition in Merinda's Soul they thought it would not bee improper that Iphigenes taking leave of Almeria should now and then mistake himself speaking sometimes as if shee were a Man and sometimes as if shee were a Maid in ambiguous tearms promising to assist her sometimes to cover her shame as if shee had been a defloured Virgin sometimes to obtain her Grace as if shee had been guilty of Homicide which the ingenious Iphigenes carried with such dexterity that Merinda knew not where shee was but thought shee had been inchanted And indeed what with the Doubts and Suspitions 'twixt which her spirits swam besides the discourse which shee heard there was enough to disturb a much stronger Brain than her's Iphigenes having left them to their own liberties By the Faith of a Maid sayd Merinda to Almeria I know not what to think whether you are Fish or Flesh to my sense you are like the Otters of our Marshes which are both Terrestriall and Aquatick Creatures or like our Geese which live in both Elements for if I consider the Lineaments of your Face they are so attractive and your Complexion so delicate that I do not wonder if in the Opinon of all our young Men you pass for a Maid On the other side when I look upon your stoutnesse of Heart and vigorous activity of Body I cannot but perswade my self that you are of the Sex of that Habit which I have in keeping for you But when I recall to my thoughts the reservedness of your carriage to mee who yet have never seen you do the least Action nor speak the least word that shewed you to be a Man that make's mee conceit that you are like mee and whilest I laugh to see others deceived in their pursuits I am frustrated my selfe of my Expectation Therefore without holding mee any longer in suspense you will oblige mee very much to deliver my minde of this Perplexity Almeria like Hunts-men and Fowlers who glad to see the innocent Creatures fall into their Gins in stead of untangling them doe ingage them further in their Snares letting them struggle and torment themselves untill their own weariness make 's them consent to their taking in stead of casing Merinda of her pain led her about with so many ambiguous Circumlocutions that after a tedious Discourse shee left her no less unsatisfied than before casting her by those intricate Explanations into a greater Obscurity than that of her former uncertainties Whereupon said the trouled Merinda Thus the City-Wits more slippery than Lampreys riggle
of having neglected the Legitimate Objects of their reall Loves to run after a Shadow So Merinda finding no more Disposition in her Sister-in-Law than in Remonda to back the Design shee had of chasing away her whom shee could not love as a Maid perchance because shee had disclosed something which shee then wisht shee had concealed and which shee feared would bee discovered by the Frailty of her Sex whom shee knew to bee in the impossibility of silence shee resolved to continue her Plot and beget a belief in her Brother Manile and by his means in the rest that Almeria was a Man whom some heynous crime had obliged to take that disguise thinking thereby to make them hunt her away lest beeing discovered by the Justice they might bee brought in question and imprisoned as harborers and complices of his crime If Belida was glad to hear this Maid was a Man changing her Gall into Hony and the sharp prickles of her Hatred into the sweet flowers of Friendship Manile was no less afflicted at this news for it was the burying of that amiable Passion which inlivened him and which fed his imagination with the most agreeable Fancies that ever hee had experimented As if a Thunderbolt had swept the ground under his Feet and a flash of Lightning sealed up his Eyes or as if hee had received a great Knock with a Club upon the Head so hee stood amazed for a good while without any motion of Body or Tongue At length as although the Fire bee out the Ashes yet remain warm So Pitty assuming in the Heart of this Rustick the place of Love which was quite extinguished by this Relation Hee answered That however they ought to have compassion of those that were in affliction and not to commit so base a Treachery as to betray a poor criminall who did what hee could to shelter himself from the rigour of Justice that it would bee a very unworthy part for Protectors to become Sergeants that the Sanctuary should prove the Ruine and serve as a Prison to those that fled thither for refuge thinking to find their Liberty and safeguard those Harbors beeing very unfortunate where vessells were cast away The spightfull Female seeing hee made no more account of her complaints than the rest repaired to Lupicin who was very glad of that advertisement for having no other end in following Almeria than to torment his Wife he thought it might be a means to make her see her folly when that verity should come to bee divulged Fleurial Lupicin's Wive's Brother was no less astonished than Manile when it came to his ears Oh! how hee wished it had been false although hee believed it was too true Merinda had the skill to relate it with such resentments of a Virgin the treasure of whose integrity shee pretended Almeria would have ravished Onely Antalcas quondam servant to Merinda had a conceit that what shee alleadged was a meer supposition invented to confound him for forsaking her to Court the strange Shepherdess for hee carryed the perfections of Almeria so deeply ingraven in his brest that hee needed a more Authentick proof than a bare report to disabuse him so hee sent her away very ruggedly telling her that hee was not so Credulous and that shee spake out of Envie In summ whilest all those eyes like so many Argusses were watching and observing every particular gesture of Almeria shee had the wit so Dexterously to hold the Ballance in this Ambiguity that shee led those Rusticks as they say by the Nose like Bears that are Blind and Muzled For the Men by her Womanish behaviour which shee acted to the life were confident shee was of that Sex And that to avoid their Importunities shee had made Merinda publish that Lye But Belida and Remonda applying their Observations more particularly to those Actions that spake her as they desired her had a conceit that Merinda had invented that Stratagem to preserve that prize to her self in imitation of Nurses who lay Mustard upon their Nipples when they have a mind to wean their Children to make them shun the bitterness in the same place whence they Sucked the sweet nourishment of their lives Thus Remonda taking Merinda's turn declared without much Ceremony her Passion to Almeria telling him that shee had seen his Cloathes and that shee knew his Condition And Belida who would pay her Husband in his own Coyn and make his Brains crow another while began to make extraordinary caresses to Almeria which were much less supportable than her Envie and Detraction And Merinda though shee studyed to shun the sight of Almeria with no less care than shee had formerly desired it with eagerness whilest her sense made her hope for some satisfaction could not forbear looking backwards like the woman that was Metamorphosed into a pillar of Salt and to call some Scruples into her mind that perchance Almeria to bee rid of her importunities made her believe that shee was a Maid when shee was otherwise The importance of all this was that every one champed on his Bit in Silence and out of the Mass of divers thoughts could not draw one Drachm of resolution These Rustick's heads being thus Intoxicated a Solemnity in a neighbouring Village invited the Country-people to assemble there Almeria seeming to bee unwilling to go thither out of fear of beeing known augmented by her backwardness the desire of her Suitors to see her appear amongst the other Lasses like the Moon neer her full amongst the smaller Lights which the Night displayeth in the Firmament At length by much wooing and intreaty shee suffered her self to bee perswaded to bear Belida and Remonda company who left her the least they could Merinda likewise beeing desirous to see the pastime was forced to joyn with them and re-accost Almeria who cast such glances upon her as penetrated her very Soul and without speaking a word reproached openly enough her unworthiness Whilest they are upon the way let us take the time to relate the plot which Iphigenes layed to render invisible to the eyes of his friends the Passion which hee intended to make visible to Almeria but in such a manner as I want words to express it Pomeran beeing his bosome friend Hee took him into his Closet where hee thus disclosed his mind unto him Dear friend can I conceal any thing from thee that come's neer my Heart since thou takest so much part in my joyes or Displeasures No certainly unless I would offend thy Friendship which obligeth mee to an Intire confidence Alas At our last Hunting whilest you having the Hart at a Bay were making a Prey of him I doubly lost my self in the Forest and have Inthralled my Heart but in such a Bondage as I esteem above any Freedome Love hath made beoty of my Liberty by the Incounter of a Shepherdess who doth so much resemble the only Object which delight 's my Soul that is my Wife my dear Modestina that at first blush I thought
Harmonious in his Ears thus replyed You may see Brother how far doth transport mee not the Love of an Image as you imagine but the power of my Friendship to you I say to you to your Person to Liante as Liante not as the Portraicture of Modestina Indeed I love her as my duty obligeth mee but do not you know that nothing is so ill performed out of that Respect as Loving since that Passion beeing the Daughter of our Will retaineth something of the Mother's Disposition whose Element or rather Substance is Freedome But besides the constreint of a Matrimonall Bond which how golden soever it be is alwayes a Bond in my mind that Sex in regard of it's frailty is so little capable to sustein that streight and durable Knot of a true Friendship that the greatest inclination a Man can have for Women is nothing in comparison to that pure and cordiall Affection which hee bear 's to a Friend who is his second self For it is betwixt two equall Hearts that is formed that reciprocall correspondence wherein consisteth the Essence of Friendship In that you apprehend to wish your self of another Sex to attract from mee a more ardent Affection you have reason considering that were to wish a mighty inconvenience for a mean advantage For perchance if you were as your Sister is my Affection would bee much less fervent to you for then I should look upon you with more Compassion than Passion as a brittle Vessell more worthy of Pitty than Envy Yet if your Heart invite's you to desire a condition so miserable as that of Women whom God and Nature have Created to bee subject unto Men to augment in mee an Affection which is already infinite Give mee leave to answer your wish who without Dissimulation or Consultation would to the greatest contentment of my Soul relinquish not onely the favour of the Court the dignity of my Palatinate and the benefits I receive by the bounty of the best and most liberall Prince in the World the King my Master but all that I am to purchase mee the power of beeing your Wife It is I who am really jealous of Clemencia and who would gladly have but so much priviledge of your thoughts as my Sister whose inconstant Soul was so shaken with the wind of my Father's fury that shee would have been perswaded to marry Cassin had not the disdain of seeing his Mother desirous of my Bed made him retire out of Podolia sooner than Mieslas expected Oh fickle Girle said I when I saw her so poor-spirited in an incounter where shee needed but to have spoken boldy and carved out a Negative Oh wavering Girle said I and unworthy of so perfect a Lover as Liante had the Heavens put mee in thy place I would surely have shewed more Fidelity and Resolution But what can bee expected from that Sex but infirmities since it is the pure substance of Debility and therefore alwayes shivering and moving like a Leaf Yet what defects soever I do condemn in that Sex I would not greatly care if I my self were of it if I thought thereby to be more your's or that you would love mee as well as my Sister Here Almeria taking the word out of Iphigenes mouth said Believe mee Brother That if you love me as much or more than my Sister whereunto I can hardly be perswaded knowing the little reason you have it is the like with mee and as if our Stars had Embraced at our Births to Express my Resentments naturally and nakedly to you I never had by many degrees so much inclination for Clemencia as for you and thereby I find that Friendship hath a more powerfull ascendent over my Heart than Love which to say the Truth is a Passion too Effeminate to have any regency in a Masculine spirit And to give you assurance that the Resentments are reall which make mee declare my self in these Tearms Hold for most certain that Clemencia shall never be any thing more to mee than what you please and if you conceive that it may be for her advantage to Marry the Prince Cassin and mine to have another Wife I will most freelie renounce all those Pretentions which your Perswasions induced me to have for her my desire subscribing willingly to your command Iphigenes seeing Almeria arrived at that Point whereunto hee most passionately desired to reduce her Resolution was strongly tempted to disclose the secret of his Birth But not having the conveniency to consult his two Oracles his Mother and his Governour hee conteined himself but with such pain as may better bee imagined than discribed So contenting himself to have absolutely withdrawn Almeria's thoughts from Clemencia which was the clog that most oppressed his Mind and to have obtained her consent to his Sister's alliance with Cassin promising to finde another Match that should raise her Fortunes infinitely beyond what shee could have hoped by Clemencia It is requisite said hee to conceal your self from those whom my Father hath incharged to apprehend and carry you to him Alive or Dead that you continue this Life untill wee can finde the means to convey you into the Citty or untill my Relegation beeing repealed I may send for you to the Court where by the King's Authority I doubt not but to secure you from the Tyranny of Mieslas and shall take order for the advancement of your Fortune Mean time for our Recreations let us persist in dazling the Eyes of those that are about us as well your Rusticks as my Attendants Therefore the more ardour I shall express to you the more disdainfully do you treat mee the better to wipe out of their thoughts the sinister Opinion which they have conceived that you are a Maid of an unchast Life And to the end our Conversation may bee more frequent I have an intention to put my self likewise as a Servant to Celian whom I presume wee shall draw to any thing by the powder of Injection wherewith wee will fill both his Hands and his Eyes making him believe that to avoid the rigour of our Parents who would not consent to the terminating of our Legitimate Affections by the sacred tie of Matrimony wee have been constreined to leave our Native Citty and make use of this stratagem to meet and enjoy more freely each other's company but with all the Civilitie that can be expected from persons which make profession of Chastity Almeria who was in the Hand of Iphigenes as clay in the Potter's condescended to whatsoever hee propounded And in effect a Purse full of Chekeens or Crowns of Gold had no sooner made the Preface of Iphigenes Speech to Celian but hee believed the rest as an Oracle and with both hands pressed it to a conclusion And taking this occasion as an occurrence of Treasure hee prayed Iphigenes to dispose of all that was within his small power as his own and under the notion of Servant to command as Master This did not displease the old Man's Daughters
from a reall Resentment And that as the whole Vniverse could not produce an Example of Friendship comparable to their's So if there were a distinction of Sex it would be the most perfect Love and the happiest Marriage in the World Thence proceeding to the recitall of the handsom contrivance and conduct of their Mummery as one may call it they were ready to split with laughing to see that neither Iphis's Friends nor the Peasants knew what to think or say Judge you what contentment the subtile Boleslaüs had in beholding those two Hearts so united by the Bond of Friendship that it seemed as if one Soul had animated both their Bodies especially when Almeria embracing Iphis with as much Simplicity as Tenderness thus began My dear Brother Mee-think's those Clowns were no Fooles when they said that thou hadst the Beauty of an Angell for I believe if thou wer 't a Woman all Men would fall in love with thee As for my own particular all the Men and all the Women in the World are nothing to my Eyes in comparison of thee the Affection I bear to thee although limited within the bounds of Honour and Decencie hath I know not what tender Resentment which I do not feel for all the rest of my Friends Pomeran Argal and Pisides to give them their due are very gallant Men but to my sense they are no better than Statues to you And yet it is not the greatness of your quality that dazleth my sight but the onely merit of your Person To this endeering Language Iphis presently replied not without smiling upon Boleslaüs And I believe Brother that I have been wounded with the same Dart for thee for all Women are so indifferent to mee when I am in thy Presence that me-think's there are none in the World and this Name and this Disguisement of Almeria strike's so deep into my Imagination that what thou thinkest I speak but in Jeast is unfeinedly the production of my Soul 's most tender thoughts And if thou wert in Effect what thou art but in shew I swear there is no Queen upon the Earth whom I would have more willingly for my Wife than thy self I pre-thee Brother answered Liante do not talk to mee of beeing a Woman any further than in Habit For were it to make mee the Wife of the greatest of Monarchs I would not bee of any other Sex than I am But I 'le assure thee said Iphis that were it onely to bee Married to Liante I should be glad to be a Woman And that thou maist know with what sincerity I speak if it be impossible for mee to be so I promise thee that I will lose all the remainder of my Credit in the Court or I will make thee Marry the most Eminent Lady in Polonia And I am very certain that it shall be meerly thy own fault if thou failest of that fortune For the King cannot denie Mee that Grace when I shall demand it in thy favour Almeria as if with the Woman's Habit shee had likewise put on the curiosity was very importunate with Iphis to name that so advantageous Party that shee might dispose her Courage to do some generous action that might make her deserve so high an Alliance It is not yet time answered Iphis that I should satisfie you therein Wine Love and a Secret if once vented are worth nothing you shall know it in it's season Content your self now to learn onely that to merit the Possessions of so rare a Subject you shall not need to run any further dangers than what you have alreadie undergone and that it depend's intirely on my will For of the Person whom I mention I have the absolute disposall Almeria Smiling upon Boleslaüs whispered in his Eire I know whom hee means and what shee is It is his Ward Eleonora Daughter to Stanislas his Predecessor in the Palatine of Uratislau but the fruit is not yet ripe a great deal of Straw and much Time will be required to bring that Medlar to perfection Boleslaüs glad to see her in that pretty Error told Iphis alowd what shee had said who was extreamly well pleased that shee understood it so and to stick her deeper in her mistake The expectation said hee will not be so long as you may imagine I was not above two or three Years elder when I was Married to your Sister However the party whom I intended for you is in Estate and all things else so far beyond Clemencia who possessed your thoughts for a time that when you see her you will not stand to consult which choice you should make At these words Almeria casting her self amiably upon Iphis Neck as the amorous Vine imbraceth it's Supporter the Elm I pre-thee dear Brother said shee speak not to mee of any other Party than thy service for as long as thou wilt own mee I will never inslave my self to any Wife or rather if you please as long as you will permit mee to be your Servant I will have no other Master or else if you think fit to Honour mee still with the style of your Mistris I will never have any other Servant Iphis ravished to see her so perfectly deceived would willingly have returned some answer but that Almeria held his Mouth so straitly besieged and blocked up with Kisses that hee had not passage for one single word Onely their Tongues advancing to the Superficies of their Lips made a mutuall communication of their Thoughts and those Thoughts ingendred such Resentments as transported them almost into that Extasie which all Philosophie holds for the most powerfull Effects of Love Boleslaüs who feared lest that Fire which quickneth when it is in mediocrity and consumeth when in Excess should bee kindled so fat in his Nursling's veins that afterwards it could hardly bee extinguished to separate these Metalls made use of the Water of Depart that they might better practise those Caresses in their second Transvestment wherein Serife should bee more favorable to Calliante than Almeria had been to Iphis which intimated that it was time for them to undress and change their Garments Heavens what do I say Bee not disturbed chast Souls I will speak nothing but what the most rigorous Vestal may hear without blushing and without the least interest of her Modesty Here it was that the naturall pudicity of Iphis acted its part and that Almeria by her bold not to say impudent Actions did plainly shew what Shee was by reason of her Sex which rendreth Men lesse bashfull For as if Shee had had great haste to become Man again Shee presently cast off that shamefull habit which belying Her spirit had violented Her Nature Whereas Iphis could not put off His without much regret for which purpose hee begged the protection of a thick copse to hide the tumour of Her Brests which began to broach Treason against him Whereupon Almeria in a jesting manner said What Servant do you hide your self from mee in a condition wherein by your
the Thicket as it were to inform himself of the way which hee seemed to have lost This was Arcade whom Serife had retained having sent away Armelin and Philaster hee having his Lesson took no notice of them but as Peasants and thus spake to them Friend 's what evill Spirit brought you hither to disturb the Silence and re-double the Horror of this place with your quarrel some debates Yet I am not sorry I have met with you since your arrivall may do an afflicted Lady and mee some service in setting us again into the way which wee have been long seeking without hapning upon any body to direct us Hee had no sooner uttered these words but Pisides knowing him by his Voyce and Cloathes answered Arcade what do you persist in the inchantment which maketh you not know when your Eyes are open those to whom you speak Do not you remember that you saw us not many Dayes since in these Cloaths when the Chase made you put a Stag into our Hands At these words Arcade as if hee had been much surprised Replied Oh my Lord Pisides what good Angell directed you so opportunely into this solitude to the succor of our Palatine's Lady whom a violent though not unjust Jealousie doth inforce to traverse both City and Country Upon further inquiry hee told them as hee had been instructed by Serife that Modestina beeing arrived at Plocens had commanded him to conduct her into that Forest where shee had learnt that the Palatine her Husband beeing taken with the Love of a Shepherdess had relinquished the care of his Charge and contemned the Grandeur of his Dignity and Birth These Gentlemen beeing prepossessed with so many Charms accosted the sorrowfull Lady who seeing them approach seemed to bee much affrighted yet settled her Countenance again as soon as Arcade stepping in before the rest informed her that those whom shee saw in Peasant's Habits were Gentlemen of Quality of the Palatine's Retinue whom they sought as well as shee Hee having eclypsed himself from their sights some Dayes since They having never seen Modestina doubted not but Serife was shee For besides the Dress and Accoutrements of a Lady of note wherewith shee was sumptuously attired shee had so mortified or rather dyed her Face with a certain yellowish Liquor that it seemed Mellancholly had given her the Jaundies Besides by the means of some device which shee held in her Mouth shee feined another voyce so naturally that they were deceived on all sides After they had made their obeisance and tendred all the services due to her Grandeur The onely service said shee that I desire of you is that you would bring mee into my Husband's presence or do mee the last of all Duties put mee into my Sepulcher For to bee separated from him and to die is the same thing to mee Hereupon they swore to use their best indeavours but to make good their Oaths they needed not go out of the place conjuring her to rise and permit them to set her upon her Horse which was feeding close by with Arcade's As shee moved her self shee espied Boleslaüs amongst them on whom casting a stern look And darest thou yet said shee appear before mee thou disloyall servant to a faithless Master After thou hast so misguided him who was committed to thy Government thou comest perchance with thy Companions disguised like thy self to plunge mee into new Miseries and cast mee into another Prison Ah! No I will rather open my bosome with this blade drawing a Dagger from under her Robe than commit my selfe to the Mercy of unknown Persons who may first attempt my Honour and afterwards take my Life Here Boleslaüs putting one Knee to Ground answered Madam Let Heaven never pardon mee if I am culpable of any misdemeanour towards you and when you know the condition of these Gentlemen whereof there is not one that would not lose a thousand lives for the preservation of your Honour you will bee sorry for conceiving such a suspition of them I take the Sun or rather him that give 's it Light to witness that it is no fault of mine if Iphigenes hath not continued his Affections entire as hee ought to you But alas I am no more his Governour but by Name hee is my Master in effect the truth as to all great Persons is become odious to him hee spurn's at Remonstrances instead of taking my advises in good part hee paye's them with injuries his answers are harsh and froward I cannot read his humour hee is grown so extravagant these Gentlemen know it as well as I that I am not able to hold him yet for my part if I have not Power sufficient to stay him I have Patience to let him run but not Constancy enough not to bewail his condition His Disgrace at Court is one step to his fall and if hee continue in his obstinacy that Gossip which hath bewitched him I think will ruine him absolutely both in Body Mind and Reputation Ah! Boleslaus replyed the feined Modestina if by the contagion of that deceitfull Spirit thou art not become impudent as well as hee if thy words are sincere tell mee if I must lose all hope of regaining his Affections to the end I may presently by Death set a period to all my Miscries Madam said Pomeran that remedy were worse than the Disease For it is easier to resuscitate affection in an Heart than recall a Soul into a Body when once it is departed For Heaven's sake banish such desperate Thoughts and cast away that murtherous Weapon which so ill become's your hand And I swear to you by the Faith of a Man of Honour that if I were not seconded by any of these Gentlemen although their Friendship Courtesie promiseth mee otherwise of their Generosity I will employ my Sword with those of my Friends my Industry my Diligence and my own Life to procure your repose reduce Iphigenes to reason These Gentlemen can tell what Disputes I have had with him upon this Account and how often hee hath gone displeasod out of my Company because hee could no more brook the Liberty which I took in speaking to him than I the Libertinage of his Life But that was nothing to what I now desire to say and do beeing no less animated by the sight of your Afflictions than the Romans were moved at the view of Cesar's bloody Shirt There was not one of the Company but ingaged with Pomeran to lay their Lives down upon so just a quarrell especially Boleslaüs as if by that imployment hee desired to efface the suspition which shee had conceived of him Here Arcade who could not perswade himself that those Gentlemen whom hee had seen so frequently and so familiar with Iphigenes could bee so deceived began to laugh upon Boleslaüs saying to him in his Ear That hee could not sufficiently admire the dexterity of the Palatine and him in representing their Personages That whispering cast some jealousie into Pomeran's thoughts
to comfort them whose affliction toucheth us either by lessening their grief with the lenitive of comfortable words Recalling their senses from Despair to Reason Making them hope for a change of their evill Fortune Promising assistance to withdraw or abate the miseries which oppress them or by some other ingredients whereof are composed the Cataplasms that are applyed to the wounds of the Heart Those Geatlemen who saw all these passages with a singular satisfaction having to bring on the rest first made offer of their Services to the disconsolate Serife for the conquering of her inconstant Husband expected to see how the Shepherdesses would undoe that knot which the Lady had knit and tangled with as much Art as that which could not bee loosed without the Edge of a Sword Their pitty presently ingaged them in the like tender of assistance to her and Women beeing as capable of keeping a secret as the reeds that betrayed Midas Asses Ears they declared to her all they knew of Almeria's deportments how shee came thither in Man's cloaths which shee left in Merinda's hands as a pledge for those which shee procured her How Iphis came after her in a Countrey-man's habit with those Gentlemen there present How shee had fed them with lies sometimes saying shee was a Maid sometimes a Man with so well-carried a dissimulation that they knew not what to think of her such Sweetness and Modesty shee shewed amongst Women such courage and dexterity beeing in the company of Men That sometimes shee acknowledged shee had committed a fault and therefore had stolen from her Parents fearing their displeasure Sometimes again shee would justifie her self to bee full of Honour and as immaculate as a new born Babe However as Detraction easily slippeth into Reports for their parts they said if shee was honest they believed it was in words onely not in effect then they construed in the worst sense the Passions which Iphis expressed for her and the feined rigours wherewith shee rejected his pursuit In summe they all concluded that her running away with that Man convinced her sufficiently of the crime which shee had before disguised with such cunning Hereupon Serife to make her self sport by sounding the malice of those Rustick Souls pressing them as if shee had been animated with a jealous curiosity to discover freely to her what suspitious or unbeseeming actions they had observed betwixt those two Lovers such tricks replyed Merinda seek Darkness more than the Light witnesses are not required at such bargains those that have a mind to doe amiss indeavour at least that Solitude and Silence may shelter their faults from Judgements and Murmures I perceive said Serife that you deal with mee as Chirurgeons do with those who apprehend letting Blood amusing their Eyes another way whilest they open the Veine or as the Executioners sometimes with criminalls covering their Faces that they may not see the instruments of their punishments you veil my mischief and thereby redouble my torment For it is some consolation to see on which side one fall's Hence Belida took occasion to speak thus Madam the Jelousie which possesseth you and which for a time did likewise disquiet my Braine is a Disease that maketh us seek what wee would be grieved to finde it forgeth oft-times Idea's of that which is not maketh small trespasses seem great offences and like a malign Ulcer impoysoneth it self by the same remedies which are applied to cure it any Wood will foment that Fire but no Water can quench it If you will bee ruled by mee you shall content your self with that little which we have told you of the much which wee know for your imagination ingenious to torment your self will extend but too far to your sorrow the particulars wee have already represented I speak by experience of that Malady which is worse than a quartane Ague for it proceed's from an odd conceited humour which every thing doth aggravate and nothing easeth Heavens bee praised I am now rid of it and I hope I never shall bee afflicted with the like pain I am confident Madam as the Starrs lose their Light in the presence of the Sun that your Husband having but compared your Beauty with that which hee now so esteemeth in Almeria will account all her Graces ugliness and the more deformed because accompained with the vilest and most infamous of vices which is Adultery and that balancing your Fidelity with the Lightness of her indiscretion hee will the sooner acknowledge his fault the greater Obligation hee hath to your merit For as wee finde by experience that the Sheep which have been drawn out of the Wolv's Throat are the tenderest and daintiest meat So his Love doubtless will bee the sweeter and more firm towards you the greater his Repentance is for having offended such a Goodness and tempted such a Patience as yours Live in this hope Madam and assure your self that if Iphis hath two Eyes and seeth you Almeria's gone shee will bee the Object of his Disdaine and you of his Affection Perchance the difficulty of possessing you hath transported him to this no less unjust than inconsiderate Passion Remonda after the manner of Women who would bee sorry to hold their peace when others speak interrupting Belida would also pay her shot with the mite of her verdict adding to her Opinion an expedient remedy to ease the Lady Serife's plain to whom addressing her Speech Madam said shee It seeme's that Heaven conspiring your good hath sent hither on purpose a Man that will release you of that trouble by tearing Almeria out of your Husband's Armes and putting him into yours it is one Calliante who saye's hee is her Brother hee came hither yesterday to inquire after her and is gone this Morning with my Brothers to see if they can finde them out I marry Sister replyed Merinda there 's a salve indeed for this Ladie 's sore to tell her of a Gentleman that is come with an intention to kill Iphis or make him marry her whom hee hath abused which will be an absolute dissolving of his former Marriage which is not consummated by another whose consummation hath preceded the Wedding At these words Serife seeming extreamly disturbed feined to fall into a swound and as there is no body so deaf as hee that will not hear so there is none so sick as those that counterfeit themselves to be so Serife dissembled her indisposition with such Art that every one judged it to bee reall some ran to fetch Vineger and Water whilest some pinched her and others rubbed her Face the Shepherdesses handled her after their fashion that is rudely yet for all their doing shee stirred not so that they thought her past recovery The Courtiers knew not whether they had best laugh or cry and in effect shee had continued longer in that pleasant extasie if when they came to unbrace her shee had not feared by leaving to the view of those Argusses and Lynxes the pretious treasures of her
Compassion for my Woes as you desire mee to have of your's Alas you have this Comfort at least in your Disease that you tell mee freely what you think but I nourishing your Perplexities by my own Pains dare not speak half my thoughts lest you should discover what I am and know too soon for my Contentment what you will never know but too late for my Desire Rigorous Law of Honour why hast thou chosen the infirmity of our Sex unless it bee to render more sensible the effects of thy Violence But no dear Honour Pearl beyond esteem no sacred Chastity who to every well-bred soul art a kinde of inviolable Deity I am determined to consecrate my pleasure to thee and sacrifice upon the Altar of thy severity my innocent Desires I have ever hitherto been too Religious an observer of thy dictates to forget now so lightly what I have been what I am and what I ought to bee if I will close the Period of my Life in that Reputation which in this World I have acquired Yet I finde by Experience which I did not heretofore believe that there is no punishment so great as the sight of that which wee are forbidden For the Object irritating Desire and Respect striving to suppress it's Motions in this contention is formed the most exquisite torment that ever tortured any Soul But when I consider that it is partly for Honour's sake partly for a subject which I esteem beyond Expression the Beauty of these Causes abateth the Rigor of the Effect and makes mee finde I know not what Pleasure in my Pains Onely the silence which I so exactly keep aggravate's their smart and render's my Flames more ardent the more they are supprest Hee that dare's vent his Misery by Complaints suffer's but halfe the Anguish they are Happy in their Vnhappiness who suffer for an Object that is informed of their Martyrdom and is capable of corresponding with their Desires But 't is a double torment to bee consumed with Care and with the Fear of revealing it This is to dye like a silly Sheep which without crying receive's the Knife in her throat Oh Heav'n the witness of my Moans Who th' ruine of my Joy conspires Grant that the Authour of my Groans Like you may read my Heart's Desires Or consolate my troubled Sense By lessening my Misery Or else give mee the Confidence To say in Dying that I Die As if these verses had had the power to call SLEEP out of his dark Cave where the Poets feine that hee frameth the fantasticall extravagancies of Dreams hee gently powred into her languishing Eyes some juyce of Poppies which caused so pleasant a drowsiness that letting her body fall upon the bed all her sorrows were drowned in that repose which Nature hath ordained so necessary for the preservation of Life The Country-People's Houses are commonly so ill built that they let in the Light by as many holes as Argus had Eyes so that out of one Chamber one may not onely hear but see what passeth in the next This gave Celian's Daughters the curiosity not onely to hearken to the Discourse betwixt Boleslaüs and Serife and to her complaints after hee had left her but also to observe her deportments whereby they gathered that shee was really much afflicted But neither by their Discourse nor her behaviour could they ground any conjecture contrary to the Opinion they conceived that shee was indeed Iphis Wife induced to affect Calliante as much out of spight to see herself rejected by the one as by inclination to the merits of the other Thus passed away the Night whose sable veile equalizeth High to Low Rich to Poor and by the benefit of Sleep the unhappiest to the most Fortunate Next Morning some of the Swains allured with the luster of gain offered themselves betimes to Calliante to make another Search but hee thinking to have better sport by their presence than in sending them away having warmed their Heads with Wine made them this pleasant Proposition saying Honest friends you know the injury Iphis hath done mee by abusing my Sister you know the Assistance you have promised mee in taking my Revenge of him I cannot desire a more sweet a more fit nor a more ready one than by stealing away his Wife and making her Mine to oblige him by this irreparable Offence to Marry my Sister as hee hath promised and leave Serife to mee whom hee would bee loth to acknowledge for his Wife after shee hath been in my possession In saying this hee dazled their Eyes with an handfull of Crowns which made them promise to further his Design without any farther consideration Then continued hee But you must beware lest these Gentlemen who are his friends and as many Spies to watch our actions discover this Match For if they should perceive any thing our Plot would bee prevented and my hopes absolutely ruined which would transport mee into the desperatest Rage that can possesse a Soul doubly inflamed with Love and Revenge You know that this Lady hath some inclination for mee and that the vexation of seeing herself forsaken by her Husband doth animate her to resent that affront in the same manner as I propose to you It is true that as that Sex is subject to Apprehensions it is incapable of sodain and violent Enterprises besides Ladies are generally of that disposition not to yeild without some shew of compulsion even in things where they are lest of all forced I can assure you how displeased soever shee seem's and whatsoever shee saith to the contrary that the Rape which I intend will bee attended by her own Consent which will bee a sufficient justification for my action and your assistance But in regard Resolutions of this Nature have all their Effect and vigour in their sodain Expedition this must bee put in execution this Night by favour of the intelligence wee will have with Celian's Daughters your Sisters and Allyes This was no sooner moved but resolved Calliante having disposed them to this attempt discovered presently the design to the Gentlemen to the end they should oppose the carrying away of Serife and that their opposition might make another Scene of Merriment which will have an Exit contrary to what hee imagined The Swains of necessity must communicate this Plot to the Shepherdesses in regard they were to bee instrumentall to the effecting of it But hee that tell 's a Secret to three Women must not look to have it long kept Secret They presently revealed it to their Father that hee might not be surprised with that action But Hee who loved the present better than the future and Effects better than Promises did not approve of that enterprise which besides it's injustice and beeing subject to many disasters robbed him of his dear Guests who yeilded him more profit in a week than hee could get by his tillage in a Year So that partly out of Prudence partly for his private interest hee absolutely refused his consent
bee surprised in double-dealing The best way therefore in my opinion is to expect the certainty of this Event and take it as from the hand of Providence what e're it bee If shee bee Dead consider that your Sorrow will not recall her to Life and besides shee is a Creature the privation of whom ought to bee the less grievous to you in regard Nature hath forbidden you the injoyment of her Person But for the preservation of Liante whom you cherish above all the rest of Mortalls you ought in time to apply your Care Diligence and Authority Yet as the deepest Waters make the least noise in their course so the solidest Judgements conduct their affaires with more temper and less rumour more Effects and less shew The surest guards you can give Liante are Secrecy and Silence Make as if you knew not where hee is and let Pisides Argal and Pomeran remain in the error which possesseth them that hee is Almeria Close with the Seal of Authority Arcade's lips by a severe prohibition to reveale this Mystery and command Humbertus and his Souldiers under pain of Death not to declare what they know concerning him If notwithstanding all these veiles Mieslas should chance to discover the place of his retreat wee shall easily make him escape out of this Country or by Night convey him into some private Corner which shall bee known but to very few However wee must advertise him of what particulars wee have learn't since our arrivall said Iphigenes and who shall wee appoint to carry him this message Do you think Arcade fit for this purpose I would not advise you answered Boleslaus to commit this secret which toucheth you in the Apple of the Eye neither to Arcade nor to paper For the one may miscarry the other be corrupted If you conceive mee worthy to serve you therein you may freely command mee For you are the onely Master whom I do or will ever serve Father said Iphigenes imbracing the old man's neck and washing his Face with tears you continue obliging mee in things that are more sensible and which I esteem more pretious than my Life do mee then the courtesie to go in my Name to him for whom I preserve my self and tell him that to preserve him there is no force but I will imploy it no respect of Father that I shall stick to violate since choosing him for my Spouse I ought to prefer him before Father and Mother You shall be a living Letter and I am sure you will represent to him the passages here much better then I can write onely in one thing I should surpass you that is in representing him my affections For there is none but that Tongue whose Heart is pierced with Love which is able to express to the Life the resentments of a passionate Soul Boleslaüs to satisfie the impatience of Iphigenes departed presently with this Commission and had hardly delivered his message to Liante when newes was brought to Mieslas his Son beeing then with him of the Discovery of the imaginary Liante the Story whereof was thus THE DISCOVERY OF MODESTINA THose who had taken upon them the charge of conducting Modestina disguised in Man's habit beeing arrived in a place where they thought they might securely execute their damnable design on the person of that innocent Creature having to that effect procured a Chirurgion for a great summe of Mony and masked him lest beeing afterwards known by him to whom they intended to do that horrible affront hee might bee liable to the Law or his Revenge The pitifull Prisoner suffered herself to bee bound like an harmeless sheep whom the rugged Butchers carry to the Slaughter-house without the least Replication And whether Modesty tied her Tongue or the horrour of the affront by a sodain apprehension deprived her of the use of Speech shee remained some time without so much as asking what they intended At length as if her Spirits had returned out of a deep trance and fearing more the loss of her Honour than of her Life shee screaked out like a Virgin calling for aid against the violence of some dissolute Ravisher For shee conceived that they having perceived what shee was would have sated their brutall appetites on her But shee learn't other newes by him that brought the Commission from Mieslas who speaking as if shee had been Liante told her that shee must resolve to imitate the Beaver when hee is chas'd or lose her Life that if shee were wise of those two evills shee should choose the least and save the whole by losing a part In a word hee Made her understand the Will and Command of Mieslas which was to make her an Eunuch against her Will since shee had refused to make herself such by a voluntary embracing of an Ecclesiastick Life Then Modestina seeing herself reduced to this extremity judged it time to declare her condition and disabuse them of their errour But it was after attempting this last means protesting that shee was ready to obey the Will of Mieslas in resigning herself wholly to the service of the Church beseeching to defer their Execution untill they had received his definitive answer For that the lot is already cast replyed the chief of the Band there is no other determination to be expected than your choice It concerns not us to interpret the commands of our Master wee have now no leisure to discourse time require's a speedy Expedition choose the hand of the Chirurgion or that which shall plunge a Poniard in your Brest Hereby Modestina perceiving that her last remedy was in vain and that shee must use other tearms Thou Barbarous Wretch said shee couldst thou have the Heart to sheath that murtherous blade in an innocent Woman's bosome who is capable of receiving Death but not the affront which thou proposest There is as much difference betwixt him to whom thou think'st to speak and mee as between Brother and Sister I am not Liante but Modestina the Daughter-in-Law to thy cruell and impious Master Wife to Iphigenes who will bee able to revenge my Death if thou killest mee or my honour if thou dost mee the least affront See said the inhumane villane what an invention this Gallant hath found upon a sodain to save himself in this storm how the oxtremity of danger doth subtilize men's Wits But wee are not come thus far to stop in so fair way wee must put him in a condition of never pretending to the possession of the Lady Clemencia shee is reserved for a person of more eminent quality than hee This said hee prepared himself to make a search much different from that which the Shepherdesses would have made of Liante in the Prison What resistance should this poor sheep have made in the midst of so many Wolves that chaste Andromeda had recourse to her tears whose tender drops were able to penetrate Marble and mollifie Hearts more rigide then the sensless Rocks Shee conjured them by all that shee thought might have
said Iphigenes so that Liante be free You may well think said Boleslaus in his Ear if Almeria be not taken that Liante is safe enough For they go both one way and under the same Cloaths But when hee advanced towards Mieslas that meeting of the Father and the Son was like to the opposition of the Planets of Mars and Saturn whose Aspects dart none but maligne influences Mieslas taking occasion to speak first said to his Son I think this is an inchanted Castle for the People answer all by contraries I asked for your Diana and they toldmee that Liante was no longer there hath your Bother-in-law been in this place then Sir replied Iphigenes angerly are you come hither to search shew what Commission you have from the King to that purpose otherwise give mee leave to tell you as Palatine of this Country that you have nothing to do to seek either of them here But if I had found either of them said Mieslas I should have made them knew what my Power is and all your strength would have been too weak to have taken them out of my hands As beeing my Father answered Iphigenes you have priviledge to use these tearms But there 's none else breathing upon Earth whom I should not make throughly sensible of the Power I have in the Countries which depend on my authority Therefore Sir you must tell mee if you have taken either of those persons For I will die in the place or I will make him that hath them in keeping release them and whatsoever you are able to do or say nothing shall hinder mee from cutting in pieces all those that accompany you if they are not delivered to my hands For to suffer this breach in my Charge and that before my Face any one should seize upon Persons that are under my Protection is an affront which I can less indure than Death This inflamed the fiery Sarmatian with such Fury that fetching a Career hee had fallen upon Iphigenes like an hasty storm if hee who was no less dexterous than the other fierce had not handsomly slipped aside and let pass the impetuosity of that Torrent Then those that attended him interposing themselves to hinder them from joyning you might have seen Mieslas foaming with rage and brandishing his naked Sword with threats to dip it in his own blood that was in the body of Iphigenes who having not so much as laid his hand upon the Guard of his was resolved rather to die by his Father's hand than draw his Sword against him But as how graceless soever Children are yet there remain's some raye of Paternall reverence in their Souls So in the Heart of a Father what Choler soever animate's him against his Children there is a secret Advocate which plead's their Cause and make's the Weapons fall out of their hands This was verified by that occurrence for what Passion soever transported Mieslas at the present hee was afterwards glad of those Gentlemen's opposing his fury and that they had given his Indignation leisure to appease the impetuosity of it's violent Surges beeing better satisfied to have killed his Son with his Tongue then his hands and run him through with threats then with his Rapier At length Iphigenes beeing assured by the Gentleman of the Castle and the Souldiers that Liante had given them the slip the day before his mind was indifferently well pacified but yet much troubled that hee knew not whither hee was gone So the storm beeing quite blown over the Father and Son accosted each other and Mieslas abating not a little of his rigid haughtiness By said hee swearing desperately I think you will force mee to deliver those whom I have not in my power but if I had you should assoon wrest the Club out of Hercules hands as teare them out of my clutches I bless the Heavens Sir said Iphigenes that things be in the condition they are I must confess I should be much troubled to see persons ill treated in any territories whose preservation is pretious to mee But said Mieslas may not I know if that was Liante Sir answered Iphigenes that equivocall appellation deceive's you it is Almeria who having put on Man's cloaths to go a Hunting and do violent exercises with more Freedom and Activity call's herself Calliante which name I imposed upon her in an humour it signifie's Fair-Flower What Fair-Flower said Mieslas indeed shee did well to vanish before I came For never any Haile did so much spoil in the Vineyards as my Blowes should have done on Her Shoulders if I could have laid hold on Her With some other such like passages which wanted not Quips and Jarring words they re-entred the City of Plocens Iphigenes having alwayes his hand upon his wound that is his thoughts continually returning to his Loss of Liante The Pilot that in the midst of dangerous Rocks is agitated by a raging Tempest and from whose Eyes the horrid shades of Night doe hide the twinkling flames of his directing Star is not in greater perplexity then our Iphigenes not knowing which way to steer his course in pursuit of his dear Liante With what an Eye did hee behold the Princess at his return esteeming her the principall cause of all these troubles Hee carried himself with such indifference towards her abating so much of those Courtesies and Compliments whereof hee was esteemed the onely Master that it was much the despight of seeing her affection so ill recompensed had not cured her of that wound which the Beauty of Iphigenes had made in the Center of her Heart But alas it was incurable since neither Time Absence Cruelty nor Disdain the sovereign remedies of that Desease were able to asswage the torment of her languishing Pain Mieslas very unsatisfied with his Son's deportments resolved to depart next Morning for Podolia as well to give orders concerning the affairs of his Charge and Family as to cause Modestina to be more strictly garded take his Daughter Clemencia with him to Court there to attend the Queen untill the Prince Cassin should marry her And the Princess Respicia settled her resolution to return to the Court more in love than ever with the perfections of Iphigenes but less satisfied with his Courtesie Onely Hope which never leaveth us in the midst of the greatest disasters somewhat appeased the tempest of that Ladie 's thoughts by the assurance which Iphigenes confirmed to her of making himself her 's assoon as his dispensation had restored him to himself The same Night shee went from Plocens Iphigenes found under the Carpet in his Chamber a note the Characters and sense whereof accused the hand and invention of Respicia all the contents were amorous complaints and exclamations against inconstancy but no subscription nor any particular address to him yet hee needed no Oedipus for the expounding of that Riddle hee plainly saw that shee complained of him but hee feared less that despight would cure her Love than to see her flames increase
and rendered him all the indeering Offices that could bee expected from a tender Father His Table Horses Attendants and his Purse hee might command with as much freedom as himself So that Liante feeling his generous heart o're-charged with so many Obligations meditated nothing more then Olavius service and how best to comply with his disposition that hee might see hee had not sowed his favours on an ingratefull Soil This Palatine of Minsce had a Son whose tender youth might have excused him from the use of Arms had not his high Courage invited him to Martiall exercises for the defence of his Father's Fortune then ingaged in the Party of the Revolters Him Olavius commanded to render so many and such respectfull devoirs to Liante that at length those Courtesies which would have won the most untractable of Spirits absolutely charmed our gallant stranger's noble Heart and laid the foundation of an inviolable friendship betwixt them Already the desire of dying was half quench't in Liante's Minde and the Ambition of living to establish his Fortune and serve Amiclea so was Olavius yonger Daughter named wholly possessed his thoughts And through the dore of this Love entred another ray of Glory tickling his aspiring Heart which inflamed him with a desire of conquering that Michol by the death of many of her enemies Whilest hee consumed in this ambitious impatience to signalize his valour by some honorable Combat Oloria Olavius eldest Daughter suffered a no less torment but of a contrary quality For her Eyes having fed too greedily their sight with the delicacies of Liante's Countenance that sweet Idea slipt into her Soul and there ingraved it self with so deep an incision that it was beyond her power to efface it Besides this inclination which shee dissembled as much as possibly shee could by the priviledge and innate Modesty of her Sex when shee had an inkling from her Mother to whom Olavius had communicated his designe that they intended to marry her to Liante you may imagine with what joy her Heart was dilated Upon this assurance shee let her thoughts take Wing and restreined her desires with the less caution because the end of her pretensions was honourable and lawfull and passing somewhat beyond those Limits of Discretion and Modesty which a fervent Love is easily perswaded to exceed shee prevented his Courting of Her with extraordinary caresses which made his Heart recoile as fast as shee advanced According to the generall custome among Men who never eagerly pursue any but such as flie them and contemn those that meet or follow them And it is likewise the Order of Nature and Civility that Ladies should make themselves bee served and observed untill of Soveraigns Marriage tendereth them Subjects Those that do otherwise have found the direct means to make themselves the Fable and laughing-stock of all that see and know them But to what extremities doth not that Passion which blind's the discreetest Eyes reduce the firmest and most resolute Souls Liante who acknowledged himself highly obliged to her Father for his favourable treatment and her Brother for his Courteous respects could hardly constrein his humour from letting her understand that those affected attractions and too fond indearments were not pleasing to him Shee used all the Plots her Passion could invent to accost him but hee shunned her incounter by such studied evasions that they seemed rather to proceed from the casualty of occurrences than any subtilty of his This cast the poor Oloria into perplexities beyond expression and inflamed her desire to excesses unimaginable And as if Liante had premeditated to consume that passionate admirer of his perfections the more shee importuned him with her unwelcome kindnesses the more hee addressed his Courtships to Amiclea whom though hee feined to love onely for divertisement her Image was imprinted in the Center of his Heart Which possessed Oloria with so devouring an Envy that it deprived her Soul of all sort of contentment and repose I might style that torment of her's Jealousie if shee had ever communicated her affection to Liante and hee given her any hope of reciprocating her flames but no such correspondence having past between them me-think's the name of Envy doth better represent her pain understanding but too well by the faithfull report of her Looking-glass the advantages Nature had bestowed on her Sister above her and seeing Amiclea preferr'd before her by him whose senses shee desired to captivate and render susceptible of her resentments Prudence and Decency permitted not Olavius to break the Ice and offer his Daughter to Liante lest that might give him occasion to think that hee intended to sell his favours to him and press him with a bond which ought to tie none but those that are willing Polemander so was Olavius Son named who would have been very glad to have had him for a Brother-in-law that already professed to bee his friend desired nothing so eagerly as to see Liante's Eyes turned towards his Sister Oloria But what Gins and Netts soever the Fowlers use the Birds doe not alwayes light where they could wish Thus Liante was esteemed by her whom hee neglected and adored her who had not yet Judgement to discerne his Desert nor recompence his Love In this condition to divert the cares which disturbed his thoughts by the importunity of the one and the insensibility of the other there beeing every day occasion of action hee watcht for some opportunity of rendering himself remarkeable by his valour Few dayes passed without some desperate Sallies Skermishes Assaults or Surprisalls wherein Liante was continually one of the forwardest to charge ad last in the retreat And divers single Combats were fought betwixt particular Gentlemen wherein the besieged were sometimes Conquerours sometimes conquered according to the chance of Armes Liante intended to challenge Mieslas and take an honourable Revenge of the unworthy outrages which hee had received from his Barbarisme but Olavius who tendered his preservation as his own Son 's advised him first to make his triall upon some other lest undertaking a Combat with too much unadvisedness hee should not come off with his Honour At length having obtained leave not without much perswasion of the chief Commanders hee put on a suit of black Armour imbellished in the extremities of the Joints with fillets of Gold and having chosen in the Palatine's stable an Horse of the same colour caparison'd with black Velvet inriched with a golden Purle and all his furniture of the like trimming hee sent a Trumpeter forth to invite any Gentleman of the Royall Army to break a Lance and unsheath his Cimeterre in favour of the Lady whom hee chiefly honoured Upon this invitation appeared in the Field mounted on a stately Steed more white than the newly fallen Snow a Knight of an admirable presence covered from the Head to the Knees with an Armour of refined Silver so curiously wrought that the value of the Mettle though pure and precious was surmounted by the rarity of
in the research of the Other wherein hee believed his indeavours would not bee fruitless in regard of the particular advice hee had of Olavius design to give him one of his Daughters and that his last Victory had reduced him to that point that hee was contented to grant him his own choice hoping to make the confiscation of his Estate bee revoaked by their treaty with the King for the appeasing of those tumults in Lithuania See how Jealousie transport's the best composed Braines Iphigenes who had all his Life-time shewed so much Discretion and Reservedness in his Actions suffering himself to bee carried away with the stream of Fury broke forth in these Words Ah! Traytor and the most defiled with infidelity of any the World produce's Is this the promise so oft repeated in the solitudes of my Palatinate when thou sworest but with Oaths which flew away with the Winds never to love any but mee and never to suffer thy Soul to entertain any other Flame Is it thus thou wilt now renounce the too too easie too too credulous Serife That Serife who hath no Eyes but to contemplate thee and who love's her Heart onely because of thy Image which is so lively imprinted in it That Serife who hath been more tender of preserving thee than her own Life who would have raised thee to greater Honours and Riches than thou can'st hope for in any other place And foole as shee was shee turned all thy Discourses to her own advantage and fed her vanity with the praises wherewith thou extolled'st her perfections with as much treachery as flattery And after this should shee esteem the fidelity of any Man May the Heavens afflict her with some new torment if there bee any greater than that which thy disloyalty make's her suffer if ever shee put 's confidence in such faithless Souls Thou should'st have killed her upon her Father's body rather than have reserved her to hear such language as is less supportable than Death If Liante was surprised at this Speech let him judge that hath remarked the conduct of Iphigenes hitherto Hee thought hee dream'd or that Iphigenes raved For to what purpose should hee bring again upon the Stage the sweet illusions of the Forest of Plocens when Almeria was beloved by Iphis or when Calliante acted the passionate Lover of Serife At length Brother said hee What is in your mind I think the Charms of that inchanted Forest possess you yet or which is more likely you sleep as Lions doe with your Eyes open You may bee confident that I shall never relinquish but with my Life that Friendship which I have sworn to you as my Brother and the dearest Friend I have or ever shall have And I believe no less of you than that you are likewise so desirous of my Good advancement according to the testimonies you have so often rendered me that you will not hinder mee from imbracing a good Fortune when it thrust's it self into my Hands after having persecuted mee from my Cradle and made mee feel in the Current of my dayes the most rigorous Effects of her Tyranny Indeed if I saw any other dore than that which is now opened before mee whereby I might get out of the Dungeon of my Disgraces I would most willingly pass that way but if you consider the condition of my affairs you will see that I am like a drowning Man that catche's at any thing hee can reach not alwayes what hee would desire to save himself from perishing Your Father my Persecutor hath rendered mee so odious in the King's sight that I have more reason to fear his indignation than hope for any favour in Polonia which make's mee resolve either to lose my self in the overthrow of Lithuania or if it raise it self again out of it's ruines thereby to repair those of my Fortune Would to God I might bee permitted to spend my dayes with you For if I enjoyed that happiness all my ambitions might expire knowing with the power you have that I could expect no less than great effects of your exceeding Love But did not you take notice that your pleasant raving made you speak like a Woman as if that Serife to whom I vowed my Affections were any other than your self So you might make mee believe that I am Almeria See how farre our past follies transport us agreeable follies however since they please you but very bitter to mee whom they had almost bereaved of sense This long reply having given Iphigenes some leisure to appease the tumults of his Passion and re-consult his Judgement the fear of having too unadvisedly discovered his condition quickned his spirits speedily to repair that fault and crush the Scorpion upon his sting I spake said hee in my Sister Clemencia's Name to whom you have so unworthily falsified your promise Whereunto Liante thus answered Wherefore do you accuse mee Iphigenes of a crime whereof your own Soul is guilty breaking so cruelly that Faith which you had so solemnly sworn to Modestina to comply with the barbarous inclinations of your Father who make's you change Youth for old Age Beauty for Ugliness a Virgin for a Widdow your Equall in years for one that may be your Mother and all this to satisfie his Avarice and Ambition and augment your Titles with the Style of Prince as if the King's Favour which your absence hath not quite extinguished could not raise you high enough and heap as much Riches upon you as you can desire Hereunto Iphigenes could make no reply but to end all those debates hee wished that one of them two were a Woman Not so said Liante for I love you too well to desire you so great a mischiefe and for my own particular as long as Heaven give 's mee strength to hold a Sword in my hand I will hinder Mieslas well enough from razing mee out of the ranke of Men. See then answered Iphigenes how much I exceed you in Friendship For you would not change your Sex for Love of mee and I would bee glad to bee a Woman to stop your inconstancy Whilest wee amuse our selves with these Chymericall and impossible imaginations said Liante wee dissipate our Spirits which should rather lend their attentions to more serious thoughts and imploy them with our indeavours to procure the publick Peace thereby to finde the assurance of our private intentions This said they parted Iphigenes returning so perplex't in minde that hee knew not how to finde a thred to guide him out of the Labyrinth of his confusions At length after long musing sometimes concluding then altering what hee had concluded Sometimes resolving then revoking his Resolutions beeing agitated with more severall motions than the Sea hath waves Love the true Mercury of humane spirits suggested an invention to him that could not proceed but from a soul extreamly passionate Was it not a marvellous piece of sublime Policy to joyn the publick Peace with his private Tranquillity and the service of his
would please to demand for a Dowry Liante well contented with those triumphs and trophies which they erected to a Victory that cost him so little perceived thereby how vain the judgement of the World is and that as punishments are not alwayes inflicted on the most wicked persons but the least fortunate So Glory was an infamous Courtisan which cast herself not alwayes into the Arms of the most valiant but most successefull And to incite Olavius the more to press him to accept a Present which hee so passionately desired with an artificiall modesty hee pretended that he was unworthy of so much favour beeing at that time a distressed Gentleman banished from his Country and dismantled of all his Estate by an injust Confiscation Whereupon Olavius falling of himself into the Nets replied That the restitution of his inheritance would bee the least part of the brave Prisoner's ransom wherewith hee had inriched their City and that hee ought not to stick upon that consideration in regard hee had alwayes respected him more for his Vertues than his Fortune esteeming it more advantage for his Daughter to have a Man that wanted means than means that wanted a Man But Liante demanding time to deliberate more at leisure upon that business desired him to thinke of treating Iphigenes with such Civility that hee might have just occasion to commend rather than complain of Lithuania Which was performed in such honourable manner that if the gallant Iphigenes had been Governour and Master of that rebellious City hee could not have received greater respect Hee had no other Prison than his own Parolle Liante rendering himself pledge for his fidelity Since the beginning of the Siege the two Palatines of Troc and Minsce had secured their Wives Children and what they had of most considerable value in the Castle as the place of greatest safety there Liante likewise had his Quarters neer which they conducted Iphigenes into a Chamber so richly furnished that in the King's Pallace hee could not have been lodged more splendidly Good Cheer was no more wanting than all sorts of Games and honourable divertisements The company of Ladies was his ordinary attendance For they had no sooner tasted the inevitable charms of his conversation but they became more licourish and greedy of it than Bees are of Flowers or their Hony-combs If that beautifull Face which shewed to Mortalls the image of the Angells had infected with it's pleasing Poyson the Court-Ladie's hearts imagine you how those of Lithuania could be exempted from that delicious contagion you would have said that this new Sinon had been come to bring the Grecian fire to reduce that Ilion to ashes and that beeing a prisoner in Body his design was to inthrall and torture all their Mindes For that agreeable venim which is swallowed by the Eyes according to the variety of Spirits conveyed into their hearts such secret flames and those flames caused such torments that hee seem'd to have the same destiny as Sejanus Horse who put all places in disorder where hee was received Bogdales had a Wife so advanced in years that the blood of her veines which ought by the course of Nature to have been Icie seem'd exempted by the benefite of her Age from those ardours which are onely excusable in youth with her was retired into that Castle a Daughter which Hee had married to a gallant Nobleman of Lithuania who not delighting to bee inclosed within the walls of that besleged City kept a flying Army in the Field accompanied by the Palatine of Trod's Son his Brother-in-law His merit was sufficient to have made all the Affections of his Wife terminate in his Person but the Perfections of the beautifull Prisoner so perverted her Reason that as the Primum Mobile by a violent motion drawe's all the other sphears after it shee could not hinder her Heart from following her Eyes whose too inconsiderate looks betrayed the licentiousness of her thoughts So that the Mother and the Daughter were both taken in the same snare at once Neither could Olavius Wife as wise and reserved as shee was withhold the motions of her Minde from Dancing the same brawle And as if that rare Object had been formed on purpose to ruine the constancy of the most continent few saw him without taking pleasure to behold him and few beheld him without strange allarms and agitations of Spirit That fire must bee very fierce which presently take's in green Wood. Amiclea who never yet felt any resentments for Liante that deserved the mentioning was presently all inflamed with that Feaver whose fits are so agreeable that those who resent their Heats and Colds fear nothing more than to bee cured of that Disease On a sodain of ignorant shee became knowing in the Art of Love judging by the pains which shee indured that which shee had caused to Liante's Heart Oh Liante you will bee henceforwards but a difformed Esau this white Jacob will supplant you and you will see the ruine of your pretensions arise from the same ground whence you expected your establishment Onely the poor Oloria remained constant in her affection to him who despised her For her Soul beeing filled with the Idea of that first Object was insusceptible of any other impression If Iphigenes had been a Man what vanity would he have conceived in his thoughts seeing himself the blank of so many desires But beeing such as Nature had created him those Roses were to him but Thorns and those Adorations Importunities To relate the distemper which these new Passions bred in those weak Brains I dare not undertake much less to express the confusions that imbroyled their thoughts For Love Envy Despair Jealousie Shame Desire were as many Worms or rather Vultures that gnawed continually their Brests Even the Men that were too attentive in the contemplation of that Angelicall Face had not their minds free from disturbance For believing him a Man they wished him of the other Sex that they might in some kinde settle their complacency on his perfections And the Ladies who thought him not a Woman esteemed themselves as happy to have amongst them that beautifull Prisoner to whom they were all slaves as the Trojan youths were to injoy that samous Beauty of Greece within their walls Oh Iphigenes as those who cast artificiall Fire-balls are burn't oft-times themselves So among so many storms which thou excitest thou art not without some agitation With what Pencill shall I delineate the division of those Spirits The old Ladies were ready to die with Despair and Shame to see themselves in an Age which according to the Lawes of Nature protected them from the Tyranny of that little Boutte-feu which inflames Heaven and Earth become Subjects to unjust and infamous Desires whose sweet cruelty was more redoubtable to them than the pangs of Death and bee afflicted with a languishing Pain that could expect no other remedy than the Grave Bogdale's Daughter a Lady full of Honour and who would assoon have cast herself
as deep into that Favorite's brest as they had done in Liante's what great matters would hee have promised to his Ambition But besides that hee knew Iphigenes was Married to Modestina and was not ignorant of the Designes of the Princess Respicia seeing the great indifferency that beloved Captive shewed for all Women as hee lost the Hope of atchieving so high an advantage hee quitted the thought of desiring it Which made him turn all his pretensions towards Liante promising himself to obtain of the King by Iphigenes what hee should demand of Iphigenes by Liante If this Palatine had an ambition to make Liante his Son-in-Law Liante was no less desirous than Hee to contract that alliance But hee was not so simple as to take the Elder for the Younger there was no darkness impenetrable to the sight of such a Lover Since Oloria had turned her Eyes towards Iphigenes beeing transported with the ravishing Garbe of that beautifull Object shee slighted Liante's scorns The same cause made Amiclea disdain the esteem which Liante made of her and nothing was so irksome to her as when hee entertained her with the discourse of his Passion Melindra Daughter to the Palatine of Troc beeing assaulted on one side by the Legitimate Affection and Fidelity which shee owed to her absent Husband and on the other by the Charms which the presence of Iphigenes cast into her thoughts felt Combats of Love and Honour in her Heart whose convulsions approached the torments of a Woman in travell who would but cannot bee delivered The Conflict or violent opposition that Heat and Cold make in the concavity of a Clowd is some resemblance of the Contradictions in her Minde And after many passionate Complaints continuing to aggravate her sore with a thousand various imaginations shee impoisoned the Humour more and sometimes shunned the remedy sometimes desired it with impatience Nevertheless shee remained so firm in the steps of Vertue that although her languishing looks broken sighes and tears discovered plainly enough her distemper to Iphigenes yet shee observed a severe silence never giving her Tongue the liberty to say any thing but what was within the bounds of a modest Civility Wherein shee made appear as much vertue as the two old Palatinesses shewed little For they were grown so jealous of their Daughters having discovered their inclinations that like Furies they were perpetually haunting them and reprehending in them a fault which they authorized in their own deportments I will not stain their memory with the extraordinary means which they used to inveigle this Fish into their Nets Imagine you onely what Women can doe or rather what they cannot do when animated with a violent Passion and in an Age whose weakness redouble's the other's force At length Despair had made them commit a treachery and change their inclination into vengeance if the Publick necessities had not retarded them in their Private animosities So they borrowed of Time and Patience the succour of Hope which is alwayes ready to assist the most miserable But Iphigenes who had been beaten with fiercer and more dangerous storms at Court laughed at those Feminine divisions and looked as from an eminent place upon those fraile Vessels agitated with that violent tempest as a Shittle-cock in the Wind and the subject of his Disdain The assault which I am now going to relate was otherwise resented for it came from the Place that was onely capable of putting Iphigenes beyond his Temper and Art of Dissimulation You may conceive already that it proceeded from Liante whose Spirits beeing settled after the motion which Iphigenes transvestment had caused in his brest relapsed into the vehemence of his Passions for Amiclea whose Scorns befrosted his Pretensions as much as her Graces inflamed his Inclinations At length the Eyes of those that love beeing very quick-sighted hee perceived it was onely the presence of Iphigenes that ruined his Designes and that his Idoll was so possessed with the Idea of that beautifull Palatine that no other could finde admittance into her Soul This presently bred Jealousie in Liante and so much power hath the Tyranny of Love above the ties of Friendship that hee felt the later diminish as fast as the other dilated it self in his thoughts Hee wished hee had some occasion not to love Iphigenes so well but his indearing deportments his vertue and above all that incomparable Modesty which accompanied all his Actions wrested out of his Minde all thoughts of loving him less Afterwards considering to what danger that brave Palatine had exposed himself to save his Fortune and the promises hee made to raise him to the most eminent Dignities of Polonia if hee would follow his advice which hee had alwayes found as advantageous as sincere that expunged all manner of Gall out of his Heart and restreined him from doing or saying any thing that might be prejudiciall to so pure and inviolable a Friendship One of whose principall Effects beeing Confidence hee resolved to open his Heart to Iphigenes and discover to him as well the extremity of his Passion for Amiclea as the pricking torments of his Jealousie But when hee had displayed all his distempers the End of his Discourse was the Beginning of Iphigenes paines for fearing nothing so much as the loss of that Heart which hee desired to keep intire to himself it was an inconceivable torture to his Minde to see him so violently bent upon another Object Whereupon hee thus spake to Liante I marvell not at your beeing in Love for the Subject deserves it But your Jealousie put 's my senses beyond all temper for I pray what occasion have I ever given you to doubt of my Fidelity Observe Liante how far my Friendship extends if you had but said to mee Iphigenes I would not have you look upon such a Lady although her Image were ne're so deeply ingraven in my Soul I would tear it away or pluck the Eyes out of my head if they were so rash as to cast but one glance upon her I am sure if I had brought your's to this test it would not have indured the touch and you would defend your disobedience by the advantages that Love who is but a Child possesseth or'e those Spirits that are subjected to his Empire See Liante how I surpass you in all things and which is as much to your shame as my honour in the Prerogatives of Friendship which is vainly reported to equalize Friends since you are inferiour to me by so many degrees that you dare not think in my favor what I would willingly execute for your Consideration What imagination possesseth your mind do you think to make Amiclea love you against her will Certainly you understand very ill the motions of Love which have no other foundation but the Liberty of choosing and therefore it is called Dilection as if one should say an inclination of Election And you are very ignorant of the humour of Ladies who like shadowes do usually follow those that flie
them and shun those that follow them You have reason to say that Amiclea love's mee hee must bee blinde that perceive's it not so do many others whose Passions are very irksome to mee my Ears are dayly storm'd with her Complaints and these importunities which are so unwelcome to mee would be such favours to you as would elevate your thoughts to the Skies But what should I do in this case I can no more hinder her from loving mee than compell her to affect you Affection is not so easily put off as a Garment nothing is more difficult to be done by devoir than to Love Shee knowe's that her desires are without hope for my particular and yet I cannot disabuse her of her Errour nor disswade her from amusing her Fancy after a Subject which cannot lawfully be her's I would for your satisfaction that it were in my power to transplant her Passion and turn it from my self to you if this were possible you should finde that among all the Friends in the World there never was any more faithfull nor more desirous of pleasing you than I am At these words Jealousie resigned the possession of Liante's Heart and hee acknowledging the ingagements hee had to the incomparable Friendship of Iphigenes said to him I think Heaven hath created you to serve as a Spectacle of admiration to all those that see you but much more to those that frequent you It is impossible to hate you and know you But what say I I maintain one cannot know you without loving you no more than see the Sun without light or heat But what can bee the reason that like that glorious Planet you cause such ardours in these feeble Souls without conceiving the least degree of heat in your own For never Man was so beloved of Women as you are and I think never any cared less for them than you What Do you then love none so well but that you could leave her if a faithfull friend should intreat you to be unfaithfull to her Hereunto Iphigenes made answer A perfect Friend will never desire any thing so dishonorable as infidelity but if any Friend of mine should be much inflamed for some one of that Sex who to mee are all indifferent I should make no difficulty to resigne an affection wherein I were no otherwise ingaged than by a Civile respect especially if hee had been the first pretender For I hold it the greatest injury that can be done to a Friend to indeavour to spoil his market in matter of Marriage and that there is nothing more capable of breaking all Friendship than Jealousie proceeding from such a cause in regard it is an offence beyond reparation There is not hee breathing among Mortalls but knowe's that Love and Royalty admit of no Companions and that they are two Torrents which overturn by the impetuosity of their Course all sort of Obstacles Dear Iphigenes replyed Liante I think thou hast undertaken to transport mee quite beyond my self making mee see in thee not the Image but the Essence of the most perfect Friend under the Circumference of the Firmament I deliver up my Arms Dear Brother and in all wayes acknowledge my self conquered by thee But since thou hast given mee so many times my Life now thou givest mee the Courage to desire thee to preserve in mee thy own handy-work and release mee from the trouble that torment 's mee Know then that without the possession of Amiclea I cannot live And to imbrace the Body of one whose Heart is with another is a thing I can as little indure as to be tied to a breathless Carcass It would be a punishment to mee not a pleasure Therefore I beseech thee to further mee in the Conquest of her Affection and favorise this alliance with thy assistance I am but too certain of her Parent 's consent and that they are no less willing to make mee their Son-in-law than I desire to have their Daughter to Wife Then after some other discourse conceiving that nothing hindered him from beeing beloved by Amiclea but the Passion which consumed her for Iphigenes Liante continued his supplication to him to deprive her of all Hope of injoying him that shee might likewise lose the desire flattering his imagination that thereby her Love having no more wings to raise it self would doubtless fall to the ground the onely means of curing that Disease in her Fancy and to pluck the Thorns out of her Heart beeing to put the Rose out of her reach Alleadging that to perswade her to divert her thoughts another way and fix them upon a subject to whom shee might easily and justly pretend hee had a thousand reasons and wanted no inventions to lend him merits that hee possessed not and convey them into the belief of that Lady That if by his mediation hee purchased her Affection hee would esteem that favour above the benefit of his Life for which hee remained his debter in regard Life would be loathsome to him if hee could procure no admittance into Amiclea's Heart Imagine you into what extremities Iphigenes saw himself reduced not beeing able handsomly to refuse serving Liante in an occasion that hee dreaded the most and which was most destructive to his own desires Having remained long time in this perplexity as motionless as if hee had seen a Medusa or been stunn'd with some violent blow at length recollecting his Spirits and like Anteus receiving vigour from his fall hee gave his voyce passage to pronounce these words Liante if you knew the harm and injury you do mee you would have some compassion of my suffering and acknowledge that you condemne mee to a punishment much less supportable than Death by intreating mee to serve you in this occurrence I know you will say that the triall of a Friend is in difficult matters and time of need But if wee ought to love another by the modell of that Love which wee owe to our selves it followe's necessarily that our own interest ought to have the precedence according to the order of the most perfect Charity It is not yet time for you to know the injury I receive thereby nor the extream dammage and hinderance it will bee to your Fortune which I intended to raise above all other Grandeurs in Polonia except the Royall Dignity I see plainly that it is the luster of some pleasures and vain pretensions that make's you precipitate your self from this Pinacle and seek your fall where you thought to raise your self Questionless I shall bee a Cassandra to you and tell you divers truths but you will believe none Well Liante perchance my Death will open your Eyes and then by a remorse too late and out of season you will regret that you had caused it to one who prepared for you the happiest Life that your imagination could fathome Nevertheless I will drink this Cup of bitterness which you present mee and although it bee to mee a poyson beyond remedy I will swallow it to
Here Tears Weakness and Grief stopped the passage of his voyce and hee fell into a Traunce out of which it cost some time to recover him Imagine you how Boleslaüs was afflicted seeing him in so great Extremities and knowing so little whence proceeded this indisposition At length having settled his dear Nursling in a little better temper as well of Bodie as Minde and desiring him to let him understand the ground of his Disease Father said Iphigenes Let mee die in silence and do you onely have a care of that Honour after my Death whereof you have been so jealous during my Life The discreet old Man knowing with whom hee was to deale and that Iphigenes loved not to bee press't feined to resolve to die with him as not having the Heart to behold the Day after the loss of him whose consideration made him love its light Iphigenes moved with Pitty at the old Man's tenderness to hinder him from dying seemed to re-affect the desire of Living and to unload his Heart of that sad burthen which oppress 't it hee took the pains to relate him every particular that had passed since his imprisonment and how hee had voluntarily made himself bee taken as is already mentioned By which Discourse Boleslaüs seeing cleer to the bottom of his Soul and reading there the Cause of his distemper Take courage said hee we shall not die of this sickness if wee will be ruled by good advice Father answered Iphigenes when things are desperate it is no time to consult but to suffer It will be easier and better for mee to die since I am already so neer it than re-enter into a thousand Deaths by recovering my Health Liante's Heart beeing dead to mee I have nothing more to do in this mortall Life After Boleslaüs had used diverse arguments to perswade Iphigenes to banish the ingratefull Liante out of his thoughts as unworthy of the favour of his Affection Hee answered Father do not increase my torment with vilifying him whom my Soul honoureth For notwithstanding all your allegations and his unkinde usage I cannot divert the inclinations of my Heart nor change the resolution of Loving him but by losing my Life Therefore if you love mee as I have no reason to doubt and if you will oblige mee to love you yet more if it bee possible I beseech you go without delay to him and conjure him not to flie from Iphigenes who would seeke and run after him if his Sickness did not fetter him Tell him that if I had contracted with him but a common acquaintance Civility would oblige him to visit mee much more since hee is cause of this extremity whereunto I am reduced Tell him I quit him of the Promise hee made mee to restore mee my Liberty when I committed my self into his hands That I will not constrein him to quit Amiclea That I will rather take upon mee the care of solliciting against my self his Marriage with her And that hee would vouchsafe onely to see mee and close my Eyes that with the favour of Heaven I may likewise die in his Hereunto I pray good Father study no Excuses nor Replyes if you desire that I should Live Boleslaüs who knew the Palatine's humour promised a punctuall performance of his commands adding for his comfort that by the long experience hee had of Liante's Disposition hee doubted not to render him more flexible and sensible of his torment And then having dexterously taken his time Dear Child said hee since you have so changed into Nature this Love that it is become an accident inseparable to your Beeing by undertaking to preserve your Life I will also aym at the preservation of your affection and since I finde you cannot live content without Liante I must use some invention to reduce that Heart into your power At these words you would have thought Iphigenes had been raised again out of the Grave or at least that hee resembled a dainty Flower too much beaten with the Sun's Rayes which re-take's new vigour by the coolness of the Dew In a word Iphigenes was a Woman and among so many Heroick vertues which shee possess 't the Naturall inclination of that Sex to curiosity could not bee extinguished in Her The subtle Senior perceiving it made himself bee intreated a while at length after many circumstances hee said Child it is no time to spare when a Man is come to the last penny of his stock The last thing wee must do in this World is to die to prevent that Check and prolong that fatall hour nothing ought to be left unattempted When you would have discovered your self to Liante in the Forrest of Plocens you were pressed onely with a temptation Now you are constrained by necessity You will say that the remedy is not yet in season and that it will be the ruine of your Fortunes If you die your Fortunes will be otherwise lost after Death Physick is of no use You will alledge this remedy is very hard to digest and I will answer you that pain is cured by pain there is no Medicine but is unpleasant yet to avoid Death you must neither spare searing nor incisions You will reply that the apple is now much less ripe than at that time in regard Liante is filled with Gall not inflamed with Love then I must tell you that to quench a Fire People carry Water and Diseases are cured by their contraries It is now time or never to open Liante's Eyes and make him see how much hee is to be blamed for entertaining any suspicious or jealous thought of you Nature having opposed the obstacles you know of to the pretensions which hee believ's you have for Amiclea In summe I will manage this discovery with such circumspection that there can arrive no dammage to you For in sparing you the shame of telling it the onely Subject of all your Sorrow I will leave you in the power of denying that truth and rendring ridiculous those that should offer to mention it At first I will sound Liante by Enigma's Circumlocutions and Figures and according as I shall find him bite at that bait I shall know how to draw him to the Bank but before I unveile the whole Mystery to him I will oblige him by such horrible Oaths to keep it secret that if hee should have a desire to reveale it hee cannot without fearing a punishment of Thunder from the Hand of the King of Heaven All this Discourse was so many words of Life to the distressed Iphigenes and if an Angell had spoken to him hee could not have heard him with more joy and attention than hee did Boleslaüs Then prick't with curiosity saying But how The old Man stop't his Mouth with this answer A Man must never say I will doe this or I will say that and in such a manner I will conduct my Design by reason of the incertainty of Events and the obscurities wherein the Future is involved But when things have had a
to present his throat to your hand that you may Sacrifice him to your Revenge He believe's all that I have told him onely the despair of obtaining pardon for his ingratitude to you hindering him from coming to demand it in person he hath made me his Ambassadour Then having related every particular passage betwixt him and Liante and disposed Iphigenes to receive him He presently went to conduct him into the Prisoner's Chamber Liante was so sensible of having disobliged so admirable a constancy as that of Iphigenes that hee approacht his Bed with no less throbbing of Heart and confusion of thoughts than if hee had been going to receive the punishment of some haynous Crime And shame raised tumults not much less disorderly in Iphigenes minde seeing himself necessitated to acknowledge what he had so long kept from the World's notice Hee that had beheld the penctentiall tears of the one and the modest blushes of the other would have thought hee had seen red Roses impearled with the dew of Heaven I had rather confess my ignorance than imbark my self in the relation of Passions which must bee consigned to Silence since hee that would express their mutuall satisfactions must bee transformed into the Resentments of their Souls Those two Hearts opened themselves so perfectly to each other in the presence of the Old Man Depositary of all their thoughts that there remained nothing that might oppose the perfection of their chaste Love There full reparations were made by Liante and his Excuses received by Iphigenes There absolute Remissions cast all offences into Oblivion There Iphigenes charging herself with one part of the fault for having concealed her Secret so long from her dear Liante and Liante accusing himself to excuse Iphigenes bred a sweet contention which pacified all other quarrells There were made all the Promises and plighted all the Faith 's necessary to swear an inviolable Fidelity There Suspicions Diffidence Vmbrages Choller and all other Failings were so buried that the wounds left onely scarrs in shew that they had been In conclusion to hide the blazing of this mutuall Fire from other's view it was decreed in their secret Councill whereof Boleslaüs was the President that Liante feining not to desire to force Amiclea's will should seem to have cured himself of her Contempt by Despight and turn his affection towards Oloria in compassion of her Sufferings and for consideration of her Constancy rather than her Beauty As for Iphigenes all Obstacles and Scruples beeing now taken away It was judged convenient that hee should make open profession of caressing and serving Amiclea not without some handsomely contrived inventions for the deferring his re-search untill the treaty of Peace was concluded And to render their Design less perceptible they added this industry That Liante should continue in his dissatisfaction of Iphigenes and although absolutely free from Passion for Amiclea should however still make a shew of Jealousie at least of Envy and Choller against him as having robbed him of that Ladie 's Heart which hee pretended As they resolved so was it executed Insomuch that Oloria became no less contented to see him who had so much despised her make his addresses to her than Amiclea to see herself delivered of his importunities just as shee was upon the point of rendring herself to the imperious compulsion of her Parents But when shee knew it was to give Iphigenes the place whose mutuall Love was the height of her Desires you may imagine in that condition if shee could refrain from telling her Mother Iphigenes having injoyned her to keep it secret purposely that shee should divulge it and her Mother beeing a Woman could not hold long from acquainting her Husband which raised his thoughts to the Skies beeing carried upon the Wings of the Hope hee conceived to have the Favorite of Polonia for his Son-in-Law This imagination contributed not a little to the advancement of the King's service and the publick Peace For Olavius having great credit in the Lithuanian Party induced them to submit to diverse of the King's Demands desiring to conclude the Peace that those alliances might be brought to perfection Whilest our Lovers swam in the contentment of their reciprocall affections the World which like the Sea hath nothing more constant than its inconstancy and whose most faire dayes are the least certain prepared them an horrible Tempest The King at the return of his Physitians beeing informed of Iphigenes recovery dispatched Deputies from his Councill to the Camp with a Commission to Iphigenes to treat with them and the principall Officers of his Army concerning an agreement with the Lithuanians and the generall Peace Hereupon there was a Cessation of Arms on both sides seconded by a Truce for certain dayes during which time those of the Besieger's Army went freely into Minsce and the Besieged had liberty to go into the Camp or where else they listed Iphigenes with the Commissioners of the Lithuanians going dayly into the Camp to treat with the King's Officers had advanced their affairs to such a forwardness as promised an happy conclusion But when they came to the Article that concerned the re-establishment of Liante in his Estate indeavouring to content the Palatine of Podolia who could not bee perswaded to that restitution by means of an alliance betwixt that young Nobleman and one of his Daughters the furious Sarmatian refusing to consent to either re-entertained in his brutall Minde the desire of executing upon Liante that barbarous Design wee have already mentioned and which cannot bee rehearsed without shame For this effect hee set his Engines on work who were not so secret in the Conduct of their business but Iphigenes had notice of their proceedings And beeing informed that contrary to the publick Faith this enterprise was to bee attempted at his retreat into Minsce where as beeing a Prisoner hee was obliged to render himself every Night hee implored the Generall of the King's Armie's succour to hinder that violence Which was effected according to his desire Liante beeing retired into the Castellain of Cracovia's Quarters who in despight of Mieslas ambushes caused him to bee safely convoyed into Minsce Iphigenes still accompanying him with a resolution to treat his own Father like an Enemy if hee had come to assault them This so inraged Mieslas that the next day hee resolved to bee revenged of his Son therein not much unlike an irritated Mastif who bite's the stone not beeing able to reach him that threw it And in effect when hee thought to returne after the Assembly according to his Custome into the City Mieslas seized on him saying that as a perfidious Traitor to the King and Publick hee would sacrifice him to Example and like a brutall and unnaturall Brutus make him die by his own hands in the view of the whole Army Iphigenes who knew that such an execution could not bee done without the formes of Justice and besides feeling himself innocent submitted without resistance desiring that they
would execute upon his person all the cruelties they could imagine if they found him guilty of any persidious Action towards his Prince or Country This was onely a pretence which Mieslas had framed to effect what you shall hear The rumour of Iphigenes affections to Amiclea and the report of their Marriage beeing noised through the City of Minsce by the communication of the Besiegers with the Besieged during the Truce the Royall Camp was filled with this newes and at last it came to the Palatine of Podolia's Ears This incensed him with the greatest indignation against his Son that hee had ever yet conceived nothing beeing more sensible to Parents than when their Children marry against their Wills and match themselves with persons whom they think not fit for them Hereupon hee took occasion to detein his Son and accuse him of Treason against the Polonians because hee was about to contract an Alliance with the Lithuanians Besides beeing a Man of Blood and Slaughter hee produced diverse Arguments against the Treaty of Peace and hating mortally the Lithuanians hee could not indure that they should participate as Compatriots of the honours of the Crown of Polonia which was the principall point of all the Treaty Insomuch that desiring to hinder this agreement hee took this pretence of keeping his Son knowing that those of Minsce would presently take Armes hereupon and so the Truce should bee broken As hee presupposed it succeeded For immediately the Lithuanians shut their Gates inclosing and keeping Prisoners no small number of the Royall Army besides those that were delivered as hostages for the person of Iphigenes This bred much confusion and tumults on both sides Whereunto Mieslas added this stratagem There were certain Souldiers who for some crimes were condemned to Execution One of these hee caused to bee clad with a Suite of the same colour of that Iphigenes then wore and the next Morning having commanded a Scaffold to bee raised in sight of the whole Camp and City hee gave out that with his own hand hee would cut off his Son's head for beeing a Traitor to His Majesty The fatall hour beeing come hee drew up all his own quarters in Battalia then having ordered the Criminall to bee set upon the Scaffold and cloathed the Executioner with an habit not unlike his own by this spectacle hee intended to take away from those of the City all hopes of re-possessing Iphigenes by whom they expected much favour from the King in the conclusion of the Peace Iphigenes beeing kept close Prisoner in a Chamber knew nothing of all this But what became Liante at this deplorable sight What Amiclea what Olavius what the Palatine of Troc What all the Ladies What all the Inhabitants of Minsce It was then no time to sit in consultation all of what quality soever demaunded a Sally which could bee no more refused by the Palatines that commanded than a passage hindered to the fury of an impetuous Torrent Liante like the Poet 's desperate Coroebus seeing his Cassandra dragging to the Block placed himself at the head of this resolute Party and flying out of the City-gates with no less fury than a fell Lyoness hast's from her Denn to rescue her stolen Whelps filling the whole Forest with her horrid roaring precipitated himself to seek Death in the thickest of the Enemie's Squadrons beeing resolved to die a thousand times or save Iphigenes Life If all things else give place to Love it was verified at that time for if the assault was violent on the Lithuanian's part the resistance was but weak on the Polonians in regard divers Souldiers not well pleased to see their companion executed made way forthe Assailers and gave them so cleer passage by their flight partly Voluntary partly Forc'd that Liante arrived at the Scaffold as sodain as a flash of Lightning where terribly slashing th' Executioner whom hee took to bee Mieslas hee thought at the same time to rid himself of a mortall Enemy and save the Life of a Person whom hee esteemed the dearest in the World But having found out the deceipt hee ceased not to end the Hangman and set the Criminall at Liberty having cut the Cords that bound him and given him an opportunity to escape in the Throng Never were greater feats of Arms seen done by Man than those which Despair Love and Anger produced from Liante in this Action thinking hee had fought in the presence of the person beloved whom hee desired to give the strongest proof of affection that is betwixt Mortalls which is to lay down his own Life to preserve another's Mieslas who suspected they would make a Sally had prepared himself with a considerable Party of Horse to intercept them in their retreate and inclose them between the Army and his Men. But having a bad Cause and a cruell Resolution to cut them all off especially Liante if hee fell into his hands his Enterprise turned to his own confusion and he found himself intrapped in his own snares For they having released the Criminall another strong Party was sent out of Minsce to succour the former and facilitate their retreat Insomuch that Mieslas and his Men beeing ingaged betwixt both Parties the Souldiers were almost all killed his Horse was shot under him and hee beeing wounded in the Thigh besides bruised with a fall and loaden with Armes was constrained with an incredible Despair to render himself Prisoner and remit his Life to the mercy of Liante who threatned him with the cruellest of Deaths if it appeared that hee had attempted any thing against Iphigenes Mieslas to save his Life assured Liante that Iphigenes had no other harme than to bee lock't up in a Chamber and that hee had devised that Plot to execute a Criminall in his place thereby to spare his Ransom and hinder the alliance hee intended to make with the Lithuanians Upon this assurance Liante having commanded him to bee slung upon an Horse led him with diverse others in Triumph through the City To express the shame and rage of that brutall Podolian would require tearms that never yet were heard As there were divers Polonians taken so there were some Lithuanians that remained as pledges in the King's Camp aswell of those that had ingaged too far in the Enemie's Quarters as those that were shut out of the Gates of Minsce lest among Friends they should likewise let in Enemies as is often seen in like occurrences Among the rest was found a Gentleman extreamly young and whose marvellous beauty attracted the Eyes of every one exciting much more Envy than Pitty and much more Pitty than Anger Hee was led to the Generall who wondered that hee had taken Armes at such tender years After some demands hee desired they would give him leave to see Iphigenes who hee believed would know him having seen him in Minsce The Generall commanded his desire should bee satisfied Do you ask if the Palatine of Plocens was astonished to see that there was more than one Lady
overspread her Cheeks and her attire had such conformity with that which Virgenia wore when shee was brought into the Palace together with the favour of the Time Place and Shadiness of the Chamber that no body could know her on the sodain for Iphigenes there was not one but had his Eyes dazled at the splendour of so rare a Beauty and not one Soul in the whole Company so Envious as not to confess seeing those two Lovers that they were as the happiest so the handsomest Couple in the World Mieslas was the first couzened Insomuch that hee cryed out alowd hee did not think hee had been Father of so beautifull a Daughter What think you Madam said the King turning to the Queen were it not an impiety for a Father to disown so admirable a Daughter Shee seem's to mee an Angell rather answered the Queen and that shee hath more reason to acknowledge the Heaven for her Father than Mieslas Indeed said Florimunda it were great Pitty that such a Jewell should be hidden hence-forwards this Lady will be one of the richest Ornaments of the Court That 's evident replied the King and Liante shall do well to be carefull of her for if so many Ladies were inamoured of her Brother her penetrating glances will ingender no less flames in diverse Courtier 's Hearts The Royall Chamber seemed at that time like a Serene Heaven wherein their Majesties were the greater Lights the others the meaner Planets as the Infanta Florimunda Modestina the Princess Respicia Amiclea Melindra and poore Oloria quite Eclipsed But what Rank can wee give to the fair IPHIGENIA unless it bee that of the Planet that bear 's the Name of the Goddess which causeth Love When Oloria saw that glorious Star shee would have hidden herself from her own Eyes The changing of her Colour shewed sufficiently the distemper of her thoughts but all the Assembly was so attentive in contemplating the incomparable IPHIGENIA that no body took notice of her alterations Shee confess 't her self vanquished by that eminent Beauty therein shee read the cause of Liante's scorns whom in her Heart shee called Traitor for having spoken of Affection to her beeing prepossessed with that Object Shee had nothing left to support her senses in that Despair but this sorry consolation that her Sister Was as much excalled in Beauty as Shee surpassed her in handsomness At length shee excused her unfaithfull Lover as having made a choyce so worthy of his Judgement that shee herself was constain'd to approve it The Queen having for some time held her Eyes attentively fixed on IPHIGENIA'S Face turned to Florimunda saying Sister by the Life of the King my Lord I do not think it is possible to finde through the whole World two Faces more like than those of the Brother and the Sister There is but one Letter's difference in their Names but in their Faces I finde not the least tittle of exception and if Iphigenes were in Women's cloaths I believe we should hardly be able to distinguish them Iphigenes hearing this Discourse notwithstanding the gravity and modest bashfulness wherewith hee had studiously composed his Conntenance could not refrain smiling but with so pleasing a grace as obliged the Infanta to reply Madam There is no difference but in their action For Iphigenes hath I know not what of Martiall in his Face but this Lady hath a certain sofclier look so full of attraction that her sweetness charm's me What Philosophicall severity would not have changed countenance at these Speeches The King had all the pain imaginable to contein himself seeing so universall an Errour Then the Infanta speaking again to the Queen said Madam do's not your Majesty perceive that this Nymph Almeris whom Iphigenes hath chosen for his Wife excepting her complexion which is somewhat tauny by beeing much exposed to the Sun hath some resemblance to Liante I did think so replied the Queen but not to interrupt the King who was speaking I forbore declaring of my sense The King who made a shew of not hearing this Discourse knew that artificiall things like Paint are but of little durance and if hee should differ the discovery of that Secret much longer hee should lose the pleasure of his Stratagem For hee overheard already the Palatine's three friends Pomeran Pisides and Argal saying to each other Would not you say that were Serife I must confess I never saw any Sister so perfectly a Brother Clemencia hearing the high praises every Spectator gave to the perfections of her Naturall Sister would willingly have quitted the quality of Legitimate to have possessed so eminent a Beauty and a secret worm of Envy gnawing her Heart made her conceit that the extolling of Iphigenia's graces was the eclypsing of her's The Prince Cassin who could have wished to himself as many Eyes as the Poëts gave Argus the better to contemplate IPHIGENIA could not forbear saying that Liante was the happiest of Men. As many Heads as many Opinions as many Mouths as many Censures Onely poor Aretuza dreading the success of this adventure was like one that hold's the Porringer whilest the Surgeon is opening his Vein the Cruelty of Mieslas swam in her Fancy his inhumane humour dazled her Eyes with terrour and although shee was in the King's Court a sacred and inviolable Sanctuary and under his protection yet shee trembled like a Pigeon that see 's a Gerfaulcon neer him LIANTE and IPHIGENIA beeing contracted the King promised Mieslas to pay his Daughter's Dowry and gratifie Liante with such pensions and Honours as hee should not grudge to leave him the use of his Estate during Life ordeining that the first Male-Child that should proceed of that Marriage should bear the Name and Arms of the house of Mieslas and the rest Liante's All the Ceremony beeing past the Queen and Florimunda according to the ordinary curiosity of great Ladies would have had Iphigenia come neer them that they might examine her Beauties and make triall of her Wit But the King who knew that Gold would not indure the Touch commanded Boleslaüs to re-conduct the new Contracted Couple into his Closet untill hee should give order for their coming forth together with the former like the four wheeles of a Triumphant Chariot Which done beating the Iron while it was hot and not to give leisure to the assistants of discoursing and communicating their Opinions having prepared their attentions by promising to tell them one of the strangest Evenements any Age had produced upon the Theater of the World hee related summarily the History of the Birth Education and Fortune of Iphigenes with the principall Passages already declared in this Narration And then turning to Mieslas Behold said hee Seigneur Palatine the memorable Marvell your Rigour hath produced are not you happy to have brought into the World a Daughter that surpasseth so many Men in Valour and Generosity and so many Women in Beauty And let mee tell you if for preserving this Miracle of Nature you should
conceive any displeasure against your Wife who hath shewed herself so discreet and vertuous and indured your insupportable humours with such patience you would bee the most unworthy Father and Husband that ever the Sun beheld Neither must you think ever to appear in my presence or stay within my Dominion if you should dare to attempt any thing against the Mother or Daughter whom I take into my safegard and especiall Protection See how the Heavens overcoming your Malice by singular Mercies have rendered you more happy than you imagined upon whose gracious Obligations prepare henceforwards a due Repentance and Acknowledgement of their Goodness And you discreet Aretuza who have had this laudable industry to elevate your Child with so much Vertue and Prudence by the care of this aged Man whom you made her Governour rest contented and without Fear For besides the security you may expect from mee for your own Person know that I will raise your Son-in-law LIANTE and your Daughter IPHIGENIA to such a degree of Fortune as many Mothers would desire none but Daughters upon the same condition Neither shall this Happiness terminate in them alone our Intention and Will is that all those who have contributed any thing to her preservation shall bee participant of her preferment And you Fair Ladies said hee to the three Pretendants who have so honourably loved the beautifull Palatine change your fruitless Love into a just Friendship which will be more advantageous cease to afflict your Souls with sighing after a vain and sterile Passion and reserve your selves for the joyfull solemnity of Her Nuptialls who honours you as shee ought These two alliances which you have seen contracted are but one onely the habits beeing changed made LIANTE Almeria and an IPHIGENIA of Iphigenes Whereof you may bee more fully satisfied if you take the paines to go into my Closet or desire to see them again here I prepared all things in this manner purposely to increase your astonishments and make you know that the Heavens work miracles on Earth and before our Eyes This Discourse of His Majesty bred such an amazâ—ment in the Spirits of all the assistants that Admiration transported them beyond themselves But the most transported of all was Mieslas not with Choller but Joy and his Heart before more rigid than the sensless Rocks beeing mollified with these words discharged it's Rancour in a showre of Tears Hee cast himself at his Majestie 's knees and imbracing them could not thank sufficiently the goodness of that great Prince Hee did not pardon his Wife but ask't her pardon It was a pleasure to see that Father and Mother weep for Joy and all the rest with Tenderness Astonishment and Pity Hee that could relate the diverse Resentments of so many persons as had part in that Commune rejoycing were no bad Oratour yet it is better concealing than expressing them since Silence is an effect of Admiration The Queen's and Infanta's impatience made them advance into the Closet where they found IPHIGENIA in the disposition of a Criminall that expect's when the Judge will pronounce the sentence of his Condemnation Liante possessed with a joy beyond beliefe felt his Heart dance with excess of Contentment Poore Virgenia who had waited in the Gallery all ready like one that were to bee Married was found with her Governess ignorant of all this and with a conceit that the Company was then coming to assist at the Ceremony In summe the Truth was discovered the Mask laid aside and every one spake according to his own Sense Onely the three Rivalls happy in their unhappiness by their owne Cures became the Subject of Laughter and Divertisement to the Gallants of the Court. The King to inrich this Evenement and render it yet more illustrious gave order to honour the Marriage which was solemnly to bee celebrated with such Pomp Tiltings Masks Banquets and other Magnificences that hee seemed like another Assuerus to desire to shew upon this occasion the greatness of his Glory and the splendour of his Royall Liberty The beautifull Iphigenes who had been the Subject of Sighs to so many Ladies became the Object of Admiration to the Men when hee was become Iphigenia and although Liante alone had the priviledge of possessing her shee could not hinder others from Loving and Honouring Whilest these splendide preparatives were making for the Wedding Iphigenia who was more in credit than ever with the King contrived diverse other Alliances That of the Prince Cassin with her Sister Clemencia was concluded Pisides whilest hee was an Hostage for Iphigenes in the Castle of Minsce became a Prisoner to Amiclea but durst not disclose his Passion for fear of beeing accused of Presumption and payed with a shamefull Repulse Besides incurring the displeasure of Iphigenes But the shades beeing dissipated hee declared himself to Iphigenia who procured him Amiclea to Wife Argal was contented with Oloria and Pomeran whom Iphigenia cherished particularly received Modestina for his Mâ—stress Polemander chose Eleonora Iphigenia's Ward and Daughter to Stanislas Onely Respicia remained in her Widdowhood and her Daughter Simforoza in the expectation of some great match when her Age should render her Marriageable All Parties were content Oh Hymen what Cures after so many wounds what Joy to all these persons tossed with so many Stormes to see themselves so sodainly arrived at the Port and set on shore with as much Happiness as safety Virgenia likewise was not ill provided For by Iphigenia's means to whom every one was desirous to bee allied beeing the chief person in His Majesties Favour Her Husband was a Castellain of Lithuania neer Kinsman to the Palatine of Troc named Aradius who was one of the gentilest and most accomplisht Gentlemen about the Court These were the fruits of the Peace and Reconciliation of POLONIA and LITHUANIA The Solemnity of this Marriage beeing past Iphigenia desired His Majesty to honour the rest likewise with his presence Which shortly after were solemnized accordingly with such a train of Feasts and publick Expressions of Joy that Cracovia seemed to bee the onely Theater of Pleasure Peace having thus restored to Polonia that abundance and felicity which commonly doth attend it you would have said that the Golden Age had been come to sojourn with that of Iron Our incomparable Amazon guiding the Bark of her Fortune in this full Sea of Favour with such Dexterity that shee seemed to have Married Good-luck with Desert never ceased untill shee had placed her Dear Liante in the same Degree of Favour with the King as shee possessed and the King discerning so many Dispositions in that Gentleman worthy of his Benevolence loved him first for Iphigenia's sake but afterwards for his own Merits It is no small advantage for a diseased Person to have some one to helpe him into the Bath Diverse very deserving Men remaine in Obscurity for want of some to expose them to the Light and make them known to those who like Gods on Earth doe spin