seene practis'd by the Savages of the new world He instructed the Prince how he should apply that water and so gave it him who presently went to Izatida's lodging and suffer'd himselfe to be so flatter'd by his owne desires that forgetting quite what he had spoken against that remedy he durst assure Izatida that it would infallibly restore her sight She smil'd at his credulity and to send him away satisfied you shall see to morrow said she the operation of your medicine Zelmatida straight gave the old Mexican the violl and conjur'd her with an extreame affection that she would not faile to put some of that water on Izatida's eyes so soone as she should be laid The gods grant said the Mexican that your medicine have as much vertue as I will have care in applying it Thereupon the Princesse badâ—… him good night and prepar'd her self though she hoped for nothing from it to suffer the incommodity which accompanies all kinde of medicines Zelmatida the meane while came back to Polexander and earnestly intreated to tell him from whom he had his receipt and what assurance he had of its vertue Our Heroe who knew by his owne experience how dangerous and cruell it is to give false hopes to those which are as it were accustomed to hope for nothing Before I will satisfie your curiosity said he let us see what effect the water hath If it have good successe Gartias shall give you all the light of it you can desire if not you may well passe by the knowing the particularities of a thing which hath but wrong'd you But Polexander replied Zelmatida if this remedy should have the vertue of restoring the sight if it could cure Izatida how happy should I be and how great my obligation to your assistance Truly I will presently ingage my selfe to raise to you in Cusco a Temple even more stately then that of the Sun and to make your name as venerable amongst our Nation as the names of those whom they adore Yes Polexander you shall be a Deity to me and in all places where Fortune leads me I will leave eternall remembrances of your blessed act and my acknowledgement Our Heroe interrupting Zelmatida What said he are you not afraid that the jealous Deity which heares you should punish your impiety and to be avenged on your Idolatry suspend not the vertue of that remedy whereof it is the Author Zelmatida affrighted with these menaces intreated Polexander to appease the anger of that Deity and obtaine the remission of his offence since he had committed it out of ignorance This confession replied Polexander will be of more efficacy then my prayers Before that Power which is not lesse pitifull then jealous he may be term'd innocent who repents for his misdeed Go on in it and resigning your selfe to the will of that Soveraigne Being which is solely to be adored be assured your fortunes and my remedy will have a happy successe Zelmatida converted by this Speech solemnely renounc'd his zeale to all his imaginary Divinities and made a vow if Izatida recover'd her sight for ever to adore that Deity which Polexander had learnt him This while it grew to be night and that parted the two Princes Zelmatida went to Izatida's Coâ—…e and was all night waiting about the doore not daring so respectfull he was to inquire of that which he expected with so much impatiency Polexander who long'd as much as he passed all the night very restlesse and returned the next day to heare newes of his Receipt He found Zelmatida softly walking and attending the howre of the Princesse waking They continued their walke together and their discourse having brought them into a geeat alley which was right against Izatida's lodge there they made some turnes At the fourth they saw the Princesse come forth She held the old Mexican by the band and leant on the head of little Galtazis At which sight Zelmatida became cold and wanne and scarce being able to stand Alas Polexander said he your remedy hath beene no better then the rest and that Deity whom I have offended will not have thanks from a tongue so prophane as mine Izatida is as she was yesterday You imagine all that you say replied Polexander let 's goe neere and see whether your feares and griefes are just or no. Zelmatida would have walk'd but his legs so trembled under him that he was forc'd to leane against a tree and do Polexander what he could to resettle him yet his fainting still increased By little and little he lost all sense and so swounded and fell downe on the grasse Alcippus and Diceus ran to Polexanders call and went for water to recover Zelmatida Galtazis perceiving the stirre imagin'd straight what the matter was Something said he to the Princesse is misbefalne Zelmatida All his friends are troubled and run questionlesse for some remedy I infinitely bewaile that poore Prince said Izatida The agitations which his heate of spirit brings on him are the onely enemies which he yet could never vanquish But let us not suffer him longer in paine since we canfree him from it With that she kept on her way and came to the Prince before Diceus had recover'd him from his swound Polexander who was on his knees to hold up the others head arose when he saw the Princesse within some twenty paces of him and going to meet her noted so much neatnesse and grace in her dressing that he conjectur'd what was betided She had on a robe and bodies of those faire Mexican stuffes which by the shadowings of feathers mingled with silver and gold threads resembled to the life all kinde of flowers This garment after the fashion of Mexico came but to the halfe of her leg which had nothing on but buskins imbroidered with pearles and rubies Her sleeves were of a kinde of silver tiffany cut in bands and joyn'd together with Diamond buttons Her breast was cover'd with a very thin and white cobweb Lawne on which her haire waved black and full Her head dressing not so rich as delicate was of ropes of pearle and plumes which making a kinde of crowne on the top of her head fell backward and on the sides with so much gracefulnesse that it seem'd to make Art dispute with Nature for those advantages she had bestow'd on that Princesse Polexander could not looke on her without admiration and did to her the same civilities he would have done if he had certainely knowne she was not blinde But being not able to make himselfe understood he spake to her by signes and invited her to goe neerer the Prince Garruca who was come to aide his Master perceiving the Princesse so adorn'd My Lord cried he in Zelmatida's eare open your eyes and see the wondrous remedy which heaven hath sent you O what happy moments do you lose Izatida bade Garruca be silent and inly touch'd with the Princes affliction Must said she very softly this Prince be for ever in woe and misery and must
generousnesse which is not lesse knowne to me then to my Subjects said he assures me that you have already forgotten those faults that my necessity brought on and that you will not impute them to neglect or ingratitude Zelmatida unmindefull of Galtazis advice thought that Montezuma spoke to him really and truely and on that opinion finding himselfe to be extreamely obliged to his courtesie My Lord said he I will beleeve since you will have it so that my services have not been altogether unprofitable to you But to have me perswade my selfe that they are equivalent to the recompence which I receive by the honour you doe me is to forget who I am and in what manner Kings are accustomed to converse with men of my ranck Montezuma would faine have found out some complements to have gone beyond those of Zelmatida but nature that had not so much â—…efriended him inforced him to carry that by his authority which he had never gotten by his eloquence He tooke Zelmatida by the hand and drawing him almost by strength out of his Chamber put him himselfe in the royall Chaire Well my Lord said Zelmatida in rising out of the Chaire I will receive this honour since t is your pleasure but I beseech your goodnesse not to exact any more from my complying It appertaines only to you to triumph since t was by the virtue of your Subjects and the fortune of your â—…mes that the Theviciens and their Allies have beene defeated Doe you triumph then and prophane not your renowne in communicating it to a miserable stranger My Master in this sort resisting the honorable violences of Montezuma brought him to that streight either to appeare himselfe alone in that triumph or to cut off the principall ceremonies The King besides desirous to make knowne that this triumph was not prepared but for Zelmatida commanded all those to march on that had beene chosen for the pompe and shew and taking my deare Master by the hand walked on foote to the Temple of their god of Battels He caused there to be celebrated the bloody Sacrifice of the immolation of Slaves and streight after were seene not only rivelets of blood glyding from all corners of the Temple but also the bodies of the poore Theviciens carried by hundreds to the places appointed for their buriall This abhominable devotion being ended Montezuma returned to the Palace as he came and made an exceeding great feast for Zelmatida where all the Caciques that were in his Court assisted the Princes of the blood and the chiefe knights When the tables were taken away the rest of the day was spent in musick playes and many other kindes of galantryes which plenty peace and voluptuousnesse had made the Mexicans Inventors The night had her particular rejoycings Hismalita gave Zelmatida a ball and brought in Isatida and her sisters in such ornaments and with such charmes as were capable to vanquish meere insensibility Zelmatida in lieu of fayning as Galtazis had advised him and to suspend his love to give place to his wisedome seemed as distracted at the sight of Isatida He left Montezuma that then stayed with him and passing through the company without heeding whom he thrust got thither where his passion transported him The Princesse perceiving it not only blushed but was so farre offended that fayning to haue some what to say to the Queene her mother she turned her back to her unfortunate slave and left him to make a long and cruell penance for the fault which he had committed against her commandement Montezuma noted both the one and the other action and Hismalita finding in it new cause of distrust and hatred had not power enough over her selfe to dissemble it Her ill humor broke out in such a fashion and principally against Isatida that my deare Master had almost lost all respect and had even a will to accomplish that part of the prediction which spoke of the ravishing of Isatida He was neverthelesse restrayned by the feare of displeasing the Princesse but he caused in himselfe so great an Effort by this constraint that with the excesse of griefe he fell as it were dead at the feete of Hismalita O how that Queene if I deceive not my selfe prayed that he might never come to himselfe againe But her malice was not heard for just heaven who sawe no offence nor crime in the passion of my deare Master sent him supernaturall strength to supply that which nature had lost in him Montezuma ran first to him and causing him to be taken by some young knights witnessed by his assistance that goodnesse is not incompatible with weakenesse Zelmatida recovered from his fainting and ashamed of what he had done beleeved he could not better justifie himselfe then in supposing some strange ill He therefore complayned and asking pardon of the King for his disturbance humbly besought his permission to retyre Montezuma consented and to shew how deare that Prince was to him broke up the assembly and gave command instantly that the high-priest should cause prayers to be said in all the Temples for the health of my deare Master Zelmatida who till then lay buried in his usuall musings awakened from so deepe a flumber and how said he to the three Princes have you beene able to endure the company of one so troublesome Garruca knowing the intention of his master arose and but for Polexander who stayed him had beene gone that he might not be constrayned to continue his discourse Thereupon Bajazet spoake and addressing himselfe to Zelmatida You have cause said he to deprive us of the content which the relation of your adventures gives us For our silence is a signe that we have not that feeling of it which we should And truly we are eyther jealous of your fame or insensible of brave actions since that so many miracles as Garruca hath made known to us seeme to have no more touched us then would the recitall of some vulgar accident Zelmatida blushing at the pratling of Bajazet tooke Garruca and making him sit downe againe goe on said he and speake of me what thou wilt I shall finde it more supportable then the explication Bajazet gives of my words Polexander unwilling to speake any thing to Zelmatida for feare of some new interruption intreated Garruca to continue his discourse He would have obeyed him but in the instant a noyse of drummes and trumpets hindred him and made Bajazet send to know the cause of this novelty The slaves which were on the Guard came and told him that there was newly arrived in the Island a man with an extraordinary attendance who desired to speake with him Bajazet sent to the Captaine of the Fortresse that he should doe his charge and having taken his pledges he permitted the stranger to enter These done were done almost in an instant and Barberossa brought the stranger to his Generall The good aspect of the young man was not the cause alone that drew the Princes eyes upon him He was
with so great magnificence that Pallantus not knowing what to admire among so many 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was constrayned to say that Fame which seemed to flatter when she published common things was exceeding envious and sparing in relating such as were extraordinary Polexander hereupon speaking you would have said he farre more cause to finde fault with report if you knew as well the virtues of Bajazet as you doe his power and riches His fortune seemes to you wonderfull and t is in that which heaven is to him most injurious But although he affects to conceale himselfe even from his friends yet I have neyther had so little curiosity nor so small credit but that I have learnt the most important actions of his life I will one day relate them to you Let us for this time goe on to what more concerns us and seeing that the continuance of Zelmatidaes adventures cannot be deferred to another time let us give it the rest of the Evening Zelmatida did what in him lay to contradict Polexanders proposition but being pressed by Iphidamantus and Bajazet you said he shall be obeyed and Garruca who is not of the wisest when I am to be spoken of meanes not to refuse you a thing in whose relation he takes more pleasure then he can by it any way give you Iphidamantus and Bajazet told Zelmatida that he should leave to them the liberty of judgeing of those pleasures and since himselfe otherwise distraught gave so little heede during the first narration there was no appearance that he had taken notice whether of the two Garruca or his auditors had received most contentment Brother said Polexander to Iphidamantus suffer him to beleeve what he list so that he permit Garruca to relate and us to hearken to him Herewith he arose from table and taking Bajazet by one hand and Garruca by the other went into Iphidamantus chamber Zelmatida in lieu of following them got to walke on the Terrafles of the Castle and left them all the liberty they desired When every one was placed Polexander imposed silence and Garruca beginning a new thus ended the adventures of his Master The end of the third Booke The first Part of POLEXANDER The fourth Booke THE sicknesse of my Lord the Inca which I may say without lying was both fayned and true was not of long continuance His desire to revisite Isatida being more powerfull then all the vowes and sacrifices of the Mexican priests soone gave his health againe All the whiles he kept his chamber Montezuma was not a day without seeing him and by a thousand different testimonies of franknesse and affection made him see that he rather sined through weakenes then malice And as soone as he saw him well commanded that through all Mexico they should begin anew their feasts and rejoycings which had beene forbidden and willed all his Courtiers to call back by new shewes and gallantries those pleasures which the sicknesse of my Master had banished from the Court. For a whole Moneth together there was nought seene in Mexico but daunces feasts playes sacrifices and other demonstrations of joy But excuse me if you please from their particular relation and indeede the misfortunes whereinto we are now getting will not give way for me to dwell on the description of those vaine and deceitâ—…ull rejoycings Rather prepare your selves for the recitall of more sad accidents and actions the most barbarous that feare superstition and cruelty were ever able to produce Montezuma unbeguiled and redeemed from his old Errors by Zelmatidaes conversation and charmed with his incomparable qualities began not only to laugh at the predictions of his Divines but to take notice of that enraged fury where withall Hismalita solicited the death or banishment of my deare Master Yea he had already declared himselfe for the Inca and had commanded the Queene his wife to esteeme of him as of his sonne when a new accident made that poore King to relapse into his vaine terrors and the cruell machinations of Hismalita see how arrived this disaster Zelmatida perceiving that Isatida was almost continually with the Queene her Mother and that it was impossible for him to see and speake with her resolved to get through this impossibility and to finde mâ—…anes to cast himselfe at the feete of the Princesse to aske her pardon for his rashnesse and eyther to obtayne the continuance of her favour or her leave to destroy himselfe in her presence This businesse he deliberated on with Galtazis and being not able to be hindred by the inconveniences which that Little-one could lay before him told him fâ—…r aâ—…l reason that his life was the least thing that he was to hazard to get out of his miseries He concluded therefore with the Dwarfe that one evening he would get over the Queenes garden wall and hide himselfe at the end of a long ally where Isatida was wont to walke alone He was not long from putting this designe in execution but did it so misfortunately that being discovered and followed by Hismalitaeâ—… Guard he fayled little of losing his life However he saved himselfe and â—…eing certaine that he was not knowne he threw off those clothes wherewith he had disguised him and as if he had beene ignorant of the tumult he had raysed came and offered himselfe to Montezuma The â—…ing was surprized to see him and presently his naturall simplicitie made him beleâ—…ve that my Master was innocent of that which Hismalita seemed to accuse him He tolâ—… him that some theeves would have forced from him Isatida and exagerating those feares which this attempt brought on him I will said he give order to it and take sâ—…ch course that the treasons of my Enemies shall no more availe them then their Armes Zelmatida imagining that Montezuma suspected him not besought him to make knowne what he would have done and to repose all on him for the chastizing of the attempters The king embraced him and thanking him for his offer no no said he I will not hazard the defence and strength of mine Empyre for the punishing of a few traytors Let us rest quiet and leave to common persons these no more honorable executions With these words he dismissed Zelmatida and shutting himselfe up with the furious Hismalita and her cruell ministers tooke resolutions answerable to the worth of their mindes It was resolved as we have seene by the events that Isatida should be put into the Castle of the Lake and that without making much noyse on 't they should oblige Zelmatida to quit Mexico The night ensuing this unhappy councell was chosen to put it in execution whilest Zelmatida ignorant of the ill intended against him and nigh desperate with anger and the captivity of Isatida melted himselfe into teares in the Palace gardens and durst doe nothing but threaten men and praying the gods Hismalitaes ministers tooke Isatida from her chamber and conducted her with the Governesse and the Dwarfe to the Castle that was appointed for her
greatnesse to abandon your throne and to put your person into the hands of a Prince who sometimes would have given the halfe of his Empire to whosoever would have brought him your head Zelmatida stopping Axiaman my deare friend said he the beleefe that our Divines have gotten to themselves through the superstition of weake spirits rather then by the truth of their predictions exerciseth at this day its tyranny over the councell of Kings as absolutely as over the Assemblies of the common people The most wise amongst the Caciques preoccupated with these vaine errors have no more hope neither in the abilities of their Ministers nor in the valour of their Armies but regulating all their affaires by the melancholy visions of their false Prophets draw on their ruine in striving to divert it Montezuma is not the man alone strucken with this dangerous malady The contagion hath even reached Quasmez and hath to himselfe made his owne happinesse â—…o insupportable that some have beene enforced to use strong oppositions to hinder him from going out of his owne Territories to put himselfe into the mercy of his mortall enemy The pity to see so good a Prince in so strange a phrensy hath caused me to come alone into this Kingdome and heere makes me live unknowne T is true I had gone hence long since if a cause sufficient to stay me eternally forced me not to put all things else in oblivion rather then to part hence And I must tell it thee Axiaman and in so doing I make thee the depositary of my fortune of my life and of mine honour Axiaman hearing Zelmatida talke thus threw himselfe at his feete and embracing his knees no no my Lord said he I recall that indiscreet request I made to you Discover not so great secrets to me Their importance makes me mistrust my selfe I begin to feare the weakenesse of humane mindes for it may chance that by one of those mishaps which troubles the judgement and makes the most innocent to offâ—…nd that striving to keepe my faith inviolated to you I fall into some perfidy Zelmatida raising up the Prince I know Axiaman said he better then Axiaman knowes himselfe and I thinke that neither hope nor feare which can doe all shall be ever able to make him guilty of an ill action Heare then deare Axiaman my deplorable fortune and have pity on a wretch to whom both life and death are equally funestous I am come to Mexico to seeke out a treasure which Montezuma hath stollen from Quasmez and in lieu of finding it I have lost my selfe That eternall and sovereigne power which raignes over all men hath made me loue Isatida and my will yet more absolute then destiny hath imposed on me a necessity of serving her all my life and to conceive of her as of something farre more to be valued then either the Empire of Quasmez or that of Montezuma Axiaman staied not to answer till Zelmatida had made an end of his discourse but interrupted him and said that he needed to know no more of it to be satisfied of many things that were passed and especially of the causes of Isatida's imprisoning I aske you no more said he your businesse on the Lake I have discovered that designe and I see whither you would goe but to cut you off from a fruitlesse labour I will tell you newes the most pleasant that you can receive in your ill fortune and t is that I am the sole man intrusted by Montezuma for the guarding of Isatida On the suddaine the Prince gave way to be transported with his first conceptions But presently reason and noblenesse opposed themselves against the fury of those pernicious Councellors and represented to Zelmatida that he ought to exact from Axiaman nothing that was unworthy of either of them He suppressed therefore in himselfe the unjust requests that he intended to make him and sighing often Is it possible said he to Axiaman that you are Isatida's Guardian I am so replied he and judge you to what Montezuma's opinion of my fidelity obligeth me That 's my despaire cried Zelmatida that Montezuma hath made so good an elect ion All the waies to get Isatida are shut to me and I may obtaine from the most brutish and cruell of all the Mexicans that which I neither can expect nor desire especially from you Axiaman continued this poore Lover with a sad tone you have then Isaâ—…ida in your power and you may when you please taste the sweets of her sight and converse I have that good fortune replied Axiaman and if the prison of the Princesse were not to me a continuall cause of discontent I should thinke my selfe happier in keeping heâ—… then in commanding all Mexico How cried againe Zelmatida you keepe Isatida Axiaman you guard Isatida Axiaman interrupting him for feare he should intreat somewhat which he could not graunt my Lord said he suppose your selfe in my place 〈◊〉 you please and wrest not from a person that can deny you nothing till you have considered what an honest man owes to his word owes to those that trust him and owâ—… to himselfe I aske nothing of you replied Zelmatida but that you will deplore of fortune I will doe more said Axiaman without being fâ—…lse to Montezuma or to my â—…fe I will bring you to the sight of Isatida Adde not said Zelmatida adde not any condition to what you offer Yes deare Axiaman I promise to aske you nothing nor to eâ—…terprise ought after so deare a sight If you feare that my passion is likely to 〈◊〉 me charge me with fetters binde my armes and hands and let me have nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the use of speech I will endure all on condition to have yet once the happinesse to behold my faire Princesse and to know from her owne mouth what she hath resolved of my life I will get me farre away from Mexico amongst places not habitable to end my deplorable destiny Axiaman resolute to give my deare Master that contentment t is enough said he to him I know that Zelmatida can doe nothing that is not worthy of himselfe Be then my deare Lord to morrow at this houre at the foot of the great Tower of the Castle and assure your selfe that you shall see Isatida if she expresly forbid it not Zelmatida a thousand times embracing Axiaman and calling him as often the Author of his reviving tooke leave of him and retired to his lodging He could not shut his eyes all night but to execute what he had resolved he went out of his chamber at breake of day and was at the rising of Montezuma After diverse discourses he fell on that of his house and inventing to the King divers most important newes told him that he was called home by his Father and that the Cacique his Uncle by the mariage of his Daughter with him would make an end of all those differences which had almost ruined their Family Montezuma seemed to take no great pleasure in
of the Rock would needes see whither it lead He descended it by the light of his flying guides and when he was come farre downe found a square roome and thought he heard one lamenting He turned his eare that way the voice came from and saw at one of the corners of that dungeon a man laid on the Earth which had his two legs put through two silver rings his body gyrt at the middle with a great chayne and his armes bound behinde him This object which could not be seene without horror moved the King to pitty He came neere and looking earnestly on him saw in his countenance somthing that was both Heroick and venerable This constancy increased the Kings compassion and wrought in him a desire to free him from so cruell a Prison He asked him whether his name were not Alisma and whether or no the Rebells of Quito had not sold him to Montezuma At these words the poore captive lifting up his eyes gazed on Zelmatida as on his Releaser who ever you be said he who by your aspect language seem not to be of the number of mine enemies who already knowmy name and fortune beleeve it 't is not without the particular providence of the gods that you have beene brought hither Thy continuall showres of teares hath moved their goodnesse and since I have alwaies beleeved that they were not in heaven but to recompence the good works that were done on Earth they make me this day see that I was not deceived and that I should not die with the griefe of being faithfull to my Master It is above fifteene yeares that I have lived if to die a hundred times in a day be to live under the weight of those chaynes wherewith you see me loaden yet all the extremity of those tortures which my hangmen hourely renew hath not vanquished my patience nor make me discover those secrets wherewith I was intrusted I cannot tell you by what miracle my Soule hath beene able to endure in a body so afflicted as mine since I have had none other foode then a little Maiz and water and some ill fruites which twice a day I am forced to eate by the souldiers of this Garrison But what misfortune would be comparable with mine were it not for the company that these little Cucuyës have afforded me who more pittifull then men come in to me as often as my keepers doe and mingle their living lights with the obscuritie of this Dungeon And you O the only man whom I have seene since I have beene in the power of Montezuma if you feare the gods and take pleasure in well doing tell me by what force or cunning you have beene able to enter this place so strongly fortified and guarded My Father answered the King I fled from the persecution and ambushes of Montezuma when a tempest threw me in the Port. I have beene so fortunate that I presently deleated the Garrison and made my selfe master of the place Most certainly t is the gods who as you told me mov'd with your teares have vouchsafed to avenge you on the inhumanity of the Mexicans and their complices This resolute old man finding I know not what remainder of joy which the length of his afflictions had not been able to consume assured my deare Master that he never despaired but that he hoped yet to make the Rebells of Quito and the ambitious Mexicans to feele what a just indignation could inflict on them Whilest he spoake thus the king handled his chaynes and tryde to undoe them but seeing he could not doe it alone he commanded me to put to my hand and to helpe breake them We did it by the meanes of some instruments we sent for and set the generous Alisma at liberty The long time which the good old mans legs had beene hampered and as it were shortned in his fetters would not permit him to make use of the liberty was given him It was impossible for him not only to walke but well to stand up Zelmatida perceiving his weakenesse held him up on the one side and my selfe on the other wee helped him up the stayres of his prison and carried him to the Mexican Captaines lodging As soone as the violence of his payne was lessened and gotten out of his fainting occasioned by the change of ayre he asked for something to eate Zelmatida gave him of the best he could finde to comfort his heart when his body weakened through fastings watchings and tortures was somewhat strengthened by those sweete and nourishing remedies he fell asleepe and continued all the rest of the night in such a repose as was a very new thing to him Zelmatida lay downe all clad on some coverlets he sent for from the shippe and awaking every foote sometimes to be informed of the old mans health and other whiles to know what was done in the Fort remained till breake of day without giving any intermission to his disquiets He then arose and went with five or fixe souldiers to take a view of all places where there were put Centinels He met the Mexican Captaine who was hasâ—… 〈◊〉 â—…king on a high bastion and ruminating all alone the bitternesse of his preâ—…ed 〈◊〉 He told him that his silence and fidelity had not the successe he promised himâ—… and that he would no more aske him the reasons which oblieged Montezuma to cause thâ—…t place to be so guarded I know answered the Mexican that your curiosity or to say better the justice of heaven hath gone beyond the care and providence of my King Alisma is no more a prisoner and this brave personage who hath beene alwaies an example of that faith which we owe to our Soveraignes knowes by his owâ—… experience that those which continue loyall are never unfortunate At that word Zelmatida interrupting him since said he you have Alismaes virtue hope for his fortune but we will not exercise your patience so long as some have done his You may at this instant enjoy your liberty which he hath not found but after many yeares of impâ—…ment With this he left the Mexican and returned to us where he found the magnanimious old man awake and speaking to him with as much â—…espect as if he had spoke to his father asked him how he had passed the night So well answered Alisma that me thinks I have recovered all my former strength and that I now want nothing to renew the waâ—…e with the traytors who have involved in the same ruine the great Guina Capa and the splendor of the Empyre of the Incaes Whilest he spake thus he had his eyes fixed on Zâ—…matida and found in his face I know not what resemblance that brought on him an universall trembling Zelmatida tooke notice of that agitation and fearing some sicknesse in Alisma intreated to know if he desired any thing that might comfort him My sonne answered the old man the best remedy you can give me is to tell me who you are Father replyed
shut thine eyes to all other considerations and thou hast beleeved that thou shouldst gaine farre greater Empires then this if thou could'st preserve me Hoping therefore for no more in Egypt I returned to Tunis and after I had staid there some dayes unknown I re-imbarked me upon the assurance Atalida gave me that I should not heare any newes of Muley but in Fez or Morocco I went to Fez and learning nothing of what I desired â—…passed the Streights to get sooner and more safely to Morocco I came in there so that it had been impossible for the very servants of Nephizus to know me staid there so long as I thought was fitting to heare what was become of my unfaithfull husband and my loyall Friend But for al I could doe my diligences and perquisitions were bootlesse For Nephizus they told me that being desperatly in love with the Princesse Ennoramita his wife and not induring she should be in the custody of the King her Father he had besieg'd him in one of his Fortresses to take her But after the winning the place and not finding her he was neere dead for sorrow and presently put to Sea to follow her Imagine if I were amazed or no at these false tales and what I was to iudge of it Aâ—… last after I had long mused on this Adventure to no purpose I understood by Atalida â—…hat Nephizus was gone to the Canaries with that pretended Ennoramita I had Learn'd from Fame that you were not only King of them but the defendor of the oppressed the Avenger of persecuted virtue and the Exterminator of Monsters and Tyrants And for that reason I resolv'd to take you for the Judg of my cause and to implore your valor for the exemplary chastising of Nephizus perfidies and impostures The Princess of Tunis could goe no further for Atalida in clapping her hands and shewing an extreame astonishment cryed out that the old Eunuch Narcissus was come into the court of the Pallace with a great company of Trumpets and Armed men Ennoramita not able to beleeve the astonished Damsel ran to one of her Chamber windowes which look'd into the Court and knowing Narcissus Permit not if you please said shee to Polexander that any wrong be done to me in a place where you are the Master Feare nothing Madam answered Heroe whosoever dares to think of losing the respect that is due to you shall not doe it unpunished And not only here but wheresoever else you shall please to make use of mine arme I shall hinder as much as in me lieth your enemies from wronging your vertue Scarce had he ended these words but the Captaine of his guard came into Ennoramitas Chamber and told him that a Herald sent with a great trayne from Abdelmelec Prince of Morocco to all the Courts of Vrope Africk requested instantly that he might be permitted to acquit himselfe in the presence of his Majesty of that Commission his Prince had given him Surely said Polexander Abdelmelec hath knowne that I have his buckler We must heare his Herald In the meane time addressing himselfe to the Captaine of his Guard goe and receive said he these strangers and assure them that whatsoever they have to say to me they shall not need to feare any thing more then if they were in Morocco Ennoromitâ—… then speaking I intreat you a favour said she to Polexander what 's that Madam replied the Prince T is said she that I may have some time to speake with Narcissus before his Masters command hath ingaged him to any extravigancy You shall doe what you please answeared Polexander but let his discourse to mee be what it will he shall not want of receiving as good entertainement at my hands as if he had brought me the confirmation of that which Abdelmelec sometime promised me I know that your thoughts are not capable of any imbecillity said the Princess of Tunis but I am sure withall that the minde of Narcissus is not incapable of feare As long as he shall imagine that you know not the cause of his coming he will be reasonable enough to tell us what is become of Nephizus But assoone as he hath declar'd his charge and by consequence shall beleeve he hath offended you he will thinke of nothing after but how to get out of your power and in his apprehension and feare of being chastis'd will not even know where he is Polexander Laughing at the good opinion Ennoramita would worke in him of Narcissus courage commanded he should be brought to him assoone as he should be in case to be seene The Eunuch holding of his nation a certaine proud severity refus'd all that was offer'd him by Polexanders Officers and could never be wonne to see him alone Polexander hearing of these things in the presence of Ennoramita shee intreated him to let Narcissus come to him with all his trayne and told him smiling that before that Ethiopian began his Oration shee would pesent her selfe to him in the quality of a Petitioner and accusing the other of his ill treating her would so force him to put by his gravity Our Heroe approov'd of all that Amatontha desir'd and going into the hall of the Princess lodgings which was already fill'd with his Guard and other Officers there receiv'd the venerable Narcissus Scarce had the Eunuch made his reverences and first complements but Ennoramita appear'd in the Hall with a most desolate and afflicted countenance and casting her selfe at Polexanders feet besought him to give her his protection against many Enemies that did unjustly persecute her I understood my Lord said shee after the Prince had taken her up that there was newly arrived in this place one of the principall Agents of my Tyrants I therefore beseech you by the name you have gotten of the most Just Prince of the world to harken to my complaints and to beleeve that I have gone a hundred and fifty leagues by sea in hope that you will grant me that which my Country my Parents my Friends and my Allyes have refus'd me In saying so shee cast her eyes on Narcissus who instantly knew her and after shee had a while look'd on him See said shee to our Heroe in taking the Eunuch by the hand an inreproachable witnesse of those verities I am to tell you and though he hath been of the number of those that have tormented me yet I have nothing to say to him for I know how farre the duty and faith of a servant bindes him to his Master He belong'd to the Prince of Fez and being answerable and obliged to him for a great Fortune he could not lawfully consider any thing but his Interests I acquit him also from all those miseries he hath made me suffer but yet upon condition that he tell you before me why he forsook me under a false pretext whence 't is for these two yeares and more I have neither heard news of him nor of the King his Master and for what cause
considerations the overflowing of that passion but Almanzor cutting me short Do not said he imitate Hydaspes and speake against your owne thoughts through a desire to hinder a matter already resolv'd on Your Son Almaid must love he must heaven will absolutely have it so and that love Axiamira But said he how unfortunate am I in that I must give an account of my life to others then my selfe I am overtyr'd with visits and businesse and for a little vanity which the power of Commanding gives me I must deprive my selfe of my contentment yeeld my selfe a slave to other mens passions and for the accomplishment of all misery have all my labours and industry rewarded with perfidy and ingratitude They are not suspitions and doubts which make me speake thus No they are truths Almaid and such truths as you have unwittingly told me Ah! ingratefull Zabaim King incident to all crimes must thou needs after so many services which I will not remember be the author of my just complaints and the object of a yet more just indignation But he went on addressing him to me to the end we may proportion the punishment with the fault bring me hither Osmin I will from his mouth understand the wrongs Zabaim hath done him I very attentively gave eare to all these words and knowing they proceeded from an extreame affection and hatred I fear'd lest the power of love might be able to violate that of nature and winne Almanzor to breake with Zabaim These feares made me oppose against the complaints of my deare Master all that I thought availeable to get him from that opinion he had of Zabaim I therefore besought him to do nothing hastily nor upon the relation of parties interessed dissolve an amity which seem'd to be immortall I know said he what I owe to Zabaims favour He knows too how I have serv'd him Notwithstanding he hath sayl'd of his word and endeavour'd to rob me of the treasure wherewith I intrusted him Judge to what a resentment so great a contempt and so base a treason obligeth me Yet I will not doe what love adviseth me It shall never be reproach'd me that I neither know how to make or preserve friendship If Zabaim have injur'd me his fault shall not make me commit another but it shall teach me how to demeane my selfe with him that so hereafter I may cut off all causes of sayling in our amity Go then Almaid fetch me Osmin and let us see how farre Zabaim is guilty Presently I went and brought Osmin to Almanzors chamber The presence of that old man extreamely comforted the Prince and made him seeme farre lesse unquiet then he was before He spake to him with a very temperate spirit and intreated him to relate all his fortunes but before you begin said he you must satisfie me in one thing which troubles me and make knowne how Zabaim hath treated you since my absence I know you had rather lose your life then preserve it by an untruth Therefore I intreat you not to forget the injuries Zabaim hath done you no nor so much as to suspend the resentment of them to the end that without preoccupation you may make me a plaine and true recit all of what hath befalne you in Guinea Begin then and without considering that Zabaim is my friend tell me the truth purely Osmin whom I have alwayes knowne most sincere taking heaven to witnesse what he was to speake Two dayes said he to Almanzor after your departure Zabaim took the paines to come to my lodging where he staid a while with Axiamira but seeing her in a silence and sadnesse not to be surmounted he left her and taking me by the hand Father said he let us leave this faire maiden to her selfe I follow'd him and when he was come to the Sea side he made me a long Speech of the obligations in which he was ingag'd to you and repeated all the requests you had made him in behalfe of my daughter and my selfe Hee added that for your sake and particularly for mine hee would alwayes respect mee as his owne Father and that hence forward hee would put no difference betwixt his wife and my daughter I rendred thankes for his proffers and telling him they were too advantagious for a stranger like my selfe and a poore maiden as mine was I humbly besought him to contract all his liberalities into one which was to give me the meanes by which I might returne into mine owne Countrey Father repli'd the King I am ready to grant what you have desired but I must not for the infinite love I beare you become mine owne enemie and in preferring your content before mine owne leave an ill opinion of my selfe in those who looke not on the actions of Kings but to finde fault with them yet let us passe by the conceptions of the multitude which commonly are most unreasonable and fasten on that of Almanzor Will not he have cause to beleeve that I have abus'd you when he shall understand that contrary to what we had agreed together you have staid so short time with me Stay therefore here yet a few dayes and have patience till I can send him your resolution You are too generous and too good I repli'd and if the love you beare were not founded on the worthiest cause in the world I could not but still thinke on the excesse of your courtesies But Sir as I imagine your Majestie needs not use so much circumspection in so inconsiderable a businesse We are three poor Wanderers that have no name but by our miseries and who cannot receive the least favour but we must acknowledge it to be beyond our expectations Suffer us then to accomplish the course of our calamities and let not your goodnesse be so sensible as it is of those outrages which Fortune is not yet wearie of making us undergoe I made this long speech to Zabaim to the end that mov'd with compassion or overcome by my reasons he might give way to our departure I cannot tell you whence those impatiencies of parting which I discovered proceeded but I confesse to you they were very extreame and yet my wife's and Axiamira's were greater For all that my prayers my solicitations and intreating Zabaim in your name could not obtaine the leave I demanded He oppos'd so many shewes of amitie and so many reasons to my request that at last to comply with him I went against mine owne thoughts and yeelded to stay yet with him That conformitie of mine was so pleasing unto him as imbracing me with the transport of a man very passionate Father said he I will make you confesse that Almanzor is not the sole man deserves to be beloved and raise you to that happinesse that with the one part of your affection you beare to him you shall lose all that other which you beare to your native soile After all these artificiall promises he return'd to the Palace and leading me by the hand made his
free me from my slavery I had already many times beate them against my face when I perceived Maranita retiring before foure men who doubtlesse would have made him smart for the death of their companions This new combate staied my fury and made me hope to obtaine by other hands then mine owne the end of my captivity And truely but for the succour you gave him said she regarding Zelmatida the traytors themselves had avenged me on the Author of their treason But t was ◅t he shōuld receive the punishment of his crimes from the hand of him whom he had the most offended and that he should fall under the victorious armes of my deare Tumanama This Princesse could no longer continue her discourse nor the Princes stay longer by her for at that very instant they perceived a Troupe of armed men like the theeves that run through the Realme of Mexico Zelmatida and Tumanama attended by some servants went to meet them and without giving them time to bethinke themselves so furiously charged them that a part of them were left dead on the place and the rest got away and saved themselves in the wood that is at the foote of the burning Mountaine Zelmatida seeing that these petty incounters were so easily put over perswaded himselfe that the Hie-priest had made matters far more dangerous then they were but he soone changed his opinion for he saw a man higher then he by the halfe who made the same noise in running as a man would doe armed after your fashion This Giant carried on his shoulders a club heavy enough to braine by his weight many men at once He lifted up this mighty logge of wood against Zelmatida and threatning him yeeld said he or prepare thy selfe to suffer the punishment I reserve for those of thy quality Zelmatida insteed of losing time in vaine replies imployed it in purging the world of a Monster who alone was able to make it desolate He darted a long Javelin at him which fell luckily at his feet and gave him a great wound The Giant roring as an enraged Lion threw himselfe on my deare Master and had almost overthrowne him but his agility serving him insteed of strength he passed this great stroke in slipping aside and gave the Giant a blow far more dangerous then the first The Giant feeling himselfe so wounded recoyled to take his ayme and kill his enemie with one sole blow of his club But seeing it a vailed him not he betooke him to other weapons and gave my Lord the Inca divers blowes which he could not avoyde He was wounded in many places and had been in danger of his life if desperately throwing himselfe on his enemy he had not luckily stroke his head through with his halfe pike The Giant with the blow tooke his death and fell at the feet of his conqueror About that time the day arose and Zelmatida weakned with his travell and the losse of bloud was enforced to lay him on the ground Coriza ran quickly to him with two of his slaves and weeping told him that whilst he fought Tumanama was like to be murdred by other theeves and that he was exceedingly wounded In that extreamity the gods made knowne that they watch alwaies for the safety of extraordinary men for within a little after Zelmatida saw many men and women comming out from among the trees and bushes which grow on the descent of the mountaine These people seemed to be very much affrighted for such as had taken the boldnesse to come downe lower then their companions fled presently after with as much feare and hast as if indeed they had been pursued Zelmatida looking on them beckoned that they should come to him but whether they tooke no heede to it or were too much afraide once they would not come out of their fastnesse This while Tumanama was no sooner recoverd from his fainting occasioned by his wounds but he besought Coriza to informe him whether my Lord the Inca were dead He is not said the Princesse but his prodigious valour hath triumphed over that terrible Giant as well as on his other enemies If it be so replied Tumanama bring me to him to the end that taking that excellent man for a witnesse and executor of my last will I may before my death pay some of those obligations for which I stand engaged to you and give you a defender that may free your virtue from the oppression of any miscreant Coriza melting into teares at the discourse of her lover helped to raise him and taking him under the arme led him where Zelmatida was laied downe Imagine the contentment those two perfect friends received in their interviewe Tumanama hardly being able to speake Zelmatida said he to my deare Master the Gods reserve you for so many other faire adventures that I am most assured that this last shall not give an end to your life Therefore I conjure you by our sincere amity to take Coriza into your protection and to put her in possession of those estates that I leave her as a token of my most humble servitude He could not continue this discourse for his being invironed with the same men that had so long looked on Zelmatida from the toppe of the Mountaine They began all to gaze on the two Princes and to shew their astonishment by their gestures and their cries Some went to visit the bodies of those that were slaine and the first they met withall was the Giant At sight of him their cries or to say more properly their howlings redoubled Some of them after they had turned the Giant on all sides came running to the Princes and inquired which of them 't was that had been able to fi◅ish so hard an enterprise Tumanama weake as he was failed not to raise himselfe to speake to those Villagers and tell them in what manner Zelmatida had vanquished the Giant Instantly they threw themselves on their knees round about my Lord the Inca and kissing his feet and his hands cried out that the fearfull Popocampecho had received a chastisement for his offences and that one of their gods had taken the shape of a man to avenge all Mexico Scarce had they finished these words when men women and children came and cast themselves at the feet of Zelmatida and kissing the earth give him all the thanks they could Zelmatida intreated them not to goe on in their Idolatries and told them that he was no god but a man who having almost shed all his bloud was even ready to expire if he were not the sooner relieved These words increased the wonder of the country people and made them more earnestly to search for their remedies Some ran one way others another and those of the better sort staying to assist Zelmatida and Tumanama carried them to certaine houses which were at the foot of the Mountaine towards the Sun rising Tumanama being lesse wounded then Zelmatida was recured in few daies by virtue of the herbes of the burning
either your paâ—…ience learning or chaâ—…ity Yâ—…u may finde in me cause sufficient to put all those perâ—…ctions in practise I am very ignorant in our mysteries and 〈◊〉 yet more unfortunate The Dervis beginning to speake with the tone of a voice so weake and trembling that I thougâ—…t him to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â—…ick The esteeme said he which you deigne to make of me is a proofe of your goodnesse aâ—…d though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ingenuously that I deseâ—…ve it not 〈◊〉 yeâ—… I 〈◊〉 that it is an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be well in the opinion oâ—… so wiâ—…e anâ—… so generous a Princesse But that which 〈◊〉 this good fortune the moâ—…e deare to me is that by a happy continâ—… 〈◊〉 obligeâ—… you to shew some compassion on my griefe 〈◊〉 said 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heaven iâ—… self put a hand to the recoveâ—… 〈◊〉 wâ—…l quickly 〈◊〉 incurable 〈◊〉 if you 〈◊〉 Madam that being 〈◊〉 and day to conâ—…est with such sensible griefes I can neither dispose of mine owne spirits 〈◊〉 yet be in case to instruct and comfort I have neede my selfe that some charitable friend should not only free me from many doubts and withdraw me from many errors which my malady begets in my minde but that he should likewise raise my courage by his consolations and give me the strength to resist the violence of my afflictions It I carry away nothing else I replyde by your communication yet at least I shall take with me this satisfaction that it is not my sexe alone that shewes so much weakenesse since that a man who by the greatnesse of his soule could dispose himselfe of all his affections and of himselfe could not yet uncloathe him wholy of all humanity noâ—… lose the sense of paine in losing that of pleasure It seemes well Madam answered he that I have not the honour to be well knowne to you I am quite otherwise then your charity imagineth I am a feeble weake man a man so tide to himselfe and to his affections that to preserve them more pretiously and to imploy his dayes and nights in so faire and delightfull an occupation hath banished him from the world and chasen a retreate in the horrour of these Mountaines But Madam I should never have done if I tooke the boldnesse to tell you the story of my infirmities I have intimated but too much already and you shall be exceedingly good if after the confession that I have made you will deigne to take the paines one day to revisit so deplorable a creature That which you have now told me I answered makes me desire to know more but it shall be for another day In the meane time get your health if you can or at least have the courage to suffer constantly and if you neede a very rare example to make you to make you resolve it study the life of Ennoramita and you shall finde that though she be a woman she is able couragiously to support faâ—… greater afflictions then yours and to expect without despaire those remedies that time will afford her I will strive to follow so generous councell replyde the Dervis but time must quickly bring me that succour it intends me if it prepare for me any other then death My heart begins to faile me with my hope and if the eternall wisdome which watcheth eternally for the good of his creatuâ—…es had not by a miracle vouchsafed to signifie to me this day that my life is yet deare to him I protest to you Madam that I would not have preserved it any longer The more I heard this Hermet talke the more my curiosity increased I thought that all his words were so many mysteries and that he concealed from me the knowledge of something that might be very availeable and pleasing to me Yet I tooke my leave oâ—… him and promised in going away that he should quickly here from me or I would come to see him my selfe Let it be as soone as may be Madam said he sighing â—…or if your presence renew not againe within few dayes the miracle that hath beene done since you entred into this Caverne assuredly you shall not finde me living I returned thâ—… 〈◊〉 the Pallace of the Desert for so they called my Prison and meeting there with Nepâ—…zus in a humour as I may say good If I compare it with that which was ordiâ—…y with him related to him the adventure of my walke He had presently a desire to vâ—…sit the desolate Hermit and appointing it for next day intimated that he desired to goe thither with me The time being come wee got to horsbacke and in lesse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 houres came to the narrow passage by which only you could clime to the Dervis his Caverne He was in the same caâ—…e that I left him and though Nephizus had given him notice of his comming yet was he constrained if he would see him to goe to his bed-side He spoake to him with words obliging enough for a Soveraigne and reprâ—…nting the extreame desire some had given to gâ—…t to the knowledge of him asked 〈◊〉 what had forced him to make so rigourous a retirement The anger of heaven 〈◊〉 the Dervis and my despaire and the Authors of it But are you noâ—… 〈◊〉 Nephizus the same in these Mountaines that you were in the world Feeâ—… 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your afflictions as you have felt them heeretofore Aâ—…e you more absolutely Master of yoâ—… passions Or doe you beleeve that since you have turned your back to forâ—… gives over to pursue you My Lord answered the Dervis I conâ—…e I am in this Deâ—…rt 〈◊〉 same I was in the City My griefes are as shaâ—…pe as ever My passions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 me as they were wont But I must confesse to you that since I â—…gan to leave 〈◊〉 â—…ing of â—…une she hath given over to be so averse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In the woâ—…ld 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 pleasure to affâ—…ct me but since I inhaâ—… among 〈◊〉 Roâ—… she seemes to have an intent to favour me I understand what you would say replyde Nephizus That fortune since she can take nothing from you leaves you somewhat at quiet and gives over working since she findes no more subject whereon to exercise her action There is something true answered the Dervis in your interpretation but the favours I receive from fortune if to accord with the ordinary manner of speech wee must call that fortune which is a pure effect of the providence which governes in heaven are more sensible then you can imagine them She doth only oblige me in ceasing to afflict me but she obligeth me effectively and gives me at least the sight of those felicities which I have heeretofore enjoyed That is said Nephizus because you now not being distracted among these obscure and solitary places your imagination so strongly represents you the happinesse which you enjoy no more that it seemes you enjoy them yet I have farre more then that said the Dervis for I recover in this Cave and really enjoy the good which
bidden the worshiping of Images Now it hath happened by a Treason the most base that was ever committed that one of those faire pictures is fallen into the hands of a miserable Pyrate who without question is barbarous enough not to know his good fortune Abdelmelec therefore not enduring that so sanctified a thing should be expos'd to the outrages of the prophane hath resolv'd to purchase it againe with the price of his owne blood and couragiously to hazard his life and estate in a warre which his love makes him call Holy But for as much as he knowes not the aboad of those sacriligious persons who have put their execrable hands on the sacred portraict of her visible divinity he hath sent Spies into all parts to hearken after it and intreates all Princes and Knights that love honour to interest themselves in his quarrell and come quickly to Morocco to consult with him of the meanes he should take to make those Pyrates feele a punishment that may be somewhat answerable to the greatnesse of their crime And in the mean time if it had chanc'd that any Prince Moor or Christian were associated with these theeves to have gotten by treachery what he thought he could not obtaine by a just combat he gives him to understand whatsoever he be that he holds him for a coward and a Traytor if he declare not in the publick place of Morocco that equally forc'd by the feare of Abdelmelec and the violence of his passion he craftily made himself Master of Alcidiana's portraict But acknowledging his low merit he repents him of his theft and restores the faire picture to his lawfull owner And to the end that no man finde any pretext to fayle at this Assignation My Lord the Prince sends for the security of all Christians and Moores his Pass-ports and safe conducts in the best form that they can desire In saying thus he presented to Polexander the velume which he had unfolded at the beginning of his speech Our Her◅e having with much constraint refrain'd from laughter for the extravagant titles and insupportable vanities that fill'd up almost all the writing said to the old Narcissus for all the answer he was to have there that if his affaires did not call him to some other place he would quickly be at Morocco and may be would bring Abdelmelec newes of his Buckler After he had thus spoken he arose and giving leave to all the company to depart retyr'd to the Princesse of Tunis When he had been a while in discourse with her about the extravagancy of Abdelmelec and seeing her extreamely musing and melancholly I have not much lesse cause then you said he to meditate deeply on those strange Adventures which the old Narcissus hath related to us For if they be all true I find I am involv'd in the follyes of Nephizus and compeld in respect of my blood to declare my selfe his Enimie But what said I Nephizus is dead and what outrage soever he hath endeavoured to have done me I will by your Example sacrifice all my choler and all my resentment on his Tombe On the other side I conceive a thing which astonisheth and rejoyceth me together For if my conjectures deceive me not this stranger Iphidamanta that Nephizus would have to be taken for you that he might so get her from his father is my Sister the Princesse Cydaria and twinne Sister of that Prince from whom she hath borrowed the Name of Iphidamant This being soe as I cannot almost any more doubt of it Cydaria is not dead as I beleev'd hitherto and he was not well inform'd who reported to me that she perish'd in a ship all on fire in sight of the Fortresse of Guarguetssem That which most strongly perswades me is the particularity of the burning of Cydarias ship agrees well with that which Narcissus hath related to us touching the arrivall of the false Ennoramita on the coasts of Morocco There is this difference that my servants related to me how the Sea had swallowed up my Sisters vessell and I finde by Narcissus reccitall that that wherein she was was cast on the coastes of Morocco Ennoramita awakening at this as out of a deepe sleepe Have I said she to Polexander dream't that she who Nephizus would have to be taken for me should be your Sister I have told you so Madam he replyde and added withall it can be none but she and more 't is only she that hath delivered you from Nephizus How could this Miracle be done asked Ennoramita presently T is hard for me to tell you said Polexander for I doe onely guesse in this businesse Yet I think I doe not deceive my selfe and therefore mark why I imagime◅ it I was not long since in Bajazets Island and there bound to make some stay A thousand incomparable qualities justly intitles him the prime man of these times wonne me to the curiosity of knowing who he was Among al those of whom I enquir'd there was not one that could or would tell me any thing else but that he was a Prince that he was become the protector of the Pyrats to the end he might finde againe a young Princess with whom he was passionately in Love and that he was gottēn to be Generall of the Rovers by a way as glorious as it was extraordinary I earnestly pressed him that spake to mee to tel me what had happened of Rare and so much renowne n the election of Bajazet After I had long time intreated him he answered me thus ◅Our last Generall of whose Birth or first condition neither I nor any of my companions could ever learne any thing being by the suffrages of all elected and setled in the place of valiant Abinadac deceiv'd the hopes we had conceiv'd of his courage and ruin'd the designes we had on the Portugalls by a resolution he tooke to make warre with a Kingdome neere to this Island which is call'd the realme of Benin Wee oppos'd him awhile and gave him all the reasons wee could to hinder that voyage But that headstrong and Wilfull Spirit making use of this unbounded power we had given him as we doe to all our Generalls constraind us to follow him in that unhappy expedition I may well call it unhappy since wee got nothing but the shame of fayling in our enterprise and the sorrow for the losse of many of our Captaines Indeed the cause of that journey deserv'd no better a successe For it was nothing but a meere extravagancy of a young man and a blinde desire to enjoy a Christian call'd the faire Ennoramita who may be was no fairer then five or six hundred others that were kept in the Island for the Generalls pleasure When that Nephizus I have learnt our Generalls Name was so before wee call'd him Amurat was arrived at Benin and saw himselfe compell'd to give ground to the Kings sonne and by consequence to lose the hope of possessing his Mistris he committed the actions of a mad man He
Take here if you please this sword the cause of your displeasure and assure your selfe that your just griefe shall advise you to nothing which I will not undergoe without a murmure These words surprised the King and cooled his choler Yet his love not permitting him to make use of his judgement you imagine said he that your courage can finde nothing which it cannot overcome but since you have contemned my friendship I will make you see what my power is Polexander could not answere him for he had lost so much blood since he got up that all his strength failing him againe he fell so as the King was faine to prop him or he had run the hazard to have fallen with him He therefore commanded five or six of his guard to take and carry him into the great Tower of the City which was instantly performed whilst he was in his swound The King of Denmarke freed from the object of his choler cast his eyes on his deare Phelismond While he thought of nothing but to have him carried away Alcippus and Diceus rushing out of the croude where they concealed themselves came and fell at his feet and besought his eare What are you said the King We are replied Alcippus servants to that Prince whom you treate not conformably to the Covenant whereby you permitted him the combate But in the name of Heaven Sir hearken to reason how just soever your resentment be and call to minde what you have sworne The keeping of your word ought to be no lesse deare to you then the preserving your Authority But if you thinke you have no cause on this occasion to stick to it reflect on the greatnesse of your prisoner and decree nothing against him till you have well pondered who Polexander is I know what I have to doe answered the King In the meane time I command you to get out of my Court within these foure and twenty houres if you will not run the fortune of a man who within these two dayes was but a meane Gentleman and now forsooth must be taken for one of the prime Pâ—…inces of the world But I sweare to make of him an example and at once give condigne punishment for the imposture and the murder Alas Sir replied Alcippus I beseech you humbly not to suffer your selfe to be transported by your indignation Your Majesty shall pardon me if you please should I say you would lose the respect I owe you The King justly offended at Alcippus indiscreet zeale grew more in rage then ever and commanded him with Diceus to be carryed to prison Both of them thanked him for that favour and uncompelled went whither they would lead them They were shut up in the same Tower where their Master was and presently after they sent him Physitians and Chyrurgions to see his woundes which they found to be great and dangerous But Diceus was not of their opinion and desired he might dresse his Master Those good people that were no more cunning then they should be thought this request was not to be denied and therefore gave way he should looke to him which he did and neglected nothing that might prevent those accidents which cause woundes to become mortall In the meane time the King of Denmarke was much troubled for Phelismond He had commanded six of his Gentlemen to take and carry him and not only went with him to the Pallace but had him laid in his owne bed where he was visited by all the Court Physitions and looked too for all things necessary as Heire to the Crowne Neverthelesse for all they could doe to his hurts they were so dangerous that till day breake all thought them incurable His Master went not to bed that night and swore if Phelismond died he would instantly command Polexanders head to be stroake from his shoulders After 't was day Phelismond grew sensible and as soone as he could open his mouth â—…asked where his King was and what was become of his enemy The King kissed him often and shedding teares for joy to heate him speake my Phelismond said he take heart and aske after nothing but thy cure He for whom thou inquirest is where he wants nothing since I saw by the letter thou writtest to Thamiris thy desire he should be treated as thy selfe Ten or twelve dayes slid away during which time the two Rivalls woundes threw forth part of their fire and cast them into such violent Fevers that their youth was the best preserver of their lives Phelismond now grew to be out of danger as well as Polexander when he called to minde he was not to faile of his word given him That consideration moved him to supplicate the King his Master he would be pleased he might be carried to the place where Polexander was Phelismond replied the King whilst the greatnesse of your woundes made me feare what would become of you I dissembled my resentment and would not thinke of your offending me but now you are out of danger I will tell you my minde and command you as I am your Master and Father to invent no pretext for having any cause to contradict me I have so much affected you Phelismond that in my life time I would have setled the Crowne of Denmarke on your head This extraordinary token of my love should intimate how deare your safety is to me and indeed it is so much that there is nothing which I would not doe to give you all the satisfaction you can desire Yet there is one thing I receive to my selfe and for which I will neither lend lend eare to my affection nor your intreaties 'T is the life of that stranger who without doubt hath bewitched you since you love him even after he hath declared himselfe your enemy and without regarding so many generosities which should perswade him hath done what in him lay to deprive you of your life Phelismond the most noble of men answered so advantagiously for his Rivall that his Master imposed him silence I will hold my peace Sir replied he since your Majesty commands me but I must submiâ—…ly beseech you to believe that my life is inseparably knit with that of the King of the Canaries and had rather dye then be the cause so great a King as you should not fullfill what he hath promised Verily Phelismâ—…nd replied the King t is too much anger me no more and call to minde that my crowne and amity deserve your care of pleasing me Phelismond would no longer exasperate his Master but put off further discourse of that businesse till another time Polexander was this while in prison very well treated and served with as much care as if he had beene even in the Island of Alcidiana Besides Phelismond who was not able to be wearied with shewing his generousnesse towards him sollicited his deliverance but his Master grew obstinate in refusall One day when the Favourite had but two or three woundes yet open he would needs try his last indeavour
with them setting their heads on tops of pikes carried them as trophies before the invincible Zabaim During this little triumph some advertis'd the King my father of what had passed and though he seemed discontented at it yet Zabaims vertue touched him and judging by what he had done what he might doe esteem'd himselfe happy in himselfe to see me the wife of so great a King Yet he would not let the people perceive he was capable of so quick a change He kept in his Palace and though he desired Zabaims alliance as much as his Subjects yet he seemed as if he had beene yet in his first sentments When those who caried Zabaim were entred the Palace they ask'd to see their King He came out on a terrace which was in a place from whence one might easily speake to those in the Court and seeming to be much astonish'd What 's here said he my subjects Have you chosen another Prince then my selfe and put in my place the man I see on the buckler The multitude confusedly answered no And after they had many times cryed out Heaven save our Soveraigne Prince My Uncle began to speake for all and told my father that Congo besought him by his mouth to preserve a Prince which had not onely vindicated his innocency by all kinde of proofes but who promised no lesse by his valour then to add to the Crownes of Senega and Gambra those of the greatest Kingdomes of Africa As my Uncle ended his Remonstrance I entred the Palace borne by ten Gentlemen At sight of me the shouts and applauses began againe But when the people saw that Almanzor was not to be mov'd they fel on the earth and said they would never rise thence till they had obtain'd Zabaims life and the accomplishment of my marriage At last my father was pleas'd to be forc'd and told them he accorded to their prayer what he would not have yeelded to the solicitations of all the Kings in the world They thanked him for it after their manner by shouts clapping of hands and other confusions Assoone as Zabaim was at liberty he came tooke and led me to my father of whom he knew so well and with so much eloquence to aske pardon that he got it for us both Almanzor granted it with his eyes full of teares as transported he imbrac'd us both and leaving himselfe to be wholly overcome by his owne good nature I have said he erred my children and knowing you as I doe at this present I disavow my circumspection and hastinesse Live happy live long What said I Let us live together full of quiet and honour that our perpetuall union may make us beloved of the good and redoubtable to all miscreants Zabaim cast himselfe at my fathers feet when he heard him speake with so much affection and imbracing hard his legs My Lord said he you shall never repent you of the favour you have done me I wil give you a good account of the life you have given me if so be the favour of heaven second my pretentions I dare vaunt that the glory of my forefathers shall be but a part of that which I will leave to my children Almanzor took up my deare husband and held him long in his armes without the power of speaking a word except that he would forget what was passed or would not remember it but to affect more the person who had cost him so deare the getting These tokens of reconciliation having spent the rest of the day the two following were bestowed in preparing the solemnity for my nuptialls and the pastimes wherewithall they were to be accompanied For many months our Court was busied about nothing but in celebrating my mariage feast After all the sports were ended Zabaim tooke leave of the King my father and departed to satisfie the request of all his subjects For my selfe who could not resolve to leave a personage that was so deare to me I fell into a swound in bidding him farewell and in that manner was carried into my deare Lords Ship After a happy voyage we landed at Senega and were there welcom'd with all the magnificence which the people use to display on the like occasions Two yeares together Zabaim serv'd and honoured me with the same distance and the same passion which lovers make shew of in their first pursuits I was his sole delight I absolutely ruled the minde of the Queene my Mother in law I enjoyed the love all the Kingdome and never Princesse liv'd invironed at once with so many prosperities Truly they were excessive and so not of long continuance At the beginning of the third yeare Love gave place to warre Zabaim offended by the King of Melley entred with his armes into his territories and made himselfe master of them The Kings of Temian of Guma and of Dama arm'd themselves to reestablish that Prince but by the valour of Zabaim they were enveloped in the fortune of their allie The King my Lord loaden with palmes and honour returned to me and renewed his former flames A little time after the King of Guinea who by his power had made himselfe redoubtable to all his neighbours and who alone thought himselfe to be the Arbitrator of peace and warre put a great Army into the field and sent to proclaime warre against Zabaim My deare Lord unwilling to suffer this audacious Prince to goe unpunish'd entred his Kingdome and conquer'd it with an incredible promptitude But alas how fat all were his victories to him what did he lose in getting that great kingdome and how cruelly did a slave belonging to the King of Guinea avenge the defeate and death of his Master Yes my deare Deliverer during that Conquest Zabaim by my mis-hap rather then by his fault or if you will by the power of charmes and philters rather then by his levity became so dislike himselfe that you cannot without horror heare that which I have to tell you But before I relate to you so prodigious a change promise me rather to bemoane my Lord then to blame him and that no compassion which you shall have of me winne you to wish him ill for I shall hold you for mine enemy if you cannot love me without hating him whom I love more then my selfe Rather bemoane us both abhorre that witchcraft which hath had power to ruine so solid an amity and if you have ought which you can lawfully affect beseech the Author of all love which is sacred that he give you not over as he hath done my deare Lord and husband to the mercy of those infamous Sorcerers which corrupt the best dispositions and make brutish the most rationall of men The three first months of my deare Lords absence I heard so often from him that I admir'd his care of writing to me and the speedinesse he commanded his Couryers The fourth both the one and the other grew more slacke and the fifth passing without any newes at all I was perplexed with so
great apprehensions that both sleeping and waking me thought I still saw that deare Prince in his grave Had I not fear'd his displeasure I had gone to see him in his Army But rather willing to be unfortunate then to undertake ought he might dislike I had recourse to my vowes and prayers and did then nothing but beg from heaven either to take me from the world or preserve to me the friendship of my deare Lord without which my life was a torment to me In lesse then three weeks I sent above twenty Postes into Guinea Those who most truly loved me return'd with that haste I commanded them and brought me the Kings letters I receiv'd them with that transport of joy you may imagine But when I saw not in them those termes of love I had read in the former Alas cried I I have lost my Lords affection Unfortunate that I am some one of my actions or of my words have receiv'd an ill interpretation I confesse deare Zabaim I have erred but how great soever my offence be it merited not so rigorous a punishment since my heart never consented to it My griefe had even carried me to despaire if my women had not used all kinde of reasons to suppresse it Sometimes they accused me for suffering my self to be deceiv'd by vaine imaginations then they put me in minde that time and businesse had changed the Kings amorous thoughts into others more serious These considerations did a while master my sorrow but a little after I rejected them and would receive no more comfort At last after I had well wept written much long expected and made many prayers and sacrifices my deare Lord return'd to me I did not think to see him of eight dayes when he came into my chamber This suddaine welcome surprisall so transported me that going to meet him I lost at once my strength my knowledge and my sight What did not that good King doe seeing the excesse of my love He kissed me a thousand times and wetting my cheekes with his teares stood a while without turning his eyes from me When he saw I came not againe he caused me to be carried and laid on my bed where joyning his mouth to my cheeks Poore Princesse said he aloud that my Nurse might heare him can I be rationall and betray thee as I do With that he held his peace and stirr'd not from my boulster till some remedies had recovered me which by little and little I did and the first thing I took notice of were some teares which were yet on my deare Lords face That sight presently blotting out all displeasing imaginations that remain'd yet behinde and making me believe I had ill conceiv'd them I gently let fall my head on Zabaims cheek and thus bespake him Your Almanzaira then is yet pleasing to you She may yet glory she enjoyes your favour and time hath not depriv'd her of that which love had given her The King could not answer me His Speech was restrained by I know not what hinderance but his silence and teares assured me of his love farre better then his words would have done I besought him to go take a little rest and after so long and painefull a journey not to give himselfe new vexations To these words I added a many more and entreated him so often to looke to his preservation that he arofe from me but in rising said Ah Almanzaira how happy should we be if we might be alwayes together Though that Speech made me feare some new disaster yet I made all other thoughts give place to that of the Kings health and pressed him so hard to go repose himselfe that he gave me that contentment He was not above two houres away when he came again to me where he passed the evening and part of the night In all which time he left not to entertaine me in the same manner he was wont before his voyage Nay me thought he had in his speeches more of tendernesse and of passion then I had noted in those I had from him when his love was most violent I know well these particularities doe but weary you and you may laugh at my simplicity but pardon if you please for this troublesome remembrance a woman who loves nothing in the world but her husband and yet cannot have the contentment to be with him Five or sixe dayes together the King was in his good humour and I already esteemed my selfe the most fortunate Princesse of my time when I found my feares were just my suspitions reasonable and the Kings kinde usage but forced He fell without any apparent cause into so deep a melancholy and was mov'd with so much impatience and disquiets that in all the Court there was none but I who found him supportable My entertainement grew troublesome to him all companies displeas'd and not suffering himselfe to be seene but seldome he abode whole dayes retired in his Cabinet His anxiety went yet further It made him hate his Palace the aboade in townes and the frequency of his Courtiers He retir'd him to a Castle which his Predecessors had built for their pleasure in hunting and seem'd to be delighted with that Sport to have some pretence and meanes to muse and plod at his liberty and wander the woods alone This life made me feele my first griefes and search all the imaginable meanes to know the cause of it and thereto to apply a remedy Before I had recourse to those extraordinary I would try the most speedy and facile I therefore went to the King in his retirement and besought him by his first affection to tell me the cause of his melancholy Deare Almanzaira said he if it be true that thou yet lovest me doe not enquire after my affliction Get thee from me and let me undergoe the punishment I have deserved The feare I had to displease him kept me from pressing him any farther or staying longer with him With mine eyes drown'd in teares I left him and promised in that to shew my obedience as well as in all other things Believe what I am now about to tell you and thereby judge of my Lords noble nature He could not refraine from weeping when I went from him and the griefe he had to see me afflicted made him to teare his haire and oftentimes beg his death from the Deities When I was come back to Senega my first sorrowes renewed and feare representing to me the future more unfortunate then I have found it made me leade a life so retired as if with the Kings favour I had for ever lost the hope of seeing him againe At last I threw my selfe into the armes of the afflicteds Comforter and thence supplicated for sufficient strength to resist so prodigious a calamity Truly that Bounty that would not have a teare of theirs lost who are conformable to its will suffer'd not mine to be fruitlesse but granted all I petitioned for See how it hap'ned You may please to know that
straight knew one another and the Prince having imbrac'd him My father said he you are in place where all honest people are in safety Abrinzias will give you what Zabaim hath deny'd you I feare no more fortune nor Zabaim repli'd the old man your presence makes me contemne them both and my company as weake and timerous as they are shall no sooner know they are in your protection but they will instantly defie all their enemies On the sudden Almanzor changing his countenance and voyce Almaid said he with a looke a little troubled present this very day this good old man and his company to Abrinzias and do you your self take care for what they shall want After that he turn'd to the old man and imbracing him againe Excuse me said he if I leave you I have some affaires which permit me not to be longer with you and ending his farewell he took Hydaspes with him as if he had been in great haste entred into the shalop and caus'd them to â—…et him on shore He walk'd above a hundred paces without speaking a word and Hydaspes hath told me that the Prince sigh'd often in his walke and stopping every foot made knowne by his agitations that he was not at peace with himselfe At last he turn'd to Hydaspes and commanded him to returne to my ship and to conduct the strangers to his Summer lodgings Hydaspes was much surpris'd at this command but he was farre more when arriving foure or five houres after at the place which Almanzor appointed he found it richly dight with all the goodly furniture of the Crowne Divers slaves black and white presently came in who well instructed in what they had to doe prepar'd bathes for the old mans wife and daughter Hydaspes who had beene that faire maidens guide had seen her heard her speake and consequently admir'd her return'd to his Master with a resolution to upbraid him for his neglecting so faire a creature and to beget in him a desire to see her Assoone as he found him My Lord said he the strangers are where you appointed to lodge them but in spâ—…aking that word he smil'd and went not on Almanzor looking on him very seriously What would you say with your But repli'd he My Lord quoth Hydaspes I will tell you since I am commanded to speake you have perform'd but halfe the honours of your house if your self vouchsafe not to visit your guests In good earnest Hydaspes said the Prince tell me which think'st thou is the fairest the Mother or the Daughter This question repli'd Hydaspes no more makes me wonder then I did at your neglecting them both Thou think'st me then said the Prince presently either very rude or very insensible you shall never suffer for the first defect answered Hydaspes but for the other pardon me if I say to you that neither your selfe with all your Eloquence nor your learned Amenistidez with all his reasons subtleties shall never be able to justifie you But without faining Hydaspes continued the Prince Is that young beauty which questionlesse hath stung thee so amiably alluring as thou striv'st by thy reproaches to perswade me I would pardon you that question repli'd Hydaspes seriously if you had never seen this wonder but having view'd her more then once I must needs call you the most unjust and most insensible of all men Worke it so if it be possible that your imagination may represent her to you such as she was when she arriv'd in Guinea adde to the extream sweetnes which dwelt on her face the Majesty of Andromeda you shall have a picture of what she is now Ah! well said Almanzor since thou takest so great pleasure in her sight returne where she is and tell her in my Name all that which thy civility and affection shall advise thee Assure her and her Parents too of the contentment I receive by their arrivall and obtaine for me the permission of visiting them Hydaspes ran presently to Osmin's chamber so was the old man called and beginning Almanzor's complements with him ended them with his daughter but with so many offers of service so many testimonies of affection and so many faire words that it seem'd Hydaspes spoke not in the name of his Master but to have the more liberty to discover his owne thoughts Axiamira so was the faire strangers name and Osmin answered as they ought to so many civilities and calling Almanzor their Lord and Hope assured Hydaspes they would alwayes conforme themselves to all things which should be pleasing to the Prince I ratifie said Axiamira all that Osmin makes me say since the knowledge I have of Almanzors noblenesse perswades me he hath no other desires but such as are regulated by vertue it selfe Hydaspes ravish'd by the wit aswell as the beauty of Axiamira came backe to his Master but he durst not tell him what he had done by reason of Abrinzias who was with him Assoone as the King was gone and had taken with him many troublesome ones that follow'd him Almanzor entred into his privy chamber and putting forth his slaves there was alone with me Well Hydaspes said he hast thou seen Osmin hast thou spoke with his daughter may I goe see them My Lord answered Hydaspes I begin to recant the opinion I had of you your countenance your action your words assure me you are not so insensible as I thought you Surely you are more discreet then neglectfull and if I have any insight in the agitations of an amorous soule I perceive by yours that you are not without passion At that word Almanzor interrupting Hydaspes Give over this talke said he if thou art not of combination with so many secret and powerfull Enemies as I have resisted since my Guinea voyage Why hast thou not taken notice Hydaspes of the violencies I have us'd to my selfe of the paines I have indur'd and the conflicts I undergoe daily to gaine a victory which thy discourse hath depriv'd me of and to preserve the quality of Insensible where withall thou lately upbraidedst me Yes deare Hydaspes I strive to be insensible I doe my utmost to acquire a true Indifferency but I undertake all these combats in vaine and to no purpose all these resistings I must Hydaspes I must give way and no more stubbornly resist the power of my Destinie These words teaching Hydaspes to read his Masters thoughts he repented his high extolling of Axiamira to him and wish'd hee could wipe off these praises he had given her But that artifice seeming too grosse to him he thought he must make use of another He therefore told Almanzor that indeed he had not seen any fairer then Osmin's daughter but for all her charming beauties shee was not a subject sufficient for him to fix on What said he will be said by so many personages in whose breasts you ought to preserve the honour and fame you have gotten if for I know not what beauty you renounce the alliance of so many
not if you please renew them by making us call to minde their Author His name makes us tremble and our memories which in spight of us retaine the image of him never represent it without making us suffer yet more tortures then that tyrant had prepared for us You have most just cause Madam repli'd Almanzor to condemne that barbarous man into an eternall oblivion yet give me leave to call to minde his impudencies and that their excesse may vively remaine in my memorie that he may not vannt to have wronged without punishment No no my Lord repli'd Axiamira 't is not fit you should trouble your selfe to inflict ought on him he is sufficiently and rigorously chastised in living with Zelopa 't is the greatest torture his most animated enemies are able to inflict upon him I doe what I can said my deare master to have no other will then yours but when I take into consideration the state of Zabaim pardon me if I say you are too good in not wishing him a greater punishment then Zelopa I confesse 't is high nay 't is even insupportable but he is not sensible of it and his insensibilitie makes him meet his delights where you finde your afflictions Axiamira was long silent at last she began againe and blushing as she had been asham'd of her owne thoughts Osmin said she to Almanzor can tell you Zabaim hath not all the insensibilitie you imagine If he be not very insensible repli'd Almanzor he is at least blinde and very irrationall to love the infamous Zelopa and have no respect to a personage which shall not be worthily enough stil'd though she be called the wonder of her age the astonishment of Africa the desire of all soules and the felicitie of all eyes Yes Madam I repeat it and be pleased I doe so Zabaim is a monster which nature hath produced to make Africa more horrible then ever it was before since he hath had ignorance and brutalitie enough to treat you with lesse respect then he doth a Sorceresse a prostituted Strumpet Love also disavowes him and asham'd that one so barbarous should make him Author of his crimes throwes himselfe at your feet to justifie himselfe of Zabaim's insolencies and protests to you with his drowned eyes he never inspired him with so foule and criminall cogitations Axiamira a little lifting up her eyes as if she would know who 't was that spoke to her witnessed with a very good grace that she was astonied and retyring a little backward I am said she so little used to heare so faire words as I confesse I know not how to answer them Hitherto I have received nought but injuries both from men and the elements and either of them have treated me as the scandall and infamie of my Sex I have passed for a vagabond for a slave and may be for something worse Those that have been more just would not condemne me before they knew mee and when they had that knowledge finding me not very guiltie they called me the unfortunate Innocent After that my Lord judge if it be not a strange noveltie to me to heare my selfe termed to be the wonder of my age the astonishment of Africa the desire of all soules and felicitie of all eyes Certainly I am so much amazed at it that the confusion it causeth in my soule is greater then it shewes in my face Reserve those titles for some others since they cannot be justly attributed to me fit your words to my necessitous condition call me vagabond call me unfortunate call me a slave and I shall be able to understand and to answer you Many shipwracks many prisons and many other indignities have been as so many Masters which have taught me this dolefull language Axiamira said no more but 't was too much to draw out of Almanzor's heart all he had remaining of reason and liberty He confessed himselfe absolutely overcome and with a great deale of pleasure put on the chaines he had so long time refused He thought on the excesse of his happinesse and that consideration plucking him from himselfe he remained so exceedingly transported that of a thousand things hee spoke to Axiamira whether it were to praise her to give her thankes or to shew his passion there was not one of them but discovered the alteration of his judgement Axiamira perceived it and by a nimblenesse of wit which is not comparable but with it selfe I wonder not said she if you expresse your selfe so ill since I make you speake a language which you never practised The happinesse which attends you the honour which invirons you and the adoration you receive from so many Nations which affect or feare you have a particular language and it must be absolutely unknowne to any that would understand the tongue of the miserable and afflicted Almanzor ravished with Axiamira's wit as much as by her beauty sighed very deeply in lieu of answering her but his discretion imposed a rigorous silence on the agitations of his passion and obliged him to speake and tell Axiamira He had no need of an Interpreter either to understand or to answer her That in that little time he had the honour to see her he had perfectly learned the language of the unfortunate and the slave Axiamira beleeving by these words that doubtlesse Almanzor was about to disclose his passion to her called Osmin who unperceivably was gotten a little off and told him if he came not to intertaine the Prince he would run the hazard of being quickly wearied with so ill company My deare Master soone understood the subtlety of Axiamira's wit and her wisdome and that knowledge inflaming him more then he was I perceive well said he to himselfe that my servitude will last as long as my life in the meane time to let her see that he absolutely conformed himselfe to her will he began againe and addressing his words to Osmin Father said he I think you too happy in being accompanied in your disasters by a personage not onely able to comfort you but powerfull enough to take away all feeling of them Osmin replied with the gravity of a father speaking of his childe and his wife interposing her selfe in the discourse shewed she could not so well act her part as her husband Axiamira continued still her faining but Almanzor who could no longer be deceiv'd by it noted in all that maidens words that she was infinitely above what shee would seeme to be I should be infinitely tedious generous Sir if I did not cut off the most part of those private converses to tell you in a word how my deare master forgetting all to think of nought else but Axiamira so imprudently demeaned himselfe in his love that Abrinzias and Andromeda perceived it They lov'd him no lesse then they did Perseus and thought themselves no lesse obliged to have an eye to the actions of the one then of the other They therefore resolved to withdraw Almanzor from an affection which seemed
from Morocco with Iphidamanta Osmin his wife and their domesticks and in all haste came to the Fortresse of Guargetsem There as if he had been in the highest peace that could be or had abjured all things but his love he even forbad Osmin from speaking to him in any manner about businesse nor to trouble his repose with the fortune of an Estate which he abandon'd to the ambition of Sonnes Osmin affrighted with this command was neither sufficiently coward nor traytor to obey him He secretly sent for the Governour of Taradant and besought him by the excellency of his vertue and by his valour so often approv'd to have pity on the Kings weaknesse and his countreys desolation That Governour promis'd Osmin all that a man of honour should in such an occasion but whilst he was in preparation the two detestable Princes made themselves masters of the best townes and found every where so little resistance that they were at the gates of Guargetsem before the Governour of Taradant had time to assemble his friends or his troups Hely who passed his time altogether in idolatrizing Iphidamanta and in promising her such Crowns as he had lost was much astonished when the roaring of Cannons and the clamours of Souldiers told him aloud what his most affectionate servants durst not whisper to him Presently he ran to Iphidamanta and casting himselfe at her feet Would to heaven faire Princesse said he that I might by my death free you from the danger wherewithall you are threatned by my cruell and unnaturall Sonnes You should see me run to it with joy and voluntarily yeeld up what remaines of my life for the ransome of your honour and liberty But their abominable ambition will be no more glutted by my death then it is by my Crownes 'T is your honour they aime at and the accursed Nephisus will not thinke himselfe fully clear'd of those execrable vowes he hath made if at once he commit not two of the greatest murthers can be imagined I meane if after his attempting on my life he doe not the like on your honour Iphidamanta according to her custome dissolv'd in tears whilst Hely spoke to her but at last urg'd by a just indigdation It behov'd you then to have had more care of my liberty repli'd she when it was in your power So would you not have been reduc'd to give me now such vaine testimonies of your feare and weaknesse but take no care for me I know better then you how to prevent the villanies of your Sonnes Hely stood wholly confounded with love and joy at those judicious words and leaving Iphidamanta with Osmin's Lady went to see whereto his enemies had brought him Osmin followed and charging him but with silken words if it be lawfull for me to use the Court tearmes with the irreparable faults his passion had made him commit would have perswaded him to thinke on his safety whilst it was not absolutely desperate Hely stopping at that speech There 's an end of the matter said he I must die Abdelmelec and Nephisus have too constant and assured an impiety to promise me the least good that can be That very day they combin'd to make war with me they resolv'd my death Should I give into their hands all regall authority and on the faith of a solemne Treaty open the gates of this fortresse assure your selfe they would not be satisfied They will have me end my miserable life by the most infamous tortures can be invented by their mercilesse impiety But that which I more feare is they will expose Iphidamanta to such horrours as the sole imagination of them kills me I will therefore prevent all these disasters by a death which shall not be unworthy Iphidamanta nor my selfe With that he walked on and ascended up a bulwarke from whence he might descry all his enemies camp He knew the ill estate of the place he was in and judg'd rightly by the advanced works and demolitions the Cannon made that he had but a short time to live He stood there above two houres as if he had expected some Cannon shot to finish all his disquiets by a faire death But heaven which is alwayes indulgent to humane frailty preserv'd that sacred head and would not by a tragieall end give his unnaturall children cause to glory in their wickednesse nor yet would it absolutely preserve that drowsie and rest-loving Prince for feare he should utterly lose himselfe in his remisnesse and too much insensibility Osmin perceiving Helies intention withdrew him against his will from the bulwarke and trusting in the Governour of Taradants promise assur'd him he should shortly have succour from whence he expected it not Hely laughed at it and as if he had knowne his approaching misfortune staid at the foote of a towre which his enemies battered A great part of it fell in that instant and in such a manner that without the particular providence of heaven Hely and Osmin had beene orewhelm'd with the ruine Osmin was not hurt at all but Hely scap'd not so cheape He was struck downe and wounded in his head and many other parts of his body Some of the garrison Souldiers thinking he had beene slaine drew him from under the rubbish and ruines of the towre and carried him to his chamber Assoone as the trusty Eunuch Atlas saw his Master in so ill plight he ran to Iphidamanta and melting into teares Come said he and see to what point of mishap your beauty hath brought the best Prince of the world Follow me Iphidamanta and try at least by one teare and one word of comfort to witnesse to my Lord the King that you are sensible of his wounds Iphidamanta was astonished at Atlas sad relation and her naturall goodnesse making her forget all other consideration she went with Osmins Lady to the Prince his chamber Assoone as she came neere his bed and that she saw him all bloudy O heaven she cried permittest thou thine owne lively image to be thus disfigured Hely knowing her stretch'd out his hand and raysing himselfe a little faire Princesse said he since my life pleased you not let me know at least that my death is welcome unto you Impute not to heaven nor to the inhumanity of my children the tragicall end of dayes They have both rather with pity then rigour treated me as they have done and death it selfe shews how pitifull she is since it hath prevented the despaire and contempt whereinto your losse would infallibly have carried me Give them thanks rather for being so conformable to your wishes and for delivering you at last from that bondage which hath cost you so many teares Farewell then faire Princesse weepe no more if you desire not to afflict me at mine end Rather by a pleasant countenance signifie to me that you take my death as a favour I will even hasten it if you desire it But whilst I seeke for comfort in my misery I forget the care I should take for your
scarce gave him leasure to put by or avenge himselfe Yet did he what a valiant man could and gave not ground till his Symiter was broken and weakened by the losse of almost all his bloud he could not possibly stand longer He was no sooner fallen but Almanzor offering his Symeter to his throat Thou shalt dye said he unlesse thou restore me the Princesse thou hast stolne The Rover making shew that that speech was more deadly to him then all his words Do not said he to Almanzor abuse thy victory but know that scoffing and jeering never well became the mouth of a Conquerour I confesse the desire of getting that Princesse of whom thou speakest hath brought me from Morocco to Benin but that designe hath not prosper'd and I acknowledge now that wicked projects sooner or later have but unfortunate events I feele I feele the blow wherewith I was long since threatned My crimes have exhausted all the patience of heaven and by a just retribution I meet with a violent death that so I may be exemplarily chastis'd for so many murthers which my command hath committed though my hand hath not beene able to execute them The Pirates Speech so sensibly touched Almanzor that changing in an instant from an irreconcilable enemy to a pitifull Comforter Hope better said he from the bounty of heaven and since it hath brought you to repent you of your former life doubt not but it hath in store a better for you You shall live for its glory and the example of others of your condition But let not your repentance be imperfect Be sorrowfull for offending without cause the Prince of Benin I sweare repli'd the Pirate by that just avenging Deity whose hand iâ—… now heavy upon me that I know not where the Princesse Iphidamanta is and I die with more griefe to lose her for ever then to lose the light of day With those words hee gave up the ghost and left Almanzor so extreamely afflicted that his victory went neere to have beene very dismall to him For the Pirates seeing their Generall dead in lieu of losing courage as men of warre usually doe in like occasions shewed themselves more hardy and furious then before They rushed all at once on Almanzor and if the necessity of defending himselfe had not drawne him from his dangerous compassion he had run the hazard of accompanying the vanquish'd Rover. He then turn'd head on the Pirates he drove them back he pierc'd them he dispers'd them and by his terrible blows inforc'd them to have recourse to that goodnesse which a little before they had despised Almanzor receiv'd them to mercy and stopping his Souldiers fury My Companions said he to them 't is enough that we have brought our enemies to aske their lives Let us use them so as they may be bound to esteeme us as milde to those which yeeld as we are redoubtfull to such as resist us The Pirates ravish'd at Almanzorse xceeding generosity as much as they had bin terrified by his in comparable valour threw their weapons turbants at his feet and as if they had now a time to accord their desires with their thoughts Fill cried they all to gether the place which Nephisus hath left empty by his death The name of Nephisus strook Almanzor to the heart and won him to grant the Rovers what they desired only to cleer such doubts as they had cast into his minde Seeing therefore so great an union where a little before there was so great contrariety and so profound a peace where so much war had bin kindled First of all said he to them I desire to know whence your Generall was what is become of the Princesse he stole from the Court of Benin One of the Pirates speaking for all I know said he better then my companions the reason of your demands and I can better then they satisfie you in them both Know said he further sighing that the unfortunate Nephisus whom you see dead at your feet is the same Nephisus who for the beginning of his miseries felt in the Prince his brothers Turney that your pastimes diversions are dreadfull 'T is the same Nephisus who following the counsell of his naturall ambition and the passions of the King his father's enemies violated the most sanctified Lawes and wrong'd a goodnesse which had never parallel 'T is that Nephisus who failing in his faith to the Princesse of Tunis and of his duty to the good Hely would have ravish'd Iphidamanta from him and besieg'd him in a Fortresse whereinto he was retir'd with her In summe 't is the same Nephisus who thinking himselfe by his taking that place not onely master of his fathers life but possessor of his Crowne and of Iphidamanta saw himselfe compell'd to abandon his defeated army to fly out of his fathers territories and that he might have a refuge to implore the assistance and protection of those who now demand yours I beleeve my Lord these generall things will be sufficient to satisfie part of your curiosity for the rest this is all the manifestation we can now give you When Nephisus left the Pirates Island for the stealing or forcing away of Iphidamanta he chose for companions of his fortune two of his most resolute Captaines the one was called Thalemut and the other Achain They promis'd him to throw themselves into Abrinzias Palace in two places which they knew and to take thence Iphidamanra whilst with his troupe he amused another where that Kings gard was They executed what they had promis'd but Nephisus being constrained to retire to his ships sooner then they had agreed upon together neither met with Thalemut nor Achain A tempest presently arose and our vessels were so dispers'd that this unfortunate Prince never heard since what was become of those two Captaines If you please I may have leave to tell you my opinion I thinke that Thalemut and Achain are certainly retir'd into their Island and carried the Princesse along with them Quoth Almanzor that which you have told me fills me with astonishment and gives me a great deale of satisfaction But I should have all I desire if you would instruct me what course I should steere to get to that fatall Island The Pirates who were about him spoke all at once and offered not onely to conduct him thither but also to cause Iphidamanta to be restor'd to him if so be she were in the hands of any of their Captains Almanzor imbrac'd them all one after another to thanke them for a promise that was so pleasing to him and in recompence told them he would if they thought them worthy fill Nephisus place and give them a Generall as affectionate as he if he did not give them one as valiant The Pirates taking him at his word forgot their pass'd losses by the gaine they had in him and betooke them to the course which their former combate had put them farre from Almanzor commanding his Mariners to follow him
question whatsoever Phelismond spoke to him dismissed all the Physitians and thought that dances maskes playes and other sportive pastimes were the best remedies which my new physitian prescribed for my recoverie But that new Leech soone repented him of his counsell for the King imagining that Phelismond would be as able to suppresse my malady as he had judgement to discover it commanded him to be with me as often as he could and intreating I would cast off that melancholy which might be my ruine assured me that if I did but contribute somewhat to part of my health Phelismond's conversation would be able to perfect all the rest thus he parted after he had unwittingly given me so true counsell Phelismond who hath ever kept that respect to his Master as not to abuse his favour staid at my beds-head to shew his obedience and being excellent at the relation of stories was willing to begin one that might divert me and withall relate his fortune but presently I perceiv'd how violently he forc'd himselfe to it and therefore touched with his constraint I stopp'd him at the very first to let him know the excesse of my love by that of my compassion Doe not said I Phelismond force your selfe any more your concent is too deare to me to sacrifice it to my peace I had rather die then to redeeme my self from the grave with the losse of your happinesse leave then when you please the miserable Helismena and seare not that either to be revenged or to be cured she will ever complaine of your crueltie death is most deare to her since she is permitted to tell you that for you she dies Phelismond unable to resist his sweet nature nor the pity I wrought in him shed a torrent of teares before me call'd himselfe a hundred times ufortunate lastly cast himselfe on his knees and speaking to me with a freedome which gave me some satisfaction Madam said he if I may expect from your Highnesse a favour which I deserve not be pleas'd I may discover my thoughts to you and that without coloring either with feare or respect or any other specious falsities the refusall I am bound to make of your love I may say to you that being absolutely anothers I cannot be yours that Queene whose picture hath ravished all the Court possesseth what you desire of me and I should be a traitor if I promised you an affection which is not in my power to give you I confesse my ingagements to the King your father and your incomparable vertues should plucke out of my soule this stranger passion and forcing my inclination make me finde my pleasure in my dutie and what concernes me but Madam what opinion would you have of a man that should be capable of so great an infidelity and what can your Highnesse expect from a heart so remisse and weake as to accommodate his love with his fortune or faithlesse enough to conceive as many desires as there are objects worthie to be coveted Give me leave then Madam to repeate what I lately said and make a protestation which shall be just though it may seeme insolent and 't is that Alcidiana shall be the sole object of my love and that I will sooner die as many times if it be possible as your lawfull indignation can make you wish it rather then I will infranchise my selfe from the glorious servitude wherein my inclination and Alcidiana's vertues have so sweetly inthrall'd me When Phelismond had done I was so ravished at his constancie and generousnesse that it was not in my power either to condemne his resolution or to complaine of the contempt he made of my affection on the contrary I approv'd of them both and seeing that Prince at my feet which seem'd to confesse himselfe guiltie and ask'd me pardon for his offence Love Alcidiana said I since heaven will have it so and because 't is there decree'd too permit Helismena to love you Phelismond arose from before my bed-side so pusled and divided betweene his love and mine that I doubt not but in himselfe he thought him very unhappie that he could not absolutely become at my disposall and solely mine This inabilitie was the cause of my recoverie for I tooke comfort in my misfortune by knowing that the author of it was no lesse afflicted for it then my selfe and I thought that in his intimation of his impossibilitie of loving me he made knowne to me a new kinde of love whereof till then I was altogether ignorant Assoone as I had recovered my strength and was permitted to leave my chamber I appear'd in Court with that same cheerfulnesse which had before time got me the name of the delight of Denmarke for all that I was secretly fed on by my passion but I conceal'd it very warily for feare lest Phelismond should be thereby anew discontented and though there scarse passed a day wherein I spent not at least two houres in bewailing with teares apart the misfortunes of my life yet in publike I appeared so pleasant that Phelismond himselfe was deceiv'd aâ—… it and beleev'd time had absolutely cured me To that extremitie was I brought when you came to fight with Phelismond his defeature mightily afflicted me and but for his consideration which retained me I had wrought my father's choler to higher violence then it ran then It may be you are yet ignorant of the person who wonne him to violate the faith he had given you and made him so wilfully bent to your ruine I would have you know Polexander that my desire to revenge the affront you had done my love mademe imploy all my credit and power for your destruction The King who hath alwayes beene a great observer of his word was a very long time before he would hearken to the reasons I alledged against you but I so pli'd him on all sides and gave him so many severall assaults that he was forc'd to yeeld hereupon your death was resolv'd on but when I understood that Phelismond grew inraged at your ill treatment and had therefore pluck'd off all that which had been appli'd to his wounds of purpose to undoe himselfe my desire to preserve him kept me from perfecting your ruine I dexterously therefore put a new face on all businesse and had lesse trouble to obtaine your pardon from the King my father then I had in getting him to signe a warrant for your death When I was inform'd that Phelismond affected you I slack'd my hatred and turned all my choler on Alcidiana No said I to my self I will never indure that any poore pettie Princesse who for all her Territories hath but a little shelfe or rocke knowne only by the shipwracke of some unfortunate mariners should be so overweening as to esteeme of the most excellent of men no otherwise then as of one incivilis'd and unworthy either to breathe or to serve her Presumptuous Alcidiana said I as if she had beene present thy insolence will ruine thee and if Phelismond
The tokens you have received of my affection are as unworthie it selfe as of that which I owe to the greatnesse of your courage and the beautie of your mind yet beleeve not that I can be ingratefull or so ill an esteemer of occurrences as not to understand how to give them their just value my griefes are in part the cause that I have not hitherto performed what I ought and partly the little need I saw of precipitaâ—…ing a businesse which would receive no impairement by a short deferring But now when I know by divers presages that the true Sunne my father calls me to the fruition of that place which he hath design'd for me above the starres I will acknowledge by two presents alike valuable the love you have shewed me The first is my crowne and the second a servitude and chaines which in truth are of more estimation then my Crowne I will not speake to you of the first since you might well know since your being here whether my estate be of worth sufficient to satisfie the hopes of a man of your extraordinary vertue and deserving it shall be of the other that I will discourse to you Know therefore that farre off from the mouth of this river which runs through this towne there is an Island no lesse wonderfull for its perpetuall spring then for the proprietie it hath by inchantment or nature to make it selfe invisible to all such as seeke after it There raignes a Princesse the miracle of our age the shame of times past and the envie of those to come Her portraicts make it well appeare that she is the lively image of the Sunne her father or to say better she is truely a Sunne her selfe I have endeavoured as you may see to represent by the fairest of all metalls the lustre of that Sunne but the unskilfull hands which have wrought it in stead of making the image of it have onely made knowne how unworthie the hand of man is to imploy their paines on so faire a subject In a word 't is the Queene Alcidiana whom to satisfie the most religious passion that shall ever inflame an innocent soule I have beene willing to adore in private under the figure of that starre to whom we owe our being and preservation I may say that my love was borne with that Princesse and that she knew not the power of her charmes many yeares after I felt them Heare how that wonder betided it was not above a yeare after the suffrages and generall votes of all this kingdome had seated mee on the same throne whence they had expelled my cruell predecessor when I resolv'd to make a voiage to the chiefe of the Temples dedicated to the Sunne to give thankes to the Deitie he represents for the blessings his liberall hand had so largely showred on me This Temple is in an Island which stretching towards the Meridionat part of the sea is seated some fiftie leagues from the mouth of the river Niger The voiage I made visited the holy Island admired the riches and magnificence of the Temple and by my offerings and sacrifices strove to make appeare to the Power I worshipped some little acknowledgement of those benefits for which I was redevable On the very point of my departure and imbarking thence for my returne the Embassadours of Alcidus King of the inchanted Isle landed in that holy Island To the Temple hee came loaden with so great and so rich presents that the Priests who were accustomed to receive divers of great value confessed that Alcidus had outgone the magnificence of all other Kings Among these offerings one was a statue of gold representing a maiden of some nine or ten yeares O fatall sight to my libertie I had the curiositie to inquire who that young Ladie was and Alcidus Embassadours told me she was the divine Alcidiana their Prince's daughter The relation they made me of the wonderfull beautie and incomparable wit of that visible Angell so inly touched me that I returned hither with a wound which is not yet closed up My love grew to such a height that it made me forsake my kingdome under a pretext of returning to the Island of the Sunne but indeed it was to saile to that of Alcidiana A whole yeare was I at sea and yet could not discover it then I came backe to that of the Sunne and saw in the Temple a portraict of that Princesse drawne to the life which her States had sent thither since the death of her father Many dayes abode I fixed on that picture but when I understood that that Princesse was so strictly guarded that she did not so much as communicate her presence to her most affectionate and considerable subjects and that her guard consisted of a great number of strangers whom Chance had throwne on the coasts of her Island I made a vow to be one of their band and all my life time to weare the chains of so glorious a servitude Yet for all my industrie have I not been able to accomplish my protestation but imagining by the invincible difficulties I found that Heaven esteemed me not worthie the service of so admired a Princesse I betooke me to a course for this kingdome with an intent to perfect by some other that which I could not performe in mine owne person I had a sonne of Alcidiana's age with that hee listed his hands to his eyes and the same whom you saw so cruelly murthered him I consecrated to Alcidiana and with mine owne hand having put a chaine of gold about his necke in token of his servitude sent to Morocco and Fez to finde out able masters to instruct him in all that which might equalize him with the great King of the Canaries the Princes Abdelmelec and Nephizus or the invincible Bajazet I dare say his actions answered what I expected from him and but for that not to be exceeded misfortune which hath robbed me of him in the flower of his youth I had been now in case to have acquitted in mine owne thoughts that which I had promised to Alcidiana yet doe I not despaire of performing it if so be my ill Fate hinder you not from beleeving your owne generositie But why doe I indeavour by my sollicitation to force you to a businesse which can gaine no repute unlesse the undertaking be extreamely voluntary Polexander who had more desire to accept the condition propos'd to him then Apheristidez had a will he should accept of it would have interrupted that Prince to let him understand his intentions but Apheristidez intreating his leave to finish his discourse I will never give way said he that you suddenly put on any resolution for an affaire of so great importance I give you eight dayes libertie to consider on it and that tearme expired you shall make knowne to me without complaysancy whether you had rather be King of Gheneoa then Alcidiana's slave Polexander repli'd there needed not so long a time to answer to it there
to the top of a rock whence he might easily ken her straight he perceiv'd the purple and gold imbryodered sayles which truely appear'd as waving flames betwixt the azure of the skie and the water Withall he mark'd Alcidiana's golden Pavillion which was fix'd to the maine mast and saw shine in a thousand severall places that Queen of birds which was not only the device but the symbol of Alcidiana The Ship with her artillery saluted the Port and that on shore answering a great company ran to the sea side to see the arrivall of that rich and stately Ship Polexander covertly retir'd to his palace and there expected when the Clergies officers came to advertise what he was to do In the mean time the strength of his imagination or to say better the violence of his love so troubled him that he felt himselfe suddenly strucken with some strange fit and fell on his bed as pale and cold as he had been giving up the ghost Diceus seeing him in that case How said he what will become of you when you shall present your selfe before Alcidiana since you are not able to indure the presence of her Embassadors Friend reply'd Polexander I thought thou wouldst not have ingag'd me to become Master of my former thoughts Yet I must neverthelesse in good time prevent such disorders as they may cause and by long preparations accustome my mind to take in most extream contentments and yet not seem sensible of them This discourse having as it were blunted the edge of our Heroës imagination his senses return'd to their usuall functions and then he thought himselfe able enough to constrain his deportment before Alcidiana's Embassadors Assoon as they landed they were entertain'd by such as had that charge and Polexander being called to the Temple by the dignity he exercis'd there put on his ceremoniall habit to meet those famous Embassadors He acquitted himselfe better then he thought he should have done of a charge so thorny and nice for him and by the extraordinary and obliging civility wherewithall he us'd to winne all hearts instantly acquir'd the love of all those strangers The next day every one rose very early to be at the ceremonies of the sacrifice of Allyance At day-break the priests came to the Temple and sun-rising the high-priest appear'd with his clergie in the most eminent place of the great Portico there to receive the Embassadors That done the same things were perform'd to them as had been to the Embassadors of the King of Gheneoa in bringing them into the Temple The chief priest then taking his place the feigned Araxes his and the priests theirs the Embassadors bare headed and kneeling at the foot of the high Altar did that homage to the Sun to which the Kings of the Inaccessible Island had oblieged themselves After that those who bore the offerings came in one after another The six first carried so many great vessels of crystall of the rock full of perfumes Eight following bore on their shoulders a table of gold on which was imboss'd the shape of the Inaccessible Island The ninth had in his hands a table of brass whereon was ingraven the termes wherewithall the person who represented the King of the Inaccessible Island renew'd and confirm'd his allyance between the hands of the chiefprelate The tenth carryed a heart of silver on which were seen drops of bloud naturally figured After these offerings march'd forty or fifty slaves chain'd with chaines of gold which plac'd on the twelve lesser Altars somewhat of the most rarest things in their kind which nature produc'd or art gave to the inhabitants of the Inaccessible Island Those oblations ended they celebrated the unbloudy sacrifice It began with thanksgivings was continued by burning of severall perfumes and ended in supplications and prayers The chief priest presented them to the living Deity after the wonted manner and after a benediction on all the assistants every one retir'd to his quarter All the remainder of the day the Temple stood open that the inferiour Pilgrims might performe their devotions and offer their offerings At night the archprelate sent for Alcidiana's Embassadors to entertain them according to the ancient custome Polexander supp'd with them and the recitall of what he had done for the safety of the Island was to his discontent the whole discourse of their feast The Embassadors look'd on him as if they could not have their fill and the more they regarded him the more increased their admiration The houre of retirement arriving all the company sever'd As the chief prelate was going to bed the famous pilot Lynceus came into his chamber and besought him for a private audience presently the archpriest commanded away his servants Speak then said he and feare nothing Before I make known reply'd Lynceus the cause that obligeth me to hinder your repose you must if you please ingage your faith that for no cause nor necessity whatsoever you shall reveale the secret which the Queen my Mistris hath commanded mee to intrust you withall Impose if you please this tye on your selfe and without retaining any reservation that may dispense with you for your oath swear by the Deity in whom you believe that you will rather suffer death then betray the innocencie of a Princesse who for the discharge of her conscience will intrust you with a matter that doth not permit her to injoy any rest Alcippus who had a great desire to know this important secret and who by I know not what inspiration was perswaded it concern'd Polexander The Queen said he to Lynceus is most judicious in being desirous in matters of great consequence to observe all that wisedom can advise her But she would not require these oathes or security from me if she knew that one of the principall injunctions in my charge is to keep as a pledge deposited by heaven such secrets of conscience as are made known to me No no Lynceus let not Alcidiana feare it Neither hope nor feare nor love nor hatred nor death nor life shall ever be able to make me violate a law on which depends the eternity of my blisse or wretchednesse I sweare by the sacred power of the chief priesthood and by the faith I owe to heaven that no person whatsoever shall ever know from me that which you have commanded to discover Lynceus made confident by so inviolable an oath My Lord said he the Queen though she never did act contrary to the rules of verue nor could not so much as inure an ill thought without stifling of it in the birth yet hath her conscience troubled and feeles I know not what remorse which both accuseth and torments her But to the end you may give her Majesty such remedies as are fitting for her disease 't is necessary that I make knowne to you the originall of it Some three yeares since the famous King of the Canaries was by a tempest cast on our coasts That Prince whom without flattery wee may call the
it the first evening he perceiv'd the cunning for he mark'd how the birds obeying to Linceus voice suddenly stopp'd their flight and incontinently after soaring very high they made an impetuous stoop on the ship He imagin'd by their returne that the art of man and not the power of a God had made them capable of a subjection which went for a miracle and had some of the generousnesse of those famous birds which forget their nature and libertie for the pleasure of men or from the docilitie of those which are the ordinarie postes from Alexandria or Cairo and from Aleppo to Tripoly in Syria Being confirm'd in this opinion by the going off and returning of those birds he admir'd the cunning and wit of the Inhabitants of the Inaccessible Island and no more doubted of what he had so often heard spoken that Common-wealth's being compos'd of a small number of able and an infinite multitude of impertinent men the wiser sort as lesse powerfull had been constrain'd to have recourse to miracles and to imploy strengths more redoubtable then their owne to keep in obedience such as being naturally the stronger were in all likelihood to become their masters These meditations tooke up for foure dayes Dicens thoughts the fifth at sun-set he came to the King his master and told him that he heard from Linceus they were the next day to discover the Inaccessible Island and if the wind did not faile then at even they should land about two or three houres within night Our Heroe receiving this newes with as much feare as hope Courage said he to his servant we are now on the point of deciding the great difference that is betwixt us and Fortune we can no more recoile but must either now have the victorie yeelded us or she absolutely take it to her selfe He began not this speech to make an end of it straight but as he was about to continue it he that stood as sentinell in the top of the mast put all the ship in confusion by his fearfull out-cryes he call'd to the Mariners to take care of the ship and to eschew two great fires which being in their course seem'd to beare up right upon them At this newes every one awoke and Polexander amongst the rest coming out of his cabin went up on the poup and was one of the first which descry'd that wonderfull blazing presently he thought it could not proceed from any other cause then the setting some ships on fire and beleev'd it so much the more certainly because a little while after he saw the fire divide it selfe in two and assoone joyne againe His generous soule fâ—…ll of compassion made him thinke on the safetie of those wretches which were like to be burnt in the midst of the waters and to effectuate that charitable thought he besought Alcidiana's Embassadors not to be pitilesse and cruell spectators in an occasion where they might make knowne their goodnesse and courage Linceus was call'd to give his opinion he would gladly have afforded that which he ought to those of his own condition but knowing whereto his charge oblig'd him Humane consideration said he demands one thing and Alcidiana's service requires another If I were Master of this ship I would hazard her rather then see poore miserable wretches perish before me whose cryes even coming to our eares seeme to implore our assistance but I have command to bring backe againe this ship into the Port of Eliza and have none to goe succour these which are in this disaster 'T is true said Polexander approving what Linceus had said 't is not fit to hazard so many persons of qualitie as are in this vessell to satisfie a zeale which as just as it is yet may possibly not be reasonable let 's doe better some eight or ten of us may get into the shallop and rowing neere the burning ships may at least testifie that we are not insensible of other mens calamities This proposition was presently approv'd of and almost assoon put in execution Polexander was not satisfi'd with the good counsell he gave but he would have his share in the danger which accompanied it and though Alcidiana's Embassadors did their utmost to divert him they could get nothing but the satisfaction of following him they therefore put themselves all into one barque and commanding their sailers to get the wind they drew neer the burning vessels and saw two which like furnaces halfe quench'd threw out no fire but what was wrapt up in a thick smoake On all sides they might heare fearfull groanes and clamours and when Polexander had commanded the Mariners to betake them to their oares he thought he heard others which strucke the sea very neere him he made them row towards the noise and presently descry'd a little shallops in which there were onely two women the one laid all along seem'd rather dead then alive and the other strove with oares to get off from the burning vessels but through too much feare and too little experience she did cleane contrary to her intention and when Polexander staid her shallop she was falling againe into those flames from which she had escap'd When she saw her boat stopp'd she cry'd out taking our Heroe for another at first he spoke not to her to the end he might know by what she would say to whom he was to addresse himselfe instantly hee heard the woman make use of a language particular to the Kingdome of Thombut and Galatia and the understanding it gave some I know not what emotion which amaz'd him But he was farre more when she who lay as dead opened her mouth and after many long and frequent sighes in these termes made knowne her lamentable fortune Thou hast O too amiable and cruell stranger pluck'd me out of the executioners hands Thou hast led me from slaverie to a throne and when I had lost all hope of Government plac'd more then one Crowne on my head but to what end were all these obligations and benefits except to make me more miserable in denying the chiefest which was thy companie and affection that height of greatnesse whereto thou hadst rais'd me onely made me more capable of a greater down-fall if thy intention was so thou shouldst rest satisfi'd since my obedience hath been made apparent to thee by mine own ruine and precipitating my selfe into such downe-falls as thou hadst digg'd for me have witnessed to the world that when there was question of giving thee contentment there was nothing too hard for me for this the unfortunate Philesia is pleas'd to die and the more contented since she consecrates to thee with her life that first puritie which neither the Prince of Galatia's solicitations nor the violence of pirates have beene of force to deprive her of Those last words struck Polexander almost to the heart for he felt in himselfe that he was the cause of those just lamentations He call'd to mind the love which the Princesse of Thombut had made knowne
justice of your quarrell and the good fortune of your armes I promise to bring you Sodomond and his complices dead or alive and by exemplary chasticements pluck for ever out of the mindes of the other Caciques the seeds of revolting Quasmez weighing what my Lord the Inca might doe by that which he had already performed gave consent to so just a petition and giving him an Army of an hundred thousand men conjured him to assay all the waies of sweetnesse and agreement before he came to a battle You will wonder certainely at this that in so little time Quasmez could bring a hundred thousand men into the field and this wonder may arise from your judging of the customes of our world by that of yours But I know so much of your manner of living to tell you that t is otherwise there Amongst you there are none goe to the warres but gentlemen and beggers the first to get honour and the last to rob and ransack the rest which are commonly the richest stay at home and contribute but very little to the charge of warre attending the successe with as much quiet as indifferency We have more laudable and generous customes We are all borne Souldiers and upon the least occasion are found ready to march There are none left in the Townes and Villages but women and children Old men and young rich and poore take armes and because they are made equall by their valour they goe all with a like affection where their Prince and party calls them I make no doubt but this declaration hath ceased your astonishment but I am sure that the rest of my discouse will give you another that shall be far greater as it shall be more just Prepare your selves for it presently and by the miracles that I shall relate to you judge to what a point of greatnesse Zelmatida had raised â—…imselfe if love jealous of his reputation and fortune enemy of his extraordinary virtues had not chained his arme and taken a way his desire of glory with that of his life The Inca having mustered his Troupes and put some order amongst so great a number of combatants marcht directly to the Province of Cenusia Sodomond came to meet him and offered him battell with his owne forces and those of all the other rebells Zelmatida to obey Quasmez would not accept of it but on the contrary sent new Embassadors to Sodomond to propose to him most advantagious conditions of peace But when he saw that neither his offers nor threatnings touched the Barbarian he resolved to fight and let fly his bloudy colours He went streight through all his Army and accommodating his speech to the nature of his Soldiers filled them with valour and indignation Presently Sodomond whose pride had taken from him the knowledge of his strength and courage belâ—…eved that he might fight with Zelmatida and with this opinion came and defied him Zelmatida was ravished with this challenge and accepting it made himself ready to make Sodomond repent him of his rashnesse At the first blow â—…e gave him a wound in his right arme and with his second strook him to the earth He might have killed him had he listed but thinking that revenge unworthy his courage he left him to the mercy of his Souldiers who tore him in peeces The end of this combate was the beginning of the battell Twenty rebellious Caciques had formed with their men twenty batalions and had disposed of them so that they had but one front One of these Caciques a very experimented Captaine had so ordered his Troupes that they might not be defeated but one after another or rather to give time to a routed batalion to fly without being pursued and after they had new ranked themselves behinde the rest to frame a new batalion Macaraib so was this Captaine called came in the head of the first batalion and was the first too that Zelmatida sacrificed to the just choler of Quasmez His Souldiers made some resistance but being entred into and broaken some of them were slaine and the rest to reunite themselves got behinde the last batalion The second conducted by Abrayba the third by Terracequy Cacique of the Isle of Pearles the fourth by Torrucia and the fifth by Procorosa scarce stood at all before Zelmatida He tooke these five Caciques alive and causing them to be chained sent them into his Campe Tamanama lead the sixth batalion It was a Prince in the flowre of his age very faire and valiant who caried on the crest of his headpeece a handfull of haire which the Princesse Coriza had given him for a token of her affection He came up to Zelmatida with a warlike pace and love raising his courage he promised to himselfe to cut off the head of Zelmatida and to present it to his Mistris Zelmatida that was almost of the same age was moved with his sweet countenance and manhood and desiring to make him his friend resolved to save his life He fought with him then but in such a manner that he gave those who stood spectators of the combate good cause to thinke that he had no great desire to overcome him Tumanama perceiving that all his power was too weake to atchieve his generous intention and how Zelmatida would not make use of the advantage he had over him retired five or six paces and setting the point of his Javelin in the earth Brave warriour said he to the Inca deprive me not of the honour that many a combate hath given me and imprint not on the front of a Prince who would be thy friend the shame of being vanquished I know that being inwrapt in the rebellion of my brothers I should be so too in their punishments But doe for the love of the faire Coriza that which thou wilt not for mine and know that the remorse of violating my faith is a greater punishment then that wherewithall thy Armies threaten me Zelmatida taking this young Prince by the hand I accept thy friendship said he upon the same conditions thou presentest it me Live then victorious not of thy enemies which is but a common glory but of thy selfe which is the greatest of all victories and since thy conscience will not suffer thee of a party whereinto some discontent hath lead thee take that then which she proposeth thee and give thy companions an example how they should acknowledge their faults Tumanamafelt himselfe so redevalbe to Zelmatida's courtesie that turning his armes against his Allies he joyned his batalion to the Troupes of Quasmez and ran furiously to set on Bononiama chiefe of the seventh batalion I should be too tedious should I relate to you the defeate of the other Caciques You may know that of thirteen remaining five were flaine by Zelmatida two by Tumama and the rest taken prisoners More then threescore thousand were killed and with the losse of their lives paid for the extravagancies of their Masters Quasmez lost there twelve or fifteen thousand men but by the
victory he obtained brought into the number of his slaves many Princes which before by meanes of a small and inconsiderable tribute were absolute Lords of their estates Of those Zelmatida brought him twelve prisoners with thirty thousand of their Subjects and gave him a particular accompt of what he had done Two daies after his arrivaâ—…l being alone with him My Lord said he the Gods present you a faire occasion to imitate their clemency and to a way to attaine to that supreame dignity whereto their good deeds have raised them You have in your prisons Princes whom you may retaine as slaves or put them to death without injustice for humane Lawes would that Malefactors should be punished But if you give them their lives and forget their faults shall you not doe an act more glorious for your selfe and so much the more just the neerer it resembles that mercifull goodnesse wherewith the Gods support us and pardon our offences Beleeve me send back these wretches to their owne homes to doe pennance for the fault they have committed against their faith as well as against your Majesty And to leave them an eternall sorrow for it free them from the servitude of tribute which they were wont to pay to your Crowne Quasmez was so exceedingly movedwith the extreame noblenesse and wisdome of Zelmatida that the very next day he called before him all the Caciques and mounted on a Theater with Zelmatida commanded a Herauld to proclaime the deliverance of the prisoners The Herauld after silence made spake thus Quasmez Soveraigne Monarque of the Lands between the two Seas of the Mines of Emeralds and of gold and of the fishing for pearles after that by the victories of his Son he hath made slaves all the Caciques which were before but tributary to him declares that he gives them all their liberty which justly they had lost and discharges them and their successors from all the tributes to which their Provinces were engaged Thinke with your selves what the joy was as well of the Princes as their people after this Proclamation They all fell on their knees to signifie their resentment of this grace and when they were risen againe engaged themselves to pay double the tribute that Quasmez had taken from them Eight daies together they celebrated a feast for this peace so glorious to the Conquerors and so profitable to the conquered and the Caciques being all returned to their severall homes filled their Provinces with the praises of their deliverers Quasmez this while tormented with an unknowne griefe languished in the midst of his triumphes and the more cause of content he found in the person of my Lord the Inca the more still his displeasures and disquiets increased At last the Gods touched with the humility and the zeale which accompanied the prayers of that religious Prince heard him then when he began to leave off all hoping One day while he was talking with Zelmatida there came one to advertise him that the great Prophet Tisnatidez whom he tought so many yeares dead was newly arrived and desired his permission to see him Quasmez no sooner heard this newes then he commanded that he should be brought The while lifting his eyes and his hands to Heaven Great Gods cried he I confesse I have of late murmured and distrusted your providence I have offended but you know that never crime was more remissible then mine since I committed it not in doubting of your all-sufficiency but in thinking my selfe unworthy of your protection The King was not a little troubled to see Quasmez in such extraordinary transports without his knowing the cause but he was not in it so long He saw enter into the place where he was a man of the age of fourescore yeares white as a Swan leane as a Skeliton clad with the skin of a wild Beast and girt with a great chaine of gold This old man regarding the King with eyes that shewed an inward joy and without saying ought to him addressed himselfe to Quasmez and speke thus I know great Prince how many times you have beleeved me a lyer or to say better how often you have not beleeved your selfe enough happy to hope for that good successe that our Gods have promised you by my mouth But the long time that you have passed without seeing me since the losse of the innocent and unhappy Xaira hath caused you to thinke nothing which I had not foreseen and for which you may well be pardoned And our Gods have not so much remarked what you spake through the diffidence you had of your selfe but that they tooke notice through your frailty of the greatnesse of your zeale and the opinion you had of their all-powerfullnesse For this they promise you this day the accomplishment of all your desires and they advertise you not to feare to expose this young Prince to the hazards of a most difficult enterprise By him the prison of the infortunate Xaira shall be burst open the hopes of your enemies deceived and your Realme more flourishing then ever At this word turning him to the Inca goe said he whether the goodnesse of the King invites you who hath been to you in lieu of a Father The enterprise to which you are destinated is perillous but it is one of those that is preserved for such as have your courage and fate When the Prophet saw that Zelmatida gazed on him with amazement no no added he you are not the Son of Quasmez but by adoption and love and though he hath bred you as his owne childe yet t is another that was the Author of your life Doe not aske me who he is he only knowes it to whom nothing is hidden and who taught me the time and the place where the guard of this King should finde you Content your selfe that your birth is illustrious and that another day leaving the name of Zelmatida which Quasmez hath given you for another which shall not be lesse famous you shall attaine the Throne of an Empire which shall be as great as the Earth if it were not ordayn'd in Heaven that it must soone fall into the hands of a Nation which is yet unknown to us But before this misfortune befall you shall fill both the one and the other World with the same of your great actions and shall restore to the virtuous Monarch that hath bred you that incomparable treasure which his enemies have as vainly as perfidiously forc'd and stoln from him Whilest this old Prophet spake thus Quazmez wept at once both for hope and feaâ—…e The love he bore to his owne blood strove with that he bore to the King and no sooner had he put himselfe in case to thanke his gods that they had heard his prayers but that he afflicted himselfe for their being heard He fear'd all the perills by Sea and Land and some times even wished he could forget the thralldome of his daughter that he might not be constrained to expose my deare Master to such
Nephizus hath unworthily repudiated me The Old Narcissus hearing these last words of Ennoramita lifted his hands to his eies to cope thence his teares and having often sighed My Lord said he to Polexander casting himself at his feet I should be unworthy that Name of a faithfull Servant which this Princesse vouchsaf'd to give me if even in that trouble and astonishment which her presence causeth in me I did not preserve enough of Judgement to give to her Innocence that testimony she expects from my mouth True Sir this Princesse deserves to be protected since she is unjustly prosecuted But J am deceiv'd in saying so She hath no more need of protection for shee hath not any persecuter Narcissus in saying so renew'd his teares and was a long time ere he could dry them Ennoramita moved with the sorrow of that Man who had alwayes mildly treated her besought Polexander to retire into his Closset that Narcissus might tell him in private those things that were not fit to be published The Eunuch joyn'd his intreaties to those of the Princesse and Polexander arising led her into his chamber Narcissus follow'd them and every one retâ—…ring to leave them at liberty The good old man moistning againe his leâ—…n cheekes with a long current of tears on this manner began the History of Nephizus Secrets That eternall Justice which is not allwaies fear'd because it is not allwayes busied in the punishing of wicked men hath at last made the poor Prince of Fez to feele that it chastiseth with a great severity when it long time defers his punishments That power made him fall into the pit which himselfe had digged and to make it selfe re-doubtableto those Princes that live hath suffered one of the greatest Princes of Affrica to dye so miserably that even to this houre we can know no other thing of him but that he is dead What doe you tell me cride Perselida What Narcissus is the Prince of Fez dead He is dead Madam reply'd the Eunuch weeping and all that I can say of his unhappy end is that he hath served for food to the Monsters of the Ocean Ennoramita made it well appeare on this occasion that a generous Soule is out of her Element when she is constraind either to resent her of the injuries or to deny her compassion to those which are fallen though justly into any mis-fortune No sooner was the Princesse assured of the death of her greatest enemy but she lost the memory both of all the wrong she had received and the protestations she had made to be avenged for them She remain'd a while recollected in her selfe and casting downe her eyes would have hid the teares that a true greife drew from her At last she declared her selfe and after divers sighes I confesse said she with a marvelous moderation that I cannot chuse but bewayle the unfortunate death of that young Prince J forgive him with all my heart the wrong he hath done me and beseech the dreadfull Majesty before whom he is to give an account of the actions of his life not to deale with him according to the rigor of his Justice Polexander admir'd this excesse of goodnesse and praysing so fair a change intreated Perselida to be pleas'd that he might be cleard of a thing he had heard in Bajazets Jsland The Princesse replyde that he might doe all that he thought fit Thereupon Polexander tooke the old Eunuch by the hand and intreated him to tell why Nephizus had forsaken his country and his wife and whither it were on the Mediterranean Sea or the maine Ocean that they thought he had suffered shipwrack I can satisfy your curiosity replyde Narcissus and in doing so shall acquit my selfe of that whereto my Soveraigne Lady lately engaged me Ennoramita having bestow'd farre more then she owed to the memory of her marriage set her neer to Polexander and Narcissus related to them what they desired to know in these termes About a yeere before I left you in the Pallace of the Desert sayde he addressing him to the Princesse of Tunis my Lord the King waâ—… solicited by Abdelmelec to renew their ancient intelligence and by a necessary warre to free their country and even their Father from the slavery wherein five or six Tyrants made them to languish Nephizus who was but too facile to be carried to any mischiefe met with his brother and by a parricidiall resolution engag'd himselfe to put the kinde and meeke Hely from his Throne and make him renounce by force that authority which he kept too long This Attempter had the successe he deserved for Nephizus forces were discomfited and himselfe taken prisoner But the too indulgent Hely unwilling to consent either to the death or imprisonment of his rebellious Sonne satisfied himselfe with keeping him under guard some few dayes after which never remembring what had passed he shewed him more love and more confidence then before and utterly to undoe him the too facile and weak Hely shewed him I dare not say indiscreetly a young wonder of whom as old as he was he was become passionately amorons I would tell you the story of that fatall beauty because t is most strange but it serving nothing to my purpose I will content my selfe with the relating to you that she arrived on the coasts of Morrocco in the midst of the flames of a burning ship as presaging the fires and flames that she was to kindle in that country Nephizus had noe sooner seen that stranger but he not only trod under foot the respect he was bound to carry to the passion of his father but he forgot that which he lawfully ought to love and what he had other times affected The desire to enjoy this stranger wholy possessing him and making him to lose all reason he thought that by cunning and glosing it might be easie for him to come to the End of his pretentions and being young and faire should without much difficulty get this marvell out of the hands of the good old man his Father But after he had imployed in it all his wits and all his confidents he found himselfe farre short of his reckoning For having to doe with an old Man jealous suspectfull and sensuall and by consequence that was igno rant in nothing that was to be practisd to win a woman his wyles were soone discovered and he to save his life constrained to fly At that time he writ to mee by one of his Mutes that I should shut you up more strictly then before and in saying thus he bow'd his head to Ennoramita's foot that I should not suffer you to be seene by any body and on the penalty of my life I should not suffer any person whatsoever to come neere the Advenues of your prison He writ me not the cause of that rigorous command but I discovered it since Abdelmelec took me into his service I will tel it you because it serves for the cleering of many things which may have come