be ridde of the discontent which their silence did procure them Which thing when she perceiued it made her smile a little to herselfe Being thus therfore in this pleasant meadow and tedious mutenes Felicia pointed with her finger to an entrance thereof right ouer against them to haue them all looke that way where casting their eies they sawe a reuerend old man comming in graue in his countenance person and disposition as also in the manner of his habite and apparell for in euery point he seemed to represent a most woorthie priest of Iupiter Hee came holding a staffe in his right hand and sustained vpon it his olde and wearied body whereon sometimes leaning he looked stedfastly on the grounde like a man full of imaginations and sometimes againe lifted vp his eies to heauen like one most sorrowfull and comfortlesse He made such sundrie kindes of motions and gestures of his body obseruing yet alwaies the due grauitie of his noble person that he did not onely mollifie the tender harts of them that were looking on him but had been able to haue made the cruell Hircanian Tygres milde and gentle if they had beene present especially with the outward shewes of sorrow that he represented of some inwarde greefe for in the middes thereof he gaue a turne about viewing the heauens on euery side and speaking against Fortune of whom he seemed to make his chiefest complaint he vttered this that followeth IN each created thing One motion onely and of might Predominant continually is found Which still doth keepe and bring The same one way and course aright That 's alwaies like and vniforme and round And none can be vnbound From this compacted order though he would None can againe the same forsake Or any other take And yet it would not though perhaps it could Thou Fortune art alone Without it in disorder onely one That first and highest Sphere That mooues and is not moou'd againe Of any other heauen that mooues one whit The which with his Careare And swiftest course doth turne away The lowest heauens and caries after it An order doth admit And doth maintaine not erring in the lest For it doth cary them with speede And with more haste indeede The nearest heauen to it from East to West But rule thou dost disdaine And onely without order dost remaine The circled Elements Of qualities most opposite The fire the aire the sea and earth belowe In motions not inuents A nouell course but mooue aright And euer keepe good order as they goe None erreth no. The earth about his lowest Centre mooues The water next in circle wise The aire next that that lies And fire to that a gallant order prooues But Fortune in thy Spheare Thou run'st without good order rule or feare The heauie fals downe right Vnlesse it haue impediment Vnto the Centre of his proper Spheare And that which is but light If that it haue an open vent Mounts to his highest region euery where And so each thing doth beare Good order and good rule continually In generation it doth spring Corruption it doth bring In fine all things by order liue and die Without it thou dost range Fortune that with disorder still dost change In this world nothing is If out of order it be gone But ordred it may be in time againe Ther 's nothing in blacke Dis Though there be all confusion Nor order kept for there it were but vaine But may indeede remaine In order in their manner forme and kinde And may be call'd to order fit If we consider it Though nought but paines and plaintes are there assign'd Thou worse then hellish thought In no point canst not be to order brought Thy motion out of kinde So far besides proportion lies That it can neuer be to order brought Swifter sometimes then winde With hastie speede so soone it flies That it is neuer seene nor felt nor thought The Parthian neuer wrought Nor sent an arrow out of steeled bowe With such great haste and maine Sometimes with sloth againe Like to the snaile or Tortuse she doth goe Blinde Fortune thou dost reele And more doth he that sits vpon thy wheele He had no sooner made an end of the complaints which he declamed against Fortune when walking towards the fountaine from the which he was not twentie paces on the sudden they saw him fling away his staffe and with a lustie kinde of agilitie contrary to his aged limmes laie hand on his Faulchion which from vnder a side garment that he wore he tooke out to smite a certaine Shepherd that laie a sleepe in that side of the meadow When they that were thus beholding him perceiued with what furie he ranne vpon the silly Shepherd whom hitherto they had not seene and with his naked Faulchion in his hande they would all haue runne to helpe him but that sage Felicia with signes which she made vnto them willed them to sit still telling them the matter should not need it But the old man was now lifting vp his Faulchion to smite him on the head when two beggerly and foule ragged Shepherdesses which were at hand rising from the ground tooke hold on him the one with a sorrowfull voice saying vnto him O my good Father But the old man vnwinding himself from them stept back making as though he would smite hir that went about to hinder him Wherupon she that had first spoken perceiuing that he knew her not spake to him againe saying O my deer Father Parisiles for this was his name The angry afflicted old man amazed at the tender voice he now knew and like the marble stone benummed in all his sences let his Faulchion presently fall out of his hands whom then the Shepherdesse calling him by the same name as before most louingly embraced as he was falling downe to the ground Who comming to himselfe againe and with the teares of milde loue supplying the interrupted voice of his brest threwe his aged armes vpon her and that face of hers which with lothsome mudde and durt was so much defiled sweetely beganne to kisse Felicia turning to her companie that being nowe ridde from the greefe of their late passed silence was laughing with a scornfull delight at the present sight to see him kisse that foule ill fauoured face said Maruell not my sonnes and daughters to see you reuerend old man kisse those deformed cheekes for fatherly loue extendeth to more then that so that if she seemes foule in your eies he thinkes her faire and no lesse doth the Shepherd that lieth there asleepe Like will to like saide Felismena It is so saide Felicia but bicause so great an iniurie may not be offered to the honorable old man as to be embraced with such an vnseemelines let vs go to put them asunder Whereupon they went towards them and making as though they had not seene them before Felicia said vnto them God saue this noble companie The other Shepherdesse yeelded her due thankes and a courteous answer
as if he went about to preferre her before himselfe For after that the woman hath deliuered herselfe into the possession of her husband she therewithal yeeldeth vp to his iurisdiction the title of her libertie by the sweete and sacred bonde of marriage Whereupon I shall see the loue thou bearest me if thou vsest this pleasant bonde according to the iust lawes thereof by setting aside the superstitious vanities of vnlawfull and wanton loue Syluanus had not let Seluagia escaped so smoothly without an answer if he had not thought it an vndecent part to defer his to the sage Lady Wherfore giuing a becke with his head to his Shepherdesse in token of thanks and that he was well pleased with her louing words he answered Felicia thus Presupposing sage Lady that we must do all that you commaund and set downe and that there is nothing more behoouefull for our welfare then your will and pleasure therein it lies to command vs whatsoeuer I feeling no greater reprehension in mine owne behalfe then that which proceedes from your wise and louing aduise saying that I haue no care of my flocks nor thought of them at all For though I confesse I haue not remembred them as reason woulde I had done yet cannot I therefore be iustly blamed but rather thinke that if I had done otherwise I might haue beene in greater fault For it were not meete since I haue receiued such benefits in your house that I shoulde forget one minute that ioy and content wherewith such sweete and pleasant thoughts are ingendred and preserued to thinke vpon those flockes that feede vpon the vnsauorie grasse And you may also beleeue that if my fewe and silly sheepe nay if the whole worlde should perish and be lost and that if it lay in my hands to helpe them both in respect of employing my high and happy thoughts the least time that might be on my faire and vertuous Shepherdesse my sheepe should remaine without helpe and the world without succour Seluagia that was not vnskilfull in paying such debts with like coine again an swered him thus As it lieth not in me my deere friend so will I not find fault with any thing thou dost which I speake to this end bicause thou shouldest not vse as I told thee before any more words so apparantly manifesting that loue whereof I doubt not Although there is nothing if I must tell the truth after the glorie that I haue conceiued in my ioyfull thoughts by being thine that can please and content me more then to see how farre by wordes and effect thy true loue extendeth For though some say That where deedes be wordes are in vaine yet I take great pleasure in hearing them when they are by all probabilitie correspondent vnto deedes and especially in matters of loue whereof we now talke For since the interiour part is a hidden and secret thing and which is soonest discouered by wordes wee must therefore not meanely account of them that pretend to make the interiour knowne by th'exteriour True it is that such words and outward actes must be measured by the effects of him that pronounceth them For oftentimes we see that many things are vttred by a false and deceitfull toong which were neuer ment in the hart Which I speake not in preiddice of thy loue my deere Shepherd or to 〈◊〉 thee of disloyaltie assuring that I am glad to heare thy words whereby besides the certaintie that I haue of thy truest loue thou makest me the most contented woman in the world And in this I take no small glory and that thy loue not able to containe it selfe within the soule flowes out by the mouth like the little pot which filled with water is hardly set on the fire without running ouer And bicause thou maist not thinke to ouercome me in affection I would wish that as loue hath giuen me deedes it had also lent me some wordes to make a full satisfaction of those true signes of thy vnfained good will which hath brought me so much in thy debt But since they are so strange vnto mee I must with onely offring that which I am able to giue endeuour to discharge my selfe thereof They all tooke great delight to heare what amorous wordes passed betweene the Shepherdes which had not ended so soone if Felicia had not cut them off saying That since the one was satisfied and content with the others answere their complements should now cease and turning to Syrenus she said And thinke not free Shepherd that I haue forgotten thee for thou shalt hereafter see woonders at my hands I know not any thing good Ladie said Syrenus wherein I may truely say you haue forgotten me since you haue made me so much remember my selfe that with cleere eies I may easily discerne not only my follies past but also those which these Gentlemen and shepherds are so fondly fallen into Euerie one laughed at Syrenus words to whom Felicia said In sooth Syrenus all are of thy opinion if not aske thy corriuall Syluanus and his beloued Seluagia The blind man answered Syrenus cannot iudge of colours Whom wilt thou haue then for iudge said Felicia Him said Syrenus that hath the eies of reason And who is he said Felicia If there be no other said Syrenus my selfe So wouldest thou giue sentence said Felicia in thine owne fauour but knowest thou not that the iudge is not admitted when he is not free from passion But I am said Syrenus Otherwise said Felicia thy iudgement would not be allowed Not for me at the least saide Syrenus though it be for others Let vs leaue this for some fitter time said Felicia And Syrenus thou shalt to morrow accompany Syluanus and Seluagia home bicause thou camest in their company hither but with condition as theirs is of thy speedie returne againe Syrenus answered that it pleased him well It is well then said Felicia and therfore let vs go take our rest with some parting song to the tune of thy free Rebecke and Syluanus and Seluagia with their enamoured Bagpipes shall answer thee Then did Syluanus take his Bagpipe for Syrenus to sing to it and Syrenus his Rebecke to play to Syluanus when he had done And so Syrenus leading the song began thus Syrenus WHo hath of Cupids cates and dainties prayed May feede his stomacke with them at his pleasure If in his drinke some ease he hath essated Then let him quench his thirsting without measure And if his weapons pleasant in their manner Let him imbrace his standard and his banner For being free from him and quite exempted Ioyfull I am and proud and well contented Syluanus Of Cupids daintie cates who hath not prayed May be depriued of them at his pleasure If wormewood in his drinke he hath essated Let him not quench his thirsting without measure And if his weapons cruell in their manner Let him abiure his standard and his banner For I not free from him and not exempted Ioyfull I am and proud and
good but iust no more Then it is meete for them to haue Fauours I craue by heapes of thee That thou wouldst giue me Shepherdesse But yet perhaps they may kill me For little force I doe possesse It hurts the driest field and meade As much to cast in them great plentie Of water as if they lay deade Of water and of moisture emptie So fauours in the selfesame sort If that they haue no rule nor measure Suffice to make ones life more short As wel as scornes hates and displeasure But in the end and howsoeuer Take thy full ioy although I die Whether it be with death for euer Or with my life I care not I. Mocke and with me doe what thou list And happen will what happen may My will thy will shall not resist But thy commaund shall still obay Commaund me then to be thy loue Commaund me in thy loue to end And he that rules and is aboue All harts commaund thy hart to bend Since mightie Loue commaunds my hart Of force thy louer I must bee Ioine thou with loue and take his part Then all the world shall honour thee But I haue written to be plaine Enough since thou hast not thy fill By giuing me continuall paine Desiring yet to serue thee still But in the end now will I cease Although my torment doth not end Desire is conquerd by the feare I haue thy patience to offend When Syrenus had made an end of reading this letter the Shepherd tooke it out of his hands without staying any longer went his waies singing That which he sung whilest they could heare him giuing great eare vnto him was to the purpose of that which he had told them before he shewed them the letter A Sonnet I Plaid with Loue Loue plaid with me againe I mocked him but I was mockt in deede He would not let my hart his art exceede For though a Boy yet mocks he doth disdaine A friend he is to those that doe not faine My iestes it seemes doe true affection breede And now if Loue is not reuenged with speede My hart can witnes that with earnest paine Goe louers then to iest it out apace With this God Cupid but a boy and blinde And you shall see if it be good or noe Thinking to haue delight you shall haue woe Seeking cold water fire you shall finde Who plaies with boies comes often to disgrace They maruelled not a little at the sweetenes of his song were no lesse sorrie bicause they knew not what Shepherd he was but seeing it was not then possible to know him they went on their nighest waies Some haste they made to passe away the heate of the day in that Iland where they found the desperate Shepherdesse Belisa taking the same to be a more fresh and pleasant place and more quiet for their recreation then any other Whereunto being come they saw how a little brooke couered almost all ouer with sweet and smelling herbs ranne gently thorow a little greene meadow amongst a ranke of diuers trees that were nourished and maintained by the cleere water vnder the shadowes of which as they were now determined to rest themselues Syrenus said Let vs see if you thinke good from whence this little spring doth issue foorth It may be the place is more fresh and cooler thereabouts if not or if we cannot finde out the fountaine from whence it flowes we will come hither againe It liked his company well and so they desired him to leade the way Euerie place and part that all the brooke vpwards they troad on inuited them to pleasant rest being all alike to the verie fountaine whereupon Seluagia said If we cannot finde out the beginning of this spring we shall not finde at the least any discontent for our selues or suffer any trouble in returning backe againe since so conuenient places as better and more pleasant we cannot wish for our desired rest in going vp higher are offered vnto vs. Hauing now gone vp a little along the running brooke and not found out the head and that euerie step as I said presented vnto them a pleasant place of rest they went staying somtimes somtimes reasoning with themselues where they might sit one of them saying This place is more fresh and another answering no but this let vs sit downe heere for this is more pleasant no but here said another So that the pleasant obiect of euerie place held them in such suspence that none of them could choose out the best But resoluing at the last vpon one they tooke the scrips of their shoulders and passing their sheepehookes from their left hands they tooke them in their right to lay them downe to rest when they saw that with greater quantitie of waters and fresher shades of green trees the brooke ranne vp higher so that for a new hope a new aire and place was obiected to them They had not yet scarce begun to goe vp a little farther when the brooke forsaking her right course towardes the left hand made them turne their steps backe againe where they discouered a great thicket and spring of diuers trees Comming to the which they saw a very narrow entrance and somwhat long whose sides were not of wals fabricated by artificiall hand but made of trees by nature the mistresse of all things so that the wooddy place was no lesse enobled and imbelished with the naturall verdure then the stately chambers with embossed gold For there was seene the deadly Cypresse the triumphant Laurell the hard Oke the low sallow the inuincible palme the blacke and ruggie Elme the Oliue the prickie Chestenut the high Pineapple one amongst another whose bodies were bound about with greene Iuie and the fruitfull vine and beset with sweet Iesmines many other redolent flowers that grew very thicke togither in that place Amongst the which many little birds inhabitants of that wood went leaping from bough to bough as in scornefull cages making the place more pleasant with their sweete and siluer notes The trees were in such order set togither that they denied not the golden sunbeames to haue an entrance in betweene the boughes and leaues to paint forth the greene ground with diuers colours which reuerberated from the flowers that were neuer steadie in one place by reason that the mooueable leaues did disquiet them This narrow way did also lead to a little greene couered all ouer with fine grasse and not touched with the hungrie mouthes of deuouring flockes At the side of it was the fountaine of the brooke hauing a care that that place should not drie vp sending forth on euerie side her flowing waters The water of this cleere fountaine came out of a stony rocke which a great Oke with his hard rootes did imbrace on either side whereof stood two great Laurell trees This fountaine did rise towards that place where the sunne beginnes to mount declining somewhat to the septentrionall part The same rockie stone whereby the water ranne out
serued both for a mouth and channell which was not wrought with the blow of the hard Chesil but by the continuall running of the gentle water and so it was in some places a little more worne then in others being more soft or to say more properly lesse hard in one place then in another and by reason of the concauitie of the stone there was seene an inequalitie that represented a more pleasant and gracious running bicause it made the water come out more merily with high and low fals representing certaine cristalline in cleeres and shadows a pleasant and delightfull sight to the greedie eie The water fell into a fountaine of the same rockie stone wrought after the same forme as the channell was It was fouresquare and euery side was fower foote in bredth and in depth sixe or a little more The Petrenall was not right to smite fire with the blowe of hard steele bicause it was not blacke but so white that had it not beene for the hardnes thereof none would haue thought but that it had beene Alablaster And though it was not so curiously cut out and wrought like marble yet was it maruellous and strange for the turne it serued And so for the clecrenes of the water as also for the whitenes of the rockie stone it was so christalline that if any foule thing did fall therein it was so apparant to his sight that came thither that maugre his will hee was forced not to suffer it to receiue such iniurie but to bring it againe to the former purenes For which cause it was euer kept verie cleere and cleane The water ranne out of it into an Ilande on both sides to enuironne the greene plat which was set round about with white Poplars blacke Elmes and greene Sallowes It was in length about a hundred and fiftie paces and a hundred and twentie in bredth There was no entrance into it but where the Shepheds went in and by another way right ouer against the same made almost in the selfe same forme and fashion for the thicknes of the trees stopped vp all other waies and also bicause the water that ranne by the sides issuing towards the side without in some places of that brooke did wax so broad between the place of the trees that by the playne it could not by reason that it was somewhat higher Neere to this fountaine did the Shepherds sit vnder the shadow of a braunchie Oke and certaine Laurell trees and taking out some of those victuals that Doria had prouided for them after they had rested themselues a little they ouercame their importunate hunger satisfying their appetites sufficiently with the same and bicause they had a good way to goe that day they tooke not their rest as much as the place and their desires did inuite them but before all the heate of the day was past least the time should also passe away with it they were about to goe from that place But as they were preparing themselues to rise and to be gone Syrenus saide to Syluanus It is not reason Syluanus that liuing now in such ioy and content and in the presence of thy beloued Seluagia thou shouldest let thy Bagpipe waxe so drie nor is it meete that from this pleasant place the friendly entertainment and delights whereof thou hast enioyed thou shouldest depart without requiting it with the sweetnes of thy melodie and song With greater reason answered Syluanus should the Hamadryades preseruers of these trees and the Driades inhabitours of these green woods complaine of thee that wouldest go away without giuing them some part of thy sweete harmonie and melodious voice Let vs leaue this courteous contention said Syrenus and doe that which I request thee for the great reason which thou hast to do it for that which I told thee first though thou wilt not perhaps for that which I alleaged last For the first indeed I cannot deny thee said Syluanus but in faith I know not what to sing that might not grieue thee that art so far from loue or offend me that am so full of amorous thoughts so that in the end I can sing nothing vnlesse it be to mine owne griefe but that which belongs thereunto To heare thy delicate songs and inioy the sweetnes of thy voice saide Syrenus I will be content with any thing but since it must needes be in such sort in thy song I pray thee shew how far the firmnenes of thy loue extendeth which thou bearest to thy louing Shepherdesse for by occasion heereof I know she cannot nor will not choose but answere thee againe in whose sweet voice and song I shall take no lesse delight then in thine I am content said Syluanus And then thus he began Syluanus IT may fall out the heauens may turne at leisure And stay themselues vpon the highest mountaines And Ezla and Mondego at their pleasure With hastie course turne backe vnto their fountaines And that the flaxe or reede laid to the fire May not consume in flames but burne like wire But yet the day and time shall happen neuer When Syluan shall not loue Seluagia euer Immediately without any entreatie Seluagia bicause she would not die in Syluanus debt nor be beholding to him in this respect taking her Baggepipe vp in this sort did answer him Seluagia The ground shall first be void nor trod nor vsed Leesing her nature and her proper being First shall the raine and vvater be refused Of plants no moisture round about them seeing First shall our life vvith aire be not sustained And first the foode of hunger be disdained Before the vvorld shall see a deede so hainous Seluagia not to loue her deere Syluanus Syluanus The presence of the vvoolfe that doth deuoure The sillie lambes in shades shall not be feared As little shall the hare vvithin her bovvre The yalping hounds nor harts of lions teared Nor Mouse of Cat All hate shall be extruded And louing peace tvvixt all shall be concluded But yet the time and day shall happen neuer When Syluan shall not loue Seluagia euer Seluagia The flocke of little chickes the dams deere treasure Of rauening kites and gleades shall be eschevved The Partridge shall securely liue in pleasure Of praying Goshauke being not pursued The pullaine shall not be of Foxe molested But peace and truce tvvixt all shall be suggested But neuer lies a deede in her so hainous As that Seluagia should forget Syluanus Syluanus I say vvhile any part shall be maintained Of thy Syluanus vvith blood and vitall povvres And vvhilst each member of the same sustained Shall be vvith soule vnto their latest hovvres And if besides the soule can loue expired When to the graue the body is retired In life in death else let him prosper neuer Syluan sshall loue his Shepherdesse for euer Seluagia I say vvhile liuing breath shall not be vvanting In thy Seluagia louing thee so truly And vvhile her soule vvithin her body panting Shall make aboade and gouerne it
sorrowfull thoughts in their harts then heauy vapours in their heads The face of the one was right against the others as though they had beene talking togither leaning their cheekes vpon the one hand and with the other arme sustaining the waight of the arme and head in which sort they lay casting out somtimes profound greeuous sighs Which thing moouing vs to no small compassion for nowe we were somewhat affected to them we determined to withdraw our selues least being awaked they might perhaps haue had an occasion to be ashamed to be seene in that sort And from thence a little way off of purpose to awake them but as though we had seene nothing we began to sing taking for the ground and subiect of our song the teares that they had shed before vs. That which we sung was this WIth sorrow teares and discontent Loue his forces doth augment Water is to meades delight And the flaxe doth please the fire Oile in lampe agreeth right Greene meades are the flockes desire Ripening fruit and wheatie eares With due heate are well content And with paines and many teares Loue his forces doth augment As their sleepe was nothing else but an extasie scarce had we begun when they awooke and seeing that we left singing when we came neere them they saide If your comming were an occasion to make an ende of your singing we would be glad that you had stayed a little longer wherefore let not our presence be of worse condition to depriue vs of this delight then our absence was by enioying it and since we refused not to do what you commanded vs nor made it strange to acquaint you with the basenes of our simple Bagpipes disdaine not then faire Nymphes by that which we entreat you to shew vs the highnes of your excellent voices Well well the truth of this is knowen said we againe but not denying your demaunds since we haue time for it tell vs now if you meane to rest you here a fewe daies Rest faire Nymphes answered Delicius Why we know not what it is if we had it here But we are determined to haue it as long as it shall please your good wils which are ready to do you all the pleasure we may said I but I will tell you one thing which it may be ye neuer yet heard By the report and certaine newes of the fertilitie of this Countrey there are tenne or twelue yeeres past since from the North parts there departed a mightie huge Shepherd with a great number of sheepe and came to feed in these grounds certes not so faire and amiable a personage as either of you the Sonne of God Syluanus he saith and of a most strong and fierce Shepherdesse that came with him whether fayrer and more gracious then my companion here I am not able to tell you This vnseemely Shepherd was not onely like to his parents in face and fiercenesse but in either of both as also in hideous feature he hath the aduantage of them Seeing therefore that fame was no lyer and how the situation of that part of the riuer being no lesse then a great I land inuited him for his habitation without feare of the wilde beastes which made it desert and inhabitable he determined to liue there Which I land as it will in time I hope be cleane eaten out by the riuer for by little and little it is euerie day made lesse so I wish it had now the full and complete time with the forcible waters to be quite consumed The name of this monstrous man is Gorphorost whose incredible strength and bignes because you may vnderstand behold the depth of this riuer and the maine force wherewith it runs with wading ouer himselfe a foote by three and three and fower and fower he sets ouer all his sheepe on the other side which haue multiplied in such numbers for since his comming he hath almost killed all the wilde beasts that might destroy them that there is scarce any place to containe them and so not able to put a great part of them vnder the shades he lets them goe freely amids the fields and along the riuer bankes without feare of estraying or any other danger being inuironed by the waters that keepe them in manner of a prison We wished well to Gorphorost and would haue pleasured him for killing the wilde beasts that annoyed not a little this pleasant countrey wherefoeuer they went if there with all not iniuring the Shepherds of these places he had not depriued vs of their friendly company though to our selues but onely in these respects he did neuer any other harme who are rather bound vnto him though of his own vertue it proceeds not the not offending of vs that he hath bin a meanes whereby this faire Nymphe is in our companie The end therefore for the which I haue made this short admonition is that we would not haue you for our sakes suffer any harme by this rude Shepherd who for all this hath forgotten a great part of his fiercenesse since he gaue place and entrance to gentle loue Wherupon you may know how great the force of that mightie child is But if in these daies for I am certaine he will not come out for a solemne oath he made some good meanes may be found to make you liue heere with safetie we will not be a little carefull to seeke it out for you And if there bee none yet shall it please vs better that with your absence you should be free from daunger then with your presence for our content to hazard your liues or safetie anie waie They thanked vs for our good will and seemed not to take care for anie thing that might happen in lieu that wee fayled not of our agreement with them Parthenius assuring vs that he could so well flatter and please fierce Gorphorost that they might without any harme abide there still With these words and some amorous songs that we fower did sing in course we passed away the heate of that day and returned as we were woont to the riuer they remaining still in that pleasant forrest which serued them for their dwelling place and making prouision of necessarie foode for their sustenance from the villages thereabouts Not onely Delicius Parthenius Stela and I failed not in those first eight daies to be at the appointed place of our meeting but the fame of the new Shepherds came to the eares of some other Nymphes who comming thither and consorting with vs made many gracious and pleasant quiers dances and songs to the tune of their Rebeckes and Baggepipes somtimes lending a gentle eare to Parthenius and Delicius sweete songs somtimes applying our selues to telling of tales At which pleasant meetings old Parisies who sometimes came to see his daughter gaue no small content to euery one with his wise precepts and counsell touching the honour of the immortall Gods and shewing their diuine prouidence in all creatures and by them the great power and
although we could neuer get it of him it is Gentlemen one of the noblest deeds of friendship that was euer seene to this day For in more then a whole yeere that we accompanied togither he neuer solicited me for himselfe but for his friende beholding me euer with such modestie as if we had beene both borne in one bellie But I pray thee tell vs said Doria what meanes he vsed to shew that he did not loue thee That I will said Stela bicause there remaines now but litle of my tale for our long peregrination with many misfortunes that we haue passed shal be kept for some fitter time When we were come before the Shepherds Delicius shewed a certaine kinde of greater libertie and boldnes in his words and more merrines in his countenance then he was woont to do Whereat both of vs maruelling not a little and asking him the cause he answered Times are not euer all one nor equall Stela The fire many times mollifies that which is harde The finest plaister be it neuer so well tempered if it be too much charged fals downe againe So much water may be cast on the greatest fire that it will put it quite out My great loue serued me nothing at all to make thee gentle and thy extreme disdaine hath auailed me to make me forget thee I had grounded well mine affection on thee but thou hast choaked it with a multitude of torments sorrowes cares Great was the flame that burned cōtinually in my brest but thou hast quenched it with excessiue water of thy cold disfauours with th' abundance of my teares So that from this day thou maiest well match thee with one who is more vertuous wise constant then I am who may in iust proportion bee more answerable to thee in euery thing then my selfe for I confesse I am not sufficient for it Yet I will not denie but that I am now as truely and as much deuoted to thy seruice as euer I was before whereof thou maiest make triall if it please thee in whatsoeuer thou wilt command mee though in another kinde of respect then in these daies past We were all three looking with what libertie he tooke his leaue of my loue and maruelled more at his change Delicius had tolde Parthenius before of his determination but he neuer beleeued all till then when he verily thought his companion did not loue me bicause face to face so constantly he tolde mee it thinking if it had beene otherwise it had not beene possible for him to haue vsed the boldenesse nor courage by speaking to me in such sorte At this noueltie I stoode astonished and a certaine kind of remorse and repentance me thought troubled mee for handling him and mine owne matters so ill but dissembling it as well as I coulde I saide O howe glad am I to heare these good wordes Shepherd From this time forwarde I will loue thee more then euer I did But I know not said Crimine what I may say vnto thee friend Delicius neither can I sound the cause of such a sudden alteration Tell me if thou hast any occasion to complaine of Stela For heere I will cause her to make thee amends without the consent of such a breach The Gods be contrarie to me in all my desires saide Delicius if I haue any iust complaint of her but onely of my hap And by them I sweare vnto thee that I do this bicause I finde it most expedient for me Wherefore if thou desirest my good thou shouldst not speake to me about it In faith Crimine said I thou art verie pleasant how long I pray you had you leaue to trouble your selfe with my matters and such as like me not at all Bicause it should like thee wel said Crimine I spake it If such things liked me well said I smiling there is Parthenius who hath no lesse good parts in him to be loued then his friend if they haue not both perhaps agreed togither about this matter This did I speake but in iest but loue did not iest with me at all I would not make this agreement said Delicius if it were not for that which I loue most in this life which I wish thou wouldst loue leauing him to saile with the greatest prosperitie in the seas of thy happie loue Delicius laboured so much in the end by shewing himselfe also so appassionate for Crimine but truely but now that Parthenius discouered himselfe the next day to be my open louer and for Delicius his sake had kept it so long close which was the cause he said why he could neuer be mooued to loue Crimine I had not then beene a little proud and glad as I should be now if I had then knowen or did now know that I was equally beloued of them both as I loue them both alike Crimine had no end of her ioy and content thinking that she was in good earnest beloued of Delicius the which he cunningly shewed by words and deeds But now she is not I thinke in such glorie and content bicause he is as cold in her loue again although he euer makes her some shew thereof The last day of respit wherein Parthenius was to depart was now come when the night before Delicius said to Parthenius Since it is thy will deere brother to absent thy selfe from me a hard and heauie chaunce it shall be needfull for me to goe to morrow to Gorphorost and speake to him in thy behalfe bicause with the instructions that thou hast giuen me I may know from henceforth how to conuerse with him and as thou shalt afterwards aduise me how I may entertaine his company It may be he will keepe me till night Thinke not therefore much if I stay so long This agreement Delicius made with Parthenius bicause he had now determined to goe and seeke out his parents and to leaue Parthenius with me for he neuer meant to goe seeke out Gorphorost nor to speake with him at all but onely to absent himselfe secretly as afterwards he informed vs of it He knew or at the least suspected that Parthenius would not consent to haue him goe without him and therefore thought it good to vse this dissimulation bicause he would not haue him nor vs passe the hard traunce of his greeuous departure Hereupon he went towards the riuer and neere to the place where he was wont to stay for Gorphorost wrote this with a knife in an Elme in letters that might be discerned a good way off My deere friende Parthenius thou shalt feele by thy selfe if thy absence will not breede an extreme sorrow in me but bicause this is forced and necessarie I thinke it best for thee to tarie still since thou hast so great reason for it That which I commende to thy charge for the friendship betweene vs both is to make no change of place nor of thy faire yoong Shepherdesse for this shall be the greatest pleasure that thou maist doe
me which is afraide of nothing Being stung with the pricke of iealousie and not able to suffer that she should goe alone with one whom I loued more then my selfe I said Since thou hast so good a defence with thee I will also accompany thee But let vs first I beseech thee endeuour to know what is become of Parthenius for if he be dead I will not liue nor come before Delicius with such vnfortunate newes being assured that whosoeuer shall first aduertise him thereof shall giue him no lesse then death Whom we should rather informe as soone as might be if he were prisoner to seeke out some meanes to deliuer him from thence which counsell we thought was the best We remained therefore in this determination and such was our good hap that walking the second day vp and downe the riuer bankes at the narrowest place of it there came a strong and lustie Shepherdesse with a sling in her hand and being right ouer against vs did fling ouer to our side a certaine thing like a round ball and then running away as fast as shee could got her into the Iland before her We not coniecturing what that might meane and desirous to know what it was went to take it vp that ran trendling in the meadow before vs. When we had it into our hands we saw it was a peece of linnen tyed vp fast togither and within it a round stone which we thought was put in least with the lightnes of the linnen it had fallen into the riuer This peece of linnen was written all ouer and I thinke with the iuice of Mulberies for it seemed he wanted inke and paper looking vpon the letter we knew it to be the hande of Parthenius wherby he willed vs to be of good comfort told vs the order of his imprisonment and how by the tokens which he gaue Gorphorost he was now sufficiently resolued that he was not Delicius and that he vsed him verie well but would nor dimisse him bicause he kept him for a baite for Delicius knowing that it might auaile him for the great friendship that was betweene them and also bicause if he did let him goe he might take Delicius if afterwards he met him for Parthenius of whom he might not be deceiued if he kept him still in his caue And therefore because Delicius might not come in sight by any meanes said that he would take some order himselfe for his owne deliuerie With these doubtfull newes and happie aduenture we went to seeke out Delicius And truely if we had not carryed that peece of linnen cloth written by Parthenius owne hand to him the griefe of the imprisonment of his deere brother had made an end of him by reason of the great sorrow that he felt thereof as yet he doth as you daily see Behold heere therefore Gentlemen what you desired to know of the Shepherd and vs and for what cause we go vp and downe in his company And the reason why my father woulde haue killed him I suspect to be this That the Nymphes our fellowes seeing vs all fower waiting at one time tolde him perhaps that the Shepherds had carried vs away with them So that we founde out this yoong Shepherd with whom we go and the infinite troubles that we haue suffered and must still endure vntill we see Parthenius so well beloued of vs all three Wherefore I pray you do me this fauour to request no more of me at this time nor howe we founde him out vntill with more ioy we be altogither if our misfortunes shall haue an ende as sage Felicia hath promised vs for now you see what content one takes in recounting of aduersities that are gone and past when she is free from them and contrarie what greefe when we still suffer them Of purpose saide Felismena wee tooke fit time for our discourses bicause we might haue had opportunitie to know all But bicause thy will is to the contrarie wee will not gainsay it to satisfie our owne Whereupon with this that Stela told them they knewe what great reason Delicius Stela and Crimine had to be sorrowfull who were partly no lesse for pittie of these fower vnfortunate louers The night being come they went in and after they had supped they went all to take their rest they at the least that were capable of it The end of the fifth booke The sixth Booke of the second Part of Diana of George of Montemayor ALl that companie comming foorth except Felicta and Parisiles with some Nymphes that tarried still praying in the Temple in a cleere morning the day was but a little spent when the aire changed on a sudden with such thunders and stormie tempestes that what with feare of the lightning and with the water that seemed to threaten them they were nowe going in againe when they heard a Shepherd singing a farre off and who they thought was comming towards them And hearing him they saide It seems he cares but litle for the iniury of the weather They all agreed to stay for him who not tarrying long from comming out of the wood where his way lay seeing so many togither maruelled much and left of his singing But they woondred more when he came nigh them to behold his strange kind of habit For he had on the skin of a beast called Hiena tied about his middle with a great wreath of leaues like to Bryony or the white vine which runs winding about the bodies of trees like a snake On his head he ware a Laurell crowne in his hand in steed of his sheepehook he caried a great bough of a figge tree All which when they had well marked they said vnto him Tell vs iolly Shepherd is this thy common wearing No said he but as I nowe vse to weare this or some such like as the qualitie of the time shall counsell me arming my selfe euer against the iniuries of it And therefore I clad me thus as at this present you see me bicause I would not be smitten with the furious lightning not thūderclap which the vertue of any one of these doth maruellously resist manie other things that came not so soone to my hands We are glad to know it saide they but bicause the rigour of this day warnes vs to put our selues vnder couert do vs this pleasure Shepherd to come in with vs here to Dianas temple The good report fame of this house your noble company shal carie me in although in such a time as this by the aduise of a cunning and expert Shepherd that dwels amongst vs it is not safe to be in statelie and high buildings Why so saide Lord Felix Bicause he saide answered the Shepherd that the thunderclap as it comes not right down but circularwise encounters with that which is highest therfore alights for the most part on high places as vpon towers castles Whereas on the contrarie if there be any in the field vnlesse it smite