The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia
mixed, would have entertained his eyes some while, but that the roses
of her lips, whose separating was wont to be accompanied with most
wise speeches, now by force drew his sight to mark how prettily they
lay one over the other, uniting their divided beauties: and through
them the eye of his fancy delivered to his memory the lying, as in
ambush, under her lips of those armed ranks, all armed in most pure
white, and keeping the most precise order of military discipline. And
lest this beauty might seem the picture of some excellent artificer,
forth there stole a soft breath, carrying good testimony of her inward
sweetness: and so stealing it came out, as it seemed loath to leave
his contentful mansion, but that it hoped to be drawn in again to that
well-closed paradise, which did so tyrannize over Musidorus’s effects,
that he was compelled to put his face as low to hers, as he could,
sucking the breath with such joy that he did determine in himself
there had been no life {475} to a Chameleon’s if he might be suffered
to enjoy that food. But long he was not suffered, being within a while
interrupted by the coming of a company of clownish villains, armed
with divers sorts of weapons, and for the rest both in face and
apparel so forewasted that they seemed to bear a great conformity with
the savages; who, miserably in themselves, taught to increase their
mischiefs in other bodies’ harms, came with such cries that they both
awaked Pamela, and made Musidorus turn unto them full of a most
violent rage, with the look of a she-tiger when her whelps are stolen
away.
But Zelmane, whom I left in the cave hardly bestead, having both great
wits and stirring passions to deal with, makes me lend her my pen a
while to see with what dexterity she could put by her dangers. For
having in one instant both to resist rage, and go beyond wisdom, being
to deal with a lady that had her wits awake in everything but in
helping her own hurt, she saw now no other remedy in her case, but to
qualify her rage with hope, and to satisfy her wit with plainness: Yet
lest too abrupt falling into it, should yield too great advantage unto
her, she thought good to come to it by degrees with this kind of
insinuation. “Your wise, but very dark speeches, most excellent lady,
are woven up in so intricate a manner that I know not how to
proportion mine answer unto them: so are your prayers mixed with
threats, and so is the show of your love hidden with the name of
revenge, the natural effect of mortal hatred; you seem displeased with
the opinion you have of my disguising, and yet if I be not disguised,
you must needs be much more displeased. Hope then, the only succour of
perplexed minds, being quite cut off, you desire my affection, and yet
you yourself think my affection already bestowed. Your pretend
cruelty, before you have the subjection, and are jealous of keeping
that which as yet you have not gotten. And that which is strangest in
your jealousy, is both the injustice of it, in being loth that should
come to your daughter, which you deem good; and the vainness, since
you two are so in divers respects, that there is no necessity one of
you should fall to be a bar to the other. For neither, if I be such as
you fancy, can I marry you, which must needs be the only end I can
aspire to in her: neither need the marrying of her keep me from a
grateful consideration, how much you honour me in the love you
vouchsafe to bear me.” Gynecia, to whom the fearful agonies she still
lived in made any small reproval sweet, did quickly find her words
falling to a better way of comfort, and therefore, with a mind ready
to show nothing could make it rebellious against Zelmane but too
extreme tyranny, she thus said: “Alas, too much beloved Zelmane, the
thoughts are but overflowings of the mind, and the {476} tongue is but
a servant of the thoughts; therefore marvel not that my words suffer
contrarieties, since my mind doth hourly suffer in itself whole armies
of mortal adversaries. But, alas, if I had the use of mine own reason,
then should I not need, for want of it, to find myself in this
desperate mischief: but because my reason is vanished, so have I
likewise no power to correct my unreasonableness. Do you therefore
accept the protection of my mind which hath no other resting place,
and drive it not, by being unregarded, to put itself into unknown
extremities. I desire but to have my affection answered, and to have a
right reflection of my love in you. That granted, assure yourself mine
own love will easily teach me to seek your contentment; and make me
think my daughter a very mean price to keep still in mine eyes the
food of my spirits. But take heed that contempt drive me not into
despair, the most violent cause of that miserable effect.”
Zelmane who already saw some fruit of her last determined fancy, so
far as came to a mollifying of Gynecia’s rage, seeing no other way to
satisfy suspicion which was held open with the continual pricks of
love, resolved now with plainness to win trust, which trust she might
after deceive with a greater subtlety. Therefore looking upon her with
a more relenting grace than ever she had done before, pretending a
great bashfulness before she could come to confess such a fault, she
thus said unto her: “Most worthy lady, I did never think till now,
that pity of another could make me betray myself, nor that the sound
of words could overthrow any wise body’s determination. But your
words, I think, have charmed me, and your grace bewitched me. Your
compassion makes me open my heart to you, and leave unharboured my own
thoughts; for proof of it, I will disclose my greatest secret, which
well you might suspect, but never know, and so have your wandering
hope in a more painful wilderness, being neither way able to be lodged
in a perfect resolution. I will, I say, unwrap my hidden estate, and
after make you judge of it, perchance director. The truth is, I am a
man: nay, I will say further to you, I am born a prince. And to make
up your mind in a thorough understanding of me since I came to this
place, I may not deny I have had some sprinkling of I know not what
good liking to my lady Philoclea. For how could I ever imagine the
heavens would have rained down so much of your favour upon me, and of
that side there was a show of possible hope, the most comfortable
counsellor of love. The cause of this my changed attire, was a journey
two years ago I made among the Amazons, where, having sought to try my
unfortunate valour, I met not one in all the country but what was too
hard for me, till in the end, in the presence of their queen {477}
Marpesia, I hoping to prevail against her, challenged an old woman of
fourscore years, to fight on horseback to the uttermost with me. Who
having overthrown me, for the saving of my life, made me swear I
should go like an unarmed Amazon, till the coming of my beard did,
with the discharge of my oath deliver me of that bondage.”
Here Zelmane ended, not coming to a full conclusion, because she would
see what it wrought in Gynecia’s mind, having in her speech sought to
win a belief of her, and, if it might be, by disgrace of herself to
diminish Gynecia’s affection. For the first it had much prevailed: but
Gynecia, whose end of loving her was not her fighting, neither could
her love, too deeply grounded, receive diminishment; and besides, she
had seen herself sufficient proofs of Zelmane’s admirable prowess.
Therefore slightly passing over that point of her feigned dishonour,
but taking good hold of the confessing her manly sex, with the
shamefaced look of that suitor, who having already obtained much, is
yet forced by want to demand more, put forth her sorrowful suit in
these words: “The gods,” said she, “reward thee for thy virtuous pity
of my over-laden soul, who yet hath received some breath of comfort,
by finding thy confession to maintain some possibility of my
languishing hope. But alas! as they who seek to enrich themselves by
mineral industry, the first labour is to find the mine, which to their
cheerful comfort being found, if after any unlooked for stop, or
casual impediment keep them from getting the desired ore, they are so
much the more grieved, as the late conceived hope adds torment to
their former want. So falls it out with me happy or hapless woman, as
it pleaseth you to ordain, who am now either to receive some guerdon
of my most woeful labours, or to return into a more wretched darkness,
having had some glimmering of my blissful sun. O Zelmane, tread not
upon a soul that lies under your foot: let not the abasing of myself
make me more base in your eyes, but judge of me according to that I
am, and have been, and let my errors be made excusable by the immortal
name of love.” With that, under a feigned rage, tearing her clothes,
she discovered some parts of her fair body, which if Zelmane’s heart
had not been so fully possessed that there was no place left for any
new guest, no doubt it would have yielded to that gallant assault. But
Zelmane so much the more arming her determination, as, she saw such
force threatened, yet still remembering she must wade betwixt
constancy and courtesy, embracing Gynecia, and once or twice kissing
her, “Dear lady,” said she, “he were a great enemy to himself, that
would refuse such an offer, in the purchase of which a man’s life were
blessedly bestowed. Nay, how can I ever yield due recompense for so
excessive a favour? but having {478} nothing to give you but myself,
take that: I must confess a small but a very free gift: what other
affection so ever I have had shall give place to as great perfection,
working besides upon the bond of gratefulness. The gods forbid I
should be so foolish as not to see, or so wicked, as not to remember,
how much my small deserts are over-balanced by your unspeakable
goodness. Nay, happy may I well account my mishap among the Amazons,
since that dishonour hath been so true a path to my greatest honour,
and the changing of my outward raiment hath clothed my mind in such
inward contention. Take therefore, noble lady, as much comfort to your
heart, as the full commandment of me can yield you: wipe your fair
eyes, and keep them for nobler services. And now I will presume thus
much to say unto you, that you make much of yourself for my sake, that
my joys of my new obtained riches may be accomplished in you. But let
us leave this place, lest you be too long missed, and henceforward
quiet your mind from any further care, for I will now, to my too much
joy, take the charge upon me, within few days to work your
satisfaction, and my felicity.” Thus much she said, and withal led
Gynecia out of the cave, for well she saw the boiling mind of Gynecia
did easily apprehend the fitness of that lonely place. But indeed this
direct promise of a short space, joined with the cumbersome
familiarness of womankind, I mean modesty, stayed so Gynecia’s mind
that she took thus much at that present for good payment, remaining
with a painful joy, and a wearisome kind of comfort, not unlike to the
condemned prisoner, whose mind still running upon the violent arrival
of his death, hears that his pardon is promised, but not yet signed.
In this sort they both issued out of that obscure mansion: Gynecia
already half persuaded in herself, O weakness of human conceit, that
Zelmane’s affection was turned towards her. For such, alas! we are
all, in such a mould are we cast, that with the too much love we bear
ourselves, being first our own flatterers, we are easily hooked with
others’ flattery, we are easily persuaded of others’ love.
But Zelmane, who had now to play her prize, seeing no way things could
long remain in that state, and now finding her promise had tied her
trial to a small compass of time, began to throw her thoughts into