The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia
Dametas that saw her run away in Zelmane’s upper raiment, and judging
her to be so, thought certainly all the spirits in hell were come to
play a tragedy in these woods, such strange change he saw every way.
The king dead at the cave’s mouth; the queen, as he thought, absent;
Pamela fled away with Dorus; his wife and Mopsa in divers frenzies.
But of all other things Zelmane conquered his capacity, suddenly from
a woman grown to a man; and from a locked chamber gotten before him
into the fields, which he gave the rest quickly to understand; for
instead of doing anything as the exigent required, he began to make
circles, and all those fanatical defences that he had ever heard were
fortification against devils. But the other shepherds who hath both
better wits, and more faith, forthwith divided themselves, some of
them running after Gynecia, and esteeming her running away a great
condemnation of her own guiltiness: others going to their prince, to
see what service was left for them, either in recovery of his life, or
honouring his death. They that went after the queen, had soon
overtaken her, in whom now the first fears were staid, and the
resolution to die had repossessed his place in her mind. But when they
saw it was the queen, to whom besides the obedient duty they owed to
her state, they had always carried a singular love, for her courteous
liberalities, and other wise and virtuous parts, which had filled all
that people with affection and admiration. They were all suddenly
stopped, beginning to ask pardon for their following her in that sort;
and desiring her to be their good lady, as she had ever been. But the
queen, who now thirsted to be rid of herself, whom she hated above all
things; with such an assured countenance as they have, who already
have dispensed with shame and digested the sorrows of death, she thus
said unto them, “Continue, continue, my friends; your doing is better
than your excusing; the one argues assured faith, the other want of
assurance. If you loved your prince, when he was able and willing to
do you much good, which you could not then requite to him; do you now
publish your gratefulness, when it shall be seen to the world, there
are no hopes left to lead you unto it. Remember, remember you have
lost Basilius, a prince to defend you, a father to care for you, a
companion in your joys, a friend in your wants. And if you loved him,
show you hate the author of his loss. It is I, faithful Arcadians,
that have spoiled the country of their protector. I, none but I, was
the minister of his unnatural end. Carry therefore my blood in your
hands, to testify your own innocency, neither spare for my title’s
sake, but consider it was he that so entitled me. And if you think of
any benefits by my means, think {537} with it that I was but the
instrument and he the spring. What, stay ye, shepherds, whose great
shepherd is gone? you need not fear a woman, reverence your lord’s
murderer, nor hath pity of her, who hath no pity of herself.”
With this she presented her fair neck to some by name, others by
signs, desiring them to do justice to the world, duty to their good
king, honour to themselves, and favour to her. The poor men looked one
upon the other, unused to be arbiters in princes’ matters, and being
now fallen into a great perplexity, between a prince dead, and a
princess alive. But once for them she might have gone whither she
would, thinking it a sacrilege to touch her person, when she finding
she was not a sufficient orator to persuade her own death by their
hands; “Well,” said she, “it is but so much more time of misery; for
my part, I will not give my life so much pleasure from henceforward as
to yield to his desire of his own choice of death; since all the rest
is taken away, yet let me excel in misery. Lead me therefore whither
you will; only happy, because I cannot be more wretched.” But neither
so much would the honest shepherds do, but rather with many tears
bemoaned this increase of their former loss, till she was fain to lead
them with a very strange spectacle, either that a princess should be
in the hands of shepherds, or a prisoner should direct her guardians:
lastly, before either witness or accuser, a lady condemn herself to
death. But in such moanful march they went towards the other
shepherds, who in the meantime had left nothing unassayed to revive
the king, but all was bootless: and their sorrow increased the more
they had suffered any hopes vainly to arise. Among other trials they
made to know at least the cause of his end, having espied the unhappy
cup, they gave the little liquor that was left to a dog of Dametas, in
which within a short time it wrought the like effect; although Dametas
did so much to recover him, that for very love of his life he dashed
out his brains. But now altogether, and having Gynecia among them,
who, to make herself the more odious, did continually record to their
minds the access of their loss, they yielded themselves over to all
those forms of lamentation, that doleful images do imprint in the
honest, but over-tender hearts; especially when they think the rebound
of the evil falls to their own smart. Therefore after the ancient
Greek manner, some of them remembering the nobility of his birth,
continued by being like his ancestors; others his shape, which though
not excellent, yet favour and pity drew all things now to the highest
point; others his peaceable government, the thing which most pleaseth
men, resolved to live of their own; others his liberality, which
though it cannot light upon all men, yet all men naturally hoping it
may {538} be, they make it a most amiable virtue. Some calling in
question the greatness of his power, which increased the comparison to
see the present change, having a doleful memory how he had tempered it
with such familiar courtesy among them, that they did more feel the
fruits than see the pomps of his greatness, all with one consent
giving him the sacred titles of good, just, merciful, the father of
the people, the life of his country, they ran about his body, tearing
their beards and garments; some sending their cries to heaven, others
inventing particular howling music; many vowing to kill themselves at
the day of his funeral, generally giving a true testimony that men are
loving creatures when injuries put them not from their natural course:
and how easy a thing it is for a prince by succession, deeply to sink
into the souls of his subjects, a more lively monument than Mausolus’s
tomb. But as with such hearty lamentation, they dispersed among those
words their resounding shrieks, the sun, the perfectest mark of time,
having now gotten up two hours’ journey in his daily changing circle,
their voice helped with the only answering echo, came to the ears of
the faithful and worthy gentleman Philanax: who at that time was
coming to visit the king, accompanied with divers of the worthy
Arcadian lords, who with him had invited the place adjoining for the
more assurance of Basilius’s solitariness, a thing after the late
mutiny he had usually done: and since the princess’s return more
diligently continued; which having now likewise performed, thinking it
as well his duty to see the king, as of a good purpose, being so near,
to receive his further direction: accompanied as above-said he was
this morning coming unto him, when these unpleasant voices gave his
mind an uncertain presage of his near approaching sorrow. For by and
by he saw the body of his dearly esteemed prince, and heard Gynecia’s
lamenting: not such as the turtle-like dove is wont to make for the
over-soon loss of her only beloved mate, but with cursings of her
life, detesting her own wickedness, seeming only therefore not to
desire death, because she would not show a love of anything. The
shepherds, especially Dametas, knowing him to be the second person in
authority, gave forthwith relation unto him, what they knew and had
proved of this dolorous spectacle, besides the other accidents of his
children. But he principally touched with his master’s loss, lighting
from his horse with a heavy cheer, came and kneeled down by him,
where, finding he could do no more than the shepherds had for his
recovery, the constancy of his mind, surprised before he might call
together his best rules, could not refrain such like words. “Ah dear
master,” said he, “what change it hath pleased the Almighty justice to
work in this place. How soon, not to your loss, who having lived long
to nature, {539} and to time longer by your well-deserved glory, but
longest of all in the eternal mansion you now possess. But how soon I
say to our ruin, have you left the frail bark of your estate? O that
the words I in most faithful duty delivered unto you, when you first
entered this solitary course might have wrought as much persuasion in
you, as they sprang from truth in me, perchance your servant Philanax
should not now have cause in your loss to bewail his own overthrow.”
And therewith taking himself: “And indeed evil fitteth it me,” said
he, “to let go my heart to womanish complaints, since my prince being
undoubtedly well, it rather shows love of myself, which makes me
bewail mine own loss. No, the true love must be proved in the honour
of your memory, and that must be showed with seeking just revenge upon
your unjust and unnatural enemies, and far more honourable it will be
for your tomb to have the blood of your murderers sprinkled upon it
than the tears of your friends. And if your soul look down upon this
miserable earth, I doubt not it had much rather your death were
accompanied with well-deserved punishment of the causers of it, than
with the heaping on it more sorrows with the end of them, to whom you
vouchsafed your affection: let them lament that have woven the web of
lamentation; let their own deaths make them cry out for your death,
that were the authors of it.” Therewith carrying manful sorrow and
vindicative resolution in his face, he rose up, so looking on the poor
guiltless princess transported with an unjust justice, that his eyes
were sufficient heralds for him, to denounce a mortal hatred. She,
whom furies of love, firebrands of her conscience, shame of the world,
with the miserable loss of her husband, towards whom now the disdain
of herself bred more love; with the remembrance of her vision,
wherewith she resolved assuredly the gods had appointed that shameful
end to be her resting place, had set her mind to no other way but to
death, used such like speeches, to Philanax, as she had before to the
shepherds; willing him not to look upon her as a woman, but a monster;
not as a queen, but as a traitor to his prince; not as Basilius’s
wife, but as Basilius’s murderer. She told how the world required at
his hands, the just demonstration of his friendship; if he now forgot
his king, he should show he had never loved but his fortune: like
those vermin that suck of the living blood, and leave the body as soon
as it is dead; poor queen needlessly seeking to kindle him, who did
most deadly detest her, which he uttered in this bitter answer.
“Madam,” said he, “you do well to hate yourself, for you cannot hate a
worse creature; and though we feel enough your hellish disposition,
yet we need not doubt you are of counsel to yourself of much worse
than we know. But now fear not; {540} you shall not long be cumbered
with being guided by so evil a soul; therefore prepare yourself, that
if it be possible you may deliver up your spirit so much purer, as you
more wash your wickedness with repentance.” Then having presently
given order for the bringing from Mantinea, a great number of tents;
for the receipt of the principal Arcadians: the manner of that country
being, that where the king died, there should be orders taken for the