The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia
to some cruel death: he would fain have cried more against Musidorus,
but that the much loss of blood helped on with this vehemency, choked
up the spirits of his life, leaving him to make betwixt his body and
soul an ill-favoured partition. But they seeing their fellow in that
sort die before their faces, did swell in new mortal rages: all
resolved to kill him, but now only considering what manner of terrible
death they should invent for him. Thus was a while the agreement of
his slaying broken by disagreement of the manner of it; and extremity
of cruelty. At length they were resolved every one to have a piece of
him, and to become all as well hangmen as judges: when Pamela tearing
her hair, and falling down among them, sometimes with all the sort of
humble prayers, mixed with promises of great good turns, which they
knew her state was able to perform, sometimes threatening them, that
if they killed him and not her, she would not only revenge it upon
them, but upon all their wives and children: bidding them consider
that though they might think she was come away in her father’s
displeasure, yet they might be sure he would ever show himself a
father; that the gods would never, if she lived, put her in so base
estate but that she should have ability to plague such as they were:
returning afresh to prayers and promises, and mixing the same again
with threatenings, brought them who were now grown colder in their
fellow’s cause, who was past aggravating the matter with his cries, to
determine with themselves there was no way, but either to kill them
both, or save them both, as for the killing, already they having
answered themselves {557} that that was a way to make them citizens of
the woods for ever, they did in fine conclude they would return them
back again to the king, which they did not doubt would be cause of a
great reward, besides their safety from their fore-deserved
punishment.
Thus having either by fortune or the force of these two lovers’ inward
working virtue, settled their cruel hearts to this gentler course,
they took the two horses, and having set upon them their princely
prisoners, they returned towards the lodge. The villains having decked
all their heads with laurel branches, as thinking they had done a
notable act, singing and shouting, ran by them, in hope to have
brought them the same day again to the king. But the time was so far
spent that they were forced to take up that night’s lodging in the
midst of the woods. Where while the clowns continued their watch about
them, now that the night, according to his dark nature, did add a kind
of desolation to the pensive hearts of these two afflicted lovers,
Musidorus taking the tender hand of Pamela, and bedewing it with his
tears, in this sort gave an issue to the swelling of his heart’s
grief. “Most excellent lady,” said he, “in what case think you am I
with myself, how unmerciful judgments do I lay upon my soul, now that
I know not what god hath so reversed my well-meaning enterprise, that,
instead of doing you that honour which I hoped, and not without reason
hoped, Thessalia should have yielded unto you, am now like to become a
wretched instrument of your discomfort? alas! how contrary an end have
all the inclinations of my mind taken: my faith falls out a treason
unto you, and the true honour I bear you is the field wherein your
dishonour is like to be sown! but I invoke that universal and only
wisdom, which examining the depth of hearts, hath not his judgment
fixed upon the event, to bear testimony with me that my desire, though
in extremest vehemency, yet did not so overcharge my remembrance, but
that as far as man’s will might be extended I sought to prevent all
things that might fall to your hurt. But now that all the evil
fortunes of evil fortune have crossed my best framed intent, I am most
miserable in that, that I cannot only not give you help, but, which is
worst of all, am barred from giving you counsel. For how should I open
my mouth to counsel you in that, wherein by my counsel you are most
undeservedly fallen?” The fair and wise Pamela, although full of cares
of the unhappy turning of this matter, yet seeing the grief of
Musidorus only stirred for her, did so tread down all other motions
with the true force of virtue that she thus answered him, having first
kissed him, which before she had never done, love commanding her,
which doubted how long they should enjoy one another, or of a lively
spark of nobleness, to descend in most favour to one when he is lowest
{558} in affliction. “My dear and ever dear Musidorus,” said she, “a
greater wrong do you to yourself, that will torment you thus with
grief for the fault of fortune. Since a man is bound no further to
himself than to do wisely: chance is only to trouble them that stand
upon chance. But greater is the wrong, at least, if anything that
comes from you may bear the name of wrong, you do unto me, to think me
either so childish as not to perceive your faithful faultlessness, or
perceiving it, so basely disposed as to let my heart be overthrown,
standing upon itself in so unspotted a pureness. Hold for certain,
most worthy Musidorus, it is yourself I love, which can no more be
diminished by these showers of evil hap than flowers are marred with
the timely rains of April. For how can I want comfort that have the
true living comfort of thy unblemished virtue? And how can I want
honour, as long as Musidorus, in whom indeed honour is, doth honour
me? Nothing bred from myself can discomfort me; and fools’ opinions I
will not reckon as dishonour.” Musidorus looking up to the stars, “O
mind of mine!” said he, “the living power of all things, which dost
with all these eyes behold our ever-varying actions, accept into thy
favourable ears this prayer of mine: if I may any longer hold out this
dwelling on the earth, which is called a life, grant me ability to
deserve at this lady’s hands the grace she hath showed unto me: grant
me wisdom to know her wisdom, and goodness so to increase my love of
her goodness, that all mine own chosen desires, be to myself but
second to her determination. Whatsoever I be let it be to her service:
let me herein be satisfied, that for such infinite favours of virtue I
have some way wrought her satisfaction. But if my last time
approacheth, and that I am no longer to be amongst mortal creatures,
make yet my death serve her to some purpose, that hereafter she may
not have cause to repent herself that she bestowed so excellent a mind
upon Musidorus.”
Pamela could not choose but accord the conceit of their fortune to
these passionate prayers, in so much that their constant eyes yielded
some tears, which wiping from her face with Musidorus’s hand, speaking
softly unto him, as if she had feared more anybody should be witness
of her weakness, than of anything else she had said, “You see,” said
she, “my prince and only lord, what you work in me by your too much
grieving for me. I pray you think I have no joy but in you, and if you
fill that with sorrow, what do you leave for me? What is prepared for
us we know not, but that with sorrow we cannot prevent it, we know.
Now let us turn from these things, and think you how you will have me
behave myself towards you in this matter.” Musidorus finding the
authority of her speech confirmed with direct necessity, the {559}
first care came to his mind was of his dear friend and cousin
Pyrocles; with whom long before he had concluded what names they
should bear, if upon any occasion they were forced to give themselves
out for great men, and yet not make themselves fully known. Now
fearing, lest if the princess should name him for Musidorus, the fame
of their two being together would discover Pyrocles; holding her hand
betwixt his hands a good while together: “I did not think, most
excellent princess,” said he, “to have made any further request unto
you, for having been already unto you so unfortunate a suitor, I know
not what modesty can bear any further demand. But the state of one
young man, whom, next to you, far above myself, I love more than all
the world, one worthy of all well-being for the notable constitution
of his mind, and most unworthy to receive hurt by me, whom he doth in
all faith and constancy love, the pity of him only goes beyond all
resolution to the contrary.” Then did he, to the princess’s great
admiration, tell her the whole story as far as he knew of it, and that
when they made the grievous disjunction of their long combination,
they had concluded Musidorus should entitle himself Palladius, prince
of Iberia, and Pyrocles should be Daiphantus of Lycia.
“Now,” said Musidorus, “he keeping a woman’s habit, is to use no other
name than Zelmane; but I that find it best of the one side for your
honour, you went away with a prince, and not with a shepherd; of the
other side, accounting my death less evil than the betraying of that
sweet friend of mine, will take this mean betwixt both, and using the
name of Palladius, if the respect of a prince will stop your father’s
fury, that will serve as well as Musidorus, until Pyrocles’s fortune
being some way established, I may freely give good proof that the
noble country of Thessalia is mine; and if that will not mitigate your
father’s opinion to me-wards, nature, I hope, working in your
excellency, will make him deal well with you: for my part the image of
death is nothing fearful unto me, and this good I shall have reaped by
it, that I shall leave my most esteemed friend in no danger to be
disclosed by me. And besides, since I must confess I am not without a
remorse of her case, my virtuous mother shall not know her son’s
violent death hid under the fame will go of Palladius. But as long as
her years, now of good number, be counted among the living, she may
joy herself with some possibility of my return.” Pamela promising him
upon no occasion ever to name him, fell into extremity of weeping, as
if her eyes had been content to spend all their seeing moistness, now
that there was a speech of the loss of that which they held as their
chiefest light. So that Musidorus was forced to repair her good
counsels with sweet consolations, {560} which continued betwixt them
till it was about midnight, that sleep having stolen into their heavy
senses, and now absolutely commanding in their vital powers, left them
delicately wound one in another’s arms, quietly to wait for the coming
of the morning; which as soon as she appeared to play her part, laden,
as you have heard, with so many well occasioned lamentations, their
lobbish guard, who all night had kept themselves awake, with prating
how valiant deeds they had done when they ran away; and how fair a
death their fellow had died, who at his last gasp sued to be a
hangman, awaked them, and set them upon their horses, to whom the very
shining force of excellent virtue, though in a very harrish subject,
had wrought a kind of reverence in them: Musidorus as he rode among
them, of whom they had no other hold but of Pamela, thinking it want
of a well-squared judgment to leave any means unassayed of saving
their lives, to this purpose spoke to his unseemly guardians, using a
plain kind of phrase to make his speech the more credible.
“My masters,” said he, “there is no man that is wise but hath, in
whatsoever he doth, some purpose whereto he directs his doings, which
so long he follows till he see that either that purpose is not worth
the pains, or that another doing carries with it a better purpose.
That you are wise in what you take in hand, I have to my cost learned;
that makes me desire you tell me what is your end in carrying the
princess and me back to her father.” “Pardon,” said one; “reward,”
cried another. “Well,” said he, “take both, although I know you are so