The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia
impossible tales of the king’s death, while they thought themselves in
danger, wishing nothing but safety; as soon as persuasion of safety
took them, desiring further benefits, as amendment of fore-passed
faults, which faults notwithstanding none could tell either the
grounds or effects of, all agreeing in the universal names of liking
or misliking, but of what in especial points, infinitely disagreeing.
Altogether like a falling steeple, the parts whereof, as windows,
stones, and pinnacles were well, but the whole mass ruinous. And this
was the general cause of all, wherein notwithstanding was an extreme
medley of diversified thoughts, the great men looking to make
themselves strong by factions, the gentlemen some bending to them,
some standing upon themselves, some desirous to overthrow those few
which they thought were over them; the soldiers desirous of trouble,
as the nurse of spoil, and not much unlike to {565} them though in
another way, were all the needy sort, the rich fearful, the wise
careful. This composition of conceits brought forth a dangerous
tumult, which yet would have been more dangerous, but that it had so
many parts that nobody well knew against whom chiefly to oppose
themselves. For some there were that cried to have the state altered,
and governed no more by a prince; marry, in the alteration, many would
have the Lacedaemonian government of a few chosen senators, others the
Athenian, where the people’s voice held the chief authority. But these
were rather the discoursing sort of men, than the active, being a
matter more in imagination than practice. But they that went nearest
to the present case, as in a country that knew no government without a
prince, were they that strove whom they should make. Whereof a great
number there were that would have the Princess Pamela presently to
enjoy it: some disdaining that she had as it were abandoned her own
country, inclining more to Philoclea; and there wanted not of them,
which wished Gynecia were delivered, and made regent till Pamela were
worthily married. But great multitudes there were, which having been
acquainted with the just government of Philanax, meant to establish
him as lieutenant of the state; and these were the most popular sort,
who judged by the commodities they felt. But the principal men in
honour and might, who had long before envied his greatness with
Basilius, did much more spurn against any such preferment of him. For
yet before their envy had some kind of breathing out his rancour, by
laying his greatness as a fault to the prince’s judgment, who showed
in Dametas he might easily be deceived in men’s value: but now if the
prince’s choice, by so many mouths should be confirmed, what could
they object to so rightly esteemed an excellency, they therefore were
disposed sooner to yield to any thing than to his raising; and were
content, for to cross Philanax, to stop those actions, which otherwise
they could not but think good. Philanax himself as much hindered by
those that did immoderately honour him, which brought both more envy
and suspicion upon him, as by them that did manifestly resist him:
but, standing only upon a constant desire of justice, and a clear
conscience went forward stoutly in the action of his master’s revenge,
which he thought himself particularly bound to. For the rest, as the
ordering of the government, he accounted himself but as one wherein
notwithstanding he would employ all his loyal endeavour.
But among the noblemen, he that most openly set himself against him
was named Timautus, a man of middle age, but of extreme ambition, as
one that had placed his uttermost good in greatness, thinking small
difference by what means he came by it. {566} Of commendable wit, if
he had not made it a servant to unbridled desires. Cunning to creep
into men’s favours, which he prized only as they were serviceable unto
him. He had been brought up in some soldiery, which he knew how to set
out with more than deserved ostentation. Servile, though envious, to
his betters: and no less tyrannically minded to them he had advantage
of. Counted revengeful, but indeed measuring both revenge and reward,
as the party might either help or hurt him. Rather shameless than
bold, and yet more bold in practice than in personal adventures. In
some, a man that could be as evil as he listed, and listed as much as
any advancement might thereby be gotten. As for virtue he counted it
but a school-name. He even at the first assembling together, finding
the great stroke Philanax carried among the people, thought it his
readiest way of ambition to join with him: which though his pride did
hardly brook, yet the other vice carrying with it a more apparent
object prevailed over the weaker, so that with those liberal
protestations of friendship, which men that care not for their word
are wont to bestow, he offered unto him the choice in marriage of
either the sisters, so he would likewise help him to the other, and
make such a partition of the Arcadian estate. Wishing him that since
he loved his master, because he was his master, which showed the love
began in himself, he should rather now occasion was presented seek his
own good substantially than affect the smoke of a glory by showing an
untimely fidelity to him that could not reward it: and have all the
fruit he could get, in men’s opinions, which would be as divers as
many; few agreeing to yield him due praise of his true heart. But
Philanax, who had limited his thoughts in that he esteemed good, to
which he was neither carried by the vain tickling of uncertain fame,
nor from which he would be transported by enjoying anything, whereto
the ignorant world gives the excellent name of goods, with great
mislike of his offer, he made him so peremptory an answer, not without
threatening, if he found him foster any such fancy, that Timautus went
with an inward spite from him, whom before he had never loved: and
measuring all men’s marches by his own pace, rather thought it some
further fetch of Philanax, as that he would have all to himself alone,
than was any way taken with the lovely beauty of his virtue, whose
image he had so quite defaced in his own soul that he had left himself
no eyes to behold it, but stayed waiting fit opportunity to execute
his desires both for himself and against Philanax, which by the
bringing back of Pamela, the people being divided into many motions,
which both with murmuring noises, and putting themselves in several
troops, they well showed, he thought apt time was laid before him, the
waters being, as the proverb saith, {567} troubled, and so the better
for his fishing. Therefore going among the chiefest lords, whom he
knew principally to repine at Philanax, and making a kind of
convocation of them, he inveighed against his proceeding, drawing
everything to the most malicious interpretation, that malice itself
could instruct him to do. He said, it was season for them to look to
such a weed, that else would over-grow them all. It was not now time
to consult of the dead, but of the living: since such a sly wolf was
entered among them, that could make justice the cloak of tyranny, and
love of his late master the destruction of his now being children. “Do
you not see,” said he, “how far his corruption hath stretched, that he
hath such a number of rascals’ voices to declare him lieutenant, ready
to make him prince, but that he instructs them, matters are not yet
ripe for it? as for us, because we are too rich to be bought, he
thinks us the fitter to be killed. Hath Arcadia bred no man but
Philanax? is she become a stepmother to all the rest, and hath given
all her blessings to Philanax? or if there be men amongst us, let us
show we disdain to be servants to a servant. Let us make him know we
are far worthier not to be slaves than he to be a master. Think you he
hath made such haste in these matters to give them over to another
man’s hand? think you he durst become the jailor of his princess, but
either meaning to be her master, or her murderer? and all this for the
dear goodwill, forsooth, he bears to the king’s memory, whose
authority as he abused in his life, so he would now persevere to abuse
his name after his death. O notable affection, for the love of the
father to kill the wife and disinherit the children! O single-minded
modesty, to aspire to no less than to the princely diadem, no, no, he
hath veered all this while, but to come the sooner to his affected
end. But let us remember what we be, in quality his equals, in number
far before him: let us deliver the queen and our natural princesses,
and leave them no longer under his authority, whose proceedings would
rather show that he himself had been the murderer of the king, than a
fit guardian of his posterity.”
These words pierced much into the minds already inclined that way,
insomuch that most part of the nobility confirmed Timautus’s speech,
and were ready to execute it: when Philanax came among them, and with
a constant, but reverent behaviour, desired them they would not
exercise private grudges in so common a necessity. He acknowledged
himself a man, and a faulty man: to the clearing or satisfying of
which, he would at all times submit himself; since his end was to
bring all things to an upright judgment, it should evil fit him to fly
the judgment. “But,” said he, “my lords, let not Timautus’s railing
speech, who whatsoever he finds evil in his own soul can with ease lay
it upon another, make me lose {568} your good favour. Consider that
all well-doing stands so in the middle betwixt his two contrary evils
that it is a ready matter to cast a slanderous shade upon the most
approved virtues. Who hath an evil tongue, can call severity cruelty,
and faithful diligence, diligent ambition. But my end is not to excuse
myself, nor to accuse him: for both those hereafter will be time
enough. There is neither of us, whose purging or punishing may so much
import to Arcadia. Now I request you, for your own honour’s sake, and
require you by the duty you owe to this estate, that you do presently,
according to the laws, take in hand the chastisement of our master’s
murderers, and laying order for the government by whomsoever it be
done, so it be done, and justly done, I am satisfied. My labour hath
been to frame things so that you might determine; now it is in you to
determine. For my part, I call the heavens to witness, the care of my
heart stands to repay that, wherein both I and most of you were tied
to that prince, with whom all my love of worldly action is dead.”
As Philanax was speaking his last words there came one running to him
with open mouth and fearful eyes, telling him that there was a great
number of the people which were bent to take the young men out of
Sympathus’s hands, and as it should seem by their acclamations, were
like enough to proclaim them princes. “Nay,” said Philanax, speaking
aloud, and looking with a just anger upon the noblemen, “it is no
season to hear Timautus’s idle slanders while strangers become our
lords, and Basilius’s murderers sit in his throne. But whosoever is a
true Arcadian let him follow me.” With that he went toward the place
he heard of, followed by those that had ever loved him, and some of
the noblemen. Some other remaining with Timautus, who in the meantime
was conspiring by strong hands to deliver Gynecia, of whom the weakest
guard was had. But Philanax, where he went found them all in an
uproar, which thus was fallen out. The greatest multitude of people
that were come to the death of Basilius, were the Mantineans, as being
the nearest city to the lodges. Among these the chief man both in
authority and love was Kalander, he that not long before had been host
to the two princes; whom though he knew not so much as by name, yet