The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia
correction is necessary, when grace doth more avail. For mine own
respect, if I thought in wisdom I had deserved death, I would not
desire life: for I know nature will condemn me to die though you do
not; and longer I would not wish to draw this breath, than I may keep
myself unspotted of any horrible crime; only I cannot, nor ever will
deny the love of Philoclea, whose violence wrought violent effects in
me.”
With that he finished his speech, casting up his eyes to the judge,
and crossing his hands, which he held in their length before him
declaring a resolute patience in whatsoever should be done {613} with
him. Philanax, like a watchful adversary, curiously marked all that he
said, saving that in the beginning he was interrupted by two letters
which were brought him from the Princess Pamela, and the Lady
Philoclea, who having all that night considered and bewailed their
estate, careful for their mother likewise, of whom they could never
think so much evil, but considering with themselves that she assuredly
should have so due trial by the laws, as either she should not need
their help, or should be past their help; they looked to that which
nearliest touched them, and each wrote in this sort for him, in whom
their lives’ joy consisted.
The humble hearted Philoclea wrote much after this manner:
My Lords, what you will determine of me, it is to me uncertain, but
what I have determined of myself, I am most certain, which is no
longer to enjoy my life, than I may enjoy him for my husband, whom the
heavens for my highest glory have bestowed upon me. Those that judge
him, let them execute me. Let my throat satisfy their hunger of
murder. For alas what hath he done, that had not its original in me?
Look upon him I beseech you with indifferency, and see whether in
those eyes all virtue shines not. See whether that face could hide a
murder. Take leisure to know him, and then yourselves will say, it
hath been too great an inhumanity to suspect such excellency. Are the
gods think you deceived in their workmanship? artificers will not use
marble but to noble uses. Should those powers be so overshot, as to
frame so precious an image of their own, but to honourable purposes? O
speak with him, O hear him, O know him, and become not the putters-out
of the world’s light. Hope you to joy my father’s soul with hurting
him he loved above all the world? shall a wrong suspicion make you
forget the certain knowledge of those benefits this house hath
received by him? Alas, alas, let not Arcadia for his loss be accursed
of the whole earth and of all posterity. He is a great prince, I speak
unto you that which I know, for I have seen most evident testimonies.
Why should you hinder my advancement? who if I have passed my
childhood hurtless to any of you, if I have refused nobody to do what
good I could, if I have often mitigated my father’s anger, ever sought
to maintain his favour towards you, nay, if I have held you all as
fathers and brothers unto me, rob me not of more than my life comes
unto. Tear not that which is inseparably joined to my soul; but if he
rest misliked of you, which, O God, how can it be, yet give him to me,
let me have him, you know I pretend no right to your state. Therefore
it is but a private petition I make unto you. Or if you be
hard-heartedly bent to appoint otherwise, which, oh, sooner let me die
than know, then, to end as I began, let me by you be ordered to the
same end: without, for more cruelty, you mean to force Philoclea to
use her own hands to kill one of your king’s children.
{614}
Pamela’s letter, which she meant to send to the general assembly of
the Arcadian nobility, for so closely they were kept, as they were
utterly ignorant of the new taken orders, was thus framed:
In such a state, my Lord, you have placed me that I can neither
write nor be silent; for how can I be silent, since you have left me
nothing but my solitary words to testify my misery? and how should I
write, for as for speech I have none but my jailor that can hear me,
who neither can resolve what to write, nor to whom to write? What to
write is hard for me to say, as what I may not write, so little hope
have I of any success, and so much hath no injury been left undone to
me-wards. To whom to write, where may I learn, since yet I wot not how
to entitle you? shall I call you my sovereigns? set down your laws
that I may do you homage. Shall I fall lower, and name you my fellows?
show me, I beseech you, the lord and master over us. But shall
Basilius’s heir name herself your princess? alas I am your prisoner.
But whatsoever I be, or whatsoever you be, O all you beholders of
these doleful lines, this do I signify unto you, and signify it with a
heart that ever shall remain in that opinion, the good or evil you do
to the excellent prince who was taken with me, and after by force from
me, I will ever impute it as either way done to mine own person. He is
a prince, and worthy to be my husband, and so is he my husband by me
worthily chosen. Believe it, believe it, either you shall be traitors
for murdering of me, or if you let me live the murderers of him shall
smart as traitors. For what do you think I can think? am I so
childish, as not to see wherein you touch him you condemn me? can his
shame be without my reproach? no, nor shall be, since nothing he hath
done that I will not avow. Is this the comfort you bring me in my
father’s death, to make me fuller of shame than sorrow? would you do
this if it were not with full intention to prevent my power with
slaughter? and so do I pray you it is high time for me to be weary of
my life too long led, since you are weary of me, before you have me. I
say again, I say it indefinitely unto you, I will not live without
him, if it be not to revenge him: either do justly in saving both, or
wisely in killing both. If I be your princess, I command his
preservation; if but a private person, then are we both to suffer. I
take all truth to witness he hath done no fault but in going with me.
Therefore to conclude, in judging him you judge me, neither conceive
with yourselves, the matter you treat of is the life of a stranger,
though even in that name he deserved pity; nor of a shepherd, to which
estate love of me made such a prince descend: but determine most
assuredly, the life that is in question is of Pamela, Basilius’s
daughter.
Many blots had the tears of these sweet ladies made in their letters,
which many times they had altered, many times torn, and written anew,
ever thinking something either wanted, or was too much, or would
offend, or, which is worst, would breed denial: {615} but at last, the
day warned them to dispatch, which they accordingly did, and calling
one of their guard, for nobody else was suffered to come near them,
with great entreaty, they requested him that he would present them to
the principal noblemen and gentlemen together. For they had more
confidence in the numbers’ favour, than in any one, upon whom they
would not lay the lives they held so precious. But the fellow trusted
to Philanax, who had placed him there, delivered them both to him,
what time Pyrocles began to speak, which he suddenly opened, and
seeing to what they tended, by the first words, was so far from
publishing them, whereby he feared in Euarchus’s just mind, either the
princesses might be endangered, or the prisoners preserved, of which
choice he knew not which to think the worst, that he would not himself
read them over, doubting his own heart might be mollified, so bent
upon revenge. Therefore utterly suppressing them, he lent a spiteful
ear to Pyrocles, and as soon as he had ended, with a very willing
heart desired Euarchus he might accept the combat: although it would
have framed but evil with him: Pyrocles having never found any match
near him besides Musidorus. But Euarchus made answer, since bodily
strength is but a servant to the mind, it were very barbarous and
preposterous that force should be made judge over reason. Then would
he also have replied in words unto him, but Euarchus who knew what
they could say was already said, taking their arguments into his mind,
commanded him to proceed against the other prisoner, and that then he
would sentence them both together.
Philanax nothing the milder for Pyrocles’s purging himself, but
rather, according to the nature of arguing, especially when it is
bitter, so much more vehement, entered thus into his speech against
Musidorus, being so overgone with rage, that he forgot in this oration
his precise method of oratory. “Behold, most noble protector, to what
a state Arcadia is come, since such manner of men may challenge in
combat the faithfullest of the nobility, and having merited the
shamefullest of all deaths dare name in marriage the princesses of
this country. Certainly my masters, I must say, you were much out of
taste if you had not rather enjoy such ladies than be hanged. But the
one you have as much deserved, as you have dishonoured the other. But
now my speech must be directed to you, good master Dorus, who, with
Pallas’s help perdy, are lately grown Palladius. Too much this sacred
seat of justice grants unto such a fugitive bondslave, who, instead of
these examinations, should be made confess with a whip, that which a
halter should punish. Are not you he, Sir, whose sheephook was
prepared to be our sceptre; in whom lay the knot of all this tragedy?
or else perchance, they that should gain little by it {616} were
dealers in the murder, you only that had provided the fruits for
yourself, knew nothing of it; knew nothing! Hath thy companion here
infected thee with such impudency, as even in the face of the world to
deny that which all the world perceiveth? The other pleads ignorance,
and you, I doubt not, will allege absence. But he was ignorant when he
was hard by, and you had framed your absence, just against the time
the act should be committed, so fit a lieutenant he knew he had left
of his wickedness, that for himself his safest mean, was to convey
away the lady of us all, who once out of the country, he knew we would
come with olive branches of intercession unto her, and fall at his
feet to beseech him to leave keeping of sheep, and vouchsafe the
tyrannizing over us: for to think they are princes, as they say,
although in our laws it behoveth them nothing, I see at all no reason.
These jewels certainly with their disguising slights, they have
pilfered in their vagabonding race. And think you such princes should
be so long without some followers after them? Truly if they be
princes, it manifestly shows their virtues such, as all their subjects
are glad to be rid of them. But be they as they are, for we are to
consider the matter and not the men, Basilius’s murder hath been the
cause of their coming, Basilius’s murder they have most treacherously
brought to pass; yet that I doubt not, you will deny as well as your
fellow. But how will you deny the stealing away the princess of this
province, which is no less than treason? so notably hath the justice
of the gods provided for the punishing of these malefactors, as if it
were possible, men would not believe the certain evidences of their
principal mischief, yet have they discovered themselves sufficiently
for their most just overthrow. I say therefore, to omit my chief
matter of the king’s death, this wolfish shepherd, this counterfeit
prince, hath traitorously, contrary to his allegiance, having made
himself a servant and subject, attempted the depriving this country of
our natural princess, and therefore by all right must receive the
punishment of traitors. This matter is so assured as he himself will
not deny it, being taken and brought back in the fact. This matter is