The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia
so odious in nature, so shameful to the world, so contrary to all
laws, so hurtful to us, so false in him, as if I should stand further
in declaring or defacing it, I should either show great doubts in your
wisdom, or in your justice. Therefore I will transfer my care upon
you, and attend, to my learning and comfort, the eternal example you
will leave to all mankind, of disguisers, falsifiers, adulterers,
ravishers, murderers and traitors.”
Musidorus, while Philanax was speaking against his cousin and him, had
looked round about him, to see whether by any means he might come to
have caught him in his arms, and have killed {617} him, so much had
his disgracing words filled his breast with rage. But perceiving
himself so guarded as he should rather show a passionate act, than
perform his revenge, his hand trembling with desire to strike, and all
the veins in his face swelling, casting his eyes over the judgment
seat: “O gods,” said he, “and have you spared my life to bear these
injuries of such a drivel! Is this the justice of this place, to have
such men as we are, submitted not only to apparent falsehood, but most
shameful reviling? But mark I pray you the ungratefulness of the
wretch, how utterly he hath forgotten the benefits both he and all
this country hath received of us. For if ever men may remember their
own noble deeds, it is then when their just defence, and others’
unjust unkindness doth require it. I omit our services done to
Basilius in the late war with Amphialus, importing no less than his
daughters’ lives, and his state’s preservation. Were not we the men
who killed the wild beasts which otherwise had killed the princesses
if we had not succoured them? Consider if it please you where had been
Daiphantus’s rape, or my treason, if the sweet beauties of the earth
had then been devoured? either think them now dead, or remember they
live by us. And yet full often this telltale can acknowledge the loss
they should have by their taking away while maliciously he overpasseth
who were their preservers: neither let this be spoken of me, as if I
meant to balance this evil with that good, for I must confess that
saving of such creatures was rewarded in the act itself, but only to
manifest the partial jangling of this vile pickthank. But if we be
traitors, where was your fidelity, O only tongue-valiant gentleman,
when not only the young princess, but the king himself was defended
from uttermost peril, partly by me, but principally by this excellent
young man’s both wisdom and valour? Were we that made ourselves
against hundreds of armed men, openly the shields of his life, like
secretly to be his impoisoners? Did we then show his life to be dearer
to us than our own, because we might after rob him of his life to die
shamefully? Truly, truly, master orator, whosoever hath hired you to
be so busy in their matters, who keep honester servants than yourself,
he should have bid you in so many railings, bring some excuse for
yourself, why in the greatest need of your prince, to whom you pretend
a miraculous goodwill, you were not then as forward to do like a man
yourself, or at least to accuse them that were slack in that service:
but commonly they use their feet for their defence, whose tongue is
their weapon. Certainly a very simple subtlety it had been in us to
repose our lives in the daughters when we had killed the father. But
as this gentleman thinks to win the reputation of a copious talker by
leaving nothing unsaid which a filthy mind can imagine, so think I, or
else all {618} words are vain, that to wise men’s judgment our
clearness in the King’s death is sufficiently notorious. But at length
when the merchant hath set out his gilded baggage, lastly, he comes to
some stuff of importance, and saith, I conveyed away the princess of
this country. And is she indeed your princess? I pray you then whom
should I wait on else but her that was my mistress by my professed
vow, and princess over me while I lived in this soil? Ask her why she
went, ask not me while I served her. Since accounting me as a prince,
you have not to do with me: taking me as her servant, then take withal
that I must obey her. But you will say I persuaded her to fly away;
certainly I will for no death deny it, knowing to what honour I should
bring her from the thraldom by such fellow’s counsel as you, she was
kept in. Shall persuasion to a prince grow treason to a prince? It
might be error in me, but falsehood it could not be, since I made
myself partaker of whatsoever I wished her unto. Who will ever counsel
his king, if his counsel be judged by the event, and if it be not
found wise, shall therefore be thought wicked? But if I be a traitor,
I hope you will grant me a correlative, to whom I shall be the
traitor. For the princess against whom the treasons are considered, I
am sure will avow my faithfulness, without you will say that I am a
traitor to her because I left the country? and a traitor to the
country because I went with her. Here do I leave out my just excuses
of love’s force, which as thy narrow heart hath never had noble room
enough in it to receive, so yet those manlike courages, that by
experience know how subject the virtuous minds are to love a most
virtuous creature, witnessed to be such by the most excellent gifts of
nature, will deem it a venial trespass to seek the satisfaction of
honourable desires, honourable even in the curiousest points of
honour, whereout there can no disgrace nor disparagement come unto
her. Therefore, O judge, who I hope dost know what it is to be a
judge, that your end is to preserve and not to destroy mankind, that
laws are not made like lime twigs or nets, to catch everything that
toucheth them, but rather like sea-marks, to avoid the shipwreck of
ignorant passengers, since that our doing in the extremest
interpretation is but a human error, and that of it you may make a
profitable event, we being of such estate as their parents would not
have misliked the affinity, you will not I trust at the persuasion of
this babbler, burn your house to make it clean, but like a wise father
turn even the fault of your children to any good that may come of it:
since that is the fruit of wisdom and end of all judgments.”
While this matter was thus handling, a silent and as it were
astonished attention, possessed all the people. A kindly compassion
moved the noble gentleman Sympathus, but as for Kalander, {619}
everything was spoken either by or for his own dear guests, moved an
affect in him: sometimes tears, sometimes hopeful looks, sometimes
whispering persuasions in their ears that stood by him, to seek the
saving the two young princes. But the general multitude waited the
judgment of Euarchus, who showed in his face no motions, either at the
one’s or other’s speech, letting pass the flowers of rhetoric and only
marking whither their reasons tended; having made the question to be
asked of Gynecia, who continued to take the whole fault upon herself,
and having called Dametas with Miso and Mopsa, who by Philanax’s order
had been held in most cruel prison, to make a full declaration how
much they knew of these past matters, and then gathering as assured
satisfaction to his own mind as in that case he could, not needing to
take leisure for that, whereof a long practice had bred a
well-grounded habit in him, with a voice and gesture directed to the
universal assembly, in this form pronounced sentence.
“This weighty matter, whereof presently we are to determine, doth at
the first consideration yield to important doubts. The first whether
these men be to be judged; the second how they are to be judged. The
first doubt ariseth because they give themselves out for princes
absolute, a sacred name, and to which any violence seems to be an
impiety. For how can any laws, which are the bonds of all human
society, be observed if the law-givers and law-rulers, be not held in
an untouched admiration? but hereto, although already they have been
sufficiently answered, yet thus much again will I repeat unto you.
That whatsoever they be or be not, here they be no princes, since
betwixt prince and subject there is as necessary a relation, as
between father and son; and as there is no man a father but to his
child, so is not a prince a prince but to his own subjects. Therefore
is not this place to acknowledge in them any principality, without it
should at the same time, by a secret consent, confess subjection. Yet
hereto may be objected, that the universal civility, the law of
nations, all mankind being as it were co-inhabiters, or world-citizens
together, hath ever required public persons should be of all parties
especially regarded, since not only in peace but in war, not only
princes, but heralds and trumpeters, are with great reason exempted
from injuries. This point is true, but yet so true, as they that will
receive the benefit of a custom, must not be the first to break it,
for then can they not complain, if they be not helped by that which
they themselves hurt. If a prince do acts of hostility without
denouncing war, if he breaks his oath of amity, or innumerable such
other things contrary to the law of arms, he must take heed how he
fall into their hands whom he so wrongeth, for then is courtesy the
best custom he can claim; much more these men, who have {620} not only
left to do like princes, but to be like princes, not only entered into
Arcadia, and so into the Arcadian orders, but into domestical
services, and so, by making themselves private, deprived themselves of
respect due to their public calling. For no proportion it were of
justice that a man might make himself no prince when he would do evil,
and might anew create himself a prince when he would not suffer evil.
Thus therefore by all laws of nature and nations, and especially by
their own putting themselves out of the sanctuary of them, these young
men cannot in justice avoid the judgment, but, like private men, must
have their doings either cleared, excused, or condemned. There resteth
then the second point, how to judge well. And that must undoubtedly be
done, not by a free discourse of reason and skill of philosophy, but
must be tied to the laws of Greece, and municipal statutes of this
kingdom. For although out of them these came, and to them must indeed
refer their offspring, yet because philosophical discourses stand in
the general consideration of things, they leave to every man a scope
of his own interpretation: where the laws applying themselves to the
necessary use, fold us within assured bounds: which once broken, man’s
nature infinitely rangeth. Judged therefore they must be, and by your
laws judged. Now the action offereth itself to due balance, betwixt
the accuser’s twofold accusation, and their answer accordingly
applied. The questions being, the one of a fact simply, the other of
the quality of a fact. To the first they use direct denial; to the
second, qualification and excuse. They deny the murder of the King;
and against mighty presumptions bring forth some probable answers,
which they do principally fortify with the Queen’s acknowledging
herself only culpable. Certainly as in equality of conjectures, we are
not to take hold of the worse, but rather to be glad we may find any
hope that mankind is not grown monstrous, being undoubtedly less evil
a guilty man should escape, than a guiltless perish, so if in the rest
they be spotless, then is this no further to be remembered. But if
they have aggravated these suspicions with new evils, then are those
suspicions so far to show themselves, as to cause the other points to
be thoroughly examined, and with less favour weighed, since this no
man can deny they have been accidental, if not principal causes of the
king’s death. Now then we are to determine of the other matters, which