The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia
desired that my speedy punishment, as my fault, should be terrible.
The king answered, though he found his demands reasonable, and such to
which he was sure there could be no opposition made, yet he thought it
fit the nobility should be acquainted with so weighty a cause before
he proceeded further in it, and so, for this time (being committed to
the charge of Pertinax, chamberlain to the king) I was dismissed. The
next day, the council being sent for, my cause ran the hazard of many
opinions; some thought it fit I should die; and though justice, said
they, might not dispense with such severity, yet it was fit to please
Rinatus, one who had deserved well, and had the power, if otherwise he
were dealt with, to revenge his injury. Others, the more in number,
and esteemed the wiser, because the King held with them, opposed this
sentence, alleging, so inconsiderate an act might call the safety of
Laconia in question; ‘For,’ said they, ‘shall we think the Corinthians
so degenerate, that, being justly incensed against us they will not
endeavour to revenge the death of their prince, in the shade of whose
reign they enjoy that peace and plenty their neighbours envy them for?
And if they stir in it, what people is so barbarous, whom the justness
of their cause will not procure into the society of this war? See then
if a private man’s satisfaction be to be compared to these ensuing
dangers? No, let her live, and when the gods do otherwise dispose of
her, let her death come without the ruin of Laconia.’ This determined,
a new doubt arose, how I should be disposed of. {649} They that before
thought it expedient I should die, now that opinion was put by,
concluded that it was best to send me to Corinth, with an honourable
convoy, so to tie them by a perpetual bond of gratitude, to be their
friends whom they so much feared to be their enemies; the rest, to
gratify the King, whose affection they perceived to lean that way, and
well assured it was an advice too profitable to be rejected that
gained a kingdom, though his promise after the queen’s death (who, not
long before, left him a widower) had been passed to Lemnia, a fair and
virtuous lady, daughter to my keeper Pertinax, yet they wished, if so
he pleased, my crown might win me to his bed, little doubting but I
had thought it an egregious felicity to be so graced. The King, after
many protractions, at length, as if he were wrought to it by a desire
to satisfy the nobility rather than self-will, declares his mind to be
directed by them; which, once known, behold! the flattery of the court
began to fawn upon me; who more observed? who more admired? Only
Rinatus, much impatient of this my greatness in court, uttered some
words in choler, which made known, by a further inquiry, a conspiracy
of his against the king, so that soon after (the rather to give me,
whom they studied to please, satisfaction) he was beheaded.
“But long it was not before fortune, neither constant to my happy
adversity, nor adverse felicity, had brought thither (sent by the
usurper Tenarus) a wise, but wicked instrument, whom he called his
ambassador, who laboured, by the policy of his high-reaching brain,
and the secret practices of his undermining gold, so far for his
master’s ends, that now, in an instant, the still-changing face of
court-respect began to frown upon me: my death was decreed, and until
the time were appointed for it, myself made a close prisoner in my
accustomed gaol. But the King, chiefly moved with the hope of my
crown, and drawn by a self-conceit of liking to my sorrow, which,
perhaps, had a sympathy with his melancholy, wouldst needs continue
the suit of his affection to me, though he durst not interpose his
over-ruled authority for my liberty. Thus, for a time, did I live,
accompanied by some few whom the king might trust with his intents,
he, in show, courting his first love Lemnia, and making that a
pretence to come private to her father’s house near adjoining to
court. But indeed, as at that time he could have no reason to
dissemble with me, this kindness came another way; which Lemnia
suspecting, and being as far gone in affection to this double-dealing
king, as he was in the profession of a little-regarded love to me, her
watchful eye soon found the advantage of a happy opportunity to hear
himself speak his own deceit, with such a heart-burning vehemency that
Lemnia (who had placed herself, unknown to either of us, behind the
{650} hangings) scarce could suppress her entry to play a part in our
comedy of affection. But to his demands truth answered for me plainly
that death, in whose expectation I lived, would be far more pleasing
than the marriage he thought so reasonable; adding withal to my speech
much of Lemnia’s praise, which she deserved, to instruct his eyes that
indeed were blind in his choice.
“But when he parted, vowing to be severe in my punishment, unless I
resolved better at his next coming, behold Lemnia, with tears in her
eyes, fell at my feet, and when she saw amazement in my looks, with a
kind bashfulness, taking my hand, and rising with that help: ‘Virtuous
lady,’ said she, ‘if ever you have been acquainted with the tyranny of
all-commanding affection, to that judge I appeal, who (though courtesy
and good manners oppose him) will find my fault excusable. This man,
who in your presence hath been the trumpet of his own inconstancy,
first with the vehement protestation of his sincere affection, won me
in gratefulness to meet him, in recompense of his unknown
dissimulation, if such then it were; and now with the good liking of
the state, were the solemnities appointed for our marriage, when your
arrival crossed those hopes, and drew his thoughts to their natural
temper of unstayedness. But since I have found, by this fortunate
unmannerliness, your answers so resolutely opposed to his demands,
henceforth I vow to work your freedom, or bring myself to perish with
you.’ Her fault found an easy pardon at the tribunal she appealed
to--I thanked her, as there was good cause, for her desire of my good;
only I wished, if my freedom could not be procured without danger to
her, she should not heap miseries upon me by joining herself a
companion in my disasters. She comforts me with the hope of a better
event, and to bring her intention to a wished success, she wins my
unwillingness to show some favour to the king: which next day I did,
having placed Lemnia where she had placed herself the day before, to
be a witness to our conference; for otherwise, perhaps, her love this
second time might have egged her suspicion, already prone that way, to
the distrust of a practice betwixt us. And happy was this forced
dissimulation; for the King, not long before his coming to me, had
received advertisement that the usurper of Corinth had levied an army,
and set forth many ships to invade Laconia, making the delay of my
promised execution the pretence of this war; which being also known,
they (who, together with this foreign enemy, feared the rebellion of
the Helots, who always lay in wait for an opportunity of such
advantage) now, more than ever, began to solicit the King to satisfy
so potent an enemy in so just a demand. The King, well weighing the
imminent dangers that were to be prevented by my death, and seeing the
little {651} comfort he did enjoy by the prolonging of my life (likely
every day to increase my obstinacy, being none of those lovers that
would die for his disdaining mistress) was ready to deliver me over as
a sacrifice for the state and country, when, behold! his sails were
filled with self-opinion of my favour. Borne up, therefore, with the
wings of hope, he returns to court, where love (or some indulgent
fate) inspired this project into his head; he calls the nobility, and
after a long narration of the mischiefs that hung over Laconia, he
desires their advice for prevention. They, glad that the only opposer,
as they thought, of their designs, would have recourse to their
directions, in that cause wherein they were jealous of his partaking
after a flattering insinuation (the common exordium to men of his
place) they concluded that it was fit Helen should die. ‘I doubt it
not,’ said he (nor was it to that end I sought your counsel) ‘that the
necessity of the times, the welfare of our person, and the
preservation of our estate required her death; but it much perplexed
me, that our fame should bleed with her, or that the world should say
the threats of the King of Corinth had enforced us to behead her whom
lately we were to take to wife. ’Twas this, my lords, that caused my
misinterpreted resolution to hang in suspense; for this I have turned
my invention into all forms, and now, behold, I have found an even way
to lead me between the perils of a threatened war, and the ill-bought
quiet of an ignominious peace. My will is she be brought to court (for
Pertinax’s house I think not convenient for this project) and placed
here, with such about her as I know most trusty in such a secret;
then, that her keepers, at farthest within two days, poison her; which
done, we will give it out she died of a disease; and to confirm this
opinion in the vulgar, we will honour her death with such funeral pomp
as the state of her life required. Thus shall our cause of dissention
with Corinth be taken away, and we freed from that imputation the
world might justly lay upon us.’ The nobility, with silent admiration,
began to applaud what he had determined, chiefly Pertinax, who, making
the common cause his pretence, laboured by all means to confirm a
resolution so necessary for his daughter Lemnia’s happiness.
“The King having dismissed the council, acquaints me with these his
proceedings, setting forth, with no mean pride, the pregnancy of his
own wit, who had found a way to over-reach such grey-bearded dotards:
‘For,’ said he, ‘you shall that night when you are thought to be
poisoned be conveyed hence (by two of chiefest trust about me) unto my
castle of Nicos; then will I cause a statue, formed to your
proportion, to be coffined up, on which, forsooth, my grave council
shall solemnly wait, and perform the obsequies in that ceremony
requisite; meantime you shall live, {652} and live beloved of him who
hath undergone this dangerous enterprise, and will do many more to
endear his affection to you. And when the limbs of this disjointed
state be set again, you shall be restored to be yourself, and to enjoy
this crown of Laconia so much envied you: till when, I lock these
projects in the closet of your secrecy.’
“The good King was scarce gone from me when I made Lemnia of counsel
with me, who, seeing the fitness of the time, seeing my journey to
Nicos was to be performed in the night, and the easy execution of so
dangerless an enterprise, my guard being only two of the King’s
servants, she gives in charge to a sufficient number of such whom she
knew faithful to her, to meet them mid way, and after they had well
beaten my convoy, to discharge them of the suspicion of their
consenting to the fact, to carry me to the next seaport, where there
staid a ship bound for Delphos, to which I needs would bend my course.
This being resolved upon, the lady (equally troubled with the care of
my safety and the loss of my presence) wept many tears, which I
confess, had been ingratitude in me not to second; so as a while
sorrow seemed to have flown thither to bathe herself in our eyes: but
love, at length, in both of one another’s good, had well near claimed
this passion, when the guard appointed by the King, was come and ready
to carry me to court. But why should I, great sir, any longer stay you
in a story, whose tediousness I am well assured hath tired you? Know
therefore, that this means of my safety was as fortunately executed as