The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia
the bellows of this fire, did daily add further causes to increase his
jealousy. But seeing the discovery of his suspicion would little
please the king, {661} who ever since the death of my father had
doubled his care upon me; he was compelled to dissemble a good liking
towards me. In meantime a truce, made for some few years with the Duke
of Amasia, being expired, the war grew hot on both sides. At length,
after the trial of many changes in fortune, necessity meditating peace
between them, myself being given as a hostage for performance of
certain conditions of my uncle’s part, a perpetual league was
concluded on: ’Twas now, and not before, mischief began to unmask
herself, and take a pride to grow terrible. There was at court, during
my abode there, attending upon the Duchess, a lady, by name Alcida,
whose many excellencies won as many hearts as she had beholders,
nature making her beauty and shape but the most fair cabinet of a far
fairer mind. To her, mine eyes at first sight gave up my heart, with
so unfortunate an encounter in affection, that this surrender was but
a mutual exchange, she having, in a merciful gratefulness, fixed her
love on mine. But her parentage, though not base, was so mean in
respect of my birth, that thence whole armies of afflictions did
invade my mind, equally distracted between my desire to enjoy this my
best of happiness and fear of my uncle’s displeasure, on whom this
match (for his care and love of me) I was sure would draw on an
untimely death. But before I could determine a doubt of so great
consequence, the conditions of the league being faithfully performed,
I was safely, at a day prefixed, sent back to Natolia, desirous, even
in my soul desirous, I am sure, rather by their breach of covenant to
have hazarded my life, than thus cruelly to be taken away from her
presence, who, far beyond my life, was most dear to me. Soon after my
return, the King, as if the gods had stayed him to see the quiet of
his state, now that was brought to pass, worn with age, and much
broken with travel and care in his last wars, left his kingdom to his
degenerate son and successor, who had no sooner seized upon the
government, but, meaning to begin his reign with an admirable act of
policy, now his power was unrestrained, limits me to the absence from
my country, declaring my blood for ever incapable of succession: and
not content with this, to such a height his undeserved malice to me
was raised, that he dealt with some bad ministers of his wickedness,
secretly to make me away. To prevent therefore what was plotted
against me, disguising myself, I hastily fled away, and making use of
necessity, to further my affection, I put myself into the service of a
nobleman here in the court of Amasia, easily remaining undiscovered,
among them who would sooner fall out with their eyes than believe that
the greatness wherein they lately had seen me, could admit so great a
change: by mean whereof, I enjoyed the presence of my Alcida, whose
constancy, neither time, nor absence (the mothers of {662} affection)
nor what is more, this my change in fortune, could alter.
“‘Thus, while I lived in this happiness of servitude, Mermidon
(brother to the Duke) having commanded, with fortunate success,
against the Dacians, returned to court, where seeing this lady, he
became enamoured of her, to no other end than to satisfy his lust: and
thinking, at first (because he was in good esteem with himself) she
would have strained her modesty to sue for the acceptance of a present
so grateful to him, a while he was silent; but when he perceived the
vanity of his fruitless expectation, and found that this delay
increased the fury of his passion, dispensing with the majesty he had
taken on, he began to make known his love to her (for such a title did
he give to so base a desire) forgetting not withal to tell her that to
excuse her modesty he had first spoken her wishes. But the virtuous
Alcida, loathing as much the thought of such a sin, as she loved the
memory of me, together with a resolute denial, let him know how base
his mind was that made so injurious a request. Whereat Mermidon,
because this answer came unexpected, was so much the more amazed. But
bringing arguments from his late practice in the war, he began to
think his honour would be the greater, if, after long resistance, he
did surprise a well-defended fort: and therefore daily, both by rich
gifts, the base enamel of affection, and many promises (which, to win
the more upon her, were sent by one of her own sex, who, if example
might move her, could tell of such a precedent in herself) did he seek
to undermine her resolution. Meantime, my constant Alcida, seeing the
intemperance of Mermidon’s lust to bring threats of force with it, not
daring to speak with me, because our conference began to be suspected,
sent me a letter to hasten her carrying away, appointing this the
fatal place of our meeting.
“‘I much rejoiced to be so near my happiness, the rather that since
our last conference, I received intelligence that my young cousin of
Natolia being made away by one whom he had raised to an undeserved
height in his favour, the country was in great distress by the
factious ambition of the nobility, and that the best affected to the
state, much desired my presence. But these means, how well soever, as
I thought, conducing to my happiness, by the unmercifulness of my hard
destiny were prevented, as one of those, whom it was my fortune to
kill, at his death revealed: for Mermidon having intercepted the
messenger, mad with rage to find his hopes crossed by so mean a man as
he took me to be, having again sealed up the letter, he caused it to
be delivered, and determining to be revenged, sent these men to
apprehend me, himself intending to follow presently, leading with him
my dearest Alcida, whom, in my presence (to add a glory to the
execrableness of the offence) {663} he means to ravish. And now, Sir,
you have heard,’ said he, ‘of my birth and fortune, till this time
(when, I am well assured, my end is near at hand) kept secret.’
“He scarce had closed up this lamentable story with a hearty sigh, the
compendious abridgment of his sufferings, when we might discern
Mermidon, with twenty more (so distrustful is treachery though there
be no cause to fear) make towards us: but that sight, together with
the thought of Alcida’s distress, was a signal sufficient for Cariclio
to begin his unequal encounter, so as, like a she-tiger, who, at her
return to her cave, finds her little ones to be stolen, with a wild
fury, breathing nothing but destruction, he runs amongst them, making
way for my willingness to second his attempt. Awhile, the justice of
the cause, and Cariclio’s valour (to which the glory is only due) with
the death of many, did hold the victory in an equal balance: At
length, the multitude of our assailants made injury the stronger,
bringing to a death much to be pitied, so incomparable a man at arms
as was Cariclio; yet, not before he had, in the sight of Alcida, sent
Mermidon to be his harbinger at Charon’s ferry. And when by his death
the only stay and support of the fight was removed, if sometimes my
desire of revenge made good the ground Cariclio had bequeathed me;
alas! how could I long resist without him? Know therefore, excellent
lady, that, here I was made prisoner, and, together with Alcida,
carried back to court; though I call Cariclio’s ghost to witness, I
sought all means to join myself, even in death, a companion to his
virtues. The solemnity intended for our execution, and the preparation
of new forms of torment for us that had been parties in the murder of
the Duke’s brother, won some lingering days of life to the inward
torture of our expectation: In meantime the everlasting providence,
that by changing the intentions and dooms of men, will let them know
there is a power beyond theirs, sent an unexpected mean to help our
distress.
“Plangus, the famous Prince of Iberia, at this time making haste with
a few, such as virtue had joined partners in his cause, and taking
into his army such of Euarchus’s soldiers, as in a tempest at sea were
driven to Byzantium, to the succour of Erona (whose story you cannot
be ignorant of) and being to pass through Amasia, sent to the Duke to
demand a thorough-fare for his soldiers. But he, who of long time had
observed an inviolable league with the Armenians, knowing the pretence
of this war, and despising the weakness of those few Plangus led with
him, not only denied his request, but, gathering a great power of
soldiers (whom since his last wars he had kept in garrison in his
frontier towns) meant, with the overthrow of her ungrateful nephew, to
gratify Artaxia, and her ill-chosen husband Plexirtus. But the
excellent Plangus (than {664} whom this age shows not, for conduct in
war, a better general) with the well-ordering those few resolute
troops, and skilful industry in choice of advantages, in two set
battles put him to the worst; after which, the Duke not able to
reinforce his weakened power, put himself, with the relics of his late
overthrow, into his chief city, wherein we were prisoners; to which
Plangus, finding no other resistance, with wonderful celerity followed
him: and though the town by nature and art, for site and fortification
were thought impregnable, yet being defended but by such, who, by
their own loss, held a too superstitious opinion of the enemies, it
was soon forced by Plangus’s victorious troops, who believed the
success of nothing impossible to which their ever-fortunate captain
would lead them. With the sack of this city (wherein he took the Duke,
with his son, prisoners) Plangus having enriched his soldiers with the
booty, and his own fame by the speediness of the conquest, not able to
assure the country to his devotion, otherwise than by dismembering his
army, and delaying his chief ends, moved with a necessary clemency,
having first received six months’ pay for his soldiers, and the Duke’s
son a hostage, to bar his desire of revenge (making Alcida and myself,
to secure our freedoms, companions in his travel) he leaves the
Amasians to their former government.
“Many days’ journey we had not been in our way to Armenia, when the
good Alcida, by the inward working of her thoughts, began to find the
burden of her grief too heavy for her, which when the dullness of her
ever-watery eyes, and the paleness of her cheeks had betrayed to us,
we carried her to a monastery near adjoining, dedicated to Diana, and
much famed for the strictness of virgins’ orders that be attendants on
the goddess her ceremonies, where having recommended her to the
governess of the house, alas! I left her, bound, even by the greatest
tie of gratefulness, to follow him whom I owe my life to.
“These former accidents, most dear lady, together with the excellent
Plangus’s company, in whom sorrow was drawn to the life, made me
reflect upon my ungrateful self, and consider how cruel I had been to
you, whose desert passed my best endeavours of requital; so that (far
engaged to the memory of your virtues) thenceforth the thought of my
most dear Helen, won my heart to a most passionate affection.”
The Queen at this interrupted his speech, with this answer: “My
Amphialus, they who follow examples in their actions are to match
rightly what they are to do, and what they see done. Leaucade, Alcida,
and Erona might justly claim the reward of love, but Helen (whose
desert was far short) could expect but disdain.” “Disdain!” said
Amphialus, “you renew a punishment your mercy did once forgive.” And
here, with tears in his eyes, {665} he would have kneeled to beg a
further pardon; but Helen, kissing away the burden his eyes went with,
made as much haste to prevent his suit with the like of her own; so