The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia
for such a suitor; which yet she so earnestly craved that I was fain
to swear the accomplishment. And then kissing me, and often desiring
me not to condemn her of lightness, in mine arms, she delivered her
pure soul to the purest place, leaving me as full of agony as
kindness, pity, and sorrow could make an honest heart. For I must
confess for true, that if my stars had not only reserved me for you,
there else perhaps I might have loved, and, which had been most
strange, begun my love after death: whereof let it be the less marvel,
because somewhat {245} she did resemble you, though as far short of
your perfection as herself dying, was of herself flourishing: yet
something there was, which, when I saw a picture of yours, brought
again her figure into my remembrance, and made my heart as apt to
receive the wound, as the power of your beauty with unresistable force
to pierce.
“But we in woeful, and yet private, manner burying her, performed her
commandment: and then enquiring of her father’s estate, certainly
learned that he was presently to be succoured, or by death to pass the
need of succour. Therefore we determined to divide ourselves; I,
according to my vow, to help him, and Musidorus toward the king of
Pontus, who stood in no less need than immediate succour: and even
ready to depart one from the other, there came a messenger from him,
who after some enquiry found us, giving us to understand that he,
trusting upon us two, had appointed the combat between him and us,
against Otanes and the two giants. Now the day was so accorded, as it
was impossible for me both to succour Plexirtus, and be there, where
my honour was not only so far engaged, but, by the strange working of
unjust fortune, I was to leave the standing by Musidorus, whom better
than myself I loved, to go save him, whom for just causes, I hated.
But my promise given, and given to Zelmane, and to Zelmane dying,
prevailed more with me than my friendship to Musidorus, though
certainly I may affirm, nothing had so great rule in my thoughts as
that. But my promise carried me the easier, because Musidorus himself
would not suffer me to break it. And so with heavy minds, more careful
each of other’s success than of our own, we parted; I toward the
place, where I understood Plexirtus was prisoner to an ancient lord,
absolutely governing a goodly castle, with a large territory about it,
whereof he acknowledged no other sovereign but himself, whose hate to
Plexirtus grew for a kinsman of his whom he maliciously had murdered,
because in the time that he reigned in Galatia, he found him apt to
practice for the restoring of his virtuous brother Leonatus. This old
knight still thirsting for revenge, used as the way to it a policy,
which this occasion, I will tell you prepared for him. Plexirtus in
his youth had married Zelmane’s mother, who dying of that only
childbirth, he a widower and not yet a king, haunted the court of
Armenia, where, as he was cunning to win favour, he obtained great
good liking of Artaxia; which he pursued: till, being called home by
his father, he falsely got his father’s kingdom: and then neglected
his former love: till, thrown out of that by our means, before he was
deeply rooted in it, and by and by again placed in Trebizond,
understanding that Artaxia by her brother’s death was become queen of
Armenia, he was hotter {246} than ever in that pursuit, which being
understood by this old knight, he forged such a letter, as might be
written from Artaxia, entreating his present, but very private, repair
thither, giving him faithful promise of present marriage: a thing far
from her thought, having faithfully and publicly protested that she
would never marry any, but some such prince who would give sure proof
that by his means we were destroyed. But he no more witty to frame,
than blind to judge hopes, bit hastily at the bait, and in private
manner posted toward her, but by the way he was met by this knight,
far better accompanied, who quickly laid hold of him, and condemned
him to a death, cruel enough, if anything may be both cruel and just.
For he caused him to be kept in a miserable prison, till a day
appointed, at which time he would deliver him to be devoured by a
monstrous beast of most ugly shape, armed like a rhinoceros, as strong
as an elephant, as fierce as a lion, as nimble as a leopard, and as
cruel as a tiger; whom he having kept in a strong place, from the
first youth of it, now thought no fitter match than such a beastly
monster with a monstrous tyrant; proclaiming yet withal, that if any
so well loved him as to venture their lives against his beast for him,
if they overcame, he should be saved: not caring how many they were,
such confidence he had in that monstrous strength, but especially
hoping to entrap thereby the great courages of Tydeus and Telenor,
whom he no less hated, because they had been principal instruments of
the other’s power.
“I dare say, if Zelmane had known what danger I should have passed,
she would rather have let her father to perish, than me to have bidden
that adventure. But my word was past; and truly the hardness of the
enterprise was not so much a bit as a spur unto me, knowing well that
the journey of high honour lies not in plain ways. Therefore going
thither, and taking sufficient security that Plexirtus should be
delivered if I were victorious, I undertook the combat: and to make
short, excellent lady, and not to trouble your ears with recounting a
terrible matter, so was my weakness blessed from above that, without
dangerous wounds, I slew that monster, which hundreds durst not
attempt; to so great admiration of many, who from a safe place might
look on that there was order given, to have the fight both by
sculpture and picture, celebrated in most parts of Asia. And the old
nobleman so well liked me that he loved me; only bewailing my virtue
had been employed to save a worse monster than I killed: whom yet,
according to faith given, he delivered, and accompanied me to the
kingdom of Pontus, whither I would needs in all speed go, to see
whether it were possible for me, if perchance the day had been
delayed, to come to the combat: but that, before I came, had been thus
finished.
{247}
“The virtuous Leonatus understanding two so good friends of his were
to be in that danger, would perforce be one himself; where he did
valiantly, and so did the king of Pontus. But the truth is, that both
they being sore hurt, the incomparable Musidorus finished the combat
by the death of both the giants, and the taking of Otanes prisoner. To
whom as he gave his life, so he got a noble friend, for so he gave his
word to be, and he is well known to think himself greater in being
subject to that, than in the greatness of his principality.
“But thither, understanding of our being there, flocked great
multitudes of many great persons, and even of princes, especially
those whom we had made beholding unto us: as, the kings of Phrygia,
Bithynia, with those two hurt of Pontus and Galatia, and Otanes the
prisoner, by Musidorus set free; and thither came Plexirtus of
Trebizond, and Antiphilus then king of Lycia; with as many more great
princes, drawn either by our reputation, or by willingness to
acknowledge themselves obliged unto us for what we had done for the
others. So as in those parts of the world, I think, in many hundreds
of years there was not seen so royal an assembly, where nothing was
let pass to do us the highest honours; which such persons, who might
command both purses and inventions, could perform: all from all sides
bringing unto us right royal presents, which we, to avoid both
unkindness and importunity, liberally received; and not content
therewith, would needs accept as from us their crowns, and acknowledge
to hold them of us: with many other excessive honours, which would not
suffer the measure of this short leisure to describe unto you.
“But we quickly aweary thereof, hasted to Greece-ward, led thither
partly with the desire of our parents, but hastened principally
because I understood that Anaxius with open mouth of defamation had
gone thither to seek me, and was now come to Peloponnesus, where from
court to court he made enquiry of me, doing yet himself so noble deeds
as might hap to authorize an ill opinion of me. We therefore suffered
but short delays, desiring to take this country in our way, so
renowned over the world that no prince could pretend height, nor
beggar lowness, to bar him from the sound thereof: renowned indeed,
not so much for the ancient praises attributed thereunto, as for the
having in it Argalus and Amphialus, two knights of such rare prowess,
as we desired especially to know, and yet by far, not so much for
that, as without suffering of comparison for the beauty of you and
your sister, which makes all indifferent judges that speak thereof,
account this country as a temple of deities. But those causes indeed
moving us to come by this land, we embarked ourselves in the next
port, whither all those princes (saving Antiphilus, who {248}
returned, as he pretended, not able to tarry longer from Erona)
conveyed us. And there found we a ship most royally furnished by
Plexirtus, who had made all things so proper, as well for our defence,
as ease, that all the other princes greatly commended him for it, who
seeming a quite altered man, had nothing but repentance in his eyes,
friendship in his gesture, and virtue in his mouth: so that we, who
had promised the sweet Zelmane to pardon him, now not only forgave,
but began to favour, persuading ourselves with a youthful credulity
that perchance things were not so evil as we took them, and as it
were, desiring our own memory that it might be so. But so were we
licensed from those princes, truly not without tears, especially of
the virtuous Leonatus, who with the king of Pontus would have come
with us, but that we, in respect of the one’s young wife, and both
their new settled kingdoms, would not suffer it. Then would they have
sent whole fleets to guard us; but we that desired to pass secretly
into Greece, made them leave that motion when they found that more
ships than one would be displeasing unto us. But so committing
ourselves unto the uncertain discretion of the wind, we (then
determining as soon as we came to Greece to take the names of
Daiphantus and Palladius, as well for our own promises to Zelmane, as
because we desired to come unknown into Greece) left the Asian shore
full of princely persons, who even upon their knees recommended our
safeties to the devotion of their chief desires, among whom none had
been so officious, though I dare affirm, all quite contrary to his
unfaithfulness, as Plexirtus.
“And so having failed almost two days, looking for nothing, but when
we might look upon the land, a grave man, whom we had seen of great
trust with Plexirtus, and was sent as our principal guide, came unto
us, and with a certain kind manner mixed with shame, and repentance,
began to tell us that he had taken such a love unto us, considering
our youth and fame, that though he were a servant, and a servant of
such trust about Plexirtus, as that he had committed unto him even
those secrets of his heart, which abhorred all other knowledge, yet he
rather chose to reveal at this time a most pernicious counsel, than by
concealing it bring to ruin those whom he could not choose but honour.
So went he on, and told us, that Plexirtus (in hope thereby to have
Artaxia, endowed with the great kingdom of Armenia, to his wife) had
given him order, when we were near Greece, to find some opportunity to
murder us, bidding him to take us asleep, because he had seen what we
could do waking. ‘Now, Sirs,’ said he, ‘I would rather a thousand
times lose my life than have my remembrance, while I live, poisoned