VNtil I waxt w●ary of m● di●deme , I was king of the famous Countrey of Denma●ke , wh●rin , after Bosphorus deceased , ( for so was my father called ) I 〈◊〉 in happy prosperi●y , comming to the Crowne at the age of one a●d ●●entie yeeres , being so honoured of my subiects for my vertue , ●nd so loued for my curtesie , as I did not onely gaine the heartes of th●m , but also wan the good will of strange●● . I could not complaine 〈◊〉 lacke , in that my greatest want was store I f●ared not the force of f●rrain foe● , for I knew none but were my faithfull friends , I doubt●● no mis-fortune , for I could sée n● way for mee to mishap : nay , if ● had b●en wise , I might the more ●aue f●ared misery , in that I was so fully pampered vp with felicity . But I p●ore wr●tch was not daunted with any dread , because I saw no present danger : I thought the sea being calme , there cou●d come no tempest : that from the cléere ayre could ensue no storme , that quiet ease was not the mother of dissention , and that where Fortune once tuned , in the strings could neuer be found any discord .

But O fond and infortunate Arbasto ( for so I may be called : ) thou now hast tried , though by haplesse experience , that when Nilu● filleth vp his bounds , ensueth a dearth : when the Ang●lica is laden with most s●ed , then he dieth : when musick was heard in the capitol , then the Romans were plagued with pestilence : when Circ●s proferred most gifts , shee present●d most guile , and when Fortune hath depriued thée of most care , then she meanes to drowne thée in the greatest calamitie . For as thus I safely floated in the seas of securitie , and bathed in the ●treames of blisse , Fortune , thinking at length to giue me the mate , began thus to profer the che●ke . I had but one onely brother called T●baldo , whom forced by nature , I most intirely loued and liked , who soi●urned in Fraunce , as one desirous to sée the manners of strange Countries , and to furnish himselfe with all qualities fit for a worthy Gentleman . But on a sudden I happily receiued newes , that he was cowardly without cause slaine in the Court , which so appaled me , as nature most cruelly exclaim●d against fortune , in so much , that contrary to the counsell of my Nobles , with a resolute mind● . I determined to inuade France , and either to bring the whole Realme to ruine , in reuenge , or else to hazard life & limme in the battel : well , no perswasion being able to driue me from this s●●led determination , I caused my ships to be rigged , and with as m●●h spéed as might bée , sailed into France with a great Nauie , wher● I had n● sooner la●ded my souldiers , but as a professed foe , crauing no other r●cempence for my brothers death but their de●truction . I 〈◊〉 their borde●s , fired their forts , rased their Townes and ●●ties to the earth , vsing no mercy but thi● , that hauing depriued th●m of their possessions , I also bereaued them o● their liues . Pelorus hearing with what violence I had inuaded his land ( for so the F●●nch king was called ) fearing that he was not able to withstand my fo●ce , séeing that Fortune so fauoured my enterprise , passed spé●dily with his whole host vnto Orleance , whither I ●asted being not greatly resisted , laying valiantly a strong slege to the Citie , which ●fter I had diuers times assaulted , and so shaken the walles with Camion shot , that they were force to streng●hen them with n●w cou●term●●es , Pelorus halfe daunted with my desperate attempts , coueted secretly to conclude a peace : to colo●● therefore this his intent with a false shadow , he spéedily dispatched 〈◊〉 Herald , to intreat a truce for thrée mon●ths , which being vnhappi●● granted , and therefore vnhappily because granted , it was lawfull fo● them of Denmarke peaceably to passe into the Citie , and for them of Orleance quietly to come into our Campe . While thus the truc● continued● I being desirous to take a view of the French Court , accompanied with my Nobles , went to Pelorus , who willing to shew hi● martiall courage by vsing curtesie to his foe , gaue me very sumptu●u● and courteous entertainement . But alas such mischiefe ensued of this my fond desire , that death had beene thrice more welcome then such distresse . For Pelorus had onely two daughters , the eldest called Myrania , the youngest named Doralicia , so faire and well featured , as Venus would haue beene iealous if Adonis had liued to sée their beauties . But especially lo●ely Doralicia , and therefore more louely , because I so intirely loued her : For shee was so beautified with th● gifts of nature , and adorned with more then earthly perfection , a● she séemed to be framed by nature to blemish nature , and that beauty had skipt beyond her skill , in framing a péece of such curious workemanship , for that which in her ( respecting her other perfections ) wa● of no price , would bee counted in others a pearle , her greatest want would in others be thought a store , so that if any thing lacked in her , it was not to be sought for in any earthly creature . This Doral●cia being appointed by vniust Fortune to bee the instrument of my fall , accompanied with her sister Myrania and other Ladies , came into the Chamber where he● father and I was at parl● , whose gorgious presence so appaled by s●●ses , that I stood a●tonished , as if with Perseus shi●ld I had béene m●●e a senselesse pi●ture . For as the Dormous● cannot shut her eyes as long as he lyeth in the beames of the Sunne , as the D●ere cannot c●●s● them braying whe●e the ●earbe M●ly groweth , so could not I but stare on the face of Doralicia , a● long as her beautie was such an heauenly obiect . Shee narrowl● marking my gazing ●ookes , 〈◊〉 ●erceiued that I was gal●ed , and therefore to show how lightly sh● accounted of my likings passed out of the Chamber with a coy and Courtly countena●●● , but Myrani● as one perceiuing and pitty●ng my passions , séemed with her lookes to say in heart● A●basto , farewell .

These two Goddesses being gone , f●●ling my mind somwh●t perplexed , I tooke my leaue of Peloru● , and departed . Comming home to my Tent , ●raught with a thousand toyish fancies , I beganne to c●●iecture what should bee the cause of these contrary motions , the ●●●ect I felt , the occasion ● could not finde , applying therefore a contrary ●alue to my sore , it did rather increase , than cure the m●ladie , for company was a corras●ue , not a comfort : and to be solitary , the ●inke of all sorrow : ●or then strange thoughts , v●acquaint●d passions , pinching fancies , waking visions , & slumbring watchings , disquieted my head . Me thought I saw the counterfait o● Doralicia before mine eies , then the harmony of her spéech sounded in mine eares : her look● , her gestures , ye● , all her action● were particularly deciphered by a secr●t imaginati●n . Wrapped thus in a labyrinth of endlesse fancies , when reason could not suppres●● will , nor wisedome controll affection● I cast my cards , and found by manifest proofe , that the lunaticke fit which so distempered my brains , was that frantick passion which fooles ● Poets cal loue● which know●e , blaming my selfe of cowardise , the beauty shold make me bend , I f●l at last into these terms .

Why A●basto , art thou so squemish that thou canst not sée Wine , but thou must surfet ? canst thou not draw nye the fire and warm● thée ? but thou must with Satyrus kisse it and burne thee ? art thou so little master of thy affections , that if thou gaze on a picture , thou must with Pigmalion be passionate ? canst thou not passe through Paphos , but thou must offer incense to Venus ? doost thou thinke it iniurie to Cupid to looke , if thou doost not loue ? Ah fond foole , knowe this , fire is to be vsed , but not to be handled : the Barren flour●●●● to be worne in the hand , not chawed in the mouth : the precious stone Echites to bee applied outwardly , and not to bee taken inwardly : and beautie is made to féed the eye , not to ●etter the heart , wilt thou then swallow vp the bait which thou knowest to be ●ane ? w●lt thou hazard at that which cannot bee had without har●●● , no , stretch not too farre , wade not too deepe , vse b●●utie , but serue it not , shake the trée , but taste not of the fruite , 〈◊〉 thou finde it too hard to bée disgested● Why ? but beautie is a God , 〈◊〉 will be obeyed , loue looketh to command , not to be conquered : 〈◊〉 stroue but once with Venus , and she was vanquished : 〈◊〉 sen●●●d Cupid , but he went by the worst : it is hard for thée 〈◊〉 the Crab●e to swimme against the streame , or with the Salaman●●r to striue again●● the fire , for in wrastling with a fresh wound , thou shalt but make the sore more dang●ro●s . Yea but what fondne●se is this A●basto to s●●th thy selfe ●n ●hy ●olly ? Thou didst come a Captaine , and wilt thou returne a ●aptiue ? thy intent was to conquer , not to bee vanquished , to fight ●ith the La●nce , not to be ●o●●d with loue , to vse thy speare , not thy pen , to challenge M●rs , not to dally with Venus . How doost thou thinke to subdue Fraunce , which canst not rule thine owne affections ? Art thou able to quaile a kingdome , which canst not quell thin● own mind ? no , it will be hard for thee to go in triumph , which art not so much as Lord of thy selfe . But A●basto , if thou wilt needs loue , vse it as a toy to passe away the time , which thou mayest take vp at thy lust , and lay downe at thine own● pleasure . Loue ? why Arbasto , doost thou dr●ame , whom shouldest thou loue ? Doral●cia ? what thy foe ? one that wisheth thy mishap , and partly prayeth to the Gods , for thy mis-fortu●e ? no sure thou art not so fond .

And with that , as I vttered these wordes , such thoughts , such sighes , such sobs , such teares assailed me , as I was stricken dumb● with the extremitie of these hellish passions , sc●rce being able to draw my breath for a good space , till at last recouering my senses , I fell to my former sorrow in this sort .

Yes alas Arbasto , it is the luckl●sse lo●e of Doralici● , and therefore the more lucklesse because thou louest Doralicia , that hath thus inchaunted thy affections . She is not thy friend whom thou mayest hope to get , but thy foe , whom thou art sure not to gaine : for doest thou thinke shee will requite thy merit with méed , or repay thy lo●e with liking ? no , she hateth thée Arbasto , as sworne Pelorus foe , ●nd her enemy . Can sh●● loue thee which s●ekest her fathers life : nay , did she loue , yet could she thinke thou dost like , which layest s●●ge to her Citie ? no , vnlesse by loue she were blinded with too much loue . Sith then to fancy thy foe , is with the Co●katrice to peck against the s●éele , subdue thy affections , be master of thy mind , vse Will as thy subi●ct , not as thy soueraig●● , so mayest thou triumph and laugh at Cupid , saying : Fond●●● I was in loue , what then .

I had ●o 〈◊〉 sealed ●p ●hese secret meditations with a sorrowfull sigh , but least being so●●tary I should fall into farther dumps , I went out of my Tent to passe away the time with some pleasant par●● , thinking this the fittest meanes to driue away idle fancies , hoping th●t h●t loue would grow cold , that the greatest ●a●in was but a blaze , & that loue most violent● in me was euer least permanent .

B●t i● you would see , you must vnderstand how Loue and Fortune can play false when they list . I ●as not so drowne● in desires towards Doralicia , as poore Myr●nia burned with affection t●wards me . For Venus willing to shew she was a woman , by her wilfull contrarieties , so fier●d her fancies with the forme of my feature , as the poore Lady was perplexed with a thousand sundry passions , one whil● she sought with hate to rase out loue , but that was with the Déere to féed against ●he winde : another while she deuised which way to obtaine h●r desire : but then alas she heaped coales vpon her head , for she saw no sparke of hop● to procure so good hap . Driuen thus into sundry dumpes , she fell at last into these termes .

Alas Myrania ( quoth she ) happy , yea , thrice happy are those maides which are borne in the Isle Meroc , which ●n their virginitie are suffered to see none but him whom they shall marry , and being wiues are forbidden by the law to sée any man but their husband , vntill they be past fiftie . In this country Myrania , beautie is vsed as a naturall gift , not honoured as a supernaturall God , and they loue onely one , because loue cannot force them to like any other : so that they sowe their loue in ioy , and reape it in pleasure . Would God thou hadst beene borne in this soyle , or brought vp in the same sort , so shouldest thou haue triumphed ouer beautie as a slaue , which now leadeth thee as a seruile captiue .

O infortunate Myran●a , hast thou so little force to withstand fancy , as at the first alarum thou must yéeld to affection ? canst thou not look with Salmacis , but thou must loue ? canst thou not s●e with Smylax , but thou must sigh ? canst thou not view Narcissus with Eccho● but thou must be vowed to his beautie ? Learne , learne fond foole by others mishaps to beware : for she that loueth in hast , oft times , nay , alw●ies repenteth at leisure . The Hippians anointing themselues with the fat of the fish Mugr● , passe thorow most furious flames without any per●l : the people called P●ilii , as long as they sacrif●ce vnto Vest● , can be hurt with no venimous Serpents . Telephus as hee wore the counterfait of Pallas shield , was in●uln●rable , & thou as long as thy mind is fraught with the chast thogh●e of Diana , canst neuer be fired with the haples flame of Venus : arme thy selfe with reason , and thou maist passe thorow Cytheria without danger , l●t thy wil and wit b● dir●cted with aduised counsell , & thou maist say : Cupid , I defie thée .

Ah Myrania , things are soone promised , but not so quickly performed : it is easie to sound the victory , but passing hard to obtain the conquest : all can say , I would ouercome , but few or none returne with triumph Beautie is ther●fore to be obeyed , because it is beauty , and loue to be ●eared of men , b●cause honored of the Gods . D●●●● reason abide the brunt , when beautie bids the battell ? can wis●dome win the field , when loue is Captaine ? No , no , loue is without law , and therfore aboue all law , honoured in heauen , feared in earth , and a very terror to the infernall Ghostes .

Bow then vnto that Myrania , whereunto lawlesse necessity doth bend , be not so fond , as with Xerxes to bind the Ocean sea in fetters : fight not with the Rascians against the winde : séeke not with them of Scyrus , to shoot against the stars : contend not with Niobe against Lato●● , nor striue not with Sapho against Venus , for loue being a Lord lookes to c●mmand by power , and to ●e obeyed by force .

Truth Myrania , but what then , to loue is easie , and perhaps good , but to like w●ll is hard and a doubtfull chance : fancy thy fill ( fond foole ) so thou bend not thy affection to thy fathers foe : for to lou● him who séekes his ●●●e , is to war against nature & Fortune . Is there ●on● worthy to bee thy spheere but Arbasto , the cursed enemy of thy country ? can none win thy good will , but the bloudy wretch , who séeketh to bréed thy Fathers bane ? Can the ●agle & the bird Osiphage build in one trée ? wil the Faulken & the Done , couet to sit on one pearch ? wil the Ape & the Beare be tied in one tedder ? wil the Fox & the lamb lye in one den ? no● they want reason , & yet nature suffers them not to liue against nature : wilt thou then be so wilful or witlesse , as hauing reason to guide nature , yet to be more vnnaturall then vnreasonable creatures ? be sure if thou fall in this , thou st●iuest aga●nst the Gods , and in str●uing wi●h them , looke for a most sharpe reuenge .

T●sh I know this , but hath not loue set downe his sentence , & shal I appeale from his censure ? shal I deny that which the destini●s haue decréed ? no , for though Cydippa rebelled for a time , yet she was forst at last to make suit t● Venus for a pardon , & I may séeke to hate Arbasto , but neuer find ●●hers to begin to mislike him . And with that , such flery pa●●ion● o●●ressed her , as shee was faine to send forth scalding sighs , som●hat to ease her enflamed fancy , which being sorrowfully sobbed forth● shee then began afresh to powre forth her pittifull complaints , if ●er sister Doralicia , being accompanied with other gentlewomen , had not dri●●● her ●●t of these dumps , whom shée no sooner spied , but leauing her passions ●he wared pleasant , couering care with conceits , and a mourning h●art with a merry countenance , least her sorrowfull lookes , might giu● the company occasion to coniecture somewhat was amisse . But I alas , which felt the furious flames of fancie to broile inc●ssantly within my breast , could not so cunningly dis●●mble my passions , but all my Peers saw I was perplexe●● for whereas before this sudden chaunce , Pelorus mis-fortun● ●rocured my mirth , now the soile which I reaped by affection draue me to a deeper misery . In the day I spent the time in solitary dumps , in the night aff●cted thoughts and visions suffered me scarce to slumber : for alas there is no greater enemy to the minde , than in loue to liue without hope , which doubt was the sum of my endlesse sorrow , that in seeing my selfe fettered , I could sée no hope at all of my fréedome : yet to mittigate my misery , I thought to walke from the Campe toward the Citie , that I might at the least féed my eye with the s●ght of the place wherein the Mistresse of my heart was harboured , taking with me onely for company a Duke of my Countrey called Ege●io , vnto whom I durst best commit my secret affaires , who noting my vnaccustomed passions , coniecturing the cause of my care by the outward effects , coueting carefully to apply a salue to my sore , and to driue me from such drows●e thoughts , wakened me from my dumps with this pleasant deuice .

Sir ( quoth hee ) I haue often maruelled , and yet cannot cease to muse at the madnesse of those men , whom the common people thinke to honor with the glorious title of louers , who when rashly they purchase their owne mishap in placing their affe●●ion , where either their disability , or the destinies deny successe to their suites , do either passe their daies in endlesse dolor , or preuent miserie by vntimely death . If these passionate patients listned a little to Venus all●●ements , as I to Cupids flatteries , few men should haue cause to call the Gods vniust , or women cruell , for I think of loue as Mylciades the Athenian did , who was wont to say , that of all the plagues wherwith the gods did af●●ict mortal men , loue was the greatest , in that they sought that as an heauenly blisse , which at last they found their fatall bane .

●earing Ege●io thus cunningly and cou●●●ly to touch mee at the quicke , I thought to dally with him in this ●●se .

Why Egerio , doest thou count it a madnes●e to loue , or doest thou think him rash which yeeldeth willing●●●o it , knowest thou not that loue i● diuine , and therefore comm●●deth by power , and cannot be resisted ? I am not of that mind with Mylciad●s , that loue is a plague , but rather I thinke he is fauoured of the gods and is a happy louer .

Tru●h ( quoth hee ) but who is happ● in loue ? he that hath the happie●● successe ? no , for I count him most vnhappy which in loue is most h●ppy .

Why then Egerio ( quoth I ) thou think●st him v●ha●p● that ●ée loueth .

Or else may it please your highnesse ( quoth he ) I should thinke amisse : for shall I count him fortu●ate which for one dram of prosperity , reapeth a whole pound of misery ? or shall I ●stéeme that louer happy , whose greatest gaine is but gol●en griefe ? nay that is neuer to be called pleasure , which is s●uced with paine , nor that good lucke who●● guerdeon is losse .

Sith Egerio ( quoth I ) thou doest thus br●adly blaspheme against Cupid , tell me why thou thinke●● ill of lou● .

Because sir ( quoth hee ) it is lou● , being such a frenzy which so infecteth the mindes of men , as vnder the taste of Nactar , they are poysoned with the water of Stix , for as hee which was charmed by Lara , sought still to heare her inchantment , or as the D●ere after once hee brouseth on the ●amariske trée , will not be driuen away till h●● dyeth : so our amorous louers haue their senselesse senses so besott●d with the power of this lasciu●ous God , that they count not themselues happy , but in their supposed vnhappinesse , b●ing at most ease in disqui●t , at greatest re●● when they are most troubled , seeking contentation in care , delight in misery , and hunting gréedily after that , which alway●s bringeth endlesse harm● .

This is but your sentence Egerio ( quoth I ) but what reason haue you to confirme your censur● ?

Such ( quoth he ) as your highnesse can neither dislike nor infring : for the first step to loue is the losse of libertie , tying the minde to the will of her , who either too curious , little respecteth his sute , or too co● , smally regardeth his seruice , yet hee is so blinded with a ●o●le of fond affection , that hee co●nteth her sullennesse sobernesse , her vaine charine● , vertuous chastitie : if she be wanton , hée counteth her wit●ie , if too familiar , court●ous ; so besotted with the drugs of doting loue , that euery fault is vertue , and though euery string be out of tune , yet the musick cannot be found amisse : resembling Tamantus the Painter● who shadowed the worse pictures with the freshest colours .

The paines that Louers f●●le for hunting after losse , if their mindes w●re not charmed with some secret inchantment , were able either to keepe ●●eir ●i●des from being in●●am●d , or else to coole desire being 〈◊〉 kindled : for the dayes are spent in thoughts ●he nights in dr●●mes , both in danger , either beg●●●ing vs of that wee had , or promising vs that we haue not . The head fraught with ●ancies , ster●● with zeale , troubled with both : yea so many inconueni●nc●s w●i●e vpon loue , as to recken them all were infinite , ● to taste but one of them intolerable , being alwayes begun with gr●●●e , conti●●●● with sor●ow , and ended with ●eath : for it is a paine shadowed with pleasure , and i●y stuffed with misery : so that I conclude , that as none euer saw the Altars of Basyris without sorrow , nor banqueted with P●olus without surfetting : so as impossible it is to deal● with Cupid , and not incurre either spéedy death , or endlesse danger .

As I was ready to reply to Eg●rios reasons , drawing to a small thick●t of trées , which was hard adioyning to the City , I spied where some of the French Dames were f●iendly ●●tting about a cléere fount●in , of whom after I had taken a narrow view , easily percei●ed they wer● three Ladies ( accompanied with one Page ) namely Myrania , Doralicia , and their Nurse called Madame Vecchia , which sudden sight so appalled my senses , as if I had beene appointed a new Iudge to the three goddesses in the valley of Id●● yet seeing before my eyes the mistresse of my thoughts , and the Saint ●nto whom I did owe my deuotion , I began to take courage , thinking ●hat by this fit opportunitie , Loue and Fortune would fauour my enterprise , willing therefore not to let slip so good an occasion , I boldly paced to them , whom I saluted in this sort .

Faire Ladi●s , the s●ght of your surpassing beauties so dazled mine ●yes , as at the first I was in doubt , whether I should honour you as heauenly Nymphes , or salut● you as earthly creatures : but as I was in this dumpe . I readily called to minde the figure of your diuine fac●s , which being at my comming to your fathers Courte by some secret influence most surely imprinted in my fancy , I haue hitherto , without any sparke of forgetfulnes perfectly retained ( féeling ●uer s●nce in my hart such strange p●s●ions ) an vnaccustomed deuo●●on to your beautie and vertues , as I would thin●e the Gods and ●ort●ne did fauour mee , if either I might f●nd●●cc●sion to manifest my affection , or liue to doe you seruice .

Doralic●a hearing mee thus strangely to salu●● her , although shée saw her sel●e in the hands of her Fath●●● 〈◊〉 ● yet nothing dismayed , with a coy countenance , she gaue me 〈◊〉 ●●abbish answere .

Sir ( quoth she ) if at the first looke 〈…〉 for Nymphes , by the perfection of our di●●n● beautie , 〈…〉 that e●ther your women in Denmark are very fo●●● or your 〈…〉 lemish● since your comming into France : for we ●now our imper●●●●●ons far vnworthy of such dissembled praise . But Diomedes smiled most when he pretended greatest mischiefe : Scyron entertaine● his guests best , when he meant to intreat them worst : Lycaon feasted Iupiter when he sought to betray him : the Hiena euer fauneth at her pre● : ●he Syren● sing when the● meane to enchaunt : Circes is most 〈◊〉 when she presenteth poyson : and so you , in praising our beautie séeke to spoile our bloud : in●xtolling our perfec●ion , to make vs most imperfect , in wishing openly out weale , s●cre●ly to worke ou● death and destruction . For your seruice you offer vs , wee so much the more mis●ke it , for his sake that makes the proffer : for we are not so inueigled with loue , or so sencelesse to conceiue , but that we thinke he little fauoureth the ste●s , that cutteth dow●e the old stock , he smally res●ect●th the twig , that tendereth not the root , & he ligh●ly loueth the ●hild , that deadly hateth the f●ther , Pol xena counted Achill●s a fl●tterer , because he continued the siege against Troy , & Cressid for sooke Troy●us because he warred against the Grecians , nor can wee count him our pr●uy fri●nd , which is our open foe .