AFter that the vnconstant state of neuer stayed fortune , had throwne downe these vnfortunate people from the height of those heauenvly pleasures ( which before they inioyed in prosperitie ) downe euen to the lowest degrée , of blacke bottomles aduersitie . First , in rooting out the hope of their succéeding remembrance , likely to liue long after they should dye , in their happie children . Then , with the eating canker of al vndoing enuie , seuering asunder by their warres their well grounded commonwealth , which they so long had gouerned in peace . And lastly , laying vpon themselues , that which their dissention had ouerloaded their poore countrimen withall , the hard sentence of exiles extremitie , more grieuous then the coldest kind of bitter pinching pouertie ; a more dismall diuorsiue sentence , then is the separation of a secure soule from an earthly blessed bodie : for that the one ends all aduersitie , the other begins their after miserie : the one changes the stinking state of this lothsome life into the neuer dying ioyes of heauenly felicitie : but the other with a countermanding course puls backe the forwarde fortune of mens still mounting mindes , whom nature feedes with the hope of more and more happie blessings , into the despayring gulfe of all vndoing extremitie . This is the bridle where with foule fortune bindes in the strong headed state of many mightie Monarchies , when neither loue of vertue , nor hate of vice , feare of their friends ill , nor care of their owne weale , plagues at home , nor other punishment abroad , can pull backe to behold the wicked waies they haue ouer walked : then suffers she them to perseuer in their peeuish penance meriting purpose , till vnawares they bee assayled with the enuious incounters of vnlooked for exile , where they must weare out their age with sorrow , whose youth was wasted in all ioy , and learne to eate the bitter bread of banishment abroad , that could not satisfie themselues with the abundant pleasures of their countries content at home , and let their death conquering déedes dye in desolation , which should after death eternize their euer-liuing names , to their yet vnthought of generation , where no pen shall paint out their perfect picture , nor any tongue shall tell their true stories : but dye like the soule ( wanting bodies ) of brutish beasts ; the processe of whose forespent life , no mans memories admits .

Such was the harmefull hap of these now hopeles Kings , who whilest with the sun-shine of their luckie loue , they blessed the furthest borders of this their then thrice renowned regiment , made fortune proude that it lay in her power to aduance them . But now they vnaduisedly haue broake downe the force of their brotherly affections , entring as nakedly into woe , as whilome when they were borne into the world , gins like a guideles shippe to turne with euery tossing sea , that were wont to stand steady like two sturdie rocks , till at length seuered asunder to goe seeke their seuerall punishment . Perseus that for his safegard had tane his way to the desert hils , that with their height compasses that countrie , wasting many a wearie day in the sad remembrance of his shipwrack , gins now by the sowre sawce of fortunes aduersitie , iudge with himselfe the pleasure of his former prosperitie : and like a man that setled with himselfe to trie the hardest brunts of this enuious ill lucke , now in stead of comfortable companie , to whom he might complaine his case , expels sorrow with sorrowe , and quench the fire of his inwarde foggie sighes , by vttering to the eares of those vnacquainted ecchoes , the harsh historie of his ill ending daies , delighting in stead of the replie of a fauourable friend , to heare the aggrauating eccho resounding from the craggie caues of those hollowe hils , the sorrowfull sound of woe ending words . Whereat the poore soule sate downe and sighed , till the ouer-charged burthen of his heart forcibly breaking out in abundance of christall teares , did with sacietie of sorrowe make shew of ease to euill , which indéede had no ende : whose daylie plaints moued with their mo●es , as the Thracian with his musicke the hard and ruinous rockes , that vnderpropped the skie-brauing tops of those mightie mountaines , to melt their marble sides into the shew of melting teares , plaining of him that could not pitie himselfe , and in stead of helping hands moues their senceles heads , as willing ( though wanting power ) to ease his agonie . Many dayes did he spend in this careful course , cutting out in capital letters vpon the barks of those adioyning trées , the dismall discourse of this his pitifull plight , writing the records of his woes in the stony tables of hard marble rocks , that might incite the eyes of euery trauailer to teares , and pitie his woes , whose wracke they could not preuent . At last , when euen wearie with wéeping , though still full of teares , as is the nature of man gréedie of nouelties , gins with himselfe deuise how in despite of that distresse , he might inuent some new-found forme to lament , whose sorrows might satisfie the effect of his intent , and change the outwarde semblance of his sorrowfull shewe : and sitting him sadly downe by a bubling spring , wherein he might see the reflexe of his sorrowfull face , he thus begins in a song , to braue the hard brunts of his haples heart , that still affoorded new fuell for his sorrowes fire , fresh springs of teares for his watrie eyes , and still replying words for his tragick tatling tongue .

IN this time Thesers , that was the other brother , who after the ouerthrowe of his armie , had taken his way towards those plaine forrests that borders vpon the banks of the sea , was in his trauaile circumuented by many outlawes , that houering vpon the high wayes accustomably vsed to spoyle poore passengers , who seazing vpon that bootles pray , puls him perforce home to their caue , which was in that place where before wee tolde you his daughter was surprised by those theeues , when her Aunts seruant intended to drowne her in that sea that now seuers the Christian coast from the bounds of ouer burned Barbarie . Where when he came , he begine cunningly to dissemble his estate , least by that meanes he might bee preuented of his further purpose , faining himselfe to bee a poore countrie peasant that had thither wandred from his way , alleaging simplicitie for his excuse . And for that there remained now about him no tokens that might tell from whence hée came : for to preuent that purpose , he had exchanged all his kingly robes with a base slaue , that in his flight he met by the way : whereby being beleeued by them to be what he barely affirmed himselfe , and destitute of such purchase as they promised themselues he had béen possessed of , seeing him a goodly man like to stand them instead , they begin to perswade him to follow that lewd life themselues did there professe , which was the robbing and dispoyling of poore people , the neighbouring inhabitants of that cursed countrie . Whereto he for feare condescended , least if he should haue denied , their crueltie might haue cut away the hope of his after haruest , which for all this trouble hee hoped in the ende to atchieue . And so walking homewards , in their way they began to instruct him in their théeuish occupation , he should mercilesly spoyle the poore , robbe the rich , without remorce bereaue them of their liues , that stubbornly stand out against their indeuours . Spending the time in these villanous practises , at length they drew néere home , where readie to intertaine them was the Captaine of these confederates walking with his wife , a goodly woman , richly attired with the pretious spoyles that these vnthriftie villaines had forcibly taken away from many true men in their trauaile . This woman was that Liuia that wee told you before was taken away from her friends , with an intent to haue bin slaine : but rescued by those Outlawes , had a long time made her abode amongst them , and as growing in yeares , so in beautie & commendable qualities , was at the length beloued of him that was chiefe Captaine of that cruell companie , and at last were married together , of whom he begot a fayre daughter , whose name was Larina , which they tenderly brought vp , thinking that one day fortune would so fauourably smile vpon them , as to grace their gouernment , as that they should by some meanes reduce it from barbarous outlawed crueltie , to authentick well gouerned ciuilitie . To these two their factors present this spoyle , which though he were poore , yet did hope perswade them that he would supplie their necessitie in another matter , though he deceiued their expectations in the present possession of such rich prize , as commonly they were accustomed to finde of such as they suspected him to be . To bee short , they intertained him well , because they would incourage him to serue them with the like : where for a while he changed his sometimes happie estate , to the inforciue furie of their more then brutish behauiour , where with they accustomed to handle all that came in their holde . At length , after he had long time inured himselfe to this kind of companie , walking one day vnder the solitarie shadowe of a sheltring rocke , vpon whose top those people for their pleasure had framed the forme of a gorgeous garden , and with great labour ( for what wil not paines performe ) planted diuers springs of seueral trées , that with their continuall comforting , with supplie of such things as added more moysture to their rootes , then the barren rocke , were growne vp very high , vnder whose shadow one d●y to shelter her selfe from the heate of the sunne , was solitarily set . This Lady where tuning the strings of a sweete sounding Lute , she to their trembling straine warbles foorth this dittie .

THey by the censure of the iust iudging senate , that had secretly searched almost the depth of their deuise , and by such circumstances , as the processe of that little proofe they had did affoord them , sound the greatest fault of that furie in these worse then wicked women , had for euer forbidden them further abode within the bounds of that kingdome , vntill they could by their accord ioyne those againe that their discorde had disseuered , and bee themselues the meanes of their peace , that of themselues had bred their warres : who taking them to this seuerall search , gins now frame themselues to bee obedient to all that before were second to none , clad in course sackcloath that were not contented with rich silkes , spending the darke nights vnder the dolefull shades of Cipresse bowes , that had scorned the pleasure of princely beds ; in stead of those choise dainties whereon before they fed , now content with the meanest meate that the earth did affoord . Doriabella that was wife vnto Perseus the eldest brother , she wandring through the vnknowne wayes of a wide forrest , was there suddenly incountred in the same place , where by her meanes her sonne Adrianus shoulde haue béene murthered by the like lucke with a fierce Lionesse , of whom she being afrayd , made meanes to escape away : but all in vaine , for the beast seazing vpon her bodie , countermands her course , and perforce carries her downe to the same den where she fostered her child : for this was the same Lionesse that saued Adrianus from the crueltie of that cutthrote caitiffe that had cunningly contriued his ende : where , for that the beast had some extraordinary intent , to prouide for her fostered childe some companie of his owne kind for him to consort withall , or that the Gods in their great vnsearchable wisedome had lengthened out her life to a worse intended end . This brute beast without offering her violent iniurie , which is a thing not commonly found in their kind , sets her safely down in her caue , where she quietly kept her till such time as her companion came in , to whom with her fayre wonted fawning she presents her prize . The woman better imboldened at the shewe of a man , then she was of the still fearfull sight of the beast , begins somewhat to recouer her lost colour , and with fearefull cryes gins suddenly implore his ayde against the enuie of that her naturall enemie . At whose sight the man somewhat ioyfull to see the shape of another , in whom was represented the shew of himselfe , gins with his ordinarie intertainment to welcome her to that homely house , telling her that such was the extraordinary nature of that beast , that she would neuer harme any creature : and then falling into further talke , he begins to enquire of her what drowe her downe into those melancholy meades , where saue himselfe seldome or neuer comes any such creatures . To whom she begins to relate a contrary course of her foreled life , fearing least the very sound of her voyce in reiterating the remembrance of her death-meriting deedes , would not onely incurre his anger , but stirre vp that senceles beast to wreake their woes , whom she so vnworthily had wronged , and therfore tels him that she was a woe wearied woman , that in her melancholy moodes bad left the poore place where shee dwelt , to soiourne in some vncoth vnfrequented shade , where no delightfull day might solicite to her sad memorie , the loue of her forepassed life no chéerefull sunne might cherish her cold chilled limmes , nor pleasant newes of neuer dying ioy might bring her backe againe to her former felicitie . At which tale the wild man , though himselfe had neuer felt the force of powerfull passions , that winds mens bodies like a workmanship in waxe : yet pitying that in her he neuer tasted in himselfe , tels what trueth tolde him , that hard was her hap to change her chéerefull consorting companie of friends , to desolations sad discomforture amongst her foes , to come from whence she was first brought vp , to that place where she was finally cast downe , except ( quoth he ) you can frame your fancie to vndergoe the beastly behauiour of these vnciuill creatures , amongst whom I now liue , and with whom I meane to dye : for such a rumour heare I to runne of the inconstant course of mightiest monarchies , which also in some I haue seene true , that from the highest braunch they are oft bowed downe euen to the lowest barke of the bulke , that I finde more swéete content in this vnchangeable stay , then they in their stedfastest state . In which talke they beguiled the time , till night ouertaking them both , admits no more interpassage of friendly spéech , where he to his ordinarie rest , and she to her accustomed complaints , betakes themselues , shée telling in secret to her sad heart the heauy burthen of her groaning griefes , whose heauy soule melted with the inforciue furie of her still crying sorrow , destils in amber teares : sometimes she thinkes of her husband , and then hope helpes her vp with this thought , that though long , yet they shall againe méete at last . Then remembers she the children , as well that of her owne as the other , that by her meanes was massacred , supposing heauens had heaped iust vengeance vpon her for her former sinnes . And lastly , when shée thought vpon her selfe , then comes dead death with his crasie coloured countenance , and inforces her not to blush for shame , as doe the outward shewes of offenders , but looke pale for pitie as the vse of such guiltie guides , that not onely leades themselues into that recureles gulfe of neuer recouering griefe , but also intises other into a world of woes , from whence there is no retiring . Thus did she preuent that which euer was assaying to preuent her , the all stilling state of secure sléepe , where her thought was still stumbling of some sinne , whose iust iudgement was likely to insue vpon her after life , till in the secret of the silent night there suddenly sounded ouer their heauie heads the noyse of a fearefull pursute , as though some angrie beast had insolently risen vpon another simpler sort , where suddenly into the Caue where they then lay , descends downe the likenes of a liuely creature , not such as was wont to accompanie them in their Caues , but others that elsewhere , with vntimely disturbance waken the sleeping wits of watchfull men , at which they were all affraid . The Lionesse for that she these many daies had neuer béen in any such sort disturbed ; the man for that since his first comming thither , hee neuer viewed any such thing ; the woman for that she dreamed of some extraordinarie euent that should insue of that sudden vprore : but as euery wonder becomes at last more ordinarie then it shewes at the first , so in the end by the shadow searching Moone , they might more easily espie that which had driuen them all into this extraordinarie doubt , the substance of the other sister , whose fault was equal with the first , and so was her repentance as readie as any of the rest . But how sudden sorrow ouertooke her heauie heart , in finding that in the ende from which she fled in the beginning , a Lyon from whose clawes she thought she had cléered her selfe . But as it fares in the euer swelling surges of the senceles seas , that the weary water working men fall from the gréedie gripe of Sillaes shiuering shores , into the couert of Charibdes cruel course : so fares it with her that flying from the bare shew of death , was fallen into darknes it selfe . Where when she saw so many contraries coupled in one subiect , as crueltie with curtesie , fell inforciue furie with friendly for bearing fellowship , reasonable caitiues there subiect to vnreasonable creatures , soule possessing bodies with sauage professing beasts . But at length she satisfied with the shew of them , and they glutted with gazing on her , the sauage man as curteously begins to welcome her , as he gaue gentle gréetings to the other , and with such wordes as his yet vnkindly curtesie did affoord , intertaines her . And for that the trouble some time of the night did not afford such shew of further fauour , as by his promise he purposed to performe in the day : she by the other softly sits downe her selfe , betwixt whom you must now imagine such dumb demeanes of friendship , for feare to procéed , as whilest they were , well could not come from curteous loue . There doe these two with outwarde shewes display ones plaints to the others passions . Many dumbe demeanes passed betwixt these two , till after long lingering shewes , that with their dissembling shadowes , had lulled againe into a slumber these two careles creatures , whose nature suspecting nothing els but naked trueth , without all further inquisition fals againe fast asléepe : which when these two wofull women had warilie weyed , they taking this aduantage of time , gins quickly one to murmur to another the euents of their seuerall iournies . And here must I now leaue further to enuey against their enmitie , and talke now of their solemne contrition , wherein we must not wey the ruine of their childrens rape , but the remorce of their sins remembrance : faults that are péeuishly persecuted , deserues the pitie of no one : but crimes wilfully committed , with the remedie of repentance are mightlly amended . Which in these two proued most true : for there each other confessing to themselues in these perils the daungers they did one to another in their peace , with womanish woe that ofter in teares more bewayles their vnfortunate ends , then they foresec their two forward beginnings , and then with many teares torments themselues too much , which they might well haue preuented with a little , cursing too late that which is come at last vpon those crimes they committed at the first . And here let me shew their vnconstant state , not standing alwaies in a stay , but wauering like the winde , sometimes prosecuting with loathed disdaine , them which once they did follow with louing desire : then changing their copie as cowards do their countenance , that wauer with the wind of euery buzzards blast , they againe begin to desire what before so déepely detested : sometimes with hastie men too soone bréeding their own sorrowe , and then with sloathfull siuggards deferring too long to salue their owne sores , oftentimes weauing their owne woe , when they suppose they worke anothers wracke . For so vnwarie are their wits , that they neuer think of that should follow , from the force of that which goes before : but like the vnfortunate Larke that drawne downe with the dazeling glide of a deceiuing glasse , delighting so long in his game till he be catched in the gin : so fares it with these fond fooles , that God knowes are too gréedie of some siluer deceiuing shewes , and yet busie enough to bite off others golden baites . Yet not so prouident as the poore Sparrowe , that hauing escaped the foulers fetter , with her chéerefull chirping giues notice to the rest of her neighbours : but where themselues haue seene many fall , they yet desperatly follow .