The Covntesse of Pembrokes Arcadia
9781465535214
pages
Library of Alexandria
Overview
THE FIRST BOOKE. It was in the time that the earth begins to put on her new aparrel against the approch of her louer, and that the Sun running a most euen course becums an indifferent arbiter betweene the night and the day; when the hopelesse shepheard Strephon was come to the sandes, which lie against the Island of Cithera; where viewing the place with a heauy kinde of delight, and sometimes casting his eyes to the Ileward, he called his friendly riuall, the pasto laius vnto him, & setting first down in his darkened countenance a dolefull copie of what he would speake: O my Claius, saide hee, hether we are now come to pay the rent, for which we are so called vnto by ouer-busie Remembrance, Remembrance, restlesse Remembrance, which claymes not only this dutie of vs, but for it will haue vs forget our selues. I pray you when we were amid our flocke, and that of other shepheardes some were running after their sheep strayed beyond their boundes, some delighting their eyes with seeing them nibble vpon the short and sweete grasse, some medicining their sicke ewes, some setting a bell for an ensigne of a sheepish squadron, some with more leasure inuenting new games of exercising their bodies and sporting their wits: did Remembrance graunt vs any holiday, eyther for pastime or deuotion, nay either for necessary foode or naturall rest? but that still it forced our thoughts to worke vpon this place, where wee last (alas that the word last should so long last) did graze our eyes vpon her euer florishing beautie: did it not still crie within vs? Ah you base minded wretches, are your thoughts so deeply bemired in the trade of ordinary worldlings, as for respect of gaine some paultry wool may yeeld you, to let so much time passe without knowing perfectly her estate, especially in so troublesome a season to leaue that shore vnsaluted, from whence you may see to the Island where she dwelleth? to leaue those steps vnkissed wherein Vrania printed the farewell of all beautie? Well then, Remembraunce commaunded, we obeyed, and here we find, that as our remembrance came euer cloathed vnto vs in the forme of this place, so this place giues newe heate to the feauer of our languishing remembrance. Yonder m laius, Vrania lighted, the verie horse (me thought) bewayled to be so disburdned: and as for thee, poore Claius, when thou wentst to helpe her downe, I saw reuerence and desire so deuide thee, that thou didst at one instant both blushe and quake, and in stead of bearing her, warte readie to fal down thy selfe. There she sate, vouchsafing my cloake (then most gorgeous) vnder her: at yonder rising of the ground shee turned her selfe, looking backe toward her woonted abode, and because of her parting bearing much sorrow in her eyes, the lightsomnes wherof had yet so natural a cherefulnesse, as it made euen sorrow seeme to smile; at that turning shee spake to vs all, opening the cherrie of her lips, and Lord how greedily mine eares did feed vpon the sweete words she vttered? And here she laide her hand ouer thine eyes, when shee saw the teares springing in them, as if she would conceale them from other, and yet her selfe feele some of thy sorrow: But woe is me, yonder, yonder, did shee put her foote into the boate, at that instant as it were diuiding her heauenly beautie, betweene the Earth and the Sea. But when she was imbarked, did you not marke how the windes whistled, and the seas daunst for ioy, how the sailes did swell with pride, and all because they had Vrania? O Vrania, blessed be thou Vrania, the sweetest fairnesse and fairest sweetnesse: with that word his voice brake so with sobbing, that he could say no further; and Claius thus answered. Alas m trephon (said he) what needes this skore to recken vp onely our losses? What doubt is there, but that the light of this place doth cal our thoughtes to appeare at the court of affection, held by that racking steward, Remembrance? Aswell may sheepe forget to feare when they spie woolues, as we can misse such fancies, when we see any place made happie by her treading. Who can choose that saw her but thinke where she stayed, where she walkt, where she turned, where she spoke? But what is all this? truely no more, but as this place serued vs to thinke of those thinges, so those thinges serue as places to call to memorie more excellent matters. No, no, let vs thinke with consideration, and consider with acknowledging, and acknowledge with admiration, and admire with loue, and loue with ioy in the midst of all woes: let vs in such sorte thinke, I say, that our poore eyes were so inriched as to behold, and our lowe hearts so exalted as to loue, a maide, who is such, that as the greatest thing the world can shewe, is her beautie, so the least thing that may be praysed in her, is her beautie. Certainely as her eye-lids are more pleasant to behold, then two white kiddes climing vp a faire tree, and browsing on his tendrest braunches, and yet are nothing, compared to the day-shining starres contayned in them; and as her breath is more sweete then a gentle South-west wind, which coms creeping ouer flowrie fieldes and shaddowed waters in the extreeme heate of summer, and yet is nothing, compared to the hony flowing speach that breath doth carrie: no more all that our eyes can see of her (though when they haue seene her, what else they shall euer see is but drie stuble after clouers grasse) is to be matched with the flocke of vnspeakeable vertues laid vp delightfully in that best builded folde. But in deede as we can better consider the sunnes beautie, by marking how he guildes these waters, and mountaines then by looking vpon his owne face, too glorious for our weake eyes: so it may be our conceits (not able to beare her sun-stayning excellencie) will better way it by her workes vpon some meaner subiect employed. And alas, who can better witnesse that then we, whose experience is grounded vpon feeling? hath not the onely loue of her made vs (beeing silly ignorant shepheards) raise vp our thoughts aboue the ordinary leuell of the worlde, so as great clearkes doe not disdaine our conference? hath not the desire to seeme worthie in her eyes made vs when others were sleeping, to sit vewing the course of heauens? when others were running at base, to runne ouer learned writings? when other marke their sheepe, we two marke our selues? hath not shee throwne reason vpon our desires, and, as it were giuen eyes vnto Cupid? hath in any, but in her, loue-fellowship maintained frindship between riuals, and beautie taught the beholders chastitie? He was going on with his praises, but Strephon bad him stay, and looke: and so they both perceaued a thinge which floted drawing nearer and nearer to the banke; but rather by the fauourable working of the Sea, then by any selfe industrie. They doubted a while what it should bee; till it was cast vp euen hard before them: at which time they fully saw that it was a man. Wherupon running for pitie sake vnto him, they found his hands (as it should appeare, constanterfrendes to his life then his memorie) fast griping vpon the edge of a square small coffer, which lay all vnder his breast: els in him selfe no shew of life, so as the boord seemed to be but a beere to carrie him a land to his Sepulchre. So drew they vp a young man of so goodly shape, and well pleasing fauour, that one would thinke death had in him a louely countenance; and, that though he were naked, nakednes was to him an apparrell. That sight increased their compassion, and their compassion called vp their care; so that lifting his feete aboue his head, making a great deale of salt water come out of his mouth, they layd him vpon some of their garments, and fell to rub and chafe him, till they brought him to recouer both breath the seruant, and warmth the companion of liuing. At length opening his eyes, he gaue a great groane, (a dolefull note but a pleasaunt dittie) for by that, they founde not onely life, but strength of life in him. They therefore continued on their charitable office, vntill (his spirits being well returned,) he (without so much as thanking them for their paines) gate vp, and looking round about to the vttermost lymittes of his sight, and crying vpon the name of Pyrocles, nor seeing nor hearing cause of comfort, what (said he) and shal usidorus liue after Pyrocles destruction? therewithall hee offered wilfully to cast himselfe againe into the sea: a strange sight to the shepheards, to whom it seemed, that beefore being in apparance dead had yet saued his life, and now comming to his life, should be a cause to procure his death; but they ranne vnto him, and pulling him backe, (then to feeble for them) by force stickled that vnnaturall fray. I pray you (said he) honest men, what such right haue you in me, as not to suffer me to doe with my selfe what I list? and what pollicie haue you to bestowe a benefite where it is counted an iniury? They hearing him speake in Greeke (which was their naturall language) became the more tender hearted towards him; and considering by his calling and looking, that the losse of some deare friend was great cause of his sorrow; tolde him they were poore men that were bound by course of humanitie to preuent so great a mischiefe; and that they wisht him, if opinion of some bodies perishing bred such desperate anguish in him, that he should be coforted by his own proof, who had lately escaped as apparant danger as any might be. No, no (said he) it is not for me to attend so high a blissefullnes: but since you take care of me I pray you find meas that some Bark may be prouided, that will go out of the hauen, that if it be possible wee maye find the bodie farre farre too precious a food for fishes: and for the hire (said he) I haue within this casket, of value sufficient to content them. Claius presently went to a Fisherman, and hauing agreed with him, and prouided some apparrell for the naked stranger, he imbarked, and the Shepheards with him: and were no sooner gone beyond the mouth of the hauen, but that some way into the sea they might discerne (as it were) a stayne of the waters colour, and by times some sparkes and smoke mounting thereout. But the young man no sooner saw it, but that beating his brest, he cried, that there was the beginning of his ruine, intreating them to bend their course as neere vnto it as they could: telling, how that smoake was but a small relique of a great fire, which had driuen both him and his friend rather to committe themselues to the cold mercie of the sea, than to abide the hote crueltie of the fire: and that therefore, though they both had abandoned the ship, that he was (if any where) in that course to bee met withall. They steared therefore as neere thether-ward as they cold: but when they came so neere as their eies were ful masters of the obiect, they saw a sightful of piteous strangenes: a ship, or rather the carkas of the shippe, or rather some few bones of the carkas, hulling there, part broken, part burned, part drowned: death hauing vsed more than one dart to that destruction. About it floted great store of very rich thinges, and many chestes which might promise no lesse. And amidst the precious thinges were a number of dead bodies, which likewise did not only testifie both elements violence, but that the chiefe violence was growen of humane inhumanitie: for their bodies were full of grisly wounds, and their bloud had (as it were) filled the wrinckles of the seas visage: which it seemed the sea woulde not wash away, that it might witnes it is not alwaies his fault, when wee condemne his cruletie. In summe, a defeate, where the conquered kept both field and spoile: a shipwrack without storme or ill footing: and a wast of fire in the midst of the water. But a litle way off they saw the mast, whose proude height now lay along; like a widdow hauing lost her make of whom she held her honor: but vpon the mast they saw a yong man (at least if hee were a man) bearing shew of about 18. yeares of age, who sate (as on horseback) hauing nothing vpon him but his shirt, which beeing wrought with blew silke and golde; had a kinde of resemblance to the sea: on which the sun (then neare his Westerne home) did shote some of his beames. His haire (which the young men of Greece vsed to weare very long) was stirred vp and downe with the wind, which seemed to haue a sporte to play with it, as the sea had to kisse his feet; himselfe full of admirable beautie, set foorth by the strangenes both of his seate and gesture: for, holding his head vp full of vnmoued maiestie, he held a sworde aloft with his faire arme, which often he waued about his crowne as though he would threaten the world in that extremitie. But the fishermen, when they came so neere him, that it was time to throwe out a rope, by which hold they might draw him, their simplicity bred such amasement, and their amasement such superstition, that (assuredly thinking it was some God begotten betweene Neptune and Venus, that had made all this terrible slaughter) as they went vnder sayle by him, held vp their hands and made their prayers. Which whe usidorus saw, though he were almost as much rauished with ioy, as they with astonishment, he lept to the Mariner, and tooke the corde out of his hande and (saying, doest thou liue, and arte well? who answered, thou canst tell best, since most of my well beyng standes in thee,) threwe it out, but alreadie the shippe was past beyon yrocles: and therefore Musidorus could do no more but perswade the Mariners to cast about againe, assuring them that hee was but a man, although of most diuine excellencies, and promising great rewardes for their paine
