daies? The olde Lion auoides the toyles where the young one leapes into the net: the care of age is prouident and foresees much suspition is a virtue, where a man holds his enemie in his bosome. Thou fonde girle measurest all by present affection, & as thy heart loues thy thoughts censure: but if thou knewest that in lyking Rosalynd thou hatchest vp a bird to pecke out thine owne eyes, thou wouldst intreate as much for her absence, as now thou delightest in her presence. But why do I alleadge policie to thee? sit you downe huswife and fall to your needle: if idleness make you so wanton, or libertie so malipert, I can quicklie tie you to a sharper taske: and you (maide) this night be packing either into Arden to your father, or whether best it shall content your humour, but in the Court you shall not abide. This rigorous replie of Torismond nothing amazed Alinda, for still she prosecuted her plea in the defence of Rosalynd, wishing her father (if his censure might not be reuerst) that he would appoint her partner of her exile; which if he refused to doo, either she would (by some secret means) steale out and followe her, or els end her daies with some desperate kinde of death. When Torismond heard his daughter so resolute, his heart was so hardened against her, that he set downe a definitiue and peremptorie sentence that they should both be banished: which presentlie was done. The Tyrant rather choosing to hazard the losse of his only child, than any waies to put in question the state of his kingdome so suspicious and fearful is the conscience of an vsurper. Well, although his Lords perswaded him to retaine his owne daughter, yet his resolution might not be reuerst, but both of them must away from the court without either more companie or delay. In he went with great melancholie, and left these two Ladies alone. Rosalynd waxed very sad, and sat downe and wept. Alinda she smiled, and sitting by her friende began thus to comfort her.-Why how now Rosalynd, dismaide with a frowne of contrarie fortune? Haue I not oft heard thee say that high minds were discouered in fortunes contempt, and heroycall seene in the depth of extremities? Thou wert wont to tell others that complained of distresse, that the sweetest salue for miserie was patience; and the onlie medicine for want, that precious implaister of content: being such a good Phisition to others, wilt thou not minister receipts to thy selfe? But perchance thou wilt say: Consulenti nunquam caput doluit. Why, then, if the patients that are sicke of this disease can finde in themselues neither reason to perswade, nor arte to cure; yet (Rosalynd) admit of the counsaile of a friend, and applie the salues that may appease thy passions. If thou grieuest that beeing the daughter of a Prince, and enuie thwarteth thee with such hard exigents, thinke that royaltie is a faire marke; that Crownes haue crosses when mirth is in Cottages: that the fairer the Rose is, the sooner it is bitten with Catterpillers; the more orient the Pearle is, the more apt to take a blemish; and the greatest birth, as it hath most honour, so it hath much enuie. If then Fortune aimeth at the fairest, be patient Rosalynd; for first by thine exile thou goest to thy father; nature is higher prised than wealth, & loue of ones parents ought to bee more precious than all dignities: why then doth my Rosalynd grieue at the frowne of Torismond, who by offering her a preiudice, proffers her a greater pleasure? and more (mad lasse) to be melancholie, when thou hast with thee Alinda a friend, who will be a faithfull copartner of al thy misfortunes, who hath left her father to followe thee, and chooseth rather to brooke al extremities than to forsake thy presence. What Rosalynd: Solamen miseris socios habuisse doloris. Cheerlie woman, as wee haue been bedfellows in royaltie, we will be fellowe mates in pouertie: I will euer bee thy Alinda, and thou shalt euer rest to me Rosalynd: so shall the world canonize our friendship, and speake of Rosalynd and Alinda, as they did of Pilades and Orestes. And if euer Fortune smile and wee returne to our former honour, then folding our selues in the sweete of our friendship, wee shall merelie say (calling to minde our forepassed miseries); Olim hæc meminisse iuuabit. At this Rosalynd began to comfort her; and after shee had wept a fewe kind tears in the bosome of her Alinda, she gaue her heartie thanks, and then they sat downe to consult how they should trauell. Alinda grieued at nothing but that they might haue no man in their companie: saying, it would be their greatest preiudice in that two women went wandering without either guide or attendant. Tush (quoth Rosalynd) art thou a woman, and hast not a sodaine shift to preuent a misfortune? I (thou seest) am of a tall stature, and would very well become the person and apparell of a page, thou shalt bee my Mistris, and I will play the man so properly, that (trust me) in what company so euer I come I will not be discouered; I will buy mee a suite, and haue my rapier very handsomely at my side, and if any knaue offer wrong, your page will shew him the point of his weapon. At this Alinda smiled, and vpon this they agreed, and presentlie gathered vp all their Iewels, which they trussed vp in a Casket, and Rosalynd in all hast prouided her of roabes, and Alinda (from her royall weedes) put her selfe in more homelie attire. Thus fitted to the purpose, away goe these two friends, hauing now changed their names, Alinda being called Aliena, and Rosalynd Ganimede: they trauailed along the Vineyards, and by many bywaies; at last got to the Forrest side where they trauailed by the space of two or three daies without seeing anie creature, being often in danger of wild beasts, and payned with many passionate sorrowes. Now the black Oxe began to tread on their feete, and Alinda thought of her wonted royaltie: but when she cast her eyes on her Rosalynd, she thought euerie danger a step to honour. Passing thus on along, about midday they come to a Fountaine, compast with a groue of Cipresse trees, so cunninglie and curiouslie planted, as if some Goddesse had intreated Nature in that place to make her an Arbour. By this Fountaine sat Aliena and her Ganimede, and foorth they pulled such victualls as they had, and fed as merilie as if they had been in Paris with all the Kings delicates): Aliena onely grieuing that they could not so much as meete with a shepheard to discourse them the way to some place where they might make their aboade. At last Ganimede casting vp his eye espied where on a tree was ingrauen certaine verses: which assoone as he espied, he cried out; bee of good cheere Mistris, I spie the figures of men; for here in these trees be ingrauen certaine verses of shepheards, or some other swaines that inhabite here about. With that Aliena start vp ioyfull to heare these newes. You No doubt (quoth Aliena) this poesie is the passion of some perplexed shepheard, that being enamoured of some faire and beautifull Shepheardesse, suffered some sharpe repulse, and therefore complained of the crueltie of his Mistris. may see (quoth Ganimede) what mad cattell you women be, whose hearts sometimes are made of Adamant that will touch with no impression; and sometime of waxe that is fit for euerie forme; they delight to be courted, and then glorie to seeme coy; and when they are most desired then they freese with disdaine: and this fault is so common to the sex, that you see it painted out in the shepheards passions, who found his Mistris as froward as he was enamoured. And I pray you (quoth Aliena) if your roabes were off, what mettall are you made of that you are so satyricall against women ? Is it not a foule bird defiles the owne nest? Beware (Ganimede) that Rosader heare you not; if he doo, perchance you will make him leape so far from loue, that he wil anger euery vain in your hart. Thus (quoth Ganimede) I keepe decorum, I speake now as I am Alienas page, not as I am Gerismonds daughter: for put me but into a peticoate, and I will stand in defiance to the vttermost that women are courteous, constant, vertuous, and what not. Stay there (quoth Aliena) and no more words; for yonder be Caracters grauen vpon the barke of the tall Beech tree: let vs see (quoth Ganimede): and with that they read a fancie. The next morne they lay long in bed, as wearied with the toyle of vnaccustomed trauaile: but assoone as they got vp, Aliena resolued there to set vp her rest, and by the helpe of Coridon swept a bargane with his Landslord and so became Mistres of the farme & the flocke: her selfe putting on the attire of shepheardesse, and Ganimede of a yong swaine : euerie day leading foorth her flocks with such delight, that she held her exile happie, and thought no content to the blisse of a Countrey cottage. Leauing her thus famous amongst the shepheards of Arden, againe to Saladyne. What newes Forrester? hast thou wounded some deere, and lost him in the fall? Care not man for so small a losse, thy fees was but the skinne, the shoulder, and the hornes: tis hunters lucke, to ayme faire and misse: and a woodmans fortune to strike and yet goe without the game. All this while did poore Saladyne (banished from Bourdeaux and the Court of France by Torismond) wander vp and downe in the Forrest of Arden, thinking to get to Lions, and so trauell through Germanie into Italy: but the Forrest being full of by-pathes, and he vnskilfull of the Countrey coast, slipt out of the way, and chaunced vp into the Desart, not farre from the place where Gerismond was, with his brother Rosader. Saladyne wearie with wandering vp and downe, and hungrie with long fasting; finding a little caue by the side of a thicket, eating such frute as the Forrest did affoord, and contenting himselfe with such drinke as Nature had prouided, and thirst made delicate, after his repast he fell in a dead sleepe. As thus he lay, a hungrie Lion came hunting downe the edge of : : the groue for pray, and espying Saladyne began to ceaze vpon him but seeing he lay still without anie motion, he left to touch him, for that Lions hate to pray on dead carkasses: and yet desirous to haue some foode, the Lion lay downe and watcht to see if hee would stirre. While thus Saladyne slept secure, fortune that was careful ouer her champion, began to smile, and brought it so to passe, that Rosader (hauing striken a Deere that but lightly hurt fled through the thicket) came pacing downe by the groue with a Boare speare in his hand in great hast, he spied where a man lay asleepe, and a Lion fast by him: amazed at this sight, as hee stood gazing, his nose on sodaine bled; which made him coniecture it was some friend of his. Whereuppon drawing more nigh, hee might easely discerne his visage, and perceiued by his phisnomie that it was his brother Saladyne: which draue Rosader into a deepe passion as a man perplexed at the sight of so vnexpected a chaunce, inaruelling what shoulde driue his brother to trauerse those secrete Desarts without anie companie in such distresse and forlorne sort. But the present time craued no such doubting ainbages for either he must resolue to hazard his life for his reliefe, or els steale awaye, and leaue him to the crueltie of the Lion. In which doubt, he thus briefly debated with himselfe.- -Now Rosader, Fortune that long hath whipt thee with nettles, means to salue thee with roses; and hauing crost thee with manie frownes, now she presents thee with the brightnesse of her fauours. Thou that didst count thy selfe the most distressed of all men, maist accompt thy selfe now the most fortunate amongst men; if fortune can make men happie, or sweete reuenge be wrapt in a pleasing content. Thou seest Saladyne thine enemie, the worker of they misfortunes, and the efficient cause of thine exile, subiect to the crueltie of a mercilesse Lion: brought into this miserie by the Gods, that they might seem iust in reuenging his rigour, and thy iniuries. Seest thou not how the starres are in a fauourable aspect, the plannets in some pleasing coniunction, the fates agreeable to thy thoughtes, and the destinies perfourmers of thy desires, in that Saladyne shall die, and thou free of his bloud; he receiue meede for his amisse, and thou erect his Tombe with innocent hands. Now Rosader shalt thou returne to Bourdeaux, and enioye thy possessions by birth, and his reuenewes by inheritaunce: now maist thou triumph in loue, and hang Fortunes Altares with garlandes. For when Rosalynde heares of thy wealth, it will make her loue thee more |