66 lander, whither we lead you. This country being thus decked with peace, and (the child of peace) good husbandry, these houses you see so scattered are of men, as we two are, that live upon the commodity of their sheep, and therefore in the division of the Arcadian estate are termed shepherds; a happy people, wanting little, because they desire not much.” "What cause then," said Musidorus, "made you venture to leave this sweet life, and put yourself in yonder unpleasant and dangerous realm?" "Guarded with poverty," answered Strephon, " and guided with love." "But now," said Claius, " since it hath pleased you to ask any thing of us, whose baseness is such as the very knowledge is darkness, give us leave to know something of you, and of the young man you so much lament, that at least we may be the better instructed to inform Kalander, and he the better know how to proportion his entertainment." Musidorus (according to the agreement between Pyrocles and him to alter their names) answered, that he called himself Palladius, and his friend Daiphantus;' but "till I have him again," said he, "I am indeed nothing, and therefore my story is of nothing: his entertainment (since so good a man he is) cannot be so low, as I account my estate; and in sum, the sum of all his courtesy may be to help me by some means to seek my friend." They perceived he was not willing to open himself farther, and therefore without farther questioning brought him to the house, about which they might see (with fit consideration both of the air, the prospect, and the nature of the ground) all such necessary additions to a great house, as might well show Kalander knew that provision is the foundation of hospitality, and thrift the fuel of magnificence. The house itself was built of fair and strong stone, not affecting so much any extraordinary kind of fineness, as an honourable representing of a firm stateli ness. The lights, doors, and stairs rather directed to the use of the guest, than to the eye of the artificer; and yet as the one chiefly heeded, so the other not neglected: each place handsome without curiosity, and homely without loathsomeness; not so dainty as not to be trod on, nor yet slubbered up with good fellowship; all more lasting than beautiful, but that the consideration of the exceeding lastingness made the eye believe it was exceeding beautiful. The servants not so many in number, as cleanly in apparel, and serviceable in behaviour; testifying even in their countenances, that their master took as well care to be served, as of them that did serve. "This country Arcadia, among all the provinces of Greece, hath ever been had in singular reputation, partly for the sweetness of the air and other natural benefits, but principally for the well-tempered minds of the people, who (finding that the shining title of glory, so much affected by other nations, doth indeed help little to the happiness of life) are the only people, which as by their justice and providence give neither cause nor hope to their neighbours to annoy them, so are they not stirred with false praise to trouble others' quiet; thinking it a small reward for the wasting of their own lives in ravening, that their posterity should long after say they had done Even the Muses seem to approve their good determination, by choosing this country for their chief repairing-place, and by bestowing their perfections so largely here, that the very shepherds have their fan cies lifted to so high conceits, as the learned of other nations are content both to borrow their names and imitate their cunning. 'Here dwelleth and reigneth this prince, whose picture you see, by name Basilius; a prince of sufficient skill to govern so quiet a country, where the good minds of the former princes had set down good laws, and the well-bringing up of the people doth serve as a most sure bond to hold them. But to be plain with you, he excels in nothing so much as the zealous love of his people, wherein he doth not only pass all his own foregoers, but, as I think, all the princes living. Whereof the cause is, that though he exceed not in the virtues which get admiration, as depth of wisdom, height of courage, and largeness of magnificence; yet is he notable in those which stir affection, as truth of word, meekness, courtesy, mercifulness, and liberality. 'He, being already well stricken in years, married a young princess named Gynecia, daughter to the King of Cyprus, of notable beauty, as by her picture you see a woman of great wit, and in truth of more princely virtues than her husband; of most unspotted chastity; but of so working a mind and so vehement spirits, as a man may say, it was happy she took a good course, for otherwise it would have been terrible. Of these two are brought into the world two daughters, so beyond measure excellent in all the gifts allotted to reasonable creatures, that we may think they were born to show, that Nature is no step-mother to that sex, how much soever some men (sharp-witted only in evil speaking) have sought to disgrace them. The elder is named Pamela; by many men not deemed inferior to her sister: for my part, when I marked them both, methought there was (if, at least, such perfections may receive the word of 'more') more sweetness in Philoclea, but more majesty in Pamela methought love played in Philoclea's eyes, and threatened in Pamela's: methought Philoclea's beauty only persuaded, but so persuaded as all hearts must yield; Pamela's beauty used violence, and such violence as no heart could resist. And it seems, that such proportion is between their minds: Philoclea so bashful, as though her excellences had stolen into her before she was aware; so humble, that she will put all pride out of countenance; in sum, such proceeding as will stir hope, but teach hope good manners: Pamela of high thoughts, who avoids not pride with not knowing her excellences, but by making that one of her excellences to be void of pride; her mother's wisdom, greatness, nobility, but (if I can guess aright) knit with a more constant temper. Now then, our Basilius being so publicly happy, as to be a prince; and so happy in that happiness, as to be a beloved prince; and so in his private [life] blessed, as to have so excellent a wife and so over-excellent children, hath of late taken a course, which yet makes him more spoken of than all these blessings. For, having made a journey to Delphi, and safely returned within short space, he brake up his court, and retired himself, his wife and children, into a certain forest hereby, which he called his Desert;' wherein (beside a house appointed for stables, and lodgings for certain persons of mean calling, who do all household-services) he hath builded two fine lodges : in the one of them himself remains with his younger daughter Philoclea, which was the cause they three were matched together in this picture, without having any other creature living in that lodge with him. Which though it be strange, yet not so strange as the course he hath taken with the princess Pamela, whom he hath placed in the other lodge: but how, think you, accompanied? Truly with none other but one Dametus, the most arrant doltish clown, that I think ever was without the privilege of a bable, with his wife Miso and daughter Mopsa, in whom no wit can devise any thing wherein they may pleasure her, but to exercise her patience and to serve for a foil of her perfections. This loutish clown is such, that you never saw so ill-favoured a visor; his behaviour such, that he is beyond the degree of ridiculous; and for his apparel, even as I would wish him: Myso, his wife, so handsome a beldam, that only her face and splayfoot have made her accused for a witch; only one good point she hath, that she observes decorum, having a froward mind in a wretched body. Between these two personages (who never agreed in any humour, but in disagreeing) is issued forth mistress Mopsa, a fit woman to participate of both their perfections: but because a pleasant fellow of my acquaintance set forth her praises in verse, I will only repeat them, and spare mine own tongue, since she goes for a woman. The verses are these, which I have so often caused to be sung, that I have them without book: 'What length of verse can serve brave Mopsa's good to show, When virtues strange, and beauties such as no man them may know? Thus shrewdly burthen'd then, how can my Muse escape? shape. |