University of Virginia Library

CANT. 3.

The Infant Princesse by a cruel doom,
allowing in bright-hair'd Thetis angry woomb
(Tost by the mercilesse winds and angry Seas)
Avoids the horrid shock for two whole days:
But had not scap'd the third: if she that guides
Saphire-hew'd Neptune, and in triumph rides
Over the surface of the swelling deep,
Had not commanded Spio safe to keep
The Royal Babe, the plyant Nymph obeys,
Guiding the Boat through Neptunes pathlesse ways
Till on the Coast of Sicily it stands,
There Spio leaves it sticking on the sands:
It fortuned a Shepheard that had lost
One of his flock, implores about the coast,
His sheep he seek't in vain: but in's retreat,
The Shepheard hears this pretty lamb to bleat:
He stands amaz'd a while, being crampt with fear,
But taking heart of grace, he comes more near,
Finding the fairest Babe, e'r seen with eye,
Wrapt in a Mantle broidered curiously;
The Shepheard (who's astonish'd at the thing)
Resolves to bear the Child unto the King;
The pretty bantling in his arms he bears,
And presently unto his Cot repairs;
But as the Shepheard ceiz'd the Royal Child,
A Purse of Gold he at her feet beheld:
His mind is altered now, himself will keep
The Infant (who does writh its head and weep
Wanting the Dulcid Dug) but he hastes home,
And is no sooner to his Mansion come,
But the Child cries aloud; the Shepherdess,
(Amaz'd) with both her hands her self does bless:
Women (though excellent) are so much accurst
By Nature, that they still believe the worst:
She thinks it is some Bastard, ceizes on
A Cudgel, vowing Castigation:
The good man seeing her (who wore the breeches)
Arm'd with her mace, strivs with the fairst speeches
To pacifie her rage (but his sweet Honey)
Cannot be won, until the Purse of Money
Greet her grey eyes; declaring all the matter
How he had found the Infant on the water:
She then began to simper somewhat sweetly,
And in her arms she takes the babe most neatly;
Be sure (quoth he) you never blab our store)
Profit (quoth she) is a good hatch to th' door:
All things in order set, he carefully
Doth keep his sheep, she sings a Lullaby
At home unto her Babe: the Child grew tall,
Inrich'd with all those graces, which we call
Supreamly excellent; she's Fawnia nam'd,
Fawnia that shall in future time be fam'd:
The honest Shepheard and the Shepherdess,
Her Father and Mother she doth guess,
Who in she obeyld in all things, yet her face
Was so Celestial; and with such a grace
She bare herself (so young and yet so sage)
All men might run and see her Parentage;
The Swainlings who live near, do wonder sore,
That Porrus, who was once so very poor,
Should on the sudden have such wondrous store:
Blest with a daughter too, whose wit and feature,
Almost declar'd she was no mortal creature;
Who row such favour finds in each mans eye,
Sicilia's Prince hears of her fulgency;
Egistus Son (Dorastus) whose rare parts,
Wan him the peoples wonder, with their hearts:
Now by the Gods (qd. he) speaking in laughter,
I will go to see the shepherds handsom Daughter:
Who kept her Fathers sheep with solemn care;
The chearful Sun did for the West prepare;
When Prince Dorastus goes from Court set on,
And finds the fairest Fawnia all alone;
Somnus had ceiz'd her sences on the ground,
(Cloath'd with sweet grass she slept, her head was crown'd
With a Fine Flowry Chaplet. Flora she,
Or Arrow loving Cynthia seem'd to be:
But while the Prince doth feed his greedy eyes,
His noble heart becomes her beauties prize:
Who waking, wonders: she conceit some God
Had left the pleasures of his bright abode,
To blesse mortality upon her knee
She falls; Incomparable Mago, quoth he,
I am no Deity; ‘Though Princes are
“Cal'd Gods, like other mortal men they fare,
“And travel to the Grave the self same way:
I am thy slave (most beautious Fawnia)
Behold Dorastus, King Egistus Son;
Implore; thy love; sure Fawnia can be won,
The Shepherdess (whose colour went and came)
To hear of Love, and Prince Dorastus Name,
Replies, My gracious Lord, it is your will
To jest with her, who shall adore you still:
But simple sheapheards never aim so high
As Princes Courts, the brow of Majesty
Breaks their frail sences, Odours poyson them,
They dare not gaze upon a Diadem.
This said, she rose and reverently bow'd,
While 1000 thoughts about her soul do crowd:
The Prince repaid her courtesie with a kiss;
Can Heaven (quoth he) afford a greater bliss?
Now by the powers Celestial, should my Father,
(As sure he will) and all earthly Kings together,
Conspire to hinder my resolves, I'd do
What my unbounded thoughts do promp me to?
He wed thee (Fawnia) we this night will fly
From hence (my dear) to fertile Italy;
Good store of Golp and Jewels we will bear,
Along; the Rich find friendship every where,
Fawnia replies, your Highness shall be,
As true and sacred Oracles to me:
Dispose your humble Handmaid as you please.
Within these few hours we will take the Seas,
(quoth he) I have a trusty Servant, who
I know will further what I list to do:
Him will I send to thee within this hour,
Him follow, and may the Almighty power
Prosper our loves: this said, they kiss and part.
Dorastus soon (aided by Capnia's art)
Fills three fair Casks full of Gold, beside
Trunks full of Rich attire for his fair Bride:
A ship lies ready, and (as their intents
Were own'p by Heaven) no rude North wind rents
The rowling waves; while things preparing were,
Capnia doth unto Fawnia repair:
Who welcomes this true Servant to her Lord,
By whom she presently is brought on board:
The Marriners finding such pleasant gaies,
Prepare for lancing, and expand their sayls;
Where lo Dorastus comes and clips his dear;
And now they on the raging Ocean are,
Who flatters for a while but suddenly
A baleful darkness muffles up the sky;
The winds are all in larg'd, dire thunder's heard,
The Master pores in vain upon the Garde
All look for death, when be, a minutes time,
Makes satisfaction for three dayes crime:
All's whist, and they are lodg'd within a Port,
That's not much distant from Pandosto's Court:
Dorastus droops, so to mistake his way,
Instead of Italy, Bohemia:
Fawnia lament, for now behold there came
Some of Pandosto's Guard, to know what Name
The ship did bear, and presently to bring
All her Inhabitants unto the King:
There no excuse can serve, along they go,
Dorastus, Fawnia, and Capnio,
With lowly homage (humbled on the knee)
They do salute Bohemia's Majesty
Who ask Dorastus what's his Name, and whence
He came, who straightway renders his pretence?
My Name (Sir) is Meleagrus, by my birth
A Knight brought up on Trapalonian earth:
This Gentlewoman, whom I mean to make
My wife; is an Italion; for whose sake,
(Doubting her friends consent) I took my way
(Partial Fate) to Trapolonia;
But forc'd by tempest hither ('gainst my mind)
Where I shall hope hospitious friends to find:
Pandosto starting from his Throne, replyes,
Now by the everliving Deities.
Thou art a perjur'd Traytor, and hast won,
(This Lady to her sure destruction)
By cursed frauds; who for her grace and beauty,
Merits that mighty Kings should do her duty,
And till I hear of her descent, and can
Prove that thou art a Trapilonian,
A Prison shall contain thee: No reply
Dorastus made, being hurried presently
To prison: Fawnia wrings her lilly palms,
And swoons away, vext with uncessant qualms:
Pandosto, who (though old and sapless grown)
Loves the lewd act; more than he lov'd his crown,
Did deeply doat on Fawnia, comforts her,
Promising if she'l presently confer
Her love on him, he'l instantly set free
Her Knight, and raise him unto dignity:
She scarce refrains to pull the Tyrants beard,
Calls him a dog for footy Dis prepar'd.
A month is past since King Egistus lost
His Son, who sends about to every cost:
At last his willy Messengers resort,
With hasty motion to Pandosto's Court,
Who kindly welhomes them; their charge is thus,
Where ere they find his Son, with courteous
And wining language, to convene him home;
But if they find he will yet further rome,
To bring him into Sicily by force:
But for poor Fawnia her doom is worse,
She must be murdered presently, and so
The Prince's Servant, faithful Capnio;
They had no sooner told the Embassy,
But King Pandosto sendeth presently
For Meleagrus; he's Sicilia's heir
He knows, and he is glad he has him there:
Dorastus wonders at this great mutation,
But more to see some Lords of his own Nation;
There is no bogling now, Pandosto's glad,
That he shall manifest the hate he had
Conceiv'd! 'gainst Fawnia for her great disdain;
Commanding she and Capnio should be slain.
Fawnia (no doubt inspir'd by Heaven) cryes,
O why did the cruel destinies
Cause Prince Dorastus to affect a Maid
So far beneath him, (now to death betray'd)
But since I must forsake the world, take here,
Brave Prince, this chain, which still for my sake wear.
Which from my Infancy has ever been,
About my neck, but till now-never seen:
Pandosto starts, he knew the chain of old,
It was his Wives: he then began to hold
His thoughts in strict suspence, computes the time
Since (mad with rage) he acted that black crime,
He finds she is his daughter; strait he rears
Himself from's throne, watring his cheeks with tears,
Ah Fawnia! sweet Fawnia he doth try,
All there admire at this strange Colloquie:
Fawnia is not more glad that she has found
So great a Father (then Dorastus crown'd)
With glorious hope, to gain so brave a Wife;
The Lords on both sides joy, that now the strife,
'Twixt the Sicilians, and Bohemia's state,
Shall cease, and naught remain of ancient hate:
The King great Feasts and Justing doth prepare,
For joy he now hath found a female heir:
Which done, he does imbarque himself and his,
With Prince Dorastus, and his only bliss
Divinest Fawnia: the Sicilan Peers
He takes along, and Neptunes brow appears
So smooth, in six days they see Syracuse:
Egistus marvels when he hears the news:
And having heard Pandosto's story, sends
For Porrus (who was in the Jaylors hands:
Who tells the truth of all, how Fawnia scapt,
Shewing the Mantle wherein she was wrapt:
Pandosto Knights him, and the Lovers are
The next day married, Hymen every where
Is chanted: Lo Hymen each man sings:
And an Eternal League 'twixt the two Kings
Concluded: every Commoner is feasted
For forty dayes (so long the triumph lasted)
Which was no sooner ended, but his Soul,
Vext for his former facts, so black and foul:
Having betraid his friend, and slain his wife,
Pandosto's own hands take Pandosto's life:
Whose death for many dayes they do bewail:
And then Dorastus and his Queen set sail
For fair Behomia, where he sumtuously
Inters his Father: Governs graciously
For many years, till Death (with little pain)
Did put a perod to his Life, and Reign.