not her-selfe in loue, so did not any deserue, she should be so. For had she beene, I would then account her for so happie a woman by dying, as my selfe vnfortunate, by seeing how small reckoning thou makest of me (cruell death) since taking from me all my good, and the onely ioy of my life, thou dost not leaue me heere, but one∣
ly to feele the neuer-ceasing paine of this heauie want. O my Arsileus, O rare wise∣
dome in such yoong yeeres? O the most faithfull louer that euer was, and the finest wit that the heauens could euer infuse into so braue an ornament of nature. What
eies may without inundations of reares behold thy sorrowfull absence? And what
hard hart suffer thy vntimely and difastrous end? O Arsenius, Arsenius, how smal
a time wert thou vnable to endure the violent death of thy vnfortunate sonne, ha∣
uing more occasion to suffer it, then my selfe? Why didst thou make me (cruell Ar∣
senius) participate of two deathes? Of both which to preuent the least that did greeue me, I would haue giuen a thousand liues. Farewell (happie Nymphe) the light and honour of the royall house of Aragon: God giue thy soule eternall glory, and deliuer mine from so many woes and afflictions, wherinto it is so deepely sunke. After that Belisa had spoken these wordes, and after they had seene many tombes more, very richly erected, they went out by a backe dore in the garden, into a greene meadowe, where they found the sage Ladie Felicia recreating her-selfe alone, and walking vp and downe, who seeing them comming towards her, receiued them all with a ioyfull countenance. And whilest it was time to go to supper, they went to a pleasant walke in a groue of Sicamours harde by, where the Nymphes of the sumptuous temple were woont many times to go and disport themselues: where sit∣ting downe in a little plat of greene grasse, that was encompassed round about with leauie Sicamours, they began to discourse one with another of that, which did best please their fancies. The Lady Felicia called the Shepheard Syrenus, and Felismena to her. The Nymph Doria sat her downe with Syluanus in one place of the greene meadowe, and the Shepherdesses
Seluagia and Belisa went by themselues, with the most beautifull Nymphes Cynthia and Polydora into another, so that (though they were not farre asunder) yet they might talke togither well enough, and not trouble one another. But Syrenus desiring that their talke and conuersation might be con∣formable to the time, place, and person with whom he talked, began to saie in this manner. I thinke it not (sage Lady) much beyond the purpose, to demand a cer∣taine question, to the perfect knowledge whereof, as I could neuer yet attaine; so do I not meanely desire by your Ladiships wisedome to be resolued therein: and this it is. They do all affirme (that would seeme to know something) That true Loue doth spring of reason: which if it be so, what is the reason, that there is not a more time∣rous and vnruly thing in the worlde then loue, and which is left of all gouerned by it? As this Question (answered Felicia) is more then a simple Shepherdes con∣ceite, so is it necessarie, that she that must answer it, ought to haue more then a sil∣lie womans wit: But to satisfie thy minde with that little skill I haue, I am of a con∣trarie opinion, affirming that Loue, though it hath Reason for his mother, is not therefore limited or gouerned by it. But it is rather to be supposed, that after rea∣son of knowledge and vnderstanding hath engendred it, it will suffer it selfe to be gouerned but fewe times by it. And it is so vnruly, that it resultes oftentimes to the hurt and preiudice of the louer: since true louers for the most part fall to hate and neglect themselues, which is not onely contrarie to reason, but also to the lawe of nature. And this is the cause why they paint him blinde, and void of all reason. And as his mother Venus hath most faire eies, so doth he also desire the fairest. They
