Page 460

whether he be aliue or dead. Then Marcelius could not stay himselfe any longer, but said. I haue indeed (sweet sister Felismena) bin dead hitherto, bicause I haue wanted thy good company, and now am reuiued, in that I haue beene so happie a man to see thee. And in speaking these wordes he louingly embraced her Felismena remem∣bring well Marcelius kinde of gesture and his countenance in her minde, did now cleerely see that he was the same indeed, and so was vndoubtedly resolued, that he was her owne brother. The ioyfull greeting that passed betweene the brother, sister, and cousen, was great; and the gladnes that Syluanus and Seluagia tooke to see them so happely mette togither, not small. There were many louing speeches exchanged, many teares of ioy and sorrow powred out, many demands and questions, hopes reuiued, determinations concluded, and many wordes and things of ioy and rest mutually spoken and done. They spent in these congratulations one whole hower, which was little enough for the large history & accidents that they had to discourse of after so long an absence. But bicause they might better and more safely talke of those matters, they sat themselues downe in that little meadow vnder a ranke of Si∣camours, whose wreathed boughes loden with leaues, made a delightfull and coole shadow, defending them from the heat of the radiant sunne, which was with some heate mounted vp the Hemispheare. Whilest Marcelius, Don Felix, Felismena, Syl∣uanus, and the Shepherds were talking togither of these matters, at the other end of the garden neere vnto the fountaine (as it is saide before) were Eugerius, Polydo∣rus, Alcida, and Clenarda. Alcida had that day left of her pastorall weedes as Fe∣licia had commanded, and was now apparelled and adorned very richly with costly garments and iewels that she willed shoulde be giuen her. But as Syrenus was also there, Montanus, Arsileus, and Belisa, singing and sporting togither, they maruell ous∣lie delighted Eugerius and his sonne and daughters, that were harkening to them. And that which did most of all please them, was a song which Syrenus and Arsileus did sing one against another in dispraise and fauour of Cupid: For they sung with an earnest will and desire in hope of a braue christall cup, which Eugerius had pro∣mised for a reward and prize to him that did sing best. And so Syrenus to the sound of his Rebecke, and Arsileus to the tune of his rurall Baggepipe, began to sing in ma∣ner following.