“But he, who by the rules of his own mind, could construe no other end of men’s doings but self-seeking, suddenly feared what they could do, and as suddenly suspected what they would do, and as suddenly hated them, as having both might and mind to do. But dreading their power, standing so strongly in their own valour, and others’ affection, he durst not take open way against them, and as hard it was to take a secret, they being so continually followed by the best, and every way ablest of that region: and therefore used this devilish slight which I will tell you, not doubting, most wicked man, to turn their own friendship toward him to their own destruction. He, knowing that they well knew there was no friendship between him and the new king of Pontus, never since he succoured Leonatus, and us, to his overthrow, gave them to understand, that of late there had passed secret defiance between them, to meet privately at a place appointed. Which though not so fit a thing for men of their greatness, yet was his honour so engaged, as he could not go back. Yet feigning to find himself weak, by some counterfeit infirmity, the day drawing near, he requested each of them to go in his stead, making either of them swear to keep the matter secret, even each from other, delivering the self-same particularities to both; but that he told Tydeus, the king would meet him in a blue armour; and Telenor that it was a black armour: and with wicked subtlety, as if it had been so appointed, caused Tydeus to take a black armour, and Telenor a blue; appointing them ways how to go, so that he knew they should not meet till they came to the place appointed, where each promised to keep silence, lest the king should discover it was not Plexirtus; and there in a wait had he laid those murderers, that who overlived the other should by them be dispatched: he not daring trust no more than those with that enterprise, and yet thinking them too few till themselves, by themselves, were weakened.
“This we learned chiefly by the chief of those way-beaters, after the death of those two worthy brothers, whose love was no less than their valour: but well we might find much thereof by their pitiful lamentation, when they knew their mismeeting, and saw each other, in despite of the surgery we could do unto them, striving who should run fastest to the goal of death: each bewailing the other, and more dying in the other, than in himself; cursing their own hands for doing, and their breasts for not sooner suffering; detesting their unfortunately-spent time in having served so ungrateful a tyrant, and accusing their folly in having believed he could faithfully love, who did not love faithfulness; wishing us to take heed how we placed our goodwill upon any other ground than proof of virtue: since length of acquaintance, mutual secrecies, nor heat of benefits could bind a savage heart; no man being good to other, that is not good in himself. Then, while any hope was, beseeching us to leave the care of him that besought, and only look to the other. But when they found by themselves, and us, no possibility, they desired to be joined; and so embracing and craving that pardon each of other which they denied to themselves, they gave us a most sorrowful spectacle of their death; leaving few in the world behind them, their matches in anything, if they had soon enough known the ground and limits of friendship. But with woeful hearts we caused those bodies to be conveyed to the next town of Bithynia, where we learning thus much, as I have told you, caused the wicked historian to conclude his story with his own well-deserved death.
“But then, I must tell you, I found such woeful countenances in Daiphantus, that I could not much marvel, finding them continue beyond the first assault of pity, how the case of strangers, for further I did not conceive, could so deeply pierce. But the truth indeed is, that partly with the shame and sorrow she took of her father’s faultiness, partly with the fear that the hate I conceived against him, would utterly disgrace her in my opinion, whensoever I should know her, so vehemently perplexed her, that her fair colour decayed, and daily and hastily grew into the very extreme working of sorrowfulness, which oft I sought to learn, and help. But she as fearful as loving, still concealed it: and so decaying still more and more in the excellency of her fairness, but that whatsoever weakness took away, pity seemed to add: yet still she forced herself to wait on me with such care and diligence, as might well show had been taught in no other school but love.
“While we, returning again to embark ourselves for Greece, understood that the mighty Otanes, brother to Barzanes, slain by Musidorus in the battle of the six princes, had entered upon the kingdom of Pontus, partly upon the pretences he had to the crown, but principally, because he would revenge upon him whom he knew we loved, the loss of his brother, thinking, as indeed he had cause, that wheresoever we were, hearing of his extremity, we would come to relieve him; in spite whereof he doubted not to prevail, not only upon the confidence of his own virtue and power, but especially because he had in his company two mighty giants, sons to a couple whom we slew in the same realm; they having been absent at their father’s death, and now returned, willingly entered into his service, hating more than he, both us and that king of Pontus. We therefore with all speed went thitherward, but by the way this fell out, which whensoever I remember without sorrow, I must forget withal, all humanity.
“Poor Diaphantus fell extreme sick, yet would needs conquer the delicacy of her constitution, and force herself to wait on me: till one day going toward Pontus, we met one who in great haste went seeking for Tydeus and Telenor, whose death as yet was not known unto the messenger; who, being their servant, and knowing how dearly they loved Plexirtus, brought them word, how since their departing, Plexirtus was in present danger of a cruel death, if by the valiantness of one of the best knights of the world, he were not rescued: we enquired no further of the matter, being glad he should now to his loss find what an unprofitable treason it had been unto him, to dismember himself of two such friends, and so let the messenger part, not sticking to make him know his master’s destruction by the falsehood of Plexirtus.
“But the grief of that, finding a body already brought to the last degree of weakness, so overwhelmed the little remnant of the spirits left in Daiphantus, that she fell suddenly into deadly swoonings; never coming to herself, but that withal she returned to make most pitiful lamentations; most strange unto us, because we were far from guessing the ground thereof. But finding her sickness such as began to print death in her eyes, we made all haste possible to convey her to the next town: but before we could lay her on a bed, both we, and she might find in herself, that the harbingers of over-hasty death had prepared his lodging in that dainty body, which she undoubtedly feeling, with a weak cheerfulness showed comfort therein, and then desiring us both to come near her, and that nobody else might be present; with pale, and yet, even in paleness, lovely lips: ‘Now or never, and never indeed but now it is time for me,’ said she, ‘to speak: and I thank death which gives me leave to discover that, the suppressing whereof perchance hath been the sharpest spur that hath hasted my race to this end. Know then my lords, and especially you my lord and master Pyrocles, that your page Daiphantus is the unfortunate Zelmane, who for your sake caused my, as unfortunate, lover and cousin Palladius, to leave his father’s court, and consequently, both him and my aunt, his mother, to lose their lives. For your sake myself have become, of a princess, a page, and for your sake have put off the apparel of a woman, and, if you judge not more mercifully, the modesty.’ We were amazed at her speech, and then had, as it were, new eyes given us to perceive that which before had been a present stranger to our minds: for indeed forthwith we knew it to be the face of Zelmane, whom before we had known in the court of Iberia. And sorrow and pity laying her pain upon me, I comforted her the best I could by the tenderness of goodwill, pretending indeed better hope than I had of her recovery.
“But she that had inward ambassadors from the tyrant that shortly would oppress her: ‘No, my dear master,’ said she, ‘I neither hope nor desire to live. I know you would never have loved me,’ and with that word she wept, ‘nor, alas! had it been reason you should, considering many ways my unworthiness. It sufficeth me that the strange course I have taken, shall to your remembrance witness my love; and yet this breaking of my heart, before I would discover my pain will make you, I hope, think that I was not altogether unmodest. Think of me so, dear master, and that thought shall be my life;’ and with that languishingly looking upon me; ‘and I pray you,’ said she, ‘even by those dying eyes of mine, which are only sorry to die because they shall lose your sight, and by those polled locks of mine which, while they were long, were the ornament of my sex, now in their short curls, the testimony of my servitude, and by the service I have done you, which God knows hath been full of love, think of me after my death with kindness, though you cannot with love. And whensoever ye shall make any other lady happy with your well-placed affection, if you tell her my folly, I pray you speak of it, not with scorn, but with pity.’ I assure you, dear princess, of my life (for how could it be otherwise) her words and her manner, with the lively consideration of her love, so pierced me, that though I had divers griefs before, yet methought I never felt till then how much sorrow infeebleth all resolution: for I could not choose but yield to the weakness of abundant weeping; in truth with such grief, that I could willingly at that time have changed lives with her.
“But when she saw my tears, ‘O God,’ said she, ‘how largely am I recompensed for my losses? why then,’ said she, ‘I may take boldness to make some requests unto you.’ I besought her to do, vowing the performance, though my life were the price thereof. She showed great joy. ‘The first,’ said she, ‘is this, that you will pardon my father the displeasure you have justly received against him, and for this once succour him out of the danger wherein he is: I hope he will amend: and I pray you, whensoever you remember him to be the faulty Plexirtus, remember withal that he is Zelmane’s father. The second is, that when you come once into Greece, you will take unto yourself this name, though unlucky, of Daiphantus, and vouchsafe to be called by it: for so shall I be sure you shall have cause to remember me, and let it please your noble cousin to be called Palladius, that I may do that right to that poor prince, that his name yet may live upon the earth in so excellent a person: and so between you, I trust sometimes your unlucky page shall be, perhaps with a sigh, mentioned; lastly, let me be buried here obscurely, not suffering my friends to know my fortune (till, when you are safely returned to your own country) you cause my bones to be conveyed thither, and, laid I beseech you, in some place where yourself vouchsafe sometimes to resort.’ Alas! small petitions for such a suitor; which yet she so earnestly craved that I was fain to swear the accomplishment. And then kissing me, and often desiring me not to condemn her of lightness, in mine arms, she delivered her pure soul to the purest place, leaving me as full of agony as kindness, pity, and sorrow could make an honest heart. For I must confess for true, that if my stars had not only reserved me for you, there else perhaps I might have loved, and, which had been most strange, begun my love after death: whereof let it be the less marvel, because somewhat she did resemble you, though as far short of your perfection as herself dying, was of herself flourishing: yet something there was, which, when I saw a picture of yours, brought again her figure into my remembrance, and made my heart as apt to receive the wound, as the power of your beauty with unresistable force to pierce.
“But we in woeful, and yet private, manner burying her, performed her commandment: and then enquiring of her father’s estate, certainly learned that he was presently to be succoured, or by death to pass the need of succour. Therefore we determined to divide ourselves; I, according to my vow, to help him, and Musidorus toward the king of Pontus, who stood in no less need than immediate succour: and even ready to depart one from the other, there came a messenger from him, who after some enquiry found us, giving us to understand that he, trusting upon us two, had appointed the combat between him and us, against Otanes and the two giants. Now the day was so accorded, as it was impossible for me both to succour Plexirtus, and be there, where my honour was not only so far engaged, but, by the strange working of unjust fortune, I was to leave the standing by Musidorus, whom better than myself I loved, to go save him, whom for just causes, I hated. But my promise given, and given to Zelmane, and to Zelmane dying, prevailed more with me than my friendship to Musidorus, though certainly I may affirm, nothing had so great rule in my thoughts as that. But my promise carried me the easier, because Musidorus himself would not suffer me to break it. And so with heavy minds, more careful each of other’s success than of our own, we parted; I toward the place, where I understood Plexirtus was prisoner to an ancient lord, absolutely governing a goodly castle, with a large territory about it, whereof he acknowledged no other sovereign but himself, whose hate to Plexirtus grew for a kinsman of his whom he maliciously had murdered, because in the time that he reigned in Galatia, he found him apt to practice for the restoring of his virtuous brother Leonatus. This old knight still thirsting for revenge, used as the way to it a policy, which this occasion, I will tell you prepared for him. Plexirtus in his youth had married Zelmane’s mother, who dying of that only childbirth, he a widower and not yet a king, haunted the court of Armenia, where, as he was cunning to win favour, he obtained great good liking of Artaxia; which he pursued: till, being called home by his father, he falsely got his father’s kingdom: and then neglected his former love: till, thrown out of that by our means, before he was deeply rooted in it, and by and by again placed in Trebizond, understanding that Artaxia by her brother’s death was become queen of Armenia, he was hotter than ever in that pursuit, which being understood by this old knight, he forged such a letter, as might be written from Artaxia, entreating his present, but very private, repair thither, giving him faithful promise of present marriage: a thing far from her thought, having faithfully and publicly protested that she would never marry any, but some such prince who would give sure proof that by his means we were destroyed. But he no more witty to frame, than blind to judge hopes, bit hastily at the bait, and in private manner posted toward her, but by the way he was met by this knight, far better accompanied, who quickly laid hold of him, and condemned him to a death, cruel enough, if anything may be both cruel and just. For he caused him to be kept in a miserable prison, till a day appointed, at which time he would deliver him to be devoured by a monstrous beast of most ugly shape, armed like a rhinoceros, as strong as an elephant, as fierce as a lion, as nimble as a leopard, and as cruel as a tiger; whom he having kept in a strong place, from the first youth of it, now thought no fitter match than such a beastly monster with a monstrous tyrant; proclaiming yet withal, that if any so well loved him as to venture their lives against his beast for him, if they overcame, he should be saved: not caring how many they were, such confidence he had in that monstrous strength, but especially hoping to entrap thereby the great courages of Tydeus and Telenor, whom he no less hated, because they had been principal instruments of the other’s power.
“I dare say, if Zelmane had known what danger I should have passed, she would rather have let her father to perish, than me to have bidden that adventure. But my word was past; and truly the hardness of the enterprise was not so much a bit as a spur unto me, knowing well that the journey of high honour lies not in plain ways. Therefore going thither, and taking sufficient security that Plexirtus should be delivered if I were victorious, I undertook the combat: and to make short, excellent lady, and not to trouble your ears with recounting a terrible matter, so was my weakness blessed from above that, without dangerous wounds, I slew that monster, which hundreds durst not attempt; to so great admiration of many, who from a safe place might look on that there was order given, to have the fight both by sculpture and picture, celebrated in most parts of Asia. And the old nobleman so well liked me that he loved me; only bewailing my virtue had been employed to save a worse monster than I killed: whom yet, according to faith given, he delivered, and accompanied me to the kingdom of Pontus, whither I would needs in all speed go, to see whether it were possible for me, if perchance the day had been delayed, to come to the combat: but that, before I came, had been thus finished.