Page:The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia (IA b30323241).pdf/25
VVhoſe vertues ſtrange, and beauties ſuch, as no man them may know:
Thus shrewdly burdned then, how can my Muſe eſcape?
The gods muſt help, and precious things muſt ſerue to shew her shape.
Like great god Saturne faire, and like faire Venus chaſte:
As ſmooth as Pan, as Iuno mild, like goddeße Iris faſte.
VVith Cupid she foreſees, and goes god Vulcans pace:
And for a taſte of all theſe gifts, she ſteales god Momus grace.
Her forehead Iacinth like, her cheeks of Opall hue,
Her twinckling eyes bedect vvith pearle, her lips as Saphir blew:
Her haire like Crapal ſtone, her mouth ô heauenly wide:
Her skin like burnisht gold, her hands like ſiluer vre vntride.
As for her parts vnknowne, which hidden ſure are beſt:
Happie be they which well belleue, and neuer ſeeke the reſt.
Now truly hauing made theſe deſcriptions vnto you, me thinks you ſhould imagine that I rather faine ſome pleaſant deuiſe, then recount a truth, that a Prince (not baniſhed from his owne wits) could poſſible make ſo vnworthie a choiſe But trulie (deare gueſt) ſo it is, that Princes (whoſe doings haue bene often ſmoothed with good ſucceſſe) thinke nothing ſo abſurd, which they cannot make honourable. The beginning of his credit was by the Princes ſtraying out of the way, and ſo falling into other queſtions, he found ſome of his anſweres (as a dog ſure if he could ſpeake, had wit enough to deſcribe his kennell) not vnſenſible, and all vttered with ſuch rudeneſſe, which he interpreted plainneſſe (though there be great difference betweene them) that Baſilius conceiuing a ſodaine delight, tooke him to his Court, with apparant ſhew of his good opinion: where the flattering Courtier had no ſooner taken the Princes mind, but that there were ſtraight reaſons to confirme the Princes doing, & ſhadowes of vertues found for Dametas. His ſilence grew wit, his bluntneſſe integritie, his beaſtlie ignorance vertuous ſimplicitie: and the Prince (according to the nature of great perſons, in loue with that he had done himſelfe) fancied, that his weakneſſe with his preſence would much bee mended. And ſo like a creature of his owne making, he liked him more and more; and thus hauing firſt giuen him the office of principall heardman; laſtly, ſince he tooke this ſtrange determination, he hath in a maner put the life of himſelfe and his children into his hands. Which authority (like too great a ſaile for ſo ſmall a boat) doth ſo ouer-ſway poore Dametas, that if before he were a good foole in a chāber, he might be allowed it now in a comedy: ſo as I doubt me (I feare me indeed) my maſter will in the end (with his coſt) find, that his office is not to make men, but to vſe men as men are, no more then a horſe will be taught to hunt, or an aſſe to mannage. But in ſooth I am afraid I haue giuen your eares too great a ſurfet, with the groſſe diſcourſes of that heauy peece of fleſh. But the zealous griefe I conceiue to ſee ſo great an errour in my Lord, hath made me beſtow more words, then I confeſſe ſo baſe a ſubiect deſerueth.
Thus much now that I haue told you, is nothing more then in effect anie Arcadian knowes. But what moued him to this ſtrange ſolitarineſſe, hath bene imparted (as I thinke) but to one perſon liuing. My ſelfe can coniecture, and indeed more then coniecture by this accident that I will tell you: I haue an only ſonne, by name Clitophon, who is now abſent, preparing for his owne mariage, which I mean ſhortly