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paſſions with telling you the griefe of both, when hee knew her, for at firſt he did not, nor at firſt knowledge could poſſibly haue vertues aide ſo ready, as not euen weakely to lament the loſſe of ſuch a iewell, ſo much the more, as that skilfull men in that art aſſured it was vnrecouerable: but within a while, truth of loue (which ſtill held the firſt face in his memorie) a vertuous conſtancie, and euen a delight to bee conſtant, faith giuen, and inward worthineſſe ſhining through the fouleſt miſtes, tooke ſo full hold of the noble Argalus, that not only in ſuch comfort which witty arguments may beſtow vpon aduerſitie, but euen with the most abundant kindneſſe that an eye-rauiſhed louer can expreſſe, he laboured both to driue the extremity of ſorrow from her, and to haſten the celeration of their mariage: whereunto he vnfainedly ſhewed himſelfe no leſſe cherefully earneſt, then if ſhe had neuen bene diſinherited of that goodly portion, which nature had ſo liberally bequeathed vnto her: & for that cauſe deferred his intended reuenge vpon Demagoras, becauſe he might continually be in her preſence; ſheweing more humble ſeruice ableneſſe, and ioy to content her, then euer before.

But as he gaue this rare example, not to be hoped for of any other, but of another Argalus: ſo of the other ſide, ſhe tooke as ſtrange a courſe in affection: for, where ſhe deſired to enioy him, more then to liue; yet did ſhe ouerthrow both her owne deſire and his, and in no ſort would yeeld to marry him; with a ſtrange encounter of loues affects, and effects, that he by an affection ſprong from exceſſiue beautie, ſhould delight in horrible foulneſſe; & ſhe, of a vehement deſire to haue him, ſhould kindly build a reſolution neuer to haue him: for truth is, that ſo in heart ſhe loued him, as ſhe could not find in her heart he ſhould be tied to what was vnworthy of his preſence.

Truly Sir, a very good Orator might haue a faire field to vſe eloquence in, if he did but only repeate the lamentable, and truly affectionated ſpeeches, while he coniured her by remembrance of her affection, & true oathes of his owne affection, not to make him ſo vnhappie, as to thinke he had not only loſt her face, but her hart; that her face, when it was faireſt, had bene but as a marſhall, to lodge the loue of her in his mind; which now was ſo well placed, as it needed no further helpe of any outward harbinger: beſeeching her, euen with teares, to know, that his loue was not ſo ſuperficiall, as to go no further then the skin; which yet now to him was moſt faire, ſince it was hers: how could he be ſo vngratefull, as to loue her the leſſe for that which ſhe had only receiued for his ſake? that he neuer beheld it, but there in he ſaw the louelineſſe of her loue toward him: proteſting vnto her, that he would neuer take ioy of his life, if he might not enioy her, for whom principally he was glad he had life. But (as I heard by one that ouerheard them) ſhe (wringing him by the hand) made no other anſwere but this: my Lord (ſaid ſhe) God knowes I loue you: if I were Princeſſe of the whole world, and had withall, all the bleſſings that euer the world brought forth, I ſhould not make delay, to lay my ſelfe, and them vnder your feete: or if I had continued but as I was, though (I muſt confeſſe) far vnworthy of you, yet wold I (with too great a ioy for my hart now to thinke of) haue accepted your vouchſafing me to be yours, and with faith and obedience would haue ſupplied all other defects. But firſt let me be much more miſerable then I am, ere I match Argalus to ſuch a Parthenia: Liue happy, deare Argalus, I giue you full liberty, and I beſeech you take it; and I aſſure you I ſhal reioyce (whatſoeuer become of me) to ſee you ſo coupled, as may be fit, both for your honour & ſatisfaction. With that ſhe burſt out in crying and weeping, not able longer to containe her ſelfe from blaming her fortune, and wiſhing her owne death.