as when love-sick Mars saw Venus entering his pavilion in triumph, entertaining them all generally with such affabilities, and her particularly with such courtesie, that hee shewed himselfe as full of nurture as of nature. Interchange of entertainment then past betweene these two lovers, as well with emphasis of wordes, as exstasie of mindes, concluding with streames of pathetical teares. The Mayor at last entred parley, and told Francesco, though his father-in-law had alleadged felony against him, yet because he perceived that it rather proceeded of some secret revenge than any manifest truth, and that no further evidence came to censure the allegation, he was content to set him at libertie conditionally: Francesco should give his hand, to bee answerable to what hereafter in that behalfe might be objected against him. These conditions accepted, Francesco was set at libertie, and hee and Isabel joyntly together taking themselves to a little cottage, began to be as Ciceronicall as they were amorous: with their hands' thrift coveting to satisfie their harts' thirst, and to bee as diligent in labours as they were affectionate in loves, so that the parish in which they lived so affected them for the course of their life, that they were accounted the very mirrors of a Democraticall methode, for he being a scholler, and nurst up in the universities, resolved rather to live by his witte than any way to be pinched by want, thinking this old sentence to be true, that 'wishers and woulders were never good householders; therefore he applied himself in teaching of a schoole, where by his industry, hee had not only grate favour, but gat wealth to withstand fortune. Isabel, that she might seeme no less profitable than her husband carefull, fell to her needle, and with her worke, sought to prevent the injurie of necessitie. Thus they laboured to maintain their loves, being as busie as bees and as true as turtles; as desirous to satisfie the world with their desert, as to feede the humours of their owne desires. Living thus in a league of united vertues, out of this mutuall concorde of confirmed perfection, they had a son aunswerable to their own proportion, which did increase their amitie, so as the sight of their young infant was a double ratifying of their affection. Fortune and love thus joyning in league to make these parties forget the stormes that nipped the blossomes of their former yeres, addicted to the content of their loves this conclusion of blisse. After the terme of five yeares, Segnior Fregoso, hearing by sundrie reports the fame of their forwardnes, howe Francesco coveted to be most loving to his daughter, and she most dutiful to him, and both strive to exceede one another in loyaltie: glad at this mutuall agreement, hee fell from the furie of his former melancholly passions, and satisfied himselfe with a contented patience, that at last he directed letters to his sonne-in-law, that he should make repair to his house with his daughter, which newes was no sooner come to the eares of this maried couple, but providing for al things necessarie for the furniture of their voyage, they posted as fast as they could towards Caerbranke, where, speedily arriving at their father's house, they found such friendly entertainment at the old mans hands that they counted this smile of fortune able to countervail al the contrarie stormes, that the adverse planets had inflicted upon them." From this period of good nature, however, fortune changes to the young couple, and their matrimonial course becomes troubled. Francesco has occasion to leave his wife, and to travel on business to the city of Troynovant, at which place he falls in love with a very worthless lady, named Infida, to whom he pays his addresses in Euphuistic style, and who responds in the same strain. At first they only ogle each other across the street, but soon they interchange letters and odes-eventually, they commit improprieties for which there is not the slightest excuse. Isabel hears of Francesco's infidelity, and tries to reclaim him from the syren's influence by sending him the most exemplary letters; which he, base man! treats with neglect. During the continuance of this state of things, the deserted Isabel well nigh falls a victim to the machinations of a wicked old judge. The story of "Susannah and the Elders" (which History, by-the-bye, Robt. Greene amplified and made into a novel, and published under the title of "The Myrrour of Modestie") is acted once again. Isabel displays the virtue of Susannah, and, when on the point of being condemned of a heinous crime, is shown to be innocent by a providential interposition. The fame of Isabel's excellence hereupon spreads through the country, and reaches the ears of her husband at Troynovant, who has already split with Infida. Francesco, on receiving the intelligence so honourable to his wife, suddenly bethinks himself that he has been guilty of injustice to her, repents, and determines to return home to Caerbranke. After a festive entertainment and an affecting farewell to his bachelor acquaintance at Troynovant, our hero acts on his good resolution, starts for home, and without any mishaps reaches the presence of the much-wronged Isabel. "Within fives daies he arrived at Caerbranke, where, as soone as he was lighted, he went to the house where his wife sojourned; and one of the maids espying Francesco, yet knew him for al his long absence, and ranne in and told it to Isabel, that her husband was at the dore. She being at work in her chamber, sate as one in extasie, until Francesco came up, who, at the first sight of his wife, considering the excellency of her beautie, her vertues, chastity, and other perfections, and measuring her constancy with his disloyaltie, stoode as a man metamorphosed: at last he began thus:-'Ah, Isabel, what shall I say to thy fortunes or my follies? what exordium shall I use to show my penance, or discover my sorrowes, or expresse my present joyes? For I tel thee I conceave as great pleasure to see thee wel, as grief in that I have wronged thee with my absence. Might sighs, Isabel, teares, plaintes, or any such exterior passions pourtray out my inward repentence, I would shew thee the anatomie of a most distressed man: but amongst many sorrowing thoughts, there is such confusion, that superfluitie of griefes stops the source of my miscontent. To figure out my follies, or the extremity of my fancies, were but to manifest the bad course of my life, and to rub the scar, by setting out mine own scathe: and therefore let it suffice, I repent heartily, I sorrow deeply, and meane to amend and continue in the same constantly.' At this Francesco stood and wept, which Isabel seeing, conceived by his outward griefs his secret passions, and therefore taking him about the neck, wetting his cheekes with the teares that fel from her eies, she made him this womanly and wise answer: 'What, Francesco, comest thou home full of woes, or seekest thou at thy returne to make me weepe? Hast thou been long absent, and now bringest thou mee a treatise of discontent? I see thou art penitent, and therefore I am like not to heare what follies are past. It sufficeth for Isabel, that henceforth thou wilt love Isabel, and upon that condition, without any more wordes, welcome to Isabel!' With that she smiled and wept, and, in doing both together, sealed up all her contrarie passions in a kisse." After this reconciliation, Isabel conducts her husband into an adjoining apartment to a banquet provided by the host of the house in which she dwells. After the neighbours bidden to the feast have well supped, the host tells a tale. "Francesco, Isabel, and all the rest of the guests applauded this discourse of the pleasant host, and for that it was late in the night, they al rose, and taking their leave of Francesco, departed; he and his wife bidding their host good night, and so going to bed, where we leave them to leade the rest of their lives in quiet."--[Query: Are they never to get up again?] |