The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia / Written by Sir Philip Sidney Knight.

  • Philip Sidney
Date:
Anno Domini. 1598
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia / Written by Sir Philip Sidney Knight. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    fpeeches , though theyhad notaliuely (Jntranceto his fences (hut vp in forow ,yet 4e one halfe a&epe he tooke hold of much of the matters Ipoken vnto him, (o as a man may fay, ere forowwas aware, they made his thoughts beare away fomething elsbefide his own forow, which wrought fo inbim ,thar atlengthh^c grewpontetit to marke their fpecches, then to marucll atfuch wit in (hepheards^ate to like their $ comoany.and laftly to vouchfafe conference; fo that the third day aftcrjin t^he time that the morning did ftrow rofes & violets in the heauenly floore againft the corn- mine of the Sun,the nightingales(ftriuing one with the other which could in moft dainty varietie recount their wrong caufed forow)made them put off their lleep3& rifing from vnder a tree(which that night had bin their pauilion)they went on thcK ^ iorney,which by and by welcomed MuJIdorM eyes (wearied with the wafted foilc of Laconia) with delightfull profpeds . There were hilles which garniihed their . proud heights with ftately trees ihumble valleis, whofe bafe eftate feernedcomfor¬ ted with refrefhing of filucrriuers: medowesjenameld with allfortes of ^-plealing flourcs:thickets,which being lined with moft pleafant (hade were witnefTcd fo too, 15 by the cherefull depofition of many wel-tuncd birds: ech pafturc ftored with Ihccpc feeding with fober fecuritie, while the pretie lambes with bleatingoratorie craued the dams comfort: here a fhepheards boy piping,as though he (hould neuer be old; there ayongfhepherdefteknitting,andwithalllinging,anditfecmcdthathcr voice comforted her hands to worke, and her hands kept time to her voices muuck. As for the houfes of the country (for many houfes came vnder their ey e) they were a 1 fcattered,no two being one by th* other,& yet not fo far off as that it barred mutual! fuccor: a rbew,as it were,of an accompanable folitarines,& of a ciuil wildncs. I pray you (faid Mff/dorui^then firft vnfealing his long filent lips) what countreyes be we pafle through,which are fodiuers in fhcwc,thc one wanting no llorc, mother 25 hauinsnoftorebutofwant, Thecountry ( anfwcrcdC/4//sfii) where you were caft a fhorc, ^dnowarepaft through,is Laconia, notfo poore by thebarrcnnesofthcfoyle (thoughin itlclie not pJfting fertill)as by a ciuill warre, which being thefe twoyeares within the bowels of that eftate, betweenethc gentlemen and the peafants ( by them named 30 He/ots) hath in this forte as it were disfigured the face of nature,afid made it lo vn- hofpitallasnowyouhauefounditithc townes neither of the one fide nor the o- ther, willingly opening their gates toftrangers, nor ftrangers willingly entring tor feareofbeingmiftaken. 1 ju • 1 But this countrie(wherc now you fet your foot) is Arcadia: & euen hard by is the 3 5 houfe of KAknder whither we leade you: this country being thus decked with peace, &(the child of peace) good husbandrie.Thcfe houfes you fee fo foattcred arc of men, as we two arc, that Hue vpon the commoditieofthcirfhecpc:and therefore fo the diuiflo of the Arcadian eftate are termed ftiephcardsia happy people,wanting litle, becaufc they defire not much. What caufe then faide M^/^m,made you venter to 40 leauc this fweet life,and put your felfe in yonder viiplcafant and dangerous realmc? Guarded with pouertie (anfo^ered Strefhon) and guided with lone. But now (laid CUiui) fince it hath plcafed you to aske any thing of vs whofe bafenes is fuch the very knowledge is darknes : geuevsleaue to know fomething of you, and of the yong man you fo much lament, that at lead we may be the better inftruacd to cn- 45 forme KAlander^mA he the better know how to proportiow his entertainment. Mu- Jtaoru^{zccoi anfwcrcd, ' danderhe the better know how to proportiow his entertainment. Aiu- rcording to the agreement bctweeiic Pyrocles & him to alter their names) ] that he called himfelfe his frie nd Vaiphantm j but till I hauc ^ him
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