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Chapter 8

Pyrocles’ Secret Passion

The adventures first of Musidorus, then of Pyrocles, since their shipwreck to their meeting. After the marriage of Parthenia and Argalus, Pyrocles wants to hear more about Basilius and his family. He hints that he has seen a beautiful woman. (1593 ed. 15.22)

Meanwhile the two friends had shrunk aside in the banqueting house where the pictures were, and Kalander saw that he could not please them more than by leaving them alone.

Palladius recounted to Daiphantus that after he and the two of them had abandoned the burning ship (when each took something under him, the better to support him to the shore), he knew not how, but either with over laboring in the fight and sudden cold or the too much receiving of salt-water, he was past himself, but yet held fast to the chest that was under him, as the nature of dying men is to do.

He was eventually cast on the sands, where he was taken up by a couple of shepherds, and by them brought to life again, and kept from drowning himself when he despaired of Pyrocles’ safety. After having failed to take Pyrocles into the fisher-boat, he had by the shepherds’ persuasion come to this gentleman’s house, where, being dangerously sick, he had yielded to seek the recovery of health, only that he might the sooner go seek the delivery of Pyrocles. For this purpose Kalander had already, by some friends of his in Messina, set a ship or two abroad, when this accident of Clitophon’s taking had so blessedly procured their meeting. Then did he set forth unto Pyrocles the noble entertainment and careful cherishing of Kalander toward himself.

On occasion of the pictures in Kalander’s summer-retiring house, Musidorus delivered with the frankness of a friend’s tongue, as near as he could, word by word what Kalander had told him touching the strange story (with all its particularities) of Arcadia. Pyrocles was so delighted in many sorts to hear about the pictures that he wanted the story repeated and was not content until Kalander himself had answered diverse questions.

But first, at Musidorus’ request, though in a brief manner, because his mind was still running upon the strange story of Arcadia, he declared by what course of adventures he was come to make up their mutual happiness in meeting.

“When, cousin,” said he, “we had stripped ourselves and had both leaped into the sea and swum a little towards the shore, I found by reason of some wounds I had that I should not be able to get to the land, and therefore returned back again to the mast of the ship where you found me. There I assured myself that if you reached shore alive you would seek me, but if you were lost, I thought it as good to perish as to live, and that place as good to perish in as another. There I found my sword among some of the shrouds, wishing, I must confess, if I died, to be found with that in my hand. I then waved it about my head that sailors might have the better glimpse of me.

“When your attempt missed me, I was taken up by pirates, who were putting me underboard prisoner, when presently they set upon another ship and after maintaining a long fight put everyone to the sword, among whom I might hear them greatly praise one young man who fought most valiantly, whom (as love is careful and misfortune subject to doubtfulness) I thought certainly to be you. And so holding you as dead from that time till the time I saw you, in truth I sought nothing more than a noble end, which perchance made me more hardy than otherwise I would have been. Trial whereof came within two days after: for the kings of Lacedemon set out some galleys under the charge of one of their nephews to scour the sea of the pirates, and when they met with us, our captain lacked men and was driven to arm some of his prisoners, promising liberty to those who fought well—among whom I was one.

“Our ship was broached and boarded by the admiral ship of the king’s fleet, and it was my fortune to kill Euryleon, the king’s nephew. But in the end they prevailed and we were all taken prisoners. I did not care much what became of me, although I kept the name of Daiphantus, according to the resolution you know is between us. I was laid in the jail of Taenaria, where they hated me because I had killed Euryleon.

“The popular sort of that town were conspiring with the Helots, and one night they opened the gates for them and together they killed all of the gentle and rich faction. They also broke open all of the prisons for good measure and freed me. Moved by gratefulness and encouraged with carelessness of life, I joined them in their conflicts over the next few days. My behavior was such that they barbarously thought unsensible wonders of me, and they trusted me the more because they had heard that the king of Lacedemon hated me.

“Their chief captain (who, as you know, was slain by the noble Argalus) had taken a great affection to me and named me his successor as he was dying. Besides his persuasion, they elected me to avoid their own dangerous emulation of the chief who should have taken the place of Demagoras, preferring to serve a stranger rather than a competitor. I took little pride in that dignity but benefitted by restoring to myself such things of mine as the pirates had taken first, then the Lacedemonians who brought it to the town, and finally the rebels had gotten in the sack of the town.

“Now being in the town and being its ruler, I had such good success with many victories that I was able to negotiate a peace for them to their own liking, which I concluded on the very day that you freed Clitophon (whom I, with much ado, had preserved). Part of the peace was that King Amiclas of Lacedemon would needs have me banished and deprived of the dignity to which I had been exalted. You may see how much you are bound to me: for your sake I was content to suffer that loss, the more so because a new hope rose in me that you were not dead, and I meant to travel over the world to seek you. And now, my dear Musidorus, you have me!”

With that they embraced and kissed each other and called Kalander, from whom Daiphantus desired to hear the full story that Kalander had previously recounted to Palladius, and to see the letter of Philanax, which he read and well marked.

Some days after, in preparation for the marriage between Argalus and the fair Parthenia, Daiphantus and Palladius sold some of their jewels to furnish themselves with very fair apparel. They meant to honor their loving host, who, as much for the sake of Daiphantus and Palladius as for the celebration of the marriage, set forth each thing in most gorgeous manner. But all the cost bestowed did not enrich so much, nor all the fine decking beautify so much, nor all the dainty devices delight so much, as the fairness of Parthenia, the pearl of all the maids of Mantinea.

As Parthenia went to the temple to be married, her eyes themselves seemed a temple wherein love and beauty were married. Her lips, though they were kept close with modest silence, yet with a pretty kind of natural swelling seemed to invite the guests that looked on them. Her cheeks blushed when she was spoken to and smiled like roses, when a little breath stirs their leaves. Her hair lay full length down her back, as if to say that if her face failed, her tresses would conquer.

Daiphantus marked her, and said, speaking to Palladius, “O Jupiter, how does it happen that beauty is confined to Arcadia?” but Palladius did not closely attend his speech, and some days were continued in solemnizing the marriage, with all conceits that might deliver delight to men’s fancies.