The Complete Works of William Shakespeare - Israel Gollancz William Shakespeare [1531]
O yes (quoth Andrugio), for if this offence be known thy fame will bee enlarged, because it will lykewise bee
knowne, that thou receavedst dishonor to give thy brother^ lyfe : if it be secreat, thy conscience wyl be without scruple of guiltinesse. Thus, knowne, or unknowne, thou shalt be h deflowred, but not dishonested, and for amends wee both shall lyve.
This further hope remaineth; that as the gilliflower both pleaseth the eye and feedeth the sence, even so the vertue of thy chast behaviour may so grace thy bewty, as Promos filthie lust may bee turned into faithfull love, and so moveA him to salve thy honour in making thee hys wife, or for conscience forbeare to doe so hey nous an injurie.
Soveraigne maddame, and you faire gentlewomen, (quoth Isabella) I intreate you in Cassandras belialfe, these reasons well wayed, to judge her yeelding a constrainte, and no consent ; who, werie of her owne life, and tender over her brothers, with the teares of her lovely eyes bathed his cheekes, with this comfortable sentence.
Lyve Andrugio, and make much of this kisse, which i breatheth my honour into thy bowels, and draweth the in- famie of thy first trespasse into my bosome.
The sharpe incounters betweene life and death so occupied Andrugios sences, that his tongue had not the vertue to bid her fare well. To greeve you with the hearing of Cassandras secreate plaints were an injurie, vertuous ladies, for they concluded with their good fortune, and everlasting fame; but for that her offence grew neyther of frayltie, free wyl, or any motion of a woman, but by the meere inforcement of a man,1 because she would not staine the modest weedes of her kynde, shee attired her selfe in the habit of a page, and with the bashfull grace [of] a pure virgin, shee presented wicked Promos Andrugioes precious ransome.
This devill, in humaine shape, more vicious then Hylio- gabalus of Rome, and withall, as cruell as Denis of Sicyll, receaved this juell with a thousande protestations of favour. But what should I say? in the beginnyng of his love Promos was metamorphosed into Priapus: and of a feende what may
we expect, but vengeaunce heaped upon villany] And therefore, let it not seeme straunge, that after this helhound had dishonoured Cassandra, hee sent his warrant to the gayler pryvely to execute Andrugio, and, with his bead crowned with these two breefes, in Promos name to present Cassandra:
Fayre Cassandra, as Prouios promist thee,
From pryson loe, he sendes thy brother free.
This was his charge, whose cursed wyll had ben executed had not God, by an especiall providence, at the howre of his death possessed Andrugio with the vertues of the two brave Romanes, Marcus Crassus, and Marius, the one of whiche by the force of his tongue, and the other by the motions of his eyes caused the axe to fall out of the headsmans hand, and mollyfyed his cruell mynde.
With lyke compassion the gayler (in hearinge Andrugios hard adventure) left his resolution; and uppon a solempne othe, to live unknowne, yea, to his deare sister, he gave him life, and in the dead of the night, betooke him to God, and to good fortune: which done, this good gayler tooke the head of a yonge man newe executed, who somewhat resembled Andrugio, and according to lewde Promos commaundement made a present thereof to Cassandra. How unwelcome this present was, the testimonie of her former sorowes somewhat discover; but to give her present passion a true grace were the taske of Prometheus, or such a one as hath had experience of the anguishes of hell.
O! quoth shee, sweete Andrugio, whether shall I firste lament thy death, exclaime of Promos injurie, or bemone my owne estate, deprived of honour ? and which is worse,