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By Root 19543 0

somewhat satisfied, hoping now he shoulde bee fully reuenged of such mistrusted iniuries, intending also assoone as Egistus was dead, to giue his wife a sop of the same sawce, and so be rid of those which were the cause of his restles sorrow. While thus he liued in this hope, Franion beeing secret in his chamber, began to meditate with himselfe in these termes.

Ah Franion, treason is loued of many, but the traitor hated of all: vniust offences may for a time escape without danger, but neuer without reuenge, thou art seruant to a king, and must obey at commaund: yet Franion, against law and conscience, it is not good to resist a tyrant with armes, nor to please an vniust king with obedience. What shalt thou do? Folly refused gold, and frensie preferment, wisedome seeketh after dignity, and counsell looketh for gaine. Egistus is a stranger, to thee, and Pandosto thy soueraigne: thou hast little cause to respect the one, and oughtest to haue great care to obey the other. Thinke this Franion, that a pound of gold is worth a tunne of lead, great gifts are litle Gods, and preferment to a meane man, is a whetstone to courage: there is nothing sweeter than promotion, nor lighter than report: care not then though most count thee a traitor, so all call thee rich. Dignity (Franion) aduanceth thy posterity, and euill report can hurt but thy selfe. Know this, where Eagles build, Faulcons may pray: where Lyons haunt. Foxes may steale. Kings are knowen to commaunde, seruaunts are blamelesse to consent: feare not thou then to lift at Egistus. Pandosto shall beare the burthen. Yea, but Franion, conscience is a worme that euer biteth, but never ceaseth: that which is rubbed with the stone Galactites will neuer be hot. Flesh dipped in the sea Aegeum, will neuer bee sweete: the hearbe Tragion being once bit with an Aspis neuer groweth, and conscience once stained with innocent bloud, is alwaies tied to a guiltie remorse. Prefer thy content before riches, and a cleare minde before dignity: so being poore thou shalt haue rich peace, or els rich, thou shalt enioy disquiet.

Franion hauing muttered out these or such like wordes, seeing either he must dye with a cleare minde, or live with a spotted conscience: he was so combered with diuers cogitations that he could take no rest: vntill at last he determined to breake the matter to Egistus: but fearing that the king should either suspect or heare of such matters, he concealed the deuise till oportunity would permit him to reueale it. Lingring thus in doubtfull feare, in an euening he went to Egistus lodging, and desirous to breake with him of certaine affaires that touched the king, after all were commaunded out of the chamber. Franion made manifest the whole conspiracie, which Pandosto had deuised against him, desiring Egistus not to accompt him a traitor for bewraying his maisters counsell, but to thinke that hee did it for conscience, hoping that although his maister inflamed with rage, or incensed by some sinister reportes, or slaunderous speaches, had imagined such causelesse mischief: yet when time should pacifie his anger, and try those tale bearers but flattering Parasites, then hee would count him as a faithfull seruaunt, that with such care had kept his masters credit. Egistus had not fully heard Franion tell forth his tale, but a quaking feare possessed all his limmes, thinking that there was some treason wrought, and that Franion did but shaddow his craft with these false colours: wherefore he began to waxe in choler, and saide that he doubted not Pandosto, sith he was his friend, and there had neuer as yet beene any breach of amitie: he had not sought to inuade his landes, to conspire with his enemies, to disswade his subjectes from their allegeiance: but in word and thought he rested his at all times: he knew not therefore any cause that should moue Pandosto to seeke his death, but suspected it to bee a compacted knauery of the Bohemians, to bring the King and him at oddes. Franion staying him in the midest of his talke, told him that to dally with Princes was with the swannes to