The Complete Works of William Shakespeare - Israel Gollancz William Shakespeare [1630]
sing against their death, and that if the Bohemians had intended any such secret mischiefe, it might haue beene better brought to passe then by reuealing the conspiracy: therefore his Maiestie did ill to misconstrue of his good meaning, sith his intent was to hinder treason, not to become a traitor and to confirme his premises, if it please his Maiesty to flee into Sycilia for the safegarde of his life, hee woulde goe with him: and if then hee found not such a practise to bee pretended, let his imagined trechery be repayed with most monstrous tormentes. Egistus hearing the solemne protestation of Franion: began to consider, that in loue and kingdomes, neither faith, nor lawe is to bee respected: doubting that Pandosto thought by his death to destroy his men, and with speedie warre to inuade Sycilia: these and such doubtes throughlie weighed, hee gaue great thankes to Franion, promising if hee might with life returne to Syracusa, that hee would create him a Duke in Sycilia: crauing his counsell how hee might escape out of the countrey. Franion, who hauing some small skill in Nauigation, was well acquainted with the Ports and Hauens, and knew euery daunger in the Sea, ioyning in counsell with the Maister of Egistus Nauie, rigged all their ships, and setting them a float let them lie at anker, to be in the more readinesse when time and winde should serue. Fortune although blind, yet by chance fauoring this iust cause, sent them within 6. daies a good gale of winde, which Franion seeing fit for their purpose, to put Pandosto out of suspition, the night before they should saile, he went to him and promised, that the next daie he would put the deuice in practise, for he had got such a forcible poison as the very smell thereof should procure sodaine death. Pandosto was ioyfull to heare this good newes and thought euery houre a day till he might be glutted with bloudy reuenge, but his suit had but il successe: for Egistus fearing that delay might breede daunger, and willing that the grasse should not be cut fromvunder his feete, taking bagge and baggage with the helpe of Franion, conueied himselfe and his men out of a posterne gate of the city so secretly and speedely that without any suspition they got to the sea shoare, where, with many a bitter curse taking their leave of Bohemia, they went aboord, weighing their Ancres and hoisting saile, th[e]y passed as fast as winde and sea would permit towards Sycilia; Egistus being a ioyfull man, that he had safely past such trecherous perils. But as they were quietly floating on the sea, so Pandosto and his Citizens were in an vproare: for seeing that the Sycilians without taking their leaue were fled away by night, the Bohemians feared some treason, and the King thought that without question his suspition was true, seeing his cupbearer had bewrayed the summe of his secret pretence: whereupon he began to imagine, that Franion and his wife Bellaria had conspired with Egistus, and that the feruent affection she beare him, was the onely meanes of his secret departure, in so much that incensed with rage, he commaunded that his wife shoulde be carried to straight prison, vntil they heard further of his pleasure. The guarde vnwilling to lay their hands on such a vertuous Princesse, and yet fearing the kings fury, went very sorrowfully to fulfill their charge, comming to the Queenes lodging, they found her playing with her young sonne Garinter, vnto whom with teares doing the message: Bellaria astonished at such a hard censure, and finding her cleare conscience a sure aduocate to pleade in her case, went to the prison most willingly: where with sighs and teares shee past away the time till shee might come to her triall.
But Pandosto, whose reason was suppressed with rage, and whose vnbridled folly was incensed with fury: seeing Franion had bewrayed his secrets, and that Egistus might well be railed on, but not reuenged: determined to wreeke all his wrath on poore Bellaria, he therefore caused a generall proclamation to be made through all his Realme, that the Queene and Egistus had by the helpe