The Complete Works of William Shakespeare - Israel Gollancz William Shakespeare [1651]
Ah vnfortunate wretch borne to mishappe, nowe thy follie hath his desert: Art thou not worthy for thy base minde to haue bad fortune: could the destinies fauour thee, which hast forgot thine honor and dignities: wil not the Gods plague him with despight that payneth his father with disobedience. Oh Gods, if any fauour or iustice be left, plague me, but fauour poore Fawnia, and shrowd her from the tirannies of wretched Pandosto, but let my death free her from mishap, and then welcome death: Dorastus payned with these heavie passions, sorrowed and sighed, but in vayne, for which hee vsed the more patience. But againe to Pandosto, who broyling at the heat of vnlawfull lust coulde take no rest but still felt his minde disquieted with his new loue, so that his nobles and subiects maruelled greatly at this sodaine alteration, not beeing able to coniecture the cause of this his continued care: Pandosto thinking euery hour a yere till he had talked once againe with Fawnia, sent for her secretly into his chamber, whither though Fawnia vnwillingly comming, Pandosto entertained her very courteously vsing these familiar speeches, which Fawnia answered as shortly in this wise.
Pandosto.
Fawnia, are you become lesse wilfull and more wise, to preferre the loue of a king before the liking of a poore knight: I thinke ere this you thinke it is better to be fauoured of a king then of a subiect.
Fawnia.
Pandosto, the body is subject to victories, but the mind not to be subdued by conquest, honesty is to be preferred before honour, and a dramme of faith weigheth downe a tun of gold. I promised Meleagrus to loue, and will performe no lesse.
Pandosto.
Fawnia, I know thou art not so vnwise in thy choice, as to refuse the offer of a king, nor so ingratefull as to dispise a good turne: thou art now in that place where I may commaund, and yet thou seest I intreate, my power is such as I may compell by force, and yet I sue by prayers: yeeld Fawnia thy loue to him which burneth in thy loue, Meleagrus shall be set free, thy countrymen discharged, and thou both loued and honoured.
Fawnia.
I see, Pandosto, where lust ruleth it is a miserable thing to be a virgin, but know this, that I will alwaies preferre fame before life, and rather choose death then dishonour.
Pandosto seeing that there was in Fawnia a determinate courage to loue Meleagrus, and a resolution without feare to hate him fleeing away from her in a rage: swearing if in short time she would not be wonne by reason: he would forget all courtesie, and compel her to grant by rigour: but these threatning words no whit dismayed Fawnia: but that she still both despighted and despised Pandosto. While thus these two louers stroue, the one to winne loue, the other to liue in hate: Egistus heard certaine newes by marchauts of Bohemia, that his son Dorastus was imprisoned by Pandosto, which made him feare greatly that his sonne should be but hardly intreated: yet considering that Bellaria and hee was cleared by the Oracle of Apollo from that crime wherewith Pandosto had vniustly charged them, he thought best to send with all speede to Pandosto, that he should set free his sonne Dorastus, and put to death Fawnia and her father Porrus: finding this by the aduise of counsaile the speediest remedy to release his son, he caused presently two of his ships to be rigged and thoroughly furnished with prouision of men and victuals, and sent diuers of his nobles, embassadores into Bohemia: who willing to obey their king, and recieue their