yong prince: made no delayes, for feare of danger, but with as much speed as might be, sailed towards Bohemia: the winde and seas fauoured them greatly, which made them hope of some good happe, for within three dayes they were landed: which Pandosto no sooner heard of their arrivall, but he in person went to meete them, intreating them with such sumptuous and familiar curtesie, that they might well perceiue how sory hee was for the former iniuries he had offered to their king, and how willing (if it might be) to make amends. As Pandosto made report to them, how one Meleagrus a knight of Trapolonia was lately ariued with a lady called Fawnia in his land, comming very suspitiously, accompanied onely with one seruant, and an old shepheard. The embassadours perceiued by the halfe, what the whole tale meant, and began to coniecture, that it was Dorastus, who for feare to bee knowen, had changedæhis name: but dissembling the matter, they shortly arriued at the court, where after they had bin very solemnely and sumptuously feasted, the noblemen of Sicilia being gathered togither, they made reporte of their embassage: where they certified Pandosto that Meleagrus was sonne and heire to the king Egistus, and that his name was Dorastus: how contrarie to the kings minde hee had priuily conueied away that Fawnia, intending to marry her, being but daughter to that poore shepheard Porrus: whereupon the Kings request was, that Capnio, Fawnia, and Porrus might be murthered and put to death and that his sonne Dorastus might bee sent home in safetie. Pandosto hauing attentively and with great marvelle heard their Embassage, willing to reconcile himselfe to Egistus, and to shew him how greatly he esteemed his labor: although loue and fancy forbad him to hurt Fawnia, yet in despite of loue he determined to execute Egistus will without mercy, and therefore he presently sent for Dorastus out of prison, who marvelling at his vnlooked for curtesie, found at his comming to the kings presence, that which he least doubted of, his fathers Embassadours: who no sooner saw him, but with great reuerence they honored him: and Pandosto embracing Dorastus, set him by him very louingly in a chaire of estate. Dorastus ashamed that his folly was bewrayed, sate a long time as one in a muse, till Pandosto told him the summe of his fathers embassage: which he had no sooner heard, but he was toucht at the quicke, for the cruell sentence that was pronounced against Fawnia: but neither could his sorrow nor perswasions preuaile, for Pandosto commaunded that Fawnia, Porrus, and Capnio, shoulde bee brought to his presence: who were no sooner come, but Pandosto hauing his former loue turned to a disdainfull hate, began to rage against Fawnia in these termes.
Thou disdainfull vassall, thou currish kite, assigned by the destinies to base fortune, and yet with an aspiring minde gazing after honor: how durst thou presume, being a beggar, to match with a Prince: By thy alluring lookes to inchant the sonne of a King to leaue his owne countrie to fulfill thy disordinate lusts. O despitefull minde, a proud heart in a beggar is not vnlike to a great fire in a small cottage, which warmeth not the house, but burneth it: assure thy self thou shalt die, and thou olde doating foole, whose folly hath bin such, as to suffer thy daughter to reach aboue thy fortune, looke for no other meede, but the like punishment. But Capnio, thou which hast betrayed the king, and has consented to the vnlawfull lust of thy lord and master, I knowe not how iustly I may plague thee: death is too easie a punishment for thy falsehoode, and to liue (if not in extreme miserie) were not to shew thee equitie. I therefore award that thou shalt thine eies put out, and continually till thou diest, grinde in a mill like a brute beast. The feare of death brought a sorrowfull silence vpon Fawnia and Capnio, but Porrus seeing no hope of life, burst forth into these speeches.
Pandosto, and yee noble embassadours of Sycilia, seeing without cause I am condemned to die: I am yet glad I haue opportunitie to disburden my