Lenio had not left this challenge unanswered had he not perceived the beauteous Galatea to approach towards them, with those worthy shepherdesses Florisa and Teolinda, who, not to be recognised by Damon and Thirsis, had covered their alluring visages with white veils. Up they came, and were greeted with all courtesy, especially by the two love-sick swains, Elicio and Erastro, who were excited with unwonted joy at the sight of Galatea, for Erastro could not dissemble; and to prove it without ordering anything, indications were made to Elicio to awaken his pipe, to the sound of which, in sweet and in joyous accents, he broke forth : ERASTRO. 1. I view the lovely eyes Of that sun I so much admire ; With them goes eke the soul; Without them is no lustre, No hope to my soul; Away from them, No light, no health, no freedom I desire. 2. Let him who can but look upon these orbs, But he who them admires, For a spoil must life surrender. I give A new desire to the soul I concede. 3. Now no more to give have I, My ruin is assured If these eyes, whence good abounds And not in good intention, fixed are. 4. Though this should last A thousand ages, as I wish To me, so well discern I, Whilst I behold The beauty of that life for which I die. 5. In this vision reposes My soul, and it finds ease, And dwells in the living fire It recalls the sweet Being, and as a phoenix it renews. 6. With my thoughts I arise, Sweet glory seeking; In memory finally I discover Content to be closed up. There, there it stands, and there it hides itself ; Not in pomp, In Lordship not, or riches of the earth. Here terminated Erastro's song, and the passage to the village also. Thirsis, Damon and Silerio repaired to the cot of Elicio, in order not to lose the occasion of hearing how the story of Silerio ended. Those two admirable shepherdesses, Galatea and Florisa, having engaged themselves to be of the wedding party of Daranio on the next day, now left the swains. Many others remained with the betrothed ones, while they went home, and that self-same night Silerio, invited by his friend, Erastro, and out of desire, for it fatigued him to return to the hermitage, recounted the sequel of his narrative, of which in the following book there is record. 102 BOOK III. Daranio's wedding preparations.—Continuance of the story of Silerio. -Challenge sent by Pransiles to Timbrio by reason of an affront offered in Xeres, relative to Nisida.-Lines written by Timbrio in shape of a letter to Nisida before he left for the estate of the Duke of Grasina, where the duel was to be fought,-Emotions of Nisida on perusal of the poetic epistle.-Those who went to witness the duel, with some account of the preliminaries.-Narrative arrested by the voice of a complaining swain, singing between two trees.-Mireno, the object of compassion.-His doleful strain.-Resumption of Silerio's narrative.-Nisida swoons, and is adjudged to be dead.Departure of Timbrio for Naples.-Silerio follows, but does not find Timbrio, who had quitted the city without signifying whither he went.-End of the story of Silerio.-Resumption of the wedding process for Daranio, dashed by the presence of the mournful Mireno, who sighs for Silveria, the betrothed of Daranio.-His manifestations of grief interrupted by certain who came to announce the espousals of Daranio.-Mireno draws from his bosom a paper, to be delivered to Silveria.-Elicio reads the effusion to the assembled clan of shepherds-Daranio's wedding.-Games at it.-Daranio's appearance and a description of his attire with that of his bride, Silveria.—Conversation of Erastro and Elicio.-Lines sung by Lenio.-Sacrifice at the fane where Daranio and Silveria were united.-Account of the banquet.-An eclogue recited by Orompo, Massilio, Crisio and Orfenio, in which their especial loves were celebrated.-About the superiorities of the contenders.-Dissertations on the tender passion, by Damon. -Dancing resumed.-Introduction of three shepherds, Francenio, Lauso, and Arsindo.-Answers and replies to riddles and glosses.Inspiriting verses by Arsindo.-Proposal to escort Galatea home, which she declines.-Teolinda oppressed with affliction at the nonappearance of Artidoro at the revels. She passes the night with Galatea and Florisa. THE noisy rejoicings which, on occasion of the wedding of Daranio, took place that night, did not hinder Elicio, Thirsis, Damon, and Erastro from partially participating them, yet were they not so disturbed that Silerio could not resume the thread of his narrative, who, asking silence, when the company was settled, thus pursued the story : With the feigned verses of Blanca, which I told you I recited to Timbrio, he rested satisfied that my sorrow did not appertain to Nisida, but to my love for her sister; and, thus assured, asking pardon for his false impression, he turned to a remedy, and forgetting my own, I did not neglect what reference to his. Some time elapsed, yet did not fortune, as I wished, open to me an opportunity to disclose to Nisida the truth of my cogitations, although she always asked me how my friend succeeded in his love matters, and if the lady was aware of them. To this I hinted that the fear of giving offence restrained me from advancing_anything, at which Nisida was disconcerted, and called me recreant and bereft of discretion, adding that as I had deflected from manliness that either Timbrio did not feel the grief which I had announced, or that I was not the true friend I boasted to be. All this induced me to discover myself the very first opportunity, which I did one day when alone with her, and she listened, with a subdued silence, to all I wanted to say. Then to the best of my ability I appraised the virtue of Timbrio, and the undoubted love he entertained for her, which was so powerful that it had moved me to undertake the mean office of buffoon only to find an occasion of imparting to her what I had already done, superadding other reasons which made Nisida credit the statement. She did not wish to express by words that which by acts she could not conceal-indeed with gravity and a marked probity, she reproved my temerity, charged me with audacity, misrepresented my words, and shocked my confidence, yet 'not so that I was banished her presence, which was what I had most in apprehension. She wound up, however, by telling me that from this time forth it would be more profitable to rely on her sense of propriety, and not to mention any more about the disguise. This result closed the tragedy of my life, for I understood from her that Nisida would listen to the complaints of Timbrio. What breast could contain the grief which was concentrated in mine, for the end of this desire was the all and the end all of my contentment. I now rejoiced at the good beginning I had made in behalf of Timbrio's remedy, and this joy greatly redounded to my grief, as it appeared to me, for in truth it was so, that seeing Nisida in another's power, my own fell off. Oh, strength, inexpressible of true friend ship, where dost thou extend thyself, and to what hast thou brought me for I, forced by thy obligation, whetted the steel, by my own industry, which was to cut off my dear hopes, which dead in me revived in Timbrio, when he heard from me the nature of the interview. Yet she contrived all so warily with me and him, that she never gave indication of love for either of us, nor did she denote disdain, the forerunner of a total abandonment of the cherished enterprise. A notice having been forwarded to Timbrio from his old foe Pransiles, that knight whom he had affronted at Xeres, and desirous of satisfying his honour, a challenge was sent, notifying that a clear space and no favour was to be found on the property of the Duke of Gravina, allowing six months from thence to the day of combat. The care of this advice did not interfere with what related to love; on the contrary with my renewed solicitude and his services, Nisida acted so that she betrayed no coyness when she saw Timbrio, or when he visited her parents, preserving all that decorum which became her character. The date of the proposed duel approximating, and Timbrio seeing it could not be put off, resolved to go, but ere he departed he wrote a letter to Nisida, comprising in it what many months back, and in many words, he had commenced. This very letter I carry in my memory, and to perfect my story I will not pretermit the occasion to recite it, TIMBRIO TO NISIDA. 1. That health he sends to thee, who knows not health, Nisida, or expects future fruition, If it come not through your abundant hands. 3. Still the relentless fury of passion 4. Between a daring state and a cold fear, |
