nicest eye can find a spot in—if the overvehement constancy of yet spotless affection may not, in hard-wrested constructions, be counted spot, which has made both him and his constant affection famous throughout this country.
“My master’s son Clitophon (whose loss gives the cause to this discourse and yet gives me cause to begin with Argalus, since his loss proceeds from Argalus) is a young gentleman of great birth, being our king’s sister’s son. He has a good nature, one that can see good and love it. Therefore he haunted the company of this worthy Argalus more than of any other. If there were not a friendship (which is so rare as it is to be doubted whether it be a thing indeed or but a word) at least there was a liking and friendliness, such as has brought forth the effects which you shall hear.
“About two years since, it so fell out that Clitophon brought Argalus to the house of a great lady, sister to my master, who had with her her only daughter, the fair Parthenia. She was fair indeed. I think that Fame itself dare not to call anyone fairer, if it be not Helena, queen of Corinth, and the two incomparable sisters of Arcadia. And what made her fairness much fairer was that it was but a fair ambassador of a most fair mind, full of wit, and a wit that delighted more to judge itself than to show itself. Her speech was as rare as precious, her silence without sullenness, her modesty without affectation, her shamefastness without ignorance. In sum, to praise her well, one must first set down what it is to be excellent, for so she is.
“I think you think that these perfections meeting, they could not choose but find one another, and delight in what they found, for likeness of manners is likely in reason to draw liking with affection. But actions do not always cross with reason. To be short, they loved, although for a while the fires thereof (hope’s wings being cut off) were blown by the bellows of despair, upon this occasion:
“There had been a good while before, and so continued, a suitor to this same lady, a great nobleman named Demagoras. Although from Laconia, he was a near neighbor to Parthenia’s mother. He was mighty in riches and power, and proud thereof, stubbornly stout, loving nobody but himself—and, for his own delight’s sake, Parthenia. He pursued vehemently his desire, and his riches had so gilded over all his other imperfections that the old lady (though contrary to my lord her brother’s mind) had given her consent. Using a mother’s authority upon her fair daughter, she had made Parthenia yield thereunto, not because Parthenia liked her mother’s choice, but because her obedient mind had not yet taken upon itself to make her own choice. The day of their assurance drew near, when my young lord Clitophon brought this noble Argalus, perchance principally to see so rare a sight as Parthenia was judged by all well-judging eyes.
“There were few days before the time of assurance appointed, yet Love, who saw he had a great journey to make in short time, so hasted himself that before her word could tie her to Demagoras, her heart had vowed her to Argalus, with so grateful a receipt in mutual affection that if she desired above all things to have Argalus, Argalus feared nothing but to miss Parthenia.
“By now Parthenia had learned both liking and misliking, loving and loathing, and out of passion began to take the authority of judgment, insomuch that when the time came that Demagoras (full of proud joy) thought to receive the gift of herself, she, with words of resolute refusal (though with tears showing she was sorry she must refuse) assured her mother she would first be bedded in her grave than wedded to Demagoras.
“The change was no more strange than unpleasant to her mother, who being determinately (lest I should say of a great lady, willfully) bent to marry her to Demagoras, tried all ways that a witty and hard-hearted mother could use upon so humble a daughter, in whom the only resisting power was love. But the more she assaulted, the more she taught Parthenia to defend; and the more Parthenia defended, the more she made her mother obstinate in the assault.
“Her mother at length found that Argalus eclipsed her daughter’s affection from shining upon Demagoras. As Argalus stood between them, she sought all means to remove him, so much the more as he manifested himself an unremovable suitor to her daughter. First she employed him in as many dangerous enterprises as ever the evil step-mother Juno recommended to the famous Hercules. But the more his virtue was tried, the more pure it grew, while all the things her mother did to overthrow him only served to set him upon the height of honor—enough to have moved her heart, especially to a man every way so worthy as Argalus. But she struggled against all reason because she would have her will and show her authority in matching Parthenia with Demagoras.
“The more virtuous Argalus was, the more she hated him. She thought herself conquered in his conquests and therefore employed him in more and more dangerous attempts. Meanwhile she used all extremities possible upon her fair daughter to make her listen. As to Argalus, the world sooner wanted occasions than he valor to go endure them. As to Parthenia, malice sooner ceased than her unchanged patience. It was hard to judge whether he in doing or she in suffering showed greater constancy of affection.
“It came to the point where by treasons Parthenia’s mother and Demagoras would have made away with Argalus, but he with providence and courage so passed over all, that the mother died from spiteful grief, her heart broken.
“Demagoras was sure that Parthenia would be never his, now that she was her own woman, and he received as much by her own determinate answer. Not desiring his own happiness, but rather envying Argalus, whom he saw with narrow eyes even ready to enjoy the fruition of his desires, he strengthened his conceit with all the mischievous counsels which disdained love and envious pride could give him, and when Argalus went home to fetch some of his principal friends to honor the marriage that Parthenia had most joyfully consented to, the wicked wretch found a time. Wicked Demagoras, I say, asked to speak with Parthenia, and her weak arms in vain resisted his unmerciful force as he rubbed all over her face a most horrible poison. The effect of the poison was such that never leper looked more ugly than Parthenia. Although her servants were as ready to revenge her as could be in such an unexpected mischief, Demagoras had his men and horses ready when he was done and departed away.
“When the abominableness of this deed came to my lord Kalander, he made such means both through our king’s intercession and his own that Demagoras was banished from the country by the Lacedemonian king and senate, upon pain of death. Demagoras hated the punishment, where he should have hated the fault. He therefore joined himself, with all the power he could make, unto the Helots, lately in rebellion against the state. And they (glad to have a man of such authority among them) made him their general, and then under him they committed the kind of outrageous villainies that a base multitude full of desperate revenge can imagine.
“Argalus returned not long after Parthenia suffered this pitiful attack. The poor gentleman had her fair image in his heart and promised his eyes the uttermost felicity. Nobody dared tell him what happened, and so his eyes were the first messengers to themselves of their own misfortune. I mean not to move passions with telling you the grief of both of them when he knew her, for at first he did not. And when he did recognize her, his virtue was not so ready that he could not help at first but to lament the loss of such a jewel, so much the more because men skillful in the art of medicine assured him that her face was permanently disfigured.
“Nonetheless noble Argalus shortly showed the truth of love, which still held the first place in his memory. He revealed a virtuous constancy, even a delight to be constant. He had given his faith, and his inward worthiness showed through the foulest mists. Both with such comfort as witty arguments may bestow upon adversity and also with the most abundant kindness that an eye-ravished lover can express, he labored to drive the extremity of sorrow from her. He hastened the celebration of their marriage, unfeignedly showing himself no less cheerfully earnest than if she had never been disinherited of that goodly portion which nature had so liberally bequeathed to her. And he deferred his intended revenge upon Demagoras so that he might continually be in her presence, showing more humble serviceableness and joy to content her than ever before.
“Although he gave this rare example of constancy (not to be hoped for of anyone
