SISIMITHRES

But though you cannot buy them, you can take them (I trow) if freely given you, can you not? I mock you not By all the Gods, but mean uprightly in't, I will not only give you these, but if You will be pleased to take it at my hands Bestow a richer gift, to which compared, These are but dross and rubbish. Why laugh you Sir? Ttrust me, but swear That you will use this gift as I shall teach you, And I'll perform my promise of the other. Let me prevail, And bind me still your servant. Then take and oath, and swear To follow my directions, so confirm it. It is sufficient, and I built upon Your faith, your trust and your religion; Here fellow, take this bag, and keep it for Your honoured Master. I cannot now acquaint you, for some reasons Best known unto my self, give me your hand To meet me without fail tomorrow morning At Isis Temple, thence I shall conduct you Unto my lodging, and in secret tell The sum of my request. Adieu, until we meet— Exit Sysimethres. Prithee honest friend Shall I entreat thee to go forth and bid The pretty girl without in the next room To come here to me. Oh wondrous fair and beautiful. See here the second gift I mean to give you: More precious then the first, you told me sir You had a daughter once, but raped by death. Here is another for you, use her well. Cease your wonder; The mother of this beauteous girl which here Stands before us for a certain cause Which you shall learn hereafter, laid her forth Clad in such weeds as commonly is used For such a purpose, so committing her To Fortune's doubtful chance, but I by hap Finding her took her up, for 'tis not lawful That we neglect a soul when once it hath Entered a humane body, (being a precept Amongst the wise men with us, to be whose Unlearned scholar I was once judged worthy) Be ides even in the infants eyes appeared, Something which bred both wonder and delight. With her I found this bag of precious stones Whi h I gave you of late, and a silk cloth Wrought full with letters in her mother tongue, Wherein contained was her whole estate; Her mother as I guess procured the same, Which a ter I had read, I knew from whence and what she was, and herefore carried her Into the Land far distant from the City Delivering her to certain honest shepherd's To bring her up, with charge that they should not Reveal her unto any; for those things That were found with her I detained with me, Least for them she might suffer any danger, And thus at first this matter was kept close. As touching her, first I commend her to you, (And to the gods who hitherto have kept her,) On such conditions as by oath you're bound To see performed, that is that you will use her As a free woman ought to be, and give her In marriage to a free man, as you do Recevie her at my hand, or rather of Her mother who hath left her to your charge: I hope you will perform all things according Unto your oath, and answer the opinion I have of your good manners, which I find By some few days experience to be Greekish indeed; this much I had to say Before I executed my commission Concerning my embassage, other secrets Belonging to the maid, i'll tell you them To morrow in more ample manner, if You please to meet me about Isis temple. Now I cannot Stay to discover what I know of her; The Deputy of Egypt hath appointed This day for hearing of me: farewell both. Exit Sysim. I think they do, and curse their arrogance That hath brought home the wars unto their doors; It cannot choose but vex their very souls To see so fruitful and so fair a soil, Their native Country, overrun and spoiled By the incursions of a hostile army. Fame gives it out, he is within this town Of Syene with the remnant of his army. Royal sir, As soon as we had cut the banks of Nile And let the river in upon the town, Inhabitants began to see and feel Their misery, for suddenly the water Encompassed fair Syene round about That it became and Island, and by sinking Into the earth below the walls foundation, The weight above began to shake as if It would have fallen down in every place; Then suddenly arose a piteous cry Amongst the people of the town, imploring The gods assistance, and the Deputy It seems by this extremity constrained First caused letters tied to a stone As messengers to be shot to our camp Out of a sling, and archers from their bows Sent their swift winged arrows to speak for them, But both fell short and perished in the water; At last when we by signs perceived their minds, As holding up their hands in token of Submission, and sometime behind their backs, In token they were ready to receive Bands so they might find mercy, we sent out Some boots to talk with them, who brought us word They would surrender to your royal hands The town of Syene, if you would be pleased To grant some poor conditions. First Oroondates makes request that he And all his soldiers without interruption May march forth as best suiteth their profession, With all their martial habiliments And arms about them, next to be convoyed to Elyphantina with your royal guard; Else he would rather die then live to be Condemned as a traitor to his king, For yielding up the City and betraying The army, and beside be put to death With racks and tortures. I grant it sir, But if the gods have ordered that this house So stately built by them, this temple rather Shall be reserved for their immortal uses, And have forbid that any mortal seed Shall dwell therein: it argue in you Sin and impiety so to repine At their decrees and secret operations. Enter a gentleman attendant. What does ail Your royal majesty, that you remain In such a studious meditation? Vouchsafe to hear, most gracious Sovereign, This strange appeal, and what this maid requires. Please you to attend, She will declare it. Justice and equity never looks into The person, but the cause, and he speeds best That brings best reasons. Wise and discreet men do not measure things By the appearance, but by equity. I can resolve you in the first, for I Was he that took her up, and carried her With me to Egypt, when you sent me thither Ambassador (you know we may not lie Who are Gymnosophists ) I know this Fascia, Written with Aethiopias royal letters. Therefore you needs not doubt that it is forged. Beside 'tis signed with Persinas hand; But there are other tokens that I gave To him that did receive you at my hands Can you produce them? She was also white That I brought up, and with this virgins age Does correspond the term of years when she Was forth exposed being seventeen years, So old seems this fair maid. The Fascia tells you how this came to pass, What Caricles, do you not know your friend? Have you forgotten the Aethiopian Legate? salutes him. One point is wanting yet, strip up your sleeve Fair maid, there was a black spot above your elbow. It is no shame to show a naked arm Before your parents for to prove your birth. Through the exercise of joy The wisest men, ofttimes we see are blinded. For at the first, great King you might perceive The gods liked not this sacrifice which was Ordained, who have every way declared Cariclea your daughter, and brought hither Out of the amid of Greece this reverend man, Who brought her up, to fortify your faith. Moreover it is plain by many signs And secret revelations that the gods Have fore-decreed this couple man and wife, And to that end have freed them from so many And imminent dangers, therefore let us suffer These divine miracles to sink into Our understandings, and from this time forward Do sacrifices more acceptable Unto the gods, who are not pleased with Humane oblations, but the blood of beasts. God save you reverend Father. May be so. But I have seen you often in this town Walking the streets, and read the character Of gravity and wisdom ciphered in Your aged face, wherein I think my judgement Nothing deceives me; and I do suppose You are and alien here as well as I, No natural Egyptian. I shall obey you, for my country, first It's Aethiopia underneath the line, My name Sisimethres employed now As Legate from my sovereign King Hydaspes, Unto the Deputy here, to forbid him To meddle with the mines, out of whose bowels The Smaragds dug were, which appertain To none but to the crown of Aethiopia: Now Sir you know me, be not scrupulous To let me understand so much of you, Something does prompt me strangely, that you have Some near relation to the gods, or else My Genius does deceive me. Most venerable Priest, and holy Father, Let me beseech you tell me what mischance Drove you from thence to these remoter parts? Then resolve me I wonder at it, pray relate the manner. I'll not press you Beyond good manners; Sir, I saw you buy Some herbs and roots that grow in India And Aethiopia for your use last day; If so you please, I can produce you such As never were better.