Arcadia. Sir Philip Sidney
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 but another Argalus), for her part she took as strange a course in affection. She desired to enjoy him more than to live, yet she overthrew both her own desire and his and in no sort would yield to marry him. It was a strange encounter of love’s affects and effects, that he, by an affection sprung from excessive beauty, should delight in horrible foulness and she of a vehement desire to have him should kindly build a resolution never to have him. For truth it is that she loved him so in her heart that she could not find in her heart that he should be tied to what was unworthy of his presence.
“Truly, sir, a very good orator might have a fair field to use eloquence in if he did but only repeat their lamentable and truly affectionate speeches. He conjured her by the remembrance of her affection and by true oaths of his own affection not to make him so unhappy as to think he had not only lost her face, but her heart. He said that her face, when it was fairest, had been but as a marshal to lodge the love of her in his mind, which now was so well placed as it needed no further help of any outward harbinger. He beseeched her, even with tears, to know that his love was not so superficial as to go no further than the skin, which yet now to him was most fair, since it was hers. How could he be so ungrateful as to love her the less for that which she had received for his sake? He never beheld her face without seeing the loveliness of her love towards him. He protested that he would never take joy of his life if he might not enjoy her from whom principally he was glad he had life.
“But (as I heard by one that overheard them) she, wringing him by the hand, made no other reply than to say, ‘My lord, God knows I love you. If I were princess of the whole world and had all the blessings that ever the world brought forth, I should not make delay to lay myself and them under your feet. If I had continued as I was, though (I must confess) far unworthy of you, yet would I (with too great a joy for my heart now to think of) have accepted your allowing me to be yours and with faith and obedience would have supplied all other defects.’
“ ‘But let me be much more miserable than I am before I match Argalus to such a Parthenia. I live happy, dear Argalus, but I give you full liberty, and I ask you to take it. I assure you I shall rejoice, whatsoever becomes of me, to see you so coupled as may fit both your honor and satisfaction.’ With that, she burst out in crying and weeping, no longer able to contain herself from blaming her misfortune and wishing her own death.
“Because Argalus with a most heavy heart still pursued his desire, she fixed her mind to avoid further entreaty and to fly from all company—even his—which grew unpleasant to her. One night she stole away, but to where is yet unknown, or what has become of her.
“Argalus sought her long, and in many places. At length, despairing to find her—and the more in despair, the more enraged—he grew weary of his life, but first, determining to seek revenge on Demagoras, he went alone disguised into the chief town held by the Helots, where coming into his presence, even though guarded about by many of his soldiers, he could delay his fury no longer for a better time, but setting upon him, despite a great many that helped Demagoras, he gave him several mortal wounds. No doubt he himself would also have been murdered if Demagoras himself had not desired he might be kept alive—possibly with the intention to feed his own eyes with some cruel execution to be laid upon him.
“Death came to Demagoras sooner than he expected, yet he had time to appoint his successor, a young man who not long before had been delivered out of the prison of the king of Lacedemon, where he should have suffered death for having slain the king’s nephew. He was absent, and making inroads upon the Lacedemonians, when Demagoras named him. Once he returned, the rest of the Helots, for the great liking they felt for that young man, were content to follow Demagoras’ appointment, especially because they had none among themselves to whom the others would yield.
“Since his succession this young man has done things beyond the hope of the youngest heads. I mention him because he has hitherto preserved Argalus alive, if only with intention to have him publicly, and with exquisite torments, executed after the end of these wars, of which the Helots hope for a soon and prosperous issue.
“And he has likewise so far kept my young lord Clitophon alive, who went with certain other noble men of Laconia, and forces gathered by them, to redeem his friend by laying siege to this young and new successor, who, to the wonder of all men, defeated the Laconians, slew many of the noblemen, and took Clitophon prisoner, whom with much ado he kept alive, the Helots being villainously cruel. He tempered them so, sometimes by following their humor, sometimes by striving with it, that hitherto he has saved both their lives, but in different estates. Argalus is kept in a close and hard prison. Clitophon is at some liberty.
“Now, sir, though to say the truth, we can promise ourselves little of their safeties while they are in the Helots’ hands, I have delivered all I understand touching the loss of my lord’s son, and the cause thereof, which, though it was not necessary to Clitophon’s case to be so particularly told, yet the strangeness of it made me think it would not be unpleasant to you.”
Chapter 6
Palladius Tricks the Helots
Palladius (Musidorus) leads an army from Arcadia to rescue Clitophon from the Helots who have revolted in Laconia. He adopts a stratagem that makes it look like the Arcadian commoners have also rebelled and takes the city of Cardamila, while the new Helot captain (Pyrocles, still using the name Daiphantus) is negotiating with the Laconian nobility. When Daiphantus returns, he recognizes Musidorus, then uses persuasion rather than force to save Argalus from the Helots. (1593 ed. 11.20)
Palladius thanked Kalander’s steward greatly, being ever passionately delighted to hear so strange an accident of a knight so famous over the world as Argalus, whom he had himself long desired to meet, for had fame poured into him a noble emulation towards him.
But well bethinking himself, he called for armor and asked to be provided with horses and a guide, and fully armed except with helmet off, he went to Kalander, whom he found lying upon the ground, having banished both sleep and food because he thought they were enemies to that mourning that passion had persuaded him was reasonable. But Palladius raised him up, saying:
“No