Don Zara del Fogo a mock-romance / written originally in the Brittish tongue, and made English by a person of much honor, Basilius Musophilus ; with a marginall comment, expounding the hard things of the history.

CHAP. I.

Zara's passionate Complaint against the Lady Gylo, and all her Sex in gene∣all. Soto mittigates his ire, they travell to Mount Mongibell, where he is munifi∣cently treated by Lamia the Witch.

REturned to their earth-wal'd Cittadell, the Champion and Soto (like penitent Pil∣grims) entered their Cave, hardly refraining to be∣dew each others Aspects with briny drops; Soto was the first that broke silence, who taking his Master by that hand made to pull up mighty Oaks, and pound prodigious Monsters and

tyrannous Tytans to attoms, * 1.1 Let not my Lord, said he, tollerate this sourse of sorrow and griping grief to over∣whelm him; we cannot, Sir, expound this aenigma, * 1.2 Edipus himself durst not enter the lists gainst this Sphynx, who knows but it may be the custome of this country for Ladies to treat their Lovers in this method; * 1.3 Womens actions are like their Wombs, not to be fathomed; but we have no Oracle to resort to, no Temple of Ammon or Cu∣mean Cave; for my part, I believe the Lady whom you are so vext at, is of too noble and generous a temper to welcom her Votarist with an affront, besides she seems no Penthiselea, no Camilla, or Britomart, that she should think her self of sufficient strength to Bulwark her Mansion, and all with∣in from the Battery of just vengeance, in case your warlike selfshould vow a devastation, there is therefore some Hyerogliphicall Catastasis to be ex∣pected of this matter. Thou art (said the Champion a Traytor to my Ho∣nour, and a betrayer of that Repute which I have hitherto retain'd despite of Envy; Dost thou think this could

be any other then a contumelious Quip; * 1.4 Love though he be blind can smell, and though thy sence and scent have forsaken thee at once, yet know that Zara cannot be deluded into a dull Heresie; henceforth I will abjure the thought of that nefarious Nitro∣sulphureous Sex, I will finde some Countrey where it shall be Felony to acknowledge I ever lookt upon a woman, and high Treason to say I had a Mother; let who will protect their persons, bols••er up their beau∣ties, cringe to their commands, and dye to do them service; Give me my Arms, I will instantly demolish this crazy Castle, and put all its Tenants to the Sword, not sparing this very woman, this vile woman, who has most egregiously abused the truest and Noblest Servant that ever laid leg o∣ver Lady. Soto perceiving that the Hemisphere being so strangely clou∣ded, storms and tempests must inevi∣tably ensue, fell upon his knees, im∣bracing * 1.5 the calves of the Champi∣ons legs, beseeching him for his sake (his fidelious servant Soto) to miti∣gate his justly conceived displeasure,

and not to destroy whole Families for the foolish perpetration of one whose ignorance (as to his person and parts) might somewhat excuse her crime; and though it be true (said Soto) that in all Comedies more know the Clown, then the Clown knows, and though your Fame fill the Universe, this Lady yet may be one of those whose eares have not suckt in the report: For thy sake, said the Champion, I will spare these wretches, and inhume my intended Revenge; I confess I had been too bloody but for thee; thus the Pelean Youth was perswaded by his Patroclus to wire draw the Fate of Troy; I do acknowledge my self a sworn servant to that sweet Sex, and (if with Neop∣tolemus) I had sacrificed this foolish Female to Rhamnusia, I could not have expiated the giddy crime without a tedious journey to Paphos; But let us leave this place, the Genius whereof (it seems) is an utter enemy to Errant Knighthood, he then mounted his prancing Palfrey who fed not far off, putting on his shining Armour, and inveloping his head with a Cap of

steel; Soto (having first repleated his Crib with ripe Dates, Almonds, and other fruits) had soon harnessed him∣self, and attended the motion of his Master, whose fretting soul occasion∣ed the galling of Founder-foots sides, and Soto's sweat, for the Knight rode as some would run for their lives, like such another Hotspur as Astolpho, or Rogero, posting away from Logestilla; and how long this eager mood would have held him, Heaven knows, if his eyes had not clapt plummets upon his heels, when he beheld a * 1.6 Mountain of an incredible altitude, for (like Atlas and Olympus) its head was hid in Clouds for many leagues upward, out of whose torrid entrails flaiks of fire (accompanied with most * 1.7 hide∣ous noyse) took flight to Heaven, towring in the troubled Ayre like so many ruin-portending Comets; these were no sooner vaded, but (with the same Thunder as before) stones farre bigger then those belonging to Meal-Mills, wer ejected with horrible fra∣gours, able to have astonished any Mortal save Zara, who all un-moved, beheld this flaming heap, being a

great Naturall; and well versed in Pliny, and Albertus Magnus, but yet he would not dare his Destiny by an o∣ver-hardy intrusion to neer the skirts of this voluminous Excrescence, whose 〈◊〉〈◊〉 were enough to perswade some that Tellus has formerly been a profound Tipler, and (to the immor∣〈…〉〈…〉 honor of good Fellowship) wears a rich face. The Champion had not long contemplated the mysterious, and not to be resolved * 1.8 Riddles that trackless Nature exhibits, but he per∣ceived a Cot (not thatcht, but cove∣red over with blue state, the outward walls seeming all of shining Glass, yet not withstanding more hard then i••on) on his left hand in an humble Valley, that lay about half a league from this fiery Mountain, * 1.9 as if this lowly Grot would teach aspiring mankind, that to be safe is to shun the Mountains heights of greatnes, a thick smoak issued out of the top of this te∣nement, the infallible symptome of some Hospitable Inhabitant, hither our Champion addressed himself, with a resolve to rest for some minutes, but knocking at the door with the pum∣mell

of his Sword, and calling to those (in all probability) within, he received no answer, onely the courte∣ous door of it self opened, as inviting him to enter, which he did, Soto fol∣lowing him; the first thing he beheld was a kind of Pen, or punee Prison, but far stronger then those the Brittish Shepheards immure their Flocks in, in it were included a great number of (seeming) * 1.10 Dogs, Wolvs, Badgers, Foxes, Apes, and Monkeys, who up∣on the Champions approach mani∣fested all the signs of Amity, the Dog•• wagged their tayles and friskt upon him, the Wolvs lickt his hands, the Badgers crouched at his feet, the foxes (throwing away all the wiliness) be∣came his real suppliants; Apes danced antick meerly to make him mirth, & the Monkeys (in the language of the face and the eye) made many prote∣stations of sincere service: Zara was something amazed at this strange (yet auspitious) entertainment from crea∣tures whom he had never before con∣vers'd with: what would have amated others, animated him; and that which to others had been * Lathe, to him

was Helens potion; nor was he so bestial, but to take notice of the cour∣tesie of these creatures whom he com∣plemented peculiarly, with so win∣ning a garb, that though Oratory were wanting, their silence spake more then some could have uttered with all the ornaments of Rhetorical Elocution: Passing these, he came to a door which he found fast lockt, but peeping thorow the Key-hole, he per∣ceived where a Lady of excellent beauty was sitting by a fire made of the roots of Fir, sorting heaps of herbs, a Girdle (borrowed from the head of a Hyena) full of Magical Cha∣racters about her waste, her Rod, Staff, and other implements of Sorce∣ry stood by her on a Table of Abster∣sive Ebony, and about her head (with such a noyse of Bees commonly make when they conglomerate) flew milli∣ons of * 1.11 Batts, Dorrs, & Butter-flyes: This Lady was no other then the En∣chantress Lamia, a woman insatiatly luxurious, insomuch that no Travel∣ler that way, of what degree or con∣dition soever, could escape her; those that refused to accompany her, she

immediately turned into beasts, ap∣pointing them perpetuall captivity; this wicked Witch knowing by her Art, that Don Zara should about this time visit Mount Mongibell; she (as was her constant manner upon the like occasion) transformed her self (at other times a meer Maegera, the very Emblem of deformity, and the compendium of a Chaos) into a most beauteous shape; Don Zara must be the Ulysses whom this Circe will ad∣mit to her imbraces, and now per∣ceiving his approach she commanded her ill-mannerd door to give him in∣gresse, and her self rising from her Chair gave him that welcom which denoted the high esteem she had of him; her Menial Train (which were all * 1.12 Statues of Marble, bearing the figures of untoucht Virgins) yielded him homage; an Ivorie Chair of its own accord branching it self beneath his buttocks, where he was no sooner seated, but a Table richly furnished with rare Vyands and sweet Wines opposed it self to his view, the Marble bodied Maidens waiting obsequiously and filling forth the Wine with much

agility. Soto (at the appointment of the Chantress) sat down also, but he who had noted the gogling of his eyes (roving up and down as if he meant to muster all the varieties in the room) would have concluded him a Puppet, whose every part found mo∣tion upon wire: The Champion as was his usuall guize) fed rapa ciously, and so gave Lamia good hope of his strenuous activity when Venus should make proof of his procreative part; the eating humour being over (gras∣ping a vast Goblet in his hand, where∣on was pourtrayed the History of Io, being turned into a white Cow, the great Jupiter Bulling her) he drank a deep health to the Inchantresse; Most excellent Lady, I now celebrate your Highness health with as true a heart as ever I came from Schoole; This said, he exhausted the steeple Bowl with such vigorous velocity, that Lamia could not but be astoni∣shed at the worthinesse of the man; Sir, quoth she, you are Master of all those wayes that win most upon us women; but I cannot but wonder at the bravery of your brain that can

brook such torrents as these: Sweet Lady, quoth the Champion, I always drink with the same courage that I use to cleave those Helms that are thought Thunder-proof.

Fill me a Bowl, that I may bathe my head in't, And rise like Phoebus in the East, Shaking my dewy locks—

This said, he kist the Inchantress with such ardency, as he would have eaten her lips off, who very patiently permitted him to dwell upon those Twin-Cherries, and sometimes to practise what good Rogero and Alcyna once experimented, when their Tongues became insoul'd, as Samp∣sons Foxes were inchain'd.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Soto hi•• Oration.
• * 1.2

  A Cunnin•• man or a tel∣ler of For∣tunes; th••s was he who told the old ••arl of Essex that h s Mi∣stris should make him headless.
• * 1.3

  Sentence.
• * 1.4

  〈◊〉〈◊〉 A••iome borrowed of Lycophron.
• * 1.5

  The more to win upon him; this kind of po∣sture was u∣sed by all suppl••••nts of old. See Cot∣tons Concord lib 20. p 30.
• * 1.6

  Read Sir John Man∣devils Geo∣graphy, l 40. And P••rchas. ••ilgrimage. Tome ••00. Tract. 10000.
• * 1.7

  Perhaps the howlings of damned souls
• * 1.8

  See Ari∣stotles Pro∣blems, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Pater, and unheard of Curiosities.
• * 1.9

  Sentenc•• borrowed out of Greens groa••sworth of w••••, p. 10.
• * 1.10

  Thes•• were once very proper men, but now Metamor∣phosed by this Circe into Beasts.
• * 1.11

  These were Devils no doubt, who Complemen ted Lami•• in such shapes S〈…〉〈…〉 Bodin de Bullibus, lib. 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.12

  These Damsels were crea∣••ed by De∣dalus, whose Statues (as Plato af∣firms would walk and 〈…〉〈…〉ew many ••ine tricks.