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. VI.

Zara having left his Love Lamia, meets with a Noble woman of No-land, she tells the story of Prince Emansor (son of Pa∣raclet and Maulkina) changed in his Cradle: The Counterfeit is exposed to the mercy of wild Beasts. Emansor re∣turns, and is known to his Parents. Duke La-Fool undertakes to prove the Princess Maulkina a Prostitute. Champions re∣sort from all parts of the world, proffering their service to the Princess. Don Zara also resolvs for her vindication.

HAving thus quitted Lamia's Man∣sion, our Don kept the beaten Road, riding a very easie pace, vext with various cogitations, till he arri∣ved upon a vast Plain, whose immen∣sity gave him occasion to cast up his * 1.1 eyes to Heaven, to see if the Sun were not neer his Western Region, but finding he had many miles yet to travail, he resolved to pass that Plain and to Quarter in the next Quarry he

met with; as he was thus contempla∣ting (turning himself about to speak to Soto) he might perceive a Lady of incomparable beauty, mounted on a white Steed, richly trapped (clad af∣ter the Amazonian manner, in her hand a shell fashioned like a Shield, whereon was most lively pourtrayed the figure of some illustrious Princess, she was attended by one onely Squire, his body short, his beard long, his face pale, and his hair red, these fol∣lowed hard after the Champion, who imagined that Lamia might (perhaps) have repented of her morosity, and was now in pursuit of him, to give the other odd on-set (by way of storm) to his most impregnable sesolve, and therefore he stood still expecting her approach, who was no sooner within Tongue-shot of him, but allighting from her Steed, whom she committed to the custody of her Squire, she made most humble and lowly obeysance to the Champion, who very courteously commanded Soto to raise her from the earth, for quoth he, I love not to see your soft Sex fall upon the knee, but the * 1.2 back, or to hear ye supplicate

for any thing save a * 1.3 Syringe: The Lady knew not well how to expound this language, onely she thought the Champion a very conceited Worthy, a jocular Heroe, a sportive Martialist;

* 1.4 Sir Knight, said she (whose lo••ks, language, and gesture create strange thoughts within me) be pleased to know, that I am (I will not say the first) of those Ladies of Honour, who wait upon the high-born, illustrious, and refulgent Maulkina, Daughter to the high and mighty Prince Paraclet, Prince of No-Land, on the confines of whose Territories we now are, so it is that the Divine Maulkina having been a vowed Votaress to Diana (whose Priestess she was, and whose Oracles she exhibited) upon a night as she sat at the feet of the Image of that chaste Deity, Deaths elder-brother, Tyger∣taming Somnus sealed up her eyes, when behold, Jupiter descended in the shape of a brave young Prince, and had the fruition of her body, to the filling of her belly, as saith the Adage, with young bones, so that she became altogether incapable of officiating in Diana's Temple, therefore exchanging

the Church for the Court, after nine Moneths were expired, Lucina falling from Heaven (with her two Hand-Maids Sarah Safety, and Joan Ease) she made Prince Paraclet a Grandsire, to his little joy, when he perused the Infants person so monstrously mis∣shapen, his fore-head flat, his eyes squinting, his nose hardly visible, his lips thick, yet flaggy, his chin resem∣bling a Town-top with a brass nayl at bottom, his bulk a very Babel of deformity, his legs borrowing their shape from a new bent Bow, and his feet displaying themselvs very dread∣fully; nor were his internal indow∣ments incompatible with his shape, for (comming to years of discretion) his language and comportment pro∣claimed him rather the son of a Plai∣sterer then a Prince, the sons of Noble men he would shun, to accompany the sons of Citizens and Car-men, nor could ever be brought to the know∣ledge of Letters by all the endeavours that could be used, to the extream grief of Paraclet, and the unspeakable torment of Maulkina, yea, to the ge∣neral sorrow of the whole Realm, the

people whispering in corners, that this Incubus could not be the son of the great Jupiter, but rather the spu∣rious seed of some Swabber; these wild reports brought Paraclet to his wits end, and not knowing how to extinguish this fire without scorching his fingers, he resorted to the Oracle at Delphos, where after Celebration of the usuall Ceremonies) he received this Answer:

By subtile Goblins fraud, The reall Child of Maud, Was changed in the Cradle, By * 1.5 Tom, sirnamed Ladle, (Who is the master Elf, And does what list himself) But the true Son of Jove About the world does rove, (Not knowing of his Right) Being call'd the Fairy Knight; But by the Fates decree, This Faery Prince you'l see, (The lawfull Heyr of mo Land) Within few dayes in No-Land, When ere he haps to come, You'l know him by his Thumb,

Who with his Sword shall prove Himself the Son of Jove.

It were needless to recite with what astonishment Prince Paraclet (and all with him) received this Answer from Apollo, but hasting back to No-Land, Paraclet summoned his whole Nobi∣lity, who unanimously attending his pleasure, he declared unto them what the Oracle had spoken, demanding their speedy and serious advice, some councell'd one thing, some another, but after much hesitation, they voted as one man, that this prodigious Changeling should be conveyed into some Wilderness, and there left to the acceptation of his Elvish parents, whose advice (though Maulkina sway∣ed with a groundless commisseration withstood it) was suddenly put in practice, and this Perken Warbeck be∣ing den••ded of his greatness, resigned to the protection of those Goblins who gave him being; this action was diversly disputed on by the Vulgar, some applauding, some condemning, and all censuring; they were silenced by the arrivall of Emansor * 1.6 with 30.

Squires, cloathed all in green-a, who (by divine appointment) comming to Court, proffered his servic to Para∣clet, who beholding his well-built form and behaviour, but especially fixing his eyes on his fingers, percei∣ved his right-hand Thumb to be 12. digits longer then any of his other fingers, wherefore assuring himself that this was he whom the Oracle hinted, his own flesh and blood, and son of Jupiter and Maulkina, * 1.7 he im∣braced him in his arms, weeping over him as if he had been scourged with Scorpions; Emansor was wondrously astonished at this uncouth entertain∣ment, insomuch that for a long time he remained speechless, but a sober recollection having opened his organ pipes, he (on his knees) besought Prince Paraclet to inform him what motives prompted him to this aenig∣maticall Reception of one who was utterly a stranger to him; Paraclet a∣gain folded him in his arms, & beck∣ning to all about him, that stood at distance (marvelling at this strange inter-locution) he openly declared, that by the goodness of the Gods No-Land

was now restored to its ancient Glory, this being the true and one∣ly Sonne of his Daughter Maulkina, and his undoubted Heyre; This he spake with a lowd voyce, and then again saluted his Grandchild, while all there gave a showt, which eccho∣ed in every corner of No-land, shrewd∣ly shattering many Steeples and Stru∣ctures: By this time the welcome News came to the knowledge of the Princesse Maulkina, who came run∣ning swifter then a Roe to receive her long-lost Sonne into her bosom, the mutuall joy between Emansor and his Mother cannot be exprest in words. I shall therefore give the Reader leave to think as he lists, onely I must not omit what a gene∣rall Joy was every where manifested by the multitude, who (like Loyall Subjects) were even drunk for Joy of their new Prince; * 1.8 he that did not stagger as well as stammer was immediately knockt down for a Traytor; After this, the sweet E∣mansor (according to the No-Land custome) took his Mother to wife,

by whom he has two Sonnes and one Daughter named Dowcabell, the mi∣racle of perfection, lately married to a Noble Personage, named DON ••VRBO-FALLACIO, who in Honour of his beauteous Bride, has appointed a Solemn Joust or Tour∣nament, to begin the Twelfth of this instant Moneth, having sent His Challenges to every corner of the Orbe, and bidding Defiance to any Prince, Champion, or Errant-Knight, that shall put his Lady (how exqui∣site soever) in competition with his brave Bed-fellow, whose shaddow this is; This was no sooner bruited abroad, but DON-LA-FOOLE Lord of a Neighbouring Iland, o∣penly declared his dislike, crying up his own Lady as the sole Glory of her Sex, and the most merriting Ma∣dam in the World, and the more to make himself odious to all Noble Spirits, proffers to prove the Prin∣cesse Maulkina a Prostitute by dint of Sword, having cheated the credu∣lous World with a false Report, that Emansor was not begotten by Jupiter,

for this reason he has entertained a great number of Knights and Cham∣pions to be in readiness against the appointed day, so that Prince Para∣clet and Emansor have cause to guesse that he intends rather a bloudy War, then a Wanton Tilt, and therefore they also have thought fit to streng∣then themselves against the day that must decide this Quarrell for Beauty; and this (most Noble Knight) was occasion that commanded me abroad, to summon in all those Knights of worth, whom the Gods of No-Land should appoint me to encounter with not doubting of your chearfull assist∣ance, when the most fair Maulkina and the Divine Dowcabell shall beg the ayd of your dead-doing arm.

The Celestiall Powers (quoth Za∣ra) I perceive are Favourers of thy Prince and People, that thus op∣portunely thou hast met with him, who will seat Paraclet and Emansor above fear or danger, and chastise the pride of that Duke LA-FOOL, else may Kill-za-Cow faile me in my greatest extremity, and Founder-foot

make a Halt, when I am riding to the Redemption of some Imprisoned Kings; The substance of this reful∣gent Shaddow shall bear the Bell from all Ladies that ever yet had a being, or shall illuminate the Earth for the future: But how neer are we to Prince Emansors Court, or must we expect a tedious Travaile ere we gain the sight of his Glorious Pa∣lace: My Lord, said she, some two Leagues hence (in a direct line with your nose) you shall finde a Ship (in Safe Harbour) riding at An∣chor in the Aegean Sea, owned by a Merchant of No-Land, who will think himself happi••ide in having the Honour to transport your selfe and Soto your Squire; it is but four houres Sayle (though I confesse those Seas are something dange∣rous,) from thence to Zardonia∣pola-Mancha, the Metropolis of No-Land, where Prince PARAC∣LET and EMANSOR reside in their gorgeous Pavillions: My self (my Lord) must yet further by Land: Having said this, she took

her leave in a most submissive man∣ner, receiving a friendly Farewell from the CHAMPION, who now mended his pace towards the Ocean, for thet he perceived Cynthius began to hide his countenance.

Notes

• * 1.1

  which he seldom did by reason of their sore∣ness occasi∣oned by a salt Rhume.
• * 1.2

  Meaning that he would back the•• in al 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• * 1.3

  A kind of Musical In∣strument fa∣shioned like a Reed, if it be skilfully plaid on, it puts to si∣lence the brawlings of bitter wives and attenu∣ates the friendship of the most fascinorous female.
• * 1.4

  Here be∣gins the sto∣ry of Prince Paraclet, Maulkina, & Emansor.
• * 1.5

  See the Book of walking Spirits.
• * 1.6

  For it was about the Spring of the year.
• * 1.7

  Here was true affection indeed.
• * 1.8

  O the sweet and cordiall Loyalty that the Ancients manifested to their Princes, where shall we now find such fidelious ••ervency!