Fortunes tennis-ball, or, The most excellent history of Dorastus and Fawnia rendered in delightfull English verse, and worthy the perusal of all sorts of people / by S.S., Gent.

CANT. II.

Pandosto seizes on his Queen, What various griefs and woes are seen? She brings a Daughter forth, whom he Leaves to the mercy of the Sea, In a frail boat: Bellaria's try'd For looseness and for Paracide: But by Apollo's upright doom, She scapes a wisht-for Martyrdom. The Prince Garinter dies, whose death Bereaves the Queen Bellaria's breath. Pandosto's penitence (too late) Who builds a Tomb to humour fate.

EGistus thus delivered by the god, From eminent ruine, all their Altars loads With Sacrifices, for their blest support, When death did want him in Pandosto's Court: Whose Citizens are all in uproar, they Believe that the Sicilians went away Doubting some curst contrivance, since their flight Was shrouded with the sullen mists of night: But King Pandosto now will Pawn his life, That his Cup-bearer (Franion) and his Wife Bellaria, had plotted this protection, Prov'd by the fervency of her affection: So swoln with rage, he instantly commands Thsse of the Guard, to lay their guity hands

Upon his guiltless Queen (there's no denial) And make her Prisoner till the day of tryal: The Guard (with much reluctancy) perform The King commands, the words of Kings can charm. They find her playing with her pretty Son Garinter, and declare what must be done Bellaria swouns for sorrow, when she hears The cruel message (which they tell in tears.) But her immaculate, thrice spotless mind. Sings her Quietus, though her death's design'd Away she goes (free from the thought of crime) In doleful sighs and tears to pass the time, Pandosto then complains (his own disgrace) That King Egistus had supply'd his place. Rode in his saddle, (tho his old companion) By the lewd practice of the Traytor Franion Who now is fled away with Sicils King, He therefore, must be just in punishing His Wifes adultery, the people (who Do never further than the outside go) Easily fancy the report, she stood (Say they) one fair in fame, she once was good: The injur'd Queen mean time is tyr'd with wo; And now (as Fates conspire her overthrow) She finds her self with Child, she wrings her hands, For now, quoth she, the King confirmed stands, (Who cruelly consents to credit fables) That Egist. put a wrong point in his tables:

O how does Fortune in disaster vary, Tho' safely brought to bed, I must miscarry; The sailor bears a part in this same Ditty, And thinking it would move the King to pity, Conveys the story to his Royal Ear, Who raves & foams like some incensed Bear, Baited by Mastiffs: he shall surely die, Qd. he, tho' Iove should give my words the lie: Her Bastard too shall suffer death, by this, The Glory of the Sex delivered is Of a fair Daughter, this Pandosto hears, And holding up his hand to Heaven, swears Both Child & Mother shall be burnt with fire, His Nobles strive to mitigate his ire: They tell him that his Queen had ever prov'd How much she honour'd, & how much she lov'd His sacred Person; say she were defil'd Nature and Justice yet would spare the child: But all these reasons cannot abate his grudge, Who is the Queens Accuser, and her Judge: But yet at last he is content to spare The child, but find a death more cruel far: He lights on this device: the child, quoth he, As't came by Fortune, so to Destiny I will commit it in a sledgy Boat; This Royal infant must on Neptune float; Left to the mercy of the winds & seas, But Heaven has care of such sweet Babes as these: He then commands his Guard to fetch the Brat (For so he terms it) who was sucking at

Its mothers milky tears; what heart can think? Had I huge Oaks for Pens, the sea for Ink, And Homer's deathless Verse, I could not show Half the stern horror of Bellaria's woe. Half dead they leave the Queen, and bring the child Whose face would make a savage Scythian mild, Unto the King, who strait commands his guard To put it into the little Boat, prepar'd For this fell purpose, neither Rudder nor A Sail to guide it to some happy shore: The Infant plac'd, unto a ship they tye The little Bark, and hale it instantly Into the Main; this done, they cut the cord, And then return to certifie their Lord. They were no sooner gone, but there arose A mighty Tempest, like to potent foes; Austes with Boneas fights, the seas swell high, The sparkling Surges front the weeping Skie. But here the Muse must leave this Theam a while And unto King Pandosto turn her stile: Who yet not glutted with revenge, conveens All his chief Lords, declaring that he means, His trothless Queen in open Court to try, For Murder (meant) and for Adultery: Behold, Bellaria's at the Bar, she throws A light about her, though hem'd in with woes. Her innocence gives courage above thought. And now the Kings hir'd witnesses are brought Who heard the hapless Queen declare her grief, That King Pandosto ever had the chief

Seat in her heart, that she had ever been His faithful subject, and his loyal Queen: That she no love had to Egistus shown, But such as strictest Anchorites might own: Pandosto tells her, that her surest fence (Considering her Crime) was impudence: Her guilt emboldens her, but thou shalt die, Quoth he, by furious fire, to typifie Thy fate in Hell: Bellaria kneeling on The humble earth (in a distracted tone) Besought the King, by the great love he bare, To his young son Garinter, his sole heir, To grant her one request; 'twas this, to send Six of his Nobles, Phoebus to attend At Delphos, if that God (who all things knew) Should ratifie her guilt, all torments due To parricide, and vile adulterous sin, Practis'd against the Person of a King, Might be inflicted: this most just request So reasonable, could not find the least Repulse, without Pandosto by his deeds Will make it know, his Will all Law exceeds: The Queen returns to Prison, he to Court; And the six Lords together now consort For Cynthia's temple, & three weeks expir'd, Their feet salute that shore so much desir'd, With great Devotion the six Peers pass on, Unto the fame of fam'd Hyperion: Where come, they offer liberal sacrifice, And gratifie his Priests with Gifts of price:

They had not long chanted the Hymn divine Kneeling down before Apollo's shrine, But they might hear a voice resembling thun∣der, (To their great joy, but to their greater won∣der) Crying, Bohemians, what ye apt to find Behind the Altar, take up: 'tis the mind Of great Apollo, they forthwith obey, And find a parchment scroll, which thus did say.

THE ORACLE.

Suspicions are no proofs, and jealousie A Iudge that's swag'd by damn'd partiality: Bellaria's chast, Egistus void of blame, Pandosto treacherous, and void of shame: Franion's a Loyal Subject; the sweet Child, (That in a paper Cock-boat was exil'd Its native Country) is most innocent: Pandosto shall embrace his Monument, Without an Heir, unless the Femal's found, whom July men conjecture to be drown'd.

No sooner had the Lords this Schedule hand∣led, But by Apollo's Priests they were commanded, Not to presume to read it till they came Unto Pandosto (as they dread the name Of sacred Phoebus) home return'd, they tell The King what hapned at the Oracle: Shewing the scroll, the Nobles of the Land Intreat the K. he forthwith would command The Queen unto the Bar, and there, before The Lords & Commons, if she were a Whore,

Appoint her such a death as might deter Her sex from paths so much irregular; But if her grace were faultless found, that then She might be lov'd and honour'd once agen. This counsel pleas'd Pandosto, and next day His Peers they all appear, the people they May witness with them; poor Bellaria stands Before the Bar, to Heaven her eyes and hands She lifts, her soul-Indictment's read, but she Puts in a pithy and a noble plea; Pandosto then commands a Duke to read The scroll, being what Apollo had decreed: Which when the people heard, they clapt their hands While King Pandosto all amazed stands, Asham'd of his rash folly, but at last He begs Bellaria to forgive what's past: But while he's courting her, that's easily led, Black news is brought that Prince Garinter's dead, which soon as fair Bellaria hears, she dies, Her soul ascending to the Deities. The King (affectionate too late) so much Laments her death, his inward grief is such, For 3 days space he's speechless, but at length Recovering his forfeit speech and strength; He pours forth seas of tears, and makes such moan, Rocks would relent to hear him sigh & groan: But time asswages these laments: the King Makes preparation for the burying Of chast Bellaria, and his lifeless Heir, Whom in one sumptuous tomb he doth interr

Making such solemn Obsequies, as told How dear he did his Queen Bellaria hold: Upon whose Tomb (the glory of her kind) In golden Letters were these numbers sign'd, Here lies intomb'd Bohemia's blessed Queen, (Bellaria) whose fame shall flourish green; While Sol shall dart a beam, accus'd to be Ʋnchast and conscious of Adultery: But by Apollo's sacred arbitration, Restor'd with glory to her former station. Yet slain with grief at last, grief that had long Surchang'd her soul, caus'd by her Husbands wrong: Therefore whoe'r thou art that passeth by Curse him that caus'd this Royal Queen to die. Into this Monument once every day The King Pandosto would repair, to pay A dolorous Tribute, where (lamenting) we Will leave him, and review the raging sea, Where his young Daughter floats on Neptunes back, High Providence protecting her from wrack.