The troublesome and hard adventures in love. Lively setting forth, the feavers, the dangers, and the jealousies of lovers; and the labyrinths and wildernesses of fears and hopes through which they dayly passe. Illustrated by many admirable patterns of heroical resolutions in some persons of chivalry and honour; and by the examples of incomparable perfections in some ladies. A work very delightfull and acceptable to all. Written in Spanish, by that excellent and famous gentleman, Michael Cervantes; and exactly translated into English, by R. C. Gent.

CHAP. XXIX. How Philorenus the younger, and Cerasilla lost each other in the wood: and how the elder Philorenus, was delivered out of the Aegyptians Cell by Cerasilla.

NOw though they had made sufficient provision of money, yet when hunger began to gnaw them, having disgested their meat by their walk or rather flight, they wist not what shift to make for victuals. Insomuch that they went straying up and down the wood to see if they could find any roots or wild fruit growing there, intend∣ing to feed on them, till finding the way to some house they might buy other kind of meat. But mistresse Cerasilla, being weary of raunging and overtaken with sleep, lay down amidst the bushes, and prayed my brother also to rest himself a while: but he having more mind to eat then to sleep, bid her take her rest and he would in the mean time seek for some victuals a∣gainst she waked. Insomuch that he marked the place where he left her, and went towards the side of the wood whence he might see a chimney smoaking. Whereof glad, though he fea∣red

lost he should be mett with, hee ventured and went to the house, where he found a poor old woman sitting by the fire all alone, and desired her of all friendship, to let him have bread for his mony. The woman perceiving that he was some Gen∣tleman of account (in mean time may it please you to note that my brother and mistresse Cerasilla had changed apparel in the way. each taking that sute which agreed to their sexe) told him that she had bread, but she feared it was too brown for his eating but he desiring her to let him have it such as it was, she brought him four loaves, which he took, and paying her as much as she asked, to the wood he returned as fast as he could: where he had espied a fountain, and therefore stayed not with the old woman to drink, she proffering him a glasse of Cydar, being a kind of wine made of apples. For he purposed to carry mistresse Cerasilla bread first, and then to lead her to the said fountain, and there with her to quench his thirst. But when he came to the place where he left her, mistresse Cerasilla was not there; for waking out of her sleep, she went to see if she could méet with him; for because he had been something long away (séeing the place whither he went for bread, was about one league from the wood, and he had wandred up and down the wood about two or three hours, ere he came to the wood side whence he espied the smoak) she suspected that he was lost in the wood, and could not find the way to come unto her again. And so it came to passe, that she seeking him lost him, and he not finding her, lost himself. For he was so distracted with sor∣row and grief, that as a man abandoning all hope, & in a man∣ner dispairing, he sate down, and laying his elbow on the ground to support his head, began in this manner to exclaim against Fortune for her spighfull entreatment,

Ah Fortune, I perceive my destinies have ordained me to be the subject whereon thou mayest work thy power, and shew thy inconstancy: and whereon thou dost plant the banner of thy forces, and hang up the trophees of thy victories: For who is there that is acquainted with the course of my life, that dare deny, but that every part thereof hath bin guided by Fortune,

and subject to her accidentary government? For after the day of my birth (the circumstance whereof may be attributed to no power but to the hidden secrets of dame Nature onely) was it not a chance and accidental cause. that I should with my cradle by my parents be carried out of my country, and live in exile, before I knew what exile, yea what life was? was it not (say I) a token of the sparkles of anger which began to glister in the heart of Fortune, and a manifest sign that she began to menace and threaten me some disastrous hap in time to come? For I lived not many weeks after, but I saw the fire flame, which was kindled of the former sparkles, and I tried the force of her menaces- For before we could reach to any place where we might sojourn, death bereft me of my dear mother, before nature allowed me to acknowledg the benefit which by her I had and did receive.

This done, Fortune seemed not not to have wreaked her anger sufficiently, and as yet became nothing more méek; for after my mother was buried, and her funeral rights celebra∣ted, we came to the village Cinqueni, where I was deprived of my father, all the hold of my hope, and the pillar of my well∣fare. Now Fortune thought her selfe prettily well reven∣ged on me that had never offered her any wrong, and began to turn her frowns into smiles, and her anger into favour. For who can deny, but that it was an especial good turn of Fortune to snatch men out of the cruel claws of griping death, whereas none other might escape the rage and fury of the massacring souldiers that were sent to overthrow the said village, being the place of our habitation? Vnlesse it be so that I had some brother, who (though I knew him not) received the same fa∣vour at Fortunes hands that I had, to the end that after wee had been shrined up by Fortune, I in the house of the good Sergeant, and he in the court, we should both of us fall into the gulph of extream misery, and that being led into adversity, we should féel the effect of Fortunes anger, which for a time she dissembled, feigning to favour us, where she procured means to wrong us.

But among other calamities, what can be more grievous unto me, then to be so separated from my brother (if I may by Natures consent claim any such title) that I never should have séen him yet, nor be like to see him hereafter? Neither is it a lesse torment for me, that by him I should be brought into these miseries, and that he should be cause of all my mishap, who no doubt, if he knew it, would if he could redresse my ca∣lamitie. But séeing he is not in Persia, assuredly some mis∣cheif hath befallen him, wherewith Fortune hath purposed to work both our destructions. The Gods grant that I may pro∣phesie falsly, though the apparent shew of all things force me to divine the contrary. And lastly, this latter pinch of For∣tunes spight, in that she is absent who is the cause that I am present, (yea, simpliciter that I am, for without her I had now not béen at all) in rancour doth surpass all the malice that hi∣therto she hath ever endeavoured, laboured, or enterprised a∣gainst me. Ah swéet Cerasilla, courteous Cerasilla, yea most lo∣ving Cerasilla, how wilt thou blame and accuse me of mon∣strous ingratefulness if thou suspect that I have puposely left thée of free will and counsel, and voluntarily abandoned thee? But I hope thou wilt not hold such opinion of me but rather impute this hapless chance to Fortune, who hath sworn to make me miserable.

And alas whither shall I go, or what way shall I take? since y^e sweet guide is taken from me in whose cōpany I came hi∣ther, my coming is not from imprisonment to liberty, or thral, dom to freedom, or from death to life; but rather from one kind of captivity, bondage & death, into an other; altering the man∣ner of my misery, not abating the extremity of my calamity.

Therewith my brother Philorenus, not able speak to any longer for the multitude of sighs which he fetched from his heart, and tears which spouted out of his eys, he wept most bit∣terly, in which plight I will leave him a while, and declare unto you what Fortune mtstresse Cerasiila had: who having strayed up and down the wood a long time, and calling for Phi∣lorenus as loud as she could, weeping & lamenting his absence

in most grievous manner, at length she espied the cel where I was penned up by the villains, who had that morning shifted me, and taking my apparel with them to sell it, gave me an old garment of theirs to cover my body withal; and so leaving no man but me in the cell, barred the door on the out side and went their way: and Cerasilla having eyed the cell, hoping to find Philorenus my brother there (for she had forgotten her hun∣ger) made hast to draw near, & knocking at the door she heard her first Philorenus speak, for whose cause she made such ac∣count of the other being my brother. For when I heard one knock, I asked who was there? whereupon she answered. Ah swéet Philorenus! (thinking that I was the other whom she had lost, for our voices were not more different then our fa∣ces) what art thou there? I must confesse my self beholding to Fortune for this good hap; but why dost thou not let me in? I having forgotten her voice, it being altered by reason of the affection wherewith in a lamentable manner she pronounced her words, replied. Whatsoever you be whom fortune hath sent to comfort me after my long imprisonment, if you wil sée me, then must you from the out-side undo the door, and remove such bars or stops that hinder or let you from entring séeing I am shut in, and cannot come forth.

Cerasilla marvelling at my spéech, with a knife she cut the string wherewith the cell door was fastened, and opening the door, asked me where I was? insomuch that I looking by the light that came in at the door (for it was dark within) I saw Mistresse Cerasilla stand before the cell, the sight of whose pre∣sence cast me into such a trance, y^t it might have béen thought I had béen metamorphosed, as they that looking on Medusaes head were transformed into stones. But when Cerasilla saw that I neither came, nor gave her any answer, she stepped into the cell, where she saw me lye on the ground, not onely tongue-tyed without speaking, but also leg-tied, being bound with a strong cord. Which sight, although it was sufficient to make her lose her wits, & become as much altered as I was my self: yet the necessity wherein I was requiring aid, moved her to o∣vercome

her own passions and to ad her helping hand to wake me out of the extasie wherein I lay. At length being come to my self, I said. Ah what fortune hath sent thée to this solitary wood to deliver me from this misery? Whose presence is more welcome to me, then if some heavenly Godess had come to lose the bands which your most delicate fingers have untwined. and therewith twisted the knot of the true and sincere love, wherewith I most loyally honoured thée for the time that I lived in the Court. Ah Cerasilla had I known that thou hadst béen so mindfull of my service, and that thou didst accept of the pains or rather pangs which I suffered for love of thee, the ca∣lamity which I have béen pestred with in this noisom prison, for the space of these ten moneths or more, had not been so grievous unto me as it hath been. For the sweet thought and pleasant conceit which my brains hath béen occupied with, in perpending and remembring your excellent beauty and rare vertues, hath taken more force in the pareke of my understan∣ding, and so combred my mind with the delightsome memory of your personage, that it had quite blotted out all thought of the injury which I have received at fortunes hands, and expel∣led all such grief from my heart which I did take for the pit∣tiful and lamentable entertainment which I have had in this loathsome cell. Where ever since the second day that I departed from the Court for I have béen compelled to abide, being fallen into the hands of certain Egyptian théeves, who haunting these woods, violently set upon me and my men, be∣ing either all slain, or some fled, robbed me of all my treasure and baggage that I had with me, and either pittying to kill me outright, or rather supposing they should use me too curte∣ously if they ended my misery with death, they have kept me here in this cell in such manner as you find me; leaving me here this morning, and going to some town or other to sell the apparel which I had, seeing the money which they found in my male was much diminished, and their store greatly impaired.

Cerasilla ravished into admiration by the strangenesse of

this accident, was doubtfull at the first of me, thinking that I had been the same Philorenus that came with her from the Court, and whose life she had saved by her policy: but wel per∣pending my words, and applying them to the things both pas∣sed and present; she remembred that the Knights who were sent into Persia said, that they had heard that I had been seen in a certaine towne within two dayes after I departed from Naples, and besides, she did see that I had on other cloaths then the man whom she left in the woods, which forced her to be∣leeve me, and to know how she had been deceived in taking another man instead of me.