Chapter 11

      The Go-Between

      Helen of Corinth relates how she fell for Amphialus (Basilius’ nephew, whose hopes of inheritance were dashed when Basilius married late in life), when Amphialus wooed her for his friend Philoxenus. In despair after killing Philoxenus in self-defense and because Timotheus, the father of Philoxenus, died of shock, Amphialus cast off his armor, which Musidorus found and put on in Chapter 10. Ismenus, Amphialus’ squire, relates how Amphialus has adopted Philoxenus’ spaniel. Musidorus tells Ismenus to take Amphialus’ armor back to him. (1593 ed. 20.2)

      “Know you that that my name is Helen, a queen by birth, and hitherto possessed of the fair city and territory of Corinth. I can say no more of myself but that I am beloved of my people—and I may justly say beloved, since they are content to bear with my absence and folly.

      “I was left by my father’s death, and accepted by my people, in the highest degree that my country could bestow. As soon as—or rather before—my age was ripe for it, my court quickly swarmed full of suitors. Some perchance loved my estate, others my person, but once I knew all of them, however my possessions were in their hearts, my beauty (such as it is) was in their mouths—strangers of princely and noble blood, as well as those of my own country to whom either birth or virtue gave courage to avow so high a desire.

      “Among the rest, or rather before the rest, was Lord Philoxenus, son and heir to the virtuous nobleman Timotheus. This Timotheus was a man beyond any of the great men of my country, whether in power, riches, parentage, and (what passed all these) goodness, and (what followed from all these) love of the people.

      “Now this son of his, I must say truly, was not unworthy of such a father. He bent himself by all means of serviceableness to me and set himself forth to win my favor. He won thus far of me that in truth I less disliked him than any of the rest, and in some proportion my face gave me away. Though I must protest it was a very false ambassador, if it delivered any affection at all, of which my heart was utterly void. At that time I esteemed myself born to rule and thought it foul scorn willingly to submit myself to be ruled.

      “But meanwhile Philoxenus, in good sort, pursued my favor and perchance nourished himself with over-much hope because he found I did in some sort acknowledge his value. One time among the rest he brought with him a dear friend of his.”

      With that, she looked upon the picture before her and straight sighed, and straight tears followed, as if the idol of duty ought to be honored with such oblations. And then her speech stopped her tale, for her tale had brought her to stare at the picture, which quite put her out of her tale. But Palladius, greatly pitying so sweet a sorrow in a lady, whom by fame he had already known and honored, besought her for her promise’s sake to put silence so long into her moaning until she had recounted the rest of this story.

      “Why,” said she, “this is the picture of Amphialus! What more need I say to you? What ear is so barbarous but has heard of Amphialus? Who follows deeds of arms but everywhere finds monuments of Amphialus? Who is courteous, noble, liberal, but he that has the example of Amphialus before his eyes? Where are all heroical qualities but in Amphialus? O Amphialus, I wish you were not so excellent, or I wish I thought you not so excellent, and yet, I wish I would not wish so.”

      With that, she wept again, until he again solicited the conclusion of her story, and she said, “Then you must know the story of Amphialus, for his will is my life; his life my history, and, indeed, in what can I better employ my lips than in speaking of Amphialus?

      “This knight, then, whose figure you see, but whose mind can be painted by nothing but by the true shape of virtue, is the brother’s son to Basilius, king of Arcadia. In his childhood he was esteemed Basilius’ heir, until Basilius, in his old years, married a young and fair lady and had of her those two daughters so famous for their perfection in beauty, which put by their young cousin Amphialus from that expectation. Whereupon his mother, a woman of a haughty heart, being daughter to the king of Argos, either disdaining or fearing that her son should live under the power of Basilius, sent him to Lord Timotheus (between whom and her dead husband there had passed straight bands of mutual hospitality) to be brought up in company with his son Philoxenus.

      “It was a happy resolution for Amphialus, for the good Timotheus, no less loving him than his own son, gave Amphialus’ excellent nature as good an education as any prince’s son in the world could have. It is thought that otherwise his mother, far unworthy of such a son, would not have given him such training.

      “Well, they grew in years, and shortly occasions fell aptly to try Amphialus. All occasions were but steps for him to climb fame by. Nothing was so hard that his valor, which still he guided with true virtue, did not overcome it. Although no man was in our parts spoken of for his manhood but he, yet as though therein he excelled himself, he was commonly called ‘the courteous Amphialus.’ An endless thing it would be for me to tell how many adventures—terrible to be spoken of—he achieved: what monsters, what giants, what conquests of countries (sometimes using policy, sometimes force). He always well-followed virtue, and was followed by Philoxenus. So fast a friendship was knit between them that at last Philoxenus, having no greater matter to employ his friendship in than to win me, therein desired that Amphialus further his cause.

      “To that purpose Amphialus brought himself to my court, where truly I may justly witness for him that what his wit could conceive (and his wit can conceive as far as the limits of reason stretch) was all directed toward setting forward the suit of his friend Philoxenus. My ears could hear nothing from him that did not touch on the worthiness of Philoxenus and on the great happiness it would be to me to have such a husband, with many arguments which, God knows, I cannot well remember, because I did