“Which conditions you see, carry in themselves no more contention than
assurance; for this is not a peace which is made with them; but this a
piece by which you are made of them. Lastly a forgetfulness decreed of
all what is past, they showing themselves glad to have so valiant men
as you are joined with them, so that you are to take minds of peace,
since the cause of war is finished; and as you hated them before like
oppressors, so now to love them as brothers; to take care of their
estate, because it is yours; and to labour by virtuous doing, that
posterity may not repent your joining. But now one article only they
stood upon, which in the end I with your commissioners have agreed
unto that I should no more tarry here, mistaking perchance my humour,
and thinking me as seditious as I am young; or else it is the king
Amiclas procuring, in respect that it was my ill hap to kill his
nephew Eurileon, but howsoever it be, I have condescended.” “But so
will not we,” cried almost the whole assembly, counselling one {35}
another rather to try the uttermost event than lose him by whom they
had been victorious. But he as well with general orations as
particular dealing with the men of most credit, made them see how
necessary it was to prefer such an opportunity before a vain
affection; but could not prevail till openly he sware that he would
(if at any time the Lacedaemonians brake this treaty) come back again,
and be their captain.
So, then, after a few days, setting them in perfect order, he took his
leave of them, whose eyes bade him farewell with tears, and mouths
with kissing the places where he stepped, and after making temples
unto him, as to a demi-god, thinking it beyond the degree of humanity
to have a wit so far over-going his age, and such dreadful terror
proceed from so excellent beauty. But he for his sake obtained free
pardon for Argalus, whom also (upon oath never to bear arms against
the Helots) he delivered; and taking only with him certain principal
jewels of his own, he would have parted alone with Argalus (whose
countenance well showed, while Parthenia was lost, he counted not
himself delivered, but that the whole multitude would needs guard him
into Arcadia, where again leaving them all to lament his departure, he
by enquiry got to the well-known house of Kalander. There was he
received with loving joy of Kalander, with joyful love of Palladius,
with humble, though doleful, demeanour of Argalus (whom specially both
he and Palladius regarded with grateful serviceableness of Clitophon)
and honourable admiration of all. For being now well viewed to have no
hair on the face, to witness him a man, who had done acts beyond the
degree of a man, and to look with a certain almost bashful kind of
modesty, as if he feared the eyes of men, who was unmoved by the sight
of the most horrible countenances of death; and as if nature had
mistaken her work to have a Mars’s heart in a Cupid’s body: all that
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