e to the worthinesse of their offence, and were put to
death, and Acharisto to be repryued in sharpe and cruell prison,
vntill with torments he should be forced to confesse that which
he knew to be most certayne and true by the euidence of those
that were done to death. Euphimia for the imprisonment of
Acharisto, conceiued incredible sorrow, and vneths could be
persuaded, that hee would imagine, mutch lesse conspyre, that
abhominable fact, aswell for the loue which Acharisto seemed to
beare vnto hir, as for the great good wyl wherewith he was
assured that she bare vnto hym, and therefore the death of the
kyng to be no lesse griefe vnto him, than the same woulde be to
hir selfe, the Kyng being hir naturall and louing father:
Acharisto thought on the other side, that if hee might speake
with Euphimia, a way would be founde eyther for hys escape, or
else for hys delyuery. Whereupon Acharisto beinge in this
deliberation, found meanes to talke wyth the Iaylor's wyfe, and
intreated hir to shewe hym so mutch fauour, as to procure
Euphimia to come vnto him: she accordingly brought to passe,
that the yong Gentlewoman in secrete wise came to speake wyth
thys trayterous varlet, who so soone as he sawe hir, shedinge
from hys eyes store of teares, pitifully complayninge, sayd vnto
hir: "I know Euphimia, that the kinge your father doth not
inclose me in this cruell prison, ne yet afflicteth me wyth
these miserable torments, for any suspicion he conceyueth of me
for any intended fact, but only for the loue which I beare you,
and for the like, (for whych I render humble thanks) that you do
beare to me: and because that I am wery of this wretched state,
and know that nothing else can rid me from this paynefull Lyfe,
but onely death, I am determined wyth myne owne propre hands to
cut the threed of life wherewith the destinies hitherto haue
prolonged the same, that thys my breathinge Ghoast, which
breatheth forth these doleful playntes, may flee into the Skyes,
to rest it selfe amonges the restfull spirites aboue, or wandre
into the pleasaunte hellish fieldes, amongs the shadows of
Creusa, Aeneas wyfe, or else wyth the ghost of complayning Dido.
But ere I did the same, I made myne humble prayer to the maiesty
diuine, that hee would vouchsafe to shew me so much grace, as
before I dye, I myghte fulfil my couetous eyes with sight of
you, whose ymage still appeareth before those greedy Gates, and
fansie representeth vnto my myndfull heart.