what he had heard
of her and, in the guise of an Amazon, and under the name of Zelmane,
had come forth to seek her.

As a supposed niece to the Queen of the Amazons he had been gently
received by King Basilius in his sylvan retirement, and introduced to
his Queen and daughters, with the effect that he was more than ever in
love with the Princess Philoclea, while old Basilius, deceived as to his
sex, showed signs of a doting admiration which choked him with its
tediousness.

So Musidorus returned to a village not far off, and Zelmane returned to
the part of the forest where the king kept his seclusion.

When Zelmane next returned to the arbour where she had met Musidorus she
saw, walking from herward, a man in shepherdish apparel, with a
sheephook in his right hand, and singing as he went a lamentable tune.
The voice made her hasten her pace to overtake him, for she plainly
perceived it was her dear friend Musidorus.

Then Musidorus recounted how sojourning in secret, and watching by the
arbour, he had observed and loved the Princess Pamela, and was now under
the name of Dorus, disguised as one of the shepherds who were allowed
the Princess' presence. And so it happened that when Basilius, the
better to breed Zelmane's liking, appointed a fair field for shepherdish
pastimes, Zelmane and Dorus were both of the company, Dorus still
keeping his eye on Pamela, and Zelmane setting the hand of Philoclea to
her lips, when suddenly there came out of a wood a monstrous lion, with
a she-bear not far from him, of little less fierceness. Philoclea no
sooner espied the lion than she lept up and ran lodge-ward, as fast as
her delicate legs could carry her, while Dorus drew Pamela behind a
tree, where she stood quaking like the partridge which the hawk is ready
to seize. The Zelmane, to whom danger was a cause of dreadlessness, slew
the lion and carried the head to Philoclea, while Pamela was seen
coming, and having in her hand the paw of the bear which the shepherd
Dorus had presented unto her. And while Philoclea applied precious balm
to a wound of no importance which Zelmane had received, Pamela's noble
heart would needs make known gratefully the valiant means of her safety.

And now the two friends sought to make known their true estate to
Philoclea and Pamela. So Dorus, feigning a love in attendance on Pamela,
told her, in the presence of her mistress, the story of the two friends,
Pyrocles and Musidorus, but in such words t