hat Pamela understood who it
was that was speaking, and carried to Philoclea the news that her Dorus
had fallen out to be none other than the Prince Musidorus, famous over
all Asia for his heroical enterprises; and, later, Pyrocles, finding
himself in private conference with Philoclea, did avow himself Prince of
Macedon, and her true lover, and they passed the promise of marriage,
and she, to entertain him from a more straight parley, did entreat him
to tell the story of his life, and what he did until he came to the
shipwreck.
_III.--Through Perils to Peace_
By the mischievous device of Cecropia, aunt to the Princesses, both were
carried away, with Zelmane, and imprisoned in her castle in the hope
that Philoclea would favour the suit of her cousin Amphialus,
Crecropia's son. But Philoclea remained faithful to her love for
Pyrocles, and Pamela faithful to her love for Musidorus, who brought up
an army and stormed the castle, and rescued the prisoners.
The princes, becoming tired of inaction, and foreseeing no favourable
issue to their concealed suits, persuaded the Princesses to attempt an
escape with them to their own dominions; and such was the trust Pamela
placed in Musidorus and Philoclea in Pyrocles, that they became willing
companions in the flight. But when Musidorus and Pamela had escaped, and
Pyrocles sought Philoclea in her room to carry her away, he found she
was unable to undertake the fatigue of the journey; and Dametas, the
clownish guardian of the princess, discovering the presence of Pyrocles
in the room, locked the door on the inside, and raised an alarm.
Musidorus and Pamela too were surprised, secured, and brought back.
Now, by the laws of the Arcadians, both the princesses and their lovers
had forfeited their lives by their indiscretions, but King Basilius was
removed from the seat of judgement by drinking a potion of drugged wine,
which the Queen, not without warning to the King, had prepared for
Zelmane. It was left, therefore, to Philanax, the regent, to deal with
the difficulties that surrounded the administration of justice--the
offences of Musidorus and Pyrocles, of Philoclea and Pamela, who now
became heir to the throne, and the complicity of the Queen in the death
of the King. At this moment, Euarchus, King of Macedon, arrived with a
small escort, on a visit to his friend, King Basilius, and, by common
consent, was asked to deliver judgement on the several prisoners.
His decisio
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