contrary passions, one of joy for being acquitted, and one of grief, for the death of her son, the immediately fell down and gave up the ghost. These dismal accidents so overcame the king, that he fell into a swoon, and lay three days together speechless: So that nothing was heard, either in court or city, but cries and lamentations. But when the king had recovered his speech again, the bitter cries and severe reflections he made upon himself, as being the cause of both their deaths: Ah! sacred Apollo, said he, I am the author of these mischief, Bellaria is chaste and Egistus is innocent: But why should the virtuous Bellaria, and the innocent Garinter die, when it is jealous Pandosta, nay, treacherous and cruel Pandosta, in committing an innocent babe to the merciless waves, that is the cause of these misfortunes; it is I alone, alas! that am the guilty person, and only deserve to suffer. And thereupon, was going to sacrifice himself to atone for his crimes, but the Peers hindered him, and persuaded him to be comforted, and preserve himself for the good of his kingdom. With these and many other persuasions, he began to be a little pacified, and give orders for the funeral of his queen and son, which was performed with that solemn mourning, that sufficiently expressed the greatest of his sorrow; calling the following epitaph to be fairly engraved on the queen’s tomb:
Within this tomb the chaste Bellaria lies,
Beauty’s chief mirror, virtue’s richest prize;
Falsely accused, but by Apollo’s doom,
So fully clear’d, that left mistrust no room,
Then whosoe'er thou art that lookeft here,
To weep her loss, let fall a brinish tear.
But
