44 THE HISTORIE OF
bloud a sacrifice to those sackles1 soules, whose lives are lost by my rigorous folly.
And with that he reached at a Rapier, to have murdered himselfe, but his Peeres being present, stayed him from such a bloudy acte : perswading him to think, that the Commonwealth consisted on his safetie, and that those sheep could not but perish, that wanted a sheepheard ; wishing that if hee would not live for himselfe, yet he should have care of his subjects, and to put such fancies out of his minde, sith in sores past help, salves do not heale, but hurt: and in things past cure, care is a corrosive :2 with these and such like perswasions the Kinge was overcome, and began somewhat to quiet his minde : so that assoone as he could goe abroad, hee caused his wife to be embalmed, and wrapt in lead with her young sonne Garinter; erecting a rich and famous Sepulchre, wherein hee in tombed them both, making such solemn obsequies at her funeral, as al Bohemia might perceive he did greatly repent him of his fore-passed folly: causing this Epitaph to be ingraven on her Tombe in letters of Gold:
IT THE EPITAPH.
HERE LYES EXTOMBDE BELLARIA FAIRE, FALSLY ACCUSED TO BE UNCHASTE :
CLEARED BY APPOLLOS SACRED DOOME, YET SLAINE BY JEALOUSTE AT LAST.
WHAT ERE THOU BE THAT PASSEST BY,
CURSSE HIM, THAT CAUSDE THIS QUEENE TO DIE.
This epitaph being ingraven, Pandosto would once a day repaire to the Tombe, and there with watry plaintes bewaile his misfortune; coveting no other companion but sorrowe, nor no other harmonie, but repentance. But leaving him to his dolorous passions,
1 [Guiltless.] 2 [Corrosive in text.]