is no such thing and â—hat is worsse the more that the Lady or damsell the whiche is loued be of a good house and of great merite so much the more ye do glory wherby men know that not only ye beare them affection but that ye are loued and that she beareth you good wil aboue al other the which is very contrarie to the nature of womeÌ„ I meane of such as may name themselues wise for why the higher that the pareÌ„ts be the more feare they haue that meÌ„ should perceiue their amorous passions and in such sort that ordinarily they denie with word gesture and countenance the thing that they haue most printed in their hart and mind And not without cause considering that the thing which ye turne to prayse as ye think that your loue is made manifest doth bring vnto them and their honor a certayne spot the which oftentimes they cannot well deface So then it is more than necessarie to obserue this modestie and constancie in vs not that I will restrayne my selfe to this law seing that all my glory and felicitie doth hang and dependâ— vpoÌ„ you and so that I desire no greater thing in this worldâ— than that the loue and seruice that I beare vnto you were published euery where to the intent that they which shall haue knowledge of your great valure and of my litle merit may know euen then what is in me to be yours as I am Thus my Lord if séemeth to me that ye should take in good part and greatly to your aduantage the purpose that Gastilles hath written vnto you that ye were bound to my Lady Leonorina and in the presence of the Emperour for I answer you vpon my honour that both your affections are reciprokes and that she hath spoken very wisely vsing suche dissimulation I say not but that she had some occasion to be miscontented considering and seing the wordes which I at other times haue brought hir from you but that is easely amended And if the amitie loue that she so long hath borne you should be vtterly broken as I thinke it be not nother more nor lesse than a bowe that is broken péeced together agayne the whiche is more stronger in the place that it is mended in than in any other so you being present and in hir company shall bring togither and amend that ye shall finde broken and shall make hir to be much more yours than euer she was And therefore I would counsell you that obeying hir ye goe vnto hir and eueÌ„ to morow if it be possible A letter from Armato the king of the Turkes to all the princes of the Orient commaunding them to bring togither their force and strength to chase the Christians out of his limits and to conquer the Empire of Constantinople In the .5 booke the .45 Chapter ARmato called by the prescience of our gods immortall â—o the gouernmeÌ„t and rule of the great kingdome of Turkie Frontier and bulwarke of the Paganes lawe to all hys Califfes Kings Sondans Admirals and gouernoures of the lands that are in the parts of the Orient gréeting At my retourning out of prison whereof we are now deliuered I thought it good to giue you knowlege that not long since ther is come out of the North countrey as men say into these coastes a knight of the line of Brutus the Troyane vnto whome our gods haue permitted for our vnrighteousnesse as it is very like to conquere the mountaine defended putting to death Matroco and Furion two knightes estéemed among the best of all the Orient And that they do that is far worse dayly increase the number of Christians and labour to exterminate and destroy our holy law To withstaÌ„d this we haue taken armes vpon vs and prepared a strong and a puissaÌ„t armie thinking at the least to driue them out of our limites But yet after that we had kept a long siege before the mountaine Defended and had brought it to such extremitie that they which were within had no more vitailes he of whome we doubted most and the firste that enterprised this warre found a meane by the fauoure of a vile palliard one of ours called Frandalo to enter in and by cautell and subtiltie to take vs in such sort that our armie was destroyed and we remayned as prisoners in their handes where they kept vs for the space of a whole yeare most strayghtly during the same our affayres fell from ill to worse so by treson craftinesse they be in possessioÌ„ of Alfarin and of Galatia two of the best hauens of our realme The which they should neuer haue done without the help succour of that traytor vnfaithful Emperour of Constantinople And now they gather so much people that without your ayde we be in danger to fall into their mercie a thing that shall be of greate consequence seing that we be as ye know the frontier and rampier of you all Therefore we praye you and admonishe you in our Gods that as well for the defence of our Lawe as for the vtilitie of all the countrey of the East ye assemble your strength in so greate a number that we maye chase and driue awaye these Christians from our borders and conquer the Empire of Constantinople vnto the partes of Fraunce and Englande the which shall be vnto vs easy and profitable Esplandians letter to the Emperour of Rome shewing hym of the great armie of the infidell potestates sent and prepared to destroy the Christians and that for this cause he must giue help to a thing of so great importance In the same booke the 47. Chapter MY Lord the danger that I sâ—e prepared for all christendome doth coÌ„strayn me to send Enil vnto you by whom ye may vnderstand at length the greate streÌ„gth and puissant armie that all the kings and potentates of the East the enimies of our fayth haue prepared at the persuasion of Armato king of Turkie to come to destroy not onely the Empire of Greece but to presse further vntill they haue cleane extermined and quenched our fayth and beléefe And for asmuch as they whose place and roome ye hold haue bin euermore the true defenders and protectors of our Religion and also bycause the case doth touch you so nigh I thinke my Lorde that ye shoulde spare nothing that is in your might and power but assemble your fores in all extremitie and prepare your vassals to help that good prince the which is the borderer as ye know to you and to all the potentates that hold of the law of Iesu Christ. I haue written likewise to the king my father and to the moste parte of all other Christian Lordes vnto whome I sende Gandalin And bycause I haue charged Enil to shewe you the rest I wyll sende you no longer letter but praye you to beléeue hym as my selfe An iniurious letter of Rodrigue the great Soudan of Liquie to the knight of the great SerpeÌ„t threatning him for his enterprise
thée taking againe the force to serue hir the whiche of hir grace and goodnesse hath reuiued thée Orianes letter to Amadis by the which she excuseth hir selfe vnto him of certaine faultes of loue the which were in hir In the second booke and .10 Chapter IF the greate faultes committed through enmitie afterwards reknowledged to humilâ—at hirselfe be worthy of parâ—on what ought it to be of those that are caused through too great abundance of loue yet my faithfull louer I do not denie you that I deserue not much paine For I should haue considered that when things be most prosperous and ioyful that fortune the which doth spye and considereth them doth come then to bring them heauinesse and miserie Also I should haue remembred your vertue and honestie the which was neuer found in fault and aboue all I should not no not to dye for I haue separated from my vnderstanding the remembrance of the great subiection of my heauy hart the whiche procéeded nor came not but of that wherein youre owne was inclosed being certaine that if any flames haue bene cooled so haue myne also as it is perceyued and in suche sorte that the enuy that he had to find rest vnto hys mortall desires hath bene the cause to augment tâ—em But bicause I haue fayled as they doe that being in the hyghest of their good houre and fortune and very certaine of theyr loue of whome they be loued nor cannot comprehende in them so much goodnesse become iealous and suspitious more by their imagination than by reason dusking this cleare felicitie with the cloude of impacience beléeuing sooner the report of certaine persons it may be that speake euil not very true and vicious than that of their owne conscience and certaine experience Therefore my faithfull friende I pray you effectually to receiue this my damsell as from hir that recogniseth in all humilitie the great fault that she hathe commiited as concerning you the which shall cause you to vnderstande better than my letter the extremitie of my life oâ— whome ye should haue pitie not for any merite but for your reputation the which is not estéemed and iudged cruell nor séeking veÌ„geance there where ye find repentance and subiection when that no penance can come from you more rigorous than that that I my selfe haue appointed and ordeined for my selfe the which I beare and paciently do suffer trusting that ye will remit it and restore vnto me your grace and fauour and lykewise my life that dependeth thereof The lamentation of fayre Tenebreuâ— whiche returned from Mireflâ—ur declaring vnto the Damsell of Denmarke that without cause he had suffered many things touching hir that she was not a faithfull louer In the second Booke the .10 Chapter BY my conscience sayde the fayre Tenebreuâ— I was neuer in more daunger of death and I maruell where she hath forged this fantasie that she had against me seing that I neuer thought to do the thing that shuld displease hir And notwithstaÌ„ding I had forgotten to think on it yet I deserued not so cruel a letter as this is that she wrote vnto me And although I make not the outward shewes and hypocrisies that many caÌ„ do and make yet I leaue not of to measure the goodnesse and graces that I haue receiued of hir nor this thought was not sowen in so euill ground that she shuld not regard the fruite as long as the spirit shal haue meanes to cause the heart to liue seing that the one and the other are wholy dedicate to serue and to obey hir Ah ah my God I remember that when Corissande came into our poore hermitage I beléeued then that it was done for me The good Lady lamented hir selfe of the passion that the suffered for louing my brother Florestan too much and I should die for very displeasure to be so wrongfully chased away by Oriane How great paines what trauels what vnmeasurable torment haue I thus long suffered in the poore Rocke hauing consolation of no creature liuing but of the good Hermit the which solicited me and spake to me of pacience Alas what hard penaÌ„ce for a thing not offended beléeue me my welbeloued Damsel that I was so greatly troubled that from one houre to another I desired deathâ— and oftentimes also I feared to lose my life but thinke vpon the desperation wherein I was then when I shewed the Damsels of Corisâ—ande the song that I made in my great tribulation The Oration of Gandalin vnto fayre Tenebreus brethren to encourage them to searche and to succoure him In the .2 booke the .12 Chapter BY God my Lords all your wéepings cannot cause him to be found whome ye desire if it be not by some other good diligence that ye may newly take vpon you And notwithstanding that ye haue already done what ye can so ye should not he anoyed to séeke him better than euer he waâ— yet sought for seing that ye know welynough what he particularly would haue done for you if fortune had aduanced the occasion Nowe therefore it is youre partes to doe the lyke â—or if ye léese hym thus it shall not be onely the losse of the most gentlest knyghte of all the worlde but of the best pacient that ye haue and furthermore all ye paraduenture may be blamed Therefore my Lordes I praye you for the loue of God to do vnto him the duety of a brother of a friende and of a companion beginning agayne to séeke him without sparing of your bodies or the prolonging of tyme. Defyance made by a straunge knyghte vnto king Lisuard prouoking hym to warre if he wyll not accord to the mariage of Oriane with the prince of Basiganâ— In the .2 booke the .12 Chapter I Defye thée king Lisuard and all thy aliens in the name of the puissant and mightie princes Famongomad Giant of the burning lake Cartadaque his neuew Giant of the defended mountayne Madafabull hys brother in lawe Giant of the redde tower Lord Quedragant brother to Abies that was king of Irelande and of Arcalaus the inchanter the whyche doe sende thée worde by me that they haue sworne the death of thée and thyne And to do thys they wyll ayde king Cildadan to be in the number of the hundreth knightes the whiche shall surely destroy thée Yet neuerthelesse if thou wilt giue Oriane thy inheriter to fayre Madasime the daughter of the most douty Famongomad to serue hir as hir Damsell they will suffer thée to liue in peace and be thy friendes â—or they will marrie hir to thâ— Prince Basiganâ— the which doth well deserue to be Lorde of thy countreys and of thy daughter also Therefore king Lisuard chose of these two coÌ„ditions the best peace as I haue deuised or the most cruel warre that may chance vnto thée hauing to do with so mighty and so doutye princes The answer to the strange knight by king Lisuard shewing the greatnesse of his courage In the .2 booke the .12 Chapter BY God knight they
that haue giuen you suche commission knowe me very ill for I haue all the dayes of my lyfe more estéemed ieopardous warres than shamefull prayse In somuch that I should be greatly reprehensible towards God the Creator that hath appoynted and made me king ouer so many people if for lacke of hart and courage I should suffer them to be outrageous Therefore ye shall returne and shew them that I had rather haue warre all my life the which they demaund and desire and at the last to die sighting and in battell than after their word and minde to haue peace that which should be so greatly to my disaduantage And bicause I desire to know at length their will and mind I wil send one of my knights the which shal go with you cause them at length to vnderstand my mind intention Florestan defyeth Laudin the which spake sore agaynst Amadis aduantage for whose loue he presented him the combat In the second Booke the .12 Chapter KNight I am not borne in this countrey nor the kings vassall so that for any thing that ye haue said vnto him I haue none occasion to answerâ— in asmuch as here are present many â—etter knights than I am aboue whome I wolde take nothing in hand Yet for asmuch as I cannot find Amadis whiche is as I estéeme very profitable vnto you I am ready to fyght with you and to cease and ende the quarell that ye haue vnto him and to the intent ye may knowe me the better I am his brother Florestan the whiche doth offer to fyght with you vnder this condition and conuention that if I may ouercome you ye shall be bounde to leaue off the quarel that ye haue against him and if ye ouercome me reueÌ„ge vpon me part of your choler and anger But yet thus much there is that ye ought not to fynde the dutie strange whervnto I submit me for I haue no lesse occasion to sustain the quarell against you he being absent than ye haue to mainetaine King Abies whose nephew ye are being full sure that it is in the power of my Lord Amadis to reuenge me if fortune doe suffer you to haue the aduantage ouer me Laudins answere to the Lord Florestan the which in time conuenient doth accept the combate In the seconde booke the 12. Chapter MY Lord Florestan que Laudin as far as I sée and perceiue you haue an enuy and a desire to fight but I can not satisfie you not hauing any power in me to do that wherevnto I am sent by other Also I haue promised my Lordes that called me to their companie before my departing not to take any thing vpon me that might let me to assist and to do my dutie before the battell and therfore you shall at this present time haue me excused till the battell be ended for then I promise you to take vpon me the combate and fight that you demaund and soner I can not tend vnto it Vrgandes Letter to King Lisuard where he forspeaketh the ruine of faire Tenebreus In the second boke the .15 Chapter TO you Lisuard King of England salutatioÌ„ gréeting méet for your Maiestie I Vrgand of Cogneue your humble seruant doe giue you knowledge that the battell appoynted betwéene you and King Cildadan shall be one of the moste cruell and daungerous that euer man shall sée in the which the faire Tenebreus that onely hath giuen you so great hope shal lose his name and through one stroke that he shal giue al his noble acts shal be forgotten you euen then shal be in greater enmitie than euer you found your self in For many good Knightes shall lose their liues and you your selfe shall fall into that danger euen at that instant when the faire Tenebreus shall drawe the bloude out of your belly and yet at the last for thrée strokes the which he shall giue them of his part they shall remayne victors And be ye sure Syr that all this doubtlesse shall chaunce therefore prouidâ— wisely for your affayres Vrgands Letter to my Lord Galaor of Fraunce foretelling him his yll fortune In the .2 booke the .15 Chapter TO you Lord Galaor of Fraunce wise and hardie Knight I Vrgand of Congue do salute you as he that loueth you and esteemeth you and would that you shoulde vnderstande the thing that shall chaunce and happen vnto you in the cruâ—ell battell betweene the Kings Lisuard and Cildadan Be sure therefore that about the ende of it if you be there your strong and boystuous members shall deceiue your inuincible heart and at the departing of the battell youre head shall be in the power of him that through the thrée strokes whiche he shall giue shall remaine victor A Letter of Arban of Norgalles and Angrioâ— of Estrauaux to King Lisuard causing him to vnderstande the great paines that they suffered In the .2 booke .15 Chapter TO the most highe and mightie Prince Lisuard King of Englande and to all our friendes and alies being in his Realme we Arban of Norgalles and Angriote de Estreuens detained and being in dolorous prison at this present signifie vnto you that our misfortune more cruell than death it selfe hath set vs in the power of the vnpitifull Gromadace the wife of Famongomad the which reuenging hir husbandes and hir sonnes death doth afflict vs with so many strange tormentes that it is impossible to thinke vpon them and in such sort that from houre to houre we desire the ende of oure liues to be at rest But this mischieuous woman to cause vs the longer while to suffer doth prolong so much as she maye our death the which with our owne handes we would haue prepared but for feare of the loue of our soules And for as muche as we at this preâ—ent are so sore wounded that it is impossible we may resist any longer we sende you this Letter written with oure owne bloude by the which we beséech God to giue you the victorie against these traytors that haue thus outrageously handled vs and to haue pitie vpon oure soules The Oration of Kyng Lisuard to those of hys hoste exhorting them to fyght strongly In the .2 booke the .16 chapter MY companions and great friendes I beleeue that there is not he of you al that doth not sufficiently vnderstand howe we haue enterprised this battell with good right and also to defende the honor and reputation of Englande the which King Cildadan and they of Irelande would deminish denying vs the tribute the which at al times they haue payd to our prodecessors recognising the benefites which they haue receyued of them in times past I knowe well that there is not one of you all that hath not an entiere heart and a bold and therefore it is no néede further to encourage you against those that you haue to do withall hauing your honor before your eyes the which you estéem more than a hundreth lines if it were possible to haue them one after an other
Angriotes of Estrauaux Oration to King Lisuard declaring vnto him the mischieuousnesse and deceite of Broquadan and Gandandel In the selfesame Chapter SYr my nephew and I here present doe pray you to causâ— those two villaynes Broquadan and Gandandell the which are in your Court to appeare presently vnto whome I will declare the treason that they haue vsed against you Syr these euill men of whome I speake to you not hauing any consideration nor feare of God or of man haue falsly accused my Lord Amadis and other of a thing that they neuer in all their liues thought on by the meanes whereof I dare well say you haue remoued farre from you the best Knightes that euer entred into Englande therefore if these traytors dare maintaine that they are not suche as I name them I alonâ— by the helpe of God and the edge of my sword shall cause theÌ„ to know it And if age should excuse them there is not one of them but hathe children wearing armour and harneys of long time and well estéemed and taken among the Knights of your Court against whom I will fight if they will kéepe and supplie the place of theâ—r euill fathers Gandandels answere to the King excusing himselfe of that that men sayde by him In the same Chapter SYr answered Gandandell sée ye not the audacitie and boldnesse of this braue and iniurious man the whiche is not come into this Court but to shame the gentlemen of youre Court by my troth syr if you had beléeued me long since as sone as he was entred into your Realme so sone shoulde he haue bene hanged vpon the first trée but séeing that you suffer it and beare it and hereafter must not maruell if Amadiâ— in his owne person come hither to do you wrong So muche there is that if I by the liuing God were as yong as I was when I beganne to enter into the seruice of your brother the King vnto whome I haue done many great seruices I am well assured that Angriote durst not dreame to say vnto me the least of the iniuries that he hath spoken before your maiestie But the gallant knoweth well that I am olde and broken as much for the number of my olde yeares as of the insinite woundes the which I haue receiued throughout all the parts of my body in the warres of your predecessors The answere of King Lisuard to the foresayde Broquadan and Gandandell reprouing them of cowardnesse and slouthfulnesse COme hither you haue so oftentimes recited and told me that Amadis and his had purposed to betraye me and to vsurpe vpon me the countrie of England and yet when you should méete you excused your selues from fighting and sent your children to the play that could do nothing therwithall yet God is iust and by as much as I owe him and am bound vnto him it was euil spoken of you nor I would neuer haue estéemed you to be such maner of men as you be The Oration of King Arban of Norgales to King Lisuarde inducing him to call Amadis againe to his court In the .3 booke the .1 Chaper SYr I would thinke it good or euer you did this thing that you shoulde haue the aduice of the noble men of your countrie for you knowe that Amadis and they of his kindred are wonderful good Knights and very mightie through the friendes that they haue Furthermore there is not he that knoweth not howe falsly they haue bene accused before your maiestie whereof the victorie that Angriote and Sarquelles haue obtained within these few dayes that be past against the accusers hath giuen good witnesse and if the right had not bene on their side yet bicause they are good and valiant Knyghts they shoulde not haue bene so easily dispatched of Candandelles children nor of Amadis the whiche thing dothe sufficiently make vs to vnderstande and beleeue that the Lorde mayntained them in their iustification and ryght And therefore syr it should be best as I doe suppose and thinke if it woulde so please you to forget the euill that you bears them and to call them agayne to your seruice séeing that it shall not be greatly approued nor allowed that a Prince should make war against those that he may easily and with his honor call againe to his amitie seruice considering that doing the contrarie is oftentimes losse of men extreme expenses and diminishing of authoritie a thing that shortly after causeth the Lords and neighbors therabouts to desire and to make newe enterprises to get them out of subiection and to enter into a more libertie than they had before And therefore a sage and a wise Prince ought at no time if it be possible to giue occasion to his vassalles to go and depart froÌ„ the feare and reuerence that they owe vnto him but muste proue and assaye by all meanes and wayes to rule them as the good shepeheard by temperate discretion dothe with his shéepe winning their hearts and wils more by faithful loue than by rigour and tyrannie Therefore syr it is necessarie to quench the fire alreadie kindled before it be throughly set a fire For oftentimes after the fault be knowne the remedie is to farre gone Amadis is so humble and so much yours that if you would send to reuoke him you shal easily recouer him with those that haue followed him of the whiche you may be better serued than euer you were The defiance of Cendill of Gâ—not made in the name of Kyng Lisuard to Amadis and to all other his parents and friendes certifying them that the King dothe declare him selfe their mortall enimie In the same Chapter MY Lords I am sent hither vnto you from the most puissant and mightie King Lisuard my soueraine Lord in whose name I defie you and all your parentes friendes or aliance and from him I declare vnto you that if euer he find you in England or in the Isle of Mongase he will cause you to be destroyed and entreated as his mortall enimie Therefore kéepe your selues from henceforth if you may or can for he hath enterprised to inuade you and vtterly if he may find the meane and wayes to destroy you Amadis prayeth Gandales his olde and auncient friend to goe and answere King Lisuard and to aduertise him that he feareth not his threatnings In the selfesame Chapter MY father I praye you to goe with him and say to King Lisuard that I send you particularly vnto him to aduerauertise hym that I set lesse by hys threatnings than he thinketh and if I had knowen the little thanke that he beareth me forâ— so many great seruices as he hath receiued by me I would haue taken good héede to haue entred so often into so greate daungers wherin I aduenture my selfe for hys wealth and the wealth of his realme the which paradueÌ„ture should otherwise not haue remained and bene so entire and whole as it is at this present but I trust in God that wyth the time he shall know this ingratitude
that ye know that after I haue found him I may haue of him that I hope for and desire aboue all things Melies letter to the Emperour of Trebisonde auanting hir selfe to ouerrunne and wynne the Christians and to constraine them to beleeue the Pagans lawe In the .6 booke the .7 Chapter MElie lady aboue all Magicians enimie to the lawe of the Christians and curious to augment day by day the lawe of our gods Thou shalt know Emperour of Trebisonde that Constantinople shall be shortly besieged by thrâ—e score and seuen Princes of the Pagan faith Where I personally will be to take my pleasure to sée it burne and the euill men that doe possesse it and him likewise of whome all Christentiâ— shoulde hope to haue fauour as of his refuge and principall aide But it shall happen farre otherwise for she vnto whoÌ„ thy daughter is deliuered hath put hir in my power and in so sure kéeping that neither Amadis hir grandfather nor yet hir father Esplandian although they were vnbewitched shoulde haue no meane nor wayes to succour and to helpe hir And yet that is but little in respecte of the thing that I intend to doe for by little and little I shall haue the rest of you to dispose you after my owne will and pleasure constraining the ouerplus of the vulgar people be it by loue or by force to turne to our faith and haue you no doubt of this for all this shall chaunce and that easely Frandalo making reuerence to Perion doth offer him his seruice In the .6 booke the .12 Chapter SYr Cheualier I am wholly yours so that ye maye commaunde me as him that desireth to obey you for the honour of King Amadis Esplandian your brother whose friend and well affectioned seruant I am A cursed letter of the infant Melia to the Emperour of Constantinople foretelling him that he shall receiue much misfortune and destruction In the .6 booke the .12 Chapter MElia Infant the most cruellest enimie of Christianitie to the Emperour of Constantinople ruine and intyre malediction Know thou that shortly thou shalt feele misfortune the which by myne occasion is prepared for thée and such as neuer the like was spoken off for with thy owne eyes thou shalt see the death of thy people the destructioÌ„ of thy cuntrey a strange martyrdome of him whom thou louest best in this worlde and finally the end of thy life in miserie In witnesse whereof this sworde shal hang in the ayre ouer thy great Câ—â—tie vntill that a prophecie of Apolidon that remayneth to be fulfilled haue his effect Then it shall vanyshe awaye and shal be séene no more The Oration of Alquise to the Princesse Gricelleriaâ— from his Knight Lisuard from whom he presenteth hir a Prince and the children of the King of Hierusalem and doth praye hiâ— for his loue to intreate them well In the .6 booke the .14 Chapter MAdam your knight the which far passeth al other in valiantnesse and in greate goodnesse of armes doth salute you as hir whom he desireth to serue all his lyfe in witnesse whereof he doth sende you by me the thing that he hath conquered and gotten since the daye and time that he departed from you to his very great displeasure and heauinesse That is this gentleman a verie doutie Prince amoÌ„g the Pagans and of good right for he beyng at libertie maye commaundâ— in the countrey and land of Liquie no more nor lesse than the Emperour your father doth in his And these other are the King of Palestines children brother sister the which he doth praye you to receiue and dispose as your owne And also he charged me to assure you that intreating them graciously and as he estéemeth of your goodnesse he shall be singularly well pleased for and bycause of the place they are issued out of and the conquest that he hath done and had of them at his beginning The letter of Perion called the Knight of the Esphere to the Princesse Gricelleria certifying hir of the great loue that he beareth hir and also that he feeleth him selfe very fortunate that he was sent to a lady of so high a price vnto whom he is readie to obey In the .6 booke the .14 Chapter MAdam I knowe not how I may satisfye the great goodnessâ— that ye graunted mee vpon the day that ye accepted me for yours seyng that the best knight of the world should not thinke him sufficient to serue so great a ladye and Princesse And I then poore dum man that hath done as yet no acte of Chiualrie beyng come to suche honour is it any maruell then if my hearte hath desired to take things in hande wherof wyth reason it hathe esperance and hope to continue in thys hyghe place putting farre from hym all feare and perill of deathe by the continuall remembraunce that he hath of your good grace the whiche hath so captiuated my libertie that my eyes haue béene incheined with the bandes of your fortunable presence euen since the daye that they sawe the brightnesse of your diuine face But this prison is hidden in suche libertie that it causeth me to liue for the enuie that I haue to obey and serue you for euer assured that otherwyse my soule troubled bycause of your absence shoulde not remaine one houre in this body passioned and troubled for the great loue that he beareth you Thus Madam I beséeche you commaunde the thing that pleaseth you I should doe and hauing pitie vpon your poore slaue sende him by this Damsell which is faithful your will beleeuing hir as touching the ouerplus of the thing that she shall tell you From him that doth kisse the hands of your highnesse in all humilitie The answere of the Princesse Gricelleria to Perion called the the knight of the Esphere wherein she declareth that she is glad that she hath receiued his letters reuealing vnto him hir amorous passions and recommendeth vnto him the Damsell Lisuart praying him to bring hir out of danger In the â— booke the .21 Chapter THe great pleasure that I haue receiued with your letteâ—â— and the presents the which ye haue sent me by this damsell haue renued in my heauie heart the annoyance troubles the which my soule suffered through your long absence And beléeue me my friende that were it not for the continuall presence of your person the whiche I haue in the eyes of my vnderstanding it were impossible for me dayly to resist so many assaults the which loue deliuered vnto me euen the selfe same day that ye came mute and dumbe into this court not speaking one worde to me nor to no other but the hope that I haue that ye will shortly returne as this messanger hath assured me doth giue me a certaine force and strength to suffer this that I endure without any releasement Buâ— for a conclusion and to the entent that with more occasion ye may come to see me as I trust I pray you to keepe your selfe nigh vnto
the Emperour my father the which will not faile as I thinke to bring you with him his affaires beyng paste and ended In the meane while I would desire you to assayâ— and proue by all meanes to drawe and deliuer the faire damsell Lisuard out of daunger being certaine that if ye will doe so much for hir and me that ye shall come to your honour as the most fauoured of fortune and of high chiualrie that is this day amoÌ„g those that weare armes For the which thing I pray you as much as I may possible for the wealth of my sister the which is so affectionated vnto hir that she cannot liue if the Lord do not comfort hir of the heauinesse that she hath takeÌ„ from the day that she lost hir out of hir sight for night and day she dyeth through loue desire And bycause I haue charged Alquise to tell you the ouerplus I pray you beléeue hir as comming from hir the which is more yours than hâ—r owne A letter from King Armato to the Emperour of Trebisondâ— presenting him the combat In the .6 booke the .22 Chapter ARmato King of Perse the mortal enimie of the Christians the seruaunt of our gods and principall protector of their holy law to the Emperour of Trebisond condigne salutation Know thou that to haue the Citie of Constantinople with thys countrey at my discretion I not long ago am come to the field accompanied with such a puissance as euery man knoweth And bicause I vnderstaÌ„d that thou art newly come to help my enimie I thought to send and present to thee the coÌ„bat which art the principall defender of the Empire of Greece against me that am the principall that doth pretend his ruine Nor excuse not thée by thy old yeares for if thou haue touched fourescore of thy age I euen at â—he houre when thou wast borne had knowledge of my nurse The combat that I pretend to haue of thy person and mine is only to get honor and to proue with the dint and stroke of the speare sword whome fortune doth fauoure most of thée or me therfore aâ—uise thée to make an answer that may be for thy honor A letter of Grifilant the Lorde of the I le Sauuagine to Amadis the king of England praying him to enter in like maner into the campe of batell to see and behold who shall obtayne the victorie In the .6 booke the .22 Chapter GRifilant Lorde of the I le Sauuagine seruant of the Gods of the Sea affectionated and giuen to the ruine of the vnfortunate Christians of whome thou Amadis king of England art buckler and protector Neuerthelesse that hathe not named me so much to the desire that I haue to proue my selfe against thée as the high cheualrie whereof thou art renoumeâ— throughout all the parts of the world But seing that the principall occasion that moued me to come foorth of my countrey hath bin not onely to help the mightie king of the Turkes but to get laude and reputation by armes and that fortune hath so much fauored me to haue brought me to the time and place where I haue a meane to fight with thée I pray thée that we may enter into the field one against the other assuring thée that if my Gods will graunt me the victorie I shall estéeme my selfe the most fortunate knight that euer was borne and that most rightfully hauing the vpper hand of thée the head and principall of all cheualrie And although the contrary should chance vnto me yet I should not be the lesse estéemed among wise men for it is sufficiently well knowen what maner of men and how many redoubted personages thou hast ouercome and if the worst fall the honorable death that I shall receiue shall be a great quietnesse to my mind being assured that my life cannot endure being purposed to spare my body little or nothing for the meâ—ings and combates that shall be from hencefoorth betwéene our men and yours Graunt me then the thing that I demand and so doing thou shalt do for me and for thine honor Letters from the Queene Pintiquinestra to the Queene Calaâ—iâ— admonishing hir that she wil fight with hir In the .6 boke the .22 Chapter PIntiquinestra Quéene of the people that haue no heades to thée Calaâ—ie that dost commaund the strong Iles of Califorâ—nie salutations such as I desire fro thée I aduertise thée that to cause my valiantnesse to be knowen to those that mosâ—â— coÌ„tinually do haunt armes I haue of late left my countrey and am come to this camp and fielde where I haue certaine knowledge that thou art newly come to defend him that wold entirely destroy vs And bycause thou art esteemed ready to fight as much or more than the best knight of the worlde I haue perswaded my selfe that if I may ouercome thée in the campe of battell that this honor shoulde be vnto me immortall Now as me thinketh the match is well made of a woman to a woman both preteÌ„ding one thing that is the glory and renoune of valiantnesse Therefore aduise thee if thou wilt proue thy force with mine so that from henceforth meÌ„ may iudge who hath better right to weare the crowne of a Queene and the gouernment of women that can win men by loâ—e and by armes The Emperoure of Trebisondes Oration to his knights vppon the agreement of the combat aduertising them that he is resolued to goe and fight with his enimie In the the .6 booke the .22 Chapter RIght vertuous knights I bâ—ing well assured that ye alwayes haue had so good and so entire hearts and honor in such recommendation that ye were neuer astonyed for any perill or danger that might happen vnto you I pray you effectuously to thinke vpon me what I ought and wil beleue of you that is that for to die a thousand deathes I would not so farre forget my selfe that my old yeares shoulde be defamed or to say better put in doubt be the reputation neuer so little that I gat when I was yong and better and more disposed than I am now Certes my heares are white and gray but the heart is yong and disposed and the will as good as euer it was Armato demaundeth combat he shall haue it he sayth that he is a friend and an augmenter of his law I am the most humble seruant of Iesu Christ the which shall help me if it so please him and as I trust in him Therefore I pray you as much as I may possible not to contend or resist any more whether I shoulde enter into this combat against my enimie or no for my resolutioÌ„ is to win or to die and let God do what shall please him The Emperoure of Trebisondes letter answering togither Armato Griâ—ilant and Pintiquinestra to aduertise them that they accept the combat being assured to obtayne the victorie considering the iust quarell of the Christians In the .6 booke the .22 Chapter WE by the grace of God Emperoure of
¶ The moste excellent and pleasaunt Booke entituled The treasurie of Amadis of Fraunce Conteyning eloquente orations pythie Epistles learned Letters and feruent Complayntes seruing for sundrie purposes The vvorthinesse vvhereof and profite dothe appeare in the Preface or table of this Booke Translated out of Frenche into English. Imprinted at London by Henry Bynneman for Thomas Hacket And are to be solde at his shoppe in the Royall Exchaunge at the signe of the greene Dragon ¶ To the righte worshipfull â—ir Thomas Gressam knight Tâ—omas Hacket vvisheth the fauoure of God long lyfe increase of worship continuall health and felicitie WHEN I call to my remembraÌ„ce right vvorshipfull Sir vvhat our merciful and good God hathe doone for vs by his vnspeakeable omnipotencie and also what giftes hee hathe indued man vvithall vvee can not chuse but be thankful to him for his vvorthie benefites bestovved vpon vs vvho so noteth substaÌ„cially from time to time vvhat vvorthie instrumentes God hath raised vp in all artes and sciences as some passing in singlenesse of gifts as Aristotle Galen Ptolome Plinie vvith other vvith those vvorthie Oratours the Grecians as Demosthenes Isocrates and that vvorthie Romaine the Prince of Eloquence Marcus Tullius Cicero vvhose excellencie hath surpassed all others and bene leaders and scholemasters to all others It vvas not vvithout great cause right vvorshipful that man is called Mycrocosmos that is to say a little vvorlde it vvas not vvithout great consideration that Aristotle calleth him the sercher of secretes for vvhat thing is there in this vvorld but man hath sought it out be it neuer so harde or obscure vvhat vertue in stone or plant or any grovving thing yea the vertue of beasts fishes fovvles and serpentes and vvhatsoeuer is conteined in the earth aire vvater or fyre mettals mynes of golde siluer leade tinne yron c. In fine how excelleÌ„t in al philosophie asvvell naturall as morall as Arithmetike Geometrie Astronomie Cosmographie besides all these those moste excellent historiographers and yet in my mynd this surpasseth all others that is to say to be an excellent Oratour singular in orations pythie and ingenious in vvriting Epistles for therby is brought to passe the moste excellent things for publike gouernment as also for euery mannes priuate cause and vse for vvho knovveth not vvhere learning and good gouernement consisteth their orations bee of moste excellent force to set foorth hovve tymes haue bene passed vvith the tyme present and also to giue vvarning and foresee for time to come hovve the good and vertuous haue merited and receyued perpetuall fame as to the ouerthrovve of the vvicked too their reproche and ignomie So right vvorshipfull this booke vvhich I present vnto you is stufte vvith pleasant orations fine epistles singular complaintes vvith matter mixt so fitly and aptly to serue the turne of all persons not curious nor filled full of obscure and darke sense but playne and pleasant depending and ansvvering one an other vvith most delectable matter for all causes as vvell incouraging the bashfull person and covvarde to bee valiant as the vvorthie ladies and damselles in their amorous Epistles feruente complaintes of iniuries handled moste excellently And yet I confesse not so graue and vvorthie matter as your vvoorship deserueth to haue Therfore I craue pardon at your hands for this my rashe enterprise trusting in God you vvill receiue it in good part as a token of my good vvill tovvards you and though it yeld not so pleasant a grace in the Englishe toung as it dothe in the Frenche the vvhiche it vvas vvritten in I knovve youre vvoonted maner and good nature is to take smal thinges in good part vvhich hath imboldened me at this present to dedicate this booke of the Treasurie of Amadis of France vnto your vvorship vvhen god sendeth to my hand any other I do intend to make ye partaker therof And therfore least at this present I shoulde seeme to be ouer tedious vnto you I coÌ„mit you to God vvith my good Ladie your vvife vvith all youre familie praying to God for your prosperous and good succesâ—e in all youre affaires and enterprises From London by yours for euer THOMAS HACKET To the gentle Reader A VERY frend of myne most gentle reader instantly desired me to english him this french booke intituled the Treasurie of Amadis the whiche when I had well perused it pleased me not a little as wel for the elegant phrase thereof as for the diuersities and arguments therin wrapped and inclosed For truly it aboundeth with such eloquent orations and wyse counsels with such swéete and delicate Epistles and letters especially of loue so curteously and annably handled with suche exhortations and admonitions so prudently penned with suche lamentations complaints so sorowfully and mournfully expressed with suche consolations and comforts in aduersitie so frendly and louingly pronounced with such answers and replications so ingeniously inuented with reproches and tauntes so bitingly and bitterly spoken with requâ—sts so humainly and ciuilly demaunded with excuses so craftily and subtilly painted and coloured with defyances so stoutly and courageously sente to the aduersarie and receiued that if a man were astonied much amazed it woulde quicken him and sodeynly reuiue his spirites againe For what a dullarde is he that wise counsell vertuous exhortations friendly admonitions wittie and subtill persuasions shall not quicken and reuiue and how farre without sense is he whom amiable fine and beautifull ladies with their ticklyng and flatteryng wordes shall not awake stirre vp and call to their lure wanton fansie feruent louâ— What stonie and harde hearte hath he that with the glittering and twinkeling of the eye the abundant teares the dulcet and swéete parolls of his paramour wherwith this fine flattering booke is infarced will not be mollifyed and melted And how depely are they drowned in sorrowe that with godly and vertuous consolation will not be comforted What weake and cowardly heartes and stomackes haue they that will not be stirred or moued with the rhetorical eloquent orations the vehement persuasioÌ„s and liberall promises and rewards of wise noble worthie capitains pluck vp their harts inuade their enimies for worthie renoume sake immortall glorie fight stoutly and corageously as Amadis the king of England France Florâ—an with other did as this proper booke in diuers places reciteth most cordially Wherout men may learne to be noble oratours wise and prudent counsellours excellent Rhethoricians expert captains amorous companions feruent honest louers secrete messengers obedient seruaÌ„ts elegant enditers of louely Epistles swéete pronouncers true ortographers of the french tong so pleasant so highly coÌ„mended and so imbraced of all men Wherfore gentle Reader let it not lothe thée I pray thée to reade this fine and fruitfull booke nor to ensue the honest and vertuous lessons the prudent admonitions and good counsels of the same for thou shalt not at any tyme as I thinke repent thée more for the reading of it than I for
vnto you hauing none other about me worthy to vnderstande my heauinesses to haue counsell and comfort and you discomforte me and intreate me worsse than I haue deserued reputing me farre otherwise than I am or shall be so long as my spirite shall sustaine my heart full of bitternesse the whiche causeth me to presume that no other thing but my euil fortune hath aduaunced and brought me into this kind of intreatie séeing that you haue taken in yll parte that I told you for the best And God neuer help me if I thought in all my life of that whereof you blame me and accuse me for I am so sure of youre cousin that I will no other thing but to content and please you and so much there is that I had rather die than that any other than I my selfe should haue the honor of the forbidden chamber Iudge therefore what trouble it shall be to me if Berolanie that goeth before to proue the thing obtaine it This notwithstanding my cousin and friend I pray you to pardon me not to prolong if it be your pleasure to aduise and counsell me of the thing that as you shall thinke I were best to doe for your cousin might be too heauie if he knew the thing that I haue suspected of him A Prophecie of Vrgand vnknowne to Orian foretelling hir the thing that should chance vnto hir In the .2 boke the .18 cha IN the time when your great heauinesse shall take place many good Knights shall suffer for the loue of you Then the strong Lyon accoÌ„panied with his beasts shal come forth of his den through his high roarings and cryings he shall so feare them that shal haue the kéeping of you that you whither they will or no shall remaine betwéen the clawes of the kingly beaste the whiche shall set vpon your head the riche crowne that shall be no more yours then this beast béeing famished and hauing your body in his power shall carie it into his denne where he shall so féede himselfe that he shall pacifâ—e and assuage his mad and outrageous hunger Therefore my daughter take héede what you shall do for the thing that I haue told you shall happen without any doubt An exhortation of Vrgand to King Lisuard inciting him to entreat well his men of war. In the .2 booke the .18 Chaper SYr you séeme vnto me now to be well accompanyed not so muche for the number of great personages whiche are nigh vnto as for the amitie and loue that they as I am sure heare you whereof you should laude and prayse god For a Prince beloued of his may kéepe his estate in great suretie and safegarde therefore syr take payne to entertaine and to entreate them well so that your fortune the whiche as yet dothe not leaue of to fauor you goe not farre from you if you do otherwise and aboue all other things kéepe your self from euill report considering that it is the very poyson and ruine of Princes the which beléeue it A Prophecie of Vrgan vnknown as well to the King as to other his Knightes THere shall be great contention betwéene the great Adder and the strong Lyon the which shall be succored and holpen by many cruell beasts and shall come in such a furie that a great number of them shall suffer dolorous death The fine Raynard the Romayne shall be wounded with the clawes of the strong Lyon and his skinne shall be cruelly rente and â—orne wherewith the great Serpent shall be in great perplexitie At this time the swéete shéepe couered with blacke wool shal be set in the midst of them the which with his great humilitie and his swéete bleings shall mittigate and assuage the brauenesse and frecenesse of theyr courage causing the one to be separated from the other â—ut as sone as the hungrie Woolues shall descende and come from the nexte Mountaynes againste the greate Adder and béeing destroyed by them wyth a great parte of his followers hée shall enclose him in one of theyr cauernes The tender Unicorne putting his mouthe into the braue Lions eares shall with his loude crye awake from his strong sléepe and causing him to take parte of his beastes shall go most diligently to help the great Adder whome they shall fynde bitten and so wounded by the hungrie Woolues that they shall sée great abundance of bloud shed vpon the grounde then he shall be taken from the Woolues teeth and they being pluckt in péeces and life restored to the great Adder leauing al the poison of hir intralles and guttos within hir â—auâ—rns he shall be content and consent to be put among the clawes of the strong Lyon and the whyte Hinde the whiche in the fearfull forest doth eleuate and lift vp hiâ— mowings against heauen shall be reiected and repelled Another prophecie of Vrgan vnknowen to Amadis declaring the thing that should chance vnto him In the .2 booke the 18. Chapter AT the houre and time that ye shal be wounded to death defending the lyfe of another the martirdome being yours and the profite other mens the recompence that ye shall haue shall be a great and an euill contentation and a putting off from the thing that ye desire most to approch vnto Then your good cutting and rich sword shal so bruse your bones and cut your flesh in so many places that ye shall find your selfe weake and faint of bloudâ— and so outrageously pursued that if halfe the world were yours ye would giue itâ— so that your sword were cast into the depth of some profound and déepe lake wherout it can neuer be drawen therefore thinke vpon your destinie the which shall be suche as I haue tolde you Amadis excuse that he calde not his companions with him to be at the combat for he himselfe had taken it in hande In the .2 booke the .19 Chapter MY Lords I pray you all to haue me excused and not to be miscontent with me assuring you that if it had bene in my choise to haue chosen a companion to be of the companie considering the great valiant actes whereof euery one of you is prouided I should not haue knowen whome I should haue chosen But Ardan for the hatred that he beareth me and for the loue that he hath to Madasâ—me would fyght alone against me and seing that he hath so required it I could not nor ought not to refuse it exâ—ept I should haue shewed my selfe a slâ—thful coward and to make a contrary answer not conformable to his request and demaund And when he would haue taken mâ— knights with him where thinke ye I should haue sought for ayde or succoure but among you â— considering ye do know that my force doth it selfe double with yours when we are togyther Amadis answer to Ardan Canille that defyed him before the king In the .2 booke the .10 Chapter HOw now que Amadis do ye thinke that I haue not heart ynough and right to abase the pride of suche a man and so
and that he should assure himselfe to be destroyed and that he woulde combat and fighte with him In the .5 booke the .48 Chapter ROdrigue the great Soudan of Liquie a friende of the gods mortall enimie of their enimies defender of Pagane lawe to thée that dost call thy selfe knight of the great Serpent greâ—ing Know thou that the occasion which hath caused vs to passe ouer so great a sea to come to these marches hath beene vpoÌ„ hope to reuenge the outrages that my vncle Armaâ—o King of Turkie hath receiued of thée and of thy companions neuer doyng thée displeasure And for asmuch as we holde our selues sure of the ruine of that euill Emperour that doth fauor thée in so many euill and damnable enterprises as a fewe dayes since he and his did passe by the edge of our swordes so should I be sorie that this misfortune should first chaunce â—o thee vntill I made a profe of thy person and mine bycause of the renoume that is of thée through all the world Thus aduise thée if thou wilte accepte the combat or fight of vs two alone of tenne against tenne or a hundred against a hundred or in a more great number if thou think it good Swearing vnto thée by all the gods that they whom thou shalte bring with thée for these affaires shall haue no more displeasure than my proper person if it be not of those that shall be ordeyned to fighte with them folowing the couenauntes that wée shall make Therefore make me an answere worthie and meete for thee and so that thy honor be not defiled Norandel and other his companions letter for an answere to Rodrigue accepting the combat and fighte that he offered wyth the assurance of the fielde In the fifth booke the .48 Chapter THe knightes and seruauntes of Iesu Christ being nowâ— present with the Emperour of Constantinople for the defence and augmentation of the Christian name to thée Rodrigue Soudan of Liquie condigne gréeting Thou hast sent to the Knight of the great Serpent a Damsell who is called Tienna the which hath deliuered vs certaine letters whiche were sent to him the summe wherof conteineth two things in the first thou doste complaine of the enterprises that hée hath made vpon Kingâ— Armato thy vncle The other the desire that thou hast to proue thy person against his or a great number agaynst a greater if he thoughte it good But in as muche as the Knight which thou demaundest is not present héere nor in place to make thée answere we haue aduised to satisfie thée for him and to accept the offers that thou hast made hym assuryng thée that there is such a personage in this companye a Kings sonne and nyne other with him that shall fighte wyth thee and wyth the lyke number of thine if thou wilte appoynte and giue them the suretie of the fielde nor we will not faile to be in the place established and appoynted Letters from Rodrigue Soudan of Liquie and Calasia Queene of Californie to Amadis of Fraunce and his sonne Esplandian to accepte the combat and fyghte to knowe the vertue and sâ—rength of the best combattant In the fifth Booke the 52. Chapter ROdrigue Souden of Liquie the mortall enimie of the enimyes of our gods and Calasia Quéene of Californie a region ritch of golde and precious stones more than any other we declare vnto you Amadis of Fraunce and King of England to your sonne the knight Serpentine that our defence and comming into this countrey hath bene caused and standeth vpon two pointes The one is the hope of the ruine and destruction of Christentie and the other to assay and to cause you to léese the renoume that men giue you to be two the best knights of all the world for we thinke our selues such that if ye will take this combat in your owne persons to ours we shall cause it to be euidently knowen that our valiantnesse is no lesse than is yours And to the ende that the glorie of those that wyn maye be manifest they that be ouerthrowen shall remayne in their power to dispose them as they shall thynke best aduise you therefore to make vs an answere by this our messenger whom we haue charged to declare vnto you if ye refuse this that from henceforth we shall haue a iust cause â—o attribute vnto vs the superioritie of all the prayses and fauours that fortune hitherto hath borne you and hereafter to estéeme you lesse than in times past ye haue béen estéemed The Emperour of Constantinoples Oration to Amedis and other his friendes to aduise and to take counsell vpon the mariage of his daughter with the yong Esplandian vnto whom so doyng he dothe promise the rule of the Empyre In the .5 booke the .54 Chapter MY brethren Lords and goodfriends the obligation wherin I am bounde vnto you is so greate that althdughe it hath pleased the Lorde to make me Emperour of all Gréece yet I knowe well that it is not in my poure to satisfye you not holding all the honour and goods that I haue nexte vnto God be it in particular or general but of you I am now thrée score al horie and very caduke and féeble throughe the paines that I toke in my youth following the feates of armes I haue but one daughter the which is the staffe and hope of my olde age whom as I haue deliberated with my selfe I do purpose if ye thinke it good to marrie to the valiant knight Esplandian and by the same meanes to remit the Empyre and the rule of all my countrey vnto himâ— And to liue the more solitarie and to separate my selfe from the worlde I haue also concluded with my selfe to retire with the Empresse my wife to the Monasterie that I caused to be builded and there religiously to recognise God and to do penance for the faultes that in times paste I haue committed Therefore my good Lordâ— and friendes I pray you if ye all agrée to this to declare it vnto me and you first of all my Lord and brother Amadis whom the matter toucheth as from the father to the childe The Oration of Lisuard to the Emperour of Trebisonde praying hym to shewe him the knight which he armed of lateâ— to receiue at his hande the feates oâ— knighthood In the .6 booke the .6 Chapter SYr the high renoume and your great goodnesse knowen through all the world haue moued my companions and me to come to your court not onely to doe you reuerence as the greatnesse of your maiestie doth merite but haue esperance and hope to heare newes of a yong gentleman the whiche ye haue as it is told vs made knight not long ago at the request of a Damsell that brought him vnto you And for asmuch sir as I neuer had intentioÌ„ to receiue chiualrie of any other hand than of his and that my age dothe séeme to haue done more than it hath done yet I most humbly doe pray you to tell vs
me might haue called himselfe the heade of your armes and Duke of Buillon wherof I haue so great dolor that I die a hundred times in a day And as concerning you his good parents I beleue certainly that nature doth so prieâ—â— you that your hart doth blede and that this wouÌ„d shal blede and continue as long as you or yours shall haue the name of gentlemen but yet if ye will follow mine aduise we shal not defer the time of vengeance so long but I shall giue you a meane to recouer our honor so greatly abased that shal turne you to glorie and great profite The curteous Oration of Branzahar Prince of Clarence to the knight Birmartes that would fight with him bicause he had slaine his people In the .7 booke the .54 Chapter KNight thou hast now gotten so great honor that the glory thereof shall remaine with thée for euer and althoughe this thing was against my will and minde and that my hart could not content it selfe for the losse of myne that I loued so well and whom thou hast slaine And although I am called to reuenge them yet considering that this their misfortune chaunced by thy onely valiantnesse doyng the thing that thou shouldest doe to get a name among wise men I could not refraine my selfe but to vse curtesie to thée wardes as reason commaunded me seyng thée to be wery without a sworde and a horse So that if I had the better hande of thee being prouided and wel horsed as I am such a victory shuld rather turne me to blame than to any glory By meanes whereof I loue much better to be on my féete and being equall in armes to let fortune rule and extende hir hande to whom of vs two it shall please hir Birmartes braue answere to Branzahar the Prince of Clareâ—â—â— where he prayseth more his curtesie than he doth wonder of his greatnesse and force but yet to auoyde blame it is expedient for to fight In the .7 booke the .54 Chapter PRince your curtesie hath more astonied me thaÌ„ the greatnesse of your body and the might of your members great and boystous for the magnanimitie of heartes doth not consist in the masse of the flesh but in the propernesse strength of the person the which doth loue honour and doth desire to make his remembrance perpetuall not by brauery pryde but doing his duetie with fewe and swéete wordes and rude execution in suche sort that I finding in you the one of these two poyntes that is curtesie I doubt not that the seconde be farre of considering that very syldome or neuer they leaue eche other no more than the fire the heate and the heate the fire Therfore if it were to me honourable or reasonable I would sooner and more willingly make amitie with you thaÌ„ passe ouer with aduantage to proue our persons one against the other but hauing no order neither you nor I cannot refuse the combat that is offered in so much as it should be an iniurie for you to leaue off the enterprise that ye haue begon and to me great blame not to follow the fortune that this beginning as euery man may sée hath giuen me So then let the victory be as it shall please fortune and him haue it that can get it A letter from the knight of the burning sworde to Magadan wherein he excuseth him of his departing without leaue and doth labour to enter into his grace and fauour seyng he was founde without faulte In the seuenth booke the .16 Chapter RIght highe right mightie and right excellent Prince if the things that be to come were present to men as they be vnknowen vnto them fewe men should finde themselues deceiued and fewer euil men that might by falsely reporting things vnto them deceiue them But such secretes being out of our power certes we should feare more the malice of men than death it selfe that causeth a man to die but once For the deathe that ensueth and followeth these traitours and euill men doth not onely take away life but the immortal honor that euery vertuous person mighte obtaine and get conuerting and turnyng hys good renoume to shame and blame wherewith they féede the eares of them that harken vnto them And of thys victorious King ye may now iudge much better than of any other beyng at the poynt to fall into the reputation of an vniust King beyng in wyll and mynde so wrongfully to put the Quéene to deathe throughe the false accusation that was reported to you of hir and of your faithfull subiecte and seruaunt the Knight of the burning sworde Not syr that I will excuse me of the faulte that I dyd absenting my selfe from your courte following the counsell that Maudan gaue mee for where my innocencie was payne coulde haue no place And furthermore not leauing my honour doubtfull by my flying awaye I shoulde rather haue submitted my selfe to your punishment knowyng your vertue and my iustice than fearing your furie and followyng the death the whyche I deserued not to render my selfe suspecte of the faulte But the gods as I vnderstand haue suffered the truthe afterwardes to be discouered by him that had charged it and that the Quéenes honour and mine was recouered by the inuincible valiantnesse of Amadis the King of England the which sustaining my right slew the traitor in the plaine fielde of battell before your maiestie And neuerthelesse syr if there yet doe reste any sparckle of euill will against your humble seruaunt I beséeche you to forget it and partly to take and to receiue me to your good grace fauour perceiuing that I haue a desire to returne to your excellencie to whom I would already haue come if it had not béene for the promise that I made to these thrée Kings assembled not to leaue theÌ„ vntill the warre taken in hande against two other traitors were ended Therfore it may please you to excuse me kissing the hands of your highnesse in all humilitie The Oration of Abra to hir brother Zair Soudan of Babilon demaunding wherof his anoyance doth procede to giue him a remedie In the .8 booke the .2 Chapter ALas my Lord from whence may this accident procéede I praye you not to hide the occasion any more from me swearing vnto you by the faith that I owe you that if there be any thing wherewith I may giue you any remedie I wil not spare my life for you for why it can not continue seeyng you suffer as ye doe The Oration of Abra to the Princes and Lordes being in the Soudans Zair hir brothers court declaring vnto them the vision of the foresayde Soudan and perswading them to take in hande the combat against the Christians In the .8 booke the .2 Chapter EXcellent Princes and great Lords it semeth that fortune doth present to you all one meane and way seruing our gods to augment their lawe and to make lesse diminishe that by the which they are misprysed And to declare
his owne affection And so thou shalt haue in remembrance as well to hide my thought as I haue had paine first to open it vnto thée The answere of the dwarffe Busaneo to Niquea assuring hir so to be hirs that he woulde not to die for it doe the thing that should offend hir In the .8 booke the .18 Chapter PArdon me Madam for ye doe me wrong beyng in doubte that I am any other than obedient to youre will. Also I would sooner chose to die than for any thing to transgresse it beséeching you moste humbly to beléeue that your Busando hath no more power vpon himselfe than it pleaseth you â—o giue him So then commaund him hardly all that shal please you and with so much faithe that he shall kéepe it so close as though ye had shewed it to no other but to your owne soule estéeming me to be so greatly beloued of vertue that she as touching me shall ouercome all things that I may thinke to be contrarie vnto it The Oration of the knight of the burning sworde to Lucelle the Princesse of Siceli declaring â—nto hir that he is vehemently wounded with hir loue â—umbly beseeching hir to feele in hir selfe this great amitie and to haue pitie of hys payne and dolour In the .8 booke the .21 Chapter WOuld God Madame that loue had as well employed his forces and strength vpon you to my aduantage as he hath willed to do towardes me making me wholly yours and so greatly affectioned to honour you and to serue you that if all things went by reason the flames that burne my heauie hearte shoulde be the meane to giue me suche quiet and rest that you your selfe féeling the thing that causeth me to suffer would blame your selfe to esteeme and thinke your selfe so cruell But séeing that my euill houre dothe consent that I alone should suffer I estéeme the trauel fortunate and luckie if it content you trusting that I knowyng my selfe such as touching you wil haue pitie vpon me if not shortly at least waye in time trusting so in your goodnesse honestie that ye knowing that ye are the cause of my martyrdome will not be so cruell as to suffer suche a knight as I am and onely borne in this worlde to obey you and to â—â—eâ—se you in all that yée shall thinke good to commaunde hym to dye so miserably and wretchedly The answere of Lucelle to the knight of the burning sworde causyng hym to vnderstande that she beareth him as good affection as she maye in true and faythfull amitie and to marrie together if she maye doe it In the .8 boke the .21 Chapter AH ah my friende quod the Princesse howe say you that to me thinke ye that I holde you so farre from reason to thinke in your minde that I would knowledge the seruices that ye haue done for me to be things vnmete for my honor Beléeue me that ye shall not liue béeing deceiued in the loue that ye beare me for I loue estéeme you so muche that if all the Monarchie of the world were set on the one part and you alone on the other and that the one and the other wer at my commaundement I would accept and choose you for my onely lorde and husbande rather than to remayne ladie and empresse of the rest And this is it that causeth me to be very sure that your heart doth not desire nor would not thinke vpon any thing wherof my reputation might haue any â—lur or the least blame that any man might presume Likewyse I will sweare vnto you that no other but you shall at anye time possesse my heart for it is and shall be yours as long as I haue life in my body to will you well The knight of the burning swords letter surnamed Amadis of Grece ansvvering to Niqueas letter aduertising hir that he is redy to come to see hir seing she hath graunted him hir good grace the which shal cause him liue content In the .8 boke the .22 chapter MAdame I haue receyued the letter whiche it hath pleased you to write to me by this bearer and reading it I by by felt my heart inclined to doe you all the seruice that shall please you to haue of it desiring no greater goodnesse than to sée and to enioy your presence being well assured that my eyes receiuing this fortune that your two swéet and pitifull eyes shall haue compassion of the euill that I suffer for the thing that I neuer offended So that I ye giuing me a certaine parte in your good grace shall lyue contente and you obeyed and honoured by him vpon whom you haue entier commaundement the which desireth you to doe so much for him as to suffer and to set an order that he may sée you and kisse your diuine handes recognisyng the grace and fauour that ye haue shewed him sending him worde of youre will by Busande the whiche he shal take payn to accomplish euen as I haue prayed him to shewe you by mouth whome ye may beléeue if it so please you as from your most humble and obedient seruant the knight of the burning sworde The complaint of Onoloria for the absence of Lisuard and and therfore she prayeth him to haue pitie of hir extreame dolour and to come vnto hir In the .8 boke the .36 Chapter ALas my deare friende wherevppon thinke ye nowe to leaue hir thus alone and not fauoured whose esperance and hope is more than halfe dead For as the shadowe doth augmente at the departing and going downe of the Sunne and rendereth terrour obscuritie and darkenesse to fearfull and not well assured heartes in lyke manner feare you beyng absente and out of my syght dothe holde me so assieged that it forâ—aketh me not one houre but dothe what it can or may to cause me to léese you and my lyfe together Therefore nowe O my swéete lyght and my onely sun aduance you come to giue cléerenesse to my spirite whiche is now so obscured and dusked with mortall noysomnesse that the first newes that ye shall heare of me poore woman shal be as I thinke the desperate ende of your Onolorie the whiche doth no lesse serue you and call you to hir helpe and succour than she is easye and ioyfull of your libertie and deliuerance The Oration of a Trumpeter to Queene Liberna from the people of Abernis praying hir to excuse them and to pardon theyr faulte that they haue committed against hir Maiestie In the .8 booke the 31. Chapter MAdam your humble subiects constrained by the violence of Abernis to take armes and to warre against you doe praye you in all humilitie to receiue them from henceforthe vnto your good grace and to forget the faulte that they haue committed against your maiestie vnder this charge and condition that in time to come they shall be faithfull and obedient so much or more vnto you as other subiectes or vassalles the which are in other prouinces and countreys The Queenes
neuer thinke such a fault and féeblenesse of heart to bée in you that any one of you shoulde not desire to reuenge himselfe vpon his enimie and to sell his skinne dearly Wel it is conuenient for vs a little to dissemble our heauinesse and take pacience perforce and not to discourage the other Yée may beléeue mée that the greatest parte of the annoyance doth rest in my brayne but I inclose it to open and manifestly to open it doubled perforce when tyme and season shall giue me occasion Therefore I commaunde you all to go and to rest your selues a whyle that as soone as the fayre Diana or Moone shall arise setting you in traine and order to go and to inuade our enimies euerye man taking a white shirt vpon his harnesse for euery one of vs to knowe eche other assuring you that the ioy which they had through oure losse may cause them to be negligent by the meanes whereof we maye giue them so strayte a hande that they shall thinke thereof And this shall be a demonstration that oure little companie hath not a faynte heart agaynst so greate an hoste séeing that oure execution of vengeance hath no care for the trauell and payne receyued As touching me my friends although I haue bin hurt like as other I féele not these woundes so much as that the which I haue in my hart of despite and euill will beléeuing asmuch of other and that diuers of you which are not deadly wounded shall not leaue to come to this camisado the which I woulde should be two houres after midnight and as secretly as may be for feare of waking of our enimies but to rocke them so well that they shall sléepe for euer The which thing I estéeme to be easie considering the great chéere that ye made yester euen and the small watch that they shall make trusting in your misfortune A complaynt of Amadis of Greece being in the desert of Lions lamenting his Lucell whom he had forsaken to take Niquea In the .10 booke the .37 Chapter O Force that dost force me against my owne wil to breake the fayth and fidelitie that I should rather kéepe but yet thou hast made me in changing of my selfe to change it Truly my payne is greatly redoubted for the good thing that doth me so much euill O gentle Lucell what is this to say that when your beautie was wont to torment my hearte through a mortall desire I enticed of good hope did beare it paciently but now that I haue it no more alas I suffer an euill not to be borne Alas hope was wont to maintaine my life in thy absence what doth now sustayne it it must néedes be that there be some hope against hope to deliuer me a more gréeuous punishment for my vnfaithfulnesse the which doth banish me from the presence of hir whose inestimable vertue did promis me some pitie but I my selfe am contrary to my selfâ— so that I cannot haue repentance to require your pardon for my falsed fayth when I remember my déere Nequea of whome I haue receiued so great glory and contentation O death now make an end of my life to finish my trauell and thou life entertayne me no more to cause my lanlonger to endure O ye waues of the Sea why haue ye not swallowed me now of late into your déepe bottomes to exempt and to take me from this soo horrible tormeÌ„t O fountaine beholding that of his cauerne thou art fortunate making thy ordinarie course and my eyes vnfortunate distilling continually by vnnaturall constraint Thy fresh licor doth take from me the heate that is come from the common sunne but the fier that Lucell my very sunne doth cause no water can quench but one pitifull teare by hir sprinkled vppon me Niquea Niquea thou dost owe me the pardon of this offence whereof thou hast forgotten the obligation of my â—irst loues Lucelle Lucelle reioice your self now that the time is come that ye shall haue vengeance of youre vnfaithfull knight of the burning sword with satisfaction of the faulte that his sonne might haue done against your brother Anaxartes doth pitifully shew princesse Oriana that the fier of loue whiche hath inflamed him through hir beautie will reduce him to ashes if she take no pitie In the .10 booke the 41. Chapter I Besech you madame to excuse my boldnesse that I take to discouer vnto you the martirdome that I suffer for your excellence and so muche the more it gréeueth me that I kepe it close and couert for what soeuer reuerence I beare to your highnes the strength of loue is so vehement that my reason can no longer resiste and to cause you to perceiue it well it is suche that I for the extremitie of the violence thereof cannot tell it but that I through it do féele in me as it were in a litle world after the saying of auncient wise men all the diuers passions of the elements Alas my poore eyes do well shewe and declare the running waters of the sea in my continuall teares and my déepe sighes do flie as the winds in the ayre and are moued by the heate of fier hidden in my hearte the which without your pitie shal turne all my body into drye earth and ashes A sweete and an honest answer of princesse Oriana to Anaxartes In the .10 booke the .41 Chapter MY Lord the place that ye hold such as we know dothe gyue you a law to speake priuily vnto me but of the affection the which ye would declare vnto me ye shall pardon me if I be purposed to beleeue the thing that I may iudge by effect more than by wordes the which may easily be disguised notwithstanding I shall iudge that princesse fortunate vnto whome God shall giue a knyght that aboundeth with great vertue whome I estéeme and honoure in you after his merite The Quene Sidonia doeth declare to Phalanges of Astre the cause of the lawe that she hathe established and she requireth him to marie hir In the .10 booke the .44 Chapter IF the excellente Ladies of Rome and Greece haue in tymes pasâ—e offered themselues in sacrifice to conserue and keepe their virginitie and to obtayne by suche deathe immortall glorie there is no lesse reason in the lawe as by me in thys Isle constituted and established for the conseruation of my daughters chastitie and myne preseruing them from diuers abuses that men threaten them withall to drawe them to theyr vncleane affections by efficace promises and perswasions by the meanes whereof the fyre of loue by semblable and lyke nature dothe embrace the heartes of them Therefore I haue onely reserued libertie to maidens to choose their husbands and to knyghts to choose them wiues and I haue submitted my selfe to the Law and to vse it after my desire and for the wealth of my realme the whiche is in my power to giue to whom it shall please mee as husbande and wyfe The which thing I doe to you knight taking
Then casting my sight on euery syde I saw a sworde hanging the which I tooke sodenly and the villaine came to me hauing a Partâ—ane in his hande wherewith he smote once at me the which leaping aside I auoyded and so that he perced me not but onely my veluet Casdâ—kâ— in two partes or else he had smitten me through the bodie Then I gaue him such a garter in the hamme and so right vpon the ioynt that by and by he fell downe in the place and cast out his armes to take me but I layd the sworde so betwene him and me that it perste him vnto the hiltes thorow the middle of his bellie Then through paine he stretched him and I that they which were beneath shoulde not perceyue it tooke a hatchet wherwith I cut his gorge as it had bene a great Oxe So I tooke the keyes and went to open the gate of the prison where I founde my Ladie trembling for the feare that shée had of the strife and debate that she heard betwéene Bocarel me the which embraced me kist men hundred times saying Alas Florarlan what shall become of thy life if the Duke vnderstand thy déede My minion God prserue thée and kepe thée to much more greater things Madame quoth I the thing that is done cannot be vndone but I sée the remedie that is to go to the Duke and to tell him that ye haue sent me worde by Bocarell to pray him to sende me to the king â—o requyre him of a certaine thing and that afterwardes yée will applie vnto his will. Thus I shall get out and escape Againe she â—ooke me about the neâ—ke smiling for my inuention Then I sayd vnto hir that there was no tarying there that I she beholding the thing being out of that place should haue businesse for hir deliuerance Ye muste she sayd goe to Constantinople and beare me a letter to Prince Florisell of Niquea but we haue not here wherewithall to make it It shall not let sayd I for that for I will go and take a Réed in Bocarels chamber and mingle it with the bloud of this ruffian with the which ye may write this present letter Incontinent I kist hir hands she blessing me and commending me to god I shut the doore tied the keyes againe to the Iaylers girdle bycause men should not perceyue that I had spoken with hir I went to the Duke the which did graunt me my demaund verie willingly and caused the gate to be opened vnto me a horse to be deliuered me vpon whom I haue done my businesse hitherto kéeping no way vntill I was farre from Thrace And I haue bestowed one lincke of my chaine for my expences and this habit the which I haue taken and made conformable and méete for the estate of my Ladie This is it my Lorde that I was charged withall to shewe you Arlande doth shew hir father the king of Thrace howe that the Princes of Grece haue forgiuâ—n hir and deliuered hir of the death that shee had of a long time purchased for them and for this cause she prayeth him to receyue them to his amitie In the .10 booke the .62 Chapter MY Lorde I haue for a time employed all my power to purchase the vengeance of my brother Balerte vpon those that slue him as euery man might haue perceyued afterwards my enimies met with me in such perill that without their succour I had lost mine honour or my life Who then should haue so inhumain a heart to procure his death â—y whoÌ„ he hath and holdeth his life seeing also that the accideâ—â— and chaunce of my brother doth not charge him with any treason or vnfaythfulnesse and is not to be imputed but to the ordinarie hazard chance of warre I being for this cause deliuered by you agaynst my will to Madasanill vnder the condition of vengeance vpon the Princes of Grece vnto whome I was in dâ—t for my deliuerance at leastwise they are quited concerning me for the recompence of good for euill they haue holpen me in the captiuitie that I was in and in such sort as ye doe sée notwithstanding the treason of the Duke as this noble bloud is alwayes in Gods protection Therefore I beseeche you my Lorde to consider my déede with reason pacifying your courage for my sake and making agréement with those whose aliance receyueth no coÌ„parison of that of Furio Cornelio As touching me I doe offer my selfe vnto you to dispose me after your owne will as Isaac did to his father Abraham And of them I ensure you ye shall not be hindered nor let in any poynt of your royall libertie Ye sée here the great king Amadis of France sée Florisel of Niquea whose father saued my life vpon the sea there is the Prince Phalanges of Astre and the valiant Alastraxeree the whiche although they haue you in their handes desire but your amitie The Queene Sidonia dothe wryte to Morasiel the whiche will giue hir daughter of whome he had left hir greate in mariage to him that will bring hir his head to be reuenged by his death of the wrong that he haâ—h done hir deceyuing hir vnder the colour of mariage In the 10. booke the .65 Chapter SIdonia Quéene of the I le of Guinday founder of glorious lawes to hir owne shame to thée fayned Moraisel shée sendeth this salutation to depriue thée the better I hauing presented to thée mine owne person and royal lordship folowing the rigorousnesse of my ordinances thou haste fraudulently accepted it notwithstanding thy incapacitie kéeping the one parte of the edicte and lawe and violating the other And hauing thus vniustly vsurped the honour of my royall bedde haste lefte me in long heauinesse for thy absence without at any time afterwardes aduertising me of the abuse that thou haste brued me but of the new bedde that thou hast practised what excuse can ye forge or inuent but to haue willed to by againe the life of the gentle Prince Phalanges of Astre Ah ah amitie did binde thée to lay thine owne life for his and not thy honour and mine whereof I call the Gods to auenge me of thy periurie in our mariage and I will purchace it among men by the frute that is issued of the daughter of whome thou didst leaue me girded and great the whiche for the vantage of beautie that she hath aboue all the fairest of the worlde I haue named hir Diana to the likenesse of the Plane that in heauen dothe deâ—ace all other The whiche I nourishe for the pryce and hire of thy head promising hir with my realme in mariage to him that shall bring me that present And for this I haue caused the towers of Phebus and Diana to be builded Wherein she shal be inclosed not to be séene of any liuing man vntill the comming of my auenger hir husbande the whiche shall shine in thy place and shée shall fayle in myne after the companie that my soule shall go
to doe to thine For the assurance of those condicions I haue signed this letter with my name and sent it sealed with hir bloude in thy presence as innocent as thine is euill and without faulte The Oration of Dom Florisel of Niquea to the assistance in Constantinople where he excuseth him of the thing that Sidonia dothe accuse hym of and giueth assurance to all those that vpon this quarell be willyng to combatte and fight In the .10 booke the .65 Chapter IF moste nobâ—e Lordes manne ought not by the lawe of true amitie spare body nor goodes in any businesse of his fréende what may hée then reserue at the poynt of the extremitie of his owne lyfe into the whiche the Prince Phalangâ—s was runne by the rigorous lawes of the I le of Guinday if I had not sodainly succoured and holpen him although to the preiudice of the fayth that I firste owe vnto God and after to my deare Lady Helen of whome I hope for no lesse pardon than of the diuine maiestie in like offence The Quéene that accuseth me is indued with so great grace and perfection that she alone maye inforce all humayne heartes to hir will and pleasure and if she complayne of the too solemne bande of fained mariages the mishap that is chaunced muste be imputed to hir selfe through the constraint of hir owne ordinances and lawes For all that I doe for satisfaction of hir honour wherewith they will charge me I consent that this present portraiture be tâ—ed to a corde the which shal be set vp in the courte of this palace and the chances of these poore maydens in another that the facte may be the better published and that the knightes through ignorance fayle not hir at the enterpryse of this quarell for the whiche euen nowe I sweare and promis such assurance as is conuenient in such a defiance to all those that are nowe in this citie and will enter in campe for hir against me that if the vengeance be due vnto hir it be not delayed on my parte Certaine complayntes extract out of the Eleuenth booke the first Chaptâ—r in the whiche menne may see Queene Sidonia complayne hir inconstantly ynough of loue O True dissemblyng of him the whiche vnder the image and name of an other did gather the firste flowre of my youth what ioy shalte thou bring me giuing me the meanes to quench and to mortifie the fire of his loue by the vengeance that I purchace vpon him for the outrageous rauishment of my honour For I haue concluded and appoynted to giue thée with my realme to whosoeuer shall present the head of the Father to the Daughter the whiche thing I beséeche the immortall Gods to consent and graunt for the iuste punishment of this false Prince a Grecian and in witnesse of my chastitie by him fraudulently defilâ—d my will beyng nothing bespotted nor violated O deare Moraisel into what excesse of torment haste thou caste me to enforce my will so affectionated towardes thée to sweare and to prepare for thée an immortall vengeance as to sacrifice thy heade to my vigorous honour and afterwardes to offer vp my life to thy shadow who euer sawe suche a confusion of loue and hatred or twoo suche extremities to extinguishe the meane and the way of honestie An other complaynt of Queene Sidonia In the .11 booke the 1. Chapter O Gods why haue ye not fulfilled me with the like fortune to that of this lady in ioyfulnesse of so excellent a Lorde if ye will not shewe me so much grace and fauour what reason had he to cause me to feele and taste the swéetenesse of his perfections and afterwardes to leaue me a famished martirdome of the swéetenesse of voluptuousnesse Oâ— loue I would gladly complayne me of thée that hath so vnfaithfully intreated me if thou dydst not beare thine excuse by the priuiledge of thy naturall reason and therefore I should doe wrong to founde me in reason againste him that vseth none I am in peace and in mortall warre I feare I hope I burne being as colde as yce I flie to heauen beyng wholy in the earth and yet nothing is done in déede I embrace all I am in prison that doth nother open nor shutte they doe lace and vnlace me with one lace Loue dothe binde me togither and vnbindeth me giuing me his grace and afterwardes taking it fro me a good and an euill houre in my chace doe follow me I sée my wealth and to my hurte I doe runne I am equally bothe life and death yea I purchace both life and death and I woulde perish and I demaunde succour in this state I am for Florisel Florarlam prayeth Arlande to declare vnto him what she knoweth of his parents In the .11 booke the .5 Chapter MAdame I am inforced then to confesse you a heart breaking that dothe torment me of the thing that I haue as I consider receyued of your grace to haue bene hitherto so well intreated the obligation whereof doth charge me with a déede that can not well be borne in asmuche as I know not yet who I am nor who was my father nor my mother if I knew they were of base condition I would so much the more acknowledge that the liberall nourishment that ye gaue me was of your onely fauour without my deseruing or any of mine And in case they were other I woulde prepare me to pray them for the satisfaction that I am indewed vnto you for the great goodnesse and honour that yée shewe me Therefore madame I pray you to alighten me of my greate sorow that I beare and suffer and to certifie me of all that yée know Arlande dothe wryte subtilly to Dom Florisel the whiche doth sende him his sonne to make hym knight finally she prayeth God to rewarde him for his deceytfulnesse In the .11 booke the .5 Chapter MY Lorde I sende you a Iuell whereof in time paste I robbed you and yet tooke nothing of yours that was subiect to the common lawe of the citie and yet ye haue satisfied me with the greatest goodnesse yée may wishe for in this worlde I trust that the confession that ye make shall discharge me of this faulte seyng that the restitution dothe folowe As long as he was in my possession I kepte him very carefully for my parte that I had in him nowe reason would that ye shoulde take care for yours whereof I am constrayned to aduertise you bicause yée shoulde no longer pretende any cause of ignoraunce This bearer Florarlan the fayre damsell willyng to obtayne laude ensuing the trace of hir aunceters desireth to be made Knight at the handes of the Emperoure your father I pray you to doe so muche for your selfe for hir and for me as to present hir In the meane while I affectuously recommende me to your good grace without hauing of any hope praying God my Lorde to render you the rewarde of your deceytes in like measure as ye haue measured to other