calor And alittle after Ea verba locutus Optatos dedit amplexus placitumque petiuit Coniug is infusus gremio per membra soporem I hope they that vnderstand Latin will confesse this is plaine enough yet with modest words no obscenons phrase and so I dare take vpon me that in al Ariosto and yet I thinke it is as much as three Aeneads there is not a word of ribaldry or obscenousnes farther there is so meet a decorum in the persons of those that speake lasciuiously as any of iudgement must needs allow and therefore though I rather craue pardon then prayse for him in this point yet me thinkes I can smile at the finesse of some that will condemne him and yet not onely allow but admire our Chawcer who both in words and sence ' incurreth far more the reprehensioÌ„ of flat scurrilitie as I could recite many places not onely in his Millers tale but in the good wife of Bathes tale many more in which onely the decorum he keepes is that that excuseth it and maketh it more tolerable But now whereas some will say Aâ—iosto wanteth art reducing all heroicall Poems vnto the method of Homer and certaine precepts of Aristotle For Homer I say that that which was commendable in him to write in that age the times being changed would be thought otherwise now as we see both in phrase in fashions the world growes more curious each day then other Ouid gaue precepts of making loue and one was that one should spill wine one the boord write his mistresse name therewith this was a quaynt cast in that age but he that should make loue so now his loue would mocke him for his labour and count him but a slouenly sutor and if it be thus chaunged since Ouids time much more since Homers time And yet for Ariostos tales that many thinke vnartificially brought in Homer himselfe hath the like as in the Iliads the conference of Glaucus with Diomedes vpon some acts of Bellerophon in his Odysseas the discourse of the hog with Vlysses Further for the name of the booke which some carpe at because he called it Orlando Furioso rather then Rogero in that he may also be defended by example of Homer who professing to write of Achilles calleth his booke Iliade of Troy and not Achillide As for Aristotles rules I take it he hath followed them verie strictly Briefly Aristotle and the best censurers of Poesie would haue the Epopeia that is the heroicall Poem should ground on some historie and take some short time in the same to bewtifie with his Poetrie so doth mine Author take the storie of K. Charls the great and doth not exceed a yeare or therabout in his whole worke Secondly they hold that nothing should be fayned vtterly incredible And sure Ariosto neither in his inchantments exceedeth credit for who knowes not how strong the illusions of the diuell are neither in the miracles that Astolfo by the power of S. Iohn is fayned to do since the Church holdeth that Prophets both aliue and dead haue done mightie great miracles Thirdly they would haue an heroicall Poem aswell as a Tragedie to be full of Peripetia which I interpret an agnition on of some vnlooked for fortune either good or bad and a sudd en change thereof of this what store there be the reader shall quickly finde ' As for apt similitudes for passions well expressed of loue of pitie of hate of wrath a blind man may see if he can but heare that this worke is full of them There follows onely two reproofs which I rather interpret two peculiar praises of this writer aboue all that wrote before him in this kind One that he breaks off narrations verie abruptly so as indeed a loose vnattentiue reader will hardly carrie away any part of the storie but this doubtlesse is a point of great art to draw a man with a continuall thirst to reade ouer the whole worke and toward the end of the booke to close vp the diuerse matters briefly and cleanly If S. Philip Sidney had counted this a fault he would not haue done so himselfe in his Arcadia Another fault is that he speaketh so much in his owne person by digression which they say also is against the rules of Poetrie because neither Homer nor Virgil did it Me thinks it is a sufficient defence to say Ariosto doth it sure I am it is both delightfull and verie profitable and an excellent breathing place for the reader and euen as if a man walked in a faire long alley to haue a seat or resting place here and there is easie and commodious but if at the same seate were planted some excellent tree that not onely with the shade should keepe vs from the heat but with some pleasant and right wholsome fruite should allay our thirst and comfort our stomacke we would thinke it for the time a litle paradice so are Ariostos morals and pretie digressions sprinkled through his long worke to the no lesse pleasure then profit of the reader And thus much be spoken for defence of mine Author which was the second part of my Apologie Now remaines the third part of it in which I promised to speake somwhat for my selfe which part though it haue most need of an Apologie both large and substantiall yet I will run it ouer both shortly and slightly because indeed the nature of the thing it selfe is such that the more one doth say the lesse he shall seeme to say and men are willinger to praise that in another man which himselfe shall debase then that which he shall seeme to maintaine Certainly if I should confesse or rather professe that my verse is vnartificiall the stile rude the phrase barbarous the meeter vnpleasant many more would beleeue it to be so theÌ„ would imagine that I thought them so for this same 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or selfe pleasing is so coÌ„mon a thing as the more a man protests himselfe to be from it the more we wil charge him with it Wherefore let me take thus much vpon me that admit it haue many of the forenamed imperfections and many not named yet as writing goes now a dayes it may passe among the rest and as I haue heard a friend of mine one verie iudicious in the beautie of a woman say of a Ladie whom he meant to praise that she had a low forhead a great nose a wide mouth a long visage and yet all these put together she seemed to him a verie well fauoured woman so I hope and I finde alreadie some of my partiall friends that what seuerall imperfections soeuer they finde in this translation yet taking all together they allow it or at least wise they reade it which is a great argument of their liking Sir Thomas Moore a man of great wisedome and learning but yet a litle enclined as good wits are many times to scoffing when one had brought him a booke of some shallow discourse and
did it the rather because Plutarke in one place speaking of Homer partly lamenteth and partly blameth him that writing so much as he did yet in none of his workes there was any mention made or so much as inkling to be gathered of what stocke he was of what kindred of what towne nor saue for his language of what countrey Excuse me then if I in a worke that may perhaps last longer then a better thing and being not ashamed of my kindred name them here and there to no mans offence though I meant not to make euerie body so far of my counsell why I did it till I was told that some person of some reckening noted me of a little vanitie for it and thus much for that point For my omitting and abreuiating some things either in matters impertinent to vs or in some too tedious flatteries of persons that we neuer heard of if I haue done ill I craue pardon for sure I did it for the best But if any being studious of the Italian would for his better vnderstanding compare them the first sixe bookes saue a little of the third will stand him in steed But yet I would not haue any man except that I should obserue his phrase so strictly as an interpreter nor the matter so carefully as if it had bene a storie in which to varie were as great a sin as it were simplicitie in this to go word for word But now to conclude I shall pray you all that haue troubled your selues to read this my triple Apologie to accept my labors and to excuse my errors if with no other thing at least with the name of youth which commonly hath need of excuses and so presuming this pardon to be granted we shall part good frends Onely let me intreate you in reading the booke ensuing not to do me that iniurie that a Potter did to Artosto AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER BEFORE HE READE THIS POEME OF SOME THINGS TO BE OBSERVED as vvell in the substance of this vvorkâ— as also in the setting forth thereof vvith the vse of the Pictures Table and annotations to the same annexed THere are peraduenture many men and some of those both graue and godly men that in respect they count all Poetrie as meerly tending to wantonnesle and vanitie will at the very first sight reiect this booke and not onely not allow but blame and reproue the trauel taken in letting forth the same in our mother tongue And surely for such censurers as will condemne without hearing the cause pleaded I can be well content to haue them spare the labor in reading which they thinke I haue lost in writing and appealing from them if not to higher at least to more indifferent iudges namely such as wil vouchsafe to heare what can be spoken in defence of the matter and then will yeeld as wise men euer should do to the stronger reason I do to them direct this my short aduertisement which because all that may reade this booke are not of equall capacities I will endeuor to explane more plainly then for the learned sort had haply bene requisite And first if any haue this scruple that it might be hurtfull for his soule or conscience to reade a booke of Poetry as though it might alien his mind from vertue and religion I referre him beside many other excellent mens writings both in defence and praise thereof to a litle briefe treatise in the beginning of this booke written by me generally in defence of Poemes and specially of this present worke which I dare affirme to be neither vicious nor profane but apt to breed the quite contrary effects if a great fault be not in the readers owne bad disposition Secondly I haue in the marginall notes quoted the apt similitudes and pithie sentences or adages with the best descriptions and the excellent imitations and the places and authors from whence they are taken Further where diuers stories in this worke seeme in many places abruptly broken off I haue set directions in the margent where to find the continuance of euery such storie though I would not wish any to reade them in that order at the first reading but if any thinke them worthy the twise reading then he may the second time not vnconueniently vse it if the meane matter betweene the so deuided stories vpon which commonly they depend be not quite out of his memorie Also according to the Italian maner I haue in a staffe of eight verses comprehended the contents of euery Book or Canto in the beginning thereof which hath two good vses one to vnderstand the picture the perfecter the other to remember the storie the better As for the pictures they are all cut in brasse and most of them by the best workmen in that kind that haue bin in this land this many yeares yet I will not praise them too much because I gaue direction for their making and in regard thereof I may be thought partiall but this I may truly say that for mine owne part I haue not seene any made in England better nor indeed any of this kind in any booke except it were a treatise set forth by that profound man master Broughton the list yeare vpon the Reuelation in which there are some three or foure pretie pictures in octauo cut in brasse very workmanly As for other bookes that I haue seene in this Realme either in Latine or English with pictures as Liuie Gesner Alciats emblemes a booke de Spectris in Latine and in our tongue the Chronicles the booke of Martyrs the booke of hauking and hunting and M. Whitneys excellent Emblemes yet all their figures are cut in wood and none in metall and in that respect inferiour to these at least by the old prouerbe the more cost the more worship The vse of the picture is euident which is that hauing read ouer the booke you may reade it as it were againe in the very picture and one thing is to be noted which euery one haply will not obserue namely the perspectiue in euery figure For the personages of men the shapes of horses and such like are made large at the bottome and lesser vpward as if you were to behold all the same in a plaine that which is nearest seemes greatest and the fardest shewes smallest which is the chiefe art in picture If the name of any man woman country towne horse or weapon seeme strange to any I haue made a table where to find it And in the same table a direction for the seuerall tales where to begin and end those that may conueniently be read single of which kind there are many and those not vnpleasant Lastly at the end of euery Book or Canto because the Reader may take not only delight but profit in reading I haue noted in all as occasion is offered the Morall the Historie the Allegorie and the Allusion The Morall that we may apply it to our owne manners
leaue her in this charmed place I meane er long her trauell shall be eased And she shall see and know Rogeros face Eu'n as the tast with diuers meats is pleased So thinke I by this storie in like case The frendly reader shall be lesse annoyed If with one matter long he be not cloyed 66 With sundrie threds a man had need to weaue To make so large a web as I intend Wherfore all other matters I must leaue Of Agramant a little time to spend Who sorely at the flour deluce did heaue And all his might to mar the same did bend Sending for men to Affricke and to Spaine Those to supply that in the field were slaine 67 Thus all on war his heart was wholly fixt His new supplies with sundrie captaines led Were come with men of sundrie nations mixt With whom that no disorder may be bred A day forvews and musters was prefixt That eu'rie one might know his guide and hed Then fell they to their mustring and their vewing As shall be shewd you in the booke ensuing In this tragicall discourse of Isabella for it is in conclusion an excellent tragedie young Ladies might take this good lesson that though they make choise of most worthie men as Isabella did yet if it be without their parents good will it seldome prospers but is full of diuers misaduentures and hazards that many times be the cause of their vtter ruine In that Oderike giueth place to his disordinate lust forgetting all faith and loyalty we may note the frailtie of young men and what vnfit tutors they are for such charges who when they haue broken all the bands of faith and honestie they think notwithstading they haue made a sufficient excuse for the matter if they may lay the fault vpoÌ„ sauing your reuerence Cupid In Corebo that would not be wonne to consent to his frends desire in so foule a matter we may take good example of faith and loyaltie that must neither for frendship nor kindred yeeld to any dishonorable act In the execution of the theeues we may learne that such an end is fit for men that liue by robberie and spoile and will take no honest trauell for their liuing as fit to vse the old Prouerbe as a rope is for a theese The notable women that are so commended by Melissa in this booke were of the house of Ferrara many of them worthie this exquisite praise that is here giuen them The first he speakes of is the Duchesse of Mantua whose husband had a great victorie at Tare a riuer of Italie against Charles the right of France Ariosto therefore compares her chastitie with this victorie according to that excellent wise saying it is a greater vertue to conquer ones owne affections then to win cities Beatrice wife to Lodwick Sforze of whom in the three and thirtith booke there is more said only here he notes which was true indeed that during his wiues life he liued more happy then he did after for at her death began his miserie Hercules of Este married Alfonsos daughter of whom he had Alfonso Hippolito and Isabella Concerning Renata Lewis the xij king of France maried the Duchesse of Brittaine and had by her issue this Renata one of whose ofspring was after matched into the house of Austria so as that Dukedome is in great danger to be gotten by the Spaniards now that line of France that came of the elder sister is extinguished But this is beside the booke onely I thought good to touch the particular stocke of some of these famous women that my Author so much extolleth as I haue my selfe read of some of them in Guicciardin and Frances Vlloa that wrote the life of Charles the fist in Italian and this I will note withall that my author doth with great discretion commend three speciall vertues in the women of the house of Este. First deuotion for he alledgeth that many of them entred into religion and liued all their time denoutly which he praiseth chiefly though in the last place saying I passe all those that passe all these some deall Next chastitie Penelope in spending chast her dayes as worthie as Vlysses was of praise Thirdly education of children as is likewise touched before in another place The vertues that in women merit praise Are sober showes without chast thoughts within True faith and due obèdience to their make And of their children honest care to take Bradamant that after Melissas warning giuen vnto her of Atlantas illusion yet is caried away with the sight of Rogero falsly represented vnto her signifies by allegorie that a Christian hauing receiued ghostly counsell for the health of his soule and is instructed in true beliefe yet after when the world and his owne grosse sence represents vnto him some contrarie imaginations he thinkes Melissa that is the preacher or instructer doth but abuse him and tell him a tale of Robinhood and so they are caried into the diuels pallace where they find nothing but shadows and illusions Where Orlando takes vp a firebrand and killed one of the outlaws therwith it alludes to two like matters in Oui. Ecce rapit medijs slagrantem Rhetus ab aris Primitium torrem dextraque a parte Charaxi Tempora perfringit And in the xij of Virgil. Obuius ambustum torrem Corineus ab ara Corripit venienti ebuso plagamâ—que ferenti Occupat os flammis Illi ingens barba reluxit Nidoremque ambusta dedit THE FOVRTEENTH BOOKE THE ARGVMENT Agramant mustring of his men doth misse Two bands that by Orlando late were slaine Mandricard vowes to be reuengd of this But by the way he haps to entertaine Dame Doralice whose beautie was his blisse An Angell brings Renaldo and his traine Vnseene there where the Pagan did encampe And sendéth discord to the Turkish campe 1 AMong the fierce assaults and cruell bloes That France hath felt from Affrick and from Spaine In which so many men fed Wolues and Croes That were on both sides in the battell slaine Although the French were foiled by their foes That long they came not to the field againe Yet was this foile sore to the Pagans cost For diuers Lords and Princes that they lost 2 So bloudie was the victorie they gate That scant this ioy did counteâ—uaile that wo And if we may compare things done or late Renownd Alfons to things done long ago Rauennas fall by fortune or by fate In which your vertue great did flourish so To win the field so bloudy and so hard With this of theirs may iustly be compard 3 For when the souldiers of the Spanish band Whom then the Pope retained in his pay Had almost got the victory in hand The Frenchmen ready now to runne away Thou camst to succor with that noble band Of valiant youths that merited that day The honor of the gilded spurre and hilt In recompence of blood so brauely spilt 4 So didst thou bruse the
preassed him very hard to haue his opinion of it aduised the partie to put it into verse the plaine meaning man in the best maner he could he did so and a twelue-month after at the least came with it to Sir Thomas who slightly perusing it gaue it this encomium that now there was rime in it but afore it had neither rime nor reason If any man had ment to serue me so yet I haue preuented him for sure I am he shal finde rime in mine if he be not voyd of reason he shal finde reason to Though for the matter I can challenge no praise hauing but borrowed it and for the verse I do challenge none being a thing that euery body that neuer scarce bayted their horse at the Vniuersitie take vpon them to make It is possible that if I would haue employed that time that I haue done vpon this vpon some inueption of mine owne I could haue by this made it haue risen to a iust volume and if I would haue done as many spare not to do flowne verie high with stolen fethers But I had rather men should see and know that I borrow all then that I steale any and I would wish to be called rather one of the not worst translators then one of the meaner makers Specially sith the Earle of Surrey and Sir Thomas Wiat that are yet called the first refiners of the English tong were both translators out of Italian Now for those that count it such a contemptible and trifling matter to translate I will but say to them as M. Bartholomew Ciarke an excellent learned man and a right good translator saith in manner of a prettie challenge in his Preface as I remember vpon the Courtier which booke he translated out of Italian into Latin You saith he that thinke it such a toy lay aside my booke and take my author in your hand and trie a leafe or such a matter and compare it with mine If I should say so there would be enow that would quickly put me downe perhaps but doubtlesse he might boldly say it for I thinke none could haue mended him But as our English prouerbe saith many talke of Robin Hood that neuer shot in his bow and some correct Magnificat that know not quid significat For my part I will thanke them that will amend any thing that I haue done amisse nor I haue no such great conceipt of that I haue done but that I thinke much in it is to be mended and hauing dealt playnly with some of my plaine dealing friends to tell me frankly what they heard spoken of it for indeed I suffered some part of the printed copies to go among my friends and some more perhaps went against my wil I was told that these in effect were the faults were found with it Some graue men misliked that I should spend so much good time on such a trifling worke as they deemed a Poeme to be Some more nicely found fault with so many two sillabled and three sillabled rimes Some not vndeseruedly reproued the fantasticalnes of my notes in which they say I haue strained my selfe to make mention of some of my kindred and friends that might verie well be left out And one fault more there is which I will tell my selfe though many would neuer finde it and that is I haue cut short some of his Cantos in leauing out many staues of them and sometimes put the matter of two or three staues into one To these reproofes I shall pray you gentle and noble Readers with patience heare my defence and then I will end For the first reproofe etiher it is alreadie excused or it will neuer be excused for I haue I thinke sufficiently proued both the art to be allowable and this worke to be commendable yet I will tell you an accident that happened vnto my selfe When I was entred a prettie way into the translation about the seuenth booke comming to write that where Melissa in the person of Rogeros Tutor comes and reproues Rogero in the 4. staffe Was it for this that I in youth thee fed With marrow c. And againe Is this a meanes or readie way you trow That other worthie men haue trod before A Caesar or a Scipio to grow c. Straight I began to thinke that my Tutor a graue and learned man and one of a verie austere life might say to me in like sort Was it for this that I read Aristotle and Plato to you and instructed you so carefully both in Greek and Latin to haue you now becom a translator of Italian toyes But while I thought thus I was aware that it was no toy that could put such an honest and serious consideration into my minde Now for them that finde fault with polysyllable meeter me thinke they are like those that blame men for putting suger in their wine and chide too bad about it and say they marre al but yet end with Gods blessing on their hearts For indeed if I had knowne their diets I could haue saued some of my cost at least some of my paine for when a verse ended with ciuillitie I could easier after the auncient manner of rime haue made see or flee or decree to answer it leauing the accent vpon the last syllable then hunt after three syllabled words to answer it with facillitie gentillitie tranquillitie hostillitie scurrillitie debillitie agillitie fragillitie nobillitie mobillitie which who mislike may tast lampe oyle with their eares And as for two syllabled meeters they be so approoued in other languages that the French call them the feminine rime as the sweeter and the one syllable the masculin But in a word to answer this and to make them for euer hold their peaces of this point Sir Philip Sidney not onely vseth them but affecteth them signifie dignifie shamed is named is blamed is hide away bide away Though if my many blotted papers that I haue made in this kinde might affoord me authoritie to giue a rule of it I would say that to part them with a one syllable meeter betweene them would giue it best grace For as men vse to sow with the hand and not with the whole sacke so I would haue the eare fed but not cloyed with these pleasing and sweet falling meeters For the third reproofe about the notes sure they were a worke as I may so call it of supererogation and I would wish sometimes they had bin left out and the rather if I be in such faire possibilitie to be thought a foole or fantasticall for my labour True it is I added some notes to the end of euery Canto euen as if some of my friends and my selfe reading it together and so it fell out indeed many times had after debated vpon them what had bene most worthie consideration in them and so oftimes immediatly i set it down And whereas I make mention here and there of some of mine owne frends and kin I
him stand aboue and hold it fast And by the same intending to descend Vpon her armes her whole waight she doth cast But he that to destroy her did â—ntend Doth aske if she would learne to leape a cast And laughing loosd his hands that were together And wisht that all the race of them were with her 76 Yet great good hap the gentle damsell found As well deseru'd a miâ—d so innocent For why the polâ— strake first vpon the ground And though by force it shiuerd all and rent Yet were her limbes and life kept safe and sound For all his vile and traiterous intent Sore was the damsell mazed with the fall As in another booke declare I shall In thiâ— second booke in the combat betweene Renaldo and Sacrapant we may obserue how the passion of loue together with the termes that men stand vpon for their reputation credit are oftentimes occasions of bitter quarels and in their sodaâ—â—e parting and great perplexitie that both of them were stricken into by the false tale that the spirit told them of Orlando we may gather how very apt ielousie is to conceiue and beleeue euery false report By Renaldos obedience to Charles in going on embassage notwithstanding all his priuat affaires and affections we may take example of dutiful obedience to our lawfull Prince And in that Pinnabel seekes to betray Bradamant and to kill her by letting her fall into the caue into the which she trusted he would haue let her downe safely and friendly we may note two speciall things one that it is good to be warie into whose hands we commit the sauegard of our liues and state the other that base minded men being wickedly set on reuenge care not by what treason or villanie they worke the ouerthrow of their enemies For the Historie of this Canto I will not affirme too precisely for I find not in any credible author of Renaldos embassage into England neither is it very likely if the King of England were then in Paris as in another place of this worke is affirmed that a Peere of France should be sent hither and not rather some English noble man sent from the King to his other subiects in England with directions and instructions from him That Paris and Charles himselfe were in some distresse about that time is not vnprobable and that the Turkes at their first arriuall preuailed very farre against the Christians though it lasted but a while As for Rogero whom he toucheth in this booke and that is so much spoken of in this wâ—â—le worke as Aeneas is in Virgil though in both rather in fabulous and in Allegoricall sence then plainly and historicaly yet I find it in very good Authors that a man of that name was indeed the chiefe raiser of the house of Este the now Dukes of Perrara For the Allegorie as I noted in the first booke of Bayardo so the same is still continued or rather repeated namely that the horse by which is meant mans feruent and furious appetite which is more plainly signified where it is said of the horse His going onely was to this intent To shew his master where the damsell went So that still this vnbridled desire figured by Bayardo leades Renaldo on foote whereby is vnderstood sensualitie to pursue Angelica with a base desire of the most base pleasure In the shield whose light amazed the lookers on and made them fall downe astonied may be Allegorically meant the great pompes of the world that make shining shewes in the bleared eyes of vaine people and blind them and make them to admire and fall downe before them hauing indeed nothing but shining titles without vertue like painted sheaths with leaden weapons or like straw without the graine either else may be meant the flaring beauties of some gorgeous women that astonish the eyes of weake minded men apt to receiue such louing impressions as Atlantas shield did amaze their senses that beheld it For the Allegorie of the horse what is meant thereby I reserue to another place where I will follow it more at large then this little space will giue me leaue and in that booke where he is more treated of The Allusion to which this flying horse is referred and from whence it is taken is from Pegasus the flying horse that Pindar writes of bred of the bloud of Medusa on which beast Bellerophon was wont to ride flying the false accusation of Pretus wife Also the shield it selfe seemes to allude to the fable of Medusas head that turned men into stones THE THIRD BOOKE THE ARGVMENT Faire Bradamant was falne in Marlins caue Melissa meetes her there her ancient friend And there to her she perfite notice gaue Of such braue men as should from her descend She told her where she should Rogero haue Whom old Atlanta had in prison pend And from Brunello how to take the ring That vnto libertie her deere might bring 1 OH that my head were so well storde with skill Of such a noble subiect fit to treat Oh that my wits were equall to my will To frame a phrase fit for so high conceat Ye muses that do hold the sacred hill Inspire my heart with flame of learned heat While I presume in base and lowly verse The names of glorious Princes to reherse 2 Such Princes as excell all Princes far In all the gifts of bodie and of mind Temprat in peace victorious eake in war Themselues most noble come of noble kind And such except my guesse do greatly arre As are by heau'ns eternall doome assignd In wealth in fame in rule and in prosperitie To liue themselues their children and posteritie 3 Nor can I now their seuerall actes most rare Atcheeud by eu'rie one of them recite No though my verse with Virgils might compare Or I as well as Homer could endite With their great praise great volumes filled are With large discourse by them that stories write I onely meane to show what was foreshowne Long er their persons or their deeds were knowne 4 But first of Pinnabel a word to speake Who as you heard with traiterous intent The bonds of all humanitie did break For which er long himselfe was after shent Thus while base minds their wroÌ„gs do basely wreak They do that once that often they repent And curse that time a thousand times too late When they pursude their vnreuenged hate 5 With fainting heart for sin is full of feare By stealing steps from hence he doth depart And as he goes he prieth here and there His fearefull looke bewrayes his guiltie hart Not yet his dread doth moue him to forbeare To heape more sin vpon this ill desart Appald with feare but toucht with no remorse Supposing she was slaine he takes her horse 6 But let him go vntill another time For I do meane hereafter you shall heare How he was dealt with when his double crime In secret wrought most open did appeare Now vnto
his youthfull course from that which he shall after surely repent Rogeros offring to go to Logestilla which betokens vertue signifies the good motiues that men haue often by reading good bookes or hearing good sermons to amend their liues but then the monstrous crew that stoppeth Rogero signifying the base conceits of men and foule desires that assaile them as namely those seaâ—en sinnes which be called the deadly sinnes by strong temptations and lewd suggestions do put vs out of that right way or at least encomber vs so as we proceed but slowly howbeit these do not preuaile so farre but that an honest and well giuen minde doth withstand them and yeeldeth not to them till the two Ladies riding vpon Vnicornes which some vnderstand by chast loue or at the least a shew of honorable loue or rather I suppose thereby to be meant ambition and desire of aduancement these two driue away all those base thoughts that assailed him but yet they bring him at last vnto the court of Alcina where he is held fast as shall be shewed in the next booke By Erifila is ment couetousnesse as the name it selfe shewes which must be beaten downe er we can come to honour or loue By Logestilla that is inuaded by the two basâ—erd sisters is ment allegorically the true Christian religion and there is another cosen of theirs called heresie and the graundsire of them all called Atheisme that are of late very busie with her But she is defended with the water which signifies the holy Scripture and with the mountaine which in the Scripture it selfe is taken for preachers as S. Augustine noteth vpon the Psalmes I lift vp mine eies to the hils whâ—nce commeth my saluation The transformation of Astolfo alludes to Cyrces witchcrast in Homer THE SEVENTH BOOKE THE ARGVMENT When foule Erifila was ouercome Rogero guided by two stately dames Vnto Alcynas sumptuous court doth come Where he his time in pleasure sâ—ends and games Melissa him rebukes he standeth dumme And at her true reproofes he greatly shames In fine by her good counsell and direction He frees himselfe from that most foule subiection 1 ALL they that to far countries do reâ—ort Shall see strange sights in earth in seas in skies Which when againe at home they shall report Their solemne tales esteemed are as lyes For â—â—y the fond and simple common sort Beleeue but what they feele or see with eyes Therefore to them my tale may seeme a fable Whose wits to vnderstand it are not able 2 But carelesse what the simplâ— sots surmise If they shall deeme it â— deuice or deede Yet sure to those that are discreete and wise It will no wonder nor no passion breed Wherefore my tale to such I do deuise And with them to the same to take good heed For some there are may fortune in this booke As in a glasse their acts and haps to looke 3 For many men with hope and show of pleasure Are carri'd far in foolish fond conceit And wast their pretious time spend their treasure Before they can discouer this deceit O happie they that keepe within their measure To turne their course in time and found retreit Before that wit with late repentance taught Were better neuer had then so deare bought 4 A little while before I did reherse How that Rogero by two dames was brought To combat with Erifila the feerse Who for to stop the bridge and passage soughte In vaine it were for to declare in verse How sumptuously her armor all was wrought All set with stones and guilt with Indian gold Both fit for vse and pleasant to behold 5 She mounted was but not vpon a steed Insteed thereof she on a Wolfe doth sit A Wolfe whose match Apuliâ— doth not breed Well taught to hand although she vsd no bit And all of sandie colour was her weed Her armes were thus for such a champion fit An vgly Tode was painted on her shield With poyson swolne and in a â—able field 6 Now each the other forthwith had descride And each with other then prepard to fight Then each the other scornefully deside Each seekes to hurt the other all he might But she vnable his fierce blowes to bide Beneath the vizer smitten was so right That from her seat â—ixe pacâ—s she was heaued And lay like one of life and sense bereaued 7 Rogero readie was to draw his sword To head the monster lying on the sand Vntill those dames with many a gentle word Asswagd his heat and made him hold his hand He might in honour now her life affoord Sith at his mercie wholly she doth stand Wherefore sir knight put vp your blade say thâ—y Le ts passe the bridge and follow on our way 8 The way as yet vnpleasant was and ill Among the thornie bushes and betweene All stony steep ascending vp the hill A way lesse pleasant seldome hath bene seene But this once past according to their will And they now mounted vp vpon the greene They saw the fairest castle standing by That erst was seene with any mortall eye 9 Alâ—yna met them at the outer gate And came before the rest a little space And with a count'nance full of high estate Salutes Rogero with a goodly grace And all the other courtiers in like rate Do bid Rogero welcome to the place With so great showes of dutie and of loue As if some god descended from aboue 10 Not onely was this pallace for the sight Most goodly faire and stately to behold But that the peoples courtsie bred delight Which was as great as could with tongue be told All were of youth and beautie shining bright Yet to confirme this thing I dare behold That faire Alâ—yna past the rest as farre As doth the Sunne another little starre 11 A shape whose like in waxe t were hard to frame Or to expresse by skill of painters rare Her haire was long and yellow to the same As might with wire of beaten gold compare Her louely cheekes with shew of modest shame With roses and with lillies painted are Her forehead faire and full of seemely cheare As smoth as polisht Iuorie doth appeare 12 Within two arches of most curious fashion Stand two black eyes that like two cleare suns shind Of stedie looke but apt to take compassion Amid which lights the naked boy and blind Doth cast In s darts that cause so many a passion And leaue a sweet and curelesle wound behind From thence the nose in such good sort descended As enuie knowes not how it may be mended 13 Conioynd to which in due and comely space Doth stand the mouth stand with Vermilion hew Two rowes of precious perle serue in their place To show and shut a lip right faire to vew Hence come the courteous words and full of grace That mollifie hard hearts and make them new From hence proceed those smilings sweet and nice That seeme to make an earthly paradice 14 Her brest as
there with much a do are glad and faine To catch some burning boord and being loth To dye of either death they dye of both 84 Some one for feare of sword or axe or pike Doth all in vaine vnto the sea betake him For why some stone or arrow or such like Ere he be farre from thence doth ouertake him But least the reader haply may mislike My too long tale this motion I would make him That to another season he defarre To heare the sequell of this bloudy warre In Rogeros irresolute fighting may be noted how necessary it is for a man before he go to fight to put on a good and firme resolution and chiefly of the goodnes of his cause In Agramants breach of the oth and promise we may see how odious a thing it is before God and man to be Foedifragi Truce-breakers which maketh them indeed to be forsaken of their frends prosecuted with great malice of their enemies lothed detested and scorned of their owne subiects and in the end breeds their vtter confusion In that Agramants souldiers do mutine against him and reuile him secretly and he notwithstanding thinkes himselfe to be well beloued of them and well thought of we may see in what a lamentable case those Princes are that as is said of them Neuer see lookes but fawningly disguised Neuer heare words but fayningly deuised Of the Historie of this booke first for Sileno that was Virgils Schoolemaster it is written of him he was one day laid to sleep after he had bene made drunke with wine and his schollers merily bound him wherupon he waking said that verse Soluite me pueri satis est potuisse videri Concerning this great battell at Arlie certaine it is as diuers Historiographers haue noted it that there remaine to this home great heapes of bones betokening some great slaughter of men in that place but when it should be done I cannot precisely affirme In that Mehsla by the helpe of the deuill taking vpon her a false image of Rodomont moued Agramant to breake truce the Allegorie thereof is that they be diuels or diuellish persons that will moue Princes to breake their word and their promise Of Orlandos restoring to his wit which indeed is the chiefe Allegorie of all the booke and where-upon the booke taketh thâ— name Orlando Furioso this in briefe is the meaning thereof Orlando a man of noble birth Erle of Auglant nephew to Charles the great falls so farre in loue with Angelica by which as I haue often noted is meant pleasure or honor that he leeseth his wits and becomes mad by which may be meant any sâ—lly that young men fall into with loue with prodigalitie with ambition or vaine studies which are at large recited in the 34. booke Astolfo with the receit he had of S. Iohn makes him wise againe that is by the grace of God and by the Gospell which teacheth vs how to despise all these worldly things and either quite leaue them or turne them to our good and benefite The sea fight which is in the later end of this booke described is like that which Lucan sets forth in the ciuil wars between Caesar and Pompey or rather indeed to that he speaks of in the next book of Cardinal Hippolito against the Venetians Here end the annotations vpon the 39. booke THE XL. BOOKE THE ARGVMENT Great Agramant doth fly and in his flight Would kill himselfe but Sobrin him forbode Biserta being fir'd a wofull sight At last they meet Gradasso in a rode They send a challenge three to three to fight Vnto Orlando where he then abode Rogero fights with Dudon to set free Seu'n kings whom bound in chaines he chaunst to see 1 T Were long my Lord to tell of all that fought In that sea fight and certes all the while That I should tell it you I should be thought To beare pots as they say to Samos I le Where earthen vessels in great store are wrought Or Owles to Athens Crocodils to Nyle For more then can of this by me be told Your selfe haue caused many to behold 2 Your faithfull people had a long prospect When all a day vpon the streame of Poe Your men as your great vallew did direct The shipping of your foes assaulted so That with their blood the streame they did infect And brought vpon them all a world of woe Then both your selfe and others plaine did see How sundry deaths in fights of sea there be 3 It was not then indeed my hap to see 't Sent then to Rome six dayes before in post To craue then at the holy fathers feet Reliefe and aid against so great an host And in that time your grace with them did meet In such a sort so sorely to their cost And so you par'd the Lyons teeth and pawes That since that time to feare we had no cause 4 But Aifonsin and Mâ—ore that saw the same Aâ—sranio Anniball and Lerbinet Albert and Baygn and three that beare my name Declar'd to me the conquest you did get Also their banners monuments of fame Which offerd in the Churches you did set With fifteene Gallies tane a thousand botes Of that rich conquest giue vs open notes 5 He that had seene the fire and wondrous wreake That at that time was wrought vpon your foes When for your few their many were too weake He might describe the deaths and diuers woes Of Agramantés host of which I speake And of their great and grieuous ouerthrowes Then when amids the surging waues and salt Stout Dudon in the night did them assault 6 When first the fight began the night was darke But when the flame vpon the pitch tooke hold The fire gaue light and did so clearly sparke That Agramant might plainly now behold His enemies and their great number marke Incredible if any had it told Wherefore in season to preuent the worst He changd the course he had intended furst 7 And chusing out a vessell swift of sayle And placing there his things of greatest price With Brigliadore sith all hope now doth fayle To steale from thence he closlie doth deuise And while that Dudon doth his men assayle In all the hast he can away he flyes His men the sword the sea the fire destroyes And he is fled that caused their annoyes 8 And in that Barke with him Sobrino fled Who much complaind and was not little greeued That that which he before so truly sed Yet then by Agramant was not beleeued But tell we now how good Astolfo sped And what exploits Orlando had atcheeued Who counseld so to raze Biserta towne That it might neuer noy th' Imperiall crowne 9 And so it was in publicke sort proclaymd That the third day th' assault they should expect Astolfo had some ships before ordaynd For Dudon had not all for this effect And these same ships with Sansonet remaynd A man that could by sea and land direct Who rode at
state Although to him it was apparent cleare For God that night had sent his Angell late To tell the Saint thereof Orlando sayd His arrant was to get his kinsman ayd 182 Who had a great and grieuous mayme receaued In fighting for the Empire and the saith And was of hope and comfort quite bereaued Be of good cheare the godly Hermit saith Who trust in God shall neuer be deceaued Yet oyntment none vnto his hurt he layth But first to Church he go'th and makes his prayre Then with great boldnesse doth to them repayre 183 And calling on that trebble sou'raigne name Of God the Father Sonne and holy Ghost He blest the knight that maymed was and lame Oh wódrous grace of which Gods saints may bost Straight to his vse each vaine and sinew came No part of all his former strength was lost And as it pleased God of his great grace Sobrino present was then in the place 184 And being now so weake with bleeding brought That eu'n his vitall sprites were almost spent And seeing plainly such a wonder wrought So great so gracious and so euident To leaue his Macon he thereby was taught And to confesse our Christ omnipotent He prayd in most contrite and humble manner To be a souldier vnder Christian banner 185 The iust old man did grant him his request And Christend him and did his health restore At which Orlando stout and all the rest Reioyced much and praysed God therefore Rogero eke as ioyfull as the best Increased in deuotion more and more To see those mysteries deuine and Oracles Confirmed so by plaine apparent miracles 186 Thus all this companie in sweet confort In this same blessed Hermits house do stay Who doth them all most fatherly exhort To bend their whole endeuours all they may That in this Inne where mans abode is short They seeke to wash away the dirt and clay That some call life and greatly do commend And sole to heau'n their eyes and hearts to bend 187 Then sent Orlando to his ship in hast For bread and wine and other daintie dishes And this old man whom abstinence and fast Had made forget the tast of beasts or fishes Of charitie they prayd some flesh to tast And he therein consented to their wishes And when they all had eate to their contents They found discourse of sundry arguments 188 And as in speech it often doth be fall That one thing doth another bring to light Rogero was at last knowne to them all For that Rogero that exceld in fight The first that him to memorie did call Was Sobrin who did know him well by sight The next that knew his louely looke and stately Was good Renaldo that fought with him lately 189 They all do come to him with frendly face When of his Christendome they vnderstand And some do kisse him others him embrace In kindest sort some take him by the hand But chiefe Renaldo striues to do him grace Yet if that you desire to vnderstand Why more then all the rest Renaldo sought it Turne ore the leafe and there you shal be taught it In the tale of the Mantuan knight may be gathered this good morall that it is no wisedome to search for that a man would not find and how the first breach commonly of the sweet concord of matrimonie groweth of iealousie I must confesse these be two knauish tales that be here in this booke and yet the Bee will picke out hony out of the worst of them For mine owne part I haue euer bene of opinion that this tale of the Mantuan knight is simply the worst against women in all the booke or rather indeed that euer was written The hosts tale in the xx viij booke of this worke is a bad one M. Spencers take of the squire of Dames in his excellent Poem of the Faery Queene in the end of the vij Canto of the third booke is to the like effect sharpe and well conceited in substance thus that his Squire of Dames could in three yeares trauell find but three women that denyed his lewed desire of which three one was a courtesan that reiected him because he wanted coyne for her the second a Nun who refused him because he would not swear secreacie the third a plain countrey Gentlewoman that of good honest simplicitie denyed him which also hath some liknes with that of Pharao I spake of in the notes vpon the 42. book but this of the Mantuan knight passeth thē all if you marke the secret drift of it shewing how a woman of so excellent education so great learning so rare beautie so fine wit so choise qualities so sweet behauiour so aboundant wealth so dearly beloued by her husband could so easily be conquerd with the sight of three or four iewels and then for his comfort how for ten yeares after he being a great house keeper all his married guests that came to him spilt the drinke in their bosomes This tale admitting it to be true or probable would argue women to be of exceeding couetousnes but loe how easily all this is not onely to be excused for them but retorted vpon men for assuredly it is onely the couetouseness of men that maketh women as we interpret it to sell their chastities for women indeed care for nothing but to be loued where they assure themselues they are loued there of their kind and sweet dispositions they bestow loue againe Now because men can protest and sweare and vow that which they thinke not therefore no maruel if women are hard of beliefe and thicke listed to heare them but when they come to giue things that cost money and that the coyn begin to walke which they are sure men esteeme so dearly as they venter both body and soule for it many times then no maruell if they belieue them and thinke them to be in good earnest and consequently yeeld to that they denyed before But to go forward with the rest of the morall both men and women may gather this morall out of both these tales that as all vice is odious and base so that which a bodie is hired vnto is most shamefull and detestable Of the Faery Manto I cannot affirme any thing of truth whether she were a Faery or a Prophetesse but this I finde wrtiten of her that when Thebs was razed by Alexander this Manto daughter of Tyresia being learned in Magike as well as her father came vnto that part of Italy where Mantua is now and there her sonne Ocnus as Virgil will haue it built that Citie and called it after his mothers name Ille etiam patrijs ignem ciet Ocnus ab oris Fatidicae Mantus Thusei filius amnis Qui muros matrisque dedit tibi Mantua nomen Concerning those braue men with whom Orlando compareth Brandimart the Decij M. Curtius and Codrus of the Decij one of them had a dreame or vision that told him how in the battel which he was to fight next day with
And with his left hand takes the horses raine So as the Turke thereby no hurt hath done him The while he puts in vre his sword againe And with two thrusts he did the Pagan harme One in his thigh another in his arme 110 The Turke with whom a peece did yet remaine Of that same blade that was in peeces flowne Smote on Rogeros headpeece so againe As had wel-ny againe him ouerthrowne But good Rogero now perceiuing plaine His vantage that was erst to him vnknowne Takes him by his left arme with all his force And will he nill he puls him from his horse 111 Were it his strength or sleight I cannot tell But so he fell no ods was them betweene My meaning is that on his feete he fell For in the swords Rogeros odds was seene Rogero that did know his vantage well To keepe him now at bay his best doth weene It is not best for him he doth suppose With such a strong and big bon'd man to close 112 He further saw what store of blood he spilt So now he hopes by warily proceeding To force his foe to yeeld and leane the tilt Whose strength decaid stil more more with bleeding The Turke then takes the pomell and the hilt Of his owne sword and with force so exceeding Did hurle the same he smote the knight so sore He stund him more then eu'r he was before 113 It strake him twixt the shoulders aud the head And gaue to him a blow so firme and sound That good Rogero there with staggered And scant could keepe his feete vpon the ground The Turke to close with him then hast'ned But loe his foote did faile with former wound So that his too much hast as oft we see Did hurt and made him fall vpon his knee 114 Rogero lost no time in manfull wise To strike fierce Rodomont in brest or face And holds him short and so his force applies He laid him on the ground but in short space In spyte of him the Pagan doth arise And with small kindnes he doth him embrace And then they striue heaue shoue thrust to and fro And either seekes the tothers ouerthrow 115 Each striues with all his skill and his abilitie By force to lay the tother on the ground Now Rodomont was growne to some debilitie By meanes of more then one receiued wound Rogero had great practice and agilitie And vsdeto wrastle and he quickly found His vantage which he did not ouerslip But on his weakest side his foe doth trip 116 The Turke most full of wrath and of despight Vpon Rogeros necke tooke stedfast hold Now drawing toward him with all his might Now thrusting him backe from him all he could And by and by he heau'd him quite vpright As strong Antheus was in time of old Rogero notwithstanding sure doth stand And labord still to haue the vpper hand 117 Full ost the valiant knight his hold doth shift And with much prettie sleight the same did slippe In fine he doth applie one speciall drift Which was to get the Pagan on the hippe And hauing caught him right he doth him list By nymble sleight and in such wise doth trippe That downe he threw him and his fall was such His head-peece was the first that ground did tuch 118 The Turke with such an hard and heauie fall Was sore perplext and brused in such wise His wounds fell fresh on bleeding therewithall And make the place Vermillion where he lyes Rogero giues him respite verie small But keepe 's him downe and will not let him rise And presently presents his dagger point Vnto this throat and to his chiefest ioynt 119 As those that digge and search for golden ore Within Pannonian or Iberian hills Not vnderpropping sure the ground before Oft for a plague of their too greedie wills With sodaine ruine are surprisde so sore As to get forth againe doth passe their skills So was the Turke held downe and pressed so By braue Rogero his triumphant so 120 Who now his naked dagger did present Vnto the tothers vizer at his eye And with sharpe words he told him that he ment Except he yeeld to kill him by and by But Rodomont that rather then relent Or shew base mind a thousand deathes would dy No word doth speake but straue himselfe to sunder From him or if he could to get him vnder 121 Eu'n as a Mastiue fell whom Grewnd more fell Hath tyrde and in his throat now fastned hath His cruell fangs yet doth in vaine rebell Though vnder him and seekes to do some skath For still the Grewnd preuailes and doth excell In force of breath though not in rage and wrath So doth the cruell Pagan striue and straine To get from vnder him but all in vaine 122 But with long striuing and with wondrous paines He freed his better arme and void of aw His dagger that in his right hand remaines Which in this later bick'ring he did draw He seekes to stabbe into Rogeros raines But now the valiant youth the perill saw Then for his sasties sake he was constrained To kill the cruell Turke that grace disdained 123 And lifting his victorious hand on hie In that Turks face he stabd his dagger twise Vp to the hilts and quickly made him die And rid himselfe of trouble in a trise Downe to the lake where damned ghosts do lie Sunke his disdainful soule now cold as Ise Blaspheming as it went and cursing lowd That was on earth so lostie and so proud This last booke of Ariosto is so full of examples of courtesie as me thinke we should offer it great discourtesie if we should not â—ike out some good Morall from it to recommend to your considerations that haue perused and read ouer the booke the first and chiefest courtesie is in Leo that manageth the whole matter so well for Rogero knitting the consent of all parties like a well deuised Comedie then Marsisas kindnes is to be praised that would haue fought in defence of her brother honor Thirdly Ammon doth well to aske pardon of Rogero for his hard vsage then the Bulgars are to â—e allowed for their thank fulnes to make him king for his good seruice Further Charles the Emperor is to be extolled for 〈◊〉 Priâ—ely regard in honoring and feasting them so bountifully at the mariage Lastly Bradamant and the whole crew that would haue emerie one haue taken upon them Rogeros defence against Rodomont and Rogero not permitting it yet they disdained not to do him the seruice to helpe to arme him to put on his spurres to stay his horse to hold his â—â—rop in all which I doubt not but the noble minded readers will finde sufficient matter both to commend and to imitate without my further labouring to set forth the same Onely one note I may not omit yea though I were sure to be chidden by some of you faire Ladies for my labor namely the strong ambition of your sex which we call weake For you see
how my author in the 55. staffe of this Canto hath deliuered to vs that Beatrice the mother of Bradamant would neuer be wonneto accept Rogero for her sonne in-law neither for his gentrie nor his personage nor his vallew nor his wit no nor yet her daughters owne choice and affection till she heard he was chosen a king with which aspiring humour of women it seemed how that neuer too much praised Sir Philip Sidney was well acquainted with making in his Arcadia not onely the stately Pamela to reiect the naked vertue of Musidorus till she found it well clothed with the title to a seepter but euen Mistres Mopsa when she sate hooded in the tree to beg a boone of Apollo to aske nothing but to haue a king to her husband and a lusty one to and when her pitiful father Dametas for want of a better plaid Apollos part and told her she should haue husbands enough she praid donoutly they might be all kings and thus much for the Morall Aegeus king of Athens hauing no issue went to the Oracle of Apolio to know how he might do to haue a sone and receiuing a doubtfull answer asked counsell of Pythe◠〈◊〉 of Troezenes that was in those dayes counted a deepe wise man who scanning the meaning of the obscure verse which was this O time vir non ante pedem dissolueris vtri Exsertum claras quam tu remearis Athenas Good sir take heed how ear it falls what vessell you do broch Before vnto the cittie walls of Athens you approch I say Pytheus found out such a mysterie in these verses that he perswaded him ear he parted thence to take the paines or I might haue said the pleasure to lie with his daughter Ethra Aegeus hauing done the feat and being belike as many men are sorie when he had done tooke his leaue to be gone but ear he went he tooke Ethra aside and shewed her where he had hidden his sword and his shoes vnder a hollow stone of great weight charging her that if she bare a sonne so soone as he were of strength to remoue that stone she should send him with those tokens to him as priuily as may be In fine she bare that famous Theseus who comming to Athens as a stranger Medea then wise of Aegeus perswaded her husband to poyson him at a banquet to which the old man assented but while Theseus was readie to drinke Aegues saw the swors handle and calling it to mind ouerthrew the cup and saued the life of his sonne of which who so please better to enforme himselfe may reade more at large in the life of Theseus written by Plutarke In that mine author brings in for the conclusion of his whole worke that Rogero immediatly vpon his mariage to Bradamant killeth Rodomont this is the Allegoricall sence thereof that Rodomont which is to be vnderstood the vnbridled heat and courage of youth for in all Rodomonts actions you shall finde him described euer most furious hastie and impacient Rodomont I say is killed and quite vanquished by marriage and howsoeuer the vnrulinesse of youth is excusable in diners kinds yet after that holy state of matrimonie is entred into all youthfull wildnes of all kinds must be cast axay which the common saying doth proue distinquishing in ordinarie speech a bacheler from a married man by these names a good fellow and an honest man In Rodomonts punishing of himself by forswearing the vse of armor a yeare a month and a day he alludes I think to one Bucycaldo a Frenchman gouernor of Geneua who being a goodly tall man of personage was ouerthrowne and vanquished by Galeazzo Gonzaga a little man of stature but of great spirit and for that cause he vowed neuer to beare armes againe but in the death of Rodomont to shew himselfe a perfect imitator of Virgil he endethiust as Virgil ends his Aeneads with the death of Tumus Vitaque cum gemitu fugit indignata sub vmbras Here end the notes of the 45. and last Canto of Orlando Furioso A BRIEFE AND SVMMARIE ALLEGORIE OF ORLANDO FVRIOSO NOT VNPLEASANT NOR VNPROFITABLE for those that haue read the former Poeme WHen I had finished this translation of Orlando Furioso and being almost proud in mine owne conceit that I had in these my young yeares employed my idle houres to the good liking of many those of the better sort I happened to reade in a graue and godly booke these words So diuines do hold for examples sake that the glory of S. Paule is increased dayly in heauen and shal be to the worlds end by reason of them that dayly do profue by his writing and rare examplar life upon earth as also on the contrarie part that the torments of Arius Sabellius and other wicked heretickes are continually augmented by the numbers of them who from time to time are corrupted with their seditious and pestilent writings If it had stayed there it would neuer haue troubled me but immediatly followes The like they hold of dissolute Poets and other loose writers which haue lost behind them lasciuious wanton and carnall deuices as also of negligent parents masters teachers c. This saying gentle Reader was such a cooling card to me and did so cut the combe of that pleasing conceit of mine that I could not tel whether I should repent me or not of my former taken paine For this was not a malicious taunt of a wry-looking Zoylus but a graue reprehension and commination of a deuout and diuine writer Now though the Epithetons of Dissolute and Loose make me partly presume that mine author is out of the foresaid danger whose worke cannot iustly be deemed lasciuious wanton nor carnal and though I haue spoken as I thinke sufficiendy in my Apologie to satisfie all indifferent readers both for mine authors defence and mine owne excuse yet because I know in mine owne conscience that all the verses in this worke be not so full weight but if they shal be tryed in so seuere a ballance some will be found many graines too light I would endeuour all I might to supply that detect with the more weightie and sober consideration of the Allegorie which as I haue partly touched in euery seuerall booke so now I intend to present to your consideration the whole bodie of the same to make as it were a rehearsal Oration of it which I haue placed in the latter end and as it were for a farewell as men do at a great dinner in which they haue almost surfetted vpon sundrie sorts of meats more delicate then wholsome yet in the end close vp their stomakes with a peece of a Quince or strengthen and helpe their digestion with a cuppe of Sacke whereas to a temperate feeder vpon wholsome meats both of them are supersfluous Also I do the rather place it in the end of my booke because commonly that which men reade last stickes best in their memories and so I wish
valiant seruice sticketh to him to the last but Agramants owne rashnesse and follie ouerthrowes all the good that could be done him Further these youthfull Counsellours on whom Agramant did so much relye did not onely hurt him by their fond perswasions to his ill succeeding warres but also in the middest of the heate thereof when their seruice should haue stood him in most steed annoyed him and in a manner quite confounded him with their continuall iarring and squaring among themselues about matters of small or no importance So that as Agamemnon was wont to wish for ten Nestors and could haue bene content to haue spared Achilles so Agramant had iust cause to haue wished for ten Sobrinos and to haue spared Rodomount and the other great champions And by the way it is to be noted how Poeticallie mine author sendeth Discord among them and where she was found as you might reade in the fourteenth booke Now to Agramant is on the other side opposed Charles a graue and well stayed Prince wise and valiant not parciall in doing iustice bountifull in rewarding seruices and which is all in all deuout without hypocrisie and putting indeed his affiance in God and consequently in his extremities is ayded by God and in the end obtaining a most happie victorie driuing both his enemies out of his countrie and gayning from them a great part of theirs Further my author hath set downe diuers formes as I may call it of valiant men though not all in a sort to be imitated but some rather greatlie to be reproued Mandricard is described to be exceeding full of courage and withall verie quarrelsome and yet with good successe He takes Doralyce from her guard he fights with Orlando with Rodomont with Marsisa and still he holds his owne But this good fortune is a cause to fooles of their ouerthrow for as our English Prouerb saith So oft goes the pitcher to the water at last it comes broke home Mandricard would needs quarrell with Rogero about their cognisaunce and by him is slaine after all his brauerie This is written for a warning to such as are of Mandricardos disposition to take heed of Mandricardos end Likewise in Rodomont there was exceeding strength of bodie as well as courage of minde but the same was gouerned with no deliberation which caused him to attempt and to giue ouer things attempted very sodainly which finally turned to be hurtfull to himselfe as well as to others On the other side Renaldo was a franke natured man valiant curteous Ferraw stout but too ful of cracking and therby procuring himselfe enmities Orlando ful of clemencie as well as courage Zerbino a patterne of a most noble thankful nature and though not fortunate yet most famous in despite of fortune Rogero the verie Idea and perfect example of a true knight that will by no meanes break his faith and his honour that seekes no aduantage of the inchanted sheeld that to be gratefull to Don Leon Augustus would leese both loue and life and finally that in defence of his honour killeth Rodomont Further as I haue often noted in the seuerall bookes it is a verie pleasing thing to see the due punishment of the wicked doers and the procurers of euill as besides those I haue noted you may see that none scapeth of the xxxij kings that came out of Affricke but Rogero and Sobrino the one a perswader to peace the other a iust warriour and true of his word Beside in Astolfo is a praise of learning who with his sounding horne by which is meant eloquence and with his booke betokening wisedome both the gifts of Logestilla becommeth a tamer of monsters as well as a conquerour of men and accomplisheth greater matters alone then all the rest do with their force and armes Further in the praise of learning and to moue Princes to fauour learning he shewes how onely the pen of the learned is that that preserues the good fame of Princes as for the common foolish Pamphlet-writers he condemneth them likening them to Vultures carren Crowes and chattering Pyes that are not able to saue their friends names from the lake of obliuion because their writings are not durable Thus much I thought good to note of the generall Allegorie of the whole worke to giue you occasion to ruminate as it were and better to disgest that which you before in reading did perhaps swallow downe whole without chewing Now me thinke it is euen high time to take away and bid much good do it you or at least no harme do it you or if you thinke it will for all this the best phisicke I can prescribe you is to take a leafe or two of S. Matthewes Gospell or of S. Paules Epistles and it shall restore you to your perfect health THE LIFE OF ARIOSTO BRIEFLY AND COMPENDIOVSLY GATHERED OVT OF SVNDRIE ITALIAN writers by IOHN HARINGTON THose that performed anie notable worke in their liues either for the profite of their countrey or for the aduancement of learning or in any other thing that hath made them worth the talking of after their deceasses haue for the most part both bene recorded in the Histories of their times and also had their names eternized by speciall Treatises written of their liues by which the ensuing ages might know their country their parentage their time of birth their education their disposition their actions and their end Whether it be that men are willing to prosecute their deserts with a thankfull remémbrance after their deaths as it were for a kind of recompence of their trauell in this life whether for the incouragement of those that liue to make them by vertue hunt after fame Neither onely haue men of good deserts bene praised for their vertues but also the wicked haue bene blazed for their faults that those whom desire of fame cannot allure to well doing yet feare of shame and ignominie may terrifie from leud actions In both which kinds diuerse haue employed their pennes both in former ages and now of late to the great good and delight of the studious reader Witnesse Plutarks liues called his Paralels comparing the notable men of Rome and Greece Suetonius booke of the twelue Caesars anothers after him of ten Emperours excellently written in Italian And of our owne countrie and in our owne language the Mirrour of Magistrates in which the life and fall of many great persons is very well set downe and in a good verse Now as I say this being a common custome and as it were a due reward to men of good desert no maruell if this Poet whose worke hath bene acceptable to so many thousands haue also found this fauour to haue his life written which hath bene done by three Italians that I haue read namely Gierolam Porro of Padoa Gierolamo Garofala of Ferrara and by Simon Fornari of Rheggio out of whose three reports I haue gathered this compendious treatise to satisfie such as are desirous to know who this
which he did with so fit phrases of speech and so agreeable to the Italian tongue that it was not counted among the least of his praises and as for all the others Comedies of his making they were of such estimation that they were often represented vpon the stage and for the most part by Gentlemen in so much that Don Francesco of Este that was after Marques of Massa the first time that the Lena was plaid to grace it the more rehearsed the Prologue thereof himselfe in publike One of his Comedies called Casseria he beganne in the life time of his father though he intermitted it many yeares after and one prettie accident they haue noted about it which shewes his notable gift that he had to apply to imitation in his Poetrie all that might with good iudgement be vsed in it It fortuned his father one day grew into some choler with him and rebuked him verie sharpely and with a long speech and many words for some matter that he laid to his charge imputing to him verie great blame for it and all the while he made him no answer but gaue him full scope and libertie to take his pleasure with him soone after his brother Gabriel when his father had turned his backe began to reason with him vpon the same subiect and to lay to his charge the same arguments but he easily resuted him and with verie good and sound reasons rustified his doing Why then quoth his brother what ment you you did not satisfie my father at the first as you might easily haue done with so reasonable an answere In troth said Lodowike Ariosto to tell you true I was thinking of Erofilos part in my Comedie I haue begunne of Casseria and me thought my fathers speech to me was so fit to be assigned to that part of an old man chiding his sonne that I forgat while I was thinking to make such a part in sport that I heard such a part plaid in earnest In making his Furioso he would rise sometime at one or two of the clocke in the morning when he lay at his friendes houses as well as when he was at home and then he would cause an old seruant of his one Iohn de Pescia to bring him pen and inke and so would write many verses when he found himselfe well disposed to it and then he had a great pleasure to reade them to his friends both Gentlemen and faire Ladies among whom by the pleasantnesse of his wit and his good grace he was euer well accepted The Duke of Ferrara tooke him for so good a companion that when he rode any iourney he would desire to haue him with him and atidle times he tooke great pleasure to haue him reade to him as well other bookes as his own he had so good a grace in reading and so sweete a pronunciation and yet not delighting to heare himselfe a fault that many other haue bene noted of but alwayes giuing a spirite to that which he read whether it were his owne writing or other mens and as he himselfe could pronounce verie well so was it a great penance to him to heare other pronounce ill that which himselfe had written excellent well In so much as they tell of him how comming one day by a Potters shoppe that had many earthen vessels readie made to sell on his stall the Potter fortuned at that time to sing some staffe or other out of Orlando Furioso I thinke that where Renaldo requesteth his horse to carrie for him in the first booke the 32. staffe Ferma Baiardo mio Deh ferma il piede Che l'esser senza te troppo minuoce Or some such graue matter fit for a Potter but he plotted the verses out so ilfauouredly as might well beseeme his dustie occupation that Ariosto being or at least making semblance to be in a great rage withall with a little walking sticke he had in his hand brake diuers of the pots the poore Potter put quite beside his song and almost beside himselfe to see his market halfe mard before it was a quarter done in a pitifull sowre manner between railing and whining asked what he meant to wrong a poore man that had neuer done him iniury in all his life yes Varlet quoth Ariosto I am yet scarce euen with thee for the wrong thou hast done me here afore my face for I haue broken but halfe a dozen base pots of thine that are not worth so many halfe pence but thou hast broken and mangled a fine stanza of mine worth a marke of gold He built as I partly touched before a pretie couvenient house and being demaunded why he did not build it in more stately manner considering what sumptuous pallaces what stately porches what goodly fountaines he described in his Furioso he answered that words were cheaper layd together then stones Vpon the front of his doore he wrote a verse that few of the builders of this latter age can truly write or at least if they could I would say their houses were strongly built indeed for more then the third heire Parna sed apta mihi sed nulli obnoxia sed non Sordida parta meo sedtamen are domus That is to say This house is small bâ—t sit for me but hurtfull vnto none But yet not sluttish as you see yet payd for with mine owne One fault in his building was he would often set vp and pull downe many parts thereof and he would say of himselfe that he vsed his house as he did his verses mend them so much that he mard them quite For indeed as a tree planted in an orchard if it be once or twise well pickt and pruned it doth further the growing of it but if a man be euer sidling about it it will leese the naturall beautie and hardly keepe life so is it with one of his stanzes or staues as we call them at the first conceiuing of it one may mend that which he shall sodainly set downe but if one will still be turning and wresting of it he may make it leese the grace it had at the first But what fault soeuer himselfe did finde with his owne Verses certaine it is that to all the great Princes of Italie they were most acceptable as witnesseth the diuers great and honourable gifts they gaue him as namely a pension of twentie pound by the yeare in Millan with an office to it giuen him by Hyppolyto many sutes graunted him by the Duke of Ferrara with great rewards from Pope Leo the tenth from Cardinall Farnese from Cardinall Bybiena and chiefty from Marquesse Vasto and diuers other meaner stares that for breauities sake are omitted And because now I would also draw to an end I will a little runne ouer that the hath bene sayd with somewhat that hath bene forgotten and so conclude beginning from his birth He was borne the yeare 1474 in the Castle of Rheggio his father being then gouernour of
where be dwele end to 〈◊〉 his going 〈◊〉 son 〈…〉 Sentence Marfisas oration She means the voice out of the 〈◊〉 in the later end of the 26. booke 〈◊〉 It was the 〈◊〉 in the old time for 〈◊〉 then 〈◊〉 or of 〈◊〉 in the 〈…〉 〈◊〉 to 〈…〉 booke 10. â—he vnstable 〈◊〉 looke in the 〈◊〉 Looke in the Allusion Because the wind â— as wont to 〈◊〉 the sand sometimes in such sort as it 〈◊〉 the men that went in it â—uid Metam 7. Saâ— a quu hoc credat 〈◊〉 protests 〈◊〉 He turnes to Astolfo in the next booke 18 staffe Agramants Oration Marsâ—â—n 〈◊〉 to perswade 〈◊〉 to 〈…〉 warrs in 〈◊〉 Looke in the stone 〈◊〉 Thâ—â—â— how strongly be 〈◊〉 forced 〈◊〉 reasons 〈◊〉 or 〈…〉 made him 〈◊〉 France 〈…〉 to his 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Antagonist is deriued from a Greeke word signifying the aduersarie that fights hand to hand Sentence Dulce bellum the â—pertu Looke in the Table 〈◊〉 Hoâ—â—â—â— Virgels 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 challeges â—â—â—ade the 〈◊〉 appoints 〈◊〉 th parte 〈◊〉 must 〈◊〉 and bring 〈◊〉 weapons and the challenger 〈◊〉 choise 〈…〉 Morall Historie Allegorie Allusion Renaldo Melissa 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be 〈◊〉 or huâ—â—â—â—â—â—cauâ—e he 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Or vie A prase to say 〈◊〉 which 〈◊〉 go faster Simile He turnes to Agramant in this â—ooke the 64. st Those two Ilands haue store of good sailers Simile Simile Virgiâ— Imâ—â—â—sum 〈◊〉 qui sentious â—â—guim Pressie humi mitens c. 〈…〉 Simiâ—e 〈…〉 a long 〈…〉 Simiâ—e 〈◊〉 Looke in the storie Sentence 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 of Biâ—eria 〈◊〉 booke 〈◊〉 Looke in the Morall Description of a 〈◊〉 eâ— fight Morall Historie Allegorie Allusion Looke in the History of the similitudes Ariofso was sent post to Rome to pacifie Pope Iulio the second which he toucheth in one of his Satyres The Lions teeth and pawes meaning the Venccians called the Lyons of the sea Three of the name of An◠〈…〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈◊〉 Terms of 〈◊〉 Priest 〈…〉 Helme is the best of the straw with which they thatch houses Prouerbs Looke in the Allusion Similâ— Simile Poâ— called king of 〈◊〉 Agramant Sobrinâ—s Oretâ—â— to Agramanâ— perswade him not to kill himselfe 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈◊〉 Gradasso Pompey berraied in Aegypt The Arabian horse is of great account Looke in the Morall of this Oâ—â—uero cosin to Orlando He comes to 〈◊〉 againe in the next booke 〈◊〉 24. staffe Roger◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Morall Historie Allegorie Allusion Simile Simile The Icarus was not sonne of Dedilus but of Bacchus Simile Horace sauh 〈…〉 forsibus Est in lunencis est in equis patris 〈◊〉 c. That vertue is clemencie and gratefulnesse 〈…〉 〈…〉 Vir. 1. Aenead Praeseniemque 〈…〉 omnia moriem They that haue bene at the sea do understand these phrases He turnes to Rogero againe in the 47 staffe of 〈◊〉 booke Orlando All this hath reference to Bâ—â—â—â— dos booke Looke in the 〈◊〉 Fiordeliege 〈…〉 〈…〉 of 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Rogero In the Acts of the Apostles Sentence Of age and deuotion â—ooâ—e in the Morall Iugum Christi suaâ—e The house of 〈◊〉 He turnes 〈◊〉 to Rogero in the 43. booke 188â— The combat of the sixe knight 〈…〉 〈◊〉 was 〈◊〉 the house 〈◊〉 Morall Historie Allusion â—word 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of this book Simile A true praise a noble mind Looke in the story 〈◊〉 to Or. 〈◊〉 43. 〈◊〉 144. 〈◊〉 Looke in the story Looke in the Allegory 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 in the 〈…〉 this book 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 Of this Well you heard in the first booke Hâ—ere you must begin to reade the tale of the Manâ—â— in knight that had the married mans â—uppe That 〈◊〉 nifieth pleaâ—â—â—â— copâ—a cornuâ— Of Amaltâ—â— looke in the 〈◊〉 Il Salaâ—◠〈◊〉 the Italian 〈◊〉 Acteons armes were horneâ— giuen him by Diana wherupon a pleasant fellow wrote this deslicke of one that had married a light huswife Thâ—â—da â—e crediâ— dâ—â—isse sed illa Dâ—ana est Namque Acteoneum da◠〈◊〉 Gauâ—â— caput Historie Allegorie Allusion 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men 〈◊〉 men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 professions 〈…〉 Omid Aureanuns verâ—â—unt seculapâ—urimus 〈◊〉 Venit hones 〈◊〉 amor Danaâ— had a 〈◊〉 of gold fell in her lap Looke in the Table One thirst was for were the tother to know his wiues câ—â—stâ—â—e Sentence 〈◊〉 to that 〈◊〉 Mâ—lutâ— bene posiâ—um ne moue as Sentence Sentence Simile This was well considered of Renaldo Bâ—naco Cadmus sonne of Agenor turned into a Dragon bult the towne of â—â—â—bs Sentence Take such Laus prâ—prio sordescit â—re and Catovold verse Nec te collcudes nec te culpaueris ipse Sentence Chast old 〈◊〉 for if they 〈◊〉 bene unchast 〈◊〉 their youth be but ill â—â—â—nesses These eight 〈◊〉 those that supported the sound in the xlij book It was a faire demaine Pallas was excelleÌ„nt on 〈◊〉 works Look in the Table Sentence Looke in the Allusion 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 broâ—â— king 〈◊〉 of Câ—nâ—â—ll 〈…〉 Giabana it is to be pronounced Iabana a 〈◊〉 vpon the riuer of Dae Looke in the Allusion Sentence Sentence 〈…〉 Sentence it is 〈◊〉 Latin 〈…〉 Horace 〈◊〉 per 〈◊〉 dios are satellite perrâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 〈…〉 Of these you may looke the table if you be not instructed in the historie This is said to the praise of Alfonso Duke of Ferrara In this Citie 〈◊〉 he that kept his wife Clarice wife to Renaldo Sentence Here begins the Stearsman â—ale Vlpian wrote of the 〈◊〉 law Of Manto looke in the Historie This Tiberius was a ruft and a Câ—â—â—â—â—aÌ„ Prince looke in the Table Ouid in the third of the 〈◊〉 hath a tale of 〈◊〉 vesias that 〈◊〉 smiâ—ing of two snakes changed his shape 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 selum 〈◊〉 est Of Fayries looke on the Historie Thence comes the saying cane peâ—â—â— angue Looke in the Allusion This was plâ—â—â— dealing Sentence Proverb Mâ— master was the knight of Mantos at whose houâ—e Renaide supped 〈◊〉 used for 〈◊〉 reckonings 〈◊〉 used 〈◊〉 'T is lake is Pa â—â— of which 〈◊〉 speakes 〈◊〉 the store 〈◊〉 but now 〈◊〉 almost dry * You is called 〈◊〉 of Lonâ—â—â—â—â— Filo 〈◊〉 Poe runs 〈◊〉 six myle 〈◊〉 * The standing 〈◊〉 to Raâ—â—â—â— 12. myle 〈◊〉 has now it is 〈◊〉 navigable * â—panâ— writes of 〈◊〉 cals it 〈◊〉 Mâ—ssanisa That Cisie is called Trapania Orlando Fiordeliege her dreame Menades were they that sacrificed to Bacthus Damagyre the Realme of which BraÌ„damart was King The mount Aetna in Scicilie 〈◊〉 faâ—â— Orat. oâ—â—â—â—â—mart 〈◊〉 leoke 〈…〉 Orlandos mother Morall Historie Allusion Allegorie Of friendship Looke in the Allegorie of myracles Renaldo motio\Ì„s the marriage for Bradamant Sentence The common opinion of the people Looke of this in the Moral Sentence 〈◊〉 meliora 〈◊〉 Deseâ—â—â—a Siquâ—r Simile Sentence Sentence Sentence Of the comâ—â—â—â— opâ—on of makâ—â—â— marriage 〈◊〉 〈…〉 the slory Bradamants lettâ—r Rogier qual sempre fui tal esser voglia Sentence Fard ' Augâ—dius for mâ— the Emperâ— were dead deified them called them which imporâ— much as sâ—â— Simile This was a true noble nature Morall Historie Allegorie Allusion The unstablines of Foriune Looke in the Allusion Looke in the slorie 〈◊〉 Simile Simile Simile Simile Simile 〈◊〉 Simile The same Lanâ—a d'oro was sometime king Galafrons father of Angelica 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Simile Simile Sentence Pegasus lockesâ— the Table 〈◊〉 Nocturâ—â—â— farnâ—â— to be the god of the night Simile Outd Qusha succincts vbi truxinsibilat Eurus Murmura piâ—atu 〈◊〉 veâ—qualia â—luâ—tus 〈◊〉 quâ—eâ—acâ—â—â— si quu procul audâ—at illos A wonder lasts nine â—ayâ—s Morall Historie This little booke was given to her Maiestie Allegorie Allusion Sentence Sentence Sentence Sentence Smile looke in the historie Smile This section of pauillion is to take occasion to praise 〈◊〉 Rogero Nepheâ— to Atlans Ura deâ— russunÌ„o unquarn creaira Tâ—â—â—â— Hippolito of Hectors race Proteus looke in the 〈◊〉 That was he that gaue Rome to the Pope The first age gold The 2 siluer The 3 brasse The 4 Iron These were Ambassadors sent by Coruine to bring Hippolito to Hungarie Fusco 〈◊〉 ster to Hippoli When he was made a Cardiâ— Of his activities Of his studie 〈◊〉 companie His virtues His bountie 〈◊〉 frend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 〈…〉 That was in the 35. booke Simile Sentence Sentence Ed res sollicui plena 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Simile Simile Simile The like is as London bridge Simile Simi'e and a ve 〈◊〉 apl comparison for a gâ—hoâ—d will ouâ—râ—some a mâ—lliue in continuaÌ„ce of tight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bene tried Morall Historie In English not verie cleanly thus Allegorie Allusion In the Resolution of the accounting day Simile of a surset Armes Lâ—â—â— Orlando Rogero Alcyna the court of pleasure Idlenes captaine of all other filthie vices Logestilla betokens vertue Erifila Consideration Simile In the tenth booke Of armes Who are worthie to haue their liues written Plutarksliues The xij Cesars The x. Emperours The Mirour of Magistrats Ariosto his parentage His father His mother His brothers His towardnes in his childhood His seruice of Cardinall Hippolito Why he wrote not in Latine So did Virgil by Homer for the same cause His imployments His ambassage His seruice by sea His second ambassage His danger to haue bene put to death His troubles His sauour credit with disâ—â—so His Comedies he made His felicitie in translating out of Spanish other tongs His reperance in diet His mariage doubtfull His sonnes bastards Another peece of seruice in Grassignana Loue of the people of all sorts Menecmi of Plantus A prety chÌ„ace An early riser A good copanion vpon the way His good pronunciation A prettie tale how he vsed a Potter His manner of building He was borne 1474. His writings do shew he had great skill in Cosmography
ORLANDO FVRIOSO IN ENGLISH HEROICAL VERSE BY IOHN HARINGTOÌ„ OF BATHE KNIGHT Now secondly imprinted the yeere 1607. Principibus placuisse viris non vltima laus est Horace A NOTE OF THE MATTERS CONTAINED IN THIS WHOLE VOLVME The Epistle dedicatorie to the Queenes Maiestie The Apologie An aduertisement to the Reader The first xxiij Cantos or bookes of Orlando Furioso ending with Orlandos falling mad The other xxiij Cantos of Orlando Furioso in which he recouered his wits ending with Bradamants marriage A generall Allegorie of the whole The life of Ariosto The Table of the booke The Tales TO THE MOST EXCELLENT VERTVOVS AND NOBLE PRINCESSE ELIZABETH BY THE GRACE OF GOD QVEENE OF ENGLAND FRANCE AND IRELAND DEFENDER OF THE FAITH c. MOST Renowned most worthy to be most renowned soueraigne Ladie I presume to offer to your Highnes this first part of the fruit of the litle garden of my slender skill It hath bene the longer in growing and is the lesse worthie the gathering because my ground is barren too cold for such daintie Italian fruites being also perhaps ouershaded with trees of some older growth but the beams of your blessed countenance vouchsafing to shine on so poore a soile shal soone disperse all hurtful mists that wold obscure it and easily dissolue all whether they be Mel-dews or Fel-dews that would starue this shallow set plant I desire to be briefe because I loue to be plaine VVhatsoeuer I am or can is your Maiesties Your gracious fauours haue bene extended in my poore familie euen to the third generation your bountie to vs and our heirs VVherefore this though vnperfect and vnworthie worke I humbly recommend to that gracious protection vnder which I enioy all in which I can take ioy If your Highnesse wil reade it who dare reiect it if allow it who can reproue it if protect it what MOMVS barking or ZOILVS biting can any way hurt or annoy it And thus most humbly crauing pardon for this boldnesse I cease to write though I will not cease to wish that your high felicities may neuer cease Your most humble seruant IOHN HARINGTON A PREFACE OR RATHER A BRIEFE APOLOGIE OF POETRIE AND OF THE Author and Translator of this Poeme THe learned Plutarch in his Laconicall Apothegmes tels of a Sophister that made a long and tedious Oration in praise of Hercules and expecting at the end thereof for some great thankes and applause of the hearers a certaine Lacedemonian demanded him who had dispraised Hercules Me thinkes the like may be now said to me taking vpon me the defence of Poesie for surely if learning in generall were of that account among vs as it ought to be aâ—ong all men and is among wise men then should this my Apologie of Poesie the very first nurse and auncient grandmother of all learning be as vaine and supersluous as was that Sophisters because it might then be answered and truly answered that no man disgraced it But sith we liue in such a time in which nothing can escape the enuious tooth and backiting tongue of an impure mouth and wherein euery blind corner hath a squint-eyed Zoilus that can looke aright vpon no mans doings yea sure there be some that will not sticke to call Hercules himselfe a dastard because forsooth he fought with a club and not at the rapier and dagger therefore I thinke no man of iudgement will iudge this my labour needlesse in seeking to remoue away those slaunders that either the malice of those that loue it not or the folly of those that vnderstand it not hath deuised against it for indeed as the old saying is Scientia non habet inimicum praeter ignorantem Knowledge hath no soe but the ignorant But now because I make account I haue to deale with three sundrie kinds of reprouers one of those that condemne all Poetrie which how strong head soeuer they haue I count but a very weake faction another of those that allow Poetrie but not this particular Poeme of which kind sure there cannot be many a third of those that can beare with the art and like of the worke but will find fault with my not well handling of it which they may not onely probably but I doubt too truly do being a thing as commonly done as said that where the hedge is lowest there doth euery man go ouer Therefore against these three I must arme me with the best defensiue weapons I can and if I happen to giue a blow now and then in mine owne defence and as good fencers vse to ward and strike at once I must craue pardon of course seeing our law allowes that is done se defendendo and the law of nature teacheth vim vi repellere First therefore of Poetrie it selfe for those few that generally disallow it might be sufficient to alledge those many that generally approue it of which I could bring in such an armie not of souldiers but of famous Kings and captaines as not onely the sight but the very sound of them were able to vanquish and dismay the small forces of our aduersaries For who would once dare to oppose himselfe against so many Alexanders Caesars Scipios to omit infinite other Princes both of former and later ages and of forraine and nearer countries that with fauour with studie with practise with example with honors with gifts with preferments with great and magnificent cost haue encouraged and aduanced Poets and Poetrie As witnesse the huge Theaters and Amphitheaters monuments of stupendious charge made onely for Tragedies and Comedies the workes of Poets to be represented on but all these aides and defences I leaue as supersluous my cause I count so good and the euidence so open that I neither need to vse the countenance of any great state to bolster it nor the cunning of any suttle lawyer to enforce it my meaning is plainely and bonafide confessing all the abuses that can truly be obiected against some kind of Poets to shew you what good vse there is of Poetrie Neither do I suppose it to be greatly behouefull for this purpose to trouble you with the curious definitions of a Poet and Poesie and with the subtill distinctions of their sundrie kinds nor to dispute how high and supernaturall the name of a Maker is so christned in English by that vnknowne Godfather that this last yeare saue one viz. 1589. set forth a booke called the Art of English Poetrie and least of all do I purpose to bestow any long time to argue whether Plato Zenophon and Erasmus writing fictions and dialogues in prose may iustly be called Poes or whether Lucan writing a storie in verse be an Historiographer or whether Master Faire translating Virgil Master Golding translating Ouids Metamorphosis and my selfe in this worke that you see be any more then versifiers as the same Ignoto termeth all translators for as for all or the most part of such questions I will referre you to Sir Philip Sidneys Apologie
noting in this Canto saue that it seemes in Renaldos horse Bayardo he seemes to allude to Buccphalus Alexanders horse THE SECOND BOOKE THE ARGVMENT A Frire betweene two riuals parts the fray By magicke art Renaldo hasteth home But in embassage he is sent away When tempest makes the sea to rage and fome Bradamant seekes her spouse but by the way While she about the country wyld did rome Met Pinnabel who by a craftie traine Both sought and thought the Ladie to haue slaine 1 O Blind god Loue why takst thou such delight With darts of diuers force our hearts to wound By thy too much abusing of thy might This discord great in humane hearts is found When I would wade the shallow foord aright Thou draw'st me to the deepe to haue me dround From those loue me my loue thou dost recall And place it where I find no loue at all 2 Thou mak'st most faire vnto Renaldo seeme Angelica that takes him for a foe And when that she of him did well esteeme Then he dislikt and did refuse her thoe Which makes her now of him the lesse to deeme Thus as they say the renders quit pro quo She hateth him and doth detest him so She first will die ere she will with him go 3 Renaldo full of stately courage cride Downe theese from of my horse downe by and by So robd to be I neuer can abide But they that do it dearely shall abye Also this Ladie you must leaue beside Else one of vs in her defence will dye A horse so good and such a goodly dame To leaue vnto a theefe it were a shame 4 What ' me a theefe thou in thy throat dost lye Quoth Sacrapant that was as hot as he Theefe to thy selfe thy malice I defie For as I heare the name is due to thee But if thou dare thy might and manhood trie Come take this Ladie or this hoise from me Though I allow in this of thine opinion That of the world she is the matchlesse minion 5 Like as two mastiue dogges with hungrie mawes Mou'd first to hate from hate to raging ire Approch with grinning teeth and griefly iaws With staring eyes as red as flaming fire At last they bite and scratch with teeth and claws And teare themselues and tumble in the mire So after byting and reprochfull words Did these two worthy warriets draw their swords 6 One was on foote the tother was one horse You thinke perhaps the horseman vantage had No sure no whit he would haue wisht to skoâ—ce For why at last to light he must be glad The beast did know thus much by natures force To hurt his master were a seruice bad The pagan could not nor with spur nor hand Make him vnto his mind to go or stand 7 He stops when he should make a full carite He runnes or trots when he would haue him rest At last to throw his rider in the nâ—ite He plungeth with his head beneath his breast But Sacrapant that now had small desire At such a time to tame so proud a beast Did worke so well at last by sleight and force On his left side he lighted from his horse 8 When from Bayardos ouer furious might The Pagan had himselfe discharged so With naked swords there was a noble fight Sometimes they lye aloft sometimes aloe And from their blowes the fire flies out in sight I thinke that Vulcans hammers beat more slow Where he within the mountaine Aetnas chaps Doth forge for loue the fearfull thunderclaps 9 Sometimes they profer then they pause a while Sometime strike out like maisters of the play Now stand vpright now stoup another while Now open lye then couer all they may Now ward then with a slip the blow beguile Now forward step now backe a little way Now round about and where the tone giues place There still the other presleth in his place 10 Renaldo did the Pagan Prince inuade And strike at once with all the might he cowd The other doth oppose against the blade A shield of bone and steele of temper good But through the same a way Fusberta made And of the blow reâ—ounded all the wood The steele the bone like yse in peeces broke And left his arme benummed with the stroke 11 Which when the faire and fearfull damsell saw And how great domage did ensue thereby She looked pale for anguish and for aw Like those by doome that are condemnd to dye She thinks it best her selfe from hence withdraw Else will Renaldo take her by and by The same Renaldo whom she hateth so Though loue of her procured all his wo. 12 Vnto the wood she turnes her horse in hast And takes a little narrow path and blind Her fearefull looks ofttimes she backe doth cast Still doubting lest Renaldo came behind And when that she a little way had past Alow the vale a Hermit she did find A weake old man with beard along his brest In shew deuout and holier then the rest 13 He seemd like one with fasts and age consumed He rode vpon a slouthfull going asle And by his looke a man would haue presumed That of his conscience scrupulous he was Yet her young face his old sight so illumed When as he saw the damsell by to pasle Though weake and faint as such an age behoued That charitie his courage somewhat moued 14 The damsell of the Hermit askt the way That might vnto some hav'n town lead most neare That she might part from France with out delay Where once Renaldos name she might not heare The frier that could enchaunt doth all he may To comfort her and make her of good cheare And to her safetie promising to looke Out of his bag forthwith he drew a booke 15 A booke of skill and learning so profound â— That of a leafe he had not made an end But that there rose a sprite from vnder ground Whom like a page he doth of arrants send This sprite by words of secret vertue bound Goes where these knights their combat did intend And while they two were fighting verie hard He enters them betweene without regard 16 Good sirs quoth he for courtsie sake me show When one of you the tother shall haue slaine And after all the trauell you bestow What guerdon you expect for all your paine Behold Orlando striking nere a blow Not breaking staffe while you striue here in vaine To Paris ward the Ladie faire doth carie While you on fighting vndiscreetly tarie 17 I saw from hence a mile or thereabout Orlando with Angelica alone And as for you they iest and make a flout That fight where praise and profit can be none T wer best you quickly went to seeke them out Before that any farther they be gone Within the walls of Paris if they get Your eye on her againe you shall not set 18 When as the knights this message had receiued They both remaind amazed dumbe and sad To â—eare Orlando had
In the great praise of Rogero and Bradamant his posterittie noblemen and gentlemen of good houses may take 〈…〉 father vertu us ancestors and thinke themselves beloved of God and blessed with great temporall blessings 〈…〉 not from their worthy sure fathers Also we may note that commonly good parents bring good children 〈…〉 Melyssa brings Bradamant by intricate wayes from the cave and instructs her how to confound Atlantes 〈…〉 good and godly counsel makes men overcome all troubles and enables them to withstand all wicâ—◠〈…〉 that Bradamant dissembles with Brunello we may gather a lesson which in this age we be too apt 〈…〉 nameâ— to dissimble with dissemblers 〈…〉 is diners it diuers and therefore I meane to note the principallest of them as far as my litle reading 〈…〉 and first for Merlin called the English Prophet I know many are hard of beleef and think it a meeresable that is written both of his birth of his life and chiefly of his death for his birth indeed I beleeue not that he 〈…〉 by an Incubus yet the possibilitie thereof might be proued by this place â—rather held with the great clerk Bellarmine that such birth is either impossible or teacher to the great Antichrist when he shall come But concerning his life that there was such a man a great 〈…〉 to King Arthur I hold it certaine that he had a castle in â—shire called after him Merlinsburie now Marl◠〈…〉 likely the old ruines whereof are yet seene in our highway from Bath to London Also the great stones of 〈…〉 and number that he scattered about the place have given occasion to some to report and others 〈…〉 wrought by his great spill in Magicke as likewise the great stones at Stonage on Salisâ—◠〈…〉 which the ignorant people beleeue be brought out of Ireland and indeed the wiser sort can rather maruel at 〈…〉 they were set there But for the manner of his death and place of his buriall it is so diuersly written 〈…〉 countreys chalienged as a man may be bolder to say that all of them are saise then that any of them 〈…〉 will have him buried in Cornewall some in Wales where they say he was borne Ariosto by Poeticall lisence 〈…〉 or him in France and the fiction of the tombe is taken of a former fiction in King Arthurs booke 〈…〉 that Merlin being exceedingly in loue with the Ladie of the Lake to brag of his cunning shewed her one day 〈…〉 deuices of his a 〈◊〉 that he had made of sufficient capacitie to hold him and his wife and withall 〈…〉 a charme which being pronounced in an order that he shewed her the toombe would close and neuer againe be opened She having no mind to him or rather indeed flatly hating him grew on the sodaine very gamesome with him 〈…〉 him some extraordinary kindnesse and in the end for want of better pastime would needs perswade him to 〈…〉 would hold them both and so offered her selfe to go in with him he suspecting nothing lesse then her malicious purpose went imply in and straight she shut him in with the couer and bound it so fast with the charme as it will neuer 〈…〉 This I thought good to set donne for expounding the II. Staffe of this booke the plainer not that any matter here 〈◊〉 worth the noting without it be to warne men not to tell such dangerous secrets to women except they 〈…〉 to imitate the wisedome of Cato in repenting it after And thus much for Merlin The rest of the booke 〈…〉 a true historie and is a repetition of the pedegrue of Alfonso Duke of Ferrara with some briefe touches 〈…〉 of their great exploits in Italie the exposition of all which I will not pursue at length as being 〈…〉 the learned this haue read those stories and not very pleasant to the ignorant nor familiar to our nation 〈…〉 some very few of them such as I thinke most necessary and omit the rest or referre those 〈…〉 to informe themselues to some authors where they may reade it more at large Rogero 〈…〉 Bradamant and this Rogero so much spoken of in this whole booke came with Charles the great into 〈…〉 where among other Venetian captaines that holpe to suppresse Desiderius king of Lombardie this Rogero 〈…〉 so good seruice that the Emperour in reward gaue him and his heires the honors of Calaon and Este neare 〈…〉 The â—râ—me came to be the crest of the Vicounts of Millaine by this occasion Otho a valiant man of that family in the 〈…〉 that Gedfrey of Bullen made to Ierusalem called the holy warres did fight at the siege of Ierusalem hand to hand with Voluce 〈…〉 of the 〈…〉 and sue him whose to make himselfe more terrible did carry on his crest a huge viper deucuring of a 〈…〉 Euer since in memory hereof that house carries the viper Betingats 〈◊〉 name there were three but the chiefe man meant here was nephew to the first and came after the death of 〈…〉 grandfather into Italie and preuailed so farre that he was proclaimed Augustus and made his sonne King of I 〈…〉 with title King of Romanes but Agapitus then Bishop of Rome called in Otho King of the Almaines I deliuer Italie from the â—â—ranny of the Beringars who ouercame them and used them after with great clemency till afterward the feeling bâ—heâ—â—e fan usurping Pope tâ—tâ—rannize as before the same Otho came againe and in fine desir 〈…〉 in which it seemes Albertazzo did some great seruice Of Fruderike Barbarossa Sabellicus a riteth that he maintained Octauius Antipapa or vsurping Pope against Alexander 〈◊〉 great in Italy in Italy and much bloodshed and that the Romanes were so crushed in one battel that he 〈…〉 they would neuer be able againe to hold up their heads But after this Barbarossa both prosecuted by his enemies and 〈…〉 with the plague in his camp was glad to fly into Germany and comming back with new forces 〈…〉 the confederats unquished and 〈…〉 and driuen in the end to craue Pope Alexanders fauour Of this Alexander 〈…〉 make great boâ—â—t how they restored him and haue the story ingrauen or painted in one of their 〈…〉 Churches for the Pope saying that her in disgussed aparell and lining closely in the towne like a poore Priest 〈…〉 Crano discouered him and made him be greatly honoured by the whole city by whom as is a aforesaid 〈…〉 〈…〉 Guelss and Ghebellines is spoken of though it would ask a long discourse to tel the original how it first grew yet somewhat I must needs say of it the faction first rose of a 〈…〉 between two Dutchman in Italie being naturall brothers though unnaturally falling out and either drawing parties it grew in the end to such a faâ—tion as neither Sylla and Marius or Caesar and Pompey in Rome nor ours of Lancaster and Yorke in England nor any other growne of religion or what cause soeuer besides hath bene more violent Essellino a notable tyrant whom one
this the certaine sure But this I say it ought to remitted Much rather then she should distresse endure I further say they were but meanly witted That did so straight a statute first procure I also say this law they ought recall In place thereof a better to enstall 53 Sith like desire the fancies doth possesse Both of the male and of the female gender To do that thing that fooles count great excesse And quench the flame that Cupid doth engender To grant the men more scope the women lesse Is law for which no reason we can render Men vsing many neuer are ashamed But women vsing one or two are blamed 54 This law I say is partiall and naught And doth to women plaine annd open wrong I trust in God they shall be better taught And that this law shall be reuokt ere long The Abbot and his Monks in word and thought Allowd Renaldos speech both old and yong They all condemne the law and partly blame The king that may and mendeth not the same 55 Next morning when Renaldo doth perceaue The Sunne appeare and starres their heads to hide He thanks them for his cheare and taketh leaue And takes a target-bearer for his guide For feare left vnknowne paths should him deceaue Himselfe all armed doth on Bayard ride And to the Scottish court he goes a stranger For to defend the damsell faire from danger 56 And for they thought to take a way more nie They leaue the common way a mile or twaine When suddenly they heard a piteous crie Well like to one that feared to be slaine In hast they spurre their horses by and by Along the vale and looking downe the plaine A maide betweene two murderers they saw That meant to take her life against all law 57 The caitises put the damsell in great feare And shewd that they were come to end her dayes Which made her weepe and shed full many a teare To moue their minds she trieth many wayes And though the fact a while they did forbeare Yet now they had remoued all delayes When as Renaldo came vnto her aid And made the malefactors fore afraid 58 Away they sled and left the wench alone For dread of death appald and fore affrighted Who all her cause of danger and of mone Vnto Renaldo straight would haue recited But so great haft he maketh to be gone He gaue no eare nor from his horse alighted But to ensue the iourney first assignd him He causd the guide to take her vp behind him 59 And now on horsebacke marking well her face And marking more her gesture and behauiour Her pleasing speech and modest sober grace She now hath wonne a great deale more his fauour And after he had rode a little space To tell her hard aduenture he would haue her And she began with humble voice and low As more at large hereafter I will show In this fourth booke whereas dissembling is praised we may note in what sort and with what persons it is allowable seeing generally in it selfe it is a most vnnoble and vnworthy qualitie In that Bradamant by the ring doth discouer Atlantas inchantments and frustrate all his purpose we nay note how reason tempered with courage prevailes to the overthrow of all deceits and subtill practices In Rogero that was caried away vnawares by the winged horse we haue an example to make vs take heed of rash vnaduised enterprises In Renaldos speech condemning the rigor of the law that adultery was punished by death in women rather then in men as we may with him instly mislike such partialitie in lawes so we may note the manner and phrase of speech of yong gentlemen as Renaldo was that make so light of their sweet sinne of lechery as they call it not regarding how sower heauy punishment hangs over it and what a foule reprâ—ch it is to both sexes And so much for the Morall For the Historie of this booke little is to be said of the time of Charles the great because the booke digresseth to other matters but whereas mention is made of Calledon forrest in Scotland and of King Arthur his knights I thought it not amisse as in the former booke I told you what I thought of Merlin that was Arthurs great counseller so now somewhat to touch as the space will permit the reports that are true and probable of king Arthur It is generally written and beleeued that this Arthur was a notable valiant and religious Prince and that he governed this Iland in that rude age with great love of his people and honour of forraine nations he instituted an order of the knights of the round table onely as it seemes of some meriment of hunting or some pleasant exercises He was himself of stature very tall as appeares by the proportion of him left as they say here in our countrey of Somerset in a doore of a Church by the famous Abbey of Glassenbury in which Abbey his wife Queene Gueneuer was buried and within our memory taken vp in a coffin with her body and face in shew plainly to be discerned saue the very tip of her nose as diuers dwelling there about haue reported But what manner of death king Arthur himselfe died it is doubtfull and that which they report seemes meerly fabulous namely that he was caried away in a barge from a bridge called Pomperles neare the said Glassenbury and so conueyed by â—â—â—noâ—ne persons or by the Ladie of the Lake with promise to bring him backe againe one day vpon which it seems the foolish people grounded their vaine saying King Arthur comes againe For my part I confesse my selfe to haue bin more inquisitiue of such trifles then a wiser man would and viewing that bridge and all that countrey about Glassenbury I see good reason to guesse that all that countrie which now we call our moores and is reduced to profitable and fertill ground was sometime recouered from the sea and might be nauigable vp to Glassenbury in those times and so I suppose the said King being drowned there by some mishap and being well beloued of the people some fained to content their minds that he was but gone a little way and would come again as the Senate of Rome hauing killed Romulus for his tyrannie deuised a tale of I know not what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to make the people beleeue he was turned to a god M. Camden the best antiquarie of our time writeth that king Arthurs body was taken vp at the foresaid Glassenbury in the time of king Henrie the second which indeed is most credible as he there proueth But this I conclude that this Prince was so worthy a man in his time as not onely true histories haue greatly recommended to the posteritie but almost all Poeticall writers that haue bin since haue mentioned this famous Prince Arthur of England as a person of whom no notable exploit was incredible And thus much for king Arthur For the Allegorie
denies as was for his behoofe And straight to battell both agreed were They both were armd the place before was ready Now must they fight there could be no remedy 87 How was the king how were the people glad That faire Geneura faultlesse there did stand As Gods great goodnesse now reuealed had And should be proued by Renaldos hand All thought the Duke of mind and manners bad The proudst and cruelst man in all the land It likely was as euery one surmised That this deceit by him should be deuised 88 Now Polynesso stands with doubtfull brest With fainting heart with pale dismayed face Their trumpets blew they set their speares in rest Renaldo commeth on a mightie pace For at this fight he finish will the feast And where to strike him he designes a place His very first encounter was so fierce Renaldos speare the tothers sides did pierce 89 And hauing ouerthrowne the Duke by force As one vnable so great strokes to bide And cast him cleane sixe paces from his horse Himselfe alights and th' others helme vntide Who making no resistance like a corse With faint low voice for mercie now he cride And plaine confest with this his latter breath The fault that brought him this deserued death 90 No sooner had he made this last confession But that his life did faile him with his voyâ—e Geneuras double scape of foule oppression In life and fame did make the King reioyce In lieu of her to leese his crownes possession He would haue wisht if such had bene his choice To leese his realme he could haue bene no sadder To get it lost he could haue bene no gladder 91 The combat done Renaldo straight vntide His beauer when the King that knew his face Gaue thanks to God that did so well prouide So doubtlesse helpe in such a dangerous case That vnknowne knight stood all this while aside And saw the matters passed in the place And eu'ry one did muse and maruell much What wight it was whose curtesie was such 92 The king did aske his name because he ment With kingly gifts his seruice to reward Affirming plainly that his good intent Deserued thanks and very great regard The knight with much intreatie did assent And to disarme himselfe he straight prepard But who it was if you vouchsafe to looke I will declare it in another booke The very beginning of this booke being as it were a morall of it selfe were sufficieÌ„t for the point it treats of without any more speech to that purpose but because the matter is such as cannot be too much spoken of namely to perswade meÌ„ to coÌ„cord in matrimonie I must needs adde a word or two thereof And first for mine opinion I professe that I think it a vertue for a maÌ„ to be kind to his wife I am of the Censor Cato his mind who being a maruellous ausiere maÌ„ otherwise yet pronouÌ„ced flatly that a man could not be an honest man that was not to his wife a kind man And I wil go thus much farther that you shall hardly find a discreet louing husband I mean without dissimulation or flattery but is withal a vertuous good miÌ„ded maÌ„ be they of what calling they list wherfore I honor matrimonial loue in my superiors I loue it in my equals I praise it in my inferiors I commend it in all and to all of what sort or sex soeuer I wish them but to call to mind his comparison before set down in verse and to this effect in prose that if the male female in beasts and foule for the most part liue in concord agreement what a foule and worse then beastly thing is it for man wife to be euer bralling snarling for as for smiting I count it more then moÌ„strous let al sorts embrace this honest loue not only coÌ„mended but commanded by God in holy Scriptures where they are called both one flesh to giue vs thereby to vnderstand that as we would not willingly breake our owne shins nor let our finger ake if we could remedie the same if we see one strike himselfe or knocke his head to the wall we thinke him Bidlem mad So he that shall willingly grieue the wife of his bosome or wickedly hurt her we may thinke him far froÌ„ a sober farther froÌ„ an honest man And euen as if one haue an ach or any grief in his toe or finger straight he doth lap that part in warm cloth ea seth it al he can cherisheth it more then before til it be sound again so if any thing either il don or il takeÌ„â— perhaps though not il ment haue bred a litle powting or lowring toward vnkindnesse we must lap vp the part thus grieued in warm imbracements heale it with sweet words And if it be but a greene wound annoint it with the precious balsamuÌ„ which all good surgeons know to be a soueraigne medicine for such griefes and so we shall soundly cure it without any maime or scarre but we must neuer come to the extremities of cutting or searing except the disease grow to a Gangrena or some cankred malice vnpossible to be cured Another good morall obseruation to be gathered in this caÌ„to is the choise of Cencuta who being a great Lady by birth yet chose rather a gallant faire conditioned gentlemaÌ„ theÌ„ a great Duke For first it is no disparagemeÌ„t for the greatest Empresse in the world to marie one that is a gentleman by birth according to the old prouerb A gentlemaÌ„ may make a king and a clarke may proue a Pope Secondly if we marke generally the successe of all mariages we may find the saying of Themistocles true Better is a man without mony then mony without a man To many and toto pitifull are the examples that we haue hard of I will not say seene of those Ladies that to match theÌ„selues or their daughters on step higher nay but eueÌ„ the higher end of the same step higher theÌ„ they might otherwise haue don haue with that ambition vndon theÌ„ making them liue with great discontent or to say the truth flat misery with their proud vnkind Lord. And yet caÌ„not such euident neare examples moue some both fair modest vertuous to keep theÌ„ out of such gilded gyues â—eleeue it Lady to whoÌ„soeuer I speak it that a happie womaÌ„ is seene in a white apron as often as in an embrodred kirtle hath as quiet sleeps as contented wakings in a bed of cloth as vnder a sparuer of tissue Boccasio speaking of the coynesse of some graue widowes as well as nice damsels saith as I remeÌ„ber in the laberinth of louers to this effect Be a maÌ„ saith he neuer so diseased deformed decrepit vnwholsome vnsauorie yet if he haue bene either so good a storer for mony that he may leue his wife wealthy or be so great in titles though a begar in liuing that she may take her place the higher they wil
saith he be contented to lay their so delicate and daintily preserued morsels in such lothsome dishes to be daily smackt slauered binding themselues to suffer such a penance God knowes how long only to satisfie those humors of coueteousnesse and pride staruing to their griefe the third humour if they be so vertuous that is by some thought the predominant humor in that sex and many times dwels vnder the same roofe with the other two Yet surely I could rather commend his curtesan that he writes of in his Decameron who hauing bargained with a Dutchman one M. Bruffaldo for seuen dayes boord and lodging at a great rate hauing found him for one or two nights to be but an vnsauorie bed fellow she chose rather to leese those two nights hire then to endure fiue more at so painful a price But I doubt I grow too tedious while I shoot out such blots out of a Boccas Now to go forward in the morall You may note in Polynesso an enuious and trecherous mind in Ariodant the hurt of a credulous ielousie in Lurcanio the vehemencie of a wrong surmise In Polynessos intent to kill Dalinda you may obserue how wicked men often bewray their owne misdeeds with seeking to hide them In Geneuras accusation and deliuerie how God euer defends the innocent And lastly in Polynessos death how wickednesse ruines it seife For the historie of this booke either the whole is a historie or there is no matter historicall in it to be stood on Allegorie there is none in this booke at all Allusion there is in this tale of Geneura vnto a storie writteÌ„ in Alciats duello of a matron in France accused in such sort by two men and a certaine souldier of Barcellona came with a companion of his and tooke vpon them the defence of the woman and being fighting the companion of the souldier fled not withstanding he of Barcellona with his courage and vertue gat the victorie of the other two and so in strange attire went home to his country vnknowne to which Ariodant seems to allude Some others affirme that this very matter though set downe here by other names happened in Fâ—rrara to a kinsewoman of the Dukes which is here figured vnder the name of Geneura and that indeed such a practise was vsed against her by a great Lord and discouered by a damsell as is here set downe Howsoeuer it was sure the tale is a prettie comicall matter and ha â—bene written in English verse some few years past learnedly and with good grace though in â—erse of another kind by M. George Turberuil The rocke from which Ariodant leapt into the sea aliudeth to to the rocke of Lewcade where men that were mad for loue leapt into the water and washed away 〈◊〉 they thought that fancie Strabo calleth it faltus amatorius THE SIXT BOOKE THE ARGVMENT Geneurafaire to Ariodant is giuen And he a Duke is made that verie day Rogero with the Griffeth horse is driuen Unto Alcynas ile and there doth stay Amirtle in the middle strangly riuen Alcinas frauds doth unto him bewray Of which enformd he thence would haue departed But by the way he finds his purpose thwarted 1 Most wretched he that thinks by doing ill His euill deedes long to conceale and hide For though the voice and tongues of men be still By foules or beasts his sin shal be discride And God oft worketh by his secret will That sinne it selfe the sinner so doth guide That of his owne accord without request He makes his wicked doings manifest 2 The gracelesse wight Duke Polinesso thought His former fault should sure haue bin concealed If that Dalinda vnto death were brought By whom alone the same could be reuealed Thus making worse the thing before was nought He hurt the wound which time perhaps had healed And weening with more sinne the lesse to mend He hastned on his well deserued end 3 And lost at once his life his state and frends And honour to a losse as great or more Now as I sayd that vnknowne knight entends Sith euerie one to know him sought so sore And sith the king did promise large amends To shew his face which they saw oft before And Ariodant most louely did appeare Whom they thought dead as you before did heare 4 He whom Geneura wofully did waile He whom Lurcanio deemed to be dead He whom the king and court did so bewaile He that to all the realme such care had bred Doth liue the clownes report in this did faile On which false ground the rumor false was spred And yet in this the peasant did not mocke He saw him leape downe headlong from the rock 5 But as we see men oft with rash intent Are desperate and do resolue to die And straight do change that fancie and repent When vnto death they do approch more nie So Ariodant to drowne himselfe that ment Now plung'd in sea repented by and by And being of his limbes able and strong Vnto the shore he swam againe erre long 6 And much dispraising in his inward thought This fond conceit that late his minde poslest At last a blind and narrow path him brought All tyrd and wet to be an hermits guest With whom to stay in secretsort he sought Both that he might his former griefe digest And learne the truth if this same clownes report Were by Geneura tane in griefe or sport 7 There first he heard how she conceiu'd such griefeâ— As almost brought her life to wofull end He found of her they had so good beleefe They thought she would not in such sort offend He further heard except she had releefe By one that would her innocence defend It was great doubt Lurcanios acculation Would bring her to a speedie condemnation 8 And looke how loue before his heart enraged So now did wrath enflame and though he knew wel To wreake his harme his brothers life was gaged He nathles thought his act so foule and cruell That this his anger could not be asâ—waged Vnto his flame loue found such store of fewel And this the more increast his wrath begun To heare how euâ—rie one the fight did shun 9 For why Lurcanio was so stout and wise Except it were for to defend the truth Men thought he would not so the king despise And hazard life to bring Geneuras ruth Which caused euerie one his friend aduise To shunne the fight that must maintaine vntruth But Ariodant after long disputation Meanes to withstand his brothers accusation 10 Alas quoth he Ineuer shall abide Her through my cause to die in wo and paine For danger or for death what eare betide Be she once dead my life cannot remaine She is my saint in her my blisse doth bide Her golden rayes my eies light still maintaine Fall backe fall edge and be it wrong or right In her defence I am resolu'd to fight 11 I take the wrong but yet I le take the wrong And die I shall
the Sentnell softly in his eare What was his name and what was his intent Who straight abast the bridge without all feare Supposing sure his vncle had him sent And straight vpon the Pagan campe he lighted As in the booke ensuing is recited In the hard adventures of Angelica we may note how perilous a thing beautie is if it be not especially garded with the grace of God and with vertue of the minde being continually assaild with enemies spirituall and temporall In Orlandos dreame we may see how vnquiet thoughts are bred in the mindes of those that are giuen ouer to the passion of loue or ambicion or whatsoeuer else may be vnderstood by Angelica Lastly in that Orlando abandons his Prince and country in their greatest extremitie we may obserue the vncomely and carelesse actes that dishonest or vnordinat loue do prouoke euen the noblest vnto if once they get harbour in their mindes and be not ouerruled with reason and grace In this booke is little historical matter saue of the distresse of the Parisians of which I will not greatly stand more then that I said before it is not improbable that they were about that time assayled by the Turke 〈◊〉 for other matters that be here lightly touched as the deuotion of Paule or Hylarion the sable of Proteus or such like the table shall set it downe more plaine The former Allegorie is here continued of Rogeros flying from Alcyna by which must still be vnderstood a man reforming his course of life and flying from sensualitie and pleasureâ— now whereas it is said in this booke that Alcynas man or her faulkner with his horse hauke and dog did impeach Rogeros passage I take it that by these foure are ment the foure passions that most trouble the minde when it begins to encline to vertue namely by the seruant feare may be vnderstood which is euer seruile and base by the hauke couetousnesse that is euer seeking new prey and is neuer satisfied by the dog griefe and discontentment that is alway byting and enuying and greeuing at others well doing by the horse is vnderstood inordinatioy which is in another kinde an enemie to vertue and constancie for as soone is a temperat and moderate minde discouered in prosperitie as in aduersitie and as Tully saith a wise man is neither Aduersis rebus oppreslus nec elatus secundis to which effect I remember a verse of my fathers written to an Earle many yeares since Such one is ware by what degrees he clymes Rather pleasant then proud in high estate Rather bold then abasht in lowring times And can in both so well vphold his state As many would but few can do or none Of which few sort I wish your Lordship one But to proceed in the Allegorie these impediments that disturbe men in their good course are all but like owls or batts driuen away with sunne shine for the light of vnderstanding and the shining of true worthines or as M. Dyer in an excellent verse of his termeth it the light that shines in worthines dissolueth and disperseth these dustie impediments that let a man in his iourney to Logestillas Court that is to the court of vertue of temperance of pietie where all good lessons are taught as shal be showed more plaine in that part of this booke where Rogero comes to Logestilla By Melyssa that recouers from Alcyna Astolfos armour and the Lancia d'oro or Goldelaunce and likewise restores Astolfo to his former state and shape by vertue of the ring in the absence of Alcyna by her I say we may vnderstand some graue and ghostly counseller that with strong reasons and godly perswasions hauing driuen away for the time a mans sinfull thoughts and desires takes occasion vtterly to extinguish them and deliuer a man from them with the same reasons and to draw him to vertue and Religion Alcynas forces she prepares by sea and by land signifie the meanes our ghostly enemies vse to bring vs backe againe to our old vices like the dog to his vomit by land she followes him and after by sea she encounters him which briefely showes that the remembrance of passed pleasures make a man often in perill to be drawen backe as it were by landâ— and then by sea as a place of terrour and danger we are assailed with greenous aduersities as without speciall succour we should be quite cast away Rogeros hard trauell stony wayes and afterward the sweat and drought he abode signifie Allegorically the vnpleasantnes of the change of euill life to an austere course of liuing which after notwithstanding is most exceeding comfortable and delightsome The bawdâ—â—rier that by his impotencie more then his honestie saued Angelicas maydenhead is alluded by my author as some haue supposed to some such Prelate in Italie of his acquaintance and but for good manners sake might be alluded to some that haue bene so illuded by such good men that notwithstanding they might sue their writ of dotage yet will still be as forward as the youngest in that seruice Atque iacent pigro crimen onuâ—que toro Angellicas horse that carried her into the sea Alludes to the bull that bare Europa such another voiage THE NINTH BOOKE THE ARGVMENT Orlando hastes his iourney when he hears What costly food Proteus his Orke allowes But by the way mou'd with Olimpias tears That did lament her late captiued spouse His hastie iourney be a while forbears To wreake her wrong vpon her foe he vowes Which done no longer in the place he tarries Byreno false the faire Olympiâ— marries 1 ALas what damage cannot Cupid bring A noble hart once thralled to his lore That makes Orlando carelesse of his king To whom of late most faithfull loue he bore Who earst so gaue wise in euerie thing And of the church a champion was before Now that in loues blind pathes he learns to plod Forgets himselfe his countrie and his God 2 Faine would I him disburden of this blame Glad in my faults a fellow such to finde For to my good I feele me dull and lame But prompt to ill and swifter then the wind He not be thinking him how great a shame It was to leaue his helplesse friends behind Went where the kings of Affricke and of Spaine Didly in field encampt with all their traine 3 Yet not encampt I can them call for why They lay abrode dispersed with the raine Some twentie ten or eight together lie Or sixe or fiue or foure or three or twaine Some farther off and some are lodged nie All weane with their former taken paine He might haue kill'd of them a worthie crew Ne yet is Durindana once he drew 4 The cause was this so noble was his minde To murther men asleepe he thought it base He lets them rest and seekes his loue to finde By eu'rie person and in eu'rie place And those he meets with words and speeches kind Describing her apparell and her
fild He might haue better staid at home in Spaine Then come abroad to be in battell kild But thus we see they get but losse and paine That deale in that in which they be not skild I wish musitions meddle with their songs And pray the souldiers to reuenge their wrongs 54 Ferraw that saw ten thousand slaine before Without or fetching sigh or shedding teare With this his minions death was grieu'd so sore As scarce he could eu'n then to weepe forbeare But he that kild him shall abuy therefore By Macon and Lanfusa he doth sweare And straight performd it to the knights great paine For with his pollax out he dasht his braine 55 Nor so content he runs among the presse And in his rage so many Scots he slew That their late forwardnesse he did represse And causd that they in hast themselues withdrew Then to the tents was sent the king of Fefte To make resistance to the Irish crew That spoild their lodgings hauing robd the best And went about to set on fire the rest 56 Then when the stout King Agramant espide The danger great he and his men were in And how these new supplies on eu'ry side Made his retire and ground of them did win To saue his owne in time he doth prouide And lets alone the wals and them within Himselfe with Lords and other Princes store Came where Ferraw was entred late before 57 And in such strength they do their forces linke And with such fury they restore the fight That now the Scots began to faile and shrinke Saue that Renaldo came eu'n then in sight And cride O worthy Scots and do you thinke To saue your selues by so vnworthy flight Will you so leese the honor late you wonne Care you no more to saue your masters sonne 58 Do you regard no more your reputation By you in sundry bloudy battels got To leâ—ue the flowre and iewell of your nation Amid his foes as if you lou'd him not Ye shame your selues and all your generation If you distaine you with so foule a blot Turne turne I say and take some heart of grace And meet and smite these Panims in the face 59 They that before were sore with feare possest Were now so heartned that with honest shame Each one doth seeme his safetie to detest Each one his mind with anger doth inflame And where they left their captaine halfe distrest With this so forward guide as fast they came So Zerbin rescude was from Turkish forces And mounted straight one of the emptie horses 60 Renaldo that did euer take delight To set on those that were most strong and stoâ—t When once king Agramant was come in sight Him fro the rest forthwith he singles out But when betweene them was begun the fight They sundred were by those that stood about I meane the Turks who their chief Prince defended Who else perhap his raigne eu'n then had ended 61 Now while without the wals the battell so On either side with fury was renewd Fierce Rodomont within did worke such wo More rufull sight with eye was neuer vewd To wracke profane the holy temples go He setteth fire on all and to conclude He did alone so spoile the goodly citie As might haue mou'd a stony heart to pitie 62 And while King Charles that was farre off from thence Did entertaine the new come English host The which Renaldo sent for their defence Behold there came a messenger in post That lookt like one bestraught of wit and sence His voice with hast and feare was welnigh lost And when his broken words were plâ—â—â—ly hard Ah well away he cries we all are mard 63 Some fiâ—nd of hell for sure a fiend of hell It is that doth our citie so destroy Is sent from Belzebub with vs to dwell To worke our vtter ruine and annoy This day we must bid all good dayes farewell This day must be the last day of our ioy Lo yonder how our sacred temples smoke Nor one in their defence dares strike a stroke 64 Looke how a man would be amazd to heare A noise confusd of backward ringing bels And after find when he approcheth neare New set on fire his house wherein he dwels In such amazement and in such a feare Was Charles to heare the tale this poore man tels And as he thither nearer came and nearer He sees the buildings clearer burne and clearer 65 Of hardie Squires he culs a gallant crew And meanes to driue away this wicked wight If man it be or spright with humane hew That doth vnto the towne this soule despight Now came he where he plaine might see in vew Men murdred houses burnd a wofull sight But now although perhap my storie please you To pawse a little may refresh and ease you In the person of Griffino is described a yong man besotted with loue and affection of a vile strumpet so as she easily perswades him that he that indeed kept her so openly as all the world spake of it was her brother or her cosingerman or some such matter as easily blinded his eyes being bleared afore with affection and in this kind though I meane to touch none by name yet I doubt not but many will feele themselues touched of both sorts such as Griffino that place their loue in vnworthy persons and such as Martano that vnder the name of kinred are most vile and filthy adulterers which how common it is now a dayes this saying shewes turned now almost to a prouerbe The nearer of kin the sooner in and that verse of Ouid translated or pretily turned by a pleasant Gentleman to this purpose Tuta frequénsque via est sub amici fallere nomen Tuta frequénsque licet sit via crimen habet A safe and common way it is by kinred to deceaue But safe and common though it be t is knau'ry by your leaue The great aphorisme or maxime set downe in the two last verses of the second staffe of this booke was imitated by a Gentleman of our countrey in his yonger dayes though a man euer of great wit and worth his verse was this He that hath plast his heart on hie Must not lament although he die To which purpose all that haue written of this common place of loue and chiefly Petrark in his infinite sonets in the middâ—st of all his lamentation still had this comfort that his loue was placed on a worthy Ladie and our English Petrarke Sir Philip Sidney or as Sir Walter Raulegh in his Epitaph worthily calleth him the Scipio and the Petrarke of our time often comforting himselfe in the sonets of Stella though despairing to attaine his desire and though that tyrant honâ—â—â— still refused yet the nobilitie the beautie the worth the graciousnesse and those her other perfections as made him both count her and call her inestimable rich makes him in the midst of those his mones reioyce euen in his owne greatest losses as in his eighteenth sonet which
about Of which the most were but of meane degree Also the armor whence this error came Was hald about vnto his farder shame 88 With many filthy words they him reuile From filthy tongues that hard it is to stop And shewd him round about the towne the while At eu'ry crosse and house and stall and shop Then thinking him for euer to exile They led him of that hill vnto the top And there his bonds they loose with great disgrace And then they will him packe him thence apace 89 With scornfull sound of basen pot and pan They thought to driue him thence like Bees in swarmes But when he was vntide then he began To make them know their error to their harmes Then he did lay about and play the man Now hauing vse of both his warlike armes But in what sort the them dismayd and scared Within another booke shall be declared In the beginning of this booke he shewes how God doth plague people oftentimes by sending tyrants and most wicked and cruell Princes to rule ouer them which as it is indeed the greatest punishment a country can haue so of the contrary side may be in lâ—â—esort concluded that countries cannot haue a more ample blessing of God nor a greater testimonie of his fauour then to haue a mercifull Prince that loueth the people and is carefull of their peace and profit and as mine author comâ—plameth of the misery of Italie oppressed by tyrants so contrariwise I might take occasion to magnifie the felicitie of our realme of England for the gracious and mild gouernement of our Soueraigne saue that so high and plentifull a matter requires an entire treatise and not so broken a discourse as I vse in these briefe notes and therefore Ireserue it wholy for another worke of mine owne if God giue me abilitie to performe it but now to the matter of this booke In that Rodomont kils and massacres the people without resistance or without any man to make head against him we may marke how fitly and properly the multitude may be likened to sheepe not onely in that they be shorne and fleesed euery yeare for their wooll and sometime pinched to the quicke by the greedie shearers but also that when they should come to defend themselues their houses and children from inuading of the enemie they runne away like sheepe from the noise of the barking of a little curre vntill their shepheard come and defend them In the tale of Norandine that for his faire Lucinas sake did hazard his life so manifestly and after was contented to Lap himselfe vp in a goates skin and to noynt himselfe ouer with goates suet we may note how hartie loue and affection will make a man disdaine nothing be it neuer so base In Martanos cowardise and craftie vndermining of Griffino we may marke how cowardly fellowes be commonly trecherous and priuie vnderminers And in that Norandine a good natured and affable Prince did condemne Griffino to prison without once calling him to answer for himselfe we may take an excellent good note as my authour hath done vpon this matter in the next booke how hurtfull a thing it is in a coÌ„mon wealth when a magistrate and specially a Prince shal heare such a Martanist as Martano or such a Gil as Origilla was whisper them in their eares giue malicious and vntrue though probable informations against well deseruing men And sure though some hold opinion that these kinde of people called informers be to be cherished as necessarie seruants of the state though defamed otherwise and euen confessing themselues that it is no honest mans office yet for my part I haue heard wise men say that such men are hurt full to the state in pollicie and make more malconrents then they discouer and I am sure it is far from the rules of Christen charitie and to be controld euen by heathenish ciuillitie Tully speaking of the like men saith Anseribus cibaria publicè locantur canes aluntur in Capitolio Likening them to be as necessarie to keepe in the common wealth as geese and doggs in the Capitoll yet as Tully there noted if the doggs barkt without cause at such as came of deuotion to worship the Gods then their legs ought to be broken And euen so these doggs these bloodhounds nay bloodyhounds that bite in their barking if they shall at any time snap at such as come to honor and serue their Prince it were pittie their leggs should be broken for though they fal lame yet they can be carried in coaches and horslitters marrie if their neckes were broken the Realme should I thinke haue a fair riddance of them But I wil end this note with a verse of that pleasant Poet Martiall written aboue 1500 yeares since to Caesar who had then banished promooters out of Rome the which verse I confesse concurs with my opinion Turba grauis paci placidae\'que inimica quieti Quae semper miseras sollicitabat opes Tradita Getulis nec coepit arena nocentes Et delator habet quod dabat exilium Exulat Ausonia profugus delator ab vrbe Impensis vitam Caesaris annumeres To this effect in English after my plaine manner of versifying The vile Promooters foes to peace and enemies to rest That with false tales do neuer cease mens goods from them to wrest Are banisht hence full many a mile to barren place and wast And he that others did exile that selfe same cup doth tast O happie Rome that such hath lost as mischeefe stil contriue But Caesar was at too much cost to let them scape aliue And thus much for the morall Historie I haue none to stand vpon in this boke saue such as either are alreadie touched in the margent or else to be found in the Table Allegorie there is none But the allusion is noted by one Symon Fornarius at very great length and the substance of all is this that indescribing this notable triumph and feast of Norandino he couertly describeth the notable tilting and turneying of certaine of the Medices in Florence and how one Gentleman of Florence plaid such a part as Martano shunning the tilt and did indeed vomit for feare and was laught at for his labour Also the number of the challengers agreed of Norandinos and this so as it is euident that Fornarius saith right of the matter Here end the notes of the xvij Canto THE EIGHTEENTH BOOKE THE ARGVMENT Now Griffin's knowne and felt Algyre doth threaten The Tartar Prince Charles fighteth and preuailes Martano like a coward is well beaten Marfisas force Damasco warriers quailes From thence with tempest tost and weather beaten Both she and Griffin and Astolfo sailes Medor and Cloridan with care and paine Seeke for the carkas of their master slaine 1 MOst worthie Prince your vertues high and rare With tongue and penne I praise and euer shall Although my words and verse inferiour are In number and in worth to match them all But all aboue this one
praise it is in them to do as Alexander is noted to haue vsed to keepe one care for the aduerse partie or as we terme it for the defendant In the punishment of Martano we may note how false accusers euer come to some filthie end as their vile and filâ—hie liues deserue In Norandine that finding he had done Griffino wrong is willing to make â—amends for it and to be frends with him we may see a notable example of princely clemency which I could wish all Christian Princes to follow though in deed commonly they do quite contrarie and rather where they do one wrong make amends with a greater according to that heathnish nay diuellish saying of Machiauell that whom you haue done a great iniurie to him you must neuer pardon but still persecute Tempora tempora quod monstrum aluistis Oh times what a monster haue yee bred how far is this doctrine from his that taught to forgiue not seuen times but seauentie times seuen times Lastly in Medoro we may note a notable example of gratitude towards his masters dead corse in hazarding his own life to burie it which is indeed though he were a heathen a most Christian act and one of the works of charitie commended in the Scripture as namely in Tobia who was greatly rewarded and blessed for it And further we may note in all ages buriall hath bene thought a most necessarie thing and religious but of Medoros gratitude I shall speake more in the next booke Concerning the description of the I le of Cypres set downe in 63. staffe where it is praised for the pleasantnes of it as all that write of it do testifie and Horace proues it was called Venus I le in this verse to Venus Regina Gnidi Paphiq Sperne dilectam Cipron c We may obserue a good Allegoricall sence in that Rodomont is first assaild by Iealousie then how Iealousie breeds Discord and how Pride increaseth it still edging it forward saying what a shame is it to put vp such an iniurie and what will the world say of it and who could beare it these be the whetstones to sharpen reuenge and to kindle the coales of strife Also we note how mine Author pretily noted that Discord and Pride when they went from the Abbey left Fraud and Hypocrisie for their sufficient deputies in their places for where Fraud works there neuer wanteth seed of strife and where Hypocrisie is there wants no pride though it be not plainly discouered In Dardanellos meeting with Renaldo and encountring him and after being slaine by him he altogether alludes to the conflict betweene Troylus and Achilles Infoelix puer atque impar congressus Achilli The end of the annotations of the 18. booke THE NINETEENTH BOOKE THE ARGVMENT Angelica doth heale and wed Medore Marfisa with that other worthie crew Lands after trauell long vpon the shore Of Amazons where when the law they knew Stout Guydon that came thither late before Fought with Marfisa who his nine men slew But when the combat ceast for want of light Then Guydon prayth them lodge with him that night 1 NOne can deeme right who faithfull frends do rest While they beare sway rule in great degree For these both fast and fained frends are prest Whose faiths seeme both of one effect to be But then reuolts the faint and fained guest When wealth vnwinds and Fortune seems to flee But he that loues indeed remaineth fast And loues and serues when life and all is past 2 If all mens thoughts were written in their face Some one that now the rest doth ouercrow Some other eke the wants his souerains grace When as their Prince their inward thoughts should know The meaner man should take the betters place The greater man might stoope and sit below But tell me now how poore Medoro sped That lou'd his master both aliue and ded 3 In vaine he sought to get him to the wood By blinde and narrow pathes to him vnknowne Their swift and his slow pase the same withstood Forst by the burden that he bare alone But now when Cloridano vnderstood Medoros case he made for him great mone And curst himselfe and was full ill apaid That he had left his friend deuoid of aid 4 Medoro all about so straight beset To leaue his loued lode was then constrained But all in vaine he sought fro thence to get His masters carkas that behind remained Was vnto him so fierce and strong a let It staid his wearie steps and him retained Eu'n as a Beare that would defend her whelpe About doth houer though she cannot helpe 5 So good Medore about the corse did houer The while that Cloridano cometh backe And for the day was dawnd he might discouer How greatly his Medore his helpe did lacke Wherefore to do his best him to recouer He takes his bow and quiuer from his backe And at a Scot he tooke his aime so well He strake him in the braine that downe he fell 6 The fall and death so sodaine of the Scot Amated much the courage of the rest And much they marueld whence should come this shot And sore this accident did them molest But Cloridan for this forbare them not But shot another in about the brest The which inflam'd Zerbinos mind so sore That for reuenge he would haue slaine Medore 7 And fastning in his golden curled heare His warlike hand thou shalt said he abuy Thou shalt the penance and the burthen beare Of him that here hath made my men to dye Yet for all this Zerbino did forbeare To kill him when he saw with gracious eye His sweet sad looke and harkned to his speech That in this sort for pardon did beseech 8 Sir knight he said for thy Messias sake I thee do pray and earnestly coniure So much compassion now on me to take To let me giue my Lord his sepulture I little care what spoile of me yee make What paines or tortures I my selfe endure I onely sue so long my life to saue As I may lay my master in his graue 9 Now while Medoro spake these words and such Whereby Zerbino was to mercie moued And to his fauour was inclined much As one that gratefulnesse had euer loued A vile base swaine so rudely did him tuch As him not onely from his place remoued But with his staffe most rudely ouerthrew him That eu'ry one do deeme him dead that vew him 10 This fact did so Zerbinos mind offend That presently the villaine he did chase And to haue killed him he did intend And had but that the other fled apace But when that Cloridano saw his frend With bleeding wound lie prostrate in the place He meanes himselfe no longer now to hide But eu'n to die by deare Medoros side 11 And as he purpos'd so he did indeed For fighting manfully he there was slaine The Scots do onward on their way proceed Medoro halfe aliue doth now remaine And still his
of those vnhappie men Whom erst you slue was husband vnto ten 68 So that for those same nine that you haue slaine Nine times ten women seeke reuenge to take Wherefore I wish that you and all your traine Within my roofe this night abode do make For so perhap from wrong they will abstaine If not for right at least for reuerence sake I le take your offer sir Marfisa saith So that hereof to me you giue your faith 69 That as in fight you shew your valew great As I haue proued in this present place So I may find your words without deceat Lest falshood should your noble deeds deface I will accept your lodging and your meat And will perswade my fellows in like case But rather then for feare you should it thinke Le ts fight it out by light of torch and linke 70 And thus in fine they all of them agreed That vnto him that night they would be guest Straight to a sumptuous pallace they proceed By torch light brought to chambers richly drest But when that each put off their warlike weed Then each of them with wonder was possest She that the knight did by his face appeare To be a boy of age but eighteene yeare 71 And he when by her haire her sex he knew Wonderd to see a woman of such might As namely that in sight nine tall men slew And after had with him prolongd the fight And either pleased the others vew Behold the one the other with delight Then each desir'd the others name to learne As in th' ensuing booke you shall discearne In the first staffe of this Canto is an excellent morall of the proâ—fe of frends which my father many yeares since did translate almost word for word as I haue set it downe applying it to his master the worthie Lord Admirall Seymor and because the verse was my fathers I count I may without vsurpation claime it by inheritance He applied it to that noble peere verie aptly diuers wayes both for his life and for his death but specially which I count worthy the noting for his seruants who loued him so dearely that euen in remembrance of his honorable kindnesse they loued one another exceedingly and my father I remember but a weeke before he died which was in the yeare 1582. wrote with his owne hand the names of those were then liuing of the old Admiraltiâ— so he called them that had bâ—ne my Lords men and there were then xxxiiij of them liuing of which many were knights and men of more reuenew then himselfe and some were but meane men as armorers artificers keepers and farmers and yet the memorie of his seruice was such a band among them all of kindnesse as the best of them disdained not the poorest and the meaner had recourse to the greatest for their countenance and ayd in their honest causes and many of them are euen now liuing and yet it wants little of fortie yeares since that noble man was put to death His picture my father gaue after to the Queenes Maiestie that now is with a prettie verse written on it and it hangs now in the gallerie at Somerset house That there were Amazons I thinke no man doubreth that hath read of Alexanders conquests In Angelicas wedding of Medore I gather this Allegorie Angelica is taken for honor which braue men hunt after by blood and battels and many hardy feats and misse it but a good seruant with faith and gratefulnesse to his Lord gets it Cloridan and Medore allude to Eurialus and Nisus in Virgils Aeneads The end of the notes of the xix booke THE TVVENTITH BOOKE THE ARGVMENT With Guidon all his worthie guests agree To breake from th' Amazons the morrow morne Astolfo doubting lest it would not be Doth driue them thence and scares them with his horne Zerbino laughs Gabrina gay to see Marfisa seemes to take it in great scorne And gainst his will commits her to his guiding By whom he hears of Isabella tiding 1 RIght wódrous deeds by diuers dames were donne In times of old as well by sword as pen Whereby their glorie shined like the sunne And famous was both far and neare as then The fame Harpalice in battell wonne Camillas worth is eke well knowne to men Corinnas praise and Saphos are discerned Aboue the rest because they both were lerned 2 What art so deepe what science is so hie But worthy women haue thereto attayned Who list in stories old to looke may trie And find my speech herein not false nor fained And though of late they seeme not to come nie The praise their sexe in former times haue gained No doubt the fault is either in backbiters Or want of skill and iudgement in the writers 3 For sure I see in this our present age Such vertuous parts in their sweet sexe to grow The young so sober and the rest so sage And all so chast as writers shall I know Haue worke enough to fill full many a page With their great praise that from their worth will flow To win the fame their ancestors did leese And passe Marfisa not in few degrees 4 But now â—o turne my speech to her againe I say that when the knight did aske her name She made him answer and did not disdaine To tell both what she was and whence she came Yet as her fashion was both briefe and plaine She saith thus to the knight I called am Marfisa and she need to say no more For all the world had heard the rest before 5 The tother when his turne to speake came in First making long and farther circumstance In such like manner doth his tale begin And sighing deepe you all haue heard perchance Both of my fathers house and of my kin Of fame in Italie in Spaine and France Forsure I am the house of Clarimount In all the world is knowne and of account 6 He that Charello and Mambrino slew And did their kingdoms ruine and deface Out of one stocke with me together grew Although we were not all borne in one place For why at lster flood to tell you trew My father me begat and in that case My mother great with childe he left behind And went to France by helpe of saile and wind 7 Thus seu'nteene yeares I liu'd like one exild Vntill I able was to breake a launce And for that place me seemd too base and vild I meane to seeke my frends and kin in Fraunce They name me Guidon sauage of a child As yet I could not much my name aduance For hither by a tempest I was borne As you were now with ship and tackle torne 8 Here first Argillon with nine meâ— I killed A leau'n months since and that same day at night The office of an husband I fulfilled Vnto ten Amazons in flesh delight This done to take my choise then was I willed Of any ten that pleased best my sight And these remaine my wiues
lost then wonne Then answerd stout Marfisa I will make Another offer which you may not shunne On this condition let vs for her sake A course at field one with the other runne That if you win then I will keepe her still If I then you shall serue he while she will 85 Content quoth Zerbin and with that they ran With couched spears and met amid the plaine But Zerbin had the worse Marfisa wan As better horst and stronger of the twaine Who seeing Zerbin downe she then began To talke with him and iest with him againe Behold quoth she I here to you present This louely damsell for your more content 86 Now see you keepe your promise and your troth To this faire dame to be a champion trew And do not breake the bands of sacred oth And so quoth she for now I bid adew Zerbin was mou'd with shame and anger both Shame for his foile a thing most strange and new And wrath for her whom he thereby did gaine Which he might deeme the greater losse of twaine 87 Then of his mistresse new he doth enquire What knight it was that did him ouerthrow She willingly did graunt him his desire Supposing to his griefe might greater grow It was a Ladie in a knights attire Marfisa hight quoth she that layd you low The which strange news I thinke not much did lacke To make his armor blush vpon his backe 88 Vpon his horse in anger great he gets And curst himselfe he had not sit more sure He bites his lips and inwardly he frets And she in him more anger to procure With byting words his discontentment whets Yet he doth for his oth sake all endure Like tired horse he quiet all abides That hath the bit in mouth and spurs in sides 89 At last into this bitter plaint he burst On thee ô fortune well I may complaine And call my selfe vnhappie and accurst That dost at once two plagues for me ordaine Two plagues that of all plagues I count the worst As first this foile my former fame to staine And hauing lost a Ladie of rare features To haue this mistresse fowlest of all creatures 90 She whose surpassing beautie well deserued All worldly blisse whose match was neuer found She from misfortune could not be preserued But that by cruell stormes she must be dround And this who if she had bene rightly serued Ought longer this haue fed worms vnder ground Thou hast these many yeares and still dost saue That I by her at last this plague might haue 91 By these and such like words as Zerbin spake That aged woman giues a sured guesse That this was he to whom and for whose sake Faire Isabell kept erst in great distresse There where Orlando did from theeues her take Was wont so great affection to professe And to describe his parts and shape so trew As eu'rie one might know him at a vew 92 And now that by his words she plainely found That this was Zerbin and that he beleeued Faire Isabella was in tempest dround With which conceit she saw he sore was greeued She that did know her to be safe and sound Yet meaning not his griefe should be releeued She telleth onely that that would disease him And doth conceale that which she thought would please him 93 You sir quoth she that me so greatly scorne If you but knew what tydings I could tell Other whom you lament as dead and lorne You would both speake me faire and vse me well But first I will with horses wild be torne And suffer all the paines of earth and hell Before that I will condescend to show it Or then by me you euer come to know it 94 Looke how a gentle grewnd that doth assaile And flies vpon a stranger at the furst Will on the lodaine faune and wag his taile If â—o of bread one profer him a crust So Zerbin that before on her did raile And bitterly vnto her face her curst Now he inteates her and doth pray and flatter To giue him farther notice of the matter 95 At last with long intreatie she replies And faith faire Isabella is not ded But so she liues that sure she death enuies And neuer hope to haue her maidenhed For I haue seene quoth she with these mine eyes How twentie lawlesse men her captiue led And eu'rie one might haue her at their pleasure As hauing libertie and lust and leasure 96 Ah wicked hagge thou know'st it is a lie And yet behold how thou canst paint it out Thou know'st that none of them with her did lie Thou know'st Orlando thence did fetch her out And made the malefactors all to die That of her danger now there was now doubt But now alas this lying storie bred A thousand iealousies in Zerbines hed 97 He askt herwhere and when his loue she saw He speakes her oftentimes both soule and faire But not a word more could he from her draw Neither by threatning words nor yet by prayre He feeles a corzie cold his heart to gnaw His little hope was turnd to great dispaire And thus this old ilfauord spitefull Callet Gaue good Zerbino such a choking fallet 98 What patience thus prouoked could haue borne At such a womans hands so vile a spite And saue he was vnto her seruice sworne No doubt he would haue done her then her right Thus she of mallice full and be of scorne Went on their way vntill they met a knight But what became hereof if you will know The booke ensuing shall the sequell show In the tale of Phalanto and his companie women may note the notable inconstancie of young mens dishonest loues how sweet and pleasant so ever they be at the first In Pynabello and his wife that scorned Gabrinas olde age and deformitie we may obserue the soule sinne and the iust punishment of pride and contempt of others In the good Zerbino that for his promise sake suffers himselfe to be so notoriously abused of a spitefull malicious old wretch we may marke a notable example of a man true and faithfull of his word In the beginning of this booke he reciteth the names of foure women famous two for warre two for learning and indeed there haue bene many more excellent in either kind as Thomeris that killed Cyrus Zenobea Hipsicratea wife to Mythridates Debora the Hebrew whom the Scripture commendeth Valesca queene of Boemia Thenca queene of Slauonia Amalasunta queene of the Gothes All these are famous for their wise government And for learning diuers women haue greatly excelleds as Eriana Aspasia Cleobulyna Theana Leontio Manto Hicostrata Carmenta the Sibils Sulpicia But for a persite patterne of excellency in both kinds both in gouerning the common wealth most wisely peaceably prosperously and skill in all kind of learning and languages Greeke Latine French Italian and Spanish I may say it truly and without flatterie that our gracious soueraigne is to be preferred before any of them yea
At last he guest it was enchaunted ground And as by Logestilla he was tought He tooke his booke and searcheth in the table How to dissolue the place he might be able 15 And straight in th'index for it he doth looke Of pallaces fram'd by such strange illusion Among the rest of this so saith the booke That it should neuer come vnto confusion Vntill a certaine stone away were tooke In which a sprite was kept by strange inclusion And if he did but lift the threshold stone The goodly house would vanish and be gone 16 The Duke not doubting now of good successe Go'th to the threshold where the stone was laid And which it was he presently doth guesse And then by force to moue it he aslaid But Atlant that expected nothing lesse And sees his bold attempt was sore affraid And straight an hundred meanes he doth deuise To hinder him from this bold enterprise 17 He makes the Duke by this his diuellish skill To seeme of diuers shapes vnto the rest To one a darse of face and faucurill To one a gyant to a third a beast And all their hearts with hatred he doth fill He thinkes by them the Duke should be distrest By seeming vnto eu'rie one the same For which each one into the pallace came 18 Behold Rogero stout and Brandimart Prasildo Bradamant and others moe Vpon Astolfo set with cruell hart As to reuenge themselues vpon their foe But with his horne the Duke then plaid his part And brought their loftie stomackes somwhat low But had not th'horne procur'd him this exemption No doubt the Duke had dyde without redemption 19 For when they heard the strange and fearfull blast They forced were for feare away to runne As fearefull Pigeons flie away agast When men do ring a bell or shoot a gunne The Sorcerer himselfe was not the last That sought by flight the fearfull noise to shunne Yea such it was that neither rat nor mouse Durst tarrie in the circuit of the house 20 Among the horses that did breake their bands Was Rabican of whom before I told Who by good hap came to Astolfos hands Who was full glad when of him he had hold Also Rogeros Griffith horse there stands Fast tyed in a chaine of beaten gold The Duke as by his booke he had bene tought Destroyed quite the house by magike wrought 21 I do not doubt but you can call to minde How good Rogero lost this stately beast What time Angelica his eyes did blinde Denying most vnkindly his request The horse that sored swifter then the winde Went backe to Atlant whom he loued best By whom he had bene of a young one bred And diligently taught and costly fed 22 This English Duke was glad of such a pray As one that was to trauell greatly bent And in the world was not a better way For him to serue his purpose and intent Wherefore he meaneth not to let him stray But takes him as a thing from heau'n him sent For long ere this he had of him such proofe As well he knew what was for his behoofe 23 Now being full resolu'd to take in hand To trauell round about the world so wide And visite many a sea and many a land As none had done nor euer should beside One onely care his purpose did withstand Which causd him yet a little time to bide He doth bethink him oft yet doth not know On whom his Rabicano to bestow 24 He would be loth that such a stately steed Should by a peasant be possest or found And though of him he stood then in no need Yet had he care to haue him safe and sound In hands of such as would him keepe and feed While thus he thought and lookt about him round Next day a while before the Sunne was set A champion all in armes vowares he met 25 But first I meane to tell you what became Of good Rogero and his Bradamant Who when againe vnto themselues they came The pallace quite destroyd of old Atlant Each knew and cald the other by their name And of all courtesies they were not scant Lamenting much that this inchanted pallace Had hinderd them so long such ioy and sollace 26 The noble maid to shew her selfe as kind As might become a virgin wise and sage Doth in plaine termes as plaine declare her mind As thus that she his loues heare will asswage And vnto him her selfe in wedlocke bind And spend with him all her ensuing age If to be christned first he were content And afterwards to aske her friends consent 27 But he that would not onely not refuse To change his life for his beloueds sake But also if the choise were his to chuse To leese his life and all the world forsake Did answer thus my deare what ere ensues I will performe what ere I vndertake To be baptizd in water or in fire I will consent if it be your desire 28 This said he goes from thence with full intent To take vpon him christend state of life Which done he most sincerely after ment To aske her of her father for a wife Vnto an Abbey straight their course they bent As in those dayes were in those places rise Where men deuout did liue with great frugalitie And yet for strangers kept good hospitalitie 29 But ere they came to that religious place They met a damsell full of beauty cheare That had with teares bedewed all her face Yet in those teares great beautie did appeare Rogero that had euer speciall grace In courteous acts and â—peech when she came neare Doth aske other what dangers or what feares Did moue her so to make her shed such teares 30 She thus replies the cause of this my griefe Is not for feare or danger of mine owne But for good will and for compassion chiefe Of one yong knight whose name is yet vnknowne Who if he haue not great and quicke reliefe Is iudgd into the fier to be throwne So great a fault they say he hath committed That doubt it is it will not be remitted 31 The fault was this there was good will betweene Him and the daughter of the King of Spaine And left his loue should be descride and seene He finely doth himselfe a woman saine And went and spake as if he had so beene And thus he plaid to tell the matter plaine The maid in shew the man in deed so well That in a while he made her belly swell 32 But out alas what can so secret be But out it will when we do least suspect For posts haue eares and walls haue eyes to see Dumbe beast and birds haue tongues ill to detect First one had found it out then two or three And looke how fire doth creepe that men neglect So this report from mouth to mouth did spring Till at the last it came vnto the king 33 The King straight sends a trustie seruant thether Who making search when they two were in
are often ouermastered with loue The speech of Isabella to Zerbino wishing to die at the same instant with him alludes to the wish of good Baweis and Philemon Quomam concordes egimus annos Auferat hor a duos eadem nec coniugis vnquam Busta meae videam nee sim tumulandus ab illa Here end the notes of the xxiiij booke THE XXV BOOKE THE ARGVMENT Rogero saueth to his fame and glorie His spouses brother that had else bene ded Who doth recount to him the wofull storie That so great danger vnto him had bred His cousin cheares them though himselfe were sorie Next morne they arme them all from foote to hed Good Malagige and Vivian to releeue Whose thraldome did their kinsmen greatly greeue 1 THe strife is great that grows in youthfull minde When honor falls at variance with affection Nor could it yet be known or well definde Which passion keeps the tother in subiection For both allure both do our iudgements blinde And both corrupt the heart with strong infection Yet lo sometimes these hurts procure our weale Eu'n as one poyson doth another heale 2 For here you see these princes that of late Straue fiercely tone the tother to subdew Agreed to respit this their sharpe debate And to repaire vnto the Turkish crew To succour Agramants distressed state To whom thâ—y ought in dutie to be trew And vet herein loue claimeth halfe the praise For she commanded them to go their wayes 3 And on they went without more disagreeing Faire Doralice with these her seruants twaine The tone in suit one in possession being And yet as then in concord they remaine At last they came vnto a place where seeing Foure knights themselues did solace on a plaine Or which two were vnarmd two armour bare With them a Ladie was of beautie rare 4 With these a while they staid but who these weare And what they did and whither then they went A little while to tell I do forbeare For to Rogero now my tale is ment Who would no more the shield enchanted beare But in the well did drowne it with intent That men might know his valiant deeds of armes Were done by force of vertue not of charmes 5 He scant had gone a mile or little more From this same well but that he met a post From Agramant of which there went good store The Captaines to recall vnto the host He told him how the king besieged sore And like if succour come not to be lost Commanded him as his true Lord and leege To come without delay to raise the seege 6 Much was Rogero with the message moued And diuers passions straue within his minde He faine would haue his Princes seege remoued Yet loth he was to leaue his loue behinde But be his doing praised or reproued He was so to the present cause enclinde First with his guide he goes to stay the slaughter Of him that had deflowrd Marsilios daughter 7 They came vnto the place an houre er night Where this same execution should be done A castle that belongd to Charles of right But late the Spanish king the same had wonne And kept it in the mids of France by might By count'nance of the great Trainos sonne Rogero commeth in and none denyde him Because they knew the damsell that did guide him 8 There first he saw prepard a flaming fire In which they meant to burne the wofull youth He thought so small a sinne did not require Such punishment no more it doth in truth But when he markt his face and his attire And heard and saw the manner of his ruth Now sure I know quoth he I am not I Or this is Bradamant that here should die 9 T is certaine she I see which way it went Belike while I at yonder castle staid She hither came afore me with intent To bring vnto the prisner here some aid For which poore soule her self should now be shent Yet I am glad and very well apaid That I am hither come in so good season To saue her that should die against all reason 10 And euen with that most furiously he files With naked sword vpon the gazing rout Who ouer standeth in his way he dies With so great force he hurles his blade about Then straight the prisners fetters he vnties Nor was there one so hardie or so stout That once durst make resistance or forbid it No not so much as aske him why he did it 11 As fearfull fowle that in the sunshine bright Sit pruning of themselues vpon a banke When as a Faulcon doth among them light Flie without care of order or of ranke So when these caitiues saw this noble Knight Forthwith they from his manly presence shranke So did their fearfull hearts and courage faile them When as they felt Rogero once assaile them 12 No maruell tho for why Rogeros force Was not as mens that now borne later are The strength of Lion Beare or bull or horse Were nothing if with his they do compare And chiefe sith now he doth himselfe inforce To do as much as he or can or dare Hereby from danger thinking to recouer Her vnto whom he was professed louer 13 Now when the youth from danger quite was freed And all that sought his death away were fled He thanks the author of this worthy deed And thanketh her that had him thither led Then when of helpe he stood in greatest need When otherwise he doubtlesse had bin dead And executed like a malefactor Agnizing him his Lord and benefactor 14 And furthermore he doth Rogero pray To let him vnderstand his name and nation Rogero musing to himselfe doth say What meaneth this so strange congratulation In face in shape in gesture in array This is my loue I see no alteration Yet strange it is her voice should be so changed More strange that she from me is so estranged 15 It doubtlesse is not she for if it were Could she within three houres my name forget Wherefore to tell his name he doth forbeare Vntill he may more perfect notice get And thus he said I haue I know not where Seene you ere this and I bethinke me yet Where it might be for sure I know your face Though now I haue forgot the time and place 16 Most noble sir said tother I agree You may haue seene me though I know not when I rather iudge it should my sister be That fights and carries armes as well as men My mother at one birth bare her and me And we be both so like that now and then Our seruants yea our father and our mother Haue tane vs in exchange the tone for tother 17 Chiefly since in her head she had a wound For which she was constraind to cut her haire T were long the circumstances to expound How she was hurt and heald by whom and where Since that betweene vs diffrence none is found Saue sex and names that from our birth we beare She
them 78 Eu'n as the painfull husbandman doth thinke By care to keepe the riuer in his bounds That swels with raine readie to passe the brinke And ouerflow his mowd or sowed grounds He strengthens eu'ry place that seems to shrinke Yet more and more the water still abounds And while he stops one vent another groweth Till ouer all perforce at last it floweth 79 So when the dame of whom I last made mention Saw how Rogero stout and Mandricard With Rodomont continude in contention And each would seeme for tother two too hard She willing to compound this sharpe dissention Perswades them but they little it regard For still as one at her request forbeares The other two are at it by the eares 80 When as she saw their furie still increase Let either vs quoth she our Prince assist And in the meane time let all quarrels cease Or if you in this fury still persist Then I with Mandricard will haue no peace Do herein quoth Rogero as you list For I resolued am to haue my horse Although it be by faire meanes or by force 81 Then do said Rodomont your worst and best For with that horse to part I not agree But here before you all I do protest That if our King by this stay damag'd be And that for want of ayd he be distrest The cause thereof did not proceed of me Rogero little weyes his protestation But firmly holds his first determination 82 And at the Sarzan furiously he flies And with his shoulder gaue him such a thrust He lost his stirrops and so loosd his thies That hard he scaped lying in the dust What hold Rogero Mandricardo cries Either not fight or fight with me you must And in great rage as that same word he spake Rogeros beauer with great might he strake 83 The blow was such as made him forward leane And ere that he himselfe againe could reare Vpon him smote the sonne of Vlyen With so great strength as no strength might it beare That had his armor bene of temper meane No doubt they had an end made of him there Rogeros hands flie ope with senslesse paine The tone his sword the tother leaues his raine 84 His horse away beares him about the greene And Balisard his blade is left behind Marfisa that had to Rogero beene Fellow in armes that day was grieu'd in mind To see him vsd so hardly them betweene And being strong of limbes and stout by kind She smiteth Mandricardo on the crowne So hard as wants not much to fell him downe 85 After Rogero Rodomont doth get him And now Frontino had welnigh bin wonne But by the way stout Richardetto met him And with him ioynd his cousin Bouos sonne Tone iustles him and furder off doth set him The tother namely Vinian doth runne Vnto Rogero that by this was waked And lends his sword vnto his right hand naked 86 Now backe he doth returne enrag'd with scorne Minding to pay his damage home againe Eu'n as a Lion whom the Bull hath borne Vpon his head is full of fierce disdaine Flies at him still nor feares his cruell horne His anger making him forget his paine And on his beauer with such force he thundered As though he weld his head in twain haue sundered 87 And sure he had performd it very neare If Balisarda had bene in his hand Which he let fall as you before did heare Now when as Discord saw how things did stand She thinks no peace can possibly be here And taking Pride her sister by the hand Now sister let vs turne vs to our Friers For here quoth she are raisd sufficient fiers 88 And so away they went and let them go And let me tell you how Rogero sped Who gaue to Rodomont so fierce a blow That such a great amazement in him bred That twise or thrise he reeled to and fro Frontino with his senslesse master fled Also his sword had falne out of his fist But that a chaine did tie it to his wrist 89 This while Marfisa held the tother racke And yet on either side the conquest swayd Each had so good an armor on their backe Of piercing it they need not be afrayd Yet by a chance Marfisa hapt to lacke And likewise hapt to haue Rogeros ayd For in a turne she made her horse did trip And in the durt vpon one side did slip 90 And as againe he labourd vp to rise The cruell Tattar iustled him so crosse That on his side the horse constrained lies Foundring againe vpon the slimie mosâ—e Which when Rogero from aloofe espies How neare she was to danger great and losse He steps to Mandricard fiercely assailing him While Rodomont stands mazd his senses failing him 91 The Tartar doth as fiercely him resist But yet Rogero strake so great a blow Both to auenge himselfe and her assist Whom Mandricardo hapt to ouerthrow That sure I thinke that blow had little mist Quite to haue clou'n him to the saddle bow Saue that the Tartars armor was so hard And that Rogero wanted Balisard 92 By this the Sarzan king againe did wake And seeing none but Richardetto neare He cals to minde how for Rogeros sake That youth to him was troublesome while eare Straight with great rage he toward him doth make Minding to make him buy that curtsie deare And sure good Richardetto had repented it But that his cosin with great art preuented it 93 His cofin Malagige whose skill was great In all that doth to magicke art pertaine With words that he without booke could repeat Did coniure vp a spryte of hellish traine And by this meanes he works a passing feat For though he namd no place he doth ordaine This sprite in Doralices horse to enter And beare her thence away at all aduenter 94 The sprite thus coniurd quickly doth his part Into the damsels gentle nag he crept And so his quiet nature did peruart That one the sudden thirtie foot he lept And ten foot high yet with so easie start That Doralicee still the sadle kept Yet cride she out in doubt to haue miscarried For in the diuels name she thence was carried 95 Forthwith to helpe her Rodomonte go'th Because she fled and cride to him for aid To stay behind the Tartar is as loth For feare betweene them he may be betraid He leaues Rogero and Marfisa both Nor in the place so little time he staid As to accord with them vpon some truce Or make at least some mannerly excuse 96 This while Marfisa was got vp againe And now she means to venge her on her so But he was gone at which in great disdaine She frets and chases that he had seru'd her so Rogero chases as much for all in vaine He knew it would be after them to go They know their steeds and this doth grieue them more Cannot out run Frontin Brighadore 97 Wherefore supposing as it was indeed That they were gone vnto the Turkish host To follow
he are a while my storie now shall cease Lest my mishap or punishment be such As was this Priests for talking ouermuch In Iocundo and Astolfo both may be noted the vanitie of beautie in men and how weake a protection it is against the blow that neuer smarteth as some haue termed it â—urder in Iocundos wife that after all the great protestations of kindnesse was taken in bed with his man we may note the fraud as well as frailtie of some of that sexe In Fiametta that lying between a king and a knight tooke vp a Tapster into her bed I cannot tell what to note but that which Ouid faith Non caret effectu quod voluere duo Nought can restraine consent of twaine In the Queene of Lombardie that bestowed her loue so basely we may see that no state nor degree is priuiledged from shame and slander except vertue and grace from aboue do keepe them from such enormous offences Further we may see it is a verie desper at enterprise to thinke by any restraint to keepe an vnchast woman from putting in practise her lewd desires Lastly the defence of women by the graue wise man too truly proueth that though many women are bad yet many men are worse and therfore if euery one would mend one as the Prouerbe saith al shal be mended And as for Rodomonts new loue it shews that no passioÌ„ grows so strong by accident to remoue take away a natural disposition Historie nor Allegorie not scant any thing that is good can be picked out of this bad booke but for Allusions they come in my mind so plentifully as I can scant tell how to make an end when I am once entred into them Onely I will touch one or two so fill vp this page withall that allude to that point of Iocundos patience in leauing the adulterer vnpunished and his wife reproued taking her in so shamefull an act As I haue heard of one of honest calling But namelesse he for blamelesse he must be that finding one in bed with his wife and seeing euidently that she had plaid false at tables and borne a man to many drew out his dagger resolutely and sware a great oth that if he had not bin his verie frend he would at least haue killed him and when he had done he put vp his dagger againe and went about some other business Another hearing one was newly gone out of his house that had done that for him which no bodie desires to do by a deputie tooke his sword and his buckler and followed in a great rage and hauing ouertaken him laid adultery to his charge the man so hotly pursude and so hardly charged confessed it was true with which the tother being fully satisfied as it seemed with his honest confession left him swearing if he had denied it he would not so haue put it vp Here end the notes of the xxviij booke THE XXIX BOOKE THE ARGVMENT Faire Isabell to loose her head is glad To saue her chastitie from Pagans might To pacifie her ghost the Pagan sad Doth make a bridge at which fals many a knight Orlando commeth thither being mad And in the water both together light From thence the madman onward still proceeds And by the way doth strange and monstrous deeds 1 OH thoughts of men vnconstant and vnstable As subiect vnto chaunge as Westerne wind In al designments fond and variable But chiefly those that loue breeds in the mind Lo he that late deuild all he was able To slander and deface all women kinde Yet now with them whom he so fore reuild Eu'n on the sudden he is reconcild 2 Indeed most noble Dames I am so wroth With this vile Turke for this his wicked sin For speaking so great slander and vntroth Of that sweet sex whose grace I faine would win That till such time he shall confesse the troth And what a dammed error he was in I shall him make be so in conscience stoung As he shall teare his flesh and bite his toung 3 But with what folly he was then possessed The sequell of the matter plaine doth show For he that yesterday himselfe professed To all the kind a sworne and open foe Now to this stranger one in state distressed Whose birth whose kin whose name he doth not know With one small glance sober cast of â—y Was so enthralld he woos her by and by 4 And as new fancie doth his heart inflame So to new speach it doth his tongue direct A new discourse new reasons he doth frame With great perswasions but to small effect For still the godly Frire refutes the same Exhorting her such speeches to neglect And fast to hold her purpose good and holly Of seruing God and leauing worldly folly 5 He faith the way of death is large and spacious But that to life is straight and full of paine But Rodomont that saw him so audacious In spite of him this doctrine to maintaine Steps to him and with hand and tongue vngracious First bids him get him to his cell againe Then his long beard growne on his aged chin All at one pull he pilleth from the skin 6 And so farre foorth his wrath and furie grew He wrings his necke as pincers wring a naile And twise or thrise about his head him threw As husband men that thresh do tosse a flaile Reports most diuers afterwards ensew But which be true and which of truth do faile Is hard to say some say he was so battered That all his limbs about a rocke were scattered 7 Some say that to the sea he hurled him Though diuerse furlongs distant from the place And that he dide because he could not swim Some others tell some saint did him that grace To saue his life and heale each broken lim And to the shore did bring him in short space The likelyhood hereof who list may way For now of him I haue no more to say 8 Thus cruell Rodomont that had remoued The babling Frire that did him so much spight The fearfull damsels loue to win he proued By all kind words and gestures that he might He cals her his deare heart his sole beloued His ioyfull comfort and his sweet delight His mistresse and his goddesse and such names As louing knights apply to louely dames 9 Her reasons he doth curteously confute Loue soone had made him such a learned clarke In phrases mannerly he moues his sute And still his sute was leueld at one marke And though he might by force haue pluckt the frute Yet for that time he doth but kisse the barke He thinkes it will more sweet and pleasing make it If she do giue him leaue before he take it 10 Wherefore a while he is content to pawse In hope by time to win her loue and grace She deems her selfe like mouse in cats sharpe clawes In strangers hands and in as strange a place She sees he feard not Gods nor humane lawes Nor had
pitch The poore beasts brused members to annoynt Though he might see with this fall he had mard her Yet faine he would she should haue borne him farder 67 At last on his owne shoulder her he laid And bare her so about an arrow shoot But feeling then that she too heauie waid He leadeth her and lets her go on foot She limping follows him and still he said Come on come on but little did it bâ—â—t At last to make her her flow pace to alter About his right leg he doth her halter 68 And tels her now with ease she follow may And so to harry her he doth begin The sharpe stones lying in the rugged way Fret of her haire and afterward the skin The beast misused thus liues searse a day Orlando hath her tyde vnto his shinne He sees not nor he knows not she is ded But on he draws her as his furie led 69 And sure he would haue seru'd her such a tuch I meane his mistres if he could haue caught her Had not the vertue of that ring beene such As how to walke inuisible it taught her Ah curled be that ring and curst as much Be he that so vnluckily it brought her Else sure Orlando had reuenged then Her often wrongs to him and other men 70 Yet why wish I this curse on her alone I would the like might hap to all the kinde For in a thousand good there is not one All be so proud vnthankfull and vnkinde With flintie hearts carelesse of others mone In their owne lusts carrid most headlong blinde But more herein to speake I am forbidden Some time for saying truth one may be chidden In the death of Isabella is a not able example of chastitie which I must confesse I haue indeuoured to set foorth to the vttermost of my poore skill of a speciall loue and reuerence I bare to the name hauing had an Isabell to my mother and such an Isabell as if nature did not make me to partiall a praiser I would boldly affirme both for the honorable place she liued in and for the vertuous sort she dyed in to be worthie to whom the prophecie in the 31. staffe of this 29. booke may be worthily applyed As a better pen then mine approued by this made Epitaph and intiled in this sort A true report of mistres Isabell Harington sometime of her Maiesties-priute chamber written by a credible person that was well acquainted with her conditions A body chast a vertuous mind a temperat tongue an humble hart Secret and wise faithfull and kind true without guile milde without art A frend to peace a foe to strife a spotlesse maid a matchlesse wife And thus much for the name of Isabella In Rodomont we may see effects of incoustancie sensualitie and drunkennes all which end for the most part in fruitles repentance Whereas this fact of Isabella is preferred before that of Lucretia who killed herselfe after she was destoured I thinke that no man can instly make any comparison betweene them for the storie I will not stand long vpon to recite it being so well knowne but refer the studious reader either to Liuie who writes it in prose very faithfully or to Ouid de Fallis where it is also recorded verie Poetically and passionatly Quidfaciat pugneâ— vincetur foemina pugnans Clamet at in dextra qui vetet ensis erat Aufigiat positis vrgentur pectora palmis Tum primum externa pectora tacta manu Some perhaps will picke a prettie Allegorie in the confection that Isablla made and in deed it is a prettie receit if it be well marked It is in the 15. staffe an herbe which she named not suppose it to be trettifollie or prettifolly mingled with elder berries and rew which may signifie sage counsel and repentance and strained between harmles hands which betokens innocencie boyled on a fire of Cypres which the ancient Romanes vsed at funerals and therefore may be taken either for death or persecution or martyrdome this confection vsed in due order will be a good Antidoroner medicine against fire and sword vnder which is signified all the perils and aduersities of the world The death of Isabella alludeth or in deed is meerly taken from the like example of one Brasilla of Durazzo that in the selfe same sort deceiued a souldier and was killed her selfe as Fornarius no eth at large Here end the notes of the xxix booke THE XXX BOOKE THE ARGVMENT Strange feats by mad Orlando are atchieued Fierce Mandricard is by Rogero slaine Himselfe so hurt that all the campe belieued He had bin dead the formost of the twaine His loue with his long absence sore is grieued To breake his word his wounds do him constraine Renaldo with his kinsfolke and his frends To set his Prince at libertie intends 1 WHen men with wrath and sodaine pangs of ire Permit themselues to be orewhelmd drownd And hot reueÌ„ge that burns like flaming fire Moues hearts to hurt or tongs or hadÌ„s to wound Though after to amend it they desire Yet place of pardon seldome can be found Ah worthy Ladies I do you beseech To pardon that my former foolish speech 2 For I am growne like a diseased man That when he finds by phisicke no reliefe And now no more with patience suffer can The burning torture of his lingring griefe Doth fall to raue and rage and curse and bau Blaspheming God renouncing his beliefe But when that fit is past then would he faine But ah he cannot call it backe againe 3 Yet Ladies of your clemencie I hope I pittie shall not onely pardon finde Although I somewhat swarue from reasons scope And rash words flow from vnaduised minde She onely beare the blame that slayes my hope And for true seruice shews her selfe vnkinde That I did speake was partly of compassion With simpathy mou'd of Orlandos passion 4 Who as I partly did before declare In monstrous sort suruayd Marsilios raigne And wrought great wo great danger and great care To all the then inhabitants of Spaine I told you how he drew the silly Mare Tide to his leg till she was dead with paine And how he had so small sence in his head He drew her after him when she was dead 5 But comming to a great deepe running water He was constraind to let her there abide And for he swimmes as perfect as an Atter He quickly passed to the tother side Where then a herdman came his beasts to water And on a curtall he himselfe did ride And though he saw the madman and did view him Yet being naked he would not elchew him 6 The madman prayeth him that he would spare His horâ—e that they two might together cope I left quoth he on tother â—â—de my Mare And fast about her necke I left a rope I left her dead but yet with heed and care Of her recouerie there is good hope The herdman laugheth at his sencelesse words And
not appeared at the day appointed 81 Belike you thought I should haue met you neuer But now said he you here are met right well Assure your selfe I will pursue you euer Were you tane vp to heau'n or downe to hell No height nor depth should hinder mine endeuer I meane to finde you out where eare you dwell To shunne the fight with meit doth not boote Vntill you leaue your horse and go on foote 82 At this his speech were diuers standing by As Guidon Richarder and others more Who would haue slaine Gradasso by and by Had not Renaldo stepped them before And said in wrath what masters am not I Well able wreake my priuate wrongs therefore Then to the Pagan gently thus he spake And wisht him marke the answer he did make 83 Who euer faith that I did fight eschew Or â—hew defect of vallew any way I say and do auouch he faith vntrue And I will proue by combat what I say I came vnto the place to meete with you No â— cuses I did seeke not no delay And frankly here to you I offer fight But first I wish you were informed right 84 Then tooke he him aside and more at large He told what hapned him and how by art His cosin Malagige into a barge Conuayed him and forst him to depart In fine himselfe of blame quite to discharge He brought him out to witnes eu'rie part And then to proue that this was true indeed He offerd in the combat to proceed 85 Gradasso that both curteous was and stout Gaue eare vnto the tale Renaldo told And though it seemd he stood thereof in doubt Yet him in all his speech he not controld But in conclusion hauing heard it out He doth his former purpose firmely hold Which was by combat fierce to try and know If so he could Bayardo win or no. 86 The Palladine that passed not a point Of no mans force to meet him gaue his word The place in which to meet they did appoint Was neare a wood and by a pleasant foord There only added was a further point Which was that Duriudan Orlandos sword Should to Renaldo as of right accrew If he the Pagan ouercame or slew 87 Thus for the present time departed they Vntill the time approcht of pointed fight Although Renaldo frendly did him pray To rest him in his tent that day and night And offerd franke safe conduit for his stay So curteous was this same couragious knight Gradasso greatly praisd the noble offer But yet refusd the courtsie he did profer 88 The feare was great that secretly did lurke In all the minds of all Renaldos kin Who knew the strength and cunning of this Turke Was such as doubt it was which side should win Faine Malagigi by his art would worke To end this fray before it should begin Saue that he feard Renaldos vtter enmity In so base sort for working his indemnity 89 But though his frends did feare more then was meet Himselfe assurde himselfe of good successe Now at the pointed time and place they meet Both at one verie instant as I guesse And first they kindly do embrace and greet The tone the tother with all gentlenesse But how sweet words did turne to bitter blowes The next booke sauing one the sequell showes In the xxxi Canto I finde little worth any speciall noting but that which in the beginning of the booke is said against 〈◊〉 which is one of thethree incurable diseases noted in our old English Prouerbe From Heresie Phrenesie and Icalsousie good Lord deliuer me The rest of the booke hath no new matter but such as hath bin noted before and therfore I will end this little space with this short note Here end the Notes of the xxxj THE XXXII BOOKE THE ARGVMENT Good Bradamant Rogero long expecteth But heareth newes that touch her verie nie How he all other loues beside neglecteth To wed Marfisa thus the farne doth flie To Arly Bradamant her course directeth To kill Marfisa or her selfe to die Three kings and Vllany she doth subdew Those with her speare and this with passing hew 1 I Now remember how by promise bound Before this time I should haue made you know Vpon what cause faire Bradamant did ground The realouse humors ouer charg'd her so She neuer tooke before so fore a wound She neuer felt before such bitter wo No not the tale which Richardett told her In such a fit and so great pangs did hold her 2 To tell you first when I should haue begonne Renaldo call'd my tale another way No sooner with Renaldo had I done But straight with Guidon I was forst to stay From this to that thus vnawares I tonne That I forgot of Bradamant to say But now I meane to speake of her before I speake of those two champions any more 3 Yet needs I borrow must a word or twaine How Agramant to Arly d d retyre And gatherd there the few that did remaine Escaped from the furie of the fire Where not farre off from Affrica nor Spaine He plants as fit as he could we I desire For lying on a flood so neare the seas Both men and vitell were supplyde at ease 4 To muster men Marsilio had commission That may supply the place of them were lost Of ships of warre there was no small prouision Soone had he gatherd vp a mightie host There was no want of armour and munition Ther was no spare of labour nor of cost That with such taxes Affrica was sessed That all the Cities were full sore oppressed 5 And further Agramant that he might win Fierce Rodomont to aid him with his power Did offer him a match of his neare kin King Almonts daughter with a Realme in dower But he his profer weys not worth a pin But keepes the bridge and doth the passage scower That with his spoiles the place was welny filled Of those he had dismounted tane and killed 6 But faire Marfisa tooke another way For when she heard how long the siege had lasted How Agramant his campe at Arly lay How both his men were slaine and store was wasted She sought no cause of any more delay But thither straight without inuiting hasted Her purse and person offring in the fight In iust defending of his crowne and right 7 She brings Brunello and the king she gaue him Who had giu'n cause of very iust offence Ten dayes and ten she did of courtsie saue him To see who durst to stand in his defence But when y s no man made the meanes to haue him Though she to kill him had so good pretence She thought it base her noble hands to file Vpon an abiect dastard and a vile 8 She will deferre reuenge of all his wrong And vnto Arly brought him to the king Whose ioy to tell would aske a learned tongue Both for the aid and present she did bring For shew whereof before it should be long He offerd her to make Brunello wring And at what
as three nights But this I submit to the iudgement of learned Diuines The colour and embrodery of Bradamants bases in the 47. staffe betokening desperation is there shewed I need not long to stand vpon for as for those hidden misteries of colours with their applications of blue to constancie twanie forsaken white to virginitie and the rest they are very well knowne to all our gallant Gentlemen who often haue more cost in their clothes and wit in their colours then coyne in their coffers or learning in their heads Of the Island Queene that sent the shield of gold to France which Bradamant thought would but breed quarrels Fornarius noteth that mine Author did therein couertly allude to a matter betweene England and France for Ariosto liued in Henry the eight his time and maketh very honorable mention of him But thus it was After the death of Lewes of France Marie the younger sister of K. Henrie the eight remaining his Dowager our King sent for his sister to come into England but Francis the first loth she should go out of France in respect of the great dower she should carry with her which by the custome of that country was a third part of the reuenue of the Crowne and yet fearing to have warres with king Henrie made this offer that if he would send some braue man at armes that could win her in the field he should haue her our King made no dainties to accept the offer and making it knowne to his Court Sir Charles Brandon tooke the matter on him and in fine ouercomming foure French men with the franke consent of both Kings married the Queene Dowager and was here in England as we all know made Duke of Suffolk of whose offspring there remaine yet some most worthy branches but the like to him for armes and cauallary as we terme it is my noble good Lord the Lord Strange whose value and vertue need not this my barren and briefe testimonie The end of the annotations vpon the xxxij booke THE XXXIII BOOKE THE ARGVMENT Faire Bradamant sees grau'n by passing art The future wars of France vpon a screene Bayardos flight the combat fierce doth part Renaldo and the Serican beweene Astolso hauing past the greater part Of all the world and many countries seene Vnto Senapos kingdome last arriues And from his boord the foule Harpias driues 1 TYmagoras Parrhasius Polignote Timant Protogenes Apollodore With Zewces one for skill of special note Apelles eke plast all the rest before Whose skill in drawing all the world doth note And talke of still to writers thanks therefore Whose works and bodies time and death did wast Yet spite of time and death their fames doth last 2 With others that in these our later dayes Haue liu'd as Leonard and Iohn Belline And he that carues and drawes with equall praise Michell more then a man Angell diuine And Flores whom the Flemmings greatly praise And Raphael and Titian passing fine With diuers others that by due desart Do ment in this praise to haue a part 3 Yet all these cunning drawers with their skill Could not attaine by picture to expresse What strange euents should happen well or ill In future times no not so much as guesse This art is proper vnto Magike still Or to a Prophet or a Prophetesse By this rare art the Brittish Merlin painted Strange things with which our age hath bin acquainted 4 He made by Magike art that stately hall And by the selfe same art he could to be Strange histories ingraued on the wall Which as I said the guests desir'd to see Now when they were from supper risen all The pages lighted torches two or three Making the roome to shine as bright as day When to his guests the owner thus did say 5 I would quoth he my guests that you should know That these same stories that here painted are Of future warres the sequels sad do show That shall to Italie bring wo and care Whereas the French full many a bloodie blow Shall take while others they to harme prepare As Merlin here hath layd downe being sent From English Arthur chiefe for this intent 6 King Feramont that was the first that past The streame of Rhine with armie great of France And being in possession quiet plast Of all those parts sturd with so luckie chance Straight in ambitious thought began to cast His rule and scepter higher to aduance Which that he might to passe the better bring He made a league with Arthur English king 7 Informing him how that his meaning was Of Italie the rule and crowne to get And askt his ayd to bring the same to passe Which neuer had atchieued bin as yet Now Merlin that did all men far surpasse In Magike art his purpose sought to let For Merlin had with Arthur so great credit He thought all Gospell was if once he sed it 8 This Merlin then did first to Arthur show And then by Arthur was of purpose sent To Fieramont of France to let him know The cause why he misliked his intent As namely many mischiefs that would grow To all that now or that hereafter ment The like attempt aduising him abstaine From certaine trouble for vncertaine gaine 9 And that he might his courage more appall And quite remoue him from this enterprise He made by Magicke this so stately hall Adorned as you see in sumptuous wise And drew these histories vpon the wall That what he saw in mind they might with eyes And thereby know that in Italian ground The Flour de luce can near take root profound 10 And how as often as the French shall come As frends to aid and free them from distresse So oft they shall their foes all ouercome And fight with honor great and good successe But be they sure to haue that place their toome If so they come their freedome to oppresse Thus much the owner of the house them told And so went on the storie to vntold 11 Lo first how Sigisbert in hope of gaine And promises of Emperour Mauricius Doth passe the mountaines with a mightie traine With mind to Lombardie to be pernicious But Ewtar driues him backe by force againe When he of such attempt is least suspicious So that his enterprise is quite reuersed Himselfe doth flie and leaue his men dispersed 12 Next after him the proud Clodoueus went And had with him one hundred thousand men But him doth meet the Duke of Beneuent With searse for eu'rie hundred souldiers ten Who doth intrap him in an ambushment So as the French might well be lik'ned then While Lombard wines too greedily they tooke To fish beguiled with a baited hooke 13 Straight Childibertus with a mightie host Doth come with mind to wipe away this blot But of his gainings he may make small bost For of his purpose he preuailed not His enterprise by heau'nly sword is croft The plague doth grow among his men so hot What with the
desirous to know of whence they are Timagoras was a Calcydonian and was the first that is specially noted to haue compared his cunning with another of the same science and to haue had the glorie from him Parrhasius an Ephesian noted specially for his excellent shadowing and giuing good proportion to the countenance and in the outermost lines of the face which is a great point of that art Polygnotus I find no extraordinary thing to speake of onely I read that he vsed first to draw women in white garments and had a speciall grace in making the opening of the mouth Timant they praise his wit as much as his worke for making in a great table the picture of Iphigenia standing at the altar to be sacrificed and hauing drawne all the standers by very sad and with wofull countenances and specially her vnkle when he came to her father he made him with a scarce afore his face signifying thereby that his griefe was greater then could be seene in his countenance Protogenes was borne in Sycaunum a country subiect to the Rhodians he was noted for somewhat too much curiositie and tediousnesse a fault our countrimen be much noted of that they know not when their worke is well howbeit his worke was held in such price that Demetrius lying at the siege of Rhodes and hauing oportunitie offered him to haue fierd the towne on that side where a table of his drawing did hang he raised his siege rather then he would burne the table Appollodore was so excellent as Plinie writeth of him thus that he opened the doore of cunning in that art by which Zewces afterwards entred into it in the citie of Heraclia The story of the strife betweene Zewces and Parrhasius Zewces is well knowne I thinke to all but yet I will briefly set it downe Zewces to shew his workmanship brought a table wherein he had painted grapes so naturally that the birds came and peckt at them thinking them to be grapes indeede the other had drawne onely a curtaine such as they vse to haue before pictures to keepe them from the dust which curtaine looked so like a true curtaine that Zewces being proud of the iudgement of the birds bad him now to remoue his curtain to shew his picture but being quickly aware of his error with a kind of noble bashfulnesse granted the prise to his aduersarie confessing it was more to deceiue a workman then a bird Appelles borne at Coas was held in such reputation for his drawing that Alexander the great gaue commandement that none should make his picture but onely Appelles He began the image of Venus and died ere it was done leauing the imperfit worke so full of the perfection of his art that no man durst euer take vpon him to end it so as euen to this day if any begin a work in any kind with any felicitie and after leaue it vnfinisht they straight liken him to Appelles Now hauing spoken so much of all these famous men of old times it were an enuiouis part to say nothing of those of this age that haue bin famous and are named by mine author also wherefore I would touch one or two of them Leonard Vinci was a Florentine a goodly man of person and so excellent in the Idea or the conceiued forme of his worke that though he could finish but few workes yet those he did had great admiration Also there was Andrew Mantinea whom I forgot to put in by ouersight in his due place but I will make him amends here who being but of meane parentage and very poore yet his aptnesse to this kind being made knowne to the Marquis of Mantua and encouraged by his liberalitie the speciall nurse of all good arts grew most excellent in it and beside other rare workes that is seene and shewne of his in Rome and in Mantua he is said to be the first that deuised cutting in brasse which how curious a thing it is the pictures in this booke may partly testifie Gian Belline was a Venetian and was the more famous because Mahomet king of the Turkes was so farre in loue with a table of his drawing that he sent for him but the Venetians would not spare him mary they sent a brother of his a very good workman Now albert the Turkes are by their lawes forbidden images yet was this Prince so in loue with that picture I spake of that when the other drawer came to him he made him draw both his owne picture and the Turks and so after sent him backe againe both highly commended and rewarded Michael Agnolo we pronounce it Michel Angelo was the rare man of this age for drawing and caruing both attaining to the excellency of the art very yong and doing many notable works but three be most famous one was caruing of an Image of Pitie in Rome another was a Giant in Florence the third was a picture of certain naked men that went to wash themselues in Arno and hearing of a sudden alarme in the camp they made hast to put on their clothes in which picture were contained all the gestures lookes and motions that men could imagine would happen in such an accident his father sirnamed him Angelo in his cradle as a presage of some great excellencie aboue ordinary that he should grow to Raphael and Sebastian were but his schollers though both very perfect all which I haue the more willingly noted and at more length then I was wont in the former bookes in like matters so lightly touched both because my selfe I must confesse take great pleasure in such workes as pleasing ornaments of a house and good remembrances of our friends as also to shew in what great reckning that science hath bin with Emperors and great Princes and with Prelats and religious persons howsoeuer some austere or rather vnciuil persons will seeme either to condemne it or contemne it And though indeed this Realme hath not bred any Michel Angelos nor men of such rare perfection as may deserue his title Michel more then a man Angell diuine Yet I may say thus much without partialitie for the honor of my country as mine author hath done for the honour of his that we haue with vs at this day one that for limming which I take to be the very perfection of that art is comparable with any of any other countrey And for the praise that I told you of Parrhasius for taking the true lines of the face I thinke our countryman I meane M. Hilliard is inferiour to none that liues at this day as among other things of his doing my selfe haue seene him in white and black in foure lines only set downe the feature of the Queenes Maiesties countenance that it was euen thereby to be knowne and he is so perfect therein as I haue heard others tell that he can set it downe by the Idea he hath without any patterne which for
it hath beene receiued so long for a truth that Penelope was a chast and vertuous wife I will not take vpon me by S. Iohn to write the contrarie though mine authour make S. Iohn to cast a doubt of it Of the Allegorie I haue not much to say because mine authour himselfe expounds it so plainly onely I'pray you mark how rightly and with what decorum he likens Promotors and Parasites to vultures carren crowes and chattring pyes as likewise in the beginning of the 34 booke he likeneth them to Harpias The sustenance that should for food haue serued For widowes poore and orphanes innocent These filthie monsters do consume and wast it Olt at one meale before the owners tast it As if one would say the gifts and rewards that belong to old seruitours and well deseruing souldiers are catched at the volise by these rauenou birds and neuer come to the ground or if they do they make so false a bound that a man shall make a fault in offring at them and many times hazard both game and set for them Bradamant a woman ouercomming Rodomont a most terrible Turke alludes to the notable History of Iudith that cut off Holofernes head which story the Lord Du Bertas and rare French Poet continued into an excellent Poemâ— in French and the same is translated into a verie good and sweet English verse by one M. Thomas Hudson which worke I the rather mention because in the 6. booke of the vice of surfetting which I reproued afore in the Morall it is not ably described and with all sharply rebuked as followeth O plague O poyson to the warriour state Thou makst the noble hearts effeminate While Rome was rulde by Curioes and Fabrices Who fed on rootes and fought not for delices And when the onely Cresson was the food Most delicate to Persia then they stood c. Here end the annotations vpon the xxxv booke THE XXXVI BOOKE THE ARGVMENT Duke Ammons daughter with reuenge full hart Doth meet Marfisa minding her to kill Untill the battels ioynd on either part And so did sunder them against their will Bradamant and Rogero talke apart Marfisa gets of both great euill will By troubling them but when she knew her brother She reconciled is to tone and tother 1 T Is meete a gentle heart should euer show By curtesie the fruites of true gentilitie Which will by practise to an habite grow And make men do the same with great facilitie Likewise the dunghil blood a man shall know By churlish parts and acts of inciuilitie Whose nature apt to take each lewd infection Custome confirmes and makes ill in perfection 2 Of courteous acts old stories he that reeds In auncient times shall find there hath bene store But in our dayes of bloudy cruell deeds Is greater plentie then hath bene before For charitie brings forth but barren seeds And hatred still is sowd in so great store That when the fruits of both come to be reaped The tone is scarce the tother ouer heaped 3 What fierce Barbarian Tartar Moore or Turke Could vse more crueltie then now of late In Latin land Venetian force did worke Not by consent of the wise men of state But by the filthy nature that did lurke In wicked hirelings and a hidden hate I speake not of the damage and defaces They did by fire in all our pleasant places 4 Though that reuenge was foule and to to cruell And chiefe against Hippolito who late When Caesar sieged Padoa as they knew well And brought it to low ebbe and wofull state He both withdrew the matter all and fewell And quencht the fires kindled by deadly hate Preseruing many a Church and many a village By his rare clemencie from fire and pillage 5 Not those I meane nor many actions more That cannot be excused or defended But such an act as stones might weepe therefore As oft as it is talkt of or reinembred Then when my Lord his houshold sent before There where his foes were secretly assembled And left their vessels on the saltish land While in ambushment close they lay on land 6 As Hector and Aeneas did by fire Assault the Greekish fleet with hardie fight So saw I two whose hearts to fame aspire One Alexander tother Hercles hight Assault their foes and driue them to retire Vnto their trenches nay within them quite But one of them returned thence full hard The tother of returning cleane was bard 7 For Ferussine scapt Cantelmo stayd O Duke of Sore what sore griefe didst thou find To see thy noble sonne lo soule betrayd Among a thousand blades left there behind His naked necke on side of gally layd And chopped off now surely in my mind When that same bloudie stroke his necke smit off You felt like stroke eu'n with the fight thereof 8 Slauonian vile where didst thou learne to know Such lawes of warre within what Scuthian land Vse men to kill a prisner taken so That yeelds and hath no weapon in his hand Or was it such a grieuous sinne you trow The foes of his deare country to withstand Why hast thou Sunne so long on this age shinde That breeds of Atrews and Thiestes kinde 9 Barbarian vile that kild so sweet a youth To satisfie thy rancor and thy rage So rare a youth as to confesse the truth His match could not be found in this our age Whose beautie might haue bred sufficient ruth Fierce Poliphemus anger to asswage But not fierce thee more cruell and more fell Then any monsters that in deserts dwell 10 The valiant men did studie in time past With clemencie their honors to increase And hate no longer then the fight did last With victorie reuenge did euer cease So Bradamant of whom I told you last The prisners she had tane did still release And staid their horses when themselues were downe And sent them backe againe into the towne 11 And praid them but her challenge to deliuer Vnto Rogero and to call him out Who meant with speare in rest her answer giue her Vnto her challenge that she sent so stout Now when the other knights were all togither In presence of the kings they cast a doubt Who this should be and then they aske Ferraw That talkt with her and her bare visage saw 12 Sure said Ferraw it is not tone nor tother Of those on whom before your thoughts were set I tooke it first it was Renaldos brother Who is in yeares a very youth as yet But now I rather iudge it is another For so much force is not in ' Richardet I thinke it is his sister by her vsage Who I haue heard is like him much in visage 13 She hath ere this of value had great fame Renaldo and the Palladins among I must confesse I found it to my shame Her then her brothers to be farre more strong Rogero when he heard them her to name Was guiltie straight that he had done her wrong And blusht
concurrere virgo She that in compasse of buls hide c. That was Dido The storie is well knowne of Pigmalions crueltie in mardering Sycheus for hope of his money but Dido warned in a dreame by the gift of Sycheus tooke away all the gold and fled with diuers confederates to Lybia in Affrik and there bargained to buy as much ground as she could compasse with a buls hide which bargain being made she cut the hide into an infinit company of smal thongs and so built the famous city of Carthage within that coÌ„passe as Virgil noteth Mercatique locum facti de nomine Birsen Taurino quantum poterant circundare tergo Zenobia Queene of the Palmirens widow or as we call it dowager of Odenatus She rebelled against the Romaine Empire and fought many battels very prosperously but afterward by Aurelianus she was besieged in the citie of Palmira and in her flight from thence she was taken and brought to Rome in Triumph She that lnde and Assure frayd this was Symiramis wife of Nynus who was a notable warrier had not her vnbridled lust of the flesh stained the honour of her other vertues which as it became her owne destruction so it hath left a notable example to all other Princes of her sex to take heed and eschew the like infamie and specially though they be aboue all positiue lawes yet not to pollute the laws of nature In that it is said Marfisa and Bradamant put off their bases therewith to hide the priuities of the damsels it may thereby be vnderstood that the vertues of some excellent women are so great as not onely serue themselues to make them famous and most honorable but also extend themselues so farre as to serue to hide and couer the deformitie of others not so well apparelled with the garments of honor and so as it were with works of supererogation beautifie those that had defects of their owne Concerning the great praise mine author ascribeth to Madam Vittoria Whose learned pen such priuiledge can giue As it can cause those that are dead to liue And for that cause preferreth her before Porcia wife of Brutus and a diuers others that died voluntarie soone after their husbands it was because she wrote some verses in manner of an Epitaph vpon her husband after his decease In which kind that honorable Ladie widow of the late Lord Iohn Russell deserueth no lesse commendation hauing done as much for two husbands And whereas my author maketh so great bost onely of our learned woman in Italie I may compare besides one aboue all comparison that I haue noted in the twentith booke three or foure in England out of one family and namely the sisters of that learned Ladie as witnesse that verse written by the meanest of the foure to the Ladie Burlie which I doubt if Cambridge or Oxford can mend Si mihi quem cupio cures Mildreda remitti Tu bona tu melior tu mihi sola â—oror Sin malè ceslando retines trans mare mittis Tu mala tu peior ta mihi nulla soror Is si Cornubiam tibi pax sit omnia laeta Sin mare Ciciliae nuncio bella Vale. In the 14 staffe And if the great Macedon enuie bare Vnto Achilles for Meonian lyre c. This place M. Alexander Neuell imitated in his verses vpon Sir Philip Sidneys funerals with farre sharper conceit then mine author here vseth it For whereas the now King of Scotland had written among that pretie Epitaph of the foresand Knight Vidit vt extinctum nuper Citherea Philippum Fleuit hunc Martem credidit esse suum Abripuit digitis gemmas collóque monile Martriterum nunquam seu placitura foret Mortuus humana qui lusit imagine diuam Quid faceret iam sivideret ille rogo To this effect in English When Venus saw the noble Sidney dying She thought it her beloued Mars had beene And with the thought thereof she fell a crying And cast away her rings and carknet cleene He that in death a goddesse mockt and grieued What had he done trow you if he had liued The verse hath a fine conceipt and perhaps better then it showes for Now as I say M. Neuell praising Sir Philip Sidney in the like manner vseth the like application as mine author doth in this place preferring his fortunatenesse in this kinde before his whom Alexander enuieth for he saith as I remember Plectra canant alios cecinerunt sceptra Philippum Ista coronatis sunt carmina digna cothurnis Harps other praise a scepter his doth sing Of crowned Poet and of Laureat king Concerning the tale of Drusilla it is taken out of Plutarke and thought a true Story it is both in the Courtier of Castaglion and in Apuleius but somewhat amplified by mine author The end of the annotations vpon the 37. booke THE XXXVIII BOOKE THE ARGVMENT Marfisa doth present her selfe before King Charles and in his presence is baptized Astolfo doth Senapos sight restore By whom such hardie feats are enterprised That Agramant therewith molested sore Is by Sobrino finally aduised To make a challenge on Rogeros hed To end the troubles that the warre had bred 1 FAire Ladies you with gracious eare that heare My present storie now me seemes I see By this vnwóted changing of your cheare That with Rogero you offended be For thus againe departing from his deare And that you take the same as ill as she As though you thought and durst affirme it boldly That fire of loue in him did burne but coldly 2 And sure had he bin moued hereunto By any other cause then that I told No though thereby he had attained to Rich Crassus wealth or richer Cresus gold Yet would I thinke as now it seemes ye do Loues darts in him had tane but shallow hold For so sweet ioy as this was to be thought With gold nor siluer neuer could be bought 3 But when ones honour shall thereon depend Then should it merit not excuse but praise And chiefe when one so truly may pretend He cannot saue his honor otherwayes And that same woman that herselfe should bend To stop the same by prayre or by delayes Should giue iust cause to eu'rie one to guesse Her loue were little or her wit were lesse 4 For if a woman should of him she loues Esteeme the life and safetie as her owne I speake of such whose choice no change remoues And whose affections are not rashly growne Then sure much more in reason it behoues That of his honour should more care be showne By how much more it should in due account Both pleasures all and life it selfe surmount 5 In following of his Lord so faithfully Rogero did but eu'n as he was bound And if he should haue left him then thinke I He should haue done it but on slender ground What though Almonti made his father die On Agramant that fault could not redound Who had for all his ancestors offences
hast and feare extreame Had all from thence or burnd them in the port Which when Rogero once did vnderstand He went vnto Marsilia-ward by land 67 In Arly nor from Arly all the way He saw no liuing Turke but manie a corse He mindeth at Marsilia if he may To get a ship by faire meanes or by force That into Affrica shall straight conuay Him and Frontino his well tried horse But while such thoughts he in his mind contriued Great Dudon with his nauie there arriued 68 That Dudon whom king Agramant on seas Met to his cost when erst his men were slaine He fled his frends tane prisners and in theale Seauen kings that erst in Affrica did raigne A man as then might hardly cast a pease Into that streame or anie little graine The Nauie and the prises in such number Did so the riuer pester vp and cumber 69 But Dudon selfe was newly come on land And his chiefe prisners he had set on shore And as in way of triumph made them stand The chiefe behind the meaner set before With souldiers garded of his choisest band Who with their warlicke voices euermore Made that same towne and all the places round Of Dudons praise and Dudons name to sound 70 Rogero when he saw these bands appeare First thought it was the fleet of Agramant But when as he approched now more neare He saw how much his guesse of truth did want He sees his captiues frends with heauie cheare Bambyrage Agricalt and Ferurant Balastro Rimedont and Manilard And Nasamon that wayle their hap so hard 71 Rogeroâ—ould â—ould by no meanes it endure To see in miserie his noble frends He doubts his prayre no succour can procure And therefore he to trie his force intends His lance he presently doth put in vre With which not few vnto the ground he sends His sword he drawes and therewith in short space He doth an hundred hurt kill maime displace 72 Now Dudon heares the noise the harme doth see Done by Rogero yet to him vnknowne He sees his men displac't and foyled bee And by one onely man their hurt is growne He takes his horse and to that end that he May venge these harms or ioyne thereto his owne He setteth in his rest a mightie lance To proue himselfe a Palladine of France 73 He bids his men in order to retire That of the field they two may haue good scope Rogero that to rescue did desire His frends and now had put them in some hope And seeing vertuous Dudon did aspire In combat hand to hand with him to cope Did deeme he was the Captaine chiefe and guide And with great courage toward him did ride 74 First Dudon came but when he nearer came And saw Rogero had no speare in sight He cast away his owne as counting shame To vse aduantages in any fight Then saith Rogero to himselfe this same Is token of a most braue minded knight And sure except mine aime be much amisse One of the Palladines of France he is 75 Wherefore he minds ere any more ensew Or any force of either part were donne To learne his name and asking him he knew How that he was the Dane Vggeros sonne Now saith good Dudon let me know of you Your name before our combat be begonne Rogero in like sort him satisfied And so they both each other then defied 76 Now Dudon had that Axe or iron Mace Wherwith he wonne such fame in many fights As proued him to be of that same race Of Palladines so braue and worthie knights Rogero hath the sword that cuts apace And frustrateth all charms where ere it lights So that he had the vantage had he vsd it But for that time it seemed he refusd it 77 The cause was this he was aseard perchance It would offend his louing Bradamant For being skilfull in the lines of France He knew that Dudons mother washer Ant So though this conquest might his name aduance He doubts her loue it may not little daunt For Turpin thinks this was the onely reason That Dudon scaped killing at that season 78 Rogero neuer foynd and seldome strake But flâ—tling and his sword was so good steele The backe so thicke as it no hurt did take Yet ost therewith he made good Dudon feele Such thundring knocks at causd his head to ake And made him readie many times to reele But least much reading may annoy your eyes To lay this booke aside I you aduise In Agramant that from being so victorious fel into so great extremity Princes may consider the great mutability of Fortune or to speake more truly and Christianly they may see how God can ouerthrow them when in their own conceipts they are at the very highest In that their folly is dispraised that trust to others protection and stand not vpon their own strength the lamentable examples of many Princes that we haue heard of in this age and some that we haue seene may proue the truth of that principle nor doth it only hold in Princes affairs but eueÌ„ in the case of meaner subiects according as a good frend of mine perhaps vpon some good or peraduenture bad experience of his owne wrate many yeares since If you be wise this rule well minde Trust none for you to sue or pray Not frend most fast nor kin most kinde In that your selfe can do or say Further wheras Sobrino notwithstanding his age is chosen to be one of the three in the challenge offring himselfe therto we may note therby that old men are not only to be honored for their wisedomes but also imployed in seruice for their constant courage if themselues be willing therto and not to be contemned or scoffed a vice that our time is too much giuen vnto specially by young men that thinke they know all things and indeed know lesse then nothing It is a tale well â—â—â—â—ne and worthie to be well marked how one day the people of Athens being set in their theater to behold playes two olâ— men came in no man once offerd to giue theÌ„ place til they came where the Lacedemonian Ambassadors sate they straight rose and in reuerence of their gray heads not knowing the men they gaue them place which act when the people Comended with great applause the sorenamed Ambassadours gaue them that pretic tuch which hath euer since stucke by them That the Athenians knew what was honest and commendable but would giue others leaue to do it In the first staffe of this book he vseth three similitudes to this effect as we say in English to fling water into the Teams To beare pots as is said to Samos I le Where earthen vessels in great store are wrought Or Owles to Athens Crocodyles to Nile Of Samos vessels I will recite only that verse that was made of Agathocles Fama est sictilibus ornasse Agathoclea regem Atque abacum Samio saepe onerasse luto Fercula gemmatis cum poneret horrida vasis Et misceret
whistle becken crie it nought auailes Somtime to strike somtime to turne their sailes 11 But none there was could heare nor see nor marke Their eares so stopt so dazeld were their eyes With weather so tempestuous and so darke And black thick clouds that with the storme did rise Frō whence somtime great gastly flames did sparke And thunderclaps that seemd to rend the skies Which made them in a manner deafe and blind That no man vnderstood the Masters mind 12 Nor lesse nor much lesse fearfull is the sound The cruell tempest in the tackle makes Yet each one for himselfe some busnesse found And to some speciall office him betakes One this vntide another that hath bound He the Main bowling now restraines now slakes Some take an oare some at the pumpe take paine And powre the sea into the sea againe 13 Behold a horrible and hideous blast That Boreas from his frozen lips doth send Doth backward force the sayle against the mast And makes the waues vnto the skies ascend Then brake their oares and rudder eke at last Now nothing left from tempest to defend So that the ship was swaid now quite aside And to the waues laid ope her naked side 14 Then all aside the staggring ship did reele For one side quite beneath the water lay And on the tother side the verie keele Aboue the water plaine discerne you may Then thought they al hope past down they kneele And vnto God to take their soules they pray Worse danger grew then this when this was past By meanes the ship gan after leake so fast 15 The wind the waues to them no respite gaue But readie eu'rie houre to ouerthrow them Oft they wer hoist so high vpon the waue They thought the middle region was below them Oft times so low the same their vessell draue As though that Caron there his boat would show thé Scant had they time and powre to fetch their breath All things did threaten them so present death 16 Thus all that night they could haue no release But when the morning somewhat nearer drew And that by course the furious wind should cease A strange mishap the wind then fiercer grew And while their troubles more and more increase Behold a rocke stood plainly in their vew And right vpon the same the spitefull blast Bare them perforce which made them all agast 17 Yet did the master by all meanes assay To steare out roomer or to keepe aloofe Or at the least to strike sailes if they may As in such danger was for their behoofe But now the wind did beare so great a sway His enterprises had but little proofe At last with striuing yard and all was torne And part thereof into the sea was borne 18 Then each man saw all hope of safetie past No meanes there was the vessell to direct No helpe there was but all away are cast Wherefore their common safetie they neglect But out they get the ship-boat and in hast Each man therein his life striues to protect Of King nor Prince no man taks heed or note But well was he could get him in the bote 19 Among the rest Rogero doth suppose The safest way to be to leaue the ship And being in his dublet and his hose He nimbly downe into the boat did skip But after him so great a number goes Before they could the rope vnwind or slip The boat at length did sinke with ouerlading And to the bottome carry'd all her lading 20 T was lamentable then to heare the cries Of companies of eu'rie sort confused In vaine to heau'n they lift their hands and eyes And make late vowes as in such case is vsed For ouer them the wrathfull sea doth rise As though to giue them eare it had refused And made them hold their peace by hard constraint And stopt the passage whence came out the plaint 21 Some swamme a while some to the bottome sanke Some flote vpon the waue though being ded Rogero for the matter neuer shranke But still aboue the water keeps his hed And not farre off he sees that rockie banke From which in vaine he and his fellowes fled He thither laboureth to get with swimming In hope to get vpon the same by climing 22 With legges and armes he doth him so behaue That still he kept vpon the floods aloft He blowes out from his face the boistrous waue That readie was to ouerwhelme him oft This while the wind aloofe the vessell draue Which huld away with pase but slow and soft Fró those that while they thought their deth to shun Now dide perhaps before their glasse was run 23 O hopes of men vncertaine vaine and fraile The ship that all forsooke as quite forlorne When all her wonted guides and helps did faile Her saylers drownd and all her tackle torne A safe course held with broken mast and saile And by an Eddie from the rocke was borne And eu'n as if the storme had changd his mind It went with merrie gale afore the wind 24 And where with marriners it went awry Now wanting them it went to Affricke right And came on land vnto Biserta ny And gently on the sands it did alight What time Orlando then was walking by Conferring with his fellowes of their fight The which was vndertaken by them three Against three Princes of no meane degree 25 And for they saw the ship was fast on ground They tooke a boate and went on her aboord With mind to question whither she was bound Or what good marchandise she can affoord But vnder hatches lading none they found Saue good Rogeros armour horse and sword Which he behind him left when in bad taking He tooke the boat the ship it self forsaking 26 Orlando vewd them well with good regard And hauing chiefly markt the noble blade He knew it was that famous Ballisard With which he did some yeares before inuade Fallarius garden spite of all her guard Who by strong charms the sword and garden made It may be you er this haue heard the tale And how this sword from him Brunello stale 27 And after to the good Rogero gaue it Who late had left it in this wofull wracke Glad was Orlando now againe to haue it That oft had triall both of edge and backe He deemd that God did eu'n of purpose saue it Now to supply therewith his present lacke And after oft he said and thought indeed That God did send it him at so great need 28 At so great need when as he was to fight Against Gradasso king of Sericane Who had beside his great and passing might Renaldos horse and fearfull Dudrindane Rogeros armour though it looked bright Yet was it not as thing so precious tane As being prisd more for the sumptuous show Then for the goodnesse which they did not know 29 And sith himselfe for armour did not care And neuer did the dint of weapon feare He doth that armour to his cosin spare But
for Orlando being a known and approved warrior giues a more terrible deuice yet referring the honor to God in most Christian manner of striking down and confounding his enemies with lightning Oliuero whose deuice is the spaniell or lyam hound couching with the word fin che vegna doth with great modestie shew therby that the spaniell or hound that is at commandement waiteth till the fowle or deare he stricken and then boldly leapeth into the water or draweth after it by land so he being yet a young man waited for an occasion to shew his valew which being come he would no longer couch but shew the same In this kind we haue had many in our time as the happie 17. day of Nouember can witnesse that haue excelled for excellencie of deuice of which if I should speake at large it would aske a volume by it selfe My selfe have chosen this of Oliuero for mine owne partly liking the modestie thereof partly for I am not ashamed to confesse it because I fancie the spaniell so much whose picture is in the deuice and if any make merrie at it as I doubt not but some will I shall not be sorrie for it for one end of my trauell in this worke is to make my frends merrie and besides I can alledge many examples of wise men and some verie great men that haue not onely taken pictures but built cities in remembrance of seruiceable beasts And as for dogges Doctor Caynes a learned Phisition and a good man wrote a treatise in praise of them and the Scripture it selfe hath voutchsafed to commend Tobias dogge Here end the annotations of the 41. booke THE XLII BOOKE THE ARGVMENT Orlando of his conquest takes small ioy Which caused him his dearest frend to want Loues diuers passions breed no small annoy To stout Renaldo and good Bradamant She wishing her Rogero to enioy He th' Indian Queene but soone he did recant Taught by disdaine at last in Latian ground The Palladine kind entertainment found 1 WHat iron band or what sharpe hard mouthd bit What chaine of diamond if such might be Can bridle wrathfulnesse and conquer it And keep it in his bounds and due degree When one to vs in bonds of frendship knit And dearly lou'd before our face we see By violence or fraud to suffer wrong By one for him too craftie or too strong 2 And if before we can such pang digest We swarue sometime from law and run astray It may be well excusd sith in ones brest Pure reason at such time beares little sway Achilles when with counterfaited crest He saw Patroclus bleeding all the way To kill his killer was not satisfide Except he hal'd and tare him all beside 3 So now a little since when in his brow Alfonso wounded was with cursed stone And all his men and souldiers thought that now His soule from earth to heau'n had bene vp flone They kild and spoild they car'd whom nor how Strong rampiers walls to them defence were none But in that furie they put all to wracke Both old and young and all the towne to sacke 4 Our men were so enraged with this fall To thinke they had their Captaine lost for ay That to the sword they put both great and small That happend then to come within their way And so their fortune did preuaile withall That they the Castle did regaine that day In fewer houres to their great fame and praise Then had the Spaniards got it erst in dayes 5 It may be God ordained as I guesse That he that time should wounded be so sore To punish that same sinne and foule excesse His foes committed had a while before When Vestidell forlorne and in distresse Did yeeld and should haue had his life thereforâ— Yet was he kild when they had him surprised By men whose greater part were circumcised 6 Wherefore I iustly may conclude thus much That nothing can more hotly kindle wrath Then if one shall the life and honor tuch Of our deare frend or do him wrong or scath Now as I said Orlandos griefe is such And such occasion of iust griefe he hath He sees his frend for lacke of better heeding Lye flat on ground and almost dead with bleeding 7 As the Nomadian Shepherd that a Snake Along the grasse and herbes hath slyding seene Which late before with tooth most poysond strake His little sonne that plaid vpon the greene Doth bruse and beat and kill him with a stake So goes this Earle with blade most sharpe and keene And yet far more with wrath an choller whet And Agramant was then the first he met 8 Vnhappie he that in his passage stood His sword was gone as I declard before Himselfe besmeared all with his owne blood Braue Brandimart had wounded him so sore Orlando comes and in his wrathfull mood With Ballisard that payes home euermore He strikes by fortune were it or by art Iust where the shoulders from the head do part 9 Loosd was his helmet as I erst did tell That like a Poppie quite fell off his hed The carkas of the Lybian Monarke fell Downe to the ground and lay a long starke ded His soule by Charon ferrie-man of hell To Plutâ—s house or Stigian lake was led Orlando staid no whit but straight prepard To finde Gradasso eke with Ballisard 10 But when Gradasso plaine beheld and saw Of Agramant the wofull end and fall He felt and vnaccustomd dread and aw Who neuer wonted was to feare at all And eu'n as if his owne fate he foresaw He made the Palladine resistance small Feare had so maz'd his head and daz'd his sence That for the blow he quite forgat his sence 11 Orlando thrust Gradasso in the side About the ribs as he before him stood The sword came forth a span on tother side And to the hilt was varnisht all with blood By that same thrust alone it might be tride That he that gaue it was a warriour good That with one thrust did vanquish and subdew The stoutest champion of the Turkish crew 12 Orlando of this conquest nothing glad Doth from his saddle in great hast alight And with a heauie heart and count'nance sad He runnes vnto his deare beloued knight He sees his helmet cut as if it had Bene clouen quite with axe a wofull sight And eu'n as if it had bene made of glasse And not of steele and plated well with brasse 13 The Palladine his helmet then vnties And finds the scull clou'n downe vnto the chin And sees the braine all cut before his eyes Yet so much breath and life remaind within That he is able yet before he dyes To call to God for mercie for his sinne And pray Orlando ioyne with him in praying And vfe to him this comfortable saying 14 My deare Orlando see that to our Lord Thou in thy good deuotions me commend Likewise to thee commend I my deare Fiorde And liege he would haue sayd but there did end Straight Angels voyces with
most sweet accord Were heard the while his spirit did ascend The which dissolued from this fleshly masse In sweetest melodie to heau'n did passe 15 Orlando though he should reioyce in hart Of this his end so holy and deuout Because he knew his louing Brandimart Was taken vp to heau'n without all doubt Yet flesh and blood in him so playd their part That without teares he cannot beare it out But that he needs must shew some change in cheare To leese one more then any brother deare 16 This while Sobrino brused in his hed And wounded sorely in his side and thye Vpon the ground so great a streame had bled It seemd his life in perill was thereby And Oliuero little better sped On whom his horse still ouerthrowne did lye He striuing but his striuing did not boot To get at libertie his brused foot 17 And sure it seemes he had bene worse apayd Had not his dolefull cosin quickly come And brought to him both quicke and needfull ayd Before the paine had him quite ouercome His foote that long had in the stirrop stayd Was there withall so void of sence and numme That when he stood vpright he was not able To tuch the ground much lesse tred firm stable 18 So that indeed Orlando in his hart But little ioy of so great conquest had He wayles the death of his deare Brandimart And that his kinsman was in state so bad Now lay Sobrino though aliue in part Yet with a looke so chearlesse and so sad And so much blood his aged veines had bled That doubtlesse in few howres he had bene ded 19 Saue that Orlando with compassion moued To see him ly so lorne and so distressed Gate him such needfull things as best behoued And charitably made his wounds be dressed So kindly that some kinseman deare beloued And not his foe a man might him haue guessed Such was this Earles good nature fierce in fight But fight once done from malice free or spight 20 The horse and bodies of the other twaine He tooke away and left their men the rest To be disposd to their owne priuate gaine Or to interre their Lords as they thought best But here that in my story I do faine Fredericke Fulgoso as I heare hath guest Sith at this I le he late arriuing found In all the same no leuell foote of ground 21 Nor doth he probable it deeme or take That sixe such knights as had in armes no peare On horsebacke should a combat vndertake Where no one foot of plaine ground doth appeare To which obiection I this answer make That then in times now past seau'n hundred yeare Plaine ground there was but now some inundation Or earthquake might procute this alteration 22 Wherfore Fulgoso honor of thy name Bright Fulgor causing all thy stocke to shine If in this point thou hadst imputed blame To me perhaps before that Prince deuine From whom thy countries good and quiet came And did it first to loue and peace incline Informe him now that eu'n perhaps in this My tale of truth or likelyhood doth not misse 23 This while Orlando looking from the shore A little Frigot did farre of deserie That both with sayle and with the helpe of ore Vnto that I le seemd in great hast to flie But ere of this I tell you any more I must to France as fast as I can hie To see if they be merrie there or sad Now they from thence the Turks expulsed had 24 First let vs see how faithfull Bradamant Doth take his absence whom she loueth most Who in his oth due care of faith did want Which he had tane in sight of either host Now sure she thinks his loue and faith too scant To heare he quite had left the Christen cost If in his publike oth he be vniust Whereto alas then whereto can she trust 25 And still returning to her former plaints And still bemoning her vnluckie fate With which her selfe she too too well acquaints She calls herselfe accurst and him vngrate Yea blaming God himselfe and all his Saints For not redressing this her wofull state She scarce abstaines high blasphemie to speake That God vniust and that Saints powres are weake 26 Then she Melissa absent doth reproue And curst that Oracles perswasion blind That lapt her in this Laberinth of loue Whence she herselfe by no meanes can vnwinde But to Marsisa all the rest aboue She open layes her stomacke and her mind With her she chides and vtters all her choller And yet she prayes her comfort this her doller 27 Marsisa comforts her in all she may And tels her what a vertue Patience is And partly doth excuse Rogeros stay And further giueth her her faith in this That if she find he wilfully delay She will constraine him mend all is amisse Or if she find that he refuse to do it To fight with him and so compell him to it 28 With this she did in part her paine asswage For why it is in sorrow great reliefe To those of either sex or any age To haue some frend to whom to tell their griefe But now if Bradamant be in such rage No lesse is he that of her house was chiefe I meane Renaldo that cannot expulse Loues fire from eu'rie sinew veine and pulse 29 I thinke I need not now to you repeat A thing by me so often told before By name that loue and that affection great That to Angelica Renaldo bore Nor did her beautie cause so much his heat As did that spring of which he dranke such store Now all the other Palladines were free From all their foes now Cupids thrall is he 30 An hundred messengers he sends about Himselfe the while an hundred wayes more riding To aske of her or else to finde her out Who hath her now or where is her abiding At last because he thinketh out of doubt That Malagige of her can learne some tiding He asketh him but blushing sore with shame If he knew what of th' Indian Queene became 31 His cosin wonders at so strange a case And in his mind thereon long time he mused That when Renaldo had both time and place Her offers large and kind he still refused When both herselfe did sue to haue his grace And many of his frends perswasions vsed And Malagige himselfe among the rest Had prou'd him oft with prayre and with request 32 The rather eke because Renaldo then By taking her had set his cosin free Who then was kept close prisner in a den And for that cause in perill slaine to be He maruels that he now would seeke her when No hope nor cause there was and further he With angrie looke did bid him call to mind How in this point he had bene too vnkind 33 But good Renaldo now quite of tune Pray'th him old quarrels from his mind to moue And doth most earnestly him importune Vnto his helpe his skill and bookes to proue Which made his
an earthquake or inundation had destroyed all the leuell ground The like reproofe had Virgil about the hauen of Mongibello which he describes at the roote of that hill where indeed there was none and the like excuse is made for him that it filled with the continuall casting vp of stones out of the burning hill Catalani are the chiefe house of Spaine alledged here by the Poet for their good successe in discouering the Indies though indeed the Portugals Lusitani not Catalani deserue the praise of it The monster that assaulted Renaldo signifies Iealousie that he had that another possest his loue the knight that deliuered him was Disdaine that with the heat of noble courage signified by the fierie Mace ouerthrew the monster and draue him quite away it is so plaine in the verse it needs no exposition The cup that Renaldo was offerd puts me in minde of the like fansie in the Historie of Herodotus in the second booke briefely it is thus Pharao King of Egypt hauing by ill hap lost his eiesight was aduised by some Oracle to bath his eyes in the vrine of a chast woman Wherefore first he proued his wiues and after diuers other great Ladies but he found none did him good but one poore gentelwoman wherefore being recouered of his fight he put all the other to death and married that one but because the matter of the cup is continued in the next booke I shall speake more to this effect in my notes vpon the same Here end the notes of the XLII booke THE XLIII BOOKE THE ARGVMENT Renaldo heares two tales to like effect Tone of a Bargeman tother of a knight Both prouing that rewards will soone infect The mindes of chastest dames and make them light To Lippaduse he doth his course direct But first Orlando finisht had his fight That Hermit that Rogero did baptise Heal'd Oliuer and Sobrine in likewise 1 O Curst ô greedie ô vnsaciable Desire of gaine I do not maruell sure If thou the base and filthy minds art able To cause to stoope vnto thy carren lure Sith oft we see some persons honorable Can scarce thy weake and base assaults endure Who if they could thy foule entisements shun No doubt but they great glory should haue won 2 Some men can measure earth and sea and sky And tell the change and cause of eu'ry season And wade so farre with wit or mount so hy They search both heau'n hel with depth of reason But when thou com'st in place then by and by Thou putst their daintie tasts so out of season They place their whole delight their hope their health In only scraping and in heaping wealth 3 Another man in warres hath great renowne And gets the conquest in each bloudie strife And wins this fortresse and that walled towne Opposing his stout brest to perils rife Thou onely conquerst him and thrusts him downe And keepest him thy prisner all his life Some men excelling in each art and studdie Thou doest obscure with base desires and muddie 4 What should I speake of dames of worth not small That hauing louers men of great desarts Oppose their honours as a brasen wall Against their suits with vnrelenting harts But come some miser base deformed squall That saue his riches hath no worthy parts They breake the wall and make therein a gap To take the showre that fell in Danaes lap 5 Nor without cause hereof complaine do I Take me that can for I do rightly take it Nor from my matter do I swarue awrie Or by a vaine digression do for sake it Yet to my former speach I not applie But tending to a future tale I spake it Now let me tell you of Renaldo first That with one draught wold swage his double thirst 6 But whether that his courage did him faile Or that on more aduise he changed minde He thought and said what should it one auaile To seeke a thing he would be loth to finde My wife a woman is their sex is fraile I yet am to beleeue the best enclinde I know I cannot better my beliefe And if I change it it will be my griefe 7 What good may come by such a straight espy all Into my sences surely cannot sinke Much hurt may come there can be no denyall Let nothing seuer those whom God doth linke Wherefore to make so vnaccustomd triall Were sinne and tempting God as I do thinke Then drinke this cup quoth he that lift not I I am not nor I minde not to be drie 8 God would such skill from mortall men be hid And eu'n as Adam wrought his ouerthrow By tasting fruit that God did him forbid So he that curiously will search to know All that his wife hath said or what she did May fortune at the last himselfe beshrow And shall confound himselfe this thinke I verily And liue in sorrow that did erst liue merily 9 Thus much said good Renaldo and withall He thrust away that hatefull cup of wine And then he saw of teares a streame not small Flow from the master of that house his eyne Which past he said now foule may them befall That first procurd this miserie of mine To proue which I shall sorrow all my life That which berest me of my dearest wife 10 Why was not I said he with you acquainted Ten yeares ere this to take aduise so sound Before my heart was thus with sorrow tainted Of which no ease can now nor end be found But that you may as in a table painted Behold my griefes I will to you expound What cauld this mine vncomparable woe And then you sure will pittie me I know 11 Not farre from hence you left a little towne About the which there runnes a prettie lake That fals into this streame of great renowne But from Banaco first his head doth take Erected when those walls were beaten downe That erst Agenors dragon there did make There was I borne of house and stocke not base Though of meane wealth inferiour to my race 12 But though to me dame Fortune was but spare That by my birth small wealth to me there grew Yet Nature did with bountie great and care Supply that want by faire and comely hew My seemly personage my beautie rare To me the liking of full many drew My qualities thereto were quaint and iollie Although I know to praise ones selfe is follie 13 Within this towne a great rich man did tarrie Well learnd and wise and old beyond all credit For ere he dide he on his backe did earrie Full sixscore yeares and eight at least he sed it An hundred yeares he liued solitarie But after that you know what humor bred it He lou'd a dame and with his wealth so wrought her That at the last he gat of her a daughter 14 And least the daughter should proue like the mother To sell her chastiue for filthie pelfe
this to do being as it were the verie kyrnell and principall part or as the marrow and the rest but the bone or vnprofitable shell or according as I said in my Apologie vsing Tassoes comparison like to the pill that is lapped in suger and giuen a child for a medicine who otherwise would not be drawne to take the simple drugge though it were to saue his life But to come to the matter mine author as you may see from the beginning applyeth his whole worke and referreth all the parts thereof to two principall heads and common places namely Armes and Loue in both which men commit great ouersights and from both which proceed many great enormous disorders both in publique and priuate For these two faults of wantonnesse and wilfulnesse are so coupled commonly with youth that they seeme to be borne at a burthen therewith and as it were accidents inseperable and a man might almost canonize him for a Saint that hath passed the heat of his youth and not offended in one of these but many doubtlesse offend in them both And this is the cause that mine authour hath propounded many examples but specially two in the which men may see their frailtie in the latter of these which I will handle first namely in the passion of loue As first Orlando who with a long and tedious voyage guardeth Angelica from the Indies then hath her taken from him among his friends after looseth her and by sundrie aduentures pursuing her and yet missing most narrowly of his purpose in the end falleth starke madde for her till by Saint Iohn his wits are sent him againe which is as much to say till by the grace of God and the light of the Gospel he discouereth the darknes he walked in and so comes againe to himselfe Secondly and principally in Rogero whom he faineth to haue bene a man of infinite value and of courage able to ouercome a thousand of our common worldly miseries but yet ouercome himselfe of this passion of loue without any resistance this is the reason that he is borne away vpon a horse with wings which would not be gouerned vp into the aire to the countrey of Alcyna which we may easily conceiue to be the court of pleasure by which mine aâ—thour giues vs to vnderstand that the principall occasion of our euill proceedeth of this when our appetite not ruled by reason ruleth vs. as Horace writeth of anger and may be applyed to any passion that striueth with reason Ira furor breuis est animum rege quinisiparet Imperat hune frenis huno tu compesce catena Wherefore this same appetite is that passionate desire of the minde that we are so often counsailed to restraine Now to this desire to this inordinate lusting is ioyned idlenesse as an assistant and great furtherer as I partly noted in the fourth booke out of Ouid Otiasitollas c. This idlenes is fayned by the Poer verie grosse and corpulent drunken and drowsie ryding vpon a Tortesse in token of slouth and he forsooth is ring-leader of a monstrous band of which some haue heads like dogges some haue neckes like cranes some are mounted vpon Oxen or Asses some haue countenances and gestures of Apes some are armed with prongs with forkes with hookes with broches all out of the Kitchen of all which what other meaning can be gathered but this that idlenes and slouth and the not beraking ones selfe to some honest trauell causeth men to proue drunkards gluttons backbytets reprochers iesters parasites and promoters with other monstrous and filthie faultes though worthie to be punished yet not worthie to be named Wherefore the auncient fathers haue not without great iudgement and iust cause placed slouth among the seauen deadly sinnes being so precise in the confideration thereof that they haue deliuered their opinion thus farre of it that though simply to be idle is not a mortall sinne as they terme it yet so to be idle as to be kept thereby from some good exercise as hearing of Gods word or helping out brother that wanted out assistance may make it mortall But now because in common sence it had not bene fit nor probable that a man of a high spirit and noble courage as his Rogero is described to be should be daunted with such a shamefull and base companie as these were therefore you see he defends himselfe against them most resolutely though their assault seeme terrible and their number infinite and in despight of them he proceedeth towards the house of Logestilla by which is meant vertue by that craggie and painfull way and shunneth the other way to Alcyna by meanes of the good warning Astolfo had giuen him of the daunger thereof But loe two faire yong Ladies sent from Alcyna which as I noted in the seuenth booke caried a shew of honourable and chast loue these wanne him without any resistance and make him of a resolute warriour a dissolute louer but trow you he can come to Aleyna with the bare name of a louer no if he be poore there is no place for him in dame Pleasures court he must spend he must giue he must lash it out Erifila a couetous wretch keeps the bridge by which is vnderstood that many men are stopt from this course of folly in regard of the great charge and expence thereof and so stay at this bridge and though no consideration of vertue withhold them yet feare of the charge doth terrifie them But when Erifila is once ouerthrowne then they are presently receiued into the bosome of Alcyna then all the cheare sporting dauncing and courting that can be imagined is applied to the welcoming of this youthfull Rogero Thus he is drowned and viterly ouerwhelmed in this gulfe of pleasure which mine author hath set downe so liuely as it were the very picture of the Prodigall sonne spoken of in the Scripture giuen ouer to all vnthristinesse all loosenesse of life and conuersation But because the Poet knew very well that youth of it selfe hath many good gifts of nature if the same were applied and that many yong men comming to themselves againe haue become notable members of their countreys and worthy patternes of prowesse and vertue therefore he deuiseth most excellently a meane whereby Rogero vnwindeth himselfe out of the bonds of Alcyna shewing how one day being gotten from her a thing that seldome happened vnto him Melissa recalled him againe and gaue him that Ring that discouered all Alcynas trumperies and made here odious in his sight so as now he cursed her in his heart and was ashamed that euer he had set his loue so basely This is to be vnderstood that a man besotted in the fond pleasures of this world entring into godly consideration with himselfe of his owne estate heareth Melyssa which is to be vnderstood the diuine inspiration of the grace of God calling him from the damned course of life to an honest and vertuous course
and by that Ring which signifieth reason he discouereth the odious filthinesse of that which seemed to him before most pleasant and amiable Therefore not without verie good cause doth the notable writer I recited in the beginning of this treatise lay downe in the very first chapter of his booke the daunger and inconueniences that grow to men for lacke of consideration vsing also in another place among many his diuine similitudes this one that men are caried by inconsideration to their euerlasting ruine without any striuing euen as Hawkes are caried hooded verie quietly which if their sight were free would neuer leaue bating till they had broken their lines or vtterly tyred themselues but notwithstanding that the Ring of Reason maketh him discerne these foule deformities of Alcyna yet it is maruellous to see what wonderfull impediments be set in his way ere he can discharge himselfe of his late received mistresse The Faulkner the horse the hawke the dogge that do all assaile him after a strange fashion the particular Allegorie whereof I touched in the eight booke though to say truth I needed not so curiously to haue sought for such a hidden meaning in them when as the verie things themselues are so vntemperatly vsed by many that they keepe them from vertues and more honorable actions How many men giue themselues so extreamely to these hunters haukes hounds and horses that they cannot scarse affoord an houre to the studie of wisedome and temperance though I do not vtterly condemne the honorable vse of them all for recreation so as a man would remember Ne quid nimis or as our English Prouerbe saith Too much of one thing is good for nothing Now when these difficulties be ouercome then yet for a great while the way is painefull the weather is hot the Sunne parcheth Rogero rideth solitarie without companie or good fellowship and by and by another temptation assailes him Three Ladies sporting themselves by the seaside would stay him one offers him wine increasing his thirst with the sight of it another inuites him to alight the third railes vpon him for his inciuilitie The first of these is our concupisence that with a perpetuall thirst still maketh vs couet things hurtfull for our selues the second is ease that is loth to sustaine too much labour but is still perswading vs to giue ouer vertuous workes because they are painfull the third is the mockerie and lewd vse of the world as I haue also noted in his place to â—eft at such as liue austerely and vertuously as though it were a toké of a base mind whereas indeed it is the onely noble disposition that may be to follow vertue and to despise pleasure These three women though Rogero fled away yet they followed him which signifieth that our owne imperfections euermore follow vs neither can we be ridde of them and it suffiseth not to ouercome them once but that we must wage continuall battell with them Now against this perpetuall miserie we are strengthened by discipline made able to withstand them which is signified by the wise and graue Pilot that transports Rogero by sea from Alcyna to Logestilla and in sooth it may well be called a sea in which euerie waue is readie to ouerwhelme vs and euerie storme able vtterly to discourage vs if we had not a good Pilot both safely to guide vs and chearfully to encourage vs by telling vs what entertainment we shall finde if we come once into her harbour 40 There is the food that fills and neuer cloyeth There is the loue the beautie and the grace That maketh him most blest that them enioyeth To which compar'd all other ioyes are base There hope nor feare nor care the minde annoyeth Respect of persons nor regard of place The minde still finding perfect contentation Resting it selfe in vertuous contemplation 41 There are saith he some better lessons taught There dancings dallying and daintie dyet There shall you learne to frame your minde and thought From will to wit to temperance from ryet This is the path by which you may be brought Into the perfect paradice of quiet This tale the Pilot to Rogero told And all the while their course they forward hold This encouragement and comfort was somewhat but by and by they discouered a great nauie sent from Alcyna which vndoubtedly had surprised them had not Logestilla which drawne from the Greeke is to say wisedome sent a whole armie in their ayde which signifieth writings exhortations instructions examples and precepts that haue power in them both to confound Alcyna and to recouer all that had bene wonne by force in former times from Logestilla The foure vertuous Ladies that are sent to guard Rogero as appeareth by their names and by their Epithetons giuen them by mine author are the foure cardinall vertues iustice prudence temperance and fortitude Which though it be well described in the foresaid x. book yet in my fancie that in the last booke where he prayseth a Cardinals vertues I meane Hippolito where also he ads a fift vnto them and makes them fiue it doth much better 77 Then on another part was to be vewd His vertues each one by themselves distinct Prudence and temperance and fortitude And Iustice and a fift so nearely linkt To these that who with it is not endude The rest may seeme blotted or quite extinct Bountie imployd in giuing and in spending A speciall grace to all the other lending These be the Captaines of that Armie Royall that can ouercome legions nay millions of vices and sure if you will not allow the last of them for a principall leader yet you must at least make him treasurer and paymaster or else it is great doubt that for lacke of pay you will be driuen to Cassyre your bands But to proceede perhaps it will seeme strange to some as it did to my selfe at the first reading how it comes to passe that Logestilla and Alcyna are sisters the one legitimate the other a bastard and that the bastard hath vsurped vpon the others state and hath scarce left her aboue one strong hold The exposition is this The nature of man by which is vnderstood our appetite or affection which ought to be subiect to reason and to be gouerned thereby this nature I say was at the first a lawfull child of God and was by the spirite of God framed to his owne likenesse there to gouerne and rule by reason and wisedome so that afore nature was corrupted all the partes of our minde were in a perfect accord and harmonie vnder the gouernement of reason or rather euerie one setting forward itselfe to vertuous actions but when this first perfection was lost and that same great rebellion was made to the ouerthrow of that quiet and setled state the heart became so weake as it was not able to endure the continuall assaults of the passions that assayled it and in the end was content to take part with them against the reasonable part of the
prince He comes to Griffin the â—â—st of 〈◊〉 booke Simile Simile It follows in the 15â—â— of tâ—â— book Go â—deputies Simile It followeth the 23 booke 23. 〈◊〉 Ferraw 〈…〉 Ouid 〈◊〉 Hector 〈…〉 Follows in this 〈◊〉 68. staffe 〈◊〉 Marfisa Prouerbe Quid Me◠〈…〉 inter â—spamâ— Simile Simile The first 〈◊〉 similes 〈…〉 〈◊〉 That theefe was Bruneâ—o as is as large set downe 〈◊〉 Boyardos book Cypres an I le cosecrate to Venus 〈◊〉 He returne to them in the 〈◊〉 booke 34 〈◊〉 Renaldo Dardanello 〈…〉 Simile Hou◠〈…〉 of a Poppey Simile Sentence 〈◊〉 Froâ—e 〈◊〉 oft â—ost 〈◊〉 Occasus 〈◊〉 Cloridano Medore 〈…〉 both 〈◊〉 of 〈…〉 such 〈…〉 â—stronomer â—â—unkard â—gamsters 〈…〉 Boccaccio hath the like concess to this Phoebe the name of the 〈◊〉 Morall Historie Allegorie Allusion Diuers haue 〈◊〉 to this offâ—ct of the fickle â—as of frends but specially 〈◊〉 Donecer is faâ—â— mâ—ltos numer abis aâ—â—â—cos Tempora tisue 〈…〉 Hâ—race Vulgâ—◠〈…〉 retro 〈◊〉 Simile 〈◊〉 account 〈◊〉 bene 〈◊〉 buriall 〈◊〉 so that forbid it ouer 〈◊〉 most deâ—â—â— tyrants â—â— of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This art at sir P. Sidney noteth in his Arcadia was in great estâ—mation in time past Of Dittamy Virgil speakes 8. Aenead Dâ—ttamum generax Cresca carpit ab â—da Ouid. 1. Metam Hermâ—â—â— quod nullâ—s 〈◊〉 est nâ—r 〈…〉 Ouid â—n Fedras 〈…〉 pomaria car pere raniu 〈◊〉 prâ—â—am delâ—gere vâ—gâ—â— vâ—sâ—m Virg 〈◊〉 Tâ—ere is not â—â—â—asure in pleaâ—ure it self of one may not â—vtter as as 〈…〉 in menâ— vp to 〈◊〉 were bound to say nothing of it as â—â—â— return he would be serve for it Of this 〈◊〉 find 〈◊〉 29. book 〈◊〉 Marfisa Griffin Aquilant Sansonet Astolfo 〈◊〉 was wort to â—â— manner in 〈◊〉 dangers â— countrey of Amazons a mad law 〈◊〉 Sibilla and Hecula very old women Cornelius Agrippa in the vanitie of scieÌ„ces writes that Hercules made fifty molds women in one night Alexander cut 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in pâ—ec◠〈◊〉 ne cou'd 〈◊〉 called Goâ—â—dio◠〈◊〉 Simile Acâ—â—lch reserve 〈◊〉 and Gaâ—l◠〈◊〉 conceit tl at 〈…〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 conceit that 〈◊〉 had of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Moral Historie Allegorie Allusion Harpalite and Camilla two no. table warriers Corinna and Saphos learned â—tuets Here beginneth the tale of the Amazons Renaldo brother to GuidoÌ„ but not by the same venter Guidon Seâ—ate looke in the table Looke in the Historâ—e of this booke Sentence Souenâ—â— The câ—mmoditieâ— of a gosâ—scats of a ciâ—e There were too mâ—â— speaâ—ers 〈◊〉 in their Parliamâ—â— wheÌ„ they made such a law as â—â—â—y â—ive driueâ—â—otâ—ange 〈…〉 The Romans did vse to build aulters to all the affections of the mind as feare â—ope and such like Progne and Medea two cruell bloody women Oronteas oration in Elbanios behalfe Artemias oratioÌ„ against Elbanio Sentence Non bonâ— yâ—â— fulâ—â— leberiâ— venduâ—r â—me Simile This Simile Taâ—◠〈…〉 The end of the Amazons tale Simile Simile Heâ—roceedâ—â—h to 〈…〉 22 〈◊〉 〈…〉 Simile Of thâ— he speaâ—es sardâ—r in the 22. booke 41 stasse Gabrinâ— In the second booke Zerbino Though it is nâ—â— set downe how Gabrina knew Marfisa to be a woman yet it is to be gathered that in 3. dayes companie thee might know it Simile Horace hath this sinulitude of aâ— asse Demitto auriculas vt â—â—ique mentis a sellus But this of a horse is more wortâ—â—â— He had heard newes that Isabella was dround by some flying report Simile Callet is a nick-name that they vse to a woman is signifies 〈◊〉 Irish a witch Moral Historie Allegorie Allusion 〈…〉 Real the moraâ— vpon uâ—â— the end of the booke Sentence Sentence Here beginneth the tale of Gabrina Simile Ouâ—â—ed il is 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 places Oâ—e in 〈◊〉 Tu◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cum sine pondere succi Mobâ—â—us ventis 〈◊〉 facâ—ia volani * Aâ—â— in the third of the â—â—tamor No â—◠〈◊〉 sroudes a 〈◊〉 I amâ— male hoe 〈◊〉 ventus â—Simile â—Simile Iuvenal in his 13. satyre Paena auâ—em vehemens as mulio 〈◊〉 illu Nocte dieâ— sâ—um portare in pectore â—estem Ouid. Paenisâ—s fa â—o â—quror â—pse 〈◊〉 Horace sâ— Marus 〈◊〉 esto nilco-â— sibâ— nulia 〈◊〉 scerâ— culpâ— Sentence Sentence Sentence Sentence Simile Tâ— one Sâ—s an Iâ— vsed in a 〈◊〉 poeme Non grauâ— mourns 〈◊〉 mole Horace â— ane pâ—us angâ—â— Orestes looks in the historie This of the Pâ— sition u 〈◊〉 word taken as of the x. booked Apulâ— giâ—â— Asse and â— hereâ—â—â—ther very apâ—ly suseried to â—eâ—tifie his tale â— and to paint foriâ—â— leudnesse of a vâ—ld woman Simile 〈◊〉 is a medâ—â— taken to 〈◊〉 sicknesse Sentence Morall Historie Allusion Ouid. Parcâ—te paucarum disfundere crimina in omnes Iudas Iscariot Hipermestra one of the 50 Sisters Looâ—â— in the Storie of this booke He come to that matter in the 25 Booke st 29. Sentence Mulâ—a cadune enter caelicem supremariâ— labra Atlantti casteâ—â— Rogero Bradamaâ—â— Simile Of this you shall see more in the 23. booke 7 staff Though Rogero in here willing to be baptized and after still deferred it you must note be knew not in what danger 〈◊〉 master was in â— afterwards in the xxv booke Sentence Sentence Simile It was 〈◊〉 her brother â—â— you 〈◊〉 seen 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 25. booke This was 〈…〉 Galâ—â—na 〈◊〉 you might reade before in the latter end of this 20. loâ—ke Pinnabels lâ—w Sentence Sentence Sentence Of this ye might made in the end of the â— booke Simile Ouid. Atque 〈◊〉 pasto pascaâ— antecibâ— Morall Historie Allegorie Sentence The Latine pro◠〈…〉 Sentence Looke in the moral of the former booke where this 〈◊〉 touched more largely Sentence Sentence Meaning the Planets Sentence Astolfo 〈…〉 seare called Lauced 〈…〉 He returnes to 〈◊〉 booke about the 88 staffe Simile One horse of Astolfa the other her owne that she tooke from Penabell In the fourth booke â—domene Sentence Sentence He comes to Rodoâ—â—â—t 24. book 78. staffe Zerbin Gabrina Quarrie is a word properly signifying the soule that the halke hath kold and sometime by metaphor is vsed for a dead bodie Altariua was Anselmus house father a Pinabell Sentence Orlando Isabell. Simile 〈◊〉 de fastis 〈◊〉 viri collo 〈◊〉 pependit 〈◊〉 Mandricardo In the 14. booke Simile Antheus Looke in the Historie Qui 〈…〉 Simia is 〈◊〉 the old 〈◊〉 He comes 〈◊〉 24. 〈◊〉 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the vse of â—â—iting in trees good Poets 〈◊〉 testified â—â—opertied Vos 〈◊〉 testies si 〈◊〉 habet arbor 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arta 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of Eron 〈◊〉 serumatà 〈…〉 〈◊〉 caâ—◠〈◊〉 Sentence Sentence Simile Virgill â—th the like But 〈◊〉 described with more particulars Eâ—iam summa proâ—ul villâ—rum culmina sumat 〈…〉 Sentence A phrase of speech vsed in the Latin Inâ—â—â—â— securim Vulture is that bird that we call Râ—â—â—â—bus there are diuers kinds of them 〈◊〉 hath the 〈◊〉 〈…〉 ille 〈…〉 qui 〈…〉 Ouid deserting the death of 〈…〉 Sublâ—â—â—â—diâ—â— Soder 〈◊〉 〈…〉 capiliss Perg 〈◊〉 express 〈◊〉 cebeg Romanes 〈◊〉 christian 〈◊〉 〈…〉