this loue was straunge which so mightie a Monarch as Demetrius was did beare vnto such a notable Curtizan a woman vtterly voyde of grace barren of good workes without any zeale or sparke of vertue as it should appere But sith we reade know that none are more giuen or bent to vnreasonable loue than mightie princes what shuld it be demed straunge and maruellous if Demetrius amongs the 〈◊〉 doe come in place for the loue of that most famous woman yf fame may stretch to eyther sorts both good and euill But let vs come to that second sort of this infamous gentle woman called Lais. She was of the Isle of Bithritos which is in the confines of Graecia was the 〈◊〉 of the great Sacrificer of Appollo his tēple at Delphos a man greatly experienced in the magike art wherby he prophecied the perdition of his daughter Now this 〈◊〉 Lais was in triumph in the time of the renowmed king Pirrhus a prince very ambicious to acquire honor but not very happie to kepe the same who being yong of sixtene or 〈◊〉 yeres came into Italie to make warres against the Romains He was the first as some say that aranged a campe in ordre and made the Phalanx the maine square and battell For before hys time when they came to entre battell they assailed confusedly and out of array gaue the onset This amorous Lais continued long time in the campe of King Pyrrhus and went wyth hym into Italie and wyth hym retorned from warre againe Notwythstanding hir nature was such as she would neuer bée mainteined with one man alone The same Lais was so amorous in hir conuersation so excellent faire and of so comely grace that if she would haue kept hir selfe to one and bene 〈◊〉 to one lord or gentleman 〈◊〉 was no prince in the world but would haue yelded himselfe and all that he had at hir commaundement Lais from hir retourne out of Italia into Grece repaired to the citie of Corinth to make hir abode there where she was pursued by many kings lordes and princes Aulus Gellius saith which I haue recited in my former part of the Palace of pleasure the fiftenth Nouell that the good Philosopher Demosthenes went from Athenes to Corinth in disguised apparell to sée Lais and to haue hir company But before the dore was opened she sent one to demaunde 〈◊〉 C. Sestercos of siluer 〈◊〉 Demosthenes answered I bye not repentance so dere And I beleue that Demosthenes spake those wordes by folowing the sentence of Diogenes who sayth that euerie beast after such acte is heauie and sad Some writers affirme of this amorous Lais that thing which I neuer reade or heard of woman which is that she neuer shewed signe or token of loue to that man which was desirous to doe hir seruice nor was neuer hated of man that knew hir Wherby we may comprehend the happe and fortune of that amorous woman She neuer shewed semblance of great loue to any person and yet she was beloued of all If the amorous Lamia had a good spirite and mynde Lais truely had no lesse For in the art of loue she excéeded all other women of hir 〈◊〉 art and science as well in knowledge of loue as to profite in the same Upon a day a yong man of Corinth demaunding of hir what hée should say to a woman whome hée long tyme had loued and made so great sute that therby he was like to fall into dispaire Thou shalt say sayd Lais vnto hir that sith she will not graunt thy request yet at least wise it might please hir to suffer thée to bée hir seruant and that she would take in good parte the seruice that thou shalt doe vnto hir Which request if she doe graunt then hope to atteine the ende of thy attempt bycause that we women bée of such nature as opening the mouth to gyue some myld and pleasant answere to the amorous person it is to bée thought that we haue gyuen our heart vnto the firste suter An other daye in the presence of Lais one praised the Philosophers of Athenes saying that they were very honest personages and of greate skyll and knowledge Whereunto Lais aunswered I cannot tell what greate knowledge they haue nor what science they studie ne yet what bookes your Philosophers doe reade bycause that I being a woman and neuer was at Athenes I sée them repaire hither and of Philosophers béecome amorous persons A Theban knight demaunded of Lais what he might doe to enioy a ladie wyth whose loue hée should bée surprised She aunswered thus A man that is desirous of a woman muste followe hys sute serue hir and suffer hir and sometimes to séeme as though hée had forgotten hir For after that a womans heart is moued to loue she regardeth more the forgetfulnesse and negligence vsed towardes hir than she doth the seruice béefore time 〈◊〉 vnto hir An other Gentleman of Achaia asked hir what hée shoulde doe to a woman whome hée suspected that she hadde 〈◊〉 hir fayth Lais aunswered make hir beleue that thou thinkest she is very faythfull and take from hir the occasions wherby she hath good cause to doe the same For if she doe perceiue that thou knowest it and dissemblest the matter she will soner dye than amēd A gētleman of Palestine at another time inquired of hir what he should doe to a woman which he serued and did not esteme the seruice done vnto hir ne yet gaue him thankes for the loue which he bare hir Lais sayed vnto him If thou be disposed to serue hir no longer let hir not perceiue that thou hast gyuen hir ouer For naturallie we women be tendre to loue and hard to hate Being demaunded by one of hir neighbours what she should doe to make hir daughter very wyse She saide Lais that will haue hir daughter to be good and honest she must from hir youth lerne hir to feare and in going abrode to haunte litle companie and that she be shamefast and moderate in hir talke An other of hir neighbors inquiring of hir what she might doe to hir daughter which began to haue delight to rome in the fielde wander abrode The remedy saide Lais that I finde for your daughter disposed to that condition is not to suffer hir to be ydle ne yet to be braue and sumptnous in apparell This amorous gentlewoman Lais dyed in the citie of Corinth of the age of lxxij yeares whose death was of many Matrones desired and of a great numbre of amorous persons lamented The third amorous gentlewoman was 〈◊〉 Flora which was not so aucient ne yet of so great renoume as Lamia Lais wer whose coūtrie also was not so famous For she was of Italie and the other two of Grecia and although that Lamia Lais exceded Flora in antiquitie 〈◊〉 Flora surmounted them in lineage generositie For Flora was of noble house although in life lesse than chast She was of the countrie of Nola in
discharge of thy promise which peraduenture some other would not do moued thervnto for the feare I haue of the Necromancer who if he sée Maister Ansaldo to be offended bicause thou haste deluded him may doe vs some displeasure wherfore I will that thou go to maister Ansaldo and if thou canst by any meanes so vse thy selfe as thyne honour saued thou mayst discharge thy promise I shall commende thy witte but if there be no remedie otherwise for that onely time then lende forth thy body and not thy wil. The Gentlewoman hearing hir husband so wisely speake coulde doe nought else but wéepe and sayd that she would not agrée to his request Notwithstanding it pleased the husband for al the deniall which his wife did make that it shoulde be so by meanes wherof the next morning vpon the point of day the Gentlewoman in the homeliest attire she had with two of hir seruants before and hir maide behinde went to the lodging of maister Ansaldo who when he hearde tel that his louer was come to sée him maruelled much and rising vp called the Necromancer and sayde vnto him My wil is that thou sée how much thine arte hath preuailed and going vnto hir without any disordinate lust he saluted hir with reuerence and honestly receiued hir Then they entred into a faire chamber and sitting downe before a great fire he sayd vnto hir these words Madame I humbly beséeche you if the loue whiche I haue borne you of longtime and yet do beare deserue some recompence that it please you to tel me vnfainedly the cause whiche hath made you to come hither thus early and with such a companie The shamefast Gentle woman hir eyes full of teares made answere Sir the loue whiche I beare you nor any promised faith haue brought me hither but rather the onely cōmaundement of my husbande who hath greater respecte to the paine and trauaile of your disordinate loue than to his owne honour or my reputation who hath caused me to come hither and by his commaundement am readye for this once to satisfie youre pleasure If Mayster Ansaldo were abashed at the beginning he much more did maruell when he hearde the Gentlewoman thus to speake and moued with the liberalitie of hir husbande hée began to chaunge his heate into compassion and sayd Mistresse God defend if it be true that you doe say that I should soyle the honour of him whiche hath pitie vpon my loue and therfore you may tarrie here so long as it shall please you with such assurance of your honestie as if you were my naturall sister and frankly may depart when you be disposed vpon such condition that you render in my behalf those thanks vnto your husband which you shal think cōuenient for the great liberalitie which he hath imployed vpon me déeming my selfe henceforth somuch bound vnto him as if I were his brother or seruant The Gentlewoman hearing those words the best contented that euer was sayd vnto him Al the worlde coulde neuer make me beleue your great honestie considered that other thing coulde happen vnto me by my comming hither than that which presently I sée For which I recken my selfe perpetually bounde vnto you And taking hir leaue honorably returned in the aforsaid companie home to hir husband and tolde him what had chaunced which engendred perfect loue and amitie betwene him and maister Ansaldo The Necromancer to whome maister Ansaldo determined to gyue the price 〈◊〉 betwene them seyng the liberalitie which the husbande had vsed towardes maister Ansaldo and the like of master Ansaldo towards the Gentlewoman s ayd God defende that sith I haue séene the husbande liberall of his honour and you bountifull of your loue and curtesie but that I be likewise frāke in my reward For knowyng that it is well employed of you I purpose that you shall kéepe it still The Knighte was ashamed and woulde haue forced hym to take the whole or parte but in offering the same he lost his laboure And the Necromancer the thirde day after hauing vndone hys Garden and desirous to departe tooke his leaue Thus Ansaldo extinguishing the dishonest loue kindled in his hearte for inioying of his ladie vpon consideration of honest charitie and regarde of Curtesie repressed his wanton minde and absteined frō that which God graunte that others by like example may refraine Mithridanes and Nathan ¶ MITHRIDANES enuious of the liberalitie of NATHAN and going aboute to kill him spake vnto hym vnknowne and beyng infourmed by him selfe by what meanes he myght doe the same he founde hym in a little woodde accordingly as he had tolde him who knowyng him was ashamed and became his friende The. xviij Nouel STrange may séeme this folowing Historie and rare amonges those in whome the vertue of liberalitie euer florished Many we reade of that haue kepte Noble and bountiful houses entertainyng guestes bothe forreine and frée borne plētifully feasting them with varietie of chéere but to entertain a guest that aspireth the death of his host and to cherish him after he knew of it or liberally to offer his life seldome or neuer we reade or by experience knowe But what moued the 〈◊〉 to frowne at the state and life of Nathan Euen that 〈◊〉 pestilent passion Enuie the consumer and deadly monster of all humanitie who 〈◊〉 the like 〈◊〉 and port of his deuout hoste Nathan and séeking after equall glorie and same was thorough enuies force for not atteinyng to the like driuen to imagine how to kil a good innocent man For enuie commonly waiteth vpon the vertuous euen as the shadow doeth the bodie And as the Cantharides which similitude Plutarche vseth delight in ripe and prosperous wheate crawle in spreding roses so enuie chiefly them which in vertue richesse doe abound For had not Nathan bene famous for his goodnesse glorious for liberalitie Mithridanes would neuer haue prosecuted him by enuie nor gone about to berieue his life He that enuieth the vertuous and industrious person may bée compared to Dedalus whom the Poets faine to murder Telon his apprentice for deuisyng of the Potters whéele And Mithridanes disdainefull of Nathans hospitalitie would haue slayne him But howe liberall the good olde man was of his life and how ashamed Mithridanes was of his practise this example at large discourseth Uery true it is at lest wise it credite may be gyuen to the words of certaine Genoua merchantes and of others which haue trauailed that coūtrey that in Cataia there was sometimes a riche Gentleman without comparison named Nathan who hauyng a place or pallace ioyning vpon the high way by whiche the trauailers to and from the West and East were constrained to passe and hauing a noble and liberall heart desirous by experience to haue the same to be knowne and with what nature and qualitie it was affected be assembled diuers maister Masons Carpenters and in a short time erected there one of the stateliest palaces for greatnesse and riches that euer
the lesser countries and called to their remembrance the benefites vnto them by his father extended desiring the like to bée shewed and rendred vnto him he allured the yonger sort of the Citie by gifts and other liberall rewardes promising them if hée atteined to his purpose more frankly to recōyence them By this meanes the King became odious and 〈◊〉 to the people Tarquinius séeing his time guarded with a bande of armed men entred the market place wherewith the 〈◊〉 people were greatly abashed then 〈◊〉 mounted into the palace and placed him self in the royal seate of the same causing the Fathers to be cited before hym by the Haraulde vnto whome he repeted the petigrée of Seruius and his first entrance into the kingdom As he was speaking these wordes Seruius in great hast repaired to the Palace and finding Tarquinius sitting in his place sayd to him these wordes Why what is the matter Tarquinius quod he howe darest thou bée so bolde so long as I am liuing to call the Fathers 〈◊〉 yet presume to sit in my seat whervnto Tarquinius 〈◊〉 ly replied That hée possessed but the roume of his father which was more mete for a Kings conne and heire heire than for such a bondeman as he was and that hée had long enough abused his Lordes and maisters wherwithall a great hurly 〈◊〉 and tumult began to rise by the 〈◊〉 of both parts so that 〈◊〉 was like to attain that garland which best could daunce for it Tarquinius forced to giue the last aduenture being more lustie stronger than the other toke Seruius by the middle and carying him out of the Courte threw him downe the staires whiche done hée caused the Senate to retourne into the Palace Then the King with all his traine of Officers and other his seruaunts 〈◊〉 away and as they were 〈◊〉 he was slain by those that Tarquinius sent after to pursue him in the stréete called Cyprius Tullia vnderstandyng that Seruins hir father was slaine 〈◊〉 bashed not in hir wagon to come into the market place before 〈◊〉 the assemblie there called hir husband out of the Court and boldly was the first that called him King But being rebuked commaunded by him to auoid out of that great throng of people she retired home again when she was past that vpper end of the said strete called Cyprius the wagoner driuing toward the right hād to the hill called Exquiliae he stayed the wagon and shewed his ladie the bodie of hir father lying 〈◊〉 dead in the strete In memory of which shamefull and vnnatural fact long time after there continued a 〈◊〉 For the same strete was called Vicus Sceleratus Some report that she caused the wagō to be driuen ouer the dead corps of hir father with the bloud of whom hir husband hir wagon being contaminated 〈◊〉 presented the same to hir Gods After which abhominable beginnings like end ensued This Seruius Tullius raigned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then 〈◊〉 began to raign vnto whom Superbus was added for his surname This wicked some in law would not suffer the dead bodie of Seruius to be buried His conscience being pricked with the abhominable gaine of his kingdom fearing also least other might conceiue like example he guarded his person with a band of armed men executing all things 〈◊〉 force and Tirannie contrarie to the aduise and consents of the Senate and people He caused the fautors frends of Seruius to he put to death whereby the numbre of the Fathers was diminished whose places he suffered none other to supplie of purpose to bring that honorable order to contempt He gouerned the common welth by his own domesticall and priuate Counsell Warre peace truce societie of the Cities adioyning he vsed as he list without any further assent The Latines he specially regarded to the intēt that through forrein aide he might raigne in more suretie at home with the chiefe of which countrie he ioyned affinitie One Octauius Manilius a Tusculan born was the prince and chief ruler of that countrie descēding from the stooke of Vlisses and the 〈◊〉 Circes if the 〈◊〉 be true vnto whome Tarquinius gaue his daughter in mariage By reason whereof he conciliated great alliance and frendes Tarquinius being of great authoritie amongs the Latines appointed them vpon a day to assemble at a wood called Ferentina there to intreate of matters concerning both the states To which place the Latines repaired vpon the breake of the day But Tarquinius came not thither til the Sunne was set During which time many things were in talke There was one amongs them called Turnus Herdonius which in Tarquinius absence had inueyed 〈◊〉 against hym affirming that it was no maruell though he was called Suporbus by that 〈◊〉 For what prouder 〈◊〉 could be inforced to the Latines 〈◊〉 to make thē wait a whole day for his pleasure Diuers princes and noble mē quod he that dwell a far of be come according to the appointment and he which first allotted the day is not present Hereby it most euidently appeareth in what sort he will vse vs if he might once atteine the soueraintie And who can doubt in so manifest apparance but that he went not about to affecte and aspire the dominion of the Latines If the Romanes haue had iust cause to beléeue him and if their kingdom had ben but gotten not violently rapt and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 parricide then the Latines might also beleue him who being but a straūger to them had no great cause to beleue him His own subiects do repent the time that euer he bare rule For some be slain and heaped vpon the dead bodies of other some be banished some haue lost their goodes what other fruites than these may the Latine people expect and loke for Therfore if they wold be ruled he required euery man to retourne home to his own house and giue no more attendaunce for the day of the Counsel than be doth which first appointed the same This and such like this sedicious and desperate man declared Whose talke Tarquinius interuented and vpon his comming euery man conuerted himself to salute him Then 〈◊〉 began to excuse himselfe of his long 〈◊〉 for that he was appointed an arbitrator betwene the father and the sonne for whose reconciliation he was forced to stay that lōg space and to spend the time of that day Wherfore he appoynted the next day The 〈◊〉 of which excuse Turnus could not kepe secrete but said that a matter betwéene the father and the sonne might be ended in few woords for if the childe would not be obedient to his father some mischief must néedes light vpon him Tarquinius vnderstāding these inuections made against him by Turnus immediatly deuiseth meanes to kil him to the intent 〈◊〉 might inculcate like terror to the Latines that he did to his owne subiects And bicause he was not 〈◊〉 to sort his purpose and effect by secrete malice he attempted to accuse him of treason and 〈◊〉 by meanes of diuers of
black coale or rather their memorie raked vp in the dust and cindres of the corpses vnpure But as all histories be full of lessons of vertue and vice as bokes sacred prophane describe the liues of good and bad for example sake 〈◊〉 yelde meanes to the posteritie to ensue the one 〈◊〉 the other so haue I thought to intermingle amongest these Nouels the seuerall sortes of either that eche sexe and kinde may pike out like the Bée of eche floure honie to store furnishe with delightes their well disposed minde I purpose then to vnlace the dissolute liues of thrée amorouse dames that with their graces 〈◊〉 the greatest princes that euer were enticed the noble men and sometimes procured the wisest and best learned to craue their acquaintance as by the sequele hereof shall well appere These thrée famous women as writers doe witnesse were furnished with many goodly graces and giftes of nature that is to say great beautie offace goodly proporcion of bodie large and high forheads their brestes placed in comly order small wasted fayre hands of passing cunning to play vpon Instruments a heauenlie voice to faine and sing 〈◊〉 their qualities and beautie were more famous than euer any the were borne within the coūtries of Asia and Europa They were neuer beloued of Prince which did forsake them nor yet they made request of any thing which was denied them They neuer mocked or flouted man a thing rare in women of their cōdition ne yet were mocked of any But their speciall propreties were to allure men to loue thē Lamia with hir pleasant looke and eye Flora with hir eloquent tongue and Lais with the grace swetenesse of hir singing voyce A straunge thing that he wich once was 〈◊〉 with the loue of any of those thrée eyther too late or neuer was deliuered of the same They were the richest Courtizans that euer liued in the worlde so long as their life did last after their decease great monumentes were erected for their remembraunce in place where they dyed The most auncient of these thrée amorous dames was Lamia who was in the tyme of king Antigonus that warfared in the seruice of Alexander the great a valiant gentleman although not fauored by Fortune This king Antigonus lefte behinde hym a sonne and heire called Deinetrius who was lesse valiant but more fortunate than his father and had bene a 〈◊〉 of greate estimation if in his youth 〈◊〉 had acquired frendes and kept the same and in his age had not bene giuen to so many vices This king Demetrius was in loue with Lamia and presented hir with riche giftes and rewardes and loued hir to affectionatly and in such sort as in the loue of his Lamia he semed rather a 〈◊〉 than a true louer for forgetting the grauitie and authoritie of his person he did not onelie gyue hir all such things as she demaunded but bysides that he vsed no more the companie of his wife Euxonia On a time king Demetrius asking Lamia what was the thing wherewith a woman was sonest wonne Ther is nothing answered she which sooner ouer commeth a woman than whē she séeth a man to loue hir with all his hart to susteine for hir sake great paines and passions with long continuance and entier affection for to loue men by collusion causeth afterwards that they be mocked againe Demetrius asked hir further tell me Lamia why doe diuerse women rather hate than loue men whervnto shée answered The greatest cause why a woman doth hate a man is when the man dothe vaunte boaste himselfe of that which he doth not and performeth not the thing which he promiseth Demetrius demaunded of hir Tell me Lamia what is the thing wherwith men doe content you best when we see him sayde she to be discrete in wordes secrete in his dedes Demetrius asked hir further Tell me Lamia how chanceth it the men be ill matched bicause answered Lamia It is impossible that they be well maried when the wife is in néede the husband vndiscrete Demetrius asked hir what was the cause that amity betwene two louers was 〈◊〉 Ther is nothing answered she that soner maketh colde the loue betwene two louers than when one of them doth straye in loue and the woman louer to importunate to craue He demaunded further Tell me Lamia what is the thing that most 〈◊〉 the louing man Not to attaine the thing which he desireth answered she and thinketh to lose the thing which he hopeth to enioy Demetrius yet once againe asked hir this question What is that Lamia which most troubleth a womans hart Ther is nothing answered Lamia wherwith a woman is more grieued and maketh hir more sad than to be called yll fauored or that she hath no good grace or to vnderstand that she is dissolute of life This ladie Lamia was of iudgement delicate and subtill although yll ymployed in hir therby made all the world in loue with hir and drew all men to hir through hir faire spéech Now before she lost the heart of king Demetrius she haunted of long time the Uniuersities of Athenes where she gained great store of money and brought to destruction many yong men Plutarch in the life of Demetrius saith that the Athenians hauing presented vnto him 〈◊〉 C. talents of money for a subsidie to pay his men of warre he gaue all that 〈◊〉 to his woman Lamia By meanes wherof the Athenians grudged were offended with the king not for the losse of their gift but for that it was so euill employed When the king Demetrius would assure any thing by oth he swore not by his Gods ne yet by his predecessors but in this sort As I may be still in the grace of my lady Lamia and as hir life mine may ende together so true is this which I say doe in this this sort One yere two monethes before the death of king Demetrius his frend Lamia died who sorowed so much hir death as for the absence death of hir he caused the Philosophers of Athenes to entre disputation Whether the teares and sorow which he shed and and toke were more to be estemed than the riches which he spent in hir obsequies funerall pompes This amorous gentlewoman Lamia was borne in Argos a citie of Peloponnesus by 〈◊〉 nes of base parentage who in hir first yeres haunted the countrie of Asia maior of very wild dissolute life in the end came into Phaenicia And when that king Demetrius had caused hir to be buried before a wyndow ioyning to his house his chiefest frendes asked him wherfore he had entombed hir in that place His answere was this I loued hir so well she likewise me so hartily as I knowe not which way to satisfie that loue which she bare me the duetie I haue to loue hir againe if not to put hir in such place as myne eyes may wepe euery daye mine hart still lament Truely
wyth immortall same fame glorie hath in it self these only marks and propertyes to bée knowne by Chastitie toleration of aduersitie For as the mynd is constant in loue not variable or giuen to chaunge so is the bodie continent comely honest and 〈◊〉 of Fortunes plagues A true cōstant mynd is moued with no sugred persuasions of friendes is diuerted with no eloquence terrified with no threates is quiet in all motions The blustering blastes of parents wrath can not remoue the constant mayde from that which she hath peculiarly chosen to hir selfe The rigorous rage of friendes doth not dismay the louing man from the embracement of hir whom he hath amongs the rest selected for his vnchanged féere A goodly exāple of constant noble loue this history ensuing describeth although not like in both yet in both a semblable cōstancie For Euphimia a Kings daughter abandoneth the great loue borne vnto hir by Philon a yong Prince to loue a seruant of hir fathers with whome she perseuered in greate constancie for all his 〈◊〉 and ingrateful dealings towards hir Philon séeyng his loue despised neuer maried vntill hée maried hir whome afterwardes hée deliuered from the false surmised treason of hir cancred and malicious husbande Euphimia fondly maried against hir fathers wil and there fore deseruedly after wards bare the penaunce of hir fault And albeit she declared hir selfe to bée constant yet dutie to louing father ought to haue withdrawen hir rashe and headie loue What daungers doe ensue such like cases examples be 〈◊〉 and experience teacheth A great dishonour it is for the 〈◊〉 and Gentlewomā to disparage hir no 〈◊〉 house with mariage of hir inferior Yea and great grief to the parents to sée their children obstinate wilfull in carelesse loue And albeit the 〈◊〉 Propertius describeth the vehemente loue of those that be noble and haue wherwith in loue to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in these verses Great is the 〈◊〉 of Loue the constant mynde doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And he that is well fraught with wealth in Loue doth much preuaile Yet the tender damosell or louing childe be they neuer so noble or riche ought to attende the fathers time and choise and naturally encline to their 〈◊〉 liking otherwise great harme and detriment ensue For when the parents sée that disobediēce or rather rebellious minde of their childe their conceiued sorowe for the same so gnaweth the rooted plante of naturall loue as either it hastneth their vntimely death or else ingēdreth a heape of melancholie humors which force them to proclaime 〈◊〉 and bitter cursse against their 〈◊〉 fruite vpon whome if by due regarde they had 〈◊〉 ruled they woulde haue pronounced the swéete blessyng that Isaac gaue to Iacob the mothers best beloued boye yea and that displeasure may chaunce to dispossesse them of that which should haue bene the only comfort and stay of the future age So that negligence of parents 〈◊〉 and carelesse héede of youthful head bréedeth double woe but specially in the not aduised childe who tumbleth him selfe first into the breach of diuine lawes to the cursses of the same to parents wrath to orphans state to beggers life and into a sea of manifold miseries In whome had obedience ruled and reason taken place the hearte mighte haue bene 〈◊〉 the parent well pleased the life ioyfully spent and the posteritie successiuely tast the fruits that elders haue prepared What care and sorrow 〈◊〉 what extremitis the foresayde noble Gentlewoman 〈◊〉 for not yelding to hir fathers minde the sequele shal at large declare There was sometimes in Corinth a Citie of 〈◊〉 a King which had a daughter called Euphimia very tenderly beloued of hir father and being arriued to the age of mariage many noble men of Grecia made sute to haue hir to wife But amongs all Philon the yong king of Peloponessus so fiercely fell in loue wyth hir as hée thought he coulde no longer liue if hée were maried to any other For which cause hir father knowing him to be a King and of singular beautie and that he was far in loue with his daughter woulde gladly haue chosen him to be his sonne in law persuading hir that she shold liue with him a life so happie as was possible for any noble lady matched with Gentleman were he neuer so honorable But the daughter by no meanes woulde consent vnto hir fathers will alleaging vnto him diuers sundry considerations wherby hir nature by no means woulde agrée nor heart consent to ioyne with Philon. The king aboue al worldly things loued his fair daughter and albeit he woulde faine haue broughte to passe that she should haue taken him to husband yet he wold not vse the fathers authoritie but desired that Loue rather than force should match his daughter and therfore for that tyme was contented to agrée vnto hir will There was in the Court a yong mā borne of hir fathers bondman which hight Acharisto and was manumised by the King who made him one of the Esquiers for his bodie and vsed his seruice in sundry enterprises of the warres and bicause he was in those affaires very skilfull of bolde personage in conflictes and 〈◊〉 verie hardie the King did very much fauor him aswell for that hée had defended him from manifold daungers as also bycause he had deliuered hym from the 〈◊〉 pretended against him by the king of the Lacedemonians Whose helpe and valiance the king vsed for the murder and destruction of the sayde Lacedemonian King For which valiant enterprise hée bountifully recompenced him with honorable prefermentes and stately reuenues Upon this yong man Euphimia fired hir amorous eyes and fell so farre in loue as vpon him alone she bent hir thoughtes and all hir louing cogitations Wherof Acharisto béeing certified and well espying and marking hir amorous lookes nourished with like flames the fire wherewith she burned Notwithstandyng his loue was not so 〈◊〉 bent vpon hir personage as his desire was ambicious for that she shoulde be hir fathers onely heire and therfore thought that he shold be a most happie man aboue all other of mortall kynde if hée might possesse that inheritance The king perceuing that loue told his daughter that she had placed hir mynde in place so straunge as hée had thought hir wisdome wold haue more warely forséen and better wayed hir estate birth as come of a princely race and would haue demed such loue farre vnworthie hir degrée requiring hir with fatherly words to withdraw hir settled mynde to ioyne with him in choise of husbande for that he had none other worldly heire but hir and tolde hir howe he meant highly to bestowe hir vpon such a personage as a moste happie life she should leade so long as the destenies were disposed to weaue the webbe of hir predestined life And therefore was resolued to espouse hir vnto that noble Gentleman Philon. Euphimia hearkned to this vnliked tale with vnliked words refused hir fathers hest protesting vnto him such reasons
was sent forth on businesse of the kings The conclusion of which practise was that when she caried meate to Acharisto according to the ordre appointed she should faine hir selfe to bée violentlie dispoyled of the prison-key by Acharisto who taking the same from hir should shut hir in the prison and escape and wheÌ„ hir husband did returne she should make compl 〈…〉 of the violence done vnto hir according to which deuise the practise was accomplished And when hir husbande returned home hearing his wife crie out within the Tower was meruellously amazed and vnderstanding that Acharisto was deade ignorant of the pollicie betwene his wyfe and Euphimia hée fell into great rage speâ—delie repaired to the king and tolde him what had chauÌ„ced The King thinking that the breache of prison was rather through the womans simplicitie than purposed malice did mitigate his displeasure 〈◊〉 forthwith he sent out Scoutes to spie and watche in to what place Acharisto was gone whose secrete flight made all their trauell to be in vaine Then the King when he saw that hée coulde not be found made proclamation throughout his realme that who so would bring vnto him the hed of Acharisto should haue to wife his onely daughter and after his decease should possesse his Kingdome for dowrie of that mariage Many knightes did put themselues in redinesse to themselues that enterprise aboue al Philon was the chiefe not for gredinesse of the kingdome but for loue which hée bare vnto the Gentlewoman Wherof Acharisto hauing intelligence and perceuing that in no place of Europa he coulde be safe and sure froÌ„ daunger for the multitude of them which pursued hym vnto deth caused Euphimia to vnderstand the miserable estate wherin he was Euphimia which bent hir mind employed hir studie for his safegarde imparted hir loue which she bare to Acharisto to an aged Gentlewoman which was hir nurse gouernesse besought hir that she wold intreat hir sonne called Sinapus one very wel beloued of the King so reach his help vnto hir desire that Acharisto might return to the court again The Nurse like a wise woman lefte no persuasion vnspoken nor counsell vnremembred which she thought was able to dissuade the yong gentlewoman froÌ„ hir conceiued loue but the wounde was so déepely made and hir heart so greuously wounded with the thrée forked arrows of the litle blinde archer Cupide that despising all the reasons of hir beloued nurse she sayde howe shée was firmely bente eyther to runne from hir father and to séeke out Acharisto to sustaine with hym one equall fortune or else with hir owne handes to procure death if some remedie were not founde to recouer the Kynges good grace for the returne of Acharisto The Nurse vanquished with pitie of the yong mayden fearyng bothe the one and the sorte daunger that myght ensue sent for Sinapus and vpon their talke together Euphimia and hée concluded that Acharisto shoulde bée brought agayne vnto the Courte and that shée hir selfe should present him to the Kyng wherin should want no kinde of diligence vntill the Kyng did enterteyne him againe for his faithfull seruaunt as hée was woont to doe Upon which resolution Acharisto was sente for and being come Sinapus and Euphimia together wyth the Nurse tolde hym in what 〈◊〉 they thrée had concluded touching his health and safegarde Which of him being well lyked did giue 〈◊〉 humble thankes And then Sinapus went vnto the Kyng and tolde him that there was one newely arriued at Corinth to make a present vnto his grace of the hed of Acharisto At which newes the King shewed him selfe so ioyful as if he had gotten an other Kingdome and being placed vnder his cloath of state with his Counsell and Princely trayne about him telling them the 〈◊〉 of that assemblie coÌ„maunded hym that brought those newes to bring the partie forth newely come vnto the Citie to presente the head of Acharisto Then Sinapus broughte Acharisto before the presence of the King who no sooner looked vpon hym but fell into such a rage as the fire séemed to flame out of his angrie eyes and commaunded hym presentlye to bée taken and put to death But Acharisto fallyng 〈◊〉 vpon his knées humbly besoughte his Maiestie to gyue hym leaue 〈◊〉 speake But the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sufferyng hym to vtter one woorde 〈◊〉 him away Then the Counsellours and other Lordes of the Courte intreated his grace to heare him At whose requestes and supplications hée 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 contente Then Acharisto began to say Most sacred Prince and redoubted Soueraigne Lord the cause of thys my presumptuous repaire before your Maiestie is not to shew my selfe guiltie of the late beuised conspiracie ne yet to craue pardon for the same but to satisfie your Maiestie with that contented desire whiche by proclamation ye haue prondunced through your highnesse 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 whiche is to offer this heade for reuenge of the fault vniustly laid vnto my charge by those foure which woorthily haue tasted the deserued pame of their 〈◊〉 Whersore I am come hither of mine owne accorde to shewe the loue and greate desire whiche euer I had to serue and please your Maiestie And for that I would not coÌ„sume my lyfe in your displeasure I make offer of the same to your mercifull will and disposition chosing rather to die and leaue your maiestie satisfied contented than to lyue in happie state your princely minde displeased But desirous that hour maiestie shuld know myne innocencie I humbly besech your grace to heare what I can say that my fidelitie may bée throughly vnderstanded the wickednesse of the 〈◊〉 myne accusers wel wayed and considered Then hée began to rehearse all the things done by him for the seruice of his crowne and maiestie and finally into what daunger he did put himself when he killed the Lacedemonian king that went about by treason to murder him which enterprise might appere vnto him to be 〈◊〉 sure and euident testimonie that he ment nothing hurtfull or preindicial to his highnesse And that hée cstemed not his life when he aduentured for his seruice sauegarde to employ the same after these alleaged causes he added briefly that the loue which his maiestie knew to bée betwene him Euphimia his daughter ought to 〈◊〉 persuaded him that 〈◊〉 had rather haue suffered death himselfe than commit a thing displeasant to Euphimia And knowing that a more 〈◊〉 thing could not chauÌ„ce to hir than the 〈◊〉 death of hir father he might wel thinke that he wold haue deuised the death of a thousand other rather than that horrible 〈◊〉 déede such as his greatest enimie would neuer haue done much lesse 〈◊〉 which was bounde vnto him by so many receiued benefits for whose service preseruacion he had dedicated vowed his life and soule But if so be his maiesties rancor and displeasure could not bée mitigated but by doing hym to death hée desired that none of his alleaged reasons should bée accepted and
day the Souldan purposing to send him the nyght following he caused to be made redy in a great hall a very fair and rich bed all quilted according to their manner with veluet and clothe of gold and caused to be laide ouer the same a Couerlet wrought ouer with borders of very great pearles rich precious stones which euer afterwardes was déemed to be an infinite treasure and two pillowes sutelike vnto that bed that done he commaunded that they should inuest master Thorello who nowe was 〈◊〉 with a Sarazineroabe the richest and fairest thing that euer any man saw vpon his head one of his longest bands wreathen according to their māner being alredy late in the Euening he and diuers of his Barons went into the chamber wher master Thorello was and being set downe bisides hym in wéeping wise he began to say Master Thorello the time of our separation doth now approche and bicause that I am not able to accompany you ne cause you to be waited vpon for the qualitie of the way which you haue to passe I must take my leaue here in this chāber for which purpose I am come hither Wherefore before I bid you farewel I pray you for the loue and friendship that is betwene vs that you do remēber me if it be possible before our dayes do end after you haue giuen order to your affaires in Lombardie to come againe to sée me before I die to the end that I being reioyced with your second visitation may be satisfied of the pleasure which I loose this day for your vntimely hast trusting that it shall come to passe I pray you let it not be tedious vnto you to visite me with your letters and to require me in things wherein it may like you to commaunde which assuredly I shall accomplishe more frankly for you than for any other liuing man Master Thorello was not able to retaine his teares wherefore to staye the same he answered him in fewe woordes that it was impossible that euer he should forget his benefites and his worthy friendship extended vpon him and that without default he wold accomplish what he had commaūded if God did lend him life and leysure Then Saladine louingly imbracing kissing him pouring forth many teares bad him farewell and so went out of the chamber And all the other Noble men afterwards tooke their leaue likewise of him departed with Saladine into the hall where he had prepared the bed but being already late and the Necromancer attending and hasting his dispatch a Phisitian brought him a drinke made him beleue that it would fortifie strengthen him in his iorney causing him to drinke the same which being done within a while after he fell a sléepe and so sléeping was borne by the commaundement of Saladine and layde vpon the faire bed whereupon he placed a rich and goodly crowne of passing price and valor vpō the which he had ingrauen so plaine an inscription as afterwards it was knowne that the same was sent by Saladine to the wife of master Thorello After that he put a King vpon his finger whych was beset with a Diamonde so shining as it séemed like a flaming torche the value whereof was hard to be estéemed Then he caused to be girte about him a sworde the furniture and garnishing whereof coulde not easily he valued and bisides all this he hong vpon his 〈◊〉 a Tablet or Brooche beset wyth stones and Pearles that the like was neuer séene And afterwards he placed on either of hys sides two excéeding great Golden basens full of double Ducates and many Cordes of Pearles and rings girdles and other things to tedious to reherse wherewith he bedecked the place about him Which done 〈◊〉 kissed him againe and wylled the Necromancer to make hast Wherefore incontinently master Thorello and the bed in the presence of Saladine was caried out of sight and Saladine taried still deuising and talking of him amongs his Barons Master Thorello being now laide in S. Peters Church at Pauie according to his request with all his Jewels and habillimēts aforesaid about him yet fast a slepe the Sexten to ring to Mattens entred the Churche with light in his hand and chauncing sodenly to espie the rich bed did not only maruell thereat but also ran away in great feare And when the Abbot and the Monkes saw that he made suche hast away they were abashed and asked the cause why he ran so fast The Sexten tolde them the matter Why how now sayd the Abbot Thou art not suche a Babe ne yet so newly come vnto the Churche as thou oughtest so lightly to be afraide But let vs goe and sée what bugge hath so terribly frayed thée And then they lighted many Torches And when the Abbot and his Monkes were entred the Church they sawe that wonderfull rich bed and the Gentleman sléeping vpon the same And as they were in this doubt and feare beholding the goodly Jewels and durst not goe néere the bed it chaunced that master Thorello awaked 〈◊〉 a great sighe The Monkes so soone as they saw that and the Abbot with them ran all away crying out God help vs our Lord haue mercy vpon vs. Master Thorello opened his eyes and plainely knew by looking round about him that he was in the place where he demaunded to be of Saladine whereof he was very gladde and rising vp and viewing particularlye what he had about him albeit he knew before the magnificence of Saladine now he thought it greater and better vnderstoode the same than before But séeing the Monkes run away and knowing the cause wherefore he begā to call the Abbot by his name and intreate him not to be afraide For he was master Thorello his Neuewe The Abbot hearing that was dryuen into a greater feare bicause hée was accompted to be deade dyuerse moneths before but afterwards by diuerse arguments assured that he was master Thorello and so often called by hys name making a signe of the Crosse he went vnto him To whome master Thorello sayd Whereof be you afraide good father I am aliue I thanke God and from beyond the Sea returned hither The Abbot although he had a great bearde and apparelled after the guise of Arabie crossed him selfe againe and was well assured that it was he Then he tooke hym by the hand and sayd vnto him as foloweth My sonne thou art welcome home and maruell not that we were afraid for there is none in all this Citie but doth certainly beleue that thou art dead In so much as madame Adalietta thy wife vāquished with the prayers and threates of hir friendes and kin against hir will is betrouthed againe and this day the espousals shall be done For the mariage and all the preparation necessary for the feast is ready Master Thorello rising out of the rich bed and reioysing with the Abbot all his Monks prayed euery of them not to speake one word of his comming home vntill he had done
purpose he was not able to remoue but rather the more difficult and daungerous his enterprise séemed to be the more grew desire to prosecute and obiect him selfe to all dangers If peraduenture the Quéenes for their disport and pastime were disposed to walke into the fieldes or gardens of the Citie of Hispurge he failed not in company of other Courtiers to make one of the troupe being no houre at rest and 〈◊〉 if he were not in the sight of Quéene Anne or néere that place where she was At that time there were many Gentlemen departed from Lombardie to Hispurge which for the most parte followed the Lord Francesco Sforza the second by whom they hoped when the Duchie of Milane was recouered to be restored to their Countrey There was also Chamberlain to the said Lord Francesco one master Girolamo Borgo of Verona betwene whome and master Philippo was very néere friendship familiaritie And bicause it chauncethvery seldome that seruent loue can be kept so secrete and couert but in some part it will discouer it selfe master Borgo easily did perceiue the passion wherwith master Philippo was inflamed And one master Philippo Baldo many times being in the company of master Borgo and Philippo did marke and perceiue his loue yet was ignorant of the truthe or voide of coniecture with what Gentlewoman he was inamored But séeing him contrary to wonted custome altered from vsual mirth transported fetching many sighes strainings from his stomake and marking how many times he wold steale from the cōpany he was in withdraw him self alone to muse vpon hys thoughts brought thereby into a melancholy and meane estate hauing lost his sléepe and 〈◊〉 of eating meat iudged that the amorous wormes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bitterly gnawe and teare his heart wyth the nebs of their forked heads They three then being vpon a time togither debating of diuers things amōgs them selues chaunced to fall in argument of loue and 〈◊〉 Baldo Borgo the other gentlemen said to master Philippo how they were well assured that he was straūgely attached with that passion by marking and considering the new life which lately he led contrary to former vse intreating him very earnestly that he would manifest his loue to them that were his déere and faithful frends telling him that as in weightie matters otherwise hée was alredy sure what they were euē so in this he might hardily repose his hope and confidence promising him all their helpe and fauoure if therein their indeuor and trauaile might minister ayde and comfort He then like one raised from a traunce or lately reuiued from an 〈◊〉 after he hadde composed his countenaunce and gesture with teares and multitude of sobbes began to say these woordes My welbeloued friendes and trusty companiens being right well assured that ye whose sidelitie I haue already proued whose secrete mouthes be recómmended amongs the wise and vertuous will kéepe close and couert the thing which you shall heare me vtter as of such importaunce that if the yong 〈◊〉 Gentleman Papyrius had bene héere for all hys silence of graue matters required by hys mother I would vnnethes haue disclosed the same vnto hym In déede I cannot deny but must néedes consesse that I am in loue and that very ardently which I cannot in suche wise conceale but that the blinde must néedes clearely and euidently perceiue And although my mouth would 〈◊〉 kéepe close in what plight my passions doe constraine my inwarde affections yet my face and straunge manner of life which for a certayne time and space I haue led doe witnesse that I am not the man I was 〈◊〉 to be So that if shortly I doe not amend I trust to arriue to that ende whereunto euery Creature is borne and that my bitter and paynefull life shall take ende if I may call it a life and not rather a liuyng death I was resolued and throughly determined neuer to discouer to any man the cause of my cruell torment being not able to manifest the same to hir whome I doe only loue thinking better by conceling it through loue to make humble sute to Lady Atropos that shée would cutte of the thréede of my dolorous lyfe Neuerthelesse to you from whome I ought to kéepe nothyng secrete I will disgarboile and 〈◊〉 the very secretes of my minde not for that I hope to finde comfort and reliefe or that my passions by declaration of them wil lessen and diminishe but that ye knowing the occasion of my death may make reporte thereof to hir that is the only mistresse of my life that she vnderstanding the extréeme panges of the truest louer that euer liued may mourne and waile his losse which thing if my séely ghost may know no doubt where so euer it doe wander shall receiue great ioy and comforte Be it knowne vnto you therefore the first daye that mine eyes beheld the diuine beautie and incomparable sauer of that superexcellent Lady Quéene Anne of Hungarie that I more than wisdom required did meditate and consider the singular behauior and notable 〈◊〉 and other innumerable gifts wherwith she is indued the same beyònde measure did so inflame my heart that impossible it was for me to quenche the feruent loue or extinguish the least parte of my conceiued torment I haue done what I can to macerate and mortifie my vnbridled desire but all in vayne My force and puissaunce is to weake to matche wyth so mightye an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I knowe what ye wyll obiecte against me ye will say that mine ignobilitie my birth and stocke be no méete matches for such a personage and that my loue is to highly placed to sucke relief And the same I do 〈◊〉 so well as you I doe acknowledge my condition state too base I confesse that my loue nay rather I may terme it folly doth presume beyond the bounds of order For the first time that I felt my selfe wrapped in those snares I knew hir to beare the port amōgs the chiefest Quéenes to be the 〈◊〉 princesse of Christendom Againe I knew my selfe the poorest Gentleman of the world and the most miserable exile I thought moreouer it to be very vnséemely for me to direct my minde vpon a wight so honorable and of so great estate But who can raine the bridle or prescribe lawes to loue What is he that in loue hath frée will and choyse Truely I beleue no man bicause loue the more it doth séeme to accord in pleasure and delight the further from the marke he shooteth his bolte hauing no respect to degrée or state Haue not many excellent and worthy personages yea Dukes Emperours and Kings bene inflamed wyth the loue of Ladies and women of base and vile degrée Haue not most honorable dames and women of greatest renoume despised the honor of their states abandoned the companie of their husbāds and neglected the loue of their children for the ardent loue that they haue borne to men of inferiour sort All Histories
wife oweth vnto hir husband that I should desire to suffer the heat which burneth altereth the martired minds of those that subdue them selues 〈◊〉 loue Can such attempt pierce the heart of me to become amorous by forgetting straying from the limittes of honest life But what desire is this I haue a certaine vnacquainted lust yet very well know not what it is that moueth me and to whome I shall vow the spoile thereof I am truely more fonde and foolish than euer Narcislus was for there is neither shadow nor 〈◊〉 vpō which I can well stay my sight nor yet simple Imagination of any worldly man whereupon I can arrest the conceipt of my vnstayed heart and the desires which prouoke my mind Pygmalion loued once a Marble piller and I haue but one desire the coloure wherof is more pale than death There is nothyng which can giue the same so much as one spot of vermilion rud If I do discouer these appetites to any wight perhaps they will mock me for my labor and for all the beautie Noble birth that is in me they wil make no conscience to déeme me for their iesting stock to solace themselues with rehersall of my fond conceits But sith there is no enimie in the field that but simple suspition doth assaile vs we must breake of the same and deface the entier remembrance of the lightnesse of my braine It appertaineth vnto me to shew my self as issued forth of the Noble house of Aragon To me it doeth belong to take héede how I erre or degenerate from the royall bloud wherof I came In this sort that fair widow and yong Princesse fantasied in the nyght vpon the discourse of hir appetites But when the day was come séeing the great multitude of the Neapolitan Lords gentlemen which marched vp downe the Citie eying and beholding their best beloued or vsing talk of mirth with thē whose seruaunts they were al that which she thought vpō in the night vanished so sone as that flame of burned straw or the pouder of the Canon shot purposed for any respect to liue no lōger in that sort but promised the conquest of some friend that was lustie and discréete But the difficultie rested in that she knew not vpon whom to fixe hir loue fearing to be slaundered and also that the light disposition and maner of most part of youth wer to be suspected in such wise as giuing ouer all them whych vauted vpon their Gennets Turkey Palfreis other Coursers along the Citie of Naples she purposed to take repast of other Uenison than of that fond wanton troupe So hir mishap began already to spin the thréede which choked the aire and breath of hir 〈◊〉 life Ye haue heard before that M. Bologna was one of the wisest most perfect gentlemen that the land of Naples that tyme brought forth for his beautie proportion galantnesse valiance good grace without cōparison His fauor was so swéete and pleasant as they which kept him cōpanie had somwhat to do to abstain their affection Who then could blame this faire Princesse if pressed with desire of matche to 〈◊〉 the ticklish instigations of hir wāton flesh and hauing in hir presence a mā so wise she did set hir minde on him or fantasie to mary him wold not that partie for calming of his thirst hunger being set at the table before sundry sorts of delicate viands ease his hunger Me think the person doth greatly forget himself which hauing hādfast vpō occasion suffreth the same to vanish flie away sith it is wel knowne the she being bald behinde hath no place to sease vpon when desire moueth vs to lay hold vpon hir Which was the cause that the Duchesse becam extremely in loue with the master of hir house In such wise as before al men she spared not to praise the great perfectiōs wherwith he was enriched whō she desired to be altogether hirs And so she was 〈◊〉 that it was as possible to sée that night to be void of darknesse as that Duchesse without the presence of hir Bologna or else by talk of words to set forth his praise the continual remēbrance of whome for that she loued him as hir self was hir only minds repast The gentleman that was ful wise had at other times felt the great force of the passion which procedeth frō extreme loue immediatly did mark that coūtenāce of the Duchesse perceiued the same so nere as vnfainedly he knew that very ardētly that Ladie was in loue w e him albeit he saw the inequality differēce betwene thē both she being sorted out of the royal bloud yet knowing loue to haue no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 state or dignity determined to folow his fortune 〈◊〉 serue 〈◊〉 which so louingly shewed hir self to him Then sodainly reprouing his fonde conceit hée sayd vnto himself What follie is that I enterprise to that great preiudice and perill of mine honor and life Dught the wisdom of a Gentleman to straie and wandre through the assaults of an appetite rising of sensuality and that reason giue place to that which doeth participate with brute beastes depriued of all reason by subduing the mynde to the affections of the body No no a vertuous man ought to let shine in him self the force of the generositie of his mynde This is not to liue according to the spirite when pleasure shall make vs forget our duetie and sauegard of our Conscience The reputation of a wise Gentleman resteth not onely to be valiant and skilfull in feates of armes or in seruice of the Noble But nedefull it is for him by discretion to make himselfe prayse worthy and by vanquishing of him self to open the gate to fame whereby he may euerlastingly make himselfe glorious to all posteritie Loue pricketh and prouoketh the spirit to do wel I do confesse but that affection ought to be addressed to some vertuous end tending to mariage for otherwise that vertuous image shall be soyled with the villanie of beastly pleasure Alas said he how easie it is to dispute whē the thing is absent which can bothe force and violently assaile the bulwarks of most constant hearts I full well doe sée the trothe and doe féele the thing that is good and know what behoueth me to follow but when I view that diuine beautie of my Ladie hir graces wisdome behauior and curtesie when I sée hir to cast so louing an eie vpon me that she vseth so great familiaritie that she forgetteth the greatnesse of hir house to abase hir self for my respect how is it possible that I should be so foolish to dispise a duetie so rare and precious and to set light by that which the Noblest would pursue with all reuerence and indeuor Shall I be so much voide of wisedome to suffer the yong Princesse to sée hir self contempned of me to conuert hir loue to teares by setting hir mynde vpon an other to séeke mine ouerthrow
Who knoweth not that furie of a woman specially of the Noble dame by séeing hir self despised No no she loueth me and I will be hir seruaunt and vse the fortune proffred Shal I be the first simple Gentleman that hath married or loued a Princesse Is it not more honourable for me to settle my minde vpon a place so highe than vpon some simple wenche by whome I shall neither attaine profit or aduauncement Baldouine of Flaunders did not hée a Noble enterprise when he caried away Iudith the daughter of the French King as she was passing vpon that seas into England to be married to the king of that Countrey I am neither Pirat nor aduenturer for that the Ladie loueth me What wrong doe I then to any person by yelding loue againe Is not she at libertie To whome ought she to make accompt of hir dedes doings but to God alone and to hir owne conscience I will loue hir and cary like affection for the loue which I know sée that she beareth vnto me being assured that the same is directed to good end and that a woman so wise as she is will not commit a fault so filthy as to blemish and spot hir honor Thus Bologna framed the plot to intertaine the Duchesse albeit hir loue alredy was fully bēt vpon him and fortified him self against all mishap and perillous chaunce that might 〈◊〉 as ordinarily you sée that louers cōceiue all things for their aduauntage fantasie dreames agreable to that which they most desire resembling the mad and 〈◊〉 persons which haue before their eies the figured fansies which cause the conceit of their furie and stay themselues vpon the vision of that which most troubleth their offēded brain On the other side the Duchesse was in no lesse care of hir louer the wil of whom was hid secrete which more did vexe tormēt hir than that fire of loue that burned hir so feruētly She could not tell what way to hold to do him vnderstand hir heart affection She feared to discouer the same vnto him doubting either of some fond rigorous answer or of reueling of hir mind to him whose presēce pleased hir more than all that men of the world Alas said she am I happed into so strāge misery that with mine own mouth I must make request to him which with al humilitie ought to offer me his seruice Shall a Ladie of such bloud as I am be cōstrained to sue wher all other be required by importunat instāce of their suters Ah loue loue what so euer he was that clothed thée with such puissāce I dare say he was the cruel enimie of mans fredom It is impossible that thou hadst thy being in heauen sith that clemencie courteous influence of the same 〈◊〉 mā with better benefits than to suffer hir nourse children to be intreated with such rigor He lieth which sayth that Venus is thy mother for the swéetenesse good grace that resteth in that pitifull Goddesse who taketh no pleasure to sée louers perced with so egre trauails as that which afflicteth my heart It was some fierce cogitatiō of Saturne that brought thée forth sent thée into the world to breake the 〈◊〉 of them which liue at rest without any passion or grief Pardon me Loue if I blaspheme thy maiestie for the stresse and endlesse grief wherein I am plunged maketh me thus to roue at large the doubts which I conceiue do take away the health and soūdnesse of my mind the 〈◊〉 experiēce in thy schole causeth this amaze in me to be solicited with desire that countersayeth the duetie honor and reputation of my state the partie whome I loue is a Gentleman vertuous valiant sage of good grace In this there is no cause to blame Loue of blindnesse for all that inequalitie of our houses apparāt vpon the first sight and shew of the same But frō whence issue the Monarches Princes greater Lords but frō the naturall and common mosse of earth wherof other men doe come what maketh these differēces betwene those that loue eche other if not the sottish opinion which we conceiue of greatnesse and preheminence as though naturall affections be like to that ordained by the fantasie of men in their lawes extreme And what greater right haue 〈◊〉 to ioyn with a simple gentlewoman than the Princesse to mary a Gentleman and such as Anthonio Bologna is in whome heauen nature haue forgotten nothing to make him equall with them which marche amongs the greatest I thinke we be the daily slaues of the fōd and cruell fantasie of those Tyraunts which say they haue puissance ouer vs and that straining our will to their tirannie we be still bound to the chaine like the galley slaue No no Bologna shall be my husband for of a friend I purpose to make him my loyall and lawfull husband meaning therby not to offend God men togither pretend to liue without offēse of conscience wherby my soule shall not be hindred for any thing I do by marying him whō I so straūgely loue I am sure not to be deceiued in Loue. He loueth me so much or more as I do him but he dareth not disclose the same fearing to be refused cast off with shame Thus two vnited wils two hearts tied togithers w e equal knot cannot choose but bring forth fruites worthie of such societie Let men say what they list I will do none otherwise than my head and mind haue alredy 〈◊〉 Semblably I néede not make accompt to any 〈◊〉 for my fact my body and reputation being in ful libertie and fréedome The bond of mariage made shall couer the fault which men would déeme leauing mine estate I shall do no wrong but to the greatnesse of my house which maketh me amōgs men right honorable But these honors be nothing worth where the minde is voide of contentation and where the heart prickt forward by desire leaueth the body and mind restlesse without quiet Thus the Duchesse founded hir enterprise determining to mary hir housholde Maister séeking for occasion and time méete for disclosing of the same albeit that a certaine naturall shame 〈◊〉 which of 〈◊〉 accompanieth Ladies did close hir mouth and made hir to deferre for a certaine time the effect of hir resolued minde Yet in the end vanquished with loue and impacience she was forced to breake of silence and to assure hir self in him 〈◊〉 feare cōceiued of shame to make hir waie to pleasure which she lusted more thā mariage the same seruing hir but for a Maske and couerture to hide hir follies shamelesse lusts for which she did the penance that hir follie deserued For no colorable dede or deceitful trompery can serue the excuse of any notable wickednesse She then throughly persuaded in hir intent dreamyng and thinking of nought else but vpon the unbracement of hir Bologna ended and determined hir conceits pretended follies and vpon a time
where it wringeth ye doe neither sée nor yet consider So I Madame do feele in what place my hose doeth hurt and wring my legge I know Madame what it is to graunt to so wāton a Dame as my wife is hir will and how farre I ought to let goe the bridle Jealous I am not vpon the faith that I beare vnto God but I know that which I wold not if it be possible that it chaunce vnto me And by my trouth Madame I giue hir licence to repaire to pou both day and night and at whatsoeuer hour being assured of the 〈◊〉 companie which haunte your house otherwise my palace shal suffice hir pleasure for the common ioy of vs both and therfore wold wish no more talk to be héereof least too importunate sutes do offend my nature and make me thinke that to be true which of good will I am loth to suspect contenting my self with hir chastity for feare least too much liberty do corrupt hir These words were not spokē wtout cause and the wise husband saw well that such beasts albeit rudely they ought not to be vsed yet to be haldē short and not suffred too much to wander at will And verily his Prophecy was too true for respect of that which folowed For they had not bene maried full vj. yeares but the good 〈◊〉 Hermes departed this world whereof she was very sory bicause she loued him derely hauing as yet not tasted the licorous baites of such libertie as afterwardes she dranke in Gluttonous draughtes when after hir husbands obsequies 〈◊〉 retired to Montferrato and then to Cafal to hir Fathers house hir mother being also dead and she a lone womā to ioy at pleasure the frute of hir desires she bent hir only studie to gay and 〈◊〉 apparell and imployed the mornings with the Uermilion rudde to coloure hir chéekes by greater curiositie than the most shamelesse Curtisan of Rome firing hir eyes vpon euery mā gyring and laughing with open mouth and pleasantly disposed to talke and reason with 〈◊〉 Gentleman that passed through the streate This was the way to attaine the glorious feast of hir triumphāt filthinesse who wanne the price aboue the most famous women which in hir time made professiō of those armes wherwith Venus once dispoyled Mars tooke from him the strongest and best 〈◊〉 armure of all his furniture Think not faire maids that talke and clattering with youth is of small regarde For a Citie is halfe 〈◊〉 when they within demaunde for Parle loth then they be to indure the Canon shotte So when the eare of a 〈◊〉 wife or maide is pliant to lasciuious talke 〈◊〉 in wanton words albeit hir chastitie receiue no damage yet occasion of speach is ministred to the people and perchaunce in such disaduantage as neuer after hir good name is recouered Wherfore néedefull it is not only to auoide the effect of euill but also that least suspition For good fame is so requisite for women as honest life The great captain Iulius Caesar which first of all reduced the common wealth of Rome in fourme of Monarchie being once demaunded wherfore he had refused his wife before it was proued that she had offended with Clodius the night of the sacrifices done to the Goddesse Bona answered so wisely as truely that the house of Caesar ought not only to be voide of whordome but of suspition therof Behold wherfore I haue sayd and yet doe say that ye ought to take great 〈◊〉 to your selues and to laugh in time not bending your eares to vncomely talke but rather to folowe the nature of the Serpent that stoppeth his eare with his taile to auoid the Charmes and Sorceries of the Enchaunter So lōg then as Bianca Maria was sued vnto and pursued of many at Cafull that desired hir to wife two amongs the rest did profer themselues which were the Lord Gismondo Gonzaga the néere kinsman of the Duke of Mantua and the Countie of Celant a great Baron of Sauoy whose lands lie in the vale of Agosta A great pastime it was to this fine Gentlewoman to féede hir self with the Drations of those two Lords and a ioy it was to hir to vse hir owne discourse answers thereunto expressing with right good grace sundry amorous countenances intermingling therwithall sighes sobbes alteration of chéere that full well it might haue bene said of loue trickes that she was the only dame and mistresse The Marchionesse of Montferrato desirous to gratifie the Lord of Mantua his sōne in Law endeuored to induce this wāton Lady to take for spouse Gismondo Gonzaga and the sut e so wel procéeded as almost the mariage had bene concluded if that Sauoy Earle had not come betwixt and shewed forth his Noblenesse of minde when he vnderstoode how things did passe and that an other was ready to beare away the price and recouer his mistresse For that cause he came to visit the Ladie who intertained him well as of custome she did all other He that would not employ his time in vaine hauing found hir alone and at conuenient leisure began to preache vnto hir in this wise with such countenance as she perceiued that Countie to be farre in loue with hir The Oration of the Counte of Celant to his Ladie I Am in doubt Madame of whome chiefly I ought to make complaint whether of you or of my self or rather of fortune which guideth bringeth vs together I see well that you receiue some wrong and that my cause is not very iust you taking no regarde vnto my passion which is outragious and lesse hearkening vnto that which many times I haue giuen you to vnderstād of the honest loue I beare you But I am bisides this more to be accused for suffering an other to marche so far ouer my game and soyle as I haue almost lost the tract of the pray which I most desire and specially doe condemne my Fortune for that I am in daunger to lose the thing which I deserue you in perill to passe into that place where your captiuitie shal be worse 〈◊〉 the slaues by the Portugales condemned to the mines of India doeth it not suffise you that the Lord Hermes closed you vp the space of v. or vi yeares in his chamber but will you nedes attempt the rest of your youthly dayes amid the Mantuanes whose suspicious heads are full of hammers working in the same Better it were madame that we being néerer the gallant guise of Fraunce should liue after the libertie of that Countrey rather than be captiue to an Italian house which wil restrain you with like bondage as at other times you haue felt the experience Moreouer ye sée what opinion is like to be cōceiued of you 〈◊〉 it shal be bruted the for the Marquize feare you haue maried the Mātuan Lord. And I know well the you like not to be estéemed as a pupil your nature cānot abide compulsion you be frée from hir authoritie it were no reason you shold
be ne more faithful more affectionate or otherwise moued than the rest yet I am contēt for respect of your honor somewhat to beleue you and to accept you for mine owne sith your discretion is such I trust as so Noble a Gentleman as you be will himself declare in those affairs and whē I sée the effect of my hope I can not be so vnkinde but with all honesty shall assay to satisfie that your loue The Counte seing hir alone and receiuing the Ladies language for his aduauntage and that hir countenance by alteration of hir minde did adde a certaine beautie to hir face and perceiuing a desire in hir that hée shold not vse delay or be too squeimish she demaūding naught else but execution tooke the present offred time forgetting all ceremonies and reuerence he embraced hir and kissed hir a hundred thousand times And albeit she made a certain simple and prouoking resistance yet the louer séeing thē to be but preparatiues for the sport of loue he strayed from the bounds of honestie and threw hir vpon a fielde bed within the Chambre where he solaced himselfe with his long desired sute And finding hir worthy to be beloued and she him a curteous gentleman consulted together for continuance of their amitie in such wise as the Lord Ardizzino spake no more but by the mouth of Bianca Maria and did nothing but what she commaunded being so bewrapped with the heauie mantell of beastly Loue as hée still above night and day in the house of his beloued whereby the brute was noised throughout the Citie and the songs of their Loue more common in eche Citizens mouthe than the Stanze or Sonnets of Petrarch played and sained vpon the Gittorne Lute or Harpe of these of Noble house more fine wittie than those vnsauery 〈◊〉 that be tuned and chaunted in the mouthes of the foolish common sort Behold an Earle well serued and dressed by enioying so false a woman which had already falsified the faith betrouthed to hir husbād who was more honest milde and vertuous than she deserued Beholde ye Noble Gentlemen the simplicitie of this good Earle how it was deceiued by a false and filthy strumpet whose stincking life and common vse of body woulde haue withdrawen each simple creature from mixture of their owne with such a Carrion A lesson to learne all youth to refraine the whoorishe lookes and light conditioned Dames a number the more to be pitied shewing forthe them selues to the portsale of euery cheapener that list demaunde the price the grosenesse whereof before considered were worthy to be defied and loathed This Ladie séeing hir Louer noussed in hir lust dandled him with a thousande trumperies and made hym holde the Mule while other enioyed the secrete sporte which earst hée vsed himself This acquaintance was so daungerous to the Counte as she hir self was shamelesse to the Counte of Celant For the one bare the armes of Cornwall and became a second Acteon and the other wickedly led his life lost the chiefest of that he loked for in the seruice of great princes by the treason of an arrant common 〈◊〉 Whiles this Loue continued in all pleasure and like contentation of either parts Fortune that was ready to mounte the stage and shew in sight that hir mobilitie was no more stable than a womans will For vnder such habite and sere Painters and Poets describe hir made Ardizzino suspecte what desire she had of chaunge and within a while after sawe himself so farre misliked of his Ladie as though he had neuer bene acquainted The cause of that recoile was for that the Countesse was not contented with one kinde of fare and whose eyes were more gredie than hir stomake able to digest and aboue all desired chaunge not séeking meanes to finde him that was worthy to be beloued and intertained of so great a Ladie as she estéemed hir selfe to be and as such women of their owne opinion thinke themselues who counterfaicte more grauitie and reputation than they doe whome nature and vertue for their maiestie and holinesse of life make Noble and praise worthie That desire deceiued hir nothing at all for a certaine time after that Ardizzino possessed the forte of this faire Countesse there came to Pauia one Roberto Sanseuerino Earle of Gaiazzo a yong faire and valiant Gentleman whose Countrey lieth on this side the Mountaines and very familiar with the Earle of Massino This vnfaithful Alcina and cruell Medea had no sonet cast hir eye vpon Signor di Gaiazzo but was pierced with his loue in such wise as if forthwith shée had not attained hir desires she would haue run mad bicause that Gentleman bare a certaine stately representation in his face promised such dexteritie in his déedes as sodainly she thought him to be that man that was able to staunch hir filthy thirst And therfore so gentlely as she could gaue ouer hir Ardizzino with whome she vtterly refused to speake and shunned his cōpanie when she saw him and by shutting the gates against him the Noble man was not able to forbeare from throwing forth some words of choler wherby she tooke occasion both to expell him and also to beare him such displeasure as then she cōspired his death as afterwards you shall perceiue This great hatred was the cause that she being fallen in Loue as you haue heard with the Counte of Gaiazzo shewed vnto him all signe of amitie and séeing that hée made no great sute vnto hir she wrote vnto him in this manner The Letter of Bianca Maria to the Counte of Gaiazzo SIr I doubt not by knowing the state of my degrée but that ye be abashed to sée the violēce of my mind when passing the limites of modestie which ought to guard such a Ladie as I am I am forced uncertain of the cause to doe you vnderstand the griefe that doeth torment me which is of such constraint as if of curtesie ye doe not vouchsafe to visite me you shall commit two faultes the one leauing the thing worthy for you to loue and regard and which deserueth not to be cast off the other in causing the death of hir that for Loue of you is bereft of rest And so loue hath very little in me to sease vpon either of heart or libertie but that ease of grief procéedeth from your only grace which is able to vanquishe hir whose victorious hap hath conquered all other and who attēding your resolut answer shall rest vnder the mercifull refuge of hope which deceiuing hir shall sée by that very meanes the wretched end of hir that is all your owne Bianca Maria Countesse of Celant The yong Lorde much maruelled at this message were it for that already hée was in loue with hir and that for loue of his friend Ardizzino wold not be known thereof or for that he feared she would be straught of wits if she were despised he determined to goe vnto hir yet stayed thought it not to be the
part of a faithfull companion to deceiue his friend But in end pleasure surmounting reason and the beautie ioyned with the good grace of the Lady hauing blinded him and bewitched his wits so wel as Ardizzino he toke his way towards hir house who waited for him with good deuotion whither being arriued hée failed not to vse like spéeche that Valperga did either of them after certain reuerences and other fewe words minding and desiring one kinde of intertainment This practize dured certaine months and the Countesse was so farre rapt with hir newe louer as she only employed hir selfe to please him and he shewed himselfe so affected as she thought to bridle him in all things whereof she was afterwards deceiued as you shall vnderstād the maner Ardizzino seing himself wholly abandoned the presence and loue of his Ladie knowing the she railed vpon him in all places where she came departed Pauia halfe out out of his wits for anger and so strayed from 〈◊〉 order by reason of his rage as hée displayed the Countesse thrée times more liuely in hir colours than she could be painted and reproued hir with that termes of the vilest and most 〈◊〉 strumpet that 〈◊〉 ran at rouers or shot at randon Bianca Maria vnderstoode hereof and was aduertised of the good reporte that Ardizzino spread of hir throughout 〈◊〉 which chafed hir in suche wise as she fared like the Bedlem furie ceasing night nor day to plaine the vnkindnesse and follie of hir reietted Louer Sometimes saying that she had iust cause so to doe then flattering hir selfe alledged that men were made of purpose to suffer such follies as were wrought by hir and that where they termed themselues to be womens seruauntes they ought at their mistresse hands to endure what pleased them In the end not able any longer to restrain hir choler ne vanquish the appetite of reuenge purposed at all aduēture to prouide for the death of hir aūcient enimy and that by meanes of him whome she had now tangled in hir nettes Sée the vnshamefastnesse of this mastife bitche and the rage of that female Tiger how shée goeth about to arme one friend against an other and was not content onely to abuse the Counte Gaiazzo but deuised to make him that manqueller And as one night they were in the midst of their embracements she began pitifully to wéepe and sigh in such wise as a man wold haue thought by the vexation of hir heart that the soule and body wold haue parted The yonge Lord louingly enquired the cause of hir heauinesse and sayd vnto hir that if any had done vnto hir displeasure hée would reuenge hir cause to hir contentation She hearing him say so then in studie vpon the deuice of hir enimies death spake to the Counte in this manner You know sir that the thing which moste 〈◊〉 the Gentle heart and minde that can abide no wrong is defamation of honoure and infamous reporte Thus much I say by reason the Lord of Massino who to say the trouth hath bene fauored of me in like sort as you be now hathe not vene ashamed to publishe open 〈◊〉 against me as thoughe I were the arrantest whoore that euer had giuen hir selfe ouer to the Galley slaues alongs the shore of Sicile If he had vaunted the fauoure which I haue done him but to certaine of his friendes I had incurred no whit of slaunder much lesse any little suspition but hearing the common reports the wrongfull woords and wicked brute that he hath raised on me I beséeche you syr to doe me reason that he may féele his offence and the smart for his committed fault against hir that is all youres The Lord Sanseuerino hearing this discourse promised hir to doe his best and to teache Valperga to talke more soberly of hir whome he was not worthy for to 〈◊〉 but in thought Notwithstanding he sayde more than he ment to do for he knew Ardizzino to be so honest sage and curteous a personage as hée would neyther doe nor say any thing without good cause and that Ardizzino had 〈◊〉 quarell against him by taking that from him which he loued althoughe it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 discontinuance from that place and vpon the only request of hir Thus he cōcluded in mind stil to remain the friend of Ardizzino and yet to spend 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the Countesse which he did and vsed certaine months without quarrelling with Valperga that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 with whom he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 liued 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commonly vsed one table bed togither Bianca Maria séeing that the Lord of Gaiazzo cared not much for hir but onely for his pleasure determined to vse like practise against him as she did to hir former louer and to banish him from hir house So that when he came to sée hir either she was sicke or hir affairs were such as she could not kéepe him company or else hir gate was shut vpon him In the end playing double or quit she prayed the sayd Lord to shewe hir such pleasure and friendship as to come no more vnto hir bicause she was in termes to goe home to hir husband the Counte of Celant who had sent for hir and feared least his seruaunts should finde hir house ful of suters alleaging that she had liued long inough in that most sinfull life the lightest faultes whereof were to 〈◊〉 for dames of hir port calling concluding that so long as she liued she would beare him good affection for the honest companie and cōuersation had betwene them and for his curtesie vsed towards hir The yong Erle were it that he gaue credit vnto hir tale or not made as though he did beleue the same and without longer discourse forbare approche vnto hir house and droue out of his heade all the amorous affection which he caried to that Piedmont Circes And to that end hée might haue no cause to thinke vpon hir or that his presence 〈◊〉 make him slaue againe to hir that first pursued him he 〈◊〉 in good time to Millan by which retire hée auoided that mishap wherwith at length this 〈◊〉 woman wold haue cut him ouer the shinnes euen 〈◊〉 his mind was least thereon Such was the malice and mischief of 〈◊〉 heart who ceasing to play the whort applied hir whole 〈◊〉 to murder Gaiazzo being departed from Pauie this Venus once againe assayed the 〈◊〉 of hir Ardizzino and knew not well how to recouer him againe bicause she feared that the other had discouered that enterprise of his murder But what dare not she attempt whose minde is slaue to sinne The first assaies be hard the 〈◊〉 in doubt and conscience gnawing vpon the repentance worme but the same once nousled in vice roted in the heart is more pleasant and gladsome for the wicked to 〈◊〉 than vertue familiar to those that folow hir So that shame separate from before the eyes of youth riper age noursed in 〈◊〉 their sight is so daseled as they can see nothing that either
shame or feare can make them blush which was the cause that this Ladie continuing still in hir mischiefe so much pradised the friends of him whom she desired to kil and made such fit excuse by hir ambassades as he was cōtent to speak to hir and to heare hir iustifications which were easy inough to doe the iudge being not very faultie She promised and swore that if the fault were proued not to be in him neuer man should sée Bianca Maria so lōg as she liued to be other than a friend and slaue to the Lord Ardizzino wholly submitting hir self vnto his will and pleasure See how peace was capitulated betwene the two reconciled louers and what were the articles of the same the Lord of 〈◊〉 entring possession againe of the Fort that was reuolted and was long time in the power of another But when hée was seased againe the Ladie saw full wel that hir recouered friend was not so hard to please as the other was and that with him she liued at greater libertie Continuing then their amorous daunce and Ardizzino hauing no more care but to reioyse himselfe nor his Ladie but to cherish and make much of hir friend behold eftsones the desire of bloud and wil of murder newly reuiued in that new Megera who incited I know not with what rage 〈◊〉 to haue him flain which refused to kill him whome at this present she loued as hir self And he that had inquired the cause therof I think none other reason could be rendred but that a brainelesse head and reasonlesse mind thought most notable murders mischief were easy to be brought to passe and so strangely to procede in disordred lusts which in fine caused miserable shame ruine with the death of hir self him whom she had stirred to that fact boldening him by persuasion to make him beleue vice to be vertue gloriously cōmēded him in his follies which you shal hear by reading at lēgth that discourse of this history Bianca Maria séeing hir self in ful possession of hir Ardizzino purposed to make him the chief executioner of the murder by hir intended vpon Gaiazzo for that doing wherof one night holding him betwene hir armes after she had long time dalied with him like a cunning mistresse of hir Art in the end weauing training hir treasō at large she said thus vnto him Syr of lōg time I haue bene desirous to require a good turne at your hands but fearing to trouble you therupon to be denied I thought not to be importunat albeit that mater toucheth you yet did I rather hold my peace thē to here refusall of a thing which your self ought to profer the same cōcerning you Madame said hir louer you know that matter néede to be hainous of great importance that I shold denie you specially if it cōcerne the blemish of your honor But you say the same doth touch me somewhat néerely therefore if abilitie be in me spare not to vtter it I will assay your satisfaction to the vttermost of my power Syr said she is the Counte of Gaiazzo one of your very frends I think answered Valperga that he is one of that surest friends I haue and in respect of whose friendship I will hazarde my self for him no lesse than for my brother being certaine that if I haue néede of him he will not faile to do that like for me But wherfore do you aske me that questiō I wil tel you said that traitresse kissing him so swetely as euer he felt that like of any woman for somuch as you be so deceiued of your opinion and frustrate of your thought as he is wicked in dissēbling that which maliciously lieth hiddē in his heart And briefly to say that effect Assure your self he is the greatest most mortall enimy that you haue in that world And that you do not thinke this to be some forged tale or light inuention or that I hard the report therof of some not worthy of credit I wil say nothing else but that which himself did tell me whē in your absence he vsed my cōpany He sware vnto me without declaratiō of that cause that he could neuer be mery or his mind in rest before he saw you cut in pieces shortly would giue you such assault as all that dayes of your life you shold neuer haue lust or mind on ladies loue And albeit thē I was in choler against you and that you had ministred some cause reason of hatred yet our first loue had takē such force in my heart as I besought him not to do that enterprise so lōg as I was in place wher you did remain bicause I cānot abide wtout death to sée your finger ake much lesse your life beriued frō you 〈◊〉 which tale his eare was deaf swering stil protesting that either he wold be slain himself or else dispatch that Counte Ardizzino I 〈◊〉 not quod she ne wel could as thē aduertise you therof for the smal accesse that my scruāts had vnto your lodging but now I pray you to take good héede to your self to preuēt his diuelish purpose for better it were for you to take his life than he to kil and murder you or otherwise work you mischief you shal be estemed the wiser man he pronoūced a traitor to seke that death of him that bare him such good will Do thē according to mine abuise before he begin do you kil him whereby you shall saue your self and doe the part of a valiant Knight bisides that satisfying of the minde of hir that aboue al pleasures of the world doth chiefly desire the same Experience now will let me proue whether you loue me or not and what you will doe for hir that loueth you so dearly who openeth this 〈◊〉 murder aswell for your safetie as for lengthening of the life of hir which without yours cannot endure 〈◊〉 this my sute O friend most deare and suffer me not in sorowful plight to be despoiled of thy presence And wilt thou suffer that I shold die and that yōder 〈◊〉 traiterous and vnfaithfull varlet should liue to laugh me to 〈◊〉 If the Ladie had not added those last woords to hir foolish sermon perchance she might haue prouoked Ardizzino to folow hir Counsell but 〈◊〉 hir so obstinately bent in hir request and to prosecute the same with such violence concluding vpon hir own quarel his conscience throbbed and his mind measured the malice of that woman with the honestie of him against whome that tale was tolde who knew his friend to be so sound and trustie as willingly he wold not do the thing that should offend him therefore wold giue no credit to false report without good apparāt proofe For which cause he was persuaded that it was a malicious tale made to please his Ladie deuised by some that went about to sowe debate betwéene those two friendly Earles Notwithstanding vpō further pause not to
be dead in respect of the liuely sparks and violent fire which sorteth from your faire eyes which fire hath so fiercely inflamed all the most sensible parts of my body as if I be not succored by the fauoure of your diuine graces I doe attend the time to be consumed to dust Scarse had he made an end of those last words but the daunce of the Torche was at an end Whereby Iulietta which wholly burnt with loue straightly clasping hir hand with his had no leisure to make other answere but softly thus to say My deare friend I know not what other assured witnesse you desire of Loue but that I let you vnderstand that you be no more your owne than I am yours being ready and disposed to obey you so farre as honoure shall permit beséeching you for the present time to content your selfe with this answere vntill some other season méeter to Communicate more secretely of our affaires Rhomeo séeing himself pressed to part with the companie and for that hée knewe not by what meanes hée might sée hir againe that was his life and death demaunded of one of his friends what she was who made answer that she was the daughter of Capellet the Lord of the house and maister of that dayes feast who wroth beyond measure that fortune had sent him to so daungerous a place thought it impossible to bring to end his enterprise begon Iulietta couetous on the other 〈◊〉 to know what yong Gentleman hée was which had so courteously intertaigned hir that night and of whome she felt the new wounde in hir heart called an olde Gentlewoman of honor which had nurssed hir and brought hir vp vnto whome she sayd leaning vpon hir shoulder Mother what two yong Gentlemen be they which first goe forth with the two torches before them Unto whome the olde Gentlewoman tolde the name of the houses whereof they came Then she asked hir againe what yong Gentleman is that which holdeth the visarde in his hande with the Damaske cloke about him It is quod she Rhomeo Montesche the sonne of your Fathers capitall enimy and deadly 〈◊〉 to all your kinne But the maiden at the only name of Montesche was altogither amazed dispairing for euer to attaine to husband hir great affectioned friend Rhomeo for the auncient hatreds betwene those two families Neuerthelesse she knew so wel 〈◊〉 to dissemble hir grief and discontented minde as the olde Gentlewoman perceiued nothing who then began to persuade hir to retire into hir chamber whome she obeyed and being in hir bed thinking to take hir wonted rest a great 〈◊〉 of diuers thoughts began to enuiron trouble hir minde in such wise as she was not able to close hir eyes but turning here there fātasied diuerse things in hir thought sometimes purposed to cut of the whole attempt of that amorous practise sometimes to continue the same Thus was the poore pucell 〈◊〉 with two contraries the one comforted hir to pursue hir intent the other proposed the imminent perill whervnto vndiscretely she headlong threw hir self And after she had wandred of long time in this amorous Laberinth she knew not wherupon to resolue but wept incessantly and accused hir self saying Ah Caitife and miserable creature from whence doe rise these vnaccustomed trauailes which I 〈◊〉 in minde prouoking me to loose my rest but infortunate wretch what doe I know if that yong Gentleman doe loue me as hée sayeth It may be vnder the vaile of sugred woords hée goeth about to steale away mine honoure to be reuenged of my Parents which haue offended his and by that meanes to my euerlasting reproche to make me the fable of the Verona people Afterwards sodainly as she condempned that which she suspected in the beginning sayd Is it possible that vnder such beautie and rare comelinesse disloyaltie and Treason may haue their siedge and lodging If it be true that the face is the faithfull messanger of the mindes conceit I may be assured that hee doeth loue me for I marked so many chaunged coloures in his face in time of his talke with me and sawe him so transported and bisides himself as I cannot wishe any other more certaine lucke of loue wherin I will persist immutable to the 〈◊〉 gaspe of life to the intent I may haue him to be my husband For it may so come to passe as this newe alliance shall 〈◊〉 a perpetuall peace and amitie betwene his house and mine Aresting then vpon this determination still as she saw Rhomeo passing before hir Fathers gate she shewed hir self with mery countenance and 〈◊〉 him so with looke of eye vntill she had lost his sight And continuing this manner of life for certain dayes Rhomeo not able to content himself with lookes daily did beholde and marke the situation of the house and one day amongs others hée espied Iulietta at hir chamber window bounding vpon a narow lane right ouer against which Chamber he had a gardeine which was the cause that Rhomeo fearing discouery of their loue began then in the day time to passe no more before the gate but so soone as the night with his browne mantell had couered the earth he walked alone vp and downe that little streat And after he had bene there many times missing the chiefest cause of his comming Iulietta impacient of hir euill one night repaired to hir 〈◊〉 and perceiued through the brightnesse of the Moone hir friend Rhomeo hard vnder hir window no lesse attended for than he himself was waighting Then she secretely with teares in hir eyes and with voyce interrupted by sighes sayd Signior Rhomeo me thinke that you hazarde your persone too much and commit the same into great danger at this time of the night to protrude your self to the mercy of thē which meane you little good Who if they had taken you would haue cut you in pieces and mine honor which I estéeme dearer than my life hindred suspected for euer Madame answered Rhomeo my life is in the hād of God who only cā dispose the same 〈◊〉 if any man had sought meanes to berieue me of life I should in the presence of you haue made him known what mine abilitie had 〈◊〉 to defend that 〈◊〉 Notwithstanding life is not so deare and of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ̄ vnto me but that I could 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 the same for your sake and although my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ben so great as to be dispatched in that place yet 〈◊〉 I no cause to be sory therefore excepte it had bene by loosing of meanes the same to forgoe the way how to make you vnderstand the good will and duety which I beare you desiring not to conserue the same for any commoditie that I hope to haue therby nor for any other respect but only to loue serue and honor you so 〈◊〉 as breath shal remaine in 〈◊〉 So soone as he had made an end of his talke loue and pitie began to sease vpon the heart of Iulictta and leaning hir head vpon hir 〈◊〉
Rhomeo but began to breake the fountaine pipes of gushing teares which ran forth in such aboundance as not able to support the furor of hir grief she breathed without ceasing vpō his mouth and then throwing hir self vpon his body 〈◊〉 it very hard séemed that by force of sighs and sobs she wold haue reuiued and brought him againe to life and after she had kissed and rekissed him a million of times she cried out Ah the swete rest of my cares the only porte of all my pleasures and pastymes hadst thou 〈◊〉 sure a heart to choose thy Churchyarde in this place betwene the armes of thy perfect louer and to ende the course of thy life for my sake in the floure of thy youth whē life to thée shold haue bene most dear delectable how had this tender body power to resist the furious cōbat of death very death it self being here present How could thy fēder delicate youth willingly permit that thou shouldest approch into this filthy infected place where frō henceforth thou shalt be the pasture of worms vnworthy of thée Alas alas by what meanes shall I now renew my plaints which time and long pacience ought to haue buried and clearly quenched Ah I miserable and caitife wretch thinking to finde remedie for my griefs I haue sharpned the knife that hath 〈◊〉 me this cruel blow whereof I receiue the cause of mortall wound Ah happy and fortunate graue which shalt serue in world to come for witnesse of the most perfect aliāce that euer was betwene two most fortunate louers receiue now the last sobbing sighes intertainment of the most cruel of all the cruell subiects of ire death And as she thought to cōtinue hir cōplaints Pietro aduertised Frier Laurence the he heard a noise bisides the citadel wherwith being afraid they 〈◊〉 departed fearing to be taken And then Iulietta seing hir self alone in full libertie toke againe Rhomeo betwene hir armes kissing him with such affection as she semed to be more attainted with loue thā death and drawing out the dagger which Rhomeo ware by his side she pricked hir self with many blowes against the hart saying with feble pitiful voyce Ah death the end of sorow and beginning of felicity thou art most heartily welcome feare not at this time to sharpen thy dart giue no longer delay of life for fear that my sprite trauaile not to finde Rhomeos ghost amonges such numbre of carion corpses And thou my deare Lord and loyall husbande Rhomeo if there rest in thée any knowledge receiue hir whome thou hast so faithfully loued the only cause of thy violent death which frankely offreth vp hir soule that none but thou shalt ioy the loue wherof thou hast made so lawfull conquest And that our soules passing from this light may eternally liue together in the place of euerlasting ioy and when she had ended those words she yelded vp hir gost While these things thus were done the garde watch of the Citie by chāce passed by séeing light wtin the graue suspected straight the they were Necromācers which had opened the 〈◊〉 to abuse the dead bodies for aide of their arte desirous to know what it mēt wēt downe into the vaut where they 〈◊〉 Rhomeo Iulietta with their armes imbracing 〈◊〉 others neck as though there had ben some tokē of life And after they had well viewed them at leisure they knew in what case they were And thē all amazed they sought for the theues which as they thought had done the murder and in the end found the good father Frier Laurence and Pietro the seruaunt of dead Rhomeo which had hid themselues vnder a stall whome they caried to prison and aduertised the Lord of Escala and the Magistrates of Verona of that horrible murder which by and by was published throughout the Citie Then flocked together all the Citezens women children leauing their houses to looke vpon that pitifull sight and to the ende that in presence of the whole Citie the murder should be knowne the Magistrates ordained that the two deade bodies should be erected vpon a stage to the view and sight of the whole world in such sort and maner as they were found within the graue and that Pietro and Frier Laurence should publikely be examined that afterwardes there might be no murmure or other pretended cause of ignorance And this good olde Frier being vpon the scaffold hauing a white beard all wet bathed with teares the iudges cōmaūded to declare vnto them who were the authors of that murder sith at vntimely houre he was apprehended with certaine irons bisides the graue Frier Laurence a rounde and franke man of talke nothing moued with that accusation sayd vnto them with stoute and bolde voyce My masters there is none of you all if you haue respect vnto my forepassed life and to my aged yeres and therewithall haue cōsideration of this heauy spectacle whervnto vnhappy fortune hath presently brought me but doeth greatly maruell of so sodaine mutation change vnlooked for for so much as these thrée score and ten or twelue yeares sithens I came into this world and began to proue the vanities thereof I was neuer suspected touched or found gilty of any crime which was able to make me blush or hide my face although before God I doe confesse my self to be the greatest and most abhominable sinner of al the redéemed flock of Christ. So it is notwithstanding that sith I am prest ready to render mine accompt and that death the graue and wormes do daily summō this wretched corps of mine 〈◊〉 appeare before the iustice seate of God still waighting and 〈◊〉 to be caried to my hoped graue this is the houre I say as you likewise may thinke wherin I am fallen to the greatest damage preiudice of my life and honest port and that which hath ingēdred this sinister opinion of me may peraduēture be these great teares which in abundance trickle downe my face as though the holy scriptures do not witnesse that Iesus Christ moued with humane pitie and compassion did wepe and pour forth teares that many times teares be the faithfull messengers of a mans innocency Or else the most likely euidence and presumption is the suspected houre which as the magistrate doth say doe make me culpable of the murder as though all houres were not indifferently made equall by God their creattor who in his owne person declareth vnto vs the there be twelue houres in the day shewing therby that there is no exception of houres nor of minutes but that one may doe either good or yll at all times indifferently as the partie is guided or forsaken by the sprite of God touching the yrons which were found about me néedefull it is not now to let you vnderstand for what vse Iron was first made and that of it self it is not able to increase in man either good or euill if not by the mischeuous minde
to beguile one an others loue like them that be weary and glutted with their owne fare séeking after other dainties more delicate if they were to bée founde But praised be God and our prouident discretion if any hurt or shame hath chaunced the same doth light on you Moreouer I know no cause why men should haue more libertie to doe euil than we women haue albeit through the weakenesse and cowardise of our sexe ye men will doe what ye lift But ye be now no Lordes nor we seruaunts and husbands we do you cal bicause the holy lawes of Matrimony which was the first Sacrament giuen by God to men after the creation of the world doe require equall faith and so well is the husband bound to the wife as she vnto him Goe to then make your complaint the next Asse or beast ye méete take hir to be your wife Why doe ye not know that the balance of Iustice is equall and wayeth downe no more of one side than of other But let vs nowe leaue of to reason of this matter and come to that for which we be come hither Two things most righteous Prince haue moued vs to come before your maiestie all this honorable assembly which had they not bene we wold haue bene ashamed to shew our faces lesse presumed to speake or once to open our lippes in this Noble audience which is a place only méete for them that be most expert and eloquent orators and not for vs to whom the néedle distaffe be more requisite The first cause that forced vs to come forth of our owne house was to let you vnderstand that our husbāds be no murderers as is supposed neither of this Gentleman present master Aloisio ne yet of any man else and therof we haue sufficient and worthy testimonie But héerein we néede not to trauaile much or to vse many woords for neither maister Aloisio is slaine ne any other murdred that is knowne or manifest hitherto One thing resteth which is that Madonna Lucia and I do humbly beséeche your excellent Maiestie that your grace and the authoritie of the right honourable Lords here present 〈◊〉 vouchsafe to reconcile vs to our husbāds that we may obtaine pardon and fauor at their handes bicause 〈◊〉 haue so manifestly made their actes to appeare and for that we be the offense and they the offenders and yet by their owne occasions we haue committed the error if it may be so termed And now to come to the conclusion I doe remember 〈◊〉 I was a childe that I haue heard the Gentlewoman my mother saye whose soule God pardon many times vnto me and other my sisters to mistresse Lucia that was brought vp with vs being by hir instructed in diuers good and vertuous lessons that all the honor a womā can do vnto hir husband whereby shée beautifieth him and his whole race and familie consisteth in hir honest chast and vertuous life without which she oughte rather to die than liue And that a Gentlemans wife when she hath giuen hir bodie to the vse of an other man is the cōmon marke for euery man to point at in the streate where she goth hir husband therby incurring reproch shame which no doubt is the greatest iniuric and scorne that an honest Gentleman can receiue and the most shamefull reproche that can blemish his house Which lesson we so wel remembring desirous not to suffer the carelesse and vnbrideled appetites of our 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 vnrained and runne at large to some dishonest ende by a faithfull and commendable policie did prouide for the mischiefe that myghte ensue I néede not héere reherse the enimitie and debate that many yeares did raigne betwéene our husbandes fathers bycause it is knowne and manifest vnto the whole Citie We two therfore here present the wiues of those noble Gentle men brought vp together from our Cradle perceiuing the malice betwene our husbandes made a vertue of necessitie déemyng it better for vs to lose our swete anncient conuersation than to minister occasiō of disquietnesse But the nerenesse of our houses would not that naturall hatred shoulde defrande and take awaye 〈◊〉 ingrafted amitie Wherefore many tymes when our husbands were gone forth we met together talked in our gardens betwene which there is but a thin hedge beset with primme and roses which commoditie in their absēce we did discretely vse And as somtimes for pleasure we walked with oure husbandes there ye she turning vnto them did cast your eyes vpon eche others wife and were straighte waye in loue or else perchance you fained your selues to be which espied by vs many tymes betwene our selues dyd cōmen of the same and red your amorous letters and song sent vnto vs. For which dissoyaltie treson towards vs your wiues we sought no dishonour to your persones wée wer content to suffer you to be abused with your fond loue we blabbed it not abrode to our gossips as many leude and fantasticall women be wont to doe therby to raise slaunder to our husbandes and to sturre vp ill reporte vpon them whose infirmities it becommeth vs to conceile and hide Wée deuised meanes by some other way to let you vnderstande your fault and dyd cast vpon you many times right louing lookes Which although it were against our own desire yet the cause and full conclusion of the same was to practise if it were possible to make you friends But consideryng that thys loue and allurementes of either parts could not tend to other end as we coniectured but to increse displeasure and to put the swords into your hands we therfore consulted betwene our selues vniformly in one mind did agrée for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 satisfaction of all partes at suche nightes as ye fained to go into diuers places about earnest affaires as ye alleaged Mistresse Lucie with the helpe of Cassandra my maid through the Gardeine came into my chambre and I by meanes of Iane hir maide by like way repaired vnto hirs And yt poore mē guided by our maids were brought vnto your chambers where ye lay with your owne wiues and so by tilthe of others land in strange soile as ye beleued ye lost no labour And bicause your embracemēts then were like to those atchieued by amorous Gentlemen vsing vs with more earnest desire than you were wōt to doe both we were begotten with child which ought to be very gladsome and gratefull vnto you if ye were so faine to haue childrē as ye shewed your selues to be If then none other offense doth grieue you if remorse of conscience for other cause doth not offēd you if none other sorow doth displease you Giue ouer your griefe Remit your displeasure Be glad and ioyfull Thanke vs for our policie and pleasant disport that we made you If hitherto ye haue bene enimies hēceforth be friends put of that auncient malice so long cōtinued mitigate your hatefull moode and liue ye from henceforthe like friendly Gentlemen yelde vp
who thinke my self of 〈◊〉 born and sustained in my first yong age to be the 〈◊〉 man and 〈◊〉 seruaunt of you my 〈◊〉 deare 〈◊〉 whome alone I yelde my heart 〈◊〉 as it is and the ioy of 〈◊〉 thoughts 〈◊〉 in my 〈◊〉 by the contemplation and remembraunce of your excellent and perfect grace wherof if I be not fauored I 〈◊〉 for death from which euen presently I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 feare of that which she can doe or of the vgly 〈◊〉 which I conceiue to be in hir but rather to confirme my life this body for instrument to exercise the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for doing of your commaundements where I shall proue that vnworthy cruelty both of your gentle 〈◊〉 and of the body fraught ful of that which dame Nature can departe of hir aboundant graces 〈◊〉 sure madame that you shall shortly sée the end of him which attendeth yet to beare so much as in him 〈◊〉 lie the vehement loue into an other world which maketh me to pray you to haue pitie on him who attending the rest and final sentence of his death or life doth humbly kisse your white and delicate hands 〈◊〉 god to giue to you like 〈◊〉 as his is who 〈◊〉 to be Wholy yours or not to be at all Philiberto of Virle The letter written closed and sealed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 neighbour who promised him againe to 〈◊〉 him 〈◊〉 at night Thus thys 〈◊〉 went hir way leauing this poore languishing Gentleman hoping against his hope and faining by and by some ioy and pleasure wherin he 〈◊〉 himself with great contented minde Then sodainly he called againe vnto remembrance the crueltie 〈◊〉 of Zilia which shewed before his eyes so many kindes of deathe as times he thought vpon the same thinking that he saw the choler wherewith his little courteous mistresse furiously did intertaine the messanger who found Zilia comming forth of a gardein adioyning to hir house and hauing saluted hir and receiued like courteous salutation she would haue framed hir talke for honest excuse in that 〈◊〉 charge message for hir also vnto whome she was sent and for some ease to the pore getleman which aproched nearer death than life But Zilia brake of hir talke saying I maruell much gentle neighbor to sée you héere at this time of the day knowing your honest custome is to let passe no minute of the time except it be employed in some vertuous exercise Mistresse answered the messanger I thank you for the good opinion you haue of me and doe pray you to 〈◊〉 the same For I do assure you that nothing vaine of little effect hath made me slacke my businesse at this time which me think I do not 〈◊〉 when I inforce my self to take pitie and mercy vpon the afflicted sort and the cause therof I would disclose if I feared not to offend you and breake the loue which of long time betwene vs two hath bene frequented I know not sayd Zilia wherunto your words do tēd although my heart doth throbbe and minde doth moue to make me thinke your purposed talke to be of none other effecte than to say a 〈◊〉 which may redoūd to the preiudice of mine 〈◊〉 Wherfore I pray you doe not open any thing that 〈◊〉 be contrary be it neuer so little to the duetie of Dames of our degrée Mistresse sayd the neighboure I suppose that the little likelihoode which is in you with the thing for the helpe whereof I come to speake hath made you féele the passion contrary to the griefe of him that indures so much for your sake Unto whome not thinking therof I gaue my faith in pledge to beare this Letter In saying so she drew the same out of hir bosome and presenting them to cruell 〈◊〉 she sayde I beseeche you to thinke that I am not ignoraunt of the 〈◊〉 wherewith the Lorde of 〈◊〉 is affected who wrote these letters I promised him the duetie of a messanger towardes you and so constrained by promise I could doe no lesse than to deliuer you that which he doeth send with seruice such as shall 〈◊〉 for euer or if it shall please you to accept him for such a one as he desireth For my parte I pray you to reade the contents and accordingly to giue me answere for my faith is no further bound but faithfully to reporte to him the thing whereupon you shall be resolued Zilia which was not wont to receiue very ofte such embassades at the first was in minde to breake the letters and to returne the messanger to hir shame But in the end taking heart and chaunging hir affection she red the letters not without shewing some very great alteration outwardely which declared the meaning of hir thought that diuersly did striue within hir minde for sodainely the chaunged hir coloure twice or thrice now waring pale like the increasing 〈◊〉 Eclipsed by the Sunne when the féeleth a certaine darkening of hir borowed light then the Uermilion and coloured tainte came into hir face againe with no lesse hewe than the blomed Rose newly budded forth which encreased halfe so much againe the excellencie of that wherewith Nature 〈◊〉 indued hir And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 paused a while Notwithstanding after that shée had redde and redde againe hir louers letter not able to dissemble hir foolishe anger which vered hir hearte she sayd vnto the mistresse messanger I wold not haue thought that you being suche as eche man knoweth would by abusing your duetie haue bene the ambassador of a thing so vncomely for your estate and the house whereof you come and towardes me which neuer was such one ne yet pretend to be to whome sute should be made for doing of such follies And trust to it that it is the loue I beare you which shall make me dissemble that I thinke and holde my peace reseruing in silence that which had it come from an other than you I would haue published to the great dishonoure of hir which had made so little accompte of my chastitie Let it suffise therfore in time to come for you to thinke and beleue that I am chaste and honest and to aduertise the Lord of 〈◊〉 to procéede no further in his sute for rather will I die than agrée to the least point of that which he desires of me And that he may knowe the same be well assured that he shall take his leaue of that priuate talke which sometimes I vsed with him to my great dishonor as farre as I can sée Get you home therefore and if you loue your honoure so much as you sée me curious of my chastitie I beséeche you vse no further talke of him whome I hate so much as his 〈◊〉 is excessiue by louing hir which careth not for those amorous toyes and sained passions whereunto such louing fooles do suffer them selues to be caried headlong The messanger ashamed to heare hir selfe thus pinched to the quicke answered hir very quietly without mouing of hir pacience I pray to God mistresse that he
no more although I sée my 〈◊〉 happe otherwise to ende than my desert required and that good lucke hath cause to worke againste me But yet against Fortune to contend is to war against my self wherof the victorie can be but 〈◊〉 Thus he passed al the day which séemed to last a thousand yeres to him that thought to receiue some good intertainmēt of his lady in whose bonds he was catched before he thought that womās malice could so farre excede or display hir venomous sting And truly that mā is void of sense whych suffreth him selfe so fondly to be charmed 〈◊〉 the peril of the abused ought to serue him for example They be to the masculine kinde a great confusion and vnwares for want of due forsight the same 〈◊〉 suffer it self to be bound taken captiue by the very thing which hath no being to worke effecte but by his own fréewil But this inchantmēt which riseth of womens beautie being to men a pleasant displeasure I thinke to be decked with that drawing vertue and allurement to punish and torment the faults of men for they once fed and baited with a fading fauor poisoned swetenesse forget their owne perfection and nousled in their foolishe fansies séeking felicitie and soueraigne gyfte in the matter wherein dothe lie the summe of their vnhappes In like maner the vertuous and shamfast dames haue not their eyes of mynd so blindfolde but that they sée whervnto those franke seruices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faithes and vices coloured and stuffed with exterior vertue do tende and doubt not but those louers do imitate the Scorpion whose venome lyeth in hys taile the ende of such loue beyng the ruine of good renoume and the decay of former vertues For whych cause the heauens the friende of their sexe haue gyuen them a prouidence which those gentle vnfauoured louers terme to be rigor that by those meanes they may proue the desert of a suter both for their great contentation and praise and for the rest of them that do them seruice This iuste right and modeste prouidence that cruell Gentlewoman vsed not to the good and faithfull louer the Lord of Virle who was so humble a seruant of his vnkinde mistresse as his goodnesse redounded to his great 〈◊〉 and folie as manifestly may appere by that which foloweth Sir Philiberto then thinkyng to haue gained muche by hauing made promise liberally to speake to 〈◊〉 Ladie went vnto hir at the appointed time so wel a contented man truely of that grace as al the vnkindnesse past was quite forgot Nowe being come to the lodging of mistresse Zilia he found hir in the deuised place with one of hir maides wayting vpon hir When shée saw him after a litle colde entertainement she began to say vnto hym with fained ioy that neuer moued hir within these wordes Nowe syr I sée that youre late 〈◊〉 was not so straunge as I was giuen to vnder stande for the good state wherin I sée you presently to be which from henceforth shall make me beleue that the passions of men endure so long as the cause of their affections continue within their fansies much like vnto looking glasses which albeit they make the equalitie or 〈◊〉 of things represented to apere yet when the thing séene doth passe vanish away the formes also do voide out of remembraunce like the wind which lightly whorleth too fro through the plain of some depe valey Ah madame answered he how easie a matter it is for the 〈◊〉 person to counterfait both ioy dissimulatiō in one very thing which not only may forget that conceit that moueth his affections but the obiect must 〈◊〉 remaine in him as painted and 〈◊〉 in his mind Which truly as you say is a loking glasse not such one for all that as the counterfaited apparance of represented formes hath like vigor in it that the first and true 〈◊〉 shapes can so soone vanish without leauing the trace of most perfect impression of such formes wtin the mind of him which liueth vpon their only remembrance In this mirror then which by reason of the hiddē force I may wel say to be ardent burning haue I loked so wel as I can thereby to forme the sustentation of my good 〈◊〉 But the imagined shape not able to support suche perfection hath made the rest of the body to faile weakned through the minds passions in such wise as if that hope to recouer this better part half lost had not cured both the whole decay of the one had folowed by thinking to giue some accōplishmēt in the other And if you sée me Madame attain to some good state impute not the same I beséeche you but to the good will fauor which I receiue by seing you in a priuate place wherin I cōceiue greater ioy than euer I did to say vnto you the thing which you would not beleue by woords at other times procéeding from my mouth ne yet by aduertisemēt signified in my 〈◊〉 letters Notwithstāding I think that my Martyrdome is known to be such as euery man may perceiue that the summe of my desire is only to serue and obey you for so muche as I can receiue no greater comfort thā to be cōmaunded to make repaire to you to let you know that I am hole although 〈◊〉 ouer by 〈◊〉 whē you vouchsafed to employ 〈◊〉 in your seruice and thinke my self raised vp againe 〈◊〉 one 〈◊〉 thousande deathes at once when it shall please you to haue pitie vpon the grief passion which I 〈◊〉 Alas what causeth my 〈◊〉 to sée that 〈◊〉 beautie of yours to make the proofe of a crueltie so great 〈◊〉 you determined Madame thus to 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 gentleman that is ready to sacrifice himself in your 〈◊〉 whē you shal depart to him some fauor of your 〈◊〉 Do you thinke that my passions be 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 Alacke alacke the teares which I haue shed the losse of 〈◊〉 to eate and drinke the weary passed nights the long contriued sléepelesse time the restlesse turmoile of my self may well assure that my 〈◊〉 heart is of better merite than you estéeme Then séeing hir to fire hir eyes vpon the groūd and thinking that he had already wonne hir he reinforced his faire talke sighing at 〈◊〉 betwéene not sparing the 〈◊〉 which trickled 〈◊〉 alongs his face he prosecuted his talke saying Ah faire amongs the fairest would you blot that diuine beautie with a cruelty so furious as to cause the death of him which loueth you better thā him selfe Ah mine eyes which hitherto haue bene 〈◊〉 with two liuely springs to expresse the hidden griefes within my heart if your vnhappe be such that the only dame of your contemplatiōs and cause of your teares doe cause the humor to encrease which hitherto in such wise hath emptied my braine that there is no more in me to moisten your drouthe I am content to endure the same vntill my hearte shall féele the laste pangue 〈◊〉 thēe of
once Dom Diego hearing the truth of his missehap the occasion of the same made light of the matter for that time till at length the choler of his mistresse shold begin to coole that therby she might know vpō how brittle grounde she hadde planted a suspition of hir most faithfull and louing seruaunt and so retiring towards his house altogether vexed and ill contented he went into his Chamber where with his dagger he paunched the gorge of the pore Birde the cause of his Ladies 〈◊〉 saying Ha vile carraine Kite I sweare by the bloud of him that thou shalt neuer be the cause againe to make hir fret for such a trifling thing as thou art I beleue that what so euer furie is hidden within the body of this curssed Kite to engender a Plague the same now is seased on me but I hope to doe my mistresse to vnderstande what Sacrifice I haue made of the thing which was sent me ready to do the like vpō mine own flesh where it shal please hir to commaund So taking inke paper he made answer to Gineura as foloweth The letters of Dom Diego to Gineura the faire BUt who would euer haue thought my Lady deare that a light opinion could so soone haue diuided and disparkled your good iudgement to condempne your Knight before you had heard what he was able to say for himselfe truely I thought no more to offend you than the man which you neuer knewe although you haue bene deceiued by colored words vttered by those that be enuious of my happe and enimies of your ioy who haue filled your minde ful of false report I swear vnto you by God my good Lady that neuer thing entred into my fantasie more than a desire to serue you alone and to auoide the acquaintaunce of all other to preserue for you a pure and entire heart Wherof long agone I made you an offer In witnesse wherof I humbly 〈◊〉 you to beleue that so soone as you sée this Birde the cause of your anger and occasion of my mishap torne and pluckte in pieces that my heart féeleth no lesse alteration or torment for so long as I shal vnderstand your displeasure to endure against me assure your selfe my life shall abide in no lesse paine than my ioy was great when I frankly possessed your presence Be it sufficient madame for you to knowe that I neuer thought to offende you Be contēted I besech you with this sacrifice whiche I send you if not that I doe the 〈◊〉 vpon mine own body which without your good wil and grace can not longer liue For my lyfe depending vpon that onely benefite you ought not to bee astoonned if the same 〈◊〉 his nourishmente dothe perishe as frustrate of that foode propre and apte for his appetite and by like meanes my sayd life shall reuiue if it may please you to spreade your beames ouer mine obscure and base personage and to receiue this 〈◊〉 for a fault not cōmitted And so waiting a gentle answere from your great 〈◊〉 I humbly kisse your white 〈◊〉 delicate handes with all humilitie praying God swéete ladie to let you se how much I suffer without desert and what puissaunce you haue ouer him that 〈◊〉 all your Faithfull and euer seruant most obedient Dom Diego The letter closed and sealed he deliuered to one of his faithfull and secrete seruantes to beare with the deade Hauke vnto Gineura chargyng him diligentely to take héede to hir countenaunce and aboue all that faithfully he should beare away that which she dyd saye vnto him for aunswere His man fayled not to spéede himself with diligence and being come before Gineura he presented that which his master had sent hir She ful of wrath and indignation woulde not once 〈◊〉 to reade the letter and much lesse to accept the present whiche was a witnesse of the contrary of that she dyd 〈◊〉 and tournyng vnto the Messanger she sayde My friende thou mayest goe gette thée backe agayne wyth the selfe same charge whiche thou hast brought and say vnto thy maister that I haue nothyng to doe with his Letters his excuses or any other things that commeth from hys handes as one hauyng good expeperience of hys sleightes and deceipts Tell hym also that I prayse God in good tyme I haue taken héede to the little fayth and truste that is in him for a countergarde in tyme to come lightly neuer to bée deceyued The seruyng man woulde fayne haue framed an Oration to purge his master but the fierce Gentlewoman brake of his talke saying vnto hym that she was well resolued vpon hir intente which was that Dom Diego shoulde neuer recouer place in hir minde and that shée hated hym as much at that tyme as euer shée loued him before Upon which aunswere the Messanger returned so sorowfull for the misfortune of his master knowing him to be very innocent as he knew full well into what despaire his master wold 〈◊〉 when he vnderstode those pitiful and heauie newes not with standing nedes he must know them and therfore when he was come before Dom Diego hée recited vnto hym from poynt to poynt his ambassage and deliuered him againe his letters Whereof the infortunate Gentleman was so sore assooned as he was like to haue fallen downe dead at that instant Alas sayde he what yll lucke is this that when I thought to enioye the benefite of my attempte Fortune hath reuolted to bryng me to the extremitie of the moste desperate man that euer lyued Is it possible that my good seruice shoulde bée the cause of my approached ouerthrowe Alas what may true and faithfull louers henceforthe hope for if not the losse of their time when after long deuoire and duetie an Enuious foole shall come to depriue them of their ioy and gladnesse and they féeling the bitternesse of theyr abandoned farewell one that loueth lesse shall beare away the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of suche hope and shall possesse without deserte the glorie due to a good and faithfull 〈◊〉 Ah fayre Gineura that thou séest not the griefe whych I doe 〈◊〉 and the affection wherewith I serue thée and howe muche I woulde suffer to gayne and recouer thy good grace and fauor Ha vayne hope whyche vntyll nowe haste fylled me wyth myrthe and gladnesse altogether spente and powdred in the gaulle of operation of thy bytter sauoure and the taste of thy corrupted lycour better it hadde bene for mée at the begynnyng to haue refused thée than afterwardes receyued cherished and sincerely beloued to be banished for so lyght occasion as I am full sore ashamed to conceyue the same wythin remembraunce but Fortune shall not haue hir wyll ouer me for so long as I shall lyue I wyll continue the seruaunt of Gineura and my lyfe I will preserue to lette hir vnderstande the force of Loue By continuance whereof I will not sticke to sette my selfe on fyre with the liuely flames of my passion and then withdrawe the 〈◊〉 of my ioye by the rigour
how the pore Gentleman was resolued to finish there in the desert vnknowen to his friends all the remnāt of his life And who aswell for the euill order and not 〈◊〉 nouriture as for assiduall plaints and wé 〈◊〉 was become so pale leane as he better resembled a dry chippe than a man hauing féeling or life His eyes were soonke into his head his beard 〈◊〉 his hair staring his skin ful of filth altogither more like a wilde and sauage creature such one as is depainted in brutall forme than faire Dom Diego so much commēded and estéemed through out the kingdome of Spaine Nowe leaue we this amorous Hermite to passionate plaine his misfortune to sée to what ende the Letters came that he wrote to his cruell Mistresse The day 〈◊〉 for deliuerie of his Letters his seruaunt did his charge and being come to the house of Gineura found hir in the Hall with hir mother where kissing his maisters letters he presēted them with very great reuerence to the Gentlewoman Who so soone as she knewe that they came from Dom Diego all chaunged into raging coloure and foolishe choler threw them incontinently vpon the ground saying Sufficeth it not thy maister that already twice I haue done him to vnderstand that I haue nothing to do with his letters nor Ambassades and yet goeth he about by such assaultes to encrease my displeasure and agonie by the only remembraunce of his follie The mother séeing that vnciuile order although she vnderstoode the cause and knew that there was some discorde betwéene the two Louers yet thought it to be but light sith the Comike Poet doeth say The louers often falling out And prety wrangling rage Of pleasant loue it is no dout The sure renewing gage She went vnto hir Daughter saying What great rage is this Let me sée that letter that I may read it For I haue no feare that Dom Diego can deceiue me with the swéetenesse of his hony words And truly daughter you néede not feare to touch them for if there were any poison in them it proceaded from your beautie that hath bitten and stong the Knight whereof if he assay to make you a partaker I sée no cause why he ought to be thus rigorously reiected deseruing by his honestie a better entertainement at your handes In the meane time one of the Seruing men tooke vp the letters and gaue them to the Lady who reading them found written as foloweth The letters of Dom Diego to Mistresse Gineura MY dearest and most wellbeloued Ladie sith that mine innocency can finde no resting place within your tendre corpse what honest excuse or true reasō so euer I do alleage and sith your heart declareth it selfe to be implacable and not pleased with him that neuer offēded you except it were for ouermuch loue which for guerdon of that rare and incomparable amitie I perceiue my self to be hated deadly of you and in such wise contemned as the only record of my name causeth in you an insupportable griefe and displeasure vnspeakeable To auoid I say your indignation and by my mishap to render vnto you some 〈◊〉 and contentment I haue meant to dislodge my selfe so far from this Countrey as neither you nor any other shal euer hear by fame or true report the place of my abode nor the graue wherin my bones shall rest And although it be an 〈◊〉 hearts sorow and torment which by way of pen can not be declared to be thus misprised of you whom alone I do loue and shal so long as mine afflicted soule shall hang vpon the féeble and brittle thréede of life yet for all that this griefe falling vpon me is not so 〈◊〉 as the punishment is grieuous by imagining the passion of youre minde when it is 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 and wrathe againste me who liueth not but to wander vpon the thoughtes of youre perfections And forsomuch as I doe féele for the debilitie that is in me that I am not able any longer to beare the sowre shockes of my bitter torments and martyrdome that I presently doe suffer yet before my life do faile and death doe sease vpon my senses I haue writen vnto you this present letter for a testimoniall of your rigour which is the marke that iustifieth my vngyltinesse And although I doe complain of mine vnhappie fortune yet I meane not to accuse you only contented that eche man doe know that firme affection and eternall thraldome do deserue other recompense than a farewell so cruell And I am well assured that when I am dead you will pitie our torment knowing then although to late that my loyaltie was so sincere as the report of those was false that made you beléeue that I was very farre in loue with the daughter of Dom Ferrande de la Serre Alas shall a noble Gentleman that hath bene wel trained vp be fordidden to receiue the gifts that come from a vertuous Gentlewoman Ought you to be so incapable and voide of humanitie that the sacrifice whiche I haue made of the poore birde the cause of your disdaine my repentance my lawfull excuses are not able to let you sée the contrary of you persuation Ah ah I sée that the darke and obscure vaile of vniust disdaine 〈◊〉 anger hath so blindfold your eyes and 〈◊〉 your minde as you can not iudge the truth of my cause and the vnrighteousnesse of your quarel I will render vnto you none other certificat of mine innocencie but my languishing heart whiche you clepe betwene your hands feling such rude intertainment there of whome he loked for reioyse of his trauels But for somuch then as you do hate me what resteth for me to do but to pro cure destruction to my selfe And sith your pleasure cōsisteth in mine ouerthrowe reason willeth that I obey you and by death to sacrifice my life in like maner as by life you wer the only mistresse of my heart 〈◊〉 only thing chereth vp my heart maketh my death more miserable which is that in dying so innocent as I am you shal remaine faultie the onely cause of my ruine My life will depart like a puffe soule shal vanish like a swéete sōmers blast wherby you shal be euer déemed for a cruell womā and bloodie murderer of your deuout and faithful seruants I pray to God mine owne swete Ladie to giue you such contentation ioy pleasure and gladnesse as you do cause through your rigor discōtentation grief displeasure to the poore lan guishing creature and who for euermore shall be Your most obedient and affected seruant Dom Diego The good Ladie hauyng redde the Letter was so astoonned as hir woordes for a long space stayed within hir mouth hir heart panted and spirite was full of confusion hir minde was filled with sorow to consider the anguishes of the poore vagabund and foster hermit In the ende before the houshold dissembling hir passion which moued hir sense she toke hir daughter aside whō very sharply she rebuked
was called Angēlica a name of trouth without offense to other due to hir For in very déede in hir were harbored the vertue of curtesy and gentlenesse and was so wel instructed and nobly brought vp as they which loued not the name or race of hir could not forbeare to commend hir and wish that their daughter were hir like In suche wise as one of hir chiefest foes was so sharpely beset with hir vertue and beautie as he lost his quiet sléepe lust to eate drinke His name was Anselmo Salimbene who wold willingly haue made sute to marry hir but the discord past quite mortified his desire so sone as he had deuised the plot within his braine and fansie Notwithstāding it was impossible that the loue so liuely grauen and 〈◊〉 in his minde could easily be defaced For if once in a day he had not séene hir his heart did fele the tormēts of tosting flames and wished that the Hunting of the Bore had neuer decayed a familie so excellent to the intent he might haue matched himself with hir whome none other coulde displace out of his remembraunce which was one of the richest Gentlemen and of greatest power in Siena Now for that he ourst not discouer his amorous grief to any person was the chiefest cause that martired most his heart for the auncient festred malice of those two families he despaired for euer to gather either floure or fruit of that affection presupposing that Angelica would neuer fire hir loue on him for that his Parents were the cause of the defaite ouerthrow of the Montanine house But what There is nothing durable vnder the heauens Both good and euill 〈◊〉 their reuolution in the gouernement of humane affaires The amities and hatreds of Kings and Princes be they so hardned as commonly in a moment he is not 〈◊〉 to be a hearty friend that lately was a 〈◊〉 foe and spired naught else but the ruine of his aduer farie We sée the varietie of humane chaunces and then 〈◊〉 iudge at eye what great simplicitie it is to stay settle certain and infallible iudgemit vpon 〈◊〉 vnstayed doings He that erst gouerned a king made all things to tremble at his word is sodainly throwne downe dieth a shamefull death In like sort another which loketh for his owne vndoing séeth himselfe aduaunced to his estate againe and vengeaunce taken of his enimies Calir Bassa gouerned whilom that great Mahomet that wan the Empire of Constantinople who attempted nothing without the aduise of that Bassa But vpon the sodain he saw himself reiected the next day strangled by commaundement of him which so greatly honored him without iust cause did him to a death so cruell Contrariwise Argon the T artarian entring armes against his vncle Tangodor Caui when he was vpon the point to lose his life for his rebellion and was conueyed into Armenia to be executed there was rescued by certain T artarians the houshold seruaūtes of his dead vncle and afterwards proclaimed king of T artarie about the yere 1285. The example of the Empresse Adaleda is of no lesse credit than the former who being fallen into the hands of Beranger the vsurper of that Empire escaped his fury and cruelty by flight in the end maried to Otho the first saw hir wrong reuenged vpō Beranger and al his race by hir sonne Otho the second I aduouch these histories to proue the mobility of fortune the chaunge of worldly chaunces to the end you may sée that the very same miserie which followed Charles Montanine hoisted him aloft again when he loked for least succor he saw deliueraunce at hād Now to prosecute our history know ye that while Salimbenc by little litle pined for loue of Angelica wherof she was ignorāt carelesse and albeit she curteously rendred health to him when somtime in his amorous fit he beheld hir at a window yet for al that she neuer gessed the thoughts of hir louing enimy During these haps it chaūced that a rich citizen of Siena hauing a ferme adioyning to the lāds of Montanine desirous to encrease his patrimonie annere the same vnto his owne and knowing that the yong gentleman wanted many things moued him to sel his inheritaunce offring him for it in redy mony a M. Ducates Charles which of all the wealth substaunce left him by his auncester had no more remaining but that countrey ferme a Palace in the Citie so the rich Italians of eche city terme their houses and with that litle liued honestly maintained his sister so wel as he could refused flatly to dispossesse himselfe of that porcion which renewed vnto him that happy memory of those that had ben the chief of al the cōmon wealth The couetous wretch seing himself frustrate of his pray conceiued such rancor against Montanine as he purposed by right or wrōg to make him not only to for fait the same but also to lose his life following the wicked desire of tirannous Iesabel that made Naboth to be stoned to death to extorte and wrongfully get his vineyarde About that time for the quarels cōmon discordes raigning throughout Italy that nobilitie were not assured of safety in their countreis but rather the cōmon sort rascall nūber were that chief rulers and gouerners of the cōmon wealth whereby the greatest part of the nobilitie or those of best authoritie being banished the villanous band and grosest kind of common people made a law like to the Athenians in the time of Solon that all persons of what degrée cōditiō so euer they were which practized by himselfe or other meanes the restablishing or reuocation of such as wer banished out of their Citie shold lose forfaite the sum of M. Florens and hauing not wherewith to pay the condempnation their heade should remaine for gage A law no dout very iust and righteous scenting rather of the barbarous cruelty of the Gothes and 〈◊〉 thā of true christians stopping the retire of innocents exiled for particular quarels of Citizens incited one against another and rigorously rewarding mercy and curtesie with execution of cruelty incomparable This citizen then purposed to accuse Montanine for offending against the lawe bicause otherwise he could not purchase his entent and the same was easy inough for him to compasse by reason of his authority and estimation in the Citie for the enditement and plea was no sooner red and giuen but a number of post knightes appeared to depose against the pore gentleman to beare witnesse that he had trespassed the lawes of the Countrey and had sought meanes to introduce the banished with intent to kill the gouerners and to place in state those 〈◊〉 that were the cause of the Italian troubles The miserable gentleman knew not what to do ne how to defend himself There were against him the Moone the. vy starres the state of the Citie the Proctor and Iudge of the court the witnesses that gaue
where he had remained for a certaine time and passing before the house of his Ladie according to his custome heard the voice of women maidens which mourned for Montanine therwithal stayd the chiefest cause of his stay was for that he saw go forth out of the palace of his Angelica diuers women making mone lamentation wherfore he demaūded of that neighbors what noise that was whether any in those quarters were dead or no. To whom they declared at length all that which ye haue heard before Salimbene hearing this story went home to his house being secretly entred into his chāber begā to discourse with himself vpon that accident and 〈◊〉 a thousand things in his head in the ende thought that Charles shold not so be cast away wer he iustly or innocently condemned and for the only respect of his sister that she might not be left destitute of all the goodes and inheritance Thus discoursing diuers things at length he sayd I were a very simple person now to rest in dout sith Fortune is more curious of my felicitie than I could wish and séeketh the effecte of my desires when lest of all I thought vpon them For behold Montanine alone is left of al the mortal enimies of our house which to morow openly shall lose his head like a rebell seditious person vpon whose auncesters in him shall I bée reuenged and the quarell betwene our two families shall take ende hauing no more cause to feare renuing of discorde by any that can descend from him And who shall let me then from inioying hir whom I do loue hir 〈◊〉 being dead and his goodes confiscate to the segniorie and she without all maintenance and relief except the aide of hir onely beautie and curtesie What maintenance shall she haue if not by the loue of some honest Gentleman that for his pleasure may support hir and haue pitie vpon the losse of so excellent beautie Ah Salimbene what hast thou sayd Hast thou alreadie forgotten that a Gentleman for that only cause is estemed aboue all other whose glorious factes oughte to shine before the brightnesse of those that force themselues to folow vertue Art not thou a Gentleman borne and bredde in noble house ssued from the loines of gentle and noble parents Is it ignorant vnto thée that it pertaineth vnto a noble and gentle hearte to reuenge receiued iniuries himself without séeking aide of other or else to pardon them by vsing clemencie and princely curtesie burying all desire of vengeaunce vnder the tombe of eternall obliuion And what greater glorie can man acquire than by vanquishing himself and chastising his affections and rage to bynde him whiche neuer thought to receiue pleasure or benefite at his hand It is a thing which excedeth the cōmon order of nature and so it is mete and requisite that the most excellent do make the effects of their excellencie appeare and séeke means for the immortalitie of their remembrāce The great Dictator Caesar was more praised for pardoning his 〈◊〉 and for shewing him selfe curteous and easie to be spoken to than for subduing the braue and valiant Galles and Britons or vanquishing the mightie Pompee Dom Roderico Viuario the Spaniard although he might haue ben reuenged vpon Dom Pietro king of Aragon for his infidelitie bicause he went about to hinder his voyange against the Saracens at Grenado yet wold not punishe or raunsom him but taking him prisoner in the warres suffered him to go without any tribute or any exaction of him and his 〈◊〉 The more I folowe the example of mightie personages in things that be good the more notorious and wonderful shal I make my self in their rare and noble déedes And not willing to forget a wrong done vnto me whereof may I cōplain of Montanine what thing hath hée euer done against me or mine And albeit his predecessors were enimies to our familie they haue therfore borne the penance more hard than the sin deserued And truly I shold be afrayd that God wold suffer me to 〈◊〉 into some mishap if séeing one afflicted I shold reioyse in his affliction take by his decay an argument of ioy plesure No no Salimbene is not of minde that such fond imagination should bereue good will to make himselfe a friend to gaine by liberalitie curtesie hir which for hir only vertue deserueth a greater lord than I. Being asiured that there is no man except he were 〈◊〉 of al good nature humanitie specially bering the loue to Angelica that I do but he woulde be sory to see hir in such heauinesse and dispaire wold attempt to deliuer hir from such dolorous grief For if I loue hir as I do in dede must not I likewise loue al that which she earnest ly loueth as him that is now in daunger of death for a simple fine of a thousand Florens That my heart doe make appere what the loue is which maketh me tributarie and subiect to faire Angelica that eche man may know that furious loue hath vanquisht kings greate monarches it behoueth not me to be abashed if I which am a man subiect tapassiōs so wel as other do submit my self to the seruice of hir who I am assured is so vertuous as euē very necessitie cannot force hir to forget the house wherof she toke hir original Uaunt thy self then 〈◊〉 Angclica to haue forced a heart of it selfe impregnable giuen him a wound which the stoutest lads might sooner haue depriued of life than put him out of the way of his gentle kind And 〈◊〉 Montanine thinke that if thou wilte thy selfe thou wynnest to day so heartie a friende as onely death shall separate the vnion of vs twaine and of all our posteritie It is I nay it is I my selfe that shall excell thée in duetie poynting the way for the wysest to get honor and violently compell the moued myndes of those that be oure aduersaries desiring rather vainly to forgo mine own life than to giue ouer the vertuous conceipts whiche be alreadie grifted in my minde After this long discourse séeing that the tyme required diligence he tooke a thousande Ducates and went to the Treasurer of the fines deputed by the state whom he fonnd in his office and said vnto him I haue brought you sir the Thousand Ducates which Charles Montanine is bounde to pay for his deliuerance Tell them and giue hym an acquittance that presently he may come forth The Treasorer woulde haue giuen him the rest that excéeded the summe of a Thousand Florens but Salimbene refused the same and receiuing a letter for his discharge he sent one of his seruants therwithall to the chiefe Gailer who séeing that the summe of his condemnation was payd immediatly deliuered Montanine out of the prison where he was fast shutte and fettred with great and weighty giues Charles thinkyng that some Frier had ben come to confesse hym and that they had shewed hym 〈◊〉 mercy to do him to
shift besturred him in Erra Pater for matching of two contrary elements For colde in Christmasse holy dayes and frost at Twelftide shewed no more force in this poore lerned scholer thā the Suns heat in the Feries of Iuly gnats flies waspes at noone dayes in Sōmer vpon the naked tender corpse of this fair Widow The Scholer stode belowe in a Court benoommed for cold the widowe preached a lofte in the top of a Tower and 〈◊〉 woulde haue had water to coole hir extreme heat The scholler in his shirt bedecked with his demissaries The widow so naked as hir graundmother Eue without vesture to shroud hir The widow by magike Arte what so euer it cost wold faine haue recouered hir lost louer The Scholler well espying his aduaūtage when he was asked councel so incharmed hir with his Sillogismes as he made hir to mount a tower to cursse the time that euer she knew him or hir louer So that widow not well beatē in causes of schole was whipt with the rod wherwith she scourged other Alas good woman had she knowne that olde malice had not bene forgotten she would not haue trusted lesse committed hir self to the circle of his enchauntments If women wist what dealings are with men of great reading they wold amongs one hundred other not deale with one of the meanest of those that be bookish One Girolamo Ruscelli alearned Italian making pretie notes for that better elucidation of the Italian Decamerone of Boccaccio iudgeth Boccaccio himself to be this scholler whom by another name he termeth to be Rinieri But whatsoeuer that Scholler was he was truly too extréeme in reuenge therein could vse no meane For he neuer left the pore féeble soule for all hir curteous woords and gentle supplication vntil the skin of hir flesh was parched with the scalding sunne beames And not contented with that delt his almose also to hir maide by sending hir to help hir mistresse where also she brake hir legge Yet Philenio was more pitifull ouer the thrée Nimphes faire Goddesses of Bologna whose History you may read in the xlix Nouell of my former Tome He fared not so roughly with those as Rinieri did with this that sought but to gain what she had lost Wel how so euer it was and what differencie betwene either of them this Hystorie ensuing more amply shall giue to vnderstand Not long sithens there was in Florence a yong gentlewoman of worshipfull parentage faire and comely of personage of courage stout and abounding in goods of fortune called Helena who being a Widow determined not to mary again bicause she was in loue with a yong man that was not voide of natures goodly gifts whom for hir owne toothe aboue other she had specially chosen In whome setting aside all other care many times by meanes of one of hir maids which she trusted best she had great pleasure and delite It chaūced about the same time that a yong Gentleman of that Citie called Rinieri hauing a great time studied at Paris retourned to Florence not to sell his Science by retaile as many doe but to know the reasons of things and the causes of the same which is a maruellous good exercise for a Gentleman And being there honoured greatly estemed of all men aswell for his curteous behauioure as also for his knowledge he liued like a good Citizen But as it is commonly séene they which haue best vnderstanding and knowledge in things are soonest tangled in Loue euen so it happened to this Rinieri who repairing one day for his passetime to a feast this Madame Helena clothed all in blacke after the manner of widowes was there also and séemed in his eyes so beautiful and wel fauored as any woman that euer he sawe and thought that he might be accompted happy to whome God did she we so much fauoure as to suffer him to be cleped betwene hir armes beholding hir diuers times and knowing that the greatest and dearest things can not be gotten without laboure he determined to vse all his endeuoure and care in pleasing of hir that thereby he might obtaine hir loue and so enioy hir The yong Gentlewoman not very bashfull conceiuing greater opinion of hir selfe than was néedefull not casting hir eyes towards the ground but rolling them artificially on euery side and by and by perceiuing much gazing to be vpon hir espied Rinieri earnestly beholding hir and sayd smiling to hir selfe I thinke that I haue not this day lost my time in comming hither for if I be not deceiued I shall catch a Pigeon by the nose And beginning certaine times stedfastly to loke vpon him she forced hir selfe so much as she could to séeme effectuously to beholde him and on the other parte thinking that the more pleasant and amorous she shewed hir self to be the more hir beautie should be estéemed chiefly of him whome specially she was disposed to loue The wise Scholler giuing ouer his Philosophie bent all his endeuor hereunto thinking to be hir seruaunt learned where she dwelt and began to passe before hir house vnder pretense of some other occasion wherat the Gentlewoman reioysed for the causes beforesaide faining an earnest desire to beholde him Wherfore the Scholler hauing found a certaine meane to be acquainted with hir maide discouered his loue praying hir to deale so with hir mistresse as he might haue hir fauor The maide promised him very willingly and incontinently reported the same to hir mistresse who with the greatest scoffes in the world gaue eare therunto sayd Séest thou not frō whence this goodfellow is come to lose al his knowledge doctrine that he hath brought vs from Paris Now let vs deuise therefore how he may be handled for going about to séeke that which he is not like to obtain Thou shalt say vnto him when he speaketh to thée againe that I loue him better than he loueth me but that it behoueth me to saue mine honoure and to kéepe my good name and estimation amongs other women Which thing if he be so wise as he séemeth he ought to esteme regarde Ah poore Wench she knoweth not well what it is to mingle huswiuery with learning or to intermeddle distaues with bokes Now the maid when she had found the Scholler told him as hir mistresse had commaūded wherof the Scholler was so glad as he with greater endeuor procéeded in his enterprise and began to write letters to the Gentlewoman which were not refused although he could receiue no answeres that pleased him but such as were done opēly And in this sort the Gentle woman long time fed him with delayes In the end she discouered all this newe loue vnto hir friend who was attached with such an aking disease in his head as the same was fraught with the reume of ialosie wherfore she to she we hir selfe to be suspected without cause very careful for the Scholler sēt hir maid to tel him that she had no conuenient time to doe
bene graunted to the 〈◊〉 théefe and manqueller when they be haled forth to hanging yea wine most commōly if they 〈◊〉 that same Now for that I sée thée stil remaine in 〈◊〉 mind 〈◊〉 that my passion can nothing moue thée I will prepare paciently to 〈◊〉 my death that God may haue mercy on my soule whome I humbly do beséeche with his righteous eyes to beholde that cruell facte of thine And with those woords she approched with pain to the middle of the terrasse despairing to escape that burning heat and not only once but a thousand times besides hir other sorowes she thought to sowne for thirst and bitterly wept without ceasing complaining hir missehappe But being almost night the Scholer thought he had done inough wherfore he toke hir clothes wrapping the same within his seruants cloke he went home to the Gentlewomans house where he founde before the gate hir maide sitting all sad and heauie of whome he asked where hir mistresse was Syr sayd she I cannot tell I thought this morning to finde hir a bed where I left hir yester night but I cannot finde hir there nor in any other place ne yet can tel whether to goe seke hir which maketh my heart to throbbe some misfortune chaunced vnto hir But sir quod she can not you tell where she is The Scholler answered I would thou haddest bene with hir in the place where I lefte hir that I might haue bene reuenged on thée so well as I am of hir But beleue assuredly that thou shalt not escape my handes vntill I pay thée thy deserte to the intent hereafter in mocking other thou maist haue cause to remember me When he had sayd so he willed his man to giue the maide hir mistresse clothes and then did bidde hir to séeke hir out if she would The seruaunt did his maisters commaundement and the maide hauing receiued them knewe them by and by and marking well the Scholers woordes she doubted least he had slaine hir mistresse and much 〈◊〉 she had to refraine from crying out And the Scholer being gone 〈◊〉 tooke hir mistresse garmentes and ranne vnto the Toure That day by happe one of the Gentlewomans labouring men hadde two of his Hogges runne a stray and as he went to séeke them a little while after the Scholers departure he approched neare the Toure looking round about if he might sée them In the busie searche of whome he heard the miserable plaint that the vnhappie woman made wherefore so loude as he coulde he cried out Who weepeth there aboue the woman knewe the voice of hir man and calling him by his name she sayd vnto him Goe home I pray thée to call my maide and cause hir to come vp hither vnto me The fellowe knowing his mistresse voice sayd vnto hir what Dame who hathe borne you vp so 〈◊〉 your maide hath sought you all this day and who would haue thought to finde you there He then taking the staues of the ladder did set it vp against the Toure as it ought to be and bounde the steppes that were wanting with fastenings of Willowe twigges and suche like pliant stuffe as hée coulde finde And at that instant the maide came thither who so soone as she was entred the Toure not able to forbeare hir voice beating hir handes she began to cry Alas swéete mistresse where be you she hearing the voice of hir maide answered so well as she coulde Ah swéete wenche I am héere aboue crie no more but bring me hither my clothes When the maide heard hir speake by and by for ioy in haste she mounted vp the Ladder which the labourer had made ready and with his helpe gate vp to the ferrasse of the Toure and séeing hir Mistresse resembling not a humane body but rather a wedden faggot halfe consumed with fire all weary and withered lying a long starke naked vpon the ground she began with hir nailes to wreke the 〈◊〉 vpon hir face and wept ouer hir with such 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 she had bene dead But hir Dame prayed hir for Gods sake to holde hir peace and to help hir to make hir ready and vnderstanding by hir that no man knewe where she was become except they which caried home hir clothes the laborer that was present there she was some what recomforted and prayed them for Gods sake to say nothing of that chaunce to any person The laborer after much talk request to his mistres to be of good chéere when she was risen vp caried hir down vpon his neck for that she was not able to goe so farre as out of the Toure The poore maide which came behinde in going downe the ladder without taking héede hir foote failed hir falling downe to the ground she brake hir thigh for griefe whereof she began to rore and cry out like a Lion Wherefore the labourer hauing placed his dame vpon a gréene bank went to see what the maid did aile and perceiuing that she had broken hir thigh he caried hir likewise vnto that banke and placed hir be sides hir mistresse who séeing one mischiefe vpon another to chaunce and that she of whome she hoped for greater helpe than of any other had broken hir thigh sorowful beyonde measure renewed hir cry so miserably as not only the labourer was not able to comforte hir but he himselfe began to wéepe for company The Sunne hauing trauailed into his Westerne course and taking his farewell by settling himself to rest was at that point of going downe And the pore desolate woman vnwilling to be benighted went home to the laborers house where taking two of his brothers and his wife returned to fetch the maide and caried hir home in a chaire Then chéering vp his dame with a little fresh water many faire 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 caried hir vp vpon his necke into a chāber afterwards his wife made hir warme drinks and meates putting of hir clothes laid hir in hir bed and toke order that the mistresse and maide that night were caried to Florence where the mistresse full of lies deuised a tale all out of order of that which chaunced to hir and hir maide making hir brethren hir sisters and other hir neighboures beleue that by flush of lightning and euill sprites hir face and body were blistered and the maiden stroken vnder the arse bone with a Thunderbolt Then Physitians were 〈◊〉 for who not without great griefe and paine to the woman which many times left hir skin sticking to the shéetes cured hir cruell feuer and other hir diseases and likewise the maid of hir thigh which caused the Gentlewoman to forget hir louer and from that time forth wisely did beware and take héede whom she did mocke and where she did bestow hir loue And the Scholer knowing that the maid had broken hir thigh thought himself sufficiently 〈◊〉 ioyfully passing by them bothe many times in silence Beholde the reward of a foolish wanton widowe for hir morkes and flouts thinking that no great
those that be so fondly iealous as eche thing troubleth their minde and be afraide of the flies very shadowe that buzze about their faces For by paining molesting themselues with a thing that so little doeth please and content them vntill manifest and euident proofe appeare they display the folly of their minds imperfection and the weake stedfastnesse of their fantasy But where the fault is knowne the vice discouered where the husband séeth himselfe to receiue damage in the soundest part of his moueable goodes reason it is that he therein be aduised by timely deliberation and sage foresight rather than with headlōg fury raging rashnesse to hazard the losse of his honor and the ruin of his life and goodes And like as the faith and sidelitie of the vndefiled bed hath in all times worthily bene cōmended euen so he that polluteth it by infamie beareth the penaunce of the same Portia the daughter of Cato and wife of Brutus shall be praised for euer for the honest inuiolable loue which she bare vnto hir beloued husband almost like to lose hir life when she heard tell of his certaine death The pudicitie of Paulina the wife of Seneca appeared also when she assayed to die by the same kinde of death wherewith hir husband violently was tormented by the vniust commaundement of the most cruell and horrible Emperoure Nero. But whores and harlottes hauing honest husbandes and well allied in kinne and ligneage by abandoning their bodies doe prodigally consume their good renowme If they escape the Magistrates or auoide the wrath of offended husbandes for the wrong done vnto them yet they leaue an immortall slaunder of their wicked life and youth thereby may take example aswell to shun suche shamelesse women as to followe those Dames that be chaste and vertuous Now of this contempt which the wife beareth to hir husband doe rise very many times notorious slaunders and suche as are accompanyed with passing cruelties wherein the husband ought to moderate his heat and calme his choler and soberly to chastise the fault for so muche as excessiue wrath and anger doe Eclipse in man the light of reason and suche rages doe make them to be semblable vnto brute and reasonlesse beastes Méete it is to be angrie for things done cōtrary to right equitie but tēperance and modestie is necessary in all occurrentes be they with vs or against vs. But if to resist anger in those matters it be harde and difficulte it is also to be thought that the greater impossibilitie there is in the operation and effecte of any good thing the greater is the glory that banquisheth the affection and mastereth the first motion of the minde which is not so impossible to gouerne and subdue to reason as many doe estéeme A wise man then cannot so farre forget his duetie as to exceede the boundes and limites of reason and to suffer his minde to wander from the siege of Temperaunce which if he doe after he hath well mingled Water in his Wine hée may chaunce to finde cause of repentaunce and by desire to repaire his offense augment his fault sinne being so prompt and ready in man as the crime which might be couered with certain iustice and coloured by some lawe or righteous cause maketh him many times to fall into detestable 〈◊〉 and sinne so contrary to mildnesse and modesty as the very tyraunts themselues wold abhorre such wickednesse And to the end that I do not trouble you with allegation of infinite numbres of examples seruing to this purpose ne render occasion of tediousnesse for you to reuolue so many bokes I am cōtented for this present to bring in place an History so ouer cruell as the cause was reasonable if duety in the one had bene cōsidered and rage in the other bridled and forseene who madly murdred and offended those that were nothing guiltie of the facte which touched him so neare And although that these be matters of loue yet the reader ought not to be grieued nor take in euill part that we haue still that argument in hand For we doe not hereby go about to erect a scholehouse of loue or to teache youth the wanton toyes of the same but rather bring for the these examples to withdraw that pliant and tēder age of this our time from the pursute of like follies which may were they not in this sort warned ingender like effects that these our Histories doe recompt and wherof you shall be partakers by reading the discourse that followeth Ye must then vnderstand that in the time that Braccio Montane and Sforza Attendulo flourished in Italie and were the chiefest of that Italian men of warre there were thrée Lordes and brethren which helde vnder their authoritie and puissance Fcligno Nocera and Treuio parcell of the Dukedome of Spoleto who gouerned so louingly their landes togither as without diuision they mainteined themselues in their estate liued in brotherly concorde The name of the eldest of these thrée Lordes was Nicholas the second Caesar and the yongest Conrade gētle personages wise and welbeloued so wel of the Noble men their neighbors as also of the Citezens that were vnder their obeysaunce who in the end shewed greater loyaltie towards them than those that had sworne their faith and had giuen pledges for confirmation thereof as ye shall perceiue by reading that which foloweth It chaūced that the eldest oftentimes repairing from Foligno to Nocera and lodging still in the Castell behelde with a little too much wanton eye the wife of his lieuetenaunt which was placed there with a good number of dead payes to guard the forte kepe vnder the Citizens if by chaunce as it happeneth vpon the newe erection of estates they attempted some newe enterprise against their soueraigne Lords Now this Gentlewoman was faire and of better grace singularly delighting to be loked vpon which occasioned the Lord Nicholas by perceiuing the wantonnesse and good will of the mistresse of the Castell not to refuse so good occasion determining to prosecute the enioying of hir that was the bird after which he hunted whose beautie and good grace had déepely woūded his mind wherin if he forgotte his duetie I leaue for all men of good iudgement to consider For me thinke that this yong Lord ought rather singularly to loue and cherishe his Lieuetenaunt that faithfully and trustily had kept his Castell and Forte than to prepare against him so traiterous an attempt and ambushe And if so be his sayde Lieuetenaunt had bene accused of felony misprision or Treason yet to speake the trouth he might haue deliuered the charge of his Castel vnto an other rather thā to suborne his wife to follie And ought likewise to haue considered that the Lieuetenaunt by putting his trust in him had iust cause to complaine for rauishing his honoure from him in the person of his wife whome be ought to haue loued without any affection to infrindge the holy lawe of amitie the breaking
that nowe when our passetime of hunting might yelde some good recreation vnto your honour that you doe thus forsake vs notwithstanding sith it is your good plesure we wil cease the chase of the wilde Bore till your returne In the meane time I will make readie the coardes and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the takyng of the same that vpon youre comming nothing want for the furniture of our sport The Lord Nicholas seing his Lieutenant so pleasantly disposed and so litle bent to choler or iealous fantasie was persuaded that some other toy had rather occupied his minde than any suspition betwene his wife and him But the subtill husbande searched other meanes to be 〈◊〉 than by killyng him alone of whom he receyued that dishonour and was more craftie to enterprise and more hardie to execute than the louers were wyse or well aduised to preuente and wythstande his sleightes and pollicies And albeit that the wyfe after the departure of hir friende assayed to drawe from hym the cause of his altered chéere yet coulde shée neuer learne that hir husbande hadde any yll opinion of their loue For so many times as talke was moued of the Lord Nicholas he exalted his praise vp into the heauens and commended him aboue all his 〈◊〉 All whiche he didde to beguile the pollicies of hir whome he sawe to blushe and manye tymes change colour when she heard him spoken of to whom she bare better affection than to hir husband vnto whō in very dede she dyd owe the fayth and integritie of hir bodie Thys was the very toyle which he had laide to intrappe those amorous persons and purposed to ridde the worlde of them by that meanes to remoue from before his eyes the shame of a 〈◊〉 title and to reuenge the iniurie done to hys reputation The Mistresse of the Castell seing that hir husbande as shée thought by no meanes did vnderstande hir 〈◊〉 desired to continue the pleasure whiche either 〈◊〉 them desired and which made the thirde to die of phrenesie wrote to the Lorde Nicholas the letter that foloweth My Lorde the feare I had that my husband should perceyue our loue caused me to intreate you certaine dayes past to discontinue for a time the frequentatiō of your owne house wherby I am not a litle grieued that contrary to my will I am defrauded of your presence which is farre more pleasant vnto me than my husbandes 〈◊〉 who ceaseth not continually to talke of the honest behauiour and commendable qualities that be in you and is sorie for youre departure bicause he feareth that you mislyke youre entertainement which should be sayth he so grieuous and noysome vnto him as death it selfe Wherfore I pray you 〈◊〉 if it be possible and that your affaires do suffer you to come hither to the ende I may inioy youre 〈◊〉 presence and vse the libertie that our good happe hath prepared through the litle iealosie of my husband your Lieutenant who I suppose before it be long will 〈◊〉 you so great is his desire to make you passetime 〈◊〉 hunting within your owne lande and territorie Fayle not then to come I beséech you and we will so well consider the gouernement of our affaires as the best sighted shall not once discrie the least suspicion therof recommending my selfe most humbly after the best maner I can to your good lordship This Letter was deliuered to a lackey to beare to the Lorde Nicholas and not so priuily done but that Lieutenant immediatly espied the deceipt which the sooner was disciphred for so much as he dayely lay in waite to finde the meanes to reuēge the wrong done vnto him of purpose to beate the iron so long as it was hotte to execute his purpose before his wife toke hede and felte the indeuor of his enterprise And bicause that shée had assayed by diuers ways to sound his hart and fele whether he had conceiued displeasure against the Lorde hir louer the daye after wherein she had written to hir friende hée sente one of hys men in poste to the thrée Lordes to require them to come the nexte daye to sée the passetyme of the 〈◊〉 and greatest Wylde Bore that long tyme was bredde in the Forrestes adioynyng vnto Nocera Albeit that the Countreye was fayre for 〈◊〉 and that diuers times many fayre Bores 〈◊〉 bene encountred there But it was not for this that he had framed his errand but to trap in one toyle and snare the thrée brethren whome he determined to sacrifice to the aultar of hys vengeaunce for the expiation of their elder brothers trespasse and for soiling the nuptiall bed of his seruāt He was the wylde Bore whom he meant to strike hée was the praie of his vnsaciable and cruell appetite If the fault had ben generall of all thrée togethers he had had some reason to make them passe the bracke of one equall fortune and to tangle them within one net both to preuent therby as he thought his further hurt and to chastise their leude behauiour For many times as lamentable experience teacheth Noble men for the only respect of their nobilitie make no conscence to doe wrong to the honor of them whose reputation and honestie they oughte so well to regarde as their owne Herein offended the good prince of the Iewes Dauid whē to vse his Bersabe without suspicion he caused innocent Vrias to be slaine in lieu of recompense for hys good seruice and diligent execution of his behests The children of the proude Romane King Tarquinius did herein greatly abuse them selues when they violated that noble Gentlewoman Lucrece whome all histories doe so muche remembre and whose chastitie all famous writers doe commende Upon such as they be vengeance oughte to be doue and not to defile the handes in the bloode of innocentes as the parents and kinsemen of dead Lucrece did at Rome and this Lieutenant at Nocera vpon the brethren of him that hadde sent him into Cornewall without passing ouer the seas But what Anger procéeding of such wrong surmounteth al phrenesie and excedeth all the bounds of reason and mans so deuoide of wits by seing the blot of defamation to light vpon him as he séeketh al 〈◊〉 to hurt and displease him that polluteth his renoume All the race of the Tarquines for like fact were banished Rome for the onely brute whereof the husband of the faire rauished wife was constrained to auoide the place of his natiuitie Paris alone violated the body of Menelaus the Lacedemouian King but for reuenge of the rauished Greeke not onely the glorie and richesse of stately Troy but also the most part of Asia and Europa was ouerturned and defaced if credit may be giuen to the records of the auncient So in this fact of the Lieutenant the Lorde Nicholas alone had polluted his bed but the reuenge of the cruell man extended further and his furie raged so farre as the guiltlesse were in great daunger to beare the penance which shall be well perceiued by the discourse that
a stone of salt For when he saw that bloodie pageant and knew that it was his brother Nicholas pitie feare so stopt the pipes of his spech as wtout coÌ„plaining himself or framing one word he suffred his throte to be cut by the barbarous captain who threw him half dead vpoÌ„ that corps of his brother 〈◊〉 that bloud of either of theÌ„ might cry vp to that heueÌ„s for so loud veÌ„geaÌ„ce 〈◊〉 that of Abel did being slain by the treson of his nerest bro ther. Beholde that dreadful beginnings of a heart rapt in fury and of that minde of him that not resisting his fonde affections executed the terrible practizes of his owne braine and preferring his fantasle aboue reason deuised suche ruine and decay as by these examples the posteritie shall haue good cause to wonder The like cruelty vsed Tiphon towardes his brother Osyris by chopping his body in xxvi gobbets whereby ensued the 〈◊〉 of him and his by Orus whome some doe surname Appollo And troweth that captaine to looke for lesse mercy of the brother of the other twain that were murdred and of the Dukes kindred whome he kept prisoner But he was so blinded with fury and it may be led by ambition and desire to be made Lord of Nocera that he was not conteÌ„ted to venge his shame on him which had offended but assayed to murder and extinguish all the Trinicien bloud the enheritance only remaining in them And to come to the end of his enterprise this Italian Nero not content with these so many slaughters but thereunto adioyned a new treason assaying to win the Citizens of Nocera to moue rebellion against their Lord causing them to assemble before the Forte vnto whome vpon the walles he vsed this or like Dration I haue hitherto my masters 〈◊〉 the litle pleasure that my heart hath felt to 〈◊〉 so many true faithful Citizens subiect vnder the will vnbrideled lustes of two or three 〈◊〉 who haue gotten power and authoritie ouer vs more through our owne folly cowardise than by valiance vertue and iustice either in them or those which haue dispoyled this Countrey of their auncient libertie I will not deny but principalities of long 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 deriued by succession of inheritaunce haue had some spice and kinde of equitie and that Lords of good life and conuersation ought to be obeyed defended and honored But where inuasion and seasure is against right where the people is spoiled and lawes violated it is no coÌ„science to disobey and abolish such monsters of nature The Romanes in their prime age of their common wealth ful wel declared the same wheÌ„ they banished out of their Citie the proud race of the Tirant Tarquine and when they 〈◊〉 about to exterminate al the rootes of crueltie and Tyrannicall power Our neighbours the 〈◊〉 once did the like vnder the conduct of Dion against the disruled fury and wilfull crueltie of Denis the Tirant of Syracusa and the Athenuns against the children of Pisistratus And ye that be sorted from the stocke of those Samnites which in times past so long held vp their heads against the Romane force will ye be so very cowardes weake hearted for respect of the title of your seigniorie as ye dare not with me to attempt a valiant enterprise for reducing your selues into libertie and to 〈◊〉 that vermine broode of Tyrauntes which swarme through out the whole Region of Italie Will ye be so mated and dumped as the shadowe alone of a fonde and inconstant yong man shall holde your nose to the grindstone and drawe you at his lust like an Ore into the stall I feare that if ye saw your wiues and daughters haled to the passetime and pleasure of these Tirauntes to glutte the whoredome of those stincking Goate bucks more lecherous and filthy than the senselesse sparowes I feare I say that ye durst not make one signe for demonstration of your wrathe and displeasure No no my masters of Nicera it is highe time to cutte of the Hydra his heades and to strangle him within his caue The time is come I say wherein it behoueth you to shewe your selues like men and no longer to dissemble the case that toucheth you so néere Consider whither it be good to follow mine aduise to reposside againe the thing which is your owne that is to wit the fréedome wherin your auncesters gloried so muche and for which they feared not to hazarde their goodes and liues It will come good cheape if you be ruled by me it will redound to your treble fame if like men ye follow mine aduise which I hope to let you shortly sée without any great perill or losse of your Citizens bloud I haue felt the effect of the Trinicien Tiranny and the rigor of their vnrighteous gouernement which hauing begonne in me they will not faile if they be not chastised in time to extend on you also whome they déeme to be their slaues In like manner I haue first begon to represse their boldnesse and to withstand their lâ—ud behauioure yea and if you minde to vnderstand right from wrong an easie matter it will be to perfourme the rest the tune being so commodious and the discouery of the thing whereof I haue made you priuy so coÌ„uenient And know ye that for the exploit of mine intent and to bring you againe altogither in libertie I haue taken the two Lords Nicholas and Caesar prisonners attending till fortune doe bring to me the third to pay him with like money and equall guerdon that not onely you may be frée and settled in your auncient priuiledge but my heart also satisfied of that wrong which I haue receiued by their iniustice Beleue masters that the thing which I haue done was not wtout great cause nor wtout open iniury receued as by keping it close I burst by telling that same I am ashamed I wil kepe it secrete not wtstaÌ„ding shall pray you to take héede vnto your selues that by vniuersal consent the mischiefe may be preuented Deuise what answer you wil make me to that intent that I by folowing your aduise may also be resolued vpon that I haue to do without preiudice but to them to whome the case doth chiefly appertaine During all this 〈◊〉 the wicked captaine kept close the murder which he had committed to draw the worme out of the Nocerines 〈◊〉 to see of what minde they were that vpon the intelligence thereof he might worke and follow the time accordingly He that had seene the Citizens of 〈◊〉 after that seditious Dration would haue thought that he had heard a murmure of Bees when issuing forth their hiues they light amidst a pleasaunt Herber adorned beautified with diuers coloured floures For the people flocked and assembled togithers and began to murmur vpon the imprisonment of their Lord and the treason coÌ„mitted by the LieuetenauÌ„t thinking it very strauÌ„ge that he which was a houshold seruaunt durst be so bold to sease on
presence of that honourable assemblie cōceiued courage and crauing licence of the Duke to speake with mery countenance and good vttrance began thus to say hir minde Most excellent Prince and ye right honorable lordes perceiuing how my deare husband vncomely and very dishonestly doth vse himselfe against mée in this noble companie I do thinke maister Girolamo Bembo to be affected with like rage minde against this gentlewoman mistresse Lucie his wife although more tēperate in wordes he do not expresse the same Against whom if no replie be made it may séeme that he hath spoken the trouthe and that we by silence should séeme to condemne our selues to be those moste wicked women whom he alleageth vs to be Wherfore by youre gracious pardon and licence moste honourable in the behalfe of mistresse Lucie and my selfe for our defense I purpose to declare the effect of my mind although my purpose be cleane altered from that I had thought to say beyng now iustly prouoked by the vnkinde behauiour of him whome I doe loue better than my selfe which had he bene silent and not so rashly runne to the ouerthrow of me and my good name I wold haue conceiled and onely touched that which shoulde haue concerned the purgation and sauegard of them both which was the onely intent meaning of vs by making our hūble supplication to your maiesties Neuerthelesse so so farre as my féeble force shall stretch I will assay to do both the one and the other although it be not appropriate to our kinde in publike place to declame or yet to open such bold attempts but that necessitie of matter and oportunitie of time and place dothe bolden vs to enter into these termes wherof we craue a thousād pardons for our vnkindely dealings and rēder double thanks to your honors for admitting vs to speake Be it knowne therfore vnto you that our husbandes against duetie of loue lawes of mariage and against all reason do make their heauie complaints which by by I wil make plaine and euident I am right well assured that their extreme rage bitter heartes sorow do procéede of y. occasions The one of the murder wherof they haue falsly accused thē selues the other of iealosy which grieuously doth gnawe their hearts thinking vs to be vile abhominable womē bicause they were surprised in eche others chāber Concerning the murder if they haue soiled their hāds therin it appertaineth vnto you my lords to rēder their desert But how can the same be layd to our charge for somuch as they if it wer done by thē cōmited the same without our knowlege our help coūsel And truly I sée no cause why any of vs ought to be burdened with that outrage and much lesse cause haue they to lay the same to our charge For méete it is that he that doth any vnlawful act or is accessarie to the same shold suffer that due penaltie seuere chastisement accordingly as the sacred lawes do prescribe as an example for other to abstein from wicked facts But herof what néede I to dispute wherin the blind may sée to be none offense bicause thanks be to God Maister Aloisio liueth which declareth the fond cōfession of our vngitle husbands to be cōtrary to trouth And if so be our husbāds in dede had done such an abhominable enterprise reason and duetie had moued vs to sorowe and lament them bicause they be borne of noble blood and be gentlemen of this noble citie which like a pure virgin inuiolably doth cōserue hir laws customs Great cause I say had we to lamēt them if like homicides murderers they had spotted their noble blood with such fowle 〈◊〉 therby deseruing death to leaue vs yong womē widowes in woful plight Now it behoueth mée to speake of the iealoufis they haue conceiued of vs for that they were in ech others chāber which truly is the doubtful knot scruple that forceth al their disdaine griefe This I knowe well is the naile that pierceth their heart other cause of offense they haue not who like men not well aduised without examination of vs and oure demeanour bée fallen into despaire and like men desperate 〈◊〉 wrongfully accused themselues But bicause I may not consume words in vain to stay you by my long discourse from matters of greater importāce I humbly beséech you right excellent prince to cōmaunde them to tel what thing it is which so bitterly doth tormēt them Then the Duke caused one of the noble men assistant there to demaund of them the question who answered that the chiefest occasion was bicause they knew their wiues to be harlots whō they supposed to be very honest for somuch as they knew them to be such they conceiued sorow and grief which with suche extremitie did gripe thē at that heart as not able to sustain that great infamy ashamed to be sene of mē wer induced through desire of deth to cōfesse that they neuer did Mistresse Isotta hering thē say so begā to speke againe turning hir self vnto them Were you offended then at a thing which ye thought incōueniēt not mete to be done We then haue greatest cause to cōplaine Why then 〈◊〉 husbande went you to the chamber of mistresse Lucie at that time of the night What had you to do there what thyng thought you to finde there more than was in your own house And you master Girolamo what cōstrained you to forsake your wiues bed to come to my husbands wher no man euer had or at this present hath to do but him self were not that shetes of the one so white so fine neat swéet as the other I am moste noble Prince sorie to declare my husbands folie and ashamed that he should forsake my bed to go to an other that did accompt my selfe so wel worthy to entertaine hym in myne owne as the best wife in Venice and now through his abuse I abstaine to shewe my selfe amongs the beautiful and noble dames of this Citie The like misliking of hir selfe is in mistresse Lucie who as you sée may bée numbred amongs the fairest Either of you ought to haue ben cōtented with your wiues not as wickedly you haue done to forsake them to séeke for better bread than is made of wheate or for purer golde than whereof the Angel is made O worthy dede of yours that haue the face to leaue your owne wiués that be comely faire honest to séeke after strange carrion O beastly order of men that can not content their lust within the boūdes of their owne house but must go hunt after other women as beasts do after the next of their kinde that they chaunce vpon What vile affection possessed your harts to lust after others wife You make complainte of vs but wée with you haue right good cause to bée offended you ought to be grieued with youre owne disorder and not with others offense and this youre affliction paciently to beare bycause you wente about
the thing that shold please him sithēs he was first assured of hir loue but hoped the next Christmasse hollydayes to be at his commaundement wherefore if he would vouchsafe to rome the night following the first holyday into the court of hir house she wold wait there for his comming The Scholler the best contēted mā in the world failed not at the time appointed to goe to the Gentlewomans house where being placed by the maid in a base court and shut fast within the 〈◊〉 he attended for hir comming who supping with hir friend that night very pleasantly recited vnto him al that she had determined then to do saying Thou maist see what loue I do bear vnto him of whome thou hast foolishely conceiued this iealousie To which wordes hir friend gaue 〈◊〉 with great delectation desiring to see the effect of that wherof she gaue him to vnderstand by woordes New as it chaunced the day before the snowe fel downe so thicke from aboue as it couered all that earth by which meanes 〈◊〉 Scholler within a very litle space after his arriual began to be very colde howbeit hoping to receiue recompense he suffred it paciently The Gentlewoman a little while after sayd vnto hir friend I pray thee let vs goe into my chamber where at a little window we may loke out and see what he doth that maketh thee so iealous and hearken what answer he will make to my maide whome of purpose I wil send to speake vnto him When she had so sayd they went to that window where they séeing the Scholler they not seene of him 〈◊〉 the maide speake these woordes Rinieri my mistresse is the angriest woman in the world for that as yet she can not come vnto thée But the cause is that one of hir brethren is come to visite hir this Euening and hath made a long discourse of talke vnto hir and afterwardes bad himself to supper and as yet is not departed but I thinke he wil not tary long and then immediately she will come In the meane time she prayeth thée to take a litle paine The scholler beléeuing this to be true sayd vnto hir Require your Mistresse to take no care for me till hir leasure may serue howbeit entreat hir to make so much hast as she can The maid retourned and wēt to bed and the dame of the house sayd then vnto hir frend Now sir what say you to this Do you thinke that if I loued him as you mistrust that I would suffer him to tarry beneath in the colde to coole himselfe And hauing sayd so she went to bed with hir friend who then was partly satisfied and all the night they continued in great pleasure and solace laughing mocking the miserable Scholler that walked vp and downe the court to chafe himself not knowing where to sit or which way to auoide the colde and curssed the long tarying of his mistresse brother hoping at euery noise he heard that she had come to open the dore to let him in but his hope was in vain Now she hauing sported hir selfe almost till midnight sayd vnto hir friend How think you sir by our Scholer whether iudge you is greater his wisdome or the loue that I beare 〈◊〉 him The cold that I make him to suffer wil extinguish the heat of suspition which ye conceiued of my woordes the other day Ye say true sayd hir friend and I 〈◊〉 assure you that like as you are my delite my rest my comfort and all my hope euen so I am youres during life For the cōfirmation of which renewed amity they spared no delites which the louing Goddesse doeth vse to serue and imploy vpon hir seruaūts and suters And after they had talked a certain time she said vnto him For Gods sake sir let vs rise a litle to sée if the glowing fier which this my new louer bath daily written vnto me to burn in him be quēched or not And rising out of their beds they wēt to a little window loking down into the courte they sawe the Scholer daunsing vpon the snow whereunto his 〈◊〉 téeth were so good instrumentes as he séemed the 〈◊〉 dauncer that euer trode a Cinquepace after such Musike being forced therunto through the great colde which be suffred And then she sayde vnto him what say you to this my friend doe you not sée how cunning I am to make men daunce without Laber or Pipe Yes in déede said hir louer ye be an excellent musitian Then quod she let vs go downe to the dore and I will speake vnto him but in any wise speake you nothing and we shal heare what reasons and 〈◊〉 he wil frame to moue me to compassion and perchaunce shall haue no little pastime to behold him wherupon they went downe softly to the dore and there without open ing the same she with a soft voice out at a little bole called the Scholer vnto hir Which he hearing began to praise God and thanke him a thousande times beleuing verily that he shold then be let in and approching the dore said I am héere mine owne swéete heart open the dore for Gods sake for I am like to dic for colde Whome in mocking wise she answered can you make me beleue M. Scholer that you are so tender or that the colde is so great as you affirme for a little Snow that lieth without There be at Paris farre greater snowes than these be but to tel you the trothe you cā not come in yet for my brother the diuell take him came yesternight to supper and is not yet departed but by by he wil be gon and then you shal obtaine the effect of your desire assuring you that with much adoe I haue stoln away from him to come hither for your comfort praying you not to thinke it long Madame said the Scholer I beséeche you for Gods sake to open the dore that I may stand in couert from the snow which within this hour hath fallen in great aboundaunce and doth yet continue there I will attend your pleasure Alas swéete friend said she the dore maketh such a noise when it is opened that it wil easily be heard of my brother but I will pray him to depart that I may quickely returne againe to open the same Go your way then said the Scholer I pray you cause a great fire to be made that I may warme me when I come in for I can scarse féele my selfe for colde Why it is not possible sayd the woman if it be true that you wholly burne in loue for me as by your sundry letters written it appeareth but nowe I perceiue that you mocke me and therefore tary there still on Gods name Hir friend which heard all this tooke pleasure in those words wēt againe to bed with hir into whose eyes no slepe that night could enter for the pleasure sport they had with the pore Scholer The vnhappy wretched Scholer whose téeth clacked for colde saring like
so horrible Depart my friends depart get you home dispose your watch and garde about the Castell that the traiter do not escape and assure your selues that this your loue shal neuer be forgotten you shall haue of me not a tyrant as he 〈◊〉 hath protested but rather suche a Lord and better also than hitherto ye haue me proued If Conrade had not bene pressed with heauinesse he hadde 〈◊〉 goodly songs against the treason of the Lieuetenaunt and would haue accused his brother of indiscretion for trusting him whose wife he had abused and well did know that he espied the same But what The businesse required other things than words extreme follie it is to nippe the dead with taunts or with vaine woords to abuse the absent specially where vltion and reuenge is easie and the meanes manifest to chastise the temeritie of suche and to be acquited of the wrong done vnto him that cannot doe it himself Conrade then toke his way towardes Tuderto where then remained the Lord Braccio and therof was Lord and gouernour and had also vnder his gouernment Perugia and many other Cities of the 〈◊〉 Churche and who with the dignitie of the great Constable of Naples was also Prince of Capua to him the Trinicien brother all be 〈◊〉 with teares and transported with choler grief came to demaund succor for reuenge of the Lieuetenauntes trespasse saying For what assuraunce my Lord can Princes and great Lords hope henceforth when their very seruaunts shall rise and by cōstraining their masters make assay to vsurpe their seigniories wherein they haue no title or interest Is this a reuēge of wrōg in steede of one to kill twaine and yet to wishe for the third to dispatch the world of our race Is this to pursue his ennimy to séeke to catche him in trappe which knoweth nothing of the quarell to make him to suffer the paine My two brethren be dead our cosin germaine the Duke is in prison I am héere comfortlesse all sad pensife before you whome likewise this matter toucheth although not so néere as it doeth me but yet with like dishonor Let vs goe my Lord let vs goe I beséeche you to visite our good hoste that so rudely intreateth his gests which come to visite him and let vs beare him a reward that he may tast of our comming let vs goe before he saue himself that with little trauaile lesse harme to an other the ribauld may be punished who by his example if he longer liue may encrease corage bothe in seruaūts to disobey and in subiects to rebel without conscience against their heads and gouerners It is a case of very great importance and which ought to be folowed with all rigor and cruelty And he ought neuer to be supported cōforted or fauored which shal by any meanes attempt to reuolt or arme himself against his Prince or shall constraine him or hir that is his soueraigne Lord or mistresse Is not a Prince constituted of God to be obeyed loued and cherished of his subiects Is it not in him to make ordaine lawes such as shal be thought néedeful and necessary for common welth Ought not he then to be obeyed of his subiects and vassals Ought they then to teach the head commaund the chiefest member of their body I do remember a tale my Lord recited by Menenius Agrippa that wise and Notable 〈◊〉 who going about to reconcile the commons with the Senate alleaged a fit and conuenable example In time past quod he when the parts of mankinde were at variance and euery member would be a Lord generally conspiring grudging alleaging how by their great trauail paines and carefull ministery they prouided all furniture and maintenaunce for the belly and that he like a sluggishe beast stode stil enioyed such pleasures as were giuen him in this murmure and mutine all they agréed that the hands should not minister the mouth should not féede the tée the shold not make it seruiceable the feete shold not trauaile nor head deuise to get the same and whilest euery of them did forsake their seruice and obedience the belly grew so thin and the 〈◊〉 so weake and feeble as the whole body was brought to extreme decay ruine wherby said Agrippa it appeareth that the seruice due vnto the belly as the chief porcion of man by the other members is most necessary the obeying nurssing of whome doth instill force and vigor into the other parts through which we do liue and be refreshed and the same disgested dispearsed into the vaines and vitall powers ingendreth mature and fine bloud and maintaineth that whole state of the body in comely form and order By which trim comparison applied to 〈◊〉 warre is deflected mollified the stout corage 〈◊〉 of the multitude Euen so agréeing with Agrippa if the members grudge disobey against their chief the state must grow to ruine To be short in certain haps a traiter may be cherished and he that hath falsified his first faith but treason and periury euermore be detested as vices execrable In this déede neither the thing nor yet the doer hath any colour of excuse the trespasse cause for which it is done being considered Suffiseth it sir for so muche as there is neither time nor cause of further discourse what néede we to decide the matter which of it selfe is euident Beholde me here a pore Trinicien brother without brethren ioylesse without a fort at Nocera On the other part consider the Duke of Camerino in great distresse and daūger to passe that strait of death my brethren did Let vs goe I pray you to deliuer the captiue and by reuenging these offenses and murders to settle my Citie in former state fredome which that villaine goeth about to take frō me by encoraging my subiects to reuolt to enter armes therby to expell our house from the title of the same As Conrade spake these words with great grauity 〈◊〉 pronoūcing sundry tokēs of sorow that Constable of Naples wroth beyond measure for these vnplesāt newes ful of grief choler against that traiterous lieuetenāt swore in the hearing of them al that he wold neuer rest one good sléepe vntil that quarell were auēged and had quited that outrage done to the Lord Conrade and that wrong which he felt in him for the imprisonmēt of the Duke of Camerino So he concluded and the souldiers were assembled through out all the parts of the constables lands vpon the end of the wéeke to march against the fort of Nocera the Citizens whereof had layd diligēt 〈◊〉 and watch for the escape of the captain who without bashfulnesse determined with his men to defend that same to 〈◊〉 fortune making himself beleue that his quarel was good and cause iust to withstand them that should haue the heart to come to assaile him The Constable in the meane time sent a Trumpet to Nocera to sommon the
Captaine to surrender and to tell the cause of his reuolt and at whose prouocation he had committed so detestable a Treason The Captaine well assured and boldned in his wickednesse answered that he was not so well fortified to make a surrender so good cheape for so smal a price to forgoe his honor reputation and furthermore that his wit was not so slēder but he durst deuise and attempt such a matter without the councel of any other that all the déedes and deuises passed till that time were of his owne inuention And to be euen with the wrong done to his honor by the Lord Nicholas Trinicio for the violation of his wiues chastity he had cōmitted the murders told to Braccio being angry that all the tirānous race was not in his hand to spil to the end he might deliuer his countrey and put the Citizens in libertie albeit that fōdly they had refused the same as vn worthy of suche a benefite and well deserued that the tyrants should 〈◊〉 them at their pleasure and make them also their common slaues and drudges The trumpet warned him also to rēder to him the Duke bicause he was guiltlesse of the facte which the Captaine regarded so little as he did the first demaundes which was that cause the company being arriued at Nocera and the Constable vnderstanding the little accompt the Castell gentleman made of his summones that the battry the very day of their arriuall was layd and shotte against the place with suche thunder and dreadful thumpes of Canon shot as the hardiest of the mortpayes within began to faint But the corage litle feare of their chief retired their hearts into their bellies The breache being made againe the Constable who feared to lose the Duke in the Captaines furie caused the Trumpet to summone them within to fall to composition that bloudshed might not stirre their souldioures to further crueltie But so much gained this seconde warning as the first for which cause the next day after the assault was giuen wher if the assailed was valiaunt the resistance was no lesse than bolde and venturous But what can thirtie or fortie men doe against the force of a whole countrey and where the general was one of the most valiant and wisest Captains of his time and who was accompanied with the floure of the Neapolitane footmē The assault continued iiij or v. houres but in the ende the Dead payes not able to sustaine the force of the assailants forsooke the breache and assaying to saue them selues the Lieutenant retired to the Ripe of the Fort where his wife continued prisoner from the time that the two brethren were slaine Whiles they withoute ruffled in together in heapes amongs the defendaunts the Duke of Camerino with his men founde meanes to escape out of prison and ther with all began furiously to chastise the ministers of the disloyall Captain whiche in litle time were cut al to peices Conrade being within founde the Captains father vpon whom he was reuenged and killed him with his own handes And not content with that caried into further rage and furie he flashed him into gobbets and threwe them to the dogs Truly a strange maner of reuenge if the Captens crueltie had not attempted like inhumanitie To be short horrible it is to repeate the murders done in that stirre and hurly burly For they that were of the Captaines part and taken receiued all the straungest and cruellest punishment that man coulde deuise And were it not that I haue a desire in nothing to belie the author and lesse will to leaue that which he hath written vpon the miserable end of those that were the ministers and seruants to the barbarous tirannie of the Captaine I would passe no further but conceyle that which dothe not deserue remembrance except to auoide the example which is not straunge the crueltie of reuenging hearte in the nature of man in all times growyng to such audacitie as the torments which séeme incredible be liable to credite as well for those we reade in auncient histories as those we heare tel of by heare say and chauncing in our time He that had the vpper hande of his 〈◊〉 not content to kill but to eate with his ranenous téeth the hart disentrailde from his aduersarie was he lesse furious than Conrade by making an Anatomie of the bodie of the Captains father And he that 〈◊〉 Galleazze Fogase into the mouth of a Canon tying his head vnto his knées and causing him to be caried by the violent force of gunpouder into the citie from whence he came to bribe and corrupte certaine of his enimies army did he shew himself to be more curteous than one of these Leaue we a part those that be past to touche the miserable ende wherewith Conrade caused that last tribute of the Captains souldiers to be payd Now amongs these some wer tied to that tailes of wilde horses trained ouer hedges bushes downe the stiepnesse of high rocks some were haled in pieces afterwards burnt 〈◊〉 great martyrdom some wer diuided parted aliue in four quarters other sowed naked within an oxe hide so buried in earth vp to the chin by which torments they finished their liues with fearful groninges Wil ye say that the Bull of Perillus or Diomedes Horsses wer afflictions more cruel than these I know not what ye cal crueltie if these acts may beare the title of modestie But all this proceded of wrath disdaine of either parts The one disdained that the seruāt shold be his head the other was offended that his soueraigne lord should assay to take that from him which his dutie cōmaunded him to kepe Conrade toke in yll part the treson of the Captain who beyond measure was angrie that the lord Nicholas had made him a brother of Vulcans order had registred him in the boke of husbands which know that they dare not speake In sūme the one had right the other was not without some reason notwithstanding both surmounted the bounds of mans mild nature The one ought to contente himselfe as I haue said for being 〈◊〉 on him that had offended him the other of the murder done during the assault without shewing so bloody tokens of his crueltie so apparāt 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 vpon that ministers of that brutal bloody capten who seing his father put to death with such martyrdom his men so strangely tormented was vanquished with choler dispaire impaciēce And albeit that he had no gret desire to hurt his 〈◊〉 yet was he surmounted with suche rage as aprehēding hir binding hir hāds feet she stil crying him mercy crauing pardon for hir faultes at the hāds of god him he threw hir down frō the hiest Toure of the kipe vpō that 〈◊〉 of the castle court not without tears abashmēt of al which saw that mōstrous dredful sight which the souldiers viewing they fired the Toure with fire