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
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
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
was driuen into great admiration and thought it very straunge that a woman which al the days of hir life had liued in greate honour and estimation shold vpon light cause or occasion poison hir self sith it was naturally giuen to eche breathyng wyght to prolong their liuing dayes with the longest thréede that Atropos could draw out of dame Natures webbe Wher vpon he commaunded the sayd matrone to be brought before hym whose death for hir vertue was generally lamented by the whole countrey When the Gentlewomā was before him and had vnderstāding that she was fully resolued and determined to die he began by greate 〈◊〉 to exhort hir that she should not wilfully 〈◊〉 hir selfe away vpon consideration that she was of lusty yeares riche and 〈◊〉 of the whole countrey how greate pitie it were but shée shoulde renue hir minde and giue hir selfe still to liue and remayne til naturall course did ende and finish hir life howbeit his 〈◊〉 and earnest persuasion could not diuert hir from hir intēded purpose But Pompeius 〈◊〉 to haue hir die ceassed not still to 〈◊〉 his former talke with newe reasons and stronger arguments All which she paciently heard with fired 〈◊〉 til at length with clere voice and 〈◊〉 cheare 〈◊〉 answered him in this maner You be greatly deceiued my lord Pompeius if you do beleue that I without very great prouidence and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 goe about to end my days for I do know and am 〈◊〉 persuaded that eche creature naturally craueth the prolongation and lengthning of life so much abhorreth to die as the desirous to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the poison whiche I haue prepared for consummation of my life Wher vpon I haue diuers times thought considered and discoursed with my selfe and amongs many considerations 〈◊〉 debated in my minde there came into the same the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 change of Fortune whose whir 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neuer 〈◊〉 ne yet remaineth 〈◊〉 It 〈◊〉 dayly séene how she doth exalt and aduance some man from the lowest and bottomlesse pitte euen to the 〈◊〉 of the hygh Heauens endowyng hym wyth so much substaunce as he can desire An other that was moste happie honoured in this worlde lyke a God vnto whom no goodes and welfare were wantyng who myghte well haue bene called in his lyfe a thrée tymes happie and blessed wyght sodaynly from his honoure and 〈◊〉 depriued and made a verie poore man and begger Some man also that is bothe riche and lustie accompanied wyth a faire wife and goodlye children lyuyng in greate myrth and ioylitie this wicked Ladie Fortune the deuourer of all oure contentacions depriueth from the inestimable treasure of health causeth the fayre wife to loue an other better than hir husbande and with 〈◊〉 venomous tooth biteth the children that in shorte space myserable deathe catcheth them all within hys dreadfull clouches whereby hée is defrauded of those chyldren whome after his deathe hée purposed to leaue 〈◊〉 his heires But what meane I to consume tyme and words in declaration of fortunes vnsteady staye which is more clere than the beames of the Sunne of whome dayly a thousande thousande examples bée manifest All histories be full of them The myghtie countrey of Graecia doeth render ample witnesse wherein so many excellent men were bredde and brought vp Who desirous with their fynger to touche the highest heauen were in a moment throwen downe And so many famous Cities whiche gouerned numbers of people nowe at this presente day wée sée to bée thrall and obedient to thy Citie of Rome Of these hurtefull and perillous mutations O noble Pompcius thy Romane Citie may bée a 〈◊〉 cleare glasse and Spectacle and a multitude of thy noble Citizens in tyme paste and present may gyue plentyfull witnesse But to come to the cause of this my death I say that fyndyng my selfe to haue lyued these many yeares by what chaunce I can not tell in verie greate prosperitie in all whiche tyme I neuer dyd suffer any one myssehappe but styll from good to better haue passed my time vntil thys daye Nowe fearyng the frownyng of Lady Fortunes face and that shée will repente hir long continued fauoure I feare I saye leaste the same Fortune shoulde chaunge hir stile and begynne in the middest of my pleasaunt life to sprinckle hir poysoned bitternesse and make mée the 〈◊〉 and Quiuer of hir sharpe and noysome arrowes Wherefore I am nowe determined by good aduyse to ridde my self from the captiuitie of hir force from all hir misfortunes and from the noysom and grieuous infirmities which miserably be incident to vs mortall Creatures And beleue me Pompcius that many in theyr aged dayes haue left their life with litle honour who had they ben gone in their youth had died famous for euer Wherefore my Lorde Pompeius that I may not be tedious vnto thée or hinder thyne affaires by long discourse I beséeche thée to gyue me leaue to follow my deliberate disposition that frankely and fréely I may bée 〈◊〉 of all daunger for the longer the life doth growe to the greater discommodities it is subiect When shée had so sayde to the greate admiration and compassion of all those whiche were present with tremblyng handes and fearefull cheare shée quaffed a greate cuppe of poysoned drynke the whyche shée broughte wyth hir for that purpose and within a while after dyed This was the strange vse and order obserued in 〈◊〉 Whiche good counsell of that dame had the noble and valiaunt captaine followed no doubt he would haue ben contented to haue ben brought to order And then he had not lost that bloudie battell atchieued against him by Iulius Cesar at Pharsalia in Egypt Then he had not sustained so many ouerthrowes as he did then had he not ben forsaken of his trendes and in the ende endured a death so miserable And for somuch as for the most part 〈◊〉 therto we haue intreated of many tragical and bloudie rhaunces respiring nowe from those lette vs a little touche some medicinable remedies for loue some lessons for gouernement and obediēce some treaties of amorous dames and hautie 〈◊〉 of Princes Quéenes and other persons to variate the chaungeable diet wherewith dyuers bée affected rellishyng their Stomackes wyth some more pleasant digestions than they haue tasted Faustina the Empresse ¶ The dishonest Loue of 〈◊〉 AVSTINA the Empresse and vvith vvhat remedie the same loue vvas remoued and taken avvay The tenth Nouell TRue and moste holie is the sentence that the ladie gentlewoman or other wighte of Female kinde of what degrée or condition soeuer she bée be she saire fowle or ylfauoured can not be endewed with a more precious Pearle or Jewell than is the 〈◊〉 pure vertue of honesty which is of such valour that it alone without other vertue is able to render hir that 〈◊〉 in hir attire moste famous and excellent Be she more beautifull than Helena be she mightier than the Amazon better learned than Sappho rycher than Flora more louing than Quéene Dido or more noble than
and honoured And therefore I conceiue greater delight in Quintius Lincinatus in Scipio Affricanus good Marcus Portius for contemning of their offices than for the victories which they atchieued For victories many times consist in Fortune and the not caryng for honorable charge in onely wisedome Semblably thou thy selfe art witnesse that when myne vncle Cocceius Nerua was exiled to Capua he was more 〈◊〉 and better serued than when he was at Rome Whereby may be inferred that a vertuous man maye bée exiled or banished but honour he shall neuer want The Emperour Domitian if you doe remember at the departure of Nerua made me many offers and thée many faire promisses to entertain thée in his house to send me into Almayne which thou couldest not abide and much lesse consent déeming it to be greater honour with Nerua to be exiled than of Domitian to be fauored I sweare by the Gods immortall that when the good olde man Nerua sent me the ensigne of the Empire I was 〈◊〉 ignorant therof and voide of hope to atteine the same For I was aduertised from the Senate that Fuluius sued for it and that Pamphilius went about to buie it I knew also that the Consul Dolobella attempted to enioy the same Then sith the gods did permit that I should be Emperour and shoulde gouerne the Empire and that myne vncle Nerua did commaunde the same the Senate approued it and the Common wealth would haue it to bée so And sith it was the generall consent of all men and specially your aduise I haue greate hope that the Gods will be 〈◊〉 vnto me and Fortune no enunie at all assuring you that like ioye which you doe saye you haue by teaching me and seing me to bée Emperour the lyke I haue to thynke that I was youre Scholler And sith that you will not call mée from henceforth any other but Soueraigne Lorde I wyll terme you by none other name than Louyng father And albeit that I haue bene visited and counselled by many men since my commyng to the Empire and by thée aboue the reste whome aboue all other I will beleue considering that the intent of those which counsell me is to drawe my minde to theirs where your letters purporte nothyng else but mine aduauntage I doe remember amongs other words which once you spake to Maxentius the Secretarie of Domitian thus saying that they which doe presume to gyue counsell vnto Princes ought to bée frée from all passions and affections for in counsell where the will is more enclined the mynde 〈◊〉 prompte and readie That a Prince in all thyngs doe his will I praise not That he take aduise and conusell of euery man I lesse allowe That which ho ought to doc as me thinke is to doe by counsell 〈◊〉 for all that to what counsell hée applieth his mynde For counsell ought not to be taken of hym whome I do well loue but of hym of whome I am beloued All thys I haue written my Maister Plutarch to aduertise you that from henceforth I desire nothyng else at your handes but to bée holpen with your aduise in mine affaires and to tell me of my committed faultes For yf Rome doe thinke me to bée a defender of their common wealth I make accompte of you to bée an ouerséer of my lyfe And bycause that I séeme to you sometymes not to béevery thankefull thorough the defaulte of that whereof you haue sayd your minde I pray you maister not to bée displeased therwith For in such case no griefe can rise in me for telling me my fault but rather for shame that I haue committed the same The bringing of me vp in the house the hearing of thy loctures the folowing of thy 〈◊〉 and liuing vnder thy discipline haue bene truly the principall causes that I am cōmen to this Empire This I say Maister thinking that it were an vnnaturall part not to assist me to beare that thing which thou hast holpen me to gaine and 〈◊〉 And although that Vespasian was by nature good yet greate profite 〈◊〉 to him by entertainyng of the Philosopher Appolonius For truely it is to be counted a greater felicitie when a Prince hath chaunced vpon a good and faithfull man to be neare about him than if he had atchicued a great 〈◊〉 and Kingdome Thou sayest Plutarch that thou shalt receiue great contentation from 〈◊〉 if I be such a one as I was before vpon condition that I ware 〈◊〉 worse I beleue that which thou dost say bicause the Emperour Nero was the first fiue yeares of his Empire good and the other nine yeares excéedyng euyll in such wise as he grew to be greater in wickednesse thā in dignitie Notwithstanding if 〈◊〉 shinke that as it chaunced vnto 〈◊〉 so may happen vnto Traiane I beséeche the 〈◊〉 Gods rather to depriue me of life than to suffer me to raigne in Rome For tirants be they which procure dignities and promotions to vse them for delight and filthy 〈◊〉 and good Rulers be they which seke them 〈◊〉 of cōmon wealth And therfore to them which before they came to those 〈◊〉 were good and afterwardes wared wicked greater pitie than enuie ought to be attributed considering specially that Fortune doeth not 〈◊〉 them to honour but to shame and villanie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then good maister that sith hitherto I haue 〈◊〉 reputed 〈◊〉 I will 〈◊〉 by Gods assistance to aspire the better rather than to the worsse And so the Gods preserue thée The Letter of the Emperoure Traiane to the Senate of Rome wherein is conteined that Honour ought rather to be deserued than procured COcceius Traiane Emperoure of the Romanes euer Augustus to our sacred Senate health and consolation in the Gods of comfort We being aduertised here at Agrippina of the death of the Emperour Nerua your 〈◊〉 Lorde and my predeccssour and knowing it to be true that you haue wept and bewailed the losse of a Prince so noble righteous as we likewise haue felt like sorow for the death of so notable a father When children lose a good father subiects a good prince eyther they muste dye wyth them or else by teares they thinke to raise them vp againe for so much as good princes be in a common wealth so rare as the Phoenix in Arabia My lord Nerua brought me out of Spayne to Rome nourished me vp in youth caused me to be trained in letters adopted me for his 〈◊〉 in mine old age Which graces and benefits truly I can not forget knowing that the ingrate man prouoketh the Gods to anger and men to hatred The death of a vertuous mā ought to be lamēted of all men but the death of a good Prince ought to be extremely mourned For if a cōmon person die there is but one dead but if a good Prince die together with him dieth a whole realme I speake this O ye Fathers for the rare vertues abounding in mine vncle Nerua For if the Gods were disposed to sell vs
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
vertuous for one whome I wold choose to daly with all My desire is not to make hir a Lucrece or some of those auncient Matrones which in elder yeres builded the temple of womans Fortune at Rome The companions of this louer séeing how he was bent promised him what they were able to doe for accomplishment of his will for the which hée thanked thē very heartily offring himself to like duety wher fortune should prepare the proofe of their affection néede of his 〈◊〉 seruice In the meane time conceiuing in his minde some new deuise which so sone as hée desired was not able to be brought to passe knowing that the duke seldōe wold haue him out of his sight begā to muse vpō lies doing him to vnderstand that he had necessary occasion for a certein time to remain be at his coūtry house The duke which loued him who thought that either he had some secrete sicknesse or else some wench which he was lothe to discouer before his cōpaniōs gaue him leaue for a month which so pleased the amorous Gentleman as he 〈◊〉 for ioy was not able to rest one houre before he had 〈◊〉 out his friends and companions to mount on horsbacke to visite hir that had vnder hir power and obeysance the best portion of him which was his heart and his most secrete thought When hée was come to his Countrey house hée began to stalke abrode and daunce a round about the Mill where his beloued did dwell who was not so foolish but by and by suspected wherunto those goings and commings of the Pilgrim tended and for what pray he led his Dogs in lease and caused so many nets cords to be displayed by hunters of all ages and eche sexe who to discouer the Countrey assayde to beate the bushes to take the beast at forme For which cause shée also for 〈◊〉 parte began to flie the snares of such Birders and raunging of the Dogs that vented after hir strayed not 〈◊〉 the house of the good man hir father whereof 〈◊〉 poore louer conceiued greate dispaire not knowing by what meanes he might rouse the praie after which hée hunted ne finde the meanes to do hir to vnderstand his plaints vnmeasured griefe of heart the firme loue and sincere minde wherwith he was so earnestly bent bothe to 〈◊〉 and loue hir aboue all other And that which most of all increased his pain was that of so great a troupe of messages which he had sent with gifts and promisses the better to atchieue his purpose no one was able to take placeor force neuer so little the chastite of that sober modest maide It chaunced one day as the Gentleman walking along a woode side newly felled hard adioyning to his house by which there was a cleare and goodly fountaine shadowed betwéene two thicke lofty Maple trées the Millers daughter went thither for water and as she had set downe hir pailes vpon the fountaines 〈◊〉 hir louer came vnto hir little thinking of such a ioyfull méeting which he well declared by these woords Praysed be God that when I hoped least of this good happe hée hath sent me hither to sée the only substance of my ioy Then tourning his face towards the maiden sayd vnto hir Is it true that thou art héere or do I dreame and so neare to him that most desireth to gratifie thée in any thing wherin it may please thée to commaunde him Wilt thou not haue pitie vpon the paines and griéfs which continually I indure for the extreme loue I beare thée And saying so he would haue imbraced hir But the mayd which cared no more for his flatteries than before she did for his presents and messages seing the same to tend to nothing else but to hir ruine and great dishonor with stout countenance and by hir liuely colour declaring the chast and vertuous motion of hir bloud sayd to this valiant Gentleman How now 〈◊〉 doe you thinke that the vilenesse of mine apparell holdeth hidden lesse vertue than the rich and sumptuous ornaments of the greatest Ladies Doe you suppose that my bringing vp hathe bred in me such grosse bloud as for your only pleasure I should corrupt the perfection of my minde blot the honor which hither to so carefully I haue kept and religiously preserued Be sure that soner death shall separate the soule from my body than willingly I would suffer the ouerthrowe violation of my virginitie It is not the part of a Gentleman as you be thus to espy and subtely pursue vs poore countrey maids to charme vs with your sleights and 〈◊〉 talke It is not the duety of a Gentleman to 〈◊〉 such vaunte currors to discouer and put in peril the honoure of maidens and honest wiues as heretofore you haue done to me It ought to suffice that you receyued shame by repulse of your messāgers and not to come your selfe to be partakers of their shame and confusion And that is it that ought to 〈◊〉 you swéete heart answered he to take pitie vpon my griefe so plainly séeing that vnfainedly I doe loue you and the my loue is so well planted as rather had I suffer death than occasion the 〈◊〉 offense that may displease you Only I beséeche you not to 〈◊〉 your self so cruel vnto him who 〈◊〉 all other hath made you so frank an offer both of him self of all that he hath to commaund The maid not greatly trusting his words feared that he prolōged the time to make 〈◊〉 stay til his seruāts came to steale hir away And therfore without further answer she taking vp hir pailes half running til she came néere the Mil escaped his 〈◊〉 telling hir father no part of that talk betwene them who began already to doubt the treason deuised by the gētle man against the pudicitie of his daughter vnto whom he neuer disclosed his suspition were it that he knew hir to be vertuous inough and constant to resist the luring assaults of loue or considered the imbecillitie of our flesh the malice of the same which daily aspireth to things thervnto defended by lawes limited and prescribed which lawes it ought not to excéede and yet thereof wisheth the abolishment And the goodman also did feare that she did not care for the words that he had sayd vnto hir as alredy resolued in opinion that she wished desired the loue and acquaintance of him whome she hated to death and that vanquished by despite for the litle regard had of hir chastitie she wold not giue ouer hir louer which neyed after none other prouender Who séeing that the maidē 〈◊〉 forsaken him and little estemed his amorous onset outraged for loue and 〈◊〉 with choler bothtogether 〈◊〉 with him self sayd Ah foolish dastard louer what 〈◊〉 thou meane when thou hadst hir so nere thée in a place so commodious and was not able ne durst gainesay thée And what knowest thou if she came to ease thy
not greatly at his ease and quiet who neded no torments to force him confesse the fact for of his owne accorde 〈◊〉 he disclosed the same but he sayde he was prouoked thervnto by the persuasion of Bianca Maria telling the whole discourse as you haue heard before She had already intelligence of this chaunce might 〈◊〉 fled and saued hir selfe before the fact by the confession of Dom Pietro had bene discouered and attended in some secrete place til that stromie time had ben calmed appeased But God which is a rightful iudge would not suffer hir wickednesse extend any further fith she hauing founde out such a nimble wilfull executioner the Coūte of 〈◊〉 could not long haue 〈◊〉 aliue who then in good time and happie houre was absent out of the Citie So soone as Dom 〈◊〉 had accused the Countesse the Lorde of 〈◊〉 sente hir to prison and being examined confessed the whole matter trusting that hir infinite numbre of crownes would haue corrupted the Duke or those that represented his person But hir crownes and hir life passed all one way For the day after hir imprisonment she was condemned to lose hir heade And in the meane time Dom Pictro was saued by the diligence and sute of the captaines was employed in other warres to whome the Duke gaue him for that hée was 〈◊〉 to lose so notable a souldier and the aide of his brother the Counte of Colisano The Coūtesse hauing sentence pronoūced vpon hir but trusting for pardon she wold not prepare hir self to die ne yet by any means craue forgiuenesse of hir faults at the handes of God vntill she was conueyed out of the Castell and ledde to the common place of execution where a scaffold was prepared for hir to play the last acte of hir tragedie Then the miserable Ladie began to know hir self and to cōfesse hir faultes before the people deuoutely praying God not to haue regarde to hir demerites ne yet to determine his wrath against hir or enter with hir in iudgement for so much as if the same were decréed according to hir iniquitie no saluation was to bée looked for She besought the people to praye for hir and the Counte of Gaiazzo that was absent to pardon hir malice and treason which she had deuised against him Thus miserably and repentantly dyed the Countesse which in hir life refused not to imbrace and folow any wickednesse no mischiefe she accompted euill done so the same were imployed for hir pleasure and pastime A goodly example truely for the youth of oure present time sith the most part indifferētly do launch into the gulfe of disordred life suffring them selues to be plunged in the puddles of their owne vain conceipts without consideration of the mischieues that may ensue If the Lord of Cardonne had not ben beloued of his generall into what calamitie had he fallen for yelding him selfe a praie to that bloodie woman who had more regarde to the light and wilfull fansie of hir whome he serued like a slaue than to his duetie and estimation And truely those be voide of their right wittess which thinke them selues beloued of a whoore For their amitie endureth no longer than they sucke from their pursses and bodies any profit or pleasure And bicause almost euery day semblable examples be séene I will leaue of this discourse to take mée to a matter not farre more pleasant than this although founded vpon better grounde and stablished vpon loue the first onset of lawfull mariage the successe wherof chaunced to murderous end and yet the same intended by neyther of the beloued As you shall be iudge by the continuance of reding of the historie ensuing Beare with me good Ladies for of you alone I craue this pardon for introducing the whoorish life of this Countesse and hir bloodie enterprise bicause I know right well that recitall of murders and bloodie facts werieth the mindes of those that loue to liue at rest and wish for faire weather after the troublesome stormes of ragyng seas no lesse than the pilote and wise Mariner hauing long time endured and cut the perillous straicts of the Ocean sea And albeit the corruption of our nature be so great as folies delite vs more than ernest matters full of reason and wisedome yet I thinke not that our mindes be so peruerted and diuided from frouthe but sometimes we care and séeke to speake more grauely than the countrey Hynde or more sobrely than they whose liues do beare the marke of infamie and be to euery wight notorious for the only name of their vocation Suffiseth vs that an historie bée it neuer so full of sporte and pleasure do bring with it instruction of our lyfe and amendement of our maners And wée ought not to be so curious or scrupulous to reiect merrie and pleasaunt deuises that be voide of harmefull talke or without such glée as may hinder the education of youth procliue and redie to choose that is naught and corrupte The very bookes of holy Scriptures do describe vnto vs persons that be vicious so detestable as nothyng more whose factes vnto the symple may séeme vnséemely vpon the leaste recitall of the same And shal we therfore reiect the reading and eschue those holy bookes God forbid but with diligence to beware that we do not resemble those that be remembred there for example for somuch as spéedily after sinne ensueth grieuous and as sodaine punishement For which cause I haue selected these histories of purpose to aduertise youth howe those that folowe the way of damnable iniquitie faile not shortely after their greate offenses and execution of their outragious vices to féele the iuste and mightie hande of God who guerdoneth the good for their good workes and déedes and rewardeth the euill for their wickednesse and mischese Nowe turne we then to the Historie of two the rarest louers that euer were the performaunce and 〈◊〉 whereof had it ben so prosperous as the begynnyng had ioyed 〈◊〉 the fruictes of their intente and two noble houses of one Citie reconciled to perpetuall friendship Rhomeo and Julietta ¶ The goodly Historie of the true and constant Loue betwene RHOMEO and IVLIETTA the one of whom died of poison and the other of sorow and 〈◊〉 wherin be comprised many aduentures of loue and other deuises touching the same The. xxv Nouel I Am sure that they whiche measure the greatenesse of Gods works according to the capacitie of their rude simple vnderstanding wyll not lightly adhibite credite vnto this historie so wel for the va rietie of strange accidēts which be therin described as for that noueltie straungenesse of so rare and perfect amitie But they that haue redde Plinie Valerius Maximus Plutarche and diuers other writers doe finde that in olde tyme a greate numbre of men and women haue died some of excessiue ioye some of ouermuch sorrowe and some of other passions and amongs the same Loue is not the least which when it seaseth vpon
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
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
of the charge whiche it pleaseth you to giue me and wherevnto for lacke of trainyng vp and vse of suche a dignitie I am altogether vnfitte But 〈◊〉 that the graces of God and the 〈◊〉 of Kyngs oughte neuer to be reiected by acceptyng this benefite wyth humble thankes for the clemencie of your royall maiestie I reste the seruant and slaue of you and yours The Kyng hearyng him speake so wisely toke him vp and imbraced him saying Would to God and his greate Prophete that all they whiche rule Cities and gouerne Prouinces hadde so good a nature as thine then I durste be bolde to say that the people shoulde lyue better at theyr ease and Monarches without greate charge of conscience for the yll behauiours of theyr officers Lyue good man lyue at thine 〈◊〉 maynteyne thy people obserue our lawes increase the beautie of the Citie wherof from this time forth we do 〈◊〉 thée possesser And truely the present was not to bée contemned for that the same at this day is one of the fairest that is in Affrica and is the lande of the black people suche as the Spaniards call Negroes It is very full of gardeins furnished with aboundaunce of Spices brought from the Molucces bicause of the martes and 〈◊〉 ordeined there To be short Mansor shewed by this gift what is the force of a gentle heart which can not abide to be vanquished in curtesie and lesse suffer that vnder forgetfulnesse that memorie of a receiued good turne be lost King Darius whilome for a litle garment receiued in gift by Silofon the Samien recompenced him wyth the gaiue and royall dignitie of that citie and made him soueraine Lord therof and of the Isle of Samos And what greater vertue 〈◊〉 illustrate the name of a noble man than to acknowledge and preferre them which for naturall shame and 〈◊〉 dare not behold the maiestie of their greatnesse God sometimes with a more curteous eye doth loke vpon the presents of a poore mā than the fat and rich offerings of him that is great and wealthie Euen so a benefite from what hande soeuer it procedeth cannot choose to bring forthe the frutes of his liberalitie that giueth the same who by vsing largesse feleth also the like in him to whome it is imployed That magnificēce no long time past vsed the Seigniorie of Venice to Francesco Dandulo who after he had dured the great displeasures of the Pope in the name of the whole Citie vpon his returne to Venice for acknowledgement of his pacience and for abolishmente of that shame was with happie and vniforme acclamation of the whole state elected and made Prince and Duke of that Common welth Worthie of praise truly is he that by some pleasure 〈◊〉 an other to his curtesie but when a noble man acknowleageth for a 〈◊〉 that which a subiect is bound to giue him by dutie and seruice there the proofe of prayse caryeth no fame at all For which cause I determined to displaye the historie of the barbarous king Mansor to the intent that our Gentlemen norished and trained vp in great 〈◊〉 may assay by their mildenesse and good education to surmount the curtesie of that Prince of whom for this time we purpose to take our Farewell The Conclusion with an Aduertisement to the Reader 〈◊〉 thou hast gained for thy better instruction or what conceiued for recreation by reading these 〈◊〉 Nouells I am no iudge althoughe by deeming in reading and perusing thou mayst at thy pleasure gather both But how soeuer profite or delight can satisfie mine appointment wherfore they were preferred into thy hands contented 〈◊〉 I that thou doe vouchsafe them Good lessons howe to shunne the darts and prickes of insolencie thou findest in the same The vertuous noble may sauor the frutes and taste the licour that stilleth from the gummes or buds of Uertue The contrary may sée the blossoms fal that blome from the shrubs of disloyaltie and degenerat kind Yong Gētlemen Ladies do view a plot founded on sured ground and what the foundation is planted in shattring 〈◊〉 with a fashion of attire to garnish their inward parts so well as sparelesse they imploy vpon the vanishing pompe Euery sort and 〈◊〉 that warfare in the fielde of humaine life may sent here the sauourous frute to outward liking that fanished the sensuall tast of Adams wife They sée also what griftes such fading frutes produce vnto 〈◊〉 what likewise the lustie growth and spring of vertues plant and what delicates it brauncheth to those that carefully kéepe the slips therof within the orchard of their mindes Diuerse Tragicall she 〈◊〉 by the pennes description haue bene disclosed in greatest number of these histories the same also I haue 〈◊〉 and swéetened with the course of pleasant matters of purpose not to 〈◊〉 the deyntie mindes of those that shrinke and feare at suche rehersall And bicause sodainly contrary to 〈◊〉 this volume is risen to greter heape of leaues I do omit for this present time sundry Nouels of merie deuise reseruing the same to be ioyned with the rest of an other part wherein shall succéede the remnant of Bandello specially suche suffrable as the learned Frenche man François de Belleforrest hath selected and the 〈◊〉 done in the Italian 〈◊〉 also out of Erizzo Ser Giouani Fiorentino Parabosco Cynthio Straparole Sansouino and the best liked oute of the Quéene of 〈◊〉 and other Authors 〈◊〉 these in so good parte with those that haue and shall come 〈◊〉 as I do offre them with good will curteously 〈◊〉 such faults and errors as shall present themselues either burying 〈◊〉 in the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 or prefermitting them with the beck of Curtesie The which in déede or the most part had not offended thée if time had not ben spent before the Printer could 〈◊〉 to an ende hereof FINIS Imprinted at London by Henry Bynneman for Nicholas Englande ANNO. M. D. LXVIL Nouembris 8. Diuers Faultes escaped in Printyng Faultes Correction In the Summarie of the Nouels Tarquinus Tarquinius Fol. 5. line 12. bicause for that Fol. 39. page 2. line 19. On Or Fol. 41. line 22. conciacion Conciliacion Fol. 47. line 33. and to Fol. 53. page 2. line 26. these the Fol. 76. page 2. xiij Nouel xij Nouel Fol. 87. line 7. xiiij Nouel xiij Nouel 〈◊〉 Fol. line 22. the these Fol. 92. line 15. page 2. she a word 〈◊〉 Fol. 94. line 2. 〈◊〉 Sestertios Eodem line 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eodem page 2. line 8. must be was Fol. 95. line 5. Nouel xv Nouel xiiij Eodem Zenobia Quene of c. who although she was a gentle Quéene yet a Christian Princesse c. Zenobia Quéene of c who although she was a Gentile Quéene yet a Princesse so worthy of c. Fol. 102. line 31. 〈◊〉 susteined Fol. 105. line 12. committing to commit Fol. 135. line 25. Dicilia Sicilia Fol. 141. line 27. Paolina Paola Eodem line 3. In a word 〈◊〉 Fol. 154. page 2. Tinnagoras Timagoras Fol. 161. line 26. fawcons 〈◊〉 Fol. 163. line 8. grislie 〈◊〉 Fol. 167. pag. 2. line 〈◊〉 insūmate insinuate Fo. 178. line 2. page 2. qualitied qualified Fol. 185. line 8. page 2. Romida Romilda Fol. 214. line 22. To a word 〈◊〉 Fol. 242. line 22. then when Fol. 249. line 6. pa. 2. Sansantino San Fantino Fol. 292. page 2. line 3. his hir Fol. 306. page 2. line 17. arriued approued Fol. 359. line 30. ssued issued Fol. 404. page 2. line 32. mans man is Fol. 407. line 22. To So Le buone parole onzeno Le cattiue ponzeno
the same the matter most specially therin comprised treting of courtly fashions and maners and of the customes of loues galantise and the good or yll successe thereof bicause you be an auncient Courtier and one of the eldest Traine and suche as hath ben imployed by sundrie our Princes in their affaires of greatest weight and importance and for that your self in your lustiest time euer bred and brought vp in Court haue not bene vnacquainted with those occurrents If I should stande particularly to touch the originall of your noble Ancestrie the succession of that renoumed line their fidelitie for graue aduise and counsell your honourable education the mariage of a mighty King with one of your sisters the valiant exploites of your parentes against the French and Scots the worthie seruice of your self in field whereby you deseruedly wanne the order of Knighthode the trust which hir Maiestie reposeth in you by disposing vnder your charge the Store of hir Armure and your worthie preferment to be Maister of hir Armarie generall If I shoulde make recitall of your carefull industrie and painfull trauell sustained for answering hir Maiesties expectation your noble cherishing of the skilfull in that Science your good aduauncement of the best to supplie the vacant romes your refusall of the vnworthie and finally of your modest and curteous dealings in that office I feare lacke of abilitie and not of matter would want grace and order by further circumstaunce to adde sufficient praise Yea although my self do say nothing but reserue the same in silence to auoide suspect of adulation the very Armure and their furnitures do speake vniuersall testimonie doth wonder and the Readinesse of the same for tyme of seruice doth aduouche Which care of things continually resting in your breast hath atchieued suche a timely diligence and successe as when hir Maiesties aduersarie shall be ready to molest she shal be prest by Gods assistance to defend and marche But not to hold your worship long by length of preamble or to discourse what I might further say eyther in fauour of this Boke or commendation of your selfe I meane for this instant to leaue the one to general iudgement and the other to the particular sentence of eche of your acquaintaunce Humbly making this only sute that my good will may supplie the imperfection of mine abilitie And so with my heartie prayer for your preseruation to him that is the Author of life and health I take my leaue From my poore house besides the Toure of London the fourthe of Nouember 1567. Your moste bounden William Painter ¶ A Summarie of the Nouels ensuing ¶ The Hardinesse and conquestes of diuers stoute and aduenturous Women called Amazones the beginning continuance and end of their raigne and of the great iourney of one of their Quéenes called Thalestris to visit Alexander the great and the cause of hir trauaile Nouel j. Fol. 1. ¶ The great pietie and continencie of Alexander the great and his louing interteinement of Sisigambis the Wife of the great Monarch Darius after he was vanquished Nouel ij Fol. 5. ¶ Thimoclia a Gentlewoman of Thebes vnderstanding the couefous desire of a Thracian Knight that had abused hir and promysed hir mariage rather for hir goodes than Loue well acquited hirselfe from his falsehode Nouel iij. Fol. 9. ¶ Ariobarzanes great Stewarde to Artaxerxes King of Persia goeth about to excéede his soueraigne Lord maister in Curtesie wherein are conteyned many notable and pleasant chaunces besides the great pacience and loyaltie naturally planted in the sayd Ariobarzanes Nouel iiij Fol. 11. ¶ Lucius one of the Garde to Aristotimus the Tyranne of the Citie of Elis fell in loue with a faire Maiden called Micca the daughter of one Philodemus and his crueltie done vpon hir The stoutenesse also of a noble Matrone named Megistona in defense of hir husband and the Common wealth from the tyrannie of the sayd Aristotimus and of other acts done by the subiects vpon that tyrant Nouel v. Fol. 32. ¶ The maruelous courage ambition of a gentlewoman called Tanaquil that Quéene wife of Tarquinus Priscus the fift Romane King with hir persuasions and pollicie to hir husband for his aduauncement to the kingdome hir like encouragement of Seruius Tullius wherin also is described the ambitiō of one of the two daughters of Seruius Tullius the sixt Romane King and hir crueltie towardes hir owne naturall father with other accidents chaunced in the new erected Common wealth of Rome specially of the laste Romane King Tarquinus Superbus who with murder attained the kingdome with murder mainteined it and by the murder and insolent life of his sonne was with all his progenie banished Nouel vj. Fol. 40. ¶ The vnhappy ende and successe of the loue of King Massinissa and of Queene Sophonis ba his Wife Nouel vij Fol. 49. ¶ The crueltie of a King of Macedon who forced a Gentlewomā called Theoxena to persuade hir children to kil poison themselues after which fact she and hir husband Poris ended their life by drowning Nouel viij Fol. 59. ¶ A strange maruellous vse which in olde time was obserued in Hidrusa where it was lawfull with the licence of a Magistrate ordeyned for that purpose for euery man and woman that lyst to kyll them selues Nouel ix Fol. 62. ¶ The dishonest loue of Faustina the Empresse and with what remedie the same was remoued and taken away Nouel x. Fol. 65. ¶ Chera hidde a treasure Elisa going about to hang hir selfe and sying the halter about a 〈◊〉 found that treasure and in place therof lefte the halter Philene the daughter of Chera going for that treasure and busily searching for the same sounde the halter where with all for dispaire shae woulde haue hanged hir selfe but forbidden by Elisa who by chaunce espied hir she was restored to part of hir losse leading afterwards a happie and prosperous life Nouel xj Fol. 67. ¶ Letters of the Philosopher Plutarch to the noble and 〈◊〉 Emperour Traiane and from the sayde Emperour so Plutarch the like also from the sayde Emperour to the Senate of Rome In all whiche bée conteyned Godly rules for gouernement of Princes obedience of Subiects and their dueties to Cōmon wealth Nouel xij Fol. 76. ¶ A notable historie of thrée amorous Gentlewomen called Lamia Flora Lais cōteining the sutes of noble Princes and other greate personages made vnto them with their answeres to diuers demaunds and the maner of their death and funeralls Nouel xiij Fol. 123. ¶ The life and gestes of the most famous Quéene Zenobia with the Letters of the Emperoure Aurchanus to the sayde Quéene and hir stoute aunswere therevnto Nouel xiiij Fol. 89. ¶ Euphimia the King of Corinths daughter fell in loue with Acharisto the seruaunt of hir father and besides others which required hir to mariage she 〈◊〉 Philon the King of Pelponesus that loued hir very feruently Acharisto conspiring against the King was discouered tormented and put in prison and by meanes of
〈◊〉 of one of their Queenes called THALESTRIS to visit ALEXANDER the great and the cause of hir 〈◊〉 The first Nouel WHere the first boke began with a Cōbate foughte and tried betwene two mighty cities for principalitie and gouernment the one hight Rome after called the heade of the world as some thinke by reason of a mans head foūd in the place where the Capitole did stand the other Alba. To which Combat 〈◊〉 gentlemen of either citie wer appointed and the victorie chaunced to the Romaine side In this second parte in the forefront and first Nouel of the same is described the beginning continuaunce and ende of a Womans Common wealth an Hystorie 〈◊〉 and straunge to the vnlearned ignorant of the 〈◊〉 fickle ruled stay which contended with mighty Princes and puissant Potentates for defense of their kingdome no lesse than the Carthaginians and Romaines did for theirs But as it is no wōder to the skilful that a whole Monarche and kingdom should be inticrly peopled with that Sexe so to the not wel trained in Hystories this may seme miraculous Wherfore not to stay thée from the discourse of those straunge and Aduenturous women diuers be of diuers opinions for the Etimologie of the word wher of amonges the Grecians 〈◊〉 diuerse iudgementes These Amazones were moste excellent warriers very valiant and without mannes aduise did conquer mighty Countreyes famous Cities and notable Kingdomes continuing of long time in one Seigniorie and gouernment These people occupied and enioyed a great part of Asia Some writers deuide them into two Prouinces one in Scithia in the North parte of Asia other by the hill Imaus which at this day is called the Tartarian Scithia different from that which is in Europa the other sort of the Amazones were in Libia a prouince of Africa But bicause the common sort of Authors doe vnderstand the Amazones to be those of Asia I meane to leaue off the differēce The Scithians were a warlike people and at the beginning of theyr kingdome had two kings by whome they were gouerned Notwithstanding the nature of dominion being of it self ambicious cannot abide any companion or equal Which caused these two Kinges to beat variance and afterwardes the matter grew to ciuill warres wherein the one being Uictory two of the principal 〈◊〉 of the contrary faction called Plinius and Scolopithos were banished with a great number of their 〈◊〉 all which did withdraw themselues to the limites of Cappadocia in the lesser Asia in despite of the Countrey Pesantes dwelled alonges the riuer of Thermodon which entreth into the sea Euxinum otherwise called Pontus And they being made Lordes of the countrey of the places adioyning raigned for certain yeres vntill the peasantes and their confederates made a conspiracie against them and assembling by policie ouercame them and slewe them all The newes of their deathe knowen to their wiues dwelling in their countrey caused them to cōceiue great heauinesse and dolor extreme And although they were womē yet did they put on māly courage and determined to reuenge the death of their husbandes by putting their handes to weapons wherwithall they did exercise themselues very ofte And that they might all be equal their sorow commō they murdred certain of their husbands which remained there after the other were banished Afterward being all together they made a great army and forsoke their dwelling places refusing the mariage of many suters And arriuing in the land of their enimies that made smal accōpt therof although foretolde of their approache they sodenly came vpon them vnprouided and put them all to the sword This being done the women toke the gouernāce of the Countrey inhabiting at the beginning along the Riuer of Thermodon where their husbands wer stain And although many Authors do differ in the situaciō of the place where the Amazones did dwel yet the truth is that the beginning of their kingdome and of their habitacion was vpon that Riuer But of their manifolde conquestes be engendred diuers opinions declared by Strabo and others They fortified them selues in those places and wanne other countries adioyning chosing among them two Quenes the one named Martesia and and the other Lampedo Those two louyngly deuided the armie and men of warre in two parts either of them defending with great hardinesse the Lands which they had conquered and to make them selues more dreadfull such was the credite and vanitie of men that time they fained themselues to be that daughters of Mars Afterward these miraculous womē liuing after this maner in peace iustice considered that by succession of time for wante of daughters that might succéede warres and time wold extinguishe their race For this cause they treated mariage with their neighbors named Gargarians as Plinie sayeth with condition that vpon certaine times of the yeare their husbands shold assemble together in some appointed place and vse them for certaine dayes vntill they were with childe which being done and knowen they shoulde returne home againe to their owne houses If they brought forth daughters they norished and trained them vp in armes and other manlyke exercises and to ride great horsse They taught them to run at base to follow the chace If they were deliuered of males they sent them to their fathers And if by chaunce they kept any backe they murdred them or else brake their armes and leggs in suche wyse as they had no power to beare weapons and serued for nothing else but to spin twist and to doe other feminine labour And for as much as these Amazones defēded themselues so valiantly in the warres with Bowe and Arrowes and perceiued that their breasts did verie much impech the vse of that weapon and other exercises of armes they seared vp the righte breastes of their yong daughters for which cause they were named Amazones which signifieth in the Gréeke tong without breasts although that some other do giue vnto that name an other Etimologie Afterwardes increasing by course of time in numbre force they made great preparation of weapons and other 〈◊〉 for the warres and leauing their coūtrey which they thought was very small in the keping of some whom they specially trusted the rest marched abrode cōquering subduing all those which they foūd rebellious And hauing passed the riuer of Tanais they entred Europa where they vanquished many countreys directing their way towardes Thracia from whence they returned a whyle after with great spoile and victorie and comming again into Asia they brought many prouinces vnder their subiection proceding euen to Mare Caspium They edified and peopled an infinite numbre of good cities amōgs which according to the opinion of diuers was the famous Citie of Ephesus the same béeing the chiefe of all their Empire and the principal place that stoode vpon Thermodon They defended them selues in warres with certaine Tergats made in fashion of a half Moone and entring into battaile vsed a certaine kinde of flutes to giue the people corage to
times and places doth brighten the Starres and maketh the Moone to shine Euen so the woman dependeth of the man and of him doth take hir nobilitie The King therefore thoughte the matche not mete for Ariobarzanes to marrie his daughter and 〈◊〉 red he shoulde incurre some blemishe of his house But for all respect and feare of shame the emulation whiche he had to be victorious of his forced curtesie did surpasse Wherefore he sent for Ariobarzanes to come vnto the Court. And he vpon that commaundement came And so soone as he was entred the Palace he repaired to do his reuerence vnto the king of whome he was welcomed with glad and ioyfull entertainement And after they had a while debated of diuers matters the King sayde vnto him Ariobarzanes for so much as thou art without a wife we 〈◊〉 to bestowe vpon thée a Gentlewoman which not onely we well like and loue but also is suche a one as thou thy selfe shalt be well contented to take Ariobarzanes answered that he was at his commaundement And that such choyse as pleased his Maiestie shoulde very well content and satisfie him Then the King caused his daughter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 attired to come before him and there openly in presence of the 〈◊〉 Courte commaunded that Ariobarzanes shoulde marrie hir Which with séemely ceremonies being 〈◊〉 Ariobarzanes shewed litle ioy of that parentage and in apparance made as though he cared not for his wife The nobles and Gentleman of the Court 〈◊〉 to sée the straunge 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 consideryng the great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of their Prince towards his subiect by taking him for his father and sonne in lawe and greatly murmured to sée the obstinacie and rudenesse of Ariobarzanes towardes the King and the faire newe maried spouse much blaming and rebuking his vnkinde demeanour Ariobarzanes that day fared as though he were besides him selfe voide of ioy and mirth where all the rest of the Courte spent the time in sport and triumph the Ladies and noble women together with the King and Quéene them selues dauncing and 〈◊〉 vntill the time of night did force 〈◊〉 wight to retire to their chambers Notwithstanding the King did marke the gesture and countenance of Ariobarzanes and after the bankette the King in solemne guise and greate pompe caused his daughter to bée accompanied with a great train to the lodging of Ariobarzanes and to be caried with hir hir princely dowrie where Ariobarzanes very honourably receyued his wife and at that instant in the presence of all the noble men and Barons that waited vpon the Bride he doubled the dowrie receyued and the same with the ten hūdred thousand crownes giuen him by the King he sent backe againe This vnmeasured Liberalitie séemed passing straunge vnto the King and bredde in him such disdaine as doubtfull he was whether to yelde or to condemne him to perpetual banishment The King thought that the greatnesse of Ariobarzanes minde was inuincible and was not able paciently to suffer that a subiect in matters of Curtesie and liberalitie shoulde compare with his King and maister Herewithall the King conceiuing malice coulde not tell what to say or do An easy matter it was to perceiue the rage and 〈◊〉 of the king who was so sore displeased as he bare good looke and coūtenance to no man And bicause in those days the Persian kings 〈◊〉 honored and reuerenced as Gods there was a lawe that when the king was driuen into a 〈◊〉 or had conceiued a iust displeasure he shoulde manifest vnto his counsellers the cause of his anger who afterwards by mature diligēce hauing examined the cause 〈◊〉 finding that king to be 〈◊〉 displesed shold seke means of his appeasing But if they founde his anger displeasure to be iustly cōceiued the cause of the same according to the qualitie of the offence little or great they shoulde punishe either by banishment or capital death The sentence of whome should passe and be pronounced without appeale Howbeit lawfull it was for the kyng the pronounced sentence either in all or in part to diminishe the paine or clearely to assoile the partie Wherby it euidently appeared that the Counsellers sentence once 〈◊〉 termined was very iustice and the kings will if he pardoned was mere grace and mercy The King then was constrained by 〈◊〉 statutes of his kingdom to disclose 〈◊〉 to his Counsell the cause of his displeasure which parti cularly he recited The Counsellers when they heard the reasons of the king sent for Ariobarzanes of whome by due examination they gathered that in diuors causes he had prouoked the kings offence Afterwards the lords of the Counsell vpon the proposed question began to argue by inuestigation serch wherof in the end they iudged Ariobarzanes worthy to lose his head For that he woulde not onely compare but also goe about to 〈◊〉 him in things 〈◊〉 and to she we him self discontented with the mariage of his daughter vnthankfull of the benefites so curteously bestowed vpon him A custome was obserued among the Persians that in euery act or enterprise wherin the seruant endeuored to surpasse and vanquishe his lorde and maister albeit the attempt were commendable and praise worthy for 〈◊〉 of want of duetie or contempt to the royall Maiestie he 〈◊〉 lose his best ioynt And for better confirmation of their iudgement the Counsellers alleaged a certain 〈◊〉 sentence registred in their Chronicles 〈◊〉 done by the Kings of Persia. The cause was this One of the Kings of that Region disposed to disporte with certain of his noble men abrode in the fields went a Hanking and with the 〈◊〉 to flie at diuers gante Within a while they sprang a Hearon and the Kyng commanded that one of the Faulcons which was a notable swift and soaring Hauke shold be cast off to the Hearon which done the Hearon began to mount and the Faucon spéedily pursued and as the Hauke after many batings and intercourses was about to seaze vpon the Hearon he espied an Egle. The stoute Hauke séeing the Egle gaue ouer the fearfull Hearon and with swift 〈◊〉 flewe towards the Egle and fiercely attempted to 〈◊〉 vpon hir But the Egle very stoutly defended 〈◊〉 self that the Hauke was forced to let go hir hold In the end 〈◊〉 good Hauke with hir sharpe talands again seazed vpon the Egles neck with hir beake strake hir starke dead wherwithall she fell downe amidde the companie that waited vpon the King All the Barons and Gentlemen highly cōmended and praised the Hauke affirming that a better was not in the worlde attributing vnto the same such praise as they thought mete The King for all the acclamations and shoutes of the troupe spake not a worde but stode musing with him selfe and did neither praise nor blame that Hauke It was very late in the euening when the Faucon killed the Egle and therefore the King commaunded eche man to depart to the Citie The next day the King caused a Goldsmith to make an
Schoolehouse of good arte yet déemed famous and for his worthy skill right worthy to be preferred aboue the heauens In semblable wise how oftentimes and commonly is it séene that the man perchance which neuer thou sawest before so soone as he is séene of thée sodainly he is detested like a plage the more earnest he is to do thée seruice and plesure the greater is thy wrath bent towards him Contrarywise some other vpon the first view shal so content and please thée as if he require the bestowing of thy life thou hast no power to denie him thou art in loue with him and let him twhart thy minde and will neuer so much thou carest not for it all is wel he doth But that these varieties doe procéede from some certaine temprement of bloud within the body conformed and moued by some inward celestiall power who doubteth And surely the foundation of these Courtly mutations is the pricking venomous 〈◊〉 of pestiferous Enuie which continually holdeth the fauour of Princes in ballance and in a moment hoisteth vp him whiche was belowe and poizeth downe againe him that was exalted So that no plague or poison is more pestiferous in Courtes than the hurtfull disease of Enuie All other vices with little paine and lesse labour may easily be cured and so pacified as they shal not hurt thée but rooted Enuie by any meanes is discharged with no pollicie is expelled ne yet by any drugge or medicine purged Uerily without great daunger I know not which way the poinaunt bittes of Enuie can be auoided The proude man in Courte the arrogant and ambicious the loftie minded foole more eleuate and lustie than Pride it selfe if reuerence bée done to him if he be honoured if place be giuen to him if he be praised and glorified aboue the heauens if thou humble thy selfe to him by and by he will take thée to be his frende and will déeme thée to bée a curteous and gentle companion Let the lasciuious and wanton person giuen to the pleasures and lust of women fixing his minde on nothing else but vpon fugitiue pleasures if his loue bée not impeached ne yet his wanton toyes reproued if he be praised before his Ladie he will euer be thy friende The couetous and gluttonous carle if first thou make him quaffe a money medicine and afterwardes byd him to thy 〈◊〉 the one and other disease is spéedily cured But for the enuious person what phisicke can be sought to purge his pestiferous humour Which if thou go about to heale and cure rather muste thou remedie the same by wasting the life of him that is so possessed than finde causes of recouerie And who knoweth not most 〈◊〉 Prince that in your Courte there bée some attached with that poisoned plague who séeing me your maiesties humble vassall in greater fauor with your grace than they my seruice more acceptable than theirs my prowesse and exercise in armes more worthy thā theirs my diligence more industrious than theirs my aduise and counsell more auaileable than theirs all mine other déedes and doings in better estimation than theirs They I say dallied in the lappe of the cancred witch dame Enuie by what meanes are they to be recouered by what meanes their infection purged by what meanes their malice cured If not to sée me depriued of your grace expelled from your court and cast headlong into the gulfe of death extreme If I shoulde bribe them with greate rewardes if I shoulde honour them with humble reuerence if I shoulde exalt them aboue the skies if I shold employ the vttermost of my power to doe them seruice all is frustrate and caste away They will not ceasse to bring me into 〈◊〉 they will not spare to reduce me to miserie they will not sticke to imagine all deuises for mine anoyance when they sée all other remedies impotent and vnable This is the poysoned plague which enuenometh all Princes Courtes This is the mischiefe whiche destroyeth all Kingdomes This is the monster that deuoureth al vertuous enterprises offendeth eche gentle spirit This is the dimme vaile which so ouershadoweth the cléerenesse of the eyes as the bright beames of veritie can not be séene and so obscureth the equitie of iustice as right from falshode can not be discerned This is the manifest cause that bredeth a thousand errours in the works of men And to draw nere to the effect of this my tedious talke briefly there is no vice in the worlde that more outragiously corrupteth Princes courtes that more vnfrendly vntwineth Frendships band that more vnhappily subuerteth noble houses than the poyson of Enuie For hée that inclineth his eares to the enuious person he that attendeth to his malignant deuises vnpossible it is for him to do any déede that is either good or vertuous But to finish and ende for auoiding of wearinesse and not to stay your maiestie from your weightie affaires I say that the Enuious man reioyceth not so much in his owne good turnes nor gladdeth him 〈◊〉 so greatly with his owne commodities as he doth insulte and laugh at the discōmoditie and hinderance of others at whose profite and gaine he sorroweth and lanienteth and to put out both the eyes of his companion the enuious man careth not to pluck out one of his owne These wordes most inuincible Prince I purposed to speake in the presence of your Maiestie before your garde courtlyke traine and in the vniuersall hearing of all the people that eche wighte may vnderstande howe I not of your maiesties pretenced malice or mine owne committed fault but through the venomous tongues of the ettuious fell into the lapse of your displeasure This most true oration of Ariobarzanes greatly pleased the noble Prince and although he felt him selfe somwhat touched therewith yet knowing it to bée certaine and true and that in time to come the same myght profite all sortes of people he greatly praised him in the presence of al the assemblie Wherfore Ariobarzanes hauing recouered his life and confessing himself to be vanquished ouercome by the King that knew the valour and fealtie of that noble Gentleman and louing him with heartie 〈◊〉 he caused him to come downe from the mournyng scaffolde and to ascende the place where he was hym selfe whome he imbraced and kissed in token that all displeasure was remitted All his auncient offices were restored to hym againe and for his further aduauncement he gaue him the citie of Passagarda where was the olde monument of King Cyrus and made him Lieuetenant generall of all his Realmes and 〈◊〉 commaunding euery of his subiectes to obey him as his owne person And so the Kingrested the honourable father in 〈◊〉 to Ariobarzanes and his louing sonne by Mariage crauing still in all his enterprises his graue aduise and counsell And there was neuer thing of any importance done but his liking or disliking was first demaunded Ariobarzanes then returned into greater grace and fauour of his soueraigne lorde than before and for his
that was wel trained vp by a famous Philosopher in myne opinion deserue a place of Recorde among our Englishe 〈◊〉 and for the wholsom erudition ought to 〈◊〉 in English shape to be described I haue thought good in this place to introduce the same And although to some it shal not per 〈◊〉 séeme fit and conuenient to mingle holie with prophane according to the prouerbe to intermedle amongs pleasant histories ernest epistles amid amorous Nouels lerned Letters yet not to care for report or thought of such findefaults I iudge them not 〈◊〉 the course of those histories For amidde the diuine works of Philosophers and Oratours amongs the pleasant paines of ancient Poets and the Nouel writers of our time merrie verses so well as morall matters 〈◊〉 mingled 〈◊〉 bankets so wel as wise disputatiōs celebrated taūting 〈◊〉 orations so well as 〈◊〉 declamations persuasions pronoūced These Letters conteine many graue wholesom documents sundry vertuous and chosen Institutiōs for Princes noble men yea and for such as beare office prefermēt in cōmon 〈◊〉 frō highest title to 〈◊〉 degrée These letters do vouch the reioyce of a schoolemaster for bringing vp a scholer of capacitie and aptnesse to imbrace fire in 〈◊〉 such lessons as he taught him These letters do gratulate and remēbre the ioy of the disciple for hauing such a maister These Letters doe 〈◊〉 the minde of a 〈◊〉 Prince towards his subiects for choise of him to the Empire for that they had respecte rather to the vertue and cōdition than to the nobilitie or other extreme accident To be short these letters speake and pronoūce the very hūblenesse 〈◊〉 that ought to rest in subiects hearts with a thousand other excellent sentences of dueties So that if the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had ben 〈◊〉 again to peruse these letters and 〈◊〉 of congratulation betwene the scholemaister and scholer he wold no lesse haue reioysed in Plutarch thā King Philip of Macedon did of Aristotle 〈◊〉 he affirmed himself to be happie not so much for hauing suche a sonne as Alexander was as for that he was 〈◊〉 in such a time as 〈◊〉 brought 〈◊〉 to be his 〈◊〉 That good emperor 〈◊〉 she wed a patern to his 〈◊〉 by his good vertuous lyfe godly gouernement which made a successor a people of no lesse consequence than they were trained accordingly as Herodian 〈◊〉 That for the most part the people be wont to imitate the life of their Prince soueraine Lorde If Philip 〈◊〉 himself 〈◊〉 blessed for hauing such a son and 〈◊〉 then might Nerua terme him self 〈◊〉 times more happie for such a nephew suche a notable 〈◊〉 master as Plutarch was who not only by doctrine but by practise proued a passyng good scholer Alexander was a good scholer for the time wel practised his maisters lessons but afterwards as glory good hap accompanied his noble disposition so did he degenerate from former lyfe and had quite forgottē what he had lerned as the seconde Nouel of this boke more at large declareth But Traian of a toward scholer proued such an Emperor and victor ouer him selfe as schooling and rulyng were in hym mixaculous a surmounting Paragon of pietie and vertue wherfore not to stay thée from the perusing of those Letters the right image of himself thus beginneth Plutarch to write vnto his famous scholer Traiane A Letter of the philosopher Plutarch to the Emperor Traiane Wherein is touched how gouerners of Comon Welths ought to be prodigal in dedes spare in words MY most dread and soueraigne Lord albeit of long time I haue knowne the modesty of your minde yet neither I nor other 〈◊〉 man did euer know that you aspired to that which many men desire whiche is to be Emperour of Rome That man shoulde withdrawe him selfe from honour it were cleane without the boundes of wisedome but not to licence the heart to desire the same that truely is a worke diuine and not procéeding of humaine nature For he doeth indifferently wel that represseth the works which his handes be able to do without staying vpon his own desires and for good consideration we may terme thine Empire to be very happie sith thou hast so nobly demeaned thy selfe to deserue the same without searche and séeyng industrious policie to attaine thervnto I haue knowne within the citie of Rome many great personages which were not so much honored for the offices which they had as they were for the meanes deuises which they sought and endeuored to be aduanced to the same May it please you to vnderstand most excellent Prince that the honor of a vertuous man doth not consist in the office which he presently hath but rather in the merites whiche he had before In such wise as it is the office that honoreth the partie to the officer there resteth but a painful charge By meanes wherof when I remember that I was your gouerner from your youth and instructed your vertuous minde in letters I can not choose but very much reioyce so well for your soueraigne vertue as for your maiesties good fortune deming it to be a great happinesse vnto me that in my tyme Rome had hym to bée their soueraigne lorde whome I had in times past to be my scholler The principalities of Kyngdomes some winne by force and mainteine them by armes which you ought not to doe nor yet conceiue such opinion of your selfe but rather to thinke that the Empire which you gouerne by vniuersal consent ye oughte to entertaine and rule with generall iustice And therfore if you loue and reuerence the Gods if you be pacient in trauels ware in daungers curteous to your people gentle to straungers and not 〈◊〉 of treasure nor louer of your owne desires you shal make your fame immortall and gouerne the common wealthe in soueraign peace That you be not a louer of your own desires I speake it not withoute cause For there is no worse gouernement than that which is ruled by selfewill and priuate opinion For as he that gouerneth a cōmen wealth ought to lyue in feare of all men euen so muche more in feare of him selfe in so much as he may commit greater errour by doing that which his owne luste commaunbeth than if he were ruled by the counsell of other Assure you sir that you can not hurt yourself and much lesse preiudice vs your subiects if you do correct your self before you chastise others estéemyng that to bée a ryght good gouernement to be prodigal in works and spare of spéech Assay then to be such a one now that you do commaunde as you were when you were commaunded For otherwise it wold little auaile to do things for deseruing of the empire if afterwards your dedes be cōtrary to your desertes To come to honour it is a humane worke but to conserne honour it is a thing 〈◊〉 Take hede then most excellent Traiane that you do remembre and still reuolue in minde that as
you be a Prince supreme so to applie your selfe to be a passing ruler For there is no authoritie amongs men so high but that the Gods aboue be iudges of their thoughtes and men beneth beholders of their déedes 〈◊〉 presently you are a mightie Prince your duetie is the greater to be good and 〈◊〉 lesse to be wicked than when you were a priuate man For hauing gotten authoritie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your libertie is the lesse to be idle so that if you be not 〈◊〉 a one as the common people haue 〈◊〉 such againe as your maister Plutarch desireth you shall put your selfe in great daunger and mine enimies will séeke meanes to be reuenged on me knowing wel that for the scholers faulte the maister 〈◊〉 suffreth wrong by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imputed vnto hym although wrongfull for the 〈◊〉 And for so much as I haue bene thy maister and thou my scholer thou must 〈◊〉 by well doyng to render me some honour And likewise if thou do euill great infamie shall lyght on me 〈◊〉 as it did to Seneca for Nero his cause whose cruelties done in Rome were 〈◊〉 to his maister Seneca Thelike wrong was done to the Philosopher Chilo by being burdened with the negligent nouriture of his Scholler Leander They truely were famous personages and greate learned men in whome the gouernement of myghtie Princes was reposed Notwithstandyng for not correctyng them in their youth nor teachyng them with carefull diligence they blotted for euermore their renouine as the cause of the destruction of diuers common wealthes And forsomuch as my penne spared none in times passe bee well assured Traiane that the same will pardon neither thée nor me in tyme to come For as we bée confederate in the fault euen so we shall bée heires of the paine Thou knowest well what lessons I haue taught thée in thy youth what counsell I haue 〈◊〉 thée béeyng come to the state of man and what I haue written to thée 〈◊〉 thou hast bene Prince and thou thy selfe art recorde of the words sayde vnto thée in secrete In all whiche I neuer persuaded thyng but tended to the seruice of the Gods profite of the common wealthe and increase of thy renoume Wherfore I am right sure that for any thing whiche I haue written sayd or persuaded I feare not the punishment of the Gods and much lesse the reprochfull shame of men verily beleuing that all that which I coulde saye in secrete might without reproch be openly published in Rome Now before I toke my pen in hand to write this Letter I examined ned my life to know if during the time that I had charge of thée I did or sayde in thy presence any thing that might prouoke thée to euill example And truely 〈◊〉 for me to say it vpon that search of my forepassed life I neuer found my selfe guiltie of fact vnméete a Romane Citizen nor euer spoke 〈◊〉 vnsemely for a Philosopher By meanes wherof I do right heartily wish thou 〈◊〉 remember the good education and instruction which thou diddest learne of me I speake not this that thou shouldest gratific me againe with any benefite but to the ende that thou mightest serue thy selfe estéemyng that no greater pleasure can redounde to me than to heare a good report of thée Be then well assured that if an Empire be bestowed vpon thée it was not for that thou were a Citizen of Rome or a couragious person descended of noble house rich and mightie but only bicause vertues did plentifully abounde in thée I dedicated vnto thée certaine bookes of olde and auncient common welth which if it please thée to vse and as at other times I haue sayd vnto thée thou shalte finde me to be a proclaimer of thy famous works a thronicler of all thy noble faicts of armes but if perchance thou follow thine owne aduise and chaūge thy selfe to be other than hitherto thou hast ben presently I inuocate and crie out vpon the immortall Gods and this Letter shall bée witnesse that if any hurte do chaunce to thée or to thine Empire it is not thorough the counsell or meanes of thy maister Plutarch And so farewell most noble Prince The aunswere of the Emperour Traiane to his maister Plutarch COcceius Traiane Emperour of Rome to thée the Philosopher Plutarch sometymes my maister salutation and consolation in the Gods of comfort In Agrippina was deliuered vnto me a letter frō thée which so soone as I opened knew to be written with thine owne hande and endited with thy wisedome So flowing was the same with góodly words and accompanied with graue sentences an occasion that made mée reade the same twice or thrice thynking that I saw thée write and beard thée speake so welcome was the same to me that at that very instāt I caused it to be red at my table yea and made the same to be fixed at my beds head that thy well meaning vnto me might be generally knowen how much I am bounde vnto thée I estéemed for a good presage the cōgratulation that the Consul Rutulus did vnto me from thée touching my cōming to the Empire I hope through thy merites that I shall be a good Emperoure Thou sayest in thy letter that thou canste by no meanes beléeue that I haue giuen bribes and vsed other endeuors to redeme mine Empire as other haue done For aunswere thervnto I say that as a man I haue dcsired it but neuer by solicitation or other means attempted it For I neuer saw within the Citie of Rome any man to bribe for honour but for the same some notable infamie chaunced vnto hym as for example we may learne of the good olde man Menander my friende thy neighbour who to bée Consul procured the same by vnlawful meanes and therfore in the end was banished and died desperately The great Caius Caesar and Tiberius Caligula Claudius 〈◊〉 Galba Otho Vitellius and Domitian some for gettyng the Empire some for tirannie some for gettyng the same by bribes and some by other meanes procuryng the same loste by the sufferance of the righteous Gods not onely their honor and goodes but also died miserably When thou 〈◊〉 reade in thy schoole and I that time an hearer of thy doctrine many times hearde thée say that we ought to trauell to deserue honour rather than procure the same esteming it vnlawful to get honour by meanes vnlawful He that is without credite ought to assay to procute credite Hée that is without honour ought to séeke honour But the vertuous man hath no nede of noblenesse ne he himself ne yet any other person can berieue hym of due honour Thou knowest wel Plutarch that the yere past the office of Consul was gyuen to Torquatus and the 〈◊〉 to Fabritius who were so vertuous and so little ambitious as not desirous to receyue suche charges absented themselues although that in Rome they might haue ben in great estimation by reason of those offices and yet neuerthelesse without them they be presently estéemed 〈◊〉
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
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
auncient libertie and displeasant to the Senatours and 〈◊〉 to sée them selues depriued of the soueraintie of Iustice and of the authoritie they had to 〈◊〉 all the Citizens yet for al that was he indued with so good qualities and gouerned so well his principalitie as that which at the beginnyng was termed Tyrannie was receiued as iust domination and that whiche was supposed to be abused by force semed to be done as it wer by lawful succession And they counted them selues happy when they saw their luck to be such as their common wealth must néedes obey the aduise and pleasure of one Prince alone to haue a soueraine lorde so wise so vertuous and so ful of curtesie Who albeit in other things he shewed him selfe praise worthie noble and of gentle kynde yet vanquished he him selfe in him selfe and in the rest of his perfection by that indifferent iustice which made him wonderfull by reason hée denied the same to none and in no one iote shewed him selfe parcial to any which thought by him to be supported in their follies And that which was more to be wondred in hym augmented the praise of his integritie in iudgement was that he punished in an other the thyng which by reason he oughte to haue pardoned and remitted he beyng attainted well beatē with that disease But the good Lord applied to reason to time to the grauitie of the fact and qualitie of the offended persones For where the greatnesse of the déede surpasseth all occasion of pardon and mercy the Prince Iudge or Magistrate ought to dispoile and put of his swetest affections to apparel himself with rigor which reacheth the knyfe into the hande of him that ruleth of purpose that so priuate familiaritie do not in the ende raise in the subiects heart a contempt of their superiours and an 〈◊〉 licence lawlesse to liue at their pleasure Now the thing which I meane to tel consisteth in the proofe of a rare and exquisite prudence which seldome or neuer harboureth in yong age the heates wherof can not but with great difficultie féele the coldnesse and correction of reason And likewyse the causes from whence wisdomes force procéedeth doe rest in long experience of things wherby men waxe old in ripenesse of witte and their déedes become worthy of praise Then Duke Alexander ordred so wel his estates and kept such a goodly and plentifull Court as the same gaue place to no Prince of Italic how great or rich so euer it was and that he did aswell for his owne garde honor as to shew the natural stoutnesse of his corage not vsing for all that any insolencie or vnséemely dealing against the haynous and auncient enimies of his house Amongs this goodly troupe of courtiers which ordinarily folowed the Duke there was a Florentine gentleman very néere the Duke and the best beloued of them all This yong Gentleman had a Manor hard by Florence where he was very well stately lodged which caused him many times to forsake the Citie with two of his companions to recreate him self in that pleasant place It chaunced vpon a day he being in his fieldish house bisides the which there was a Mill the master whereof had a passing faire daughter whome the sayd Gentleman did well marke and behold and with hir became straungely in loue in whome also appeared some Noble port that excéeded the bloud and race whereof she came But what The heauens be not so spare distributers of their gifts but sometimes diuide them with the least measure and at other times in equall weight or greatest heape to them that be of basest sort and popular degrée so well as to the greatest men and of most noble race Rome sometimes hath séen a bondman and slaue sometimes a runnagates sonne for his wit and corage to beare the scepter in his hand and to decide the causes of a lofty people who already by reason of his sleights and practises began to aspire the Empire of the whole world And hée that wythin our Fathers remembrance desireth to know what that great Tambarlane of Tartarie was the astonishment and ruine of all the 〈◊〉 partes shall well perceiue that his originall sorted from the vulgar sort from the basest place that was amongs all estates wherby must be confessed that the goodnesse of nature is such and so great that she wil helpe hir nourice children whatsoeuer they be the best she can Not that I meane to inferre hereby but that the bloud of predecessors with the institution of their posterity much augmēteth the force of the sprite and accomplisheth that more sincerely whereunto nature hath giuen a beginning Now to come to our purpose this yong Courtier taken and chained in the bandes of loue 〈◊〉 clogged with the beauty and good grace of that Countrey wench 〈◊〉 the meanes how he might inioy the thing after which he hoped To loue hir he demed it vnworthy of his degrée And yet he knew hir to be such by report of many as had a very good wit tongue at wyll and which is more estemed a Paragon and mirror of chast life modesty Which tormented this amorous Mounsier beyōd mesure and yet chaunged not his affection assuring himself that at length he shold attaine the end of his desires and glut his vnsatiable hunger which pressed him frō day to day to gather that soote and sauorous frute which louers so egerly sue for at maydens handes of semblable age to this who then was betwene xbj and. xvtj. yeres This louer did to vnderstand to his companions his griefe and 〈◊〉 who sory for the same assayed by all meanes to make him forget it telling him that it was vnséemely for a Gentleman of his accompt to make himself a 〈◊〉 to that people which would come to passe if they knew how vndiscretely he had placed his loue that there wer a number of fair honest gentlewomen to whom conuenably with great contentation he might addresse the same But he which much lesse saw than blind loue him selfe that was his 〈◊〉 he that was more 〈◊〉 of reason aduise than the Poets faine Cupido to be naked of apparel wold not heare the good counsel which his companions gaue him but rather sayd that it was lost time for them to vse suche words for he had rather die and to indure all the mocks scoffs of the world than lose the most delicate pray in his minde that could chaunce into the handes of man adding moreouer that the homelinesse rudenesse of the Countrey had not so much anoyed his new beloued but she deserued for hir beauty to be compared with the greatest Minion and finest attired gentlewoman of the City For this maiden had but the ornament and mynionnesse which nature had enlarged where other artificially force and by trumperies vsurpe that which the heauens denie them Touching hir vertue let that passe in silence sithēs that she quod hée sighing is too chast
riueld for age and Sunneburned with heate and continuall Countrey trauaile and that which moued most the standers by was the ruefull looke of the good olde man who casting his lookes héere there beheld eche one with his holow dolorous eyes in such wise as if hée had not spoken any woord hys countenaunce wold haue moued the Lords to haue compassion vpon his misery his teares wer of such force as the Duke which was a wise man and who measured things by reasons guide prouided with wisedome and foreséeing not without timely iudgement wold know the cause which made that man so to make his playnt and notwithstāding assailed with what suspition I know not would not haue him openly to tel his tale but leading the olde man aside he sayd vnto him My friend 〈◊〉 that gréeuous faultes and of great importance ought grieuously and openly to be punished yet it chaunceth oftentimes that hée which in a heate and choler dothe execution for the guilt although that iustly after hée hath disgested his rage at leasure hée repenteth his rigor and ouer sodaine seueritie offense being natural in man may sometime where slander is not euident by milde and mercifull meanes forget the same without infringing or violating the holy and ciuil constitutions of Lawmakers I speake thus much bicause my heart doeth throbbe that some of my house haue done some filthy fault against thée or some of thine Now I would not that they openly should be slaundered and yet lesse pretend I to leaue their faultes vnpunished specially such as by offensiue crime the common peace is molested wherein my desire is that my people doe liue For which purpose God hath constituted Princes Potestates as shepheards and guids of his 〈◊〉 to the end that the 〈◊〉 fury of the vitious might not destroy deuoure and scatter the impotent 〈◊〉 of no valoure if it be forsaken and left forlorne by the mighty armes of Principalities and Monarchies A singuler modesty doubtlesse and an incredible example of clemency in him whome his Citizens thought to be a Tyrant and vniust vsurper of a frée Seigniorie who so priuely and with such familiaritie as the friend could wishe of his companion hearkened to the cause of a poore Countrey man and moreouer his modesty so great as hée would it not to be knowen what fault it was or else that the offenders should publikely be accused offering for all that to be the reuenger of the wrong done vnto the poore and the punisher of the iniurie exercised against the desolate a woork certainly worthy of a true christian Prince which establisheth kingdomes decayed conserueth those that be rendring the Prince to be beloued of God and feared of his Subiects The pore olde man seing the Duke in so good minde and that accordingly hée demaunded to knowe the wrong done vnto him the name of the factor and that also hée had promysed hym his helpe ryghtfull correction due vnto the deserued fault the good olde man I say conceiuing courage recited from point to point the whole discourse of the rape and the violence done vpon his poore vertuous daughter 〈◊〉 claring besides the name and surname of those which accompanied the Gentleman the author of that conspiracy who as we haue already sayd was one that was in greatest fauor with the Duke who not withstanding the loue that he bare to the accused hearing the vnworthinesse of a déede so execrable said As God liueth this is a detestable facte and well deserueth a sharp and cruell punishment Not withstanding 〈◊〉 take good héede that you doe not mistake the same by accusing one for an other for the Gentleman whome thou haste named to be the rauisher of thy daughter is of all men déemed to be very honest and doe well assure thée that if I finde thée a lyer thy heade shall answer for example to eche false accuser and slaunderer in time to come But if the matter be so true as thou hast sayd I promise thée by the faith I beare to God so well to redresse thy wrong as thou shalt haue cause to be throughly satisfied with my iustice To whome the good old man thus answered My Lord the matter is so true as at this day he kéepeth my daughter like a cōmon strumpet in his house And if it please your highnesse to send thither you shall know that I doe vse no false accusation or lying wordes before you my Lord and Prince in presence of whome as before the minister and lieuetenant of God man ought not to speake but truely and religiously Sith it is so sayd the Duke get thée home to thy house where God willing I will be this day at dinner but take hede vpon thy life thou say nothing to any man what so euer it be for the rest let me alone I will prouide according to reason The good man almost so glad for his good exploit as the day before hée was sorowfull for his losse ioyfully went home to his homely house Countrey cabaue which he 〈◊〉 to be made ready so well as hée could attending the comming of his deliuerer succor support and iudge who when he had heard seruice commaūded his horsse to be sadled for sayd he I heare say there is a wilde Boare haunting hereby so wel lodged as is possible to sée we will goe thither to wake him from his sléepe ease and vse that passe time til dinner be redy So departing frō Florence he rode straight vnto that Mil where his dinner was made ready by his seruauntes There he dined very soberly and vsing fewe wordes vnto his companie sate still all pensiue musing vpon that he had to doe For on the one side the grauitie of that 〈◊〉 moued him rigorously to chastise him which had committed the sante with all crueltie and insolencie On the other side the loue which he bare him mollifying his heart made him change his minde and to moderate his sentence The Princes minde thus wandering betwéene loue and rigor one brought him worde that the Dogs had rousde the great est Hart that euer he sawe which newes pleased him very much for by that meanes he sent away the multitude of his Gentlemen to follow that chase retaining with him his most familiar friends and those that were of his priuy and secrete councell whome he would to be witnesses of that which he intended to doe and causing his hoast to come before him he sayd My friend thou must bring vs to the place wherof this morning thou toldest me that I may discharge my promise The Courtiers wōdred at those words ignorant wherunto that same were spoken but the good man whose heart lept for ioy as already féeling some great benefit at hand and honour prepared for the beautifying of his house séeing the Duke on horsse backe ran bisides him in steade of his Lackey with whome the Prince helde much pleasant talke all along the way as they went togither 〈◊〉 they had
was of the house of Aragon sister to that Cardinal of Aragon which thē was a rich puissant personage Being thus resolued was wel assured that she was not deceiued for so much as she was persuaded that Bologna was deuoutly affected to the house of Aragon as one brought vp there from a childe Wherfore sending for him home to his house she vsed vnto him these or like words Master Bologna sith your ill fortune nay rather the vnhap of our whole house is such as your good Lord master hath forgon his state dignitie and that you therwithall haue lost a good Master wythout other recompence but the praise which euery man giueth you for your good seruice I haue thought good to intreat you to do me that honor as to take charge of the gouernment of my house to vse the same as you did that of the king your master I know well that the office is to vnworthy for your calling notwithstanding you be not ignoraunt what I am and how néere to him in bloud to whō you be so faithfull and louing a seruant albeit the that I am no Quéene endued with great reuenue yet with that little I haue I bear a Princely heart such as you by experience do knowe what I haue done and daily do to those which depart my seruice recōpensing them according to their paine trauaile magnificence is obserued as well in the Courts of poore Princes as in the stately Palaces of great Kings and monarches I do remembre that I haue red of a certain noble gentleman a Persian borne called Ariobarzanes who vsed great exāples of curtesie stoutnes towards king Artaxerxes wherwith the king wondred at his magnificēce confessed himself to be vanquished you shall take aduise of this request I in the mean time do think you will not refuse the same as well for that my demaund is iust as also being assured the our house race is so well imprinted in your heart as it is impossible that the memory therof can be defaced The gentleman hearing that courteous demaund of the Duchesse knowing himself how déepely boūd he was to that name of Aragon led by soure vnknowen prouocation to his great yll luck answered hir in this wise I wold to god madame that with so good reason equitie I were able to make denial of your 〈◊〉 as iustly you require the same wherfore for that bounden duety which I owe to that name memorie of the house of Aragon I make promise that I shall not only sustain the trauail but also the daunger of my life daily ready to be offred for your seruice but I féele in minde I know not what which 〈◊〉 me to 〈◊〉 my self to liue alone at home at my house to be content with the little I haue forgoing the sūptuouse charge of Princes houses which life would be wel liked of my self were it not for the feare that you madame shold be discontented with my refusal that you shold conceiue that I disdained your offred charge or cōtempne your Court for respect of the great Office I bare in the Court of the Kyng my Lord Master For I cānot receiue more honor than to serue hir which is of that stock royall race Therfore at all aduētures I am resolued to obey your wil hūbly to satisfy that duty of that charge wherin it pleaseth you to imploy me more to pleasure you for auoiding of displeasure thē for desire I haue to liue an honorable life in that greatest princes house of that world sith I am discharged from him in whose name resteth my 〈◊〉 only stay thinking to haue liued a solitary life to passe my 〈◊〉 in rest except it were in the pore abilitie of my seruice to that house wherunto I am bound continually to be a faithful seruaunt Thus Madame you sée me to be the rediest mā of the world to fulfill the request and accomplish such other seruice wherin it shall please you to imploy me The Duchesse thanked him very heartily and gaue him charge of all hir housholde traine commaunding 〈◊〉 person to do him such reuerence as to hir self and to obey him as the chief of all hir familie This Lady was a widow but a passing faire Gentlewoman fine and very yong hauing a yong sonne vnder hir guard keping left by the deceased Duke hir husbād togither with the Duchie the inheritaunce of hir childe Now consider hir personage being such hir easy life and delicate bringing vp and daily séeing the youthely trade and maner of Courtiers life whether she felt hir 〈◊〉 prickt with any desire which burned hir heart that more incessantly as the flames were hidden couert from the outward shew whereof she stayd hir self so well as she could But she following best aduise rather estéemed the proofe of mariage than to burne with so little fire or to incurre the exchange of louers as many vnshame fast strūpets do which be rather giuen ouer thā satisfied with pleasure of loue And to say the truthe they be not guided by wisdomes lore which suffer a maiden ripe for mariage to be long vnwedded or yōg wife long to liue in widdowes state what assurance so euer they make of their chaste and stayed life For bookes be so full of such enterprises and houses stored with examples of such stolne and secrete practises as there néede no further proofe for assurāce of our cause the same of it self being so plaine and manifest And a great follie it is to build the fātasies of chastitie amid the follies of worldly pleasures I will not goe about to make those matters impossible ne yet wil iudge at large but that there be some maidens wiues which wisely can conteine themselues amongs the troupe of amorous suters But what the experience is very hard and the proofe no lesse daungerous perchaunce in a moment the minde of some peruerted whych all their liuing dayes haue closed their eares frō the wordes of those that haue made offer of louing seruice we néede not run to forayne Histories ne yet to séeke records that be auncient sith we may sée the daily effects of the like 〈◊〉 in Noble houses and Courtes of Kings and Princes That this is true example of this fair Duchesse who was moued with that desire which pricketh others that be of Flesh and bone This Lady waxed very weary of lying alone grieued hir heart to be without a match 〈◊〉 in the night when the secrete silēce and darknesse of the same presented before the eies of hir minde the Image of the pleasure which she felt in the life time of hir deceased Lord and husband whereof now féeling hir selfe despoiled she felt a continuall combat and durst not attempte that which she desired most but eschued the thing wherof hir minde liked best Alas said she is it possible after the 〈◊〉 of the value of honest obedience which the
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
for the present time they passed that same in words for ratificatiō wherof they wēt to bed togither But that pain in the end was greater than the pleasure and had ben better for them bothe yea and also for the third that they had shewed them selues so wyse in the déede as discrete in keping silence of that which was done For albeit their mariage was secrete and therby politikely gouerned them selues in their stelthes and robberies of loue and that Bologna more oft held the state of the steward of the house by day than of Lord of the same and by night supplied that place yet in the end the thing was perceiued which they desired to be closely kept And as it is impossible to till and culture a fertile ground but that the same must yelde some frute euen so the Duchesse after many pleasures being ripe and plentiful became with child which at the first astonned the maried couple neuerthelesse the same so well was prouided for as the first childbedde was kept secrete and 〈◊〉 did know thereof The childe was nourced in the towne and the father desired to haue him named Federick for remembraunce of the parents of his wife Now fortune which lieth in daily waite and ambushment liketh not that men shold long loiter in pleasure and passe-time being enuious of such prosperity cramped so the legges of our two louers as they must néedes change their game and learne some other practise for so much as the Duchesse being great with childe again and deliuered of a girle the businesse of the same was not so secretely done but that it was discouered And it suffised not that the brute was noised through Naples but that the sound flew further off As eche mā doth know that rumor hath many mouthes who with the multitude of his tongues and Trumps proclaimeth in diuers and sundry places the things which chaunce in al the regions of the earth Euen so that babling foole caried the newes of that second childbed to the eares of the Cardinall of Aragon the Duchesse brother being then at Rome Think what ioy and pleasure the Aragon brothers had by hearing the report of their sisters facte I dare presume to say that albeit they were extremely wroth with this happened 〈◊〉 with that dishonest fame whych that Duchesse had gotten throughout Italie yet farre greater was their sorrow grief for that they did not know what hée was that so courteously was allied to their house and in their loue had increased their ligneage And therfore swelling wyth despite rapt with furie to sée themselues so defamed by one of their bloud they purposed by all meanes whatsoeuer it cost them to know the lucky louer that had so wel tilled the Duchesse their sisters field Thus desirous to remoue that shame from before their eyes and to be reuenged of a wrong so notable they sent espial round about and scoutes to Naples to view and spy the behauior talk of the Duchesse to settle some certaine iudgement of him whych stealingly was become their brother in law The Duchesse Court being in thys trouble shée dyd continually perceiue in hir house hir brothers men to mark hir countenance and to note those that came thither to visite hir to whom she vsed greatest familiaritie bicause it is impossible but that the fire although it be raked vnder the ashes must giue some heat And albeit the two louers vsed eche others companie without shewing any signe of their affectiō yet they purposed to chaūge their estate for a time by yelding truce to their pleasures Yea although Bologna was a wise and prouidēt personage fearing to be surprised vpon the fact or that the Gentlewoman of the Chamber corrupted with Money or forced by feare shold pronoūce any matter to his hinderance or disauantage determined to absent himself from Naples yet not so sodainly but that hee made the Duchesse his faithfull Ladie companion priuie of his intent And as they were secretely in their chāber togither hee vsed these or such like woords Madame albeit the right good intent and vnstained conscience is free from fault yet the iudgement of men hath further relation to that exterior apparance than to vertues force and innocencie it self as ignorant of the secrets of the thought and so in things that be wel done we must of necessitie fall into the sentence of those whom beastly affection rauisheth more than ruled reason You sée the solempne watch and garde which the seruaunts of the Lords your brothers do within your house the suspicion which they haue cōceiued by reason of your secōd childbed by what meanes they labor truely to know how your affaires procéede and things do passe I feare not death where your seruice may be aduaūced but if herein the maiden of your chāber be not secrete if she be corrupted and if she kepe not close that which she ought to do it is not ignorant to you that it is the losse of my life and shall die suspected to be a whoremonger varlet euen I I say shall incurre that perill which am your true and lawfull husband Thys separation chaunceth not by Iustice or desert sith the cause is too righteous for vs but rather your brethrē will procure my death when I shall thinke the same in greatest assurāce If I had to do but with one or two I wold not change the place ne march one step from Naples but be assured that a great band and the same wel armed will set vpon me I pray you madame suffer me to retire for a time for I am assured that when I am absent they will neuer soile their hands or imbrue their sweards in your bloud If I doubted any thing at al of perill touching your owne person I had rather a hundred hundred times die in your companie than liue to sée you no more But out of doubt I am that if the things were discouered they knew you to be begottē with childe by me you should be safe where I shold sustaine the penaunce of that fact committed wtout fault or sinne And therfore I am determined to goe from Naples to order mine affaires and to cause my Reuenue to be brought to the place of mine abode and from thence to Ancona vntil it pleaseth God to mitigate the rage of your brethren and recouer their good wils to consent to our mariage But I meane not to doe or conclude any thing without your aduise And if this intent doe not like you giue me councell Madame what I were best to doe that both in life and death you may knowe your faithfull seruaunt and louing husband is ready to obey and please you This good Ladie hearing hir husbands discourse vncertain what to doe wept bitterly as wel for grief to lose his presence as for that she felt hir self with child the third time The sighes and teares the sobbes and heauie lookes which she threwe forth vpon hir
his name was Delio one very well learned and of 〈◊〉 inuention and very excellently hath endited in the Iralion vulgar tongue Who knowing the Gentleman to be husbande to the deceased Duchesse of 〈◊〉 came vnto him taking him aside sayd Sir albeit I haue no great acquaintance with you this being the first time that euer I saw you to my remembrance so it is that vertue hath such force and maketh gentle mindes so amorous of their like as when they doe beholde 〈◊〉 other they féele thēselues coupled as it were in a bande of minds that impossible it is to diuide the same Now knowing what you be and the good and commendable qualities in you I compte it my duetie to reueale that which may chaunce to bréede you damage Know you then that I of late was in companie with a Noble man of Naples which is in this Citie banded with a certaine companie of horsemen who tolde me that hee had a speciall charge to kill you and therfore prayed me as he séemed to require you not to come in his sight to the intent hée might not be constrained to doe that which should offende his Conscience and grieue the same all the dayes of his life Moreouer I haue worse tidings to tell you which are that the Duchesse your wife is deade by violent hand in prison and the moste parte of them that were in hir companie Besides this assure your self that if you doe not take héede to that which this Neapolitane captaine hathe differred other will doe and execute the same This much I haue thought good to tell you bicause it woulde verie much grieue me that a Gentleman so excellent as you be should be murdered in that miserable wife and would déeme my selfe vnworthy of life if knowing these practises I should dissemble the same Wherunto Bologna answered Syr Delio I am greatly bounde vnto you and giue you heartie thankes for the good will you beare me But of the conspiracie of the brethren of Aragon and the death of my Ladie you be deceyued and some haue giuen you wrong intelligence For within these two dayes I receiued letters from Naples wherein I am aduertised that the right honorable and 〈◊〉 Cardinall and his brother be almost appeased and that my goodes shall be rendred againe and my deare wife restored Ah syr sayd Delio how you be beguiled and fedde with follies and nourished with sleights of Courte Assure your self that they which wryte these tristes make such shamefull sale of you as the Butcher doeth of his flesh in the shambles and so wickedly betray you as impossible it is to inuent a Treason more detestable but be thinke you well thereof When he had sayde so hée tooke his leaue and ioyned himself in companie of fiue and pregnant wittes there assembled togither In the meane tyme the cruell spryte of the Aragon brethren were not yet appeased with the former murders but néedes must finish the last acte of Bologna his Tragedie by losse of his life to kéepe his wife and Children companie so well in an other worlde as hée was vnited with them in Loue in this fraile and transitorie passage The Neapolitan gentleman before spoken of by Delio which had taken an enterprise to satisfie the barbarous Cardinal to bericue his Countreyman of life hauing changes his minde and differring from day to day to sorte the same to effect which hée had taken in hande it chaunced that a Lombarde of larger conscience than the other inuegled with Couetousnesse and hired for readie money practised the death of the Duchesse pore husband This bloudy beast was called Daniel de Bozola that had charge of a certaine bande of footemen in Millan This newe Iudas and assured manqueller within certaine dayes after knowing that Bologna oftentimes repaired to heare seruice at the Church and couent of S. Fraunces secretly conueyed himself in ambush hard bisides the church of S. Iames whether he came being accompanied with a certaine troupe of souldioures to assaile the infortunate Bologna who was sooner slaine than hée was able to thinke vpon defense whose mishap was such that he which killed him had good leisure to saue himself by reason of the little pursuite made after him Beholde héere the Noble facte of a Cardinall and what sauer it hath of Christian puritie to commit a slaughter for a facte done many yeares past vpon a poore Gentleman which neuer thought him hurte Is this the swéete obseruation of the Apostles of whom they vaunt themselues to be the successors and folowers And yet we cannot finde nor reade that the Apostles or those that slept in their trace hired Kuffians and Murderers to cut the throtes of them which did thē hurt But what It was in the time of Iulius the second who was more marshall than christian and loued better to shed bloud than giue blessing to the people Such ende had the infortunate mariage of him which ought to haue contēted himself with that degrée and honor that hée had acquired by his déedes and glory of his vertues so much by eche wight recōmended We ought neuer to clime higher than our force permitteth ne yet surmount the bounds of duety and lesse suffer our selues to be haled 〈◊〉 forth with desire of brutal sensualitie The sinne being of such nature that hée neuer giueth ouer that partie whome he mastereth vntil he hath brought him to the 〈◊〉 of some Notable follie You sée the miserable discourse of a Princesse loue that was not very wise and of a gentleman that had forgottē his estate which ought to serue for a loking glasse to them which be ouer hardie in making of enterprises and doe not measure their abilitie with the greatnesse of their attemptes where they ought to maintaine themselues in reputation and beare the title of wel aduised foreséeing their ruine to be example to all posteritie as may be séene by the death of Bologna and of all them which sprang of him and of his infortunate spouse his Ladie and mistresse But we haue discoursed inoughe hereof sith diuersitie of other Histories doe call vs to bring the same in place which were not much more happie than those whose Historie ye haue already tasted The Countesse of Celant ¶ The disordered life of the Countesse of CELANT and how she causing the Countie of MASINO to be murdered was beheaded at MILLAN The. xxiiij Nouel NOt withoute cause of long time haue wise discrete men prudently gouerned and giuen great héede ouer their Daughters and those whome they haue chosen to be their wiues not in vsing them like bōdwemen and slaues bereuing them of all libertie but rather to auoide the murmur and secrete slaunderous speache of the common people and occasiōs offred for infection and marring of youth specially circumspect of the assaults bent against maidens being yet in the first flames of fire kindled by nature in the hearts 〈◊〉 of those that be the wisest Some persones 〈◊〉 it to
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
an hundred thousand deathes did stande about hir haling hir on euery side and plucking hir in pieces féelyng that hir forces diminyshed by litle and litle fearing that through to great debilitie she was not able to do hir enterprise like a furious and insensate womā without further care gulped vp the water within the viol then crossing hir armes vpon hir stomacke she lost at that instant al the powers of hir body and remained in a traunce And when the mornyng light began to thrust his head out of his Orient hir chamber woman which had lockte hir in with the key did open the doore and thinking to awake hir called hir many times and sayde vnto hir Mistresse you sléepe to long the Counte Paris will come to raise you The poore olde woman spake vnto the wall and 〈◊〉 a song vnto the deafe For if all the horrible and tempestuous soundes of the worlde had bene canoned forth oute of the greatest bombardes and sounded through hir delicate eares hir spirits of lyfe were so fast bounde and stopt as she by no meanes coulde awake wherewith the poore olde woman amazed beganne 〈◊〉 shake hir by the armes and handes which she founde so colde as marble stone Then puttyng hande vnto hir mouthe sodainely perceyued that she was deade for she perceyued no breath in hir Wherfore lyke a woman out of hir wyttes shée ranne to tell hir mother who so madde as Tigre bereft of hir faons hyed hir selfe into hir daughters chaumber and in that pitifull state beholdyng hir daughter thinking hir to be deade cried out Ah cruell death which hast ended all my ioye and blisse vse thy laste scourge of thy wrathfull ire against me least by suffering me to lyue the rest of my woful dayes my tormente do increase then she began to fetchsuch straining sighes as hir heart dyd séeme to cleaue in pieces And as hir cries beganne to encrease beholde the father the Counte Paris and a greate troupe of Gentlemen and Ladies which were come to honour the feast hearing no soner tell of that which chaunced were stroke into such sorowfull dumpes as he whiche had behelde their faces wold easily haue iudged that the same had bē a day of ire pitie specially the lord Antonio whose heart was frapped with such surpassing wo as neither teare nor word could issue forth knowing not what to doe streight way sēt to seke that most expert phisitians of the towne who after they had inquired of the life past of Iulietta déemed by common reporte that melancolie was the cause of that sodaine death then their sorowes began to renue a 〈◊〉 And if euer day was lamentable piteous vnhappie and fatall truely it was that wherin Iulietta hir death was published in Verona for shée was so bewailed of great small that by the cōmon plaintes the common wealth séemed to be in daunger not without cause For besides hir natural beautie accompanied with many vertues wherewith nature had enriched hir she was else so humble wise and debonaire as for that humilitie and curtesie she had stollen away the heartes of euery wight and there was none but did lamente hir misfortune And whilest these things were in this lamented state Frier Laurence with diligence dispatched a Frier of his Couent named Frier Anselme whome he trusted as himselfe and deliuered him a letter written with his owne hande commaunding him expressely not to gyue the same to any other but to Rhomeo wherein was conteyned the chaunce which had passed betwene him and Iulietta specially that vertue of the pouder and commaunded him the nexte ensuing night to spéede him self to Verona for that the operation of the pouder that time would take ende that he should cary with him back again to Mantua his 〈◊〉 Iulietta in dissembled apparell vntill Fortune bad otherwise prouided for them The frier made such hast as too late he ariued at Mantua within a while after And bicause the maner of Italie is that the Frier trauailing abroade oughte to take a companion of his couent to doe his affaires within the Citie the Frier went into his couent but bicause he was entred in it was not lawfull for him to come out againe that day for that certain dayes before one religious of that couent as it was sayd did die of the plague Wherefore the magistrates appointed for the healthe and visitation of the sicke commaunded the warden of the house that no Friers shold wander abrode the Citie or talke with any citizen vntill they were licenced by the officers in that behalfe appointed which was the cause of the great mishap which you shal heare hereafter The Frier being in this perplexitie not able to goe forth and not knowing what was cōtained in the letter deferred his iorney for that day Whilest things were in this plight preparation was made at Veronna to doe the obsequies of Iulietta There is a custome also which is common in Italie to place all the beste of one lignage and familie in one Tombe wherby Iulietta was layde in the ordinarie graue of the 〈◊〉 in a Churcheyarde harde by the Churche of the Friers where also the Lorde Thibault was interred And hir obsequies honourably done euery man returned whereunto Pietro the seruant of Rhomeo gaue hys assistance For as we haue before declared his master sente him backe againe from Mantua to Verona to do his father seruice and to aduertise hym of that whiche shoulde chaunce in his absence there who séeing the body of Iulietta inclosed in tombe thinkyng with the rest that she had bene dead in déede incontinently toke poste horse and with diligence rode to Mantua where he founde his maister in his wonted house to whome he sayde with his eyes full of teares Syr there is chaunced vnto you so straunge a matter as if so bée you do not arme your selfe with constancie I am afrayde that I shal be the cruell minister of your death Bée it knowne vnto you syr that yesterday morning my mistresse Iulietta left hir lyfe in this world to seke rest in an other and wyth these eyes I saw hir buried in the Churchyarde of S. Frauncis At the sounde of which heauie message Rhomeo began wofully to 〈◊〉 as though his spirites grieued with the 〈◊〉 of his passion at that instant woulde haue abandoned his bodie But strong Loue whiche woulde not permitte hym to faint vntill the extremitie framed a thoughte in his fantasie that if it were possible for hym to dye besides hir his death shoulde be more glorious and 〈◊〉 as he thought better contented By reason whereof after 〈◊〉 had washed his face for 〈◊〉 to discouer hys sorrow he went out of hys chamber and commaunded hys man to 〈◊〉 behynde hym that hée might walke thorough oute all the corners of the Citie to fynde propre remedie if it were possyble for hys griefe And 〈◊〉 others beholdyng an Apoticaries shoppe of lytle furniture and lesse store of boxes and other thynges requisite
oiles and other precious oyntments as Aloisio came again to himselfe And when he had anointed that recouered bodie with certaine precious and comfortable oyles he suffred him to take his rest The priest also wente to bed and slepte till it was daye who so soone as he was vp went to séeke the Captaine to tell him of the good newes that maister Aloisio Foscari was recouered againe who by the 〈◊〉 Captaine was committed to him in charge The Captain at that time was gone to the pallace at San Marco to gyue the Duke aduertisement of this chaunce after whome the priest went was let in to the dukes chamber to whom he declared what he had done to maister Aloisio The Duke verie glad to heare tell of his nephewes life although then verie pensiue for the newes broughte vnto him by the Captaine intreated one of the Signor de notte to take with him two of the best surgions and to call him that had alreadie dressed his nephew to go visite the wounded Gentleman that he might be certified of the truth of that chaunce All whiche together repaired to the priestes chamber where finding hym not a sléepe and the wounde faire ynough to heale dyd thervnto what their cunning thoughte méete and conuenient And then they began to inquire of hym that was not yet full recouered to perfecte speache howe that chaunce happended tellyng him that he myght frankly confesse vnto them the trouthe The more diligent they were in thys demauude bicause the Surgeon that dressed hym fyrst alleaged that the wounde was not made wyth sworde but receyued by some great fal or blow with mace or clubbe or rather séemed to come of some high fall from a wyndowe by reason his head was so grieuously brused Aloisio hearyng the Surgeons sodaine demaunde presentely aunswered that he fell downe from a window and named also the house And he had no sooner spoken those wordes but he was very angry with hym selfe and sorie And therewithal hys dismayde spirites began to reuiue in such wyse as sodainly he chose rather to die than to speake any thyng to the dishonour of mistresse Gismonda Then the Signior di notte asked him what he dyd there aboute that time of the night and wherfore he did climbe vp to the windowe béeing of so great a height which he could not kéepe secrete by reason of the authoritie of the Magistrate that demaunded the question 〈◊〉 hée thought that if his tongue 〈◊〉 runne at large and committed a 〈◊〉 by rashe speaking his body should therfore suffer the smart Wherfore before he wold in any wyse spot the name of 〈◊〉 whom he loued better than his owne life determined to hazarde his lyfe and honour to the mercie of Iustice and sayd I declared euen now whyche I can not denye that I fell downe from the windowe of mistresse Gisinonda Mora. The cause thereof beyng nowe at state wherein I know not whether I shall lyue or die I wyll truly disclose Mistresse Gismonda being a widow a yong woman without any man in hir house bycause by reporte she is verie rych of iewels and money I purposed to robbe and dispoyle Wherfore I deuised a ladder to climbe vp to hir wyndowe wyth mynde full bent to kyll all those that shoulde resiste me But my 〈◊〉 was suche as the ladder beyng not well fastened fell and I my selfe therwithall and thinking to recouer home to my lodgyng with my ladder made of corde my 〈◊〉 beganne to faile and fell downe I wotte not where The Signor de notte whose name was Domenico Mariperto hearyng him say so maruelled greatly and was very sorie that all they in the chamber which were a great number as at such chaunces commonly be dyd heare those wordes and bycause they were spoken so openly he was forced to saye vnto hym Aloisio I am very sorie that thou hast committed suche follie but for so muche as sorrow now wil not serue to remedie the trespasse I must nedes she we myself both faithful to my countrey also carefull of mine honor without respect of persōs Wherfore thou shalt remain here in such safe custody as I shal apoint when thou art better amēded thou must according 〈◊〉 desert be referred to that gaole Leauing him then there vnder sure keping he wēt to the counsell of the Dieci which magistrates in that citie be of 〈◊〉 authoritie and finding the lordes in counsell he opened the whole matter vnto them The presidents of the Counsell which had hearde a great numbre of complaintes of many thefts done in the night within the Citie toke order that one of the captains that were appointed to the diligent watche and kéeping of Aloisio remaining in the priests house should cause him to be examined with tormentes forced to tell the truthe for that they did verily beleue that he had cōmitted many robberies besides or at lest wise was priuieand accessarie to the same and knew where the theues wer become Afterwardes the sayd Counsell did sitte vpon the matter of Girolamo Bembo and Anselmo Barbadico found at midnight naked in eche others chambre and committed to prison as is before remembred And bicause they 〈◊〉 many matters besides of greater importaunce to intreate vpon amongs which the warres betwene them aud Philippo Maria Vesconte duke of Milane the aforsaid causes were deferred till an other time notwithstanding in the mean while they were examined The Duke himselfe that time being in counsell spake most seuerely againste his nephew Neuerthelesse he didde hardly beleue that his nephew being very rich and indewed with great honestie woulde abase him selfe to a vice so vile and abhominable as theft is wherevpon he began to consider of many thinges and in the ende talked with hys nephewe secretely alone and by that meanes lerned the trouth of the whole matter In like maner Anselmo and Girolamo were examined by commissioners appointed by the state what one of them did in an others chamber at that houre of the nighte who confessed that many tymes they had séene Aloisio Foscari to passe vp down before their houses at times inconuenient that night by chaunce one of them not knowing of another espied Aloisio thinking that he lingered about their houses to abuse one of their wiues for which cause they went out and so soone as they 〈◊〉 taken him they killed him Which confession they opēly declared accordingly as wherupō before they were agréed Afterwardes with further circumstance being examined vpon the Article of being one in anothers 〈◊〉 it appeared that their first tale was vtterly vntrue Of al which contradictions the Duke was aduertised and was driuē into extréeme admiration for that the truth of those disorders could not be vnderstanded and knowne Whereupon the Dieci and the assistants were againe assembled in coūcell according to the maner at what time after all things throughly were debated and ended the Duke being a very graue man of excellent wit aduaunced to the Dukedome
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
your rancor into the lap of your Countrey that she may put him in exile for euer who like a pitifull and louing mother would gladly sée all hir children of one accorde and minde Which if ye doe ye shall do singulare pleasure to your friendes ye shal do great discōfort to your foes ye shal do singular good to the cōmon wealth ye shal do greatest benefit to your selues ye shal make vs humble wiues ye shal encrease your posterity ye shall be praised of all men 〈◊〉 finally shall depart the best contented men that euer the world brought forth And now bicause ye shall not thinke that we haue piked out this tale at our fingers ends thereby to séeke your sauegard and our fame and praise beholde the letters which you sent vs beholde your owne hands subscribed to the same beholde your seales assigned therunto which shall rendre true testimonie of that which vnfainedly we haue affirmed Then both deliuered their letters which viewed and séene were wel known to be their own husbāds hāds and the same so wel approued hir tale as their husbāds were the gladdest men of the world and the Duke and seignorie maruelously satisfied contēted In so much as the whole assēbly with one voice cried out for their husbands deliueraunce And so with the consent of the Duke the whole seignorie they were clerely discharged The parents cosins and friends of the husbands wiues were wonderfully amazed to here this long historie and greatly praised the maner of their deliuery accompting the women to be very wise and mistresse Isotta to be an eloquent gentlewoman for that she had so well defended the cause of their husbands of themselues Anselmo and Girolamo openly in the presence of all the people embraced and kissed their wiues with great 〈◊〉 And then the husbandes shaked one an other by the hands betwene whome began a brotherly accorde and from that time forth liued in perfect amitie and friendship exchaunging the wanton loue that either of thē bare to others wife into brotherly friendship to the great cōtentation of the whole Citie Whē the multitude assembled to heare this matter throughly was satisfied the Duke with chéereful countenance loking towarde Gismonda sayd thus vnto hir And you faire Gentlewoman what haue you to say Be bolde to vtter your minde and we will gladly heare you Mistresse Gismonda bashful to speake began wonderfully to blush into whose chekes entred an orient rud intermixed with an Alablaster white which made hir countenaunce more 〈◊〉 thā it was wont to be After she had stode still a while 〈◊〉 hir eyes declined towards the ground in comly wise lifting thē vp again with shamfast audacitie she begā to say If I most noble prince in opē audiēce shold attēpt to speake of loue wherof I neuer had experience or knew what thing it was I should be doubtful what to say therof and peraduēture durst not open mouth But hering my father of worthy memorie many times to tel that your maiestie in the time of your youth disdained not to opē your hert to receiue the amorous flames of loue being assured that ther is none but that doth loue litle or much I do not doubt but for the words which I shal speake to obtain both pitie and pardon To come then to the matter God I thank him of his goodnesse hath not permitted me to be one of that sort of women that like hipocrites do mumble their Pater nosters to saincts appering outwardly to be deuout holy and in fruite do bring forth deuils and all kindes of vices specially ingratitude whiche is a vice that dothe suck drie vp the foūtain of godly pietie Life is deare to me as naturally it is to all next which I estéeme mine honor that peraduēture is to be preferred before life bicause without honor life is of no reputatiō And where mā woman do liue in shame notorious to the world the same may be termed a liuing death rather thā a life But the loue that I beare to mine onely beloued master Aloisio here present I do esteme aboue al that iewels treasures of the world whose personage I do regard more thā mine owne life The reson that moueth me ther to is very great for before that I loued him or euer mēt to fire my minde that way he derely regarded me continually deuising which way he might win obtain my loue sparing no trauell by night day to seeke the same For which tender affectiō shold I shew my self vnkind and froward God forbid And to be plaine with your honors he is more deare acceptable vnto me than that balles of mine owne eyes being the derest things that appertaine to that furniture of the body of man without which no earthly thing can be gladsom and ioyfull to the sense and féeling Last of all his amorous and affectionate demonstration of his loue towards me by declaring him self to be careful of mine honor rather more willing to bestow his owne than to suffer the same to be touched with the left suspicion of dishonestie I can not choose but so faithfully imbrace as I am readie to guage my life for his sake rather than his finger shold ake for that offense And where hath there ben euer foūd such liberalitie in any louer What is he that hath ben euer so prodigall to employ his life the moste speciall pledge in this worlde rather than he would suffer his beloued to incurre dishonoure Many histories haue I red and Chronicles of our time and yet I haue founde fewe or none comparable vnto thys Gentleman the like of whom be so rare and seldome as white crowes or swannes of color blacke O singular liberalitie neuer heard of before O fact that can neuer be sufficiently praised O true loue most vnfained Maister Aloisio rather thā he wold haue my fame any one iote to be impaired or suffer any shadow of suspition to blemish the same frankly hath confessed himself to be a théefe regarding me mine honor more than himselfe life And albeit that he might a thousand wayes haue saued himself without the imprisonment aduersitie which he hath sustained neuerthelesse after he had said being then past remēbrāce through the fal that he fel downe frō my window perceiued how much that confession would preiudice and hurt my good name and spotte the known honestie of the same of his good wil chose to die rather than to speake any words that might bréede yll opinion of me or the least thing of the worlde that might ingendre infamie slaunder And therefore not able to cal back the words he had spoken of the fal nor by any meanes could coloure the same he thought to saue that good name of another by his own hurt If he then thus redily liberally hath protruded his life to manifest dāger for my benefit sauegard preferring min honor aboue the care of himself shall not I
cōpassion and desire to giue some ease vnto hir most earnest louer yelded hir selfe to couetous gain and gredinesse for to encrease hir richesse O curssed hunger of Money how long wilt thou thus blinde the reason and sprites of men Ah perillous gulfe how many hast thou ouerwhelmed within thy bottōlesse throte whose glory had it not bene for thee had surpassed the clouds and bene equal with the brightnesse of the Sunne where now they be obscured with the thicknesse of thy fogges and palpable darknesse Alas the fruites which thou bringest forth for all thine outwarde apparance conduce no felicitie to them that be thy possessors for the dropsey that is hidden in their mind which maketh them so much the more thirsty as they drinke oft in that thirsty Fountaine is cause of their alteration and most miserable is that insaciable desire the Couetous haue to glut their appetite which can receiue no contentation This only 〈◊〉 somtimes procured the death of the great and rich Romane Crassus who through Gods punishment fell into the hands 〈◊〉 the Persians for violating and sacking the Temple of God that was in Hierusalem Sextimuleus burning with Couetousnesse and gredinesse of money did once cut of the head of his patron and defender Caius 〈◊〉 the Tribune of the people incited by the Tyrant which tormenteth the hearts of the couctous I will not speake of a good number of other examples in people of all kindes and diuers nations to come againe to Zilia Who forgetting hir vertue the first ornament and shining quality of hir honest behauior feared not the wearinesse and trauaile of way to commit hir self to the danger of losse of 〈◊〉 and to yeld to the mercy of one vnto whom she had done so great iniury as hir conscience if she hadde not lost hir right sense ought to haue made hir thinke that hee was not without desire to reuenge that wrōg 〈◊〉 done vnto him specially being in place where she was not knowne and he greatly honoured and esteemed for whose loue that Proclamation and searche of Physicke was made and ordained Ziha then hauing put in order hir affairs at home departed from Montcall and passing the Mountes arriued at Paris at such time as greatest dispaire was had of the dumbe Knights recouery When she was arriued there within fewe dayes after she inquired for them that had the charge to entertaine such as came and would take vpon them the cure of the sayd pacient For sayd she if there be any man in the world through whome the Knight may get his health I hope in God that I am she which shal haue the praise Héereof the Commissaries deputed hereunto were aduertised who caused the faire Physician to come before them and asked hir if it were she that wold take vpon hir to cure this dumbe Gentleman To whome she answeared my masters it hath pleased God to reueale vnto me a certain secrete very proper and meete for the cure of his malady wherewithall if the pacient will I hope to make him speake so well as he did these two yeres past more I suppose sayd one of the Commissaries that you be not ignorant of the 〈◊〉 of the Kings Proclamation I know ful quod she the effect therof therfore do say vnto you that I wil loose my life if I doe not accomplish that which I doe promise vpon condition that I may haue licence to tary with him alone bicause it is of no lesse importance than his health It is no maruell sayde the Commissary considering your beauty which is sufficiēt to frame a new tong in the most 〈◊〉 person that is vnder the heauens And therefore do your indeuor assuring you that you shall doe a great pleasure vnto the King and besides the prayse which you shall acquire gette the good wil of the dumbe gentleman which is the most excellent man of the world and therefore shall be so wel recompensed as you shal haue good cause to be routented with the Kings liberalitie But to the intent you be not deceiued the meaning of the Proclamation is that within xv dayes after you begin the cure you must make him hole or else to satisfie the paines ordained in the same Wherunto she submitted hir self blinded by Auarice and presumptiō thinking that she had like power ouer the Lord of Virle as when she gaue him that sharpe and cruel penance These conditions promised the Commissaries went to aduertise the Knight how a Gentlewoman of Piedmont was of purpose come into Fraunce to helpe him whereof he was maruellously astonned Now he would neuer haue thought that Zilia had borne him so great good wil as by abasing the pride of hir corage would haue come so farre to ease the grief of him whome by such great torments she had so wonderfully persecuted He thought againe that it was the Gentlewoman his neighboure which sometimes had done hir endeuor to helpe him and had prouoked Zilia to absolue him of his faithe and acquite him of his promise Musing vpon the diuersitie of these things not knowing wherupon to settle his iudgement the deputies commaunded that the woman Physitian shold be brought to speake with the patient Which was done and brought in place the Commissaries presently with drew themselues The Lord of Virle seeing his enimie come before him whom sometimes he loued very 〈◊〉 iudged by and by the cause wherefore she came that onely auarice and gredy desire of gaine 〈◊〉 rather procured hir to passe the mountains trauail than due and honest amitie wherwith she was double boūd through his perseuerance and humble seruice wherby hée was estraunged of himselfe as he fared like a shadowe and image of a dead man Wherfore callyng to mynd the rigour of his Ladie hir inciuilitie and fonde commandement so long time to forbidde his speache the loue which once he bare hir with a vehement desire to obey hir sodainly was so cooled and qualified that loue was turned into hatred and will to serue hir into an appetite of reuenge whervpon he determined to vse that present fortune and to playe his parte with hir vpon whom he had so foolishly doted and to pay hir with that mōney wherwith she made hint féele the fruites of vnspeakable crueltie to giue example to fonde and presumptuous dames how they did abuse Gentlemen of such degrée whereof the Knyght was and that by hauing regarde to the merite of such personages they be not so prodigall of themselues as to set their honoure in sale for vile rewarde and filthy mucke which was so constantly conserued and defended by this Gentlewoman against the assaultes of the good grace beautie calour and gentlenesse of that vertuous and honest suter And notwithstanding in these dayes we sée some to resist the amitie of those that loue for an opinion of a certaine vertue which they thinke to be hidden within the corps of excellent beautie who afterwards do set them selues to sale to him that giueth
and Physitian dwelling at Cutiano a Citie of Boeme where plenty of siluer Mines and other mettals is The knight whose Castle was not farre from Cutiano had occasion to repaire vnto that Citie and according to his desire found out Pollacco which was a very olde mā and talking with him of diuers things perceiued him to be of great skill In end he entreated him that for so much as he had done pleasure to many for 〈◊〉 of their loue he wold also instruct him how he might be assured that his wife did kéepe hir self honest all the time of his absence and that by certaine signes he might haue sure knowledge whether she brake hir faith by sending his honesly into Cornwall Such vain trust this Knight reposed in the lying Science of Sorcery which although to many other is found deceitfull yet to him serued for sure euidence of his wiues sidelitie This Pollacco which was a very cunning enchaunter as you haue hard sayd vnto him Sir you demaund a very straūge matter such as where with neuer hitherto I haue bene acquainted ne yet searched the depthe of those hidden secretes a thing not commonly sued for ne yet practised by me For who is able to make assurance of a womans chastitie or tel by signes except he were at the déede doing that she hath done amisse Or who can gaine by proctors wryt to summon or sue a sprituall Court peremptorily to affirme by neuer so good euidence or testimony that a woman hath hazarded hir honesty except he sweare Rem to be in Re which the greatest 〈◊〉 that euer Padua bred neuer sawe by processe duely tried Shall I then warrant you the honesty of such 〈◊〉 cattell prone and ready to lust easy to be vanquished by the suites of earnest pursuers But blame worthy surely I am thus generally to speake for some I know although not many for whose pore honesties I dare aduenture mine owne And yet that number howe small so euer it be is worthy all due reuerence and honoure Notwithstanding bicause you séeme to be an honest Gentleman of that knowledge which I haue I will not be greatly 〈◊〉 A certaine secrete experiment in déede I haue wherwith perchaūce I may satisfie your demaunde And this is it I can by mine Arte in small time by certaine compositions frame a womans Image which you continually in a little boxe may carry about you and so ofte as you list beholde the same If the wife doe not breake hir mariage faith you shall still sée the same so faire and wel coloured as it was at the first making séeme as though it newly came from the painters shop but if perchaūce she meane to abuse hir honesty the same wil waxe pale and in déede committing that filthy facte sodainely the colour wil be black as arayed with cole or other 〈◊〉 the smel wherof wil not be very plesāt but at al times when she is attempted or pursued the colour wil be so yealow as gold This maruellous secrete deuise greatly pleased the Knight verely beleuing the same to be true specially much moued assured by the fame bruted abrode of his science wherof the Citizens of 〈◊〉 told very strange incredible things When the price was paid of this precious iewel he receiued the Image ioyfully returned home to his castle wher tarying certain dayes he determined to repair to that Court of the glorious king Mathie making his wife priuy to his intent Afterwards whē he had disposed his houshold matters in order he cōmitted that gouernment therof to his wife hauing prepared all necessaries for his voyage to the great sorow griefe of his beloued he departed arriued at Alba Regale where that time the King lay with Quéene Beatrix his wife of whom he was ioyfully receiued entertained He had not long continued in the Court but he had obtained won the fauor good will of all men The King which knew him full well very honorably placed him in his court by him accōplished diuers and many waighty affaires which very wisely and trustely he brought to passe according to the kings mind pleasure Afterwards he was made Colonel of a certaine nūber of footemen sent by the king against the Turks to defend a holde which the enimies of God begā to assaile vnder the conduct of Mustapha Basca which cōduct he so wel directed therin stoutly behaued himself as he chased al the Infidels out of those coastes winning therby that name of a most valiant soldier prudent captain Whereby he meruellously gained the fauor grace of the king who ouer and besides his daily intertainement gaue vnto him a Castle and the Reuenue in fée farme for euer Such rewards deserue all valiāt men which for the honor of their Prince countrey do willingly imploy their seruice worthy no dout of great regard cherishing vpō their home returne bicause they hate idlenesse to win glory deuising rather to spēd hole dayes in field than houres in Courte which this worthy Knight deserued who not able to sustaine his pore estate by politik wisdō prowesse of armes endeuored to serue his Lord and countrey wherin surely he made a very good choise Then he deuoutly serued and praised God for that he put into his minde such a Noble enterprise trusting daily to atchieue greater fame and glory but the greater was his ioy and contentation bicause the image of his wife inclosed within a boxe which still he caried about him in his pursie continued freshe of coloure without any alteration It was noysed in the Court that this valiant Knight Vlrico had in Boeme the fairest and goodliest Lady to his wife that liued either in Boeme or Hungarie It chaūced as a certaine company of yong Gentlemen in the Court were together amongs whome was this Knighte that a 〈◊〉 Earon sayd vnto him How is it possible syr 〈◊〉 being a yeare and a half since you departed out of Boeme that you haue no minde to returne to sée your wife who as the common fame reporteth is one of the goodliest women of all the Countrey truely it séemeth to me that you care not for hir which were great pitie if hir beautic be correspondent to hir fame Syr quod Vlrico what hir beautie is I referre vnto the worlde but how so euer you estéeme me to care of hir you shall vnderstande that I doe loue hir and will doe so during my life And the cause why I haue not visited hir of lōg time is no little proofe of the great assurance I haue of hir vertue and honest life The argument of hir vertue I proue for that she is contented that I shold serue my Lord and king and sufficient it is for me to giue hir intelligence of my state and welfare which many times by letters at opportunitie I faile not to doe the proofe of my Faith is euident by reason of my bounden duety to our soueraigne Lord of whome
did One that loued him more than the rest sayd vnto him Syr so soone as she knewe of your comming immediately she withdrew hir selfe into hir Chamber He that was wise and well trained vp dissembled what he thought imagining that it was for some little fantasie whereunto women willingly be subiecte And therefore when he thought time to departe he tooke leaue of the widowe and as hée was going downe the staires of the great Chamber he met one of the maides of Gineura whome he prayed to commend him to hir mistresse Gineura during all this time toke no rest deuising how she might cutte of cleane hir loue entertained in Dom Diego after she knew that he caried the Hawke on his fist which was the only cause that did put hir into that frensie And therefore thinking hir selfe both despised and mocked of hir Knight that he had done it in despite of hir she entred into so great rage and choler as she was like to fall mad She being then in this trouble of minde behold hir Gentlewoman came vnto hir and did the Knights message Who hearing the simple name of hir supposed enimy begā to sigh so strangely as a man wold haue thought hir soule presently wold haue departed hir body Afterwards when she had vanquished hir raging fit which stayed hir speach she gan very tenderly to wéepe saying Ah traitor vnfaithful louer is this the recompense of the honest and firme amitie which I haue borne thée so wickedly to deceiue me vnder the colour of so faint and detestable a friendship Ah rashe and arrant Théese is it I vpon whome thou oughtest to vende thy wicked trumperies Doste thou thinke that I am no better worthe but that thou prodigally shouldest wast mine honor to bear that spoiles thereof to hir that is in nothing comparable vnto me Wherin haue I deserued this discurtesie if not by louing thée more than thy beautie fained loue deserue Diddest thou dare to aduenture vpon me hauing thy conscience wounded with suche an abhominable and deadly treason Durst thou to offer thy mouth to kisse my hand by the mouth of another to whome thou haddest before dedicated thy lying lips in thine owne proper person I praise God that it pleased him to let me sée before any other worse chaunce hath happened the poyson by thée prepared for the ruine of my life and honor Ha foole hope not to take me in thy trap nor yet to deceiue me through thy sugred and deceitful words For I sweare by the almighty God that so long as I shall liue I wil accompt thée none other but as the most cruel and mortal enimy that I haue in this world Then to accomplish the rest of hir careful minde she wrote a letter to giue hir farewell to hir olde friend Dom Diego And for that purpose instructed hir Page with this lesson that when the Knight should come he should be ready before hir lodging and say vnto him in the behalfe of hir that before he passed any further he should reade the letter and not to faile to doe the contents The Page which was malicious and ill affectioned to Dom Diego knowing the appointed day of his comming waited for him a quarter of a mile from the Castle where he had not long taried but beholde the innocent louer came against whome the Page went bearing about him more hurtfull noisome weapons than all the Théeues and robbers had in all the Countrey of Catheloigne In this manner presenting his mistresse letters he sayde vnto him My Lord Madame Gineura my mistresse hath sent me vnto you bicause she knoweth how fearfull you be to displease hir prayeth you not faile to reade this letter before you passe any further and there withall accomplishe the effecte of the same The Knight abashed with that sodaine message answered the Page God forbid my friend quod be that I shold disobey hir by any meanes vnto whom I haue giuen a full authoritie and puissance ouer mine affections So receiuing the letters he kissed them thre or foure times and opening them found that he hoped not for and red that which he thought not off The cōtents wherof were these The Letters of faire Gineura to the Knight Dom Diego THere shall passe no day of my life from making complaintes of thée disloyall and periured Louer who being more estemed and better beloued than 〈◊〉 diddest deserue hast made so small accompte of me whereof I will be reuenged vpon my selfe for that I haue thus lightly beleued thy wordes so full of crafte and guile I am in 〈◊〉 that thou from hence for the shalt flye to buzze and beate the bushes where 〈◊〉 suspectest to catche the pray for héere thou art like to be deceiued Goe varlet goe I say to 〈◊〉 hir which holdeth thée in hir nets and snares and whose Presentes althoughe of small value haue 〈◊〉 thée more than the Honest vertuous and 〈◊〉 Loue that vertue hir selfe began to knitte betwéene vs. And sith a carrion Kite hath made thée 〈◊〉 further off than the winde of the aire was able to beare thée God defend that Gineura should goe aboute to hinder thy follies and much lesse to-suffer hir selfe to be beguiled through thine excuses 〈◊〉 rather God defend except thou desirest to sée me die that thou shouldest euer be in place where I am assuring 〈◊〉 of this my minde neuer to be chaunged so long as my soule shall rest wythin my body which giuing breth vnto my panting breast shall neuer be other but a mortall enimie to Dom Diego and such one as euen to the Death will not faile to prosecute the 〈◊〉 of the most traiterous and vnfaithfull Knighte that euer was girte with girdle or armed with sword 〈◊〉 beholde the last fauour that thou canst or oughtest to hope of me who liueth not but onely to martir and 〈◊〉 thée and neuer shall be other but The greatest enimie that euer thou hast or shalt haue Gineura the faire The miserable louer had no sooner red the contents of the letter but lifting vp his 〈◊〉 to the 〈◊〉 he sayd Alas my God thou knowest well if euer I haue 〈◊〉 that I ought to be banished from the place where my contentation is chiefly fixed from whence my heart shall neuer departe chaunce what missehappe and fortune so euer Then tourning himself towardes the Page he sayd Sir Page my friend say vnto my Ladie most humbly commending me vnto hir that for this present I will not sée hir but heareafter she shall heare some newes from me The Page well lessoned for the purpose made him aunswere saying Sir she hath willed me to say thus much by mouthe that ye cannot do hir greater pleasure than neuer to come in place where she is for so much as the Daughter of Dom Ferrando de la Serre hath so 〈◊〉 you in hir nettes that loth she is your faithfull heart should hang in ballance and expect the vncertaine loue of two Ladies at
and frowardnesse that shall procéede from hir When he had finished his talke he began to sigh and lament so straungely as his man was about to goe to call the ladie the mother of the Knighte his master In whome dydde appeare suche signes as yf Death hadde 〈◊〉 at hande or else that he hadde ben attached with the Spirite of phrenesie But when he sawe hym aboute to come agayne to hymselfe he sayd thus vnto hym How now syr wil you cast your selfe away for the foolishe toy of an vndiscrete girle yl manered and taught and who perchaunce doth all this to proue how constāt you would be No no sir you must turne ouer an other leafe and sith you be determined to loue hir you must perseuere in your pursute For at lengthe it is impossible but that this diamont hardnesse must néedes bée mollified if she be not a diuel incarnate more furious than the wildest beastes whych haunte the desertes of Lybia Dom Diego was comforted with that admonition and purposed to persist in hys affection and therefore sent many messages giftes letters and excuses to his angred mistresse Gineura But she made yet 〈◊〉 accompt of them than of the firste chargyng the messangers not to trouble them selues about those 〈◊〉 for she had rather die than to sée hym or to receyue any thing from him whom she hated aboue all things of the worlde When newes hereof came to the knight he was altogether impacient and séeyng the smal profite whiche he dyd gaine by pursuing his foolish opinion and not able to bestowe his loue elsewhere he determined to die and yet vnwilling to imbrue his handes with his owne blood he purposed to wander as a varabunde into some deserte to perfourme the course of his vnhappie and sorowfull dayes hoping by that meanes to quenche the heate of 〈◊〉 amorous rage either by length of time or by 〈◊〉 the last refuge of the miserable For whiche purpose then he caused to bée made two pilgrims wéedes the one for himself the other for his man and prepared all their necessaries for his voyage Then wryting a Letter to his Gineura hée called one of his men to whome he sayde I am going about certaine of mine affaires wherof I will haue no man to know and therfore when I am gone thou shalt tell my Lady mother what I saye to thée and that within twentie dayes God wyllyng I meane to retourne Moreouer I require thée that foure dayes after my departure not before to beare these letters to mistresse Gineura and if so be she refuse to receiue them faile not to deliuer them vnto hir mother take héede therefore if thou loue me to doe all that which I haue giuen thée in charge Afterwards he called his seruaunt vnto hym which had done the first message vnto Gineura whiche was a wise and gentle fellow in whome the Knyghte reposed great affiance to hym he declared al his enterprise and the ende whervnto his fierce determination did extende The good seruant which loued his master hearyng his intent so vnreasonable sayde vnto hym Is it not enough for you sir to yeld your selfe a praie to the most fierce and cruell woman that liueth but thus to augment hir glorie by séeing hir selfe so victorious ouer you Are you ignorant what the malice of womē is and howe muche they triumphe in tormentyng the poore blynded soules that become their seruantes and what prayse they attribute vnto 〈◊〉 if by some misfortune they driue them to dispaire Was it without cause that the Sage in tymes paste did so greately hate that sexe and kinde as the common ruine ouerthrow of men What moued the Greke Poete to syng these verses against all sortes of women A common woe though silly woman be to man Yet double ioy againe she doth vnto him bring The wedding night is one as wedded folke tell can The other when the knell for hir poore soule doth ring If not for that he knew the happinesse of man consisted more in auoiding the acquaintaunce of that furie than by imbracing and cherishyng of the same sith hir nature is altogether like vnto Aesops serpēt which being deliuered from perill and daunger of death by the shephierd for recompense thereof 〈◊〉 his whole house with his venomous 〈◊〉 and rammish breath O how happie is he that can master his owne affections 〈◊〉 a frée man from that passion can reioice in libertie 〈◊〉 from the swéete euyll whiche as I well 〈◊〉 is the cause of your despaire But sir your wisedome ought to vanquish those light conceiptes by settyng so light of that your rebellious Gentle woman as shee is vnworthie to be fauoured by so great a Lord as you be who deserueth a better personage than hirs is and a frendlier entertainemen than a farewell so foolishly 〈◊〉 Dom Diego althoughe that he tooke pleasure to heare those discourses of hys faithfull seruaunt yet he shewed so sowre a countenaunce vnto him as the other with thys litle worde helde his peace Sith then it is so syr that you be resolued in your missehappe it may please you to accept me to wait vpon you whither you are determined to go for I meane not to lyue at 〈◊〉 ease and suffer my master in payne and in griefe I will be partaker of that whiche Fortune shal prepare vntill the heauens doe mitigate theyr rage vppon you and your predestinate mishappe Dom Diego who 〈◊〉 no better companie imbraced hym very louingly thanking him for the good will that hée bare hym and sayde This present night about midnight wée wyll take our 〈◊〉 euen that way whether our lotte and also Fortune shall guide vs attending either the ende of my passiō or the whole ouerthrow of my selfe Their intent they did put in proofe For at midnight that Moone being cléere when all things were at rest and the crickets chirping through the creauises of the earth they toke their way vnséene of any And so soone as Aurora began to garnish hir mantle with the colors of red and white and the mornyng starre of the Goddesse of stealing loue appeared Dom Diego began to sigh saying Ah ye freshe and dewy mornings that my happe is far from the contentation of others who after they haue rested vpon the cogitation of theyr ease and ioy doe awake by the pleasaunt chirpyng of the birdes to perfourme by effect that whiche the shadowe and fantasie of theyr mynde dyd present by dreaming in the night where I am constrained to separate by greate distance excéeding vehement continuation of my tormentes to folowe wylde beasts wandring from thence where the greatest number of men do quietly slepe and take their rest Ah Venus whose starre now cōduceth me whose beames long agoe didde glowe and kyndle my louing heart howe 〈◊〉 it that I am not intreated according to the desert of my constant mind and mening most sincere Alas I loke not to expect any thing certē from thée sith thou hast
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
obscure and birth of no aparant reputation Behold what maketh me beleue that 〈◊〉 so well as Fortune is not onely blynde but also dazeleth the syghte of them that hée imbraceth and captiuateth vnder hys power and bondage But I make 〈◊〉 vowe false woman that it shall neuer come to passe and that thys maister Biskaye shall neuer enioye the spoyles whiche iustely bée due vnto the trauaple and faythfull seruice of the valyaunt and vertuous 〈◊〉 Dom Diego It shall be hée or else I will dye for it whyche shall haue the recompense of his troubles and shal féele the caulme of that tempest whych presently holdeth hym at anker amydde the moste daungerous rockes that euer were By thys meanes Roderico knewe the way howe to kéepe promyse wyth hys friende whyche lyued in expectation of the same The two dayes paste whereof the Page hadde spoken the beloued of Gineura sayled not to come and wyth hym two Gallauntes of Biskaye valyaunt Gentlemen and well exercised in armes That nyghte Roderico wente to sée the olde wydowe Ladye the mother of the mayden and syndyng oportunitie to speake to the Page he sayde vnto hym I sée my friende accordingly as you told mée that you 〈◊〉 vpon departing the Steward of the house béeing nowe returned I praye thée tell mée yf thou haue néede of mée or of anye thyng that I am able doe for thée assuryng thée that thou shalte obtayne and haue what so euer thou requirest And therewithall I haue thought good to tell thée and gyue thée warnyng for thyne owne sake specially that thou kéepe all thyngs close and secrete that no 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 doe followe to blotte and deface the fame and prayse of thy Mistresse And for my selfe I hadde rather dye than once to open my mouthe to discouer the least intente of this enterpryse But tell mée I praye thée when do you depart Syr quod the page As my mystresse sayth to morow about ten or eleuen of the clocke in the euenyng when the Ladye hir mother shall bée in the sounde of hir fyrst sléepe The knyght hearyng that and desirous of no better time tooke hys leaue of the Page and wente home where hée caused to bée sente for tenne or twelue Gentlemen hys neyghboures and tenauntes whom he made priuie of his secretes and partakers of that he wente about to delyuer out of captiuitie and miscrie the chiefest of all hys friendes The nyghte of those twoo louers departure beyng come Dom Roderico which knewe the waye where they shoulde passe be stowed hym selfe and hys companye in Ambushe in a little groue almoste thrée myles off the lodgyng of this fugitiue Gentlewoman where they hadde not long taried but they hearde the trampling of horsse and a certaine whispring noyse of people rydyng before them Nowe the nyghte was somewhat cléere whych was the cause that the Knyght amongs the throng knewe the Gentlewoman besides whome rode the miserable wretche that hadde 〈◊〉 hir away Whome so soone as Roderico perceyued full of despite moued with extreme passion welding his launce into his rest brake in the nerest way vpon the infortunat louer with 〈◊〉 vehemencie as neither coate of maile or placard was able to saue his lyfe or warraunt him to kéepe companie with that troupe which banded vnder loues Enseigne was miserably slaine by the guide of a blynde naked and thieuish litle boye And when he saw he had done that he came for he sayd to the rest of the companie My friends this man was carelesse to make inuasion vpon other mens ground These poore Biskayes surprised vpon the sodaine and séeyng the ambushment to multiplie put spurres to their horsse to the best aduantage they coulde for expedition leauing their 〈◊〉 or gaping for breth gyuing a signe that he was dead Whiles the other were making them selues readie to runne away two of Roderico his men couered wyth skarfes armed and vnknowne came to sease vpon sorowfull Gineura who beholding hir friend deade began to wepe and crie so straungely as it was maruell that hir breath fayled not Ah traiterous théenes sayd she and bloodie murderers why do ye not addresse your selues to execute crueltie vpon the rest 〈◊〉 you haue done to death him that is of greater value than you all 〈◊〉 my dere friend what crooked and greuous fortune haue I to sée thée groueling dead on the grounde and I abyding in life to be the praie of murderous theues thou so cowardly bereued of life Roderico with his face couered drewe nere vnto hir and sayde I beséeche you gentlewoman to forget these strange fashions of complaint sith by them ye be not able to reuiue the deade ne yet make your ende of griefs The maidē knowing the voice of him that had bereued hir freinde began to crie out more fiercely than before For which cause one of the Gentlemen a companion of Roderico hauyng a blacke counterfait bearde with two lunets in maner of spectacles very large and greate that couered the most part of his face approched nere the basheful mayden and with bigge voice and terrible talke holdyng his dagger vpon hir white and delicate breast said vnto hir I sweare by the Almightie God if I heare thée speak one word more I wil sacrifice thée vnto the gost of that varlet for whome thou makest thy mone who deserued to ende his dayes vpon a gallowe trée rather than by the hands of a gentleman Hold thy peace therfore thou foolish girle for greater honour and more ample benefite is meant to thée than thou 〈◊〉 deserued Ingratitude onely hath so ouerwhelmed thy good nature that thou art not able to iudge who be thy friends The Gentlewoman fearing deth which as she thought was present held hir peace downe alongs whose eies a riuer of teares dydde runne and the passion of whose heart appeared by 〈◊〉 sighes and neuer ceassing sobbes whiche in ende so qualified hir chéere that the exteriour sadnesse was wholly inclosed in the mynde and thought of the afflicted Gentlewoman Then Roderico caused the body of the dead to be buried in a little Countrey chappell not farre oute of their way Thus they trauailed two dayes before Gineura knew any of them that had taken hir away from hir louer euen so they permitted none to speake vnto hir nor to any of hir companie whiche was none else but a waytyng mayde and the page that hadde discouered all the secretes to Dom Roderico A notable example surely for stolne and secrete mariages whereby the honour of the contraded partes is moste commonly blemyshed the commaundement of God violated who enioyneth obedience to our parents in all rightfull causes who 〈◊〉 for any light 〈◊〉 they haue power to take from vs the 〈◊〉 which otherwise naturall lawe woulde giue vs 〈◊〉 ought they of duetie to doe where rebellious 〈◊〉 abusing their goodnesse do consume without feare of 〈◊〉 bertie the thyng whiche is in the hande and wyll 〈◊〉 their fathers In like manner dyuers vndiscréete 〈◊〉
pangs of death by remēbring the glory of my thought sith the recitall bringeth with it a tast of the trauails which you haue suffred for my ioy contentation It is therfore quod she that I think my self happy for by that meanes I haue knowne the perfect qualities that be in you haue proued two extremities of vertue One consisteth in your cōstancie and loyaltie wherby you may vaunt your self aboue him that sacrificed his life vpō the bloudy body of his Lady who for dying so finished his trauails Where you haue chosen a life worse than death no lesse painfull a hundred times a day than very death it self The other cōsisteth in the clemency wherwith you calme and appease the rage of your greatest aduersaries As my self which before hated you to death vanquished by your curtesie do confesse that I am double bound vnto you both for my life and honor and hearty thankes doe I render to the Lord Roderico for that violence he did vnto me by which meanes I was induced to acknowledge my wrong the right which you had to complaine of my folish resistance All is wel sayd Roderico sith without perill of honor we may returne home to our houses I intend therefore sayd he to send woord before to my Ladies your mothers of your returne for I know how so wel to couer and excuse this our enterprise and secrete iorneis as by Gods assistāce no blame or displeasure shal ensue therof And like as sayd he smiling I haue builded the fortresse which shot into your campe and made you flie euen so I hope Gentlewoman that I shall be the occasion of your victory when you combat in close cāpe with your swéete cruel enimy Thus they passed the iorney in pleasant talke recompēsing the. 〈◊〉 louers with al honest vertuous intertainmēt for their 〈◊〉 and troubles past In the meane while they sent one 〈◊〉 their seruants to the two widow ladies which were 〈◊〉 great care for their childrē to aduertise them that Gineura was gone to visite Dom Diego then being in one of the castles of Roderico where they were determined if it were their good pleasure to consūmate their mariage hauing giuen faith affiance one to the other The mother of Gineura could not here tel of more pleasant newes for she had vnderstāded of the folish flight escape of hir daughter with that steward of hir house wherof she was very sorowful for grief was like to die but assured recōforted with those news she 〈◊〉 not to mete the mother of Dom Diego at the apointed place whither the y. louers were arriued two days before There the mariage of that fair couple so long desired was 〈◊〉 with such magnificence as was requisite for the state of those two noble houses Thus the torment 〈◊〉 made the ioy to sauour of some other taste than they do feele which without pain in that exercise of loues pursute attain the top of their desires And truly their pleasure was altogether like to him that nourished in superfluous delicacie of meates can not aptely so well iudge of pleasure as he which sometimes lacketh that abundance And verily Loue without bitternesse is almost a cause without effectes for he that shall take away griefs and troubled fansies from louers depriueth them of the praise of their stedfastnesse and maketh baine the glorie of their perseuerance for he is vnworthie to beare away the price and garlande of triumph in the conflict that behaueth himself like a coward and doth not obserue the lawes of armes and manlike dueties in the combat This historie then is a mirrour for loyall louers and chaste suters and maketh them detest the vnshamefastnesse of those which vpon the first view do folowe with might and maine the Gentlewoman or Ladie that giueth them good face or countenāce wherof any gentle heart or mind noursed in the scholehouse of vertuous education will not bée squeymish to those that shal by chast salutation or other incountrie doe their curteous reuerence This historie also yeldeth contempt of them which in their affection forget them selues abasting the generositie of their courages to be reputed of fooles the true champions of Loue whose like they be that desire such regarde For the perfection of true Loue consisteth not in passions in sorowes griefes martirdomes or cares and much lesse arriueth he to his desire by sighes exclamations wepings and childish playnts for so much as vertue ought to be the bande of that indissoluble amitie which maketh the vnion of the two seuered bodies of that woman man which Plato describeth causeth man to trauell for his whole accomplishment in that true pursute of chast loueIn which labor truly fondly walked Dom Diego thinkyng to finde the same by his dispaire amidde the sharp solitarie deserts of those Pyrene mountains And truly the duetie of his perfect friende did more liuely disclose the same what fault so euer he dyd than all his countenances eloquent letters or amorous messages In like maner a man dothe not know what a treasure a true friend is vntil he hath proued his excellencie specially where necessitie maketh him to tast the swetnesse of such delicate meate For a friend being a second himself agréeth by a certaine natural 〈◊〉 attonement to the affections of him whō he loueth both to participate his ioyes and pleasures and to sorrowe his aduersitie where Fortune shall vse by some misaduentures to shewe hir accustomed moblitie Salimbene and Angelica ¶ A Gentleman of SISNA called ANSELMO SALIMBENE curteously and gently deliuereth his 〈◊〉 from death The condemned partie seing the kinde parte of SALIMBENE rendreth into his hands his sister ANGELICA with whome he was in loue which gratitude and curtesie SALIMBENE well marking moued in conscience woulde not abuse hir but for recompense toke hir to his wife The. xxx Nouel WE do not mean here to discouer the sumptuositie magnificence of Palaces stately won derfull to the viewe of mē ne yet to reduce to memorie that maruellous effects of mās industry to build and lay foúdations in the déepest chanel of the maine sea ne to describe their ingenious industrie in breking the craggy mountaines and hardest rocks to ease the crooked passages of wearie wayes for armies to marche through inaccessible places Onely now do we pretende to shewe the effects of loue whiche surmount all opinion of cōmon things and appere so miraculous as the founding and erecting of the Collisaei Colossaei Theatres Amphitheatres Pyramides and other workes wonderful to the world for that the hard indured path of hatred and displeasure long time begoon and obstinately pursued with straunge crueltie was conuerted into loue by theffect of loue and concorde suche as I know none but is so much astoonned as he may haue good cause to wonder consideryng the stately foundations vpon which kings and great monarches haue employed the chiefest reuenues of their prouinces Nowe like as Ingratitude is a vice of
couetous mā beareth no loue but to his treasure nor exerciseth charitie but vpon his coafers who thā he wold be dispossessed thereof had rather sell the life of his natural father This detestable villain hauing somtimes offred M. Ducates to Charles for his enheritaunce will now do so no more aspiring the totall ruine of the Montanine familie Charles aduertised of his minde and amazed for the Counsels decrée wel saw that all things contraried his hope and expectation and that he must néedes die to satisfie the excessiue and couetous lust of that Cormerant whose malice he knew to be so vehement as none durst offer him money by reason of the vnhappy desire of this neuer cōtented varlet for which consideration throughly resolued to die rather than to leaue his pore sister helplesse and without relief and rather than he would agrée to the bargaine tending to his so great losse and disaduauntage and to the tirannous dealing of the wicked tormentor of his life seing also that all meanes to purge and auerre his innocencie was taken from him the 〈◊〉 decrée of the iudges being alre ady passed he began to dispose himself to repentaunce and saluation of his soule making cōplaint of his missehapsin this maner TO what hath not the heauens hatefull bin Since for the ease of man they weaue such woe By diuers toiles they lap our corsses in With cares and griefs wheron our mischiefs groe The bloudy hands and sword of mortall foe Doe search mine euill and would destroy me quite Through heinous hate and hatefull heaped spite Wherefore come not the fatall sisters three That drawe the line of life and death by right Come 〈◊〉 all and make an end of me For from the world my sprite would take his flight Why comes not nowe fowle Gorgon full in sight And Typhons head that depe in hell remaines For to torment the silly soules in paines It better were for me to feele your force Than this missehap of murdring enuies rage By curssed meanes and fall vpon my corse And worke my 〈◊〉 amid my flouring age For if I were dispatchde in this desire The feare were gone of blacke infernall fire O Gods of seas and cause of blustring winde Thou Aeolus and Neptune to I say Why did you let my Barke such fortune finde That safe to shore I came by any way Why brake ye not against some rocke or bay The kele the sterne or else blew downe the mast By whose large sailes through surging seas I past Had those things hapt I had not sene this houre The house of dole where wofull sprites complaine Nor vserers on me had vsde such power Nor I had sene depainted in disdayne The God of care with whom dead Ghosts remayne Who howles and skrekes in holow trees and holes Where Charon raignes among condemned soules Ah ah since happe wil worke my wretched end And that my ruine by iudgement is decreed Why doth not happe such happy fortune send That I may lead with me the man in dede That staind his faith and faild me at my need For gaine of golde as vsurers do God knowes Who cannot spare the dropping of their nose I should haue slaine the slaue that seru'd me so Oh God forbid my hands were brued in blood Should I desire the harme of friend or foe Nay better were to wish mine en'my good For if my death I throughly vnderstood I should make short the course I haue to run Since rest is got when worldly toile is done Alas alas my chiefest way is this Aguiltlesse death to susfer as I can So shall my soule be sure of heauens blisse And good renoume shall rest behinde me than And body shall take end where it began And fame shall flie before me ere I flit Vnto the Gods where Ioue in throne doth sit O God conuert from vice to vertue now The heart of him that falseth faith with me And chaunge his minde and mend his maners throw That he his fault and fowle offense may see For death shall make my fame immortall bee And whiles the Sunne which in the heauens doth shine The shame is his and honor shall be mine Alas I mourne not for my selfe alone Nor for the same of my forefuthers olde T ys Angelike that carseth me to mone T ys she that filles my brest with sansies colde T ys she more worth than was the slice of golde That moues my minde and bredes such passions straunge As in my self I feele a wondrous chaknge Haue pitie Lord of hir and me this day Since destny thus hath sundred vs in 〈◊〉 O suffer not 〈◊〉 vertues to decay But let hir take in friendship such delite That from hir brest all vice be banisht quite And let hir like as did hir noble race When I pore man 〈◊〉 dead and out of place Alas my hand would wryte these wofull lines That feble sprite denies for want of might Wherfore my heart in brest consumes and pines With depe desires that far is from mannes sight But God he sees mine innocencie and right And knowes the cause of mine accuser still Who sekes my bloud to haue on me his will Whē Charles thus cōplained himself and throughly was determined to die great pitie it was to sée howe fair Angelica did rent hir face teare hir golden locks when she saw howe impossible it was to saue hir obstinate brother from the cruel sentence pronounced vpon him for whom she had imployed all hir wits and faire speach to persuade the néerest of hir kin to make sute Thus rested she alone ful of such heauinesse veration as they cā think which sée thēselues depriued of things that they esteme most dear But of one thing I cā wel assure you that if ill fortune had permitted that Charles should haue ben put to death the gentle damsell also had breathed forth the finall gaspe of hir sorowfull life yelding therwithal the last end of the Montanine race family What booteth it to holde processe of long discourse Beholde the last day is come deferred by the iudges whervpon he must either satisfie the fine or die the next day after like a rebel and traitor against the state without any of his kin making sute or mean for his deliuerāce albeit they visited the faire maiden and cōforted hir in that hir wretched state instructing hir howe she should gouerne hir self paciently to suffer things remedilesse Angelica accōpanied with hir kin the maidens dwelling by that were hir companiōs made the aire to soūd with outcries waimētings and she hir self exclamed like a womā destraught of wits whose plaints the multitude assisted with like eiulations outcries wailing the fortune of the yong gentleman sorowfull to sée the maiden in daunger to fall into some missehap As these things were thus bewailed it chaunced about ix of the clocke at night that Anselmo Salimbene he whome we haue sayd to be surprised with the loue of Angelica returning out of the Countrey
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
whereof dissolueth the duetie of eche seruaunt towardes his soueraigne Lord and maister To be short this blinded louer yelding no resistance to loue and the foolish conceit which altereth the iudgementes of the wisest suffred his fansie to roue so farre vnto his appetites as on a day when the Lieuetenaunt was walked abrode into the Castell to viewe the Souldioures and deade payes to pleasure him that sought the meanes of his displeasure he spake to the Gentlewoman his wife in this manner Gentlewoman you being wise and curtuous as eche man knoweth needefull it is not to vse long or Rethorical Orations for so much as you without further supply of talke doe clearely perceiue by my lookes sighes and earnest viewes the loue that I bear you which without comparison nippeth my heart so neare as none can féele the parching paines that the same poore portion of me doeth suffer Wherefore hauing no great leisure to let you further vnderstand my minde it may please you to shewe me so much fauoure as I may be receiued for him who hauing the better right of your good grace may there withall enioy that secrete acquaintaunce which suche a one as I am deserueth of whome ye shall haue better experience if you please to accept him for your owne This mistresse Lieuetenaunt which compted hir selfe happie to be beloued of hir Lord and who tooke great pleasure in that aduenture albeit that she desired to lette him know the good will that she bare vnto him yet dissembled the matter a little by answearing him in this wise Your disease sir is sodaine if in fo little time you haue felt suche excesse of maladie but perchaunce it is your heart that being ouer tender hath lightly receiued the pricke which no doubt will so soone vanishe as it hath made so ready entrie I am very glad Sir that your heart is so merily disposed to daliaunce and can finde some matter to contriue the superfluitie of time the same altering the diuersitie of mannes complexion accordingly as the condition of the hourely planet guideth the nature of euery wight It is altogither otherwise answered hée for being 〈◊〉 hither as a 〈◊〉 and Lord I am become a seruaunt and slaue And briefly to speake my minde if you haue not pitie vpon me the disease which you call sodaine not onely will take increase but procure the death and finall ruine of my heart Ah sir sayde the Gentlewoman your griefe is not so déepely rooted and death so present to succéede as you affirme ne yet so ready to giue ouer the place as you protest but I sée what is the matter you desire to laugh me to scorn and your heart craueth something to solace it selfe which cannot be idle but must imploy the vacant time vpon some pleasant toyes You haue touched the prick answeared the Louer for it is you in déede whereupon my heart doeth ioy and you are the cause of my laughter and passetime for otherwise all my delights were displeasures and you also by denying me to be your seruaunt shall abbreuiate and shorten my liuing dayes who only reioyseth for choise of such a mistresse And how replied she can I be assured of that you say the disloyaltie and infidelitie of man being in these dayes so faste vnited and following one another as the shadowe doeth the bodie wheresoeuer it goeth Only experience sayd he shall make you know what I am and shal teach you whether my heart is any thing different from my woordes and I dare be bolde to say that if you vouchsafe to doe me the pleasure to 〈◊〉 me for your owne you may make your vaunt to haue a Gentleman so faithfull for your friend as I estéeme you to be discrete and as I desire to 〈◊〉 you 〈◊〉 the effect of mine affection by such some honest order as may be deuised Sir sayd she it is wel and 〈◊〉 spoken of you but yet I thinke it straunge for such a Gentleman as you be to debase your honor to so pore a Gentlewoman and to goe about bothe to dishonor me and to put my life in perill God forbid answered the Lord Nicholas that I be cause of any slaūder and rather had I die my selfe than minister one simple occasion wherby your fame should be brought in question Only I do pray you to haue pitie vpon me and by vsing your curtesie to satisfie that which my seruice faithful friendship dothe constraine and binde you for the comfort of him that loueth you better than himself We will talk more thereof hereafter answered the Lieuetenaunts wife and then will I tell you mine aduise and what resolution shall follow the summe of your demaunde How now Gentlewoman sayd he haue you the heart to leaue me voide of hope to make me languish for the prorogation of a thing so doubtfull as the delayes 〈◊〉 which loue deferreth I humbly pray you to tell me wherunto I shall trust to the intent that by punishing my heart for proofe of this enterprise I may 〈◊〉 also mine eyes by reuing frō them the meanes for euer more to sée that which contenteth me best and wherin 〈◊〉 my solace leauing my minde ful of desires and my heart without finall stay vpon that greatest pleasure that euer man 〈◊〉 choose The Gentlewoman would not loose a Noble man so good 〈◊〉 whose presence already pleased hir aboue all other things and who voluntarily had agréed to his request by the only signe of hir gests and lokes sayd vnto him smiling with a very good grace Doe not accuse my heart of lightnesse nor my minde of 〈◊〉 and treason if to please obey you I forget my duetie abuse the promise made vnto my husband for I swear vnto you sir by God that I haue more forced my thought of long time haue constrained mine appetites in dissembling the loue that I bear you thā I haue receiued pleasure by knowing my self to be beloued by one agreable to mine affection For which cause you shall finde me being but a pore Gentlewoman more ready to do your plesure and to be at your commaundemēt than any other that liueth be she of greater port and regard than I am And who to satisfie your request shall one day sacrifice that fidelitie to the iealous fury of hir husband God defend sayd the yong Lord for we shall be so discrete in our doings so 〈◊〉 shal communicate talke togither as impossible it is for any mā to 〈◊〉 the same But if missehap wil haue it so and that some ill lucke doe discouer our dealings I haue shift of wayes to colour the same power to stoppe the mouthes of them that dare presume to clatter and haue to doe with our priuate conference All that I know well inough sir sayd she but it is great simplicitie in such things for a man to trust to his authoritie the forced inhibition whereof shall prouoke more babble than rumor is able to spred for al his
tattling talke of our secrete follies Moreouer I would 〈◊〉 very glad to doe what pleaseth you so the same may be without slaunder For I hadde rather die than any should take vs in our priuities and familier pastimes let vs be contented with the pleasure that the 〈◊〉 of our ioy may graunt and not with suche contentation as shall offend vs by blotting the clerenesse of our 〈◊〉 names Concluding then that time of their new acquaintaunce which was the next day at noone when that Lieutenant did walke into the Citie they ceased their talk for feare of his enteruiew Who vpon his returne doing reuerence vnto his Lord tolde him that he knewe where a wilde Boare did haunt if it pleased him to sée the passetime Whereunto the Lord Nicholas fayned louingly to giue eare although against his will for so much as he thought the same hunting should be a delay for certaine dayes to the enioying pretended and assured of his beloued But she that was so muche or more esprised with the raging and intollerable fire of loue spedily found meanes to satisfie hir louers sute but not in such manner as was desired of either parts wherefore they were constrained to defer the rest vntill an other time This pleasaunt beginning so allured the Lord of Nocera as vnder the pretence of hunting there was no wéeke that passed but he came to 〈◊〉 the warrener of his Lieuetenaunt And this order continuing without 〈◊〉 one little suspition of their loue they gouerned themselues wisely in the pursute thereof And the Lord Nicholas vsed the game and sport of Hunting and an infinite number of other exercises as the running of the King and Tennis not so muche thereby to finde meanes to enioy his Ladie as to auoide occasion of iealosie in hir husband being a very familiar vice in all Italians the cloke wherof is very heauie to beare and the disease troublesome to sustaine But what Like as it is hard to beguile an 〈◊〉 in the accoumpt of his money for his continual watch ouer the same and slumbering slepes vpon the bokes of his reckenings and accompts so difficult it is to deceiue the heart of a iealous man and specially when he is assured of the griefe which his heade hath conceiued Argus was neuer so cléere eyed for all his hundred eyes ouer Iupiters lemman as those louers be whose opinions be yll affected ouer the chastitie of their wiues Moreouer what foole or Asse is he who séeing suche vndiscrete familiaritie of two louers the priuie gestures and demeanors without witnesse their stolne walkes at vntimely houres sometimes their embracemēts to straight and common before seruaunts that wold not doubt of that which most secretely did passe True it is that in England where libertie is so honestly obserued as being alone or secrete conuersation giueth no cause of suspition that same might haue 〈◊〉 borne withall But in Italie where the parents themselues be for the most part suspected if there had ben no fact in déede cōmitted that familiaritie of the Lord Nicholas with his Lieutenantes wife was not suffrable but exceded the bounds of reason for so much as the cōmoditie which they had chosen for pos sessing of their loue albeit the same not suspitious animated them afterwards to frequent their familiarity disport to frākly without discretiō which was that cause that fortune who neuer leaueth that ioyes of mē without giuing therunto some great alarm being enuious of the mutual delights of those 〈◊〉 louers made that husbād to doubt of that which he wold haue dissēbled if honor could so easily be lost wtout reproch as bloud is shed with out peril of life But that mater being so cleare as the fault was euidēt specially in the party which touched him so neare as himself that Lieuetenaūt before he wold enterprise any thing and declare what he thought 〈◊〉 throughly to be resolued of that which he sawe as it were 〈◊〉 in a cloude and by reason of his conceiued opinion he dealt so warely and wisely in those affaires was so subtill an espiall as one day when the louers were at their game and in their most straite and secrete embracements he viewed them coupled with other leash than he would haue wished and colled with straighter bands than reason or honesty did permit He saw without being séene wherin he felt a certaine ease and contentment for being assured of that he doubted purposed to ordeine a sowre refection after their delightsome banket the simple louers ignoraunt by signe or 〈◊〉 that their enterprises were discouered And truely it had bene more tollerable and lesse hurtful for the Lieuetenaunt if euen then he had perpetrated his vengeaunce and punished them for their wickednesse than to vse the crueltie wherwith afterwards he blotted his renoume and foiled his hands by Bedlem rage in the innocent bloud of those that were not priuie to the folie and lesse guiltie of the wrong done vnto him Now the captaine of the Castell for all his dissimulation in couering of his griefe and his fellony and treason intended against his soueraigne Lord which he desired not yet manifestly to appeare was not able any more from that time forthe to speake so louingly vnto him nor with suche respecte and reuerence as he did before which caused his wife thus to say vnto hir louer My Lord I doubt very much least my husbād doth perceiue these our cōmon practizes secrete familiar dealings that he hath some hāmer working in his head by reason of the countenaunce vnchéereful entertainment which he sheweth to your Lordship wherfore mine aduise is that you retire for a certain time to Foligno In the meane space I wil marke 〈◊〉 if that his alteration be conceiued for any matter against vs and wherfore his wōted lokes haue put on this new alteration chaūge All which when I haue by my espial and secrete practise sounded I will spéedily aduertise you to the ende that you may prouide for the safegarde of youre faithfull and louyng seruaunt The yong Lorde who loued the Gentlewoman with all hys hearte was attached with so greate griefe and dryuen into such rage by hearing those wicked newes as euen presentely he woulde haue knowen of his Lieuetenaunt the cause of his diswonted chéere But weyghing the good aduise which his woman had gyuen hym paused vpon the same 〈◊〉 hir to doe what she thought best By reason wherof giuing warning to his seruantes for his departure he caused the Lieutenaunt to be called before him vnto whom he sayd Captain I had thought for certaine dayes to sport and passe my time but hearing tel that the Duke of Camerino commeth to Foligno to debate with vs of matters of importance I am constrained to departe and do pray you in that meane time to haue good regarde vnto our affaires and if any newes 〈◊〉 chaunce to aduertise the same with all expedition Sir sayd the Captain I am sorie
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
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
smoke forced that capten to com forth by like means made him his brother childrē to tread that dāce that his wife before had done Cōrade by by caused those bodies to be thrown forth for fode to the wolues other rauening beasts birds liuing vpon that pray of carriō causing also his brethrē that gētlewomā honorably to be bu ried which gentlewomā had born that penāce worthy for hir fault Such was that end of that most miserable yll gouerned loue that I thinke mā hath euer red in writing which doth clerely witnesse that ther is no plesure so gret but Fortune by changing turning hir whéele maketh a hūdred times more bitter thā desire of such ioy dothe yeld delite And far better it wer besides the offēse done to god neuer to cast eye on womā thā to bord or proue them to raise such sclanders facts which cannot be recoūted but with the horror of the herers nor written but to the great grief of those the muse studie vpō that same not withstāding for instructiō of our life both good bad examples be introduced offred to the view of ech degrée and state To the end that whoordom may be auoided bodily pleasure eschewed as moste mortall and pernicious plagues that doe infect as wel the body and reputation of man as the integritie of the minde Besides that eche man ought to possesse his owne vessel and not to couete that is none of his vnséemely also it is to solicite the neighbors wife to procure therby the disiunction and defaite of the whole bonde of mariage which is a treasure so deare and precious and carieth so great griefe to him that séeth it defaced as our Lorde to declare the grauitie of the fact maketh a comparison of his wrathe against them which runne after straunge Gods and applieth the honour due vnto hym to others that do not deserue the same with the iust disdain and rightfull choler of a iealous husband fraught wyth despite to sée himselfe dispoiled of the seasure and possession onely giuen to him and not subiecte to any other what soeuer he be Lerne here also O ye husbands not to flie with so nimble wing as by your own authoritie to séeke reuenge without fearing the folies sclanders that may insue Your sorow is iust but it behoueth that reason doe guide your fantasies and bridle your ouer sodaine passions to the intent that ye come not after to sing the dolefull song of repentance like vnto this foolish man who hauing done more than he ought and not able to retire without his ouerthrowe threw him self into the bottomlesse gulfe of perdition And let vs all fixe fast in memorie that neuer vnruled rage and wilful choler brought other benefite than the ruine of him that suffered him selfe to runne hedlong into the same and who thinketh that all that which is natural in vs is also reasonable as though Nature were so perfect a worke woman as in mans corruption she could make vs Angels or halfe gods Nature folowing the instincte of that which is naturall in vs doth not greatly straye from perfection but that is gyuen to few and those whome God dothe loue and choose And Uertue is so seldome founde as it is almoste impossible to imitate that perfection And briefly to say I wil conclude with the Author of this present Historie Angre is a 〈◊〉 short To him that can the same excell But it is no laughing sport In whome 〈◊〉 senselesse rage doth dwell That pang confoundeth eche mans wittes And shameth him with open shame His honour fades in frantike fittes And blemisheth his good name The King of Marocco ¶ The great Curtesie of the Kyng of MAROCCO a Citie in BARBARIE 〈◊〉 a poore Fisherman one of hys subiects that had lodged the Kyng beyng strayed from his companie in hunting The. xxxiiij Nouel FOr so much as the more than beastly crueltie recounted in the former Historie doth yeld some sowre tast to the minds of those that bée curteous gentle and wel conditioned by nature and as the stomacke of hym that dayly vseth one kinde of meate be it neuer so delicate daintie dothe at length lothe and disdaine the same and vtterly refuseth it I now chaunge the diet leauing for a certain time the murders slaughters despaires and tragicall accidents chaunced either in the loue or in the ielosie of a louer or of a husband turn my stile to a more plesant thing that may so wel serue for instruction of the noble to folowe vertue as that which I haue alreadie written maye rise to their profite warely to take héede they fall not into such deformed and 〈◊〉 faults as the name and praise of mā be defaced and his reputation decayed if then the contraries be knowne by that which is of diuers natures the villanie of great crueltie shall be couuerted into the gentlenesse of great curtesie and rigor shal be condemned when with swetenesse and generositie the noble shall assay to wynne the heart seruice and affected deuotion of the basest sort so the greatnesse and nobilitie of man placed in dignitie and who hath puissance ouer other consisteth not to shew himselfe hard and terrible for that is the maner of tyrants bicause he that is feared is consequently hated euill beloued and in the ende forsaken of the whole world which hath bene the cause that in times past Princes aspiryng to great 〈◊〉 haue made their way more easie by gentlenesse and Curtesie than by furie of armes stablishing the foundations of their dominions more firme durable by those means than they which by rigor and crueltie haue sacked townes ouerthrowne Cities depopulated prouinces and 〈◊〉 landes with the bodies of those whose liues they haue depriued by dent of sword 〈◊〉 the gouernement and authoritie ouer other carieth greater subiection than puissance Wherefore Antigonus one of the successoures of greate Alexander that made all the earth to tremble vpon the recitall of his name seing that his sonne behaued himself to arrogātly and without modestie to one of his subiectes reproued and checked him and amongs many wordes of 〈◊〉 and admonition sayde vnto him Knowest thou not my sonne that the estate of a Kyng is a noble and honorable seruitude Royall words in dede and méete for a Kyng For albeit that eche man dothe him reuerence and that he be honoured and obeyed of all yet is hée for all that the seruaunt and publike minister who ought no lesse to defende hys subiecte than hée that is the subiecte to doe hym honoure and homage And the more the Prince doth humble himself the greater increase hath his glorie and the more wonderful he is to euery wight What aduanced the glory of that Iulius Caesar who firste depressed the Senatorie state of gouernement at Rome Were his victories atchieued ouer the Galles and Britons and afterwardes ouer Rome it selfe when he had vanquished Pompee Al those serued his
tourne but his greatest fame rose of his clemencie and curtesie In such wise as he shewed hym selfe to be gentle and fauourable euen to them whome he knewe not to loue him otherwise than if he had bene their mortal enimie His successors as Augustus Vespasianus Titus Marcus Aurelius Flauius were worthily noted for clemencie Notwithstandyng I sée not one drawe néere to great courage and gentlenesse ioyned with the singular curtesie of Dom Roderigo Viuario the Spaniarde surnamed Cid towarde Kyng Pietro of Aragon that hyndred his expedition againste the Mores at Grenadoe For hauyng vanquished the 〈◊〉 King and taken hym in battell not only remitted the reuenge of his wrong but also suffered hym to goe without raunsome and toke not from him so much as one forte estéeming it to be a better exploite to winne such a king with curtesie than beare the name of cruell in putting hym to death or seazing vpon his lande But bicause acknowledging of the poore and enriching the small is more cōmendable in a Prince than when he sheweth himselfe gentle to his like I haue collected thys discourse and facte of Kyng Mansor of Marocco whose children by subtile and fained religion Cherif succéeded the sonne of whome at this day inioyeth the kingdoms of Su Marocco and the most part of the 〈◊〉 confinyng vpon Aethiopia This historie was told by an Italian called Nicholoso Baciadonne who vpon this accident was in Affrica and in trafike of marchandise in the land of Oran situated vpon the coast of that South seas and where the Geneuois and Spaniards vse great entercourse bicause the countrey is faire wel peopled and where the inhabitaunts although the soile be barbarous lyue indifferent ciuilly vsing greate curtesie to straungers and largely departyng their goodes to the poore towards whome they be so earnestly bente and louing as for their liberalitie and pitifull alinesse they shame vs Christians They mainteyne a greate numbre of Hospitalls to receyue and intertaine the poore and néedie which they doe more charitably than they that be bounde by the lawe of Iesus Christe to vse charitie towardes their brethren wyth that curtesie and humaine myldnesse These Oraniens delight also to recorde in writing the successe of things that chaunce in their tyme and carefully reserue the same in memorie whiche was the cause that hauyng registred in theyr Chronicles which be in the Arabie letters as the moste parte of the Countreys do vse thys present historie they imparted the same to the Geneuois marchauntes of whome the Italian Author confesseth 〈◊〉 haue receyued the Copie The cause why that Geneuois marchaunt was so diligent to make that enquirie was by reason of a citie of that prouince built through the chaunce of this Historie and which was called in theyr tongue Caesar Elcabir so much to say as A great Palace And bycause I am assured that curteous mynds will delight in déedes of curtesie I haue amongs other the Nouells of Bandello chosen by Francois de Belleforest and my selfe discoursed thys albeit the matter be not of great importance and greater thyngs and more notorious curtesies haue bene done by our owne kings and Princes As of Henry the eyght a Prince of notable memorie in his progresse in to the Northe the xxxiij yeare of his raigne when he disdained not a pore Millers house being stragled from his traine busily pursuing the Hart and there vnknown of the Miller was welcomed with homely chere as his mealy house was able for the time to minister and afterwards for acknowledging his willing minde recompenced him with dainties of the Courte and a Princely rewarde Of Edward the thirde whose Royall nature was not displeased pleasauntly to vse a 〈◊〉 Tanner when deuided from his company he mette him by the way not farre from Tomworth in Staffordshire and by cheapening of his welfare stéede for stedinesse sure and able to cary him so farre as the stable dore grewe to a price and for exchaunge the Tanner craued 〈◊〉 shillings to boote betwene the Kings and his And whē the King satisfied with disport desired to shew himself by sounding his warning blast assembled al his train And to the great amaze of the pore Tanner when he was guarded with that 〈◊〉 he well guerdoned his good pastime and familiare dealing with the order of 〈◊〉 and reasonable reuenue for the maintenaunce of the same The like examples our Chronicles memory and report plentifully doe auouche and witnesse But what this History is the more rare and worthy of noting for respect of the people and Countrey where seldome or neuer curtesie haunteth or findeth harboroughe and where Nature doth bring forth greater store of monsters than things worthy of praise This great King Mansor then was not onely the temporall Lord of the Countrey of Oran and Moracco but also as is saide of Prete Iean Bishop of his law and the Mahomet priest as he is at this day that 〈◊〉 in Feze Sus and Marocco Now this Prince aboue all other pleasure 〈◊〉 the game of Hunting And he so muche delighted in that passetime as sometime he would cause his Tentes in the midde of the desertes to be erected to lie there all night to the ende that the next day he might renewe his game and 〈◊〉 his men of idlenesse and the wilde beastes of rest And this manner of life he vsed still after he had done iustice and hearkened the complaintes for which his subiectes came to disclose thereby their griefes Wherin also he toke so great pleasure as some of our Magistrates doe seke their profite whereof they be so squeymishe as they be desirous to satisfie the place whereunto they be called and render all men their right due vnto them For with their bribery and sacred golden hunger Kings and Princes in these dayes be yll serued the people wronged and the wicked out of feare There is none offense almost how villanous so euer it be but is washed in the water of bribery and clensed in the holly drop wherewith the Poetes faine Iupiter to corrupt the daughter of Acrisius faste closed within the brasen Toure And who is able to resist that which hath subdued the highest powers Now returne we from our wanderings This great King Mansor on a day 〈◊〉 his people to hunt in the not marish fenny Countrey which in elder age was farre off from the Citie of Asela which the Portugalles holde at this present to make the way more frée into the Isles of Molncca of the most parte whereof their King is Lord. As he was attentife in folowing a Bear his passe-time at the best the Elementes began to darke and a great tempest rose such as with the storme violent wind scattred the train far of from the King who not knowing what way to take nor into what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 retire to auiode the tempest the greatest the he felt in all his life would wyth a good wyl haue ben accōpanied as the Troiane 〈◊〉 was
this time of the night to take vpon me without daunger to bring him to his Palace Wherfore said the King Wherefore quod you bicause the Marshes be so daungerous as in the day time if one knowe not well the way the 〈◊〉 be he neuer so strong and lusty may chaunce to sticke fast tary 〈◊〉 for gage And I wold be sory if the King were héere that he shold fall into my perill or sufler anoyance therwithal wold deme my self vnhappy if I did let him to incur such euil or incōbrance Mansor that delighted in the cōmunication of this good mā and desirous to know the cause that moued him to speake with such affection sayd vnto him And why carest thou for the life health or preseruation of our king What hast to do with him that art so sory for his state and carefull of his safety Ho ho sayd the goodman doe you say that I am careful for my prince Uerily I loue him a hundred times better than I do my self my wife or children which God hath sent me and what sir doe not you loue our Prince Yes that I doe replied the King for I haue better cause than thou for that I am many times in his company and liue vpon his charge and am entertained with his wages But what 〈◊〉 thou to care for him Thou knowest him not he neuer did thée any good turne or pleasure nor yet thou nedest not hope henceforth to haue any pleasure at his hands What sayd the fisher man must a Prince be loued for gaine and good turnes rather than for his iustice curtesie I sée wel that amongs you master Courtiers the benefits of kings be more regarded and their gifts better liked than their vertue and nobility which maketh them wonderful vnto vs and ye do more esteeme the gold honor and estates that they bestow vpon you than their health and sauegarde which are the more to be considered for that the King is our head and God hath made him suche one to kepe vs in peace and to be careful of our states Pardon me if I speak so boldly in your presence The King which toke singulare delite in this Coūtrey Philosopher answered him I am not offended bicause thy woords aproche so neare the troth but tel me what benefit hast thou receiued of that king Mansor of whome thou makest suche accompte and 〈◊〉 so wel For I cannot thinke that euer he did thée good or shewed thee pleasure by reason of thy pouerty and the little furniture within thy house in respecte of that which they possesse whom he loueth and fauoreth and vnto whome he she weth so great familiaritie and benefite Doe 〈◊〉 me sir replied the good man for so much as you so greatly regard the fauoures which subiectes receiue at their Princes handes as in déede they ought to doe What greater goodnesse 〈◊〉 or benefite ought I to hope for or can receiue of my King being suche one as I am but the profit and vtilitie that all we which be his vassalles doe apprehend from day to day in the iustice that he rendreth to euery wight by not suffering the puissant and riche to suppresse and 〈◊〉 the feeble and weake and him that is 〈◊〉 of fortunes goodes that indifferency be maintained by the officers to whome he committeth the gouernment of his prouinces and the care which he hathe that his people be not deuoured by exactions and intollerable tributes I do esteme more his goodnesse clemency and loue that he beareth to his subiects than I doe all your delicates and ease in following the court I most humbly honor and reuerēce my king in that he being farre from vs doeth neuerthelesse so vse his gouernment as we féele his presence like the Image of God for the peace and vnion wherein we through him doe liue and enioy without 〈◊〉 that little which God and fortune haue giuen vs. Who if not the King is he that doeth preserue vs and defend vs from the 〈◊〉 and pillages of those Theues and Pirates of Arabie which make warre and inuade their neighbors and there is no frend they haue but they wold displease if the King wisely did not forbio preuent their villanies That great Lord which kepeth his Court at Constantinople and maketh himselfe to be adored of his people like a God brideleth not so muche the Arabians as our King doeth vnder the Protection and sauegarde of whome I that am a pore Fisher man do ioy my pouertie in peace and without 〈◊〉 of théeues do norish my little familie applying my selfe to the fishing of Eeles that be in these diches and fenny places which I cary to the market townes and sell for the sustenaunce and féeding of my wife and children and 〈◊〉 my selfe right happy that returning to my cabane and homely lodge at my pleasure in what so euer place I do abide bicause albeit farre of from neighboures by the bene 〈◊〉 and diligence of my Prince none staye my iourney or offendeth me by any meanes which is the cause sayd he lifting vp his hāds and eyes aloft that I pray vnto God and his great Prophet Mahomet that it may please them to preserue our King in health and to giue him so great happe and contentation as he is vertuous and debonaire and that ouer his ennimies flying before him 〈◊〉 may euermore be victorious for norishing his people in peace and his children in ioy and Nobilitie The King séeing that deuout 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 and knowing it to be without guile or 〈◊〉 would gladly haue discouered himself but yet willing to reserue the same for better oportunitie he sayd vnto him For somuch as thou 〈◊〉 st that king so wel it is not impossible but those of his house be welcome vnto thee and that for thy Mansors sake thou wilt helpe and doe seruice to his Gentlemen Let it 〈◊〉 you replied he that my heart is more inclined to the King than to the willes of those that serue him 〈◊〉 hope of preferment Now being so affectionate to the King as I am thinke whither his housholde seruaunts haue power to commaund me and whither my willing minde be prest to doe them good or not But me thinke ye néede not to stay héere at the gate in talke being so wet as you be wherefore vouchsafe to come into my house which is your own to take such simple lodging as I haue wher I wil entreat you not according to your merite but with the litle that God and his Prophet haue departed to my pouertie And to morow morning I wil conduct you to the Citie euen to that royal Palace of my Prince Truely answered the King albeit necessitie did not prouoke me yet 〈◊〉 honestie deserueth wel other reputation than a simple Countrey man and I do thinke that I haue profited more in hearing thée speake than by hearkening to the flattering and 〈◊〉 tales of Courting triflers which daily imploy thēselues to corrupt the eares