giuing intelligence before vnto the King Tiberio of his comming The King knowing the succours which came vnto him appointed a daye when all his Hoast should méete together and finding himselfe of so great power in the meane while vntil the prince came he resolued to make a roade into Greece sacking all the little townes he might before that the Emperour Trebatio should perceiue it Afterwardes if the Emperour Trebatio should come to succour his subiects then to ioyne battayle with him at such time as the Prince shuld approch which thing he put in practise diligentlye For with that power which he had he entered into Greece forraging the countrey taking little townes of no great force burning wasting so much as he might to the intent that the people of other fenced Cities stroken with feare might abandon thēselues to flight enféeble their forces Howbeit King Tiberio had not passed in Greece xxx miles when the Emperour Trebatio hauing knowledge of it came agaynst him with an hoast of knights so valiant that at the first alarme the Hungarian reculed by the chase of his enimies was forced to retire home into the citie of Belgrado which is in Hungary Ther he fortified himselfe manned the towne vnwilling as yet to goe into the field vntill the Prince of great Britaine should arriue by whose comming their powers being ioyned he thought he might giue the battayle vnto the Emperour Trebatio Albeit he caried about him a mayme incurable in his bodie not by anie stroke lent him by his enimie but by the onely conceipt of the Emperours vertue For he had séene the Emperour demeane himselfe more worthely then any of those that came with him namely in a kinsman of his a very strong Knight whom the Emperour at one blowe as it were deuided in two péeces This as it might be made him kéepe his chamber because he himselfe confessed the valor of the Emperor to be aboue the report of men notwithstanding he had heard sufficiently of the Emperours prowesse But because these things are not mentioned but to giue beginning to this historie we run them briefly ouer not rehearsing the great déeds of armes that the Emperor and his people did in besieging the Citie because we haue other matters more noble in hand in comparison whereof these things wer néedlesse The storie héereof begins in the chapter following ¶ The Emperour Trebatio by the hearesay of hir beautie was surprised with the loue of the Princesse Briana ca. 3. CErtaine daies the Emperour Trebatio lay at the siege of Belgrado hoping that the King Tiberio would come out to giue them battaile for that he had great desire to be aduenged of the great harmes which he hadde receyued in Greece but the King would in no wise leaue the towne still abiding the comming of Prince Edward his armie out of England The Emperor meruailing much at it commanded a prisoner to be brought before him whom he had taken in the former battaile of him he demaunded the cause why the King Tiberio held himselfe so close with so many good knights mewed vp in the citie why he came not out to giue the battaile with promise of life libertie if he told troth otherwise the certaintie of most cruell death The prisoner thus placed before the Emperor what with feare of death and hope of libertie durst not declare other then the truth and therefore thus made aunswere vnto him Prisoners oration Know you mightie Emperour that when the King of Hungary my master first tooke vppon him the entrie into Greece he wold not haue done it although he hath so mightie an hoast as is séene but in hope that before he shuld be espied met withall there should come to his help Prince Edward sonne to the king of great Britaine with 20000. knights This number was promised vpon condition that the Prince should haue the Kings daughter the Princesse Briana to wife which Princesse I beléeue is the fairest maid in all the world by such fame the prince is become enamored of hir so as we heare that he is already departed from great Britaine with the number appointed and shall take landing very soone in this country the King Tiberio abideth his comming and is determined to giue the onset as soone as their forces shall be vnited This sayd the prisoner but the Emperour minding to knowe more of the matter demaunded of him where the Princesse Briana remained and of what age she might be The prisoner aunswered him My Lord she is with the Quéene Augusta hir mother in the Monestarie of the Riuer which is néere Buda a pleasaunt and delectable house wherin none are lodged but Nunnes the Quéenes Gentlewomen The Princesse is of the age of 14. yeares be assured that so many as shall sée hir will iudge hir rather a goddes then a woman so much hir beautie doth excel all the gentlewomen of the world Now so soone as the Prince shall land he will straight waies take his iourny towards the Monestarie of the riuer because it is so appoynted by the King hir father The King himselfe will not be there because he will not be absent in such a busie time from the Citie When the prisoner had thus sayd the Emperour Trebatio commaunded him to be set frée without speaking other thing to his people but with a sorrowfull troubled countenaunce he withdrew himselfe into a secret chamber of his Imperiall tent Where tossing in his conceit diuers sundrie fancies he endured a wilfull imprisonment with out any baile or maynprise Thus that force which neither by till turney nor barriers neither by speare nor sworde neither by mallice of the enimie nor pride of the mightie might at anie time be subdued was now vanquished by the onely heare-say of a Gentlewomans commendation Nay the valiant heart which he held forcible inough against all the world failed in his owne defence against a delicate damzell whom he had neuer séene What force is it that may repulse this euill sith that with such flattering closes it ouerthroweth so many noble hearts and strong bodies But to returne the Emperour Trebatio so much burned in loue with the Princes Briana that alreadie he hath forgotten the damage receiued in his Countrey his trauaile out of his Countrey with a huge armie the consuming of his treasure for to wreake his anger on the King Tiberio onely he deuised vpon this how to giue remedie vnto to his amorous passion For as the fire was great which enflamed him so was the remedie by all semblaunce farre from him Because that on the one part he was hindred by the enmitie betwéene him and hir father so that he durst not require hir for wife and on the other side she was alredy promised to the Prince of great Britaine who had put himselfe on his iourney for the attaining of hir person so that likewise the King could not take hir from him to giue vnto his
reuerenced How seldome was it euer steadfast and how many thousands hath it beguiled I meane not the base and common people but euen kings and Emperours O how many impediments be therein left to hinder vs from enioyeng it O what a common thing is it to die and how manie euer sawe happie end in it How ioyfull and pleasaunt was to Paris the desired match of Helena and how sorrowfull and lamentable was the ende not onely to him but to his parents and bretheren and the greatest parte of all Asia For not onely in Greece but in all the out Ilandes thereaboutes was bewept his bitter Bridall With how great care and dilligence doe men hasten on the causes of their care occasions of their heauinesse meanes of their paines and matter for theyr griefe and doe not content themselues with the continuall affliction wherein Fortune schooleth them But by new meanes they inuent new mathers of daunger which crosseth them at euery step they frame new causes as it wore forge vnto themselues sharpe spurs to pricke forward this wofull life where they thinke to finde pleasure rest there they finde for their losse trauaile trouble for the death which they wold flie from To escape either nipping colds or scalding heat this onely one remedy they haue to climb vp into the mountaines where yet the winde hath most force and the sun doth soonest parch aboue all this hath not the vnsatiable couetousnes of man broken through the sturdy waues of the sea cut out new passages in the mountaines But why do we complaine on fortune do we not bend her armes to fight with vs doe we not mainteine her weapons which peraduenture lighteth on our owne neckes As for example if Paris had not made a way through the déep waues of the sea Aegean which the Gods had placed as a peaceable bound between Europe Asia if he had not sought Greece sith Asia was large inough to haue found a faire wife in so it may be much more honest then Helene was then the Achians had not transported themselues into Asia to destroy Troie And turning againe to our matter Prince Edward might haue sought him a wife in his own country or more néere home of whose beautie his owne eies might haue ben witnesses not haue sought her in a straunge land by the onely brute of a cunning tale especially vppon so hard and sore conditions as to bring his owne person and people to the warre Whosoeuer comes to séeke pleasure and delight for his youth let him take that he findes and thinke it not straunge because that vnkinde Fortune hath vsed the like vnto at her The Prince now being on his way two of the kings knights were dispatched before by some secret by wayes very well knowen vnto them to aduertise the quéene princesse of the approching of the Prince These two held on their way not ascried by the ambush but so soone as the prince with his knights had entred in the thicket they wer presently discouered by the Emperour who was alreadie armed with his rich armour mounted vppon a strong light horse The Emperor taking a great speare in his hand verie sharpe well stéeled for the purpose went alone aside out of the woode with a softe pace to encounter with the Prince his knightes and being come right before them said vnto them Know you knights that this passage is forbidden except you leaue your shéelds your names in them For that a Lady whom I honour serue hath commaunded me to do it whose loue I could not otherwise obteine The Prince Edward was by nature verie stout by inclination giuen to somewhat lesse modestie in his talke then behoued such a Prince howbeit for this and other faults he was a verie valiant strong knight such a one as neither in great Britaine neither in the kingdome of Hungarie was thought to haue his péere But as he vnderstood the demaund of the knight very wroth he answered him By God knight if the king Tiberio were as certeine of the victorie against the Emperour Trebatio as I hope to chastice thy folly then the Prince of England should not néede to come from so farre a countrie to giue him helpe Take thou quickly that part of the fielde as shall séeme good vnto thée and with one onely choise thou shalt sée how déere and bitter thy loue hath bene vnto thée As the Prince had said this and had pronounced with his owne mouth that cruell dome not well foreséeing his owne fall hee tooke a great speare from one of his knights and broched his horse with the spurres to méets the Emperour This he did not for that his knightes woulde not haue put themselues in the aduenture before him euerie man claiming to be first but for that no reason sufficed him For his stoutnesse and his vnmeasurable pride made him to forget the force of his enimie and yet his enimye stoode before him so great and so bigge made that hée séemed to be a Gyant But this Princes aduerse fortune and vnhappie destinies woulde him to be the formost so that the mightie Trebatio knewe it as well by the rithes of his armour as by the talke which had passed betwéene him and his knights and béeing verie glad to see him the first which he met he sayd vnto himselfe O that my Speare were now greater and stronger the bead forged by Vulcan that it might not staye in the armour of this Knight for that according as I see him great and strong so I feare hée will escape my handes and then my trauaile shall bée all in vaine Thus as he sayde they by and by did put both their Speares in their restes and giuing either horse his bridle they ranne together with such furie that they made the earth to tremble and yet the lightnesse of theyr horses was such that it séemed the grasse yéelded not vnder theyr féete The Prince hit the Emperour in the middest of the shéelde and pearcing farther left the head remaining in the fine and well stéeled armour whereby the staffe broken in many shéeuers made a great whisteling in the ayre But the Emperours stroke was much more fell for hée leuelled it with such force that it entered not onely into the shéeld and strong armour of the Prince but passed through vnto his amorous heart all bedewed with bloud a whole armes length Then the Prince fell dead executing the sentence which hée had giuen in these woordes that that loue shoulde bee very déere and bitter When his people sawe him stretched vppon the ground there might no sorrowe bée compared vnto theirs and as raging madde they ranne all together vpon the Emperour thinking to put in practise theyr deadly anger vpon his carcasse Some with Speares and other with Swoordes strake him on all partes with great rage and hast so that if his armour had not béene verie good in short space they had
best knights of all those whom the Gyant had left giuing them liuerie and season in that lande and making others to sweare obedience Short time after hée would néeds depart with full purpose to kéepe in the Sea and not to depart till that he should haue sailed so farre that no words might be heard of him in those quarters Therefore he tooke his armour wherein was drawen the God of lous in such sort as our auncestours were wont to paint him with his eyes out his bowe and arrowes in his hand The picture béeing so liuely drawen that Rosicleer kuewe it was done by the wise Artemidoro and therevppon he sooke his name of that deuice from which time hée neuer called himselfe other then the Knight of Cupide vnder which name he atchieued many enterprises and Rosicleers name came neuer more to the eares of Oliuia Hauing put on his armour he tooke his leaue of Candriana for so was called the Daughter of Candramarte and for remembraunce onely the shippe wherein hée first sayled when hée lest great Britaine with two marriners to conduct it whome he charged not to call by other name then the Knight of Cupide and to guide the shippe Eastwarde When hée had so sailed fistéene daies without chancing to him anie thing worthie of recitall It was so that one morning by Sunne rising he sawe a little boate passe by him out of which he heard many cries as if it had bene the labour of some woman and thinking that there might be néede of some helpe he was desiraus to know what was in the shippe and therevpon he commaunded to ioyne with them Presently there ftept vppon the hatches a sadde auncient man with a white beard all armed saue the head which demaunded what hée woulde Rosicleer sayde I woulde knowe who is in your Shippe for me thinkes I haue heard some woman complaine and if it bée so I will venture my person to doe her good The auncient Knight behelde Rosicleer taking him to be some knight of great bountis especially in that he had offered himselfe so fréely When hée had throughly behelde he opened the matter on this sorte Assuredly good Knight I thanke you for your great good will and as it is not mis beséeming your outward beautie to haue some inwarde vertue lyke thereto But know you that in this shippe there abideth a Gentlewoman making towards the great Britaine there to complaine her to the King Oliuerio and his knightes of the outrage which is done vnto her Nowe because our staie is daungerous I may not tell you farther of this matter our enimies followe vs and so rest you with GOD. When the olde man had saide this Rosicleer hauing desire to know more staied him and besought him to discourse more at large for himselfe was a Knight of that Court and could tell him what remedie was to bée hoped for there The olde man was loth to staie longer yet hearing him say that he was of the same Court hée tolde him in fewe wordes that this Gentlewoman was the Princesse Arguirosa one of the fairest Ladies in the worlde and a Princesse of Thessalie onely heire to that kingdome That her mother béeing dead the King Arguidoro her father fell in loue with a Gentlewoman of Thessalie not so honest nor of so high estate as wanton and of base birth and louing her affectionately after marryed her to the dispossessing of his owne childe Then in the time of her Fathers life there was in the court a knight called Rolando besides his great liuing one of the strongest knightes in all those partes but proude and little respecting the whole worlde That this Knight during the lyfe of the King was lyked of Ipesca and so soone as the King Arguidoro dyed of a sodeyne disease was promoted to the Kinges bedde by matching with the Quéene and béeing of great reuenewes that he nowe inioyed the kingdome by force and excluding the right heyre none of the kingdome daring to gaine-saie him for the most able are his night kinsmen the other learne patience perforce But that which worst of all was that to vndoe her rightfull claime hée mindeth to marrie her with a kinsman of his and to giue onely some little Towne to dwell in reseruing the title of the Kingdome after his owne dayes to a sonne the which hée hath begotten on his Quéene Ipesca I am kinsman sayth he to the Princesse béeing her mothers brother and therefore I haue aduentured to rescewe my néece but not knowing any remedie at home because my power is not equall with Rolandos I haue brought her out from thence and I determine to goe to the great Britaine where as I haue heard there are many valyaunt knightes especially a new Knight of whom I haue heard especially since the great feasts there holden If this Knight helpe me not I know not who may with-stand Rolando Thrée nightes and dayes haue we bene vppon the Sea onely I the Lady two Gentlewomen and our Marriners and I beléeue that there come after vs Rolandos knightes Nowe haue I tolde you the whole of your desire and I beséech you tell vs what newes you knowe of that good knight Rosicleer nowe hauing heard the whole state of the Princesse Arguirosas matter was much treubled and desirous to helpe her hée aunswered the auncient man that for his staie he thanked him and as touching your demaund saith he of the new knight Truth it is that in Britaine none can tell you newes of him wherfore your labour should be lost if you sought him there But the Princesses affliction so much moueth me that albeit I was purposed other where yet would I gladly fight with Rolando in the Princesse behalfe The auncient knight was verie sad to heare that the newe Knight was not in Britaine but well eyeng this knight which had so tolde him and made profer of helpe he stoode in doubt whether to take or refuse by and by he discouered two shippes vnder sayle and by theyr toppes to be of Thessalie whereat striking himselfe on the breast hée cryed out O most vnhappie that wée are héere commeth Rolandos Knightes which will take vs and béeing brought againe to Thessalie we shal there receiue most cruel death and he wept cursing the houre of his departure the Princesse Arguirosa hearing the complaintes which her vnckle made his greate sorrowe which he susteyned the extreame daunger they were in and the cause why hée did it tooke it as heauie and wofully bewailed their miserie When Rosicleer sawe them in this plight hée much pittyed them especially Arguirosa which the Princesse Oliuia not remembred might haue well contented him Therefore he willed them to get vnder the hatches againe and to let him shifte for theyr safetie the olde man thinking that Rosicleer woulde defend them by saieng that they were his people did so not ceasing yet to feare the worst and to pray earnestly for their escape Rosicleer leapt into the Princesse shippe and sate vpon the
so well as I haue knowne no knight in his perfection matchable And truely this is the accomplishment of your first aduenture as my brother foreséeing it told me that you should rescew mée my daughters from death or imprisonment and I hope as well in the immortall Gods that the second shall be likewise finished that is the kingdome of Persia se long withheld by a false vsurper may by you be redeliuered to the Prince Florion My Lord aunswered Donzel del Febo I haue not as yet done the thing in your seruice neither in my life may hope to compassie which may counterpaise with my good will in this behalfe and truely the dutie which I owe to your good grace my Lord to the Prince Florion to my Lady the Princesse your daughter daily so augmenteth as more then that duetie I cannot owe vnto my father to the discharge wherof notwithstanding I stand bounden to your goodnesse not onely of curtesie but in conscience so humbled himselfe before the Souldan but the Souldan againe embraced him they two helped the Ladies out of the chariot The Ladies were desirous to knowe who the gyant was and what shuld be the cause why he so assailed them Therfore the Souldan the Gentleman of the Sun made toward the knight of the Gyants which was falne to the grounde and as they tooke of his helmet to giue him ayre they fetcht him out of his sounde and setting him on his féete they demaunded of him who the Gyaunt was and why he came to take them prisoners The knight séeing it behoued him to say the troth made answere shortly thus You shall vnderstand my Lordes that this Gyant was called Brandafileo Lorde of the towred Ilande which is in the great Ocean at the mouth of the redde Sea This Ilande is so strong and inuinsible that béeing within hée néede not feare all the worlde if they had bent their force against him and béeing proude vpon the safetie of this Ilande he did much wrong to the nations rounde about him spoiling and robbing all Arabians Aethiopians Aegyptians and the Garamantes of Inde and finally so many as he might come by in the great West seas and so the Ilande of Traprobane and by long continaunce in this trade of rouing hée is become so rich of captiues and treasure that no Iland is comperable with his Nowe the cause wherefore he came into this your land was for that in the time that the mightie Orixerges your father reigned in Persia the father of the Gyant called Briontes then béeing Lorde of the towred Ilande by occasion of Briontes euill lyfe your Father and he fell at variaunce wherefore the king your Father sent out his whole nauie to subdue this Iland but being not able to conquere it he gaue them notwithstanding in charge to lye in the out créekes awaiting when he came forth from the Iland so to set vpon them One time the Gyant making a road out for a lyke cheuisance a farre off from his owne Iland the king your Father dogged him with his shippes and as he returned met him in the halfe turne and for all the hauocke he and his made of your fathers souldiers in the ende killed him This Brandafileo his sonne then being a childe of tender age yet so soone as he was of yeares to be made knight he greatly longed after the reuenge of his fathers death because he could not worke his mischiefe on the king Orixerges béeing then dead at the least it would ease his stomacke if he might wreake himselfe on you his sonne and for this cause many times hée hath sent spyes into your land to be aduised by them when he might haue opportunitie of vengeance learning of your comming to this forrest for your disport he hath now laine more then a month in secret expectation of so good lucke as to take your person This time he had founde to his contentation had not this Gentleman ben who now hath made sufficient paye to Brandafileo for his months hire This is all my Lorde which I can tell you as to your demaund and it is truth which I haue tolde you as I certeinly beléeue that if euer he had cleane carried you from hence you should not haue escaped from death or bondage for so hée had determined The Souldan mused at that which the knight had told him waieng the great danger wherein he was like to haue falne he ceased not to giue thanks to his Gods to the gentleman of the Sun for his safety At this time Prince Floriō came with more then 30. knights running theyr horses so fast as they might because alreadie they had hearde the newes comming wher the Gyant lay dead viewing well the wide mortall wound they highly commended of it and ceuld not iudge by whom he had receiued it but very ioyfull to sée the Souldan his Princesse out of daunger leaping from their horses they came towards them Then Florion excusing his long absence by the ignoraunce of the fact desired to know who he was which had so gently bailed them from the Gyaunt The Souldan aunswered on this sort Ah Florion Florion now we knowe your vnckle Lyrgandeos diuinations as touching this Gentleman of the Sunne to be sooth and stedfast for we haue well approued his valour and knowe that he alone béeing the onely man which came to succour vs brought to ground the giant Brandafileo by one onely blow with his bore speare riuetting as you see his coat armour and ridding vs from so daungerous a foe making his enteraunce to knighthoode the straungest that euer was heard Florion giuing backe either as wondering or not crediting his vnckles speach was still vrged by the Souldan who tolde on forward as Brandafileos knight had confessed Florion yet as it were halfe in a mammering which part to take betwéene the Gentlemans youth and his courage disputed rather the impossibilitie by meanes of the hugenesse of the Gyant his strong armour and the number of his knights in the end he ouercame himselfe by remembrance of Lyrgandeos reporte and thanked the Gentleman on this wise O my right noble and beloued sonne I graunt that that not my force but the mightie windes and swelling waues by the ordinaunce of my Gods haue giuen mée power ouer you for that by your souereigne bountye the wrong which is done to me by the tyraunt shall be reuenged and I shall recouer mine owne kingdome O how happie was the daye and the houre fortunate in which I found you sith my Gods haue reserued you for so great benefiter towardes me and the release of mine vnckle with these and many other words Florion wept for great pleasure to thinke of Donzels magnanimitie And in this time the other young Gentlemen his companions came riding from hunting and sawe the fierce Gyaunt lye dead by the waye they enquired after the manner of his death and hearing it to be as you haue
pleasure and highlye magnifieng the noble Knight of the Sunne so as this discourse as an argument of greate good will canuased betwéene these knights and Princes brought them ere they were well aware before the Pallaice gate where the Princesse Balisea welcommed them with torch light the first whom she embraced was the Knight of the Sunne to whome shee said on this wise Sir knight we 〈◊〉 great cause to giue thanks to our Gods for your hether ariuall First you deliuered my Lord the Souldan and me from death now you haue set all vs frée from sorrowfull captiuitie But madame answered the knight of the Sunne to my Lord the Prince Florion and to these other knightes you ought to attribute this for they are those which haue destroyed Africanos hoast Then the Princesse tourned vnto Clauerindo and thanked him likewise for his paines in the defence of her fathers Citie and so to the rest in that order which best liked her After this they supped in the greate hall continuing there their sports till bed time as likewise the citizens well shewed their good liking of the victory by bonfires and other reuelling sport The next day they ordeined that which followeth ¶ The knight of the Sunne the two Princes Florion and Clauerindo with a great hoast enter into Persia and there put Florion in possession of the Crowne Cap. 25. THE next day after dinner the Souldan himselfe entered into the counsaile chamber and other affaires being laid a part the wise Lyrgandeo made this Oration It is apparantly knowne vnto vs all how bountifully our high Gods haue dealt with vs as well touching my Lord the Souldan as the Prince Florion and the whole nation of the Assyrians in bringing to this Court the knight of the Sunne and the Prince Clauerindo who by theyr notable vertues not onely haue kept this citie from sacking but also as we make account haue left the realme of Persia naked for resistaunce not one speare remaining to bée tossed against vs. For the attayning of either of these things we are not ignoraunt how weake and vnable we were that were it not for these two young Gentlemen not onely our home bred power but also thrice as many of forreine succours coulde not haue hindered Africano from his purpose Wherefore I thinke it conuenient that sith the Gods haue graunted vs this victorie and that we haue the winde at our backes that we followe our good Fortune while we haue her least by ouerslipping the opportunitie we to late repent our too much daintinesse My meaning is that with such spéed as may be the Prince Florion and these Lordes depart the realme into Persia there to make claime of his right by armes whilest euery man is occupied in complaining on his owne harmes For although as yet there dare no man stand against vs yet for a certeintie there is a king of Media Africanos sonne which ere it be long will bée our heauie neighbour he is not yet made Knight but his destinie foresheweth vs that if hée once come to boorde in Persia we shall bée no lesse disquieted with his companie then we were with Africano his Father The wise Lyrgandeo made an end of his Oration knitting vp his matter with this clause that it were not out of the way to aduise themselues notwithstanding for good resons this was his iudgement They which would neuer contrarie him in any point tooke no further respite but consenting to the effect of Lyrgandeos Oration concerning the conquest of Persia tooke this order The Prince Florion the Knight of the Sunne Clauerindo and Armineo his vnckle with fiftéene thousand Knightes and fiftie thousand footemen within ten dayes shoulde prepare themselues for this aduenture the Princesse Balisea abiding with the Souldan her Father till the kingdome were well setteled from tumult and the Prince in peaceable fruition of the crowne This they dealt in effectually for within the compasse of the dayes limitted they left Babylon the Souldan and the Princesse onely comforted with the hope which Lyrgandeo made promise of The fiftéene thousand Knightes with the foote men by long iourneyes entering into Persia and comming néere vnto one of the chiefest Cities of the Kingdome there in the plaine vnloaded their carriage to erect theyr tentes there But the Citizens hauing vnderstanding of Africanos death by the fugitiues in the last discomfiture of Africanos hoast and thinking it not safetie for themselues to rebell against their liege naturall Lord Florion especially he hauing the aide of the whole floure of Babylon set their gates wide open for his armie and sent of theyr worthiest knightes to Florions tent to inuite him to his owne Citie and to craue pardon for their former reâ—â—ulting in that time when they were lefte destitute of mans succour not béeing able of themselues to withstande the force of Africano And also excusing themselues that they had neuer a guide to conduct them into the fielde against so strong an enimie hauing in his power the greatest part of all Asia The Prince lightly excusing their fault easily condescended vnto theyr requests and béeing gladde of so good enterteinement of the first the next daye rode into the Citie with the ioyfull acclamations of the whole multitude There he resumed the Crowne and Scepter and béeing in quiet seyzure the subiectes of the Realme by the fame of his thether arriuall came from all partes to doe him homage so that in halfe a yeares space all the principall Cities of the kingdome submitted themselues and there was lefte no more memorie of the vsurpers name The King Florion seyzed of his lande in such a friendly manner nowe tooke counsayle how to haue the Quéene his wife conuayed thether and for that it was requisite that the king himselfe should tarrie behinde for the appeasing of all tumults if anie should arise in so rawe a possession hée gaue the charge of fetching the Quéene with all reasonable pompe vnto the knight of the Sunne and the Prince Clauerindo they to take with them 200. knightes for their safetie They tooke it gladly and frayted their shippes with necessarie prouision and other furniture for warre determining to trauaile by sea the sooner to come vnto their iourneies end When euerie thing was in a readinesse the knights tooke theyr leaue of the king Florion and the wise Lyrgandeo But the wise man not refraining from teares and louingly embracing the Knight of the Sunne burst out into these speaches in such sorte as the Sibilles in ancient time were wont to read mens destinies Noble and worthie Knight you are determined to see Babylon but you are vncerteyne whether euer to see it or to retourne to Persia and as little knowe I what shall befall For truth it is that all the heauenly sphéeres warrant more vnto you then to to any knight what that is it is kept from me I cannot finde the entrie therevnto wherefore I am in doubt of your hether retourne But if the fates or
Brandizels boat not being perfect in the hauen would not venture to take landing there but coasting a long they passed by the ships to finde some more safe place to land in The Prince was ascried by his men in his shippes and therefore they made signes vnto the Gouernour to stere towards them so the Gouernour vnderstanding the fokens guyded thether The Prince Claueryndo and his vnckle Armineo standing on the hatches readie to welcome the Prince Brandizel betwéene whom there-was shewed tokens of great good wil and each made much of other as two faithfull friendes But questioning about the Knight of the Sunne the Princes Brandizel declared the manner of their parting and the daunger wherein he had lefte him This caused great sorrowe in them for they loued him as dearely as any father his children or any wife hir husbande And to asswage their griefe Armineo remembered vnto them the wordes which the wise Lyrgandeo had spoken to the Knight of the Sunne at his departure Where-by they were perswaded that his departure by such a chance was but for the achieuement of things more worthy of him alone and for whom onely they were reserued Now hauing stayed in this Hauen two dayes to repayre theyr shippes when they were in a readinesse they sayled towardes Babylon where they were goodly receiued of the Souldan of the Queene both verie ioyfull of the newes as touching Persia and the King Florions peaceable possession and againe as sorrowfull for the losse of the Knight of the Sunne and the perill of death wherein Brandizel saw him last But in short time after there were letters receiued from Lyrgandeo containing the certaintie of his safetie the manner of his escape and the affaires wherein he was employed Which last poynt bred a great desire in Claueryndo and Brandizel to stray through the world and to exercise the feates of armes And a while after they had rested themselues in Babylon they brought the Quéene to Persia by lande for they woulde no more aduenture the Seas especially hauing the Quéene as part of their burthen and the historie bringeth them on their way as farre as Persia whence it retourneth towards Hungarie to matters of lyke importaunce wherein the younger sonne of Trebatio had to deale whose prowesse is no lesse worthy my paines then his brothers valour is worthye of your rememebraunce for he surpassed all other Knights in loyaltie and might beeing equall to Donzel del Febo in all poynts as héere-after you shall héere ¶ The Princesse Briana discouered to Rosicleer secretly that he was hir sonne Cap. 27. THE storie lefte the Princesse Briana straungely afflicted tormented with the double losse both of Prince Edward hir husband Donzel del Febo hir sonne which griefe no doubt had quickly killed hir had not a Nymph giuen hir comfort at the well in the orchard as it hath ben shewed But yet it some-what eased hir melancholy that she had the fayre and courteous Rosicleer in whose onelye companie she was wont to beguile hir mishaps and by his meanes to forget hir miseries For he was so gracious as that he was beloued not onely of his mother but of the other Gentlewomen also which might not one minute spare his companie as if he had bene childe to euerie one This Rosicleer when he attained to the age of twelue yeares remooued out of the Monestarie to a house hard by where his nourse Leonardo kept whom he thought to bée his father Héere he was diligently instructed in all good literature and in the exercise of armes both to be able to be a good counsailour in peace and as good a warriour in battaile ouer and besides the knowledge of the tongues wherein Leonardo was very curious as hauing trauailed for his knowledge through the most parts of Europe and Asia being there-vnto both wise and well learned Rosicleer was of such pregnaunt wit and so ripe of capacitie that he little néeded the helpe of a teacher to that which his nourse read he added by his owne industrie somewhat that he became so profound in these studies as if hée had bene studied in them all his life time at Athens But remaining thus vnder the gouernaunce of his supposed Father till he was fourtéene yeares of age he then was so high and big made that few in that countrie were so tall and being at this age he was able for strength to doo that which thrée Knightes together were vnable to doo The Princesse knowing of his strength forbad him hir fathers Court and would not suffer him to forgoe the Monestary for she feared least the King hearing of his towardnesse should enquire after him and so retaine him in his seruice For this cause Rosicleer thus kept in at this age and thus strong became very sad for his so straight enclosure as if he had professed alreadie a vowe in some cloyster and his minde euer ranne vpon his desire to be made Knight to the ende he might experiment the aduentures of the world and learne by proofe that which he had often heard by â—chearfull Heere-vnto hauing no hope nor helpe by his restraint it abated his chéere and increased his sadnes Leonardo his nourse marking in what plight he was often demaunded the occasion of his heauinesse but coulde by no meanes wring it out of him and so one daye talking with the Princesse he tolde hir that vnlesse she found a remedie for hir sonne his thought would anoy him The Princesse very pensiue at that which Leonardo had tolde commaunded Rosicleer to be brought before hir presence Rosicleer comming into the presence of the Princesse knéeled downe and humbly asked what was hir Graces pleasure The Princesse bidding him stande vp spake thus Rosicleer thy father Leonardo telleth me thou arte neuer merrie nowe therefore open to me the cause of this thy heauinesse and if thou wantest ought which thy father can-â—ot supply vtter it fréely and I will prouide thée of the remedie to haue thée contented Rosicleer hearing the words of the Princesse knéeled downe again and sayde Madame I kisse your hande for the soueraigne grace you shewe me in hauing such compassion on my griefe and I am well assured that if it were for anye thing whereof I haue néede your Ladiship would furnish me of iâ— as hetherto you haue done but if I be sadde or solitarâ— for anye thing which grieueth me it is not for néede of any necessary prouision for I thanke your goodnesâ—e I haue had it hethertoo abundauntly considered by your Highnesse without my speaking But it is for that in respect of my age the lyfe which I now lead is more lyke a Gentlewoman then a young man which made me deiâ—te to be dubbed Knight and to wander abroad for to seeke aduentures Nowe for that I knowe your Ladiships pleasure to be the contrarie as neither willyng to depart without your license nor daring to vtter my desire vnto you I cannot doo lesse but be sorrowfull for I want the
he sawe a huge Gyaunt in white armour vpon a great Courser with a hoarce and disdainfull voyce commaunding the people to make him roome and not farre from this Giant a gentlewoman vpon a palfray in straunge attire much different from ours hir face was all bedewed with teares as if the Giant had vsed violence towards hir The Gyant approching to the place where the King stoode made no reuerence but the Gentlewoman knéeled downe saieng Know most excellent Prince that the renowne of this Court hath brought me from far Countries hether chiefly for one cause which the wickednesse of this Gyaunt hath now made two the originall of them both you shall heare nowe vnder one In the farther parte of the East néere vnto the great Cataya there gouerneth a Princesse named Iulia as yet but young of peares but not young for handsomnesse héeing nowe as it were in the pride of all her beautie Hir Father was a right cunning Magitian instructing hir so perfectlye in his skill as now therein there are fewe comparable For since his death she hir selfe diuined by hir knowledge that she shoulde be prisoner to two Giauntes and should be inlarged by one Knight which should fight with them both For the case should stand thus that if hir Knight were vanquished she should as perpetually captiuate be at theyr commaunde otherwise to be at lybertie if they were yelden Hir selfe foreséeing this and not finding who hée might be hath prouided by hir knowledge not to bée beguyled for by hir Arte she made this sworde which no Knighte maye euer vnsheath but onely he which must fight with the two Gyants for hir lyhertie and besides the sworde is such as without it it were an harde aduenture but with it the Knight maye boldelye venture on his foes The sworde shée made and kept close till time these two Giannts by night assailing hir got the Lordship of hir person after which time by a trustie seruaunt she caused this sword to be conuayed vnto me with this commaund to trauaile for hir sake in all Princes Courtes and to séeke out the Knight which could shuld maintain hir quarrell Three yeares are passed since I vnder tooke this enterprise and within this thrée moneths landing in an Iland towardes the West after a long iourney to no purpose it was my fortune to méete this Giant Candramarte there making him pertaker of my sute he requested to prooue the aduenture which I graunted but when he coulde not drawe it out beeing couetous of the sworde he denied it me againe saieng For so much as you go to the King of Englands Court there to séeke some Knight which will doo his deuoure in your mistresse behalfe No man shall attempt the aduenture of the sworde but he shall first trie his forces vpon me and if by him I be vanquisht or slaine let him take the sword other wise I will with holde it from all men with this he promised to beare me companie and I of two-euills determined to choose the lesse Albeit at this instaunt I am in greater extremitie by reason of this Gyaunts wrong done to me and my mistresse thraldome This is the necessitie which draue me hether and I am humbly to beséech your Maiestie discréetly to weight my cause and to giue remedie by your subiects as you best may Candramarte all this time standing by in the ende auerred hir tale to be true and farther intimated to the Knights and Princes that seeing he coulde not drawe out the sword there should no man be master of it but by the mastrie of him but saith he I will defend it against any Knight which shall demaund it All the Knightes behelde the sword with the rich hangers as the fairest which they had séene but the King somewhat angrie at the Gyauntes rudenesse towards the Gentlewoman said to him in this manner Candramarte thou hast done ill to take this sworde from the Gentlewoman for as it séemes Iulia made it not for thée and thy pride is ouer great to suppose that none in the world will demaund it of thée The Gyaunt angerlye looking vpon the King as though his eyes would haue flien out of his visage said to the King Demaund it then thy selfe sir King or set anie of thy knights to aske it and I will then make aunswere vnto thée howe rashlie thou hast taken vpon thée to correct me These speaches were delyuered with so high a voyce by the Giant that all the knights which were in the compasse heard it but no man spake a word so that the Kings choller encreased both against the Giant and his own subiects And I must beare with them for the Giant was great and tall and as hardie as a Lyon and no man liuing verye néere matchable for so good Fortune but yet there way within the lystes both a hardier and more fortunate Knight euen the good Rosicleer which ouer-hearing his vndiscréete talke vnto the King comming neere vnto the Giaunt tooke him vp in this sort Candramarte content thy selfe and learne to know vnto whome thou speakest for I tell thée that King Oliuerio hath such Knights in his Court as can make thée amende thy rusticitie though thou wert more vntaught then thou art and for that thou shalt not mistrust me beholde I am the last and the least of them yet as one which desires to serue him with the most In his name and in behalfe of the Gentlewoman I charge thée surrender the sworde vnto the Gentlewoman or if thou wilt not that do thou take that part of the field which shall best lyke thée for in this quarrell I will either kill or be killed With a terrible countenaunce Candramarte stared vpon Rosicleer as who shuld say darest thou speake so boldly and perceiuing him to be but a young Knight which he noted by his white armor in great scorn he aunswered thus I sée well foolish Knight thou hast not bene long acquainted with the burthen of armour for if thou wert in thy kinde and hadde well wayed the successe of Combatons thou wouldest shake euerie ioynt of thée to beholde mée But thy ignoraunce makes thée leape beyonde thy lash and thrusteth thée forwarde to thine owne decaye But séeing thou hast made choyce thy selfe of thy deaths-man let vs goe to the battaile for I would not but that thou shouldest repent thée of thy foolishnesse So Candramarte broched his horse with the spurres and Rosicleer did the like which appeased the Kings displeasure that he knewe not howe to recompence his for wardnesse in dooing him plesure albeit it may be if he loued Rosicleer that he somewhat mistrusted the euent because the Gyaunt was bigge and Rosicleer vnexercised in armes and that which was chiefest without a sword but for remedie thereto he caused a sworde of his owne to be fetched wherewith he charged a Knight to deliuer it to Rosicleer with this commaundement That séeing in his name he hath so well fitted Candramarte for his auns
beare out my former facte I let the matter passe as it hath done what shall then become of mée I knowe not howe to lyue hée being bannished from my presence whome I loue better than my selfe But Fidelia as thy parte was in the first counsayle to bannish Rosicleer so nowe put too thy helpe that Rosicleer maye retourne againe without the blemmish of mine honour Verye ioyfull was Fidelia to heare the Letter and béeing well content that hyr Mistresse hadâ—â— kepte hyr former conclusion in this matter as touching the marriadge of Rosicleer if his Parentage were not so farre inferiour soberly aunswered Madame leaue off your complayntes and be more gladde then euer you were sith God hath bene so fauourable vnto you as to make Rosicleer of so high estate that he may merite you For in good sooth I stoode in doubt whether of your paynes were the greater and I knew no meanes howe to slake them But fith now this secrete is disclosed the remedie is in our handes and not so difficult as you make it For bée it that you shall send vnto Rosicleer to demaunde pardon of him for the offence which you haue committed against him shall you thinke you doe your selfe anie wrong therein in respect of your princely estate No for assuredly he loueth you loyally and because he is of nigh parentage with you you may therein beguile suspitious eyes and after his retourne you maye boult it out of him whether he loue you yea or no if hée doe without peraduenture you maye acquite him and loue of all thinges woulde bée rewarded I dare warraunt that your loue shall detayne him with vs and to this purpose madame your hande and my head which ioyntly committed the former fact shall nowe together make the recantation and crye Pecaui The effect maye bee onely to will him to resourne to your presence and my selfe will bée the messenger and I promise neuer to refourne into this Countrey till such time as I finde him and haue deliuered your Letter to his handes Withall sayth shée this ought prsently to bée put in practise for by the griefe Rosicleer tooke at the sight of your Letter I gesse that hée is eyther departed this lyfe or auoided the Countrie The Princesse was verye well content with her hast as the thing which she most desired and so embraced she Fidelia gladly and spake vnto her Fidelia nowe I knowe the good will which thou hast to serue mée and I confesse that I haue not made thee priuie to my heauinesse without greate hope of comfort at thy handes therefore I beséech GOD once to rewarde thée as I wish but bring mée penne Inke and paper for I will straight way followe thy counsayle héerein Fidelia brought vnto her penne inke and paper wherewith the Princesse wrought hir reclayme with as manye sugered woordes as the other letter had sharpe and sower This letter the sequele will shewe vnto you when we come to the meeting of Fidelia and Rosicleer but before that time the letter written after this manner was delyuered vnto Fidelia and it was agréed vppon betwéene themselues that vppon the nexte daye shée shoulde goe to séeke him This night they tooke theyr rest the one for the better enduring of hir long trauaile which she shoulde sustayne the other to make satisfaction for hir broken sléepes Ere broade morning Fidelia was vp and hauing conuayed Rosicleers letter where she founde it shée went vnto the Princesse to take hir leaue of hir When as they were departing Oh my good Fidelia sayde the Princesse doo as much as thou mayst to retourne agayne spéedely for if thou stayest long I shall lyue but a small while there is nothing that may so soone shorten and cutte off my dayes as to hope without successe and to dreade the worst I tell thee that till thy comming agayne my nightes will be tourned to watchinges and I shall recken the clocke hourelye awayting thy presence O God Fidelia when the daye commeth I will looke for the night then when as the night is ouer-passed I will make account of the daye to come and I will neuer leaue casting of perilles till that I shall heare thée bring some tidings of that good Knight Fidelia was verye sorie to thinke of the cares which hyr Ladye was lyke to receiue and principally for that shée shoulde teaue hir alone wanting with whome to communicate hir payne Where-with béeing somewhat troubled and also fore-seeing the long time of hyr absence so shée departed wéeping in this manner Madame it is néedelesse for you to charge mée farther in the affayres the paines wherein I leaue you are sufficient to hasten my iourney I woulde to God my Fortune were aunswerable to the desire which I haue to serue you in this matter But be of good courage and hope for the comming of your Knight or els looke not for me With these they broke off and Fidelia went to hyr fellowes vnto whome she tolde that she woulde soiourne with hir parents in the Countrey for a season after going to the Sea side she entered into a shippe prepared towardes Almayne wherein the History leaueth hyr saylyng to recount of other things which chaunced in the meane time ¶ Rosicleer was betrayed into the Ilande of Candramarte that Gyaunt whose handes hadde bene cut off before by Rosicleer Cap. 43. YOu haue hearde howe Rosicleer departed from the great Britaine in the companie of the straunge Gentlewoman neuer hoping to returne agayne into that land onely for the accomplishing of the exile where-vnto hée was bound by his Ladyes appoyntment Nowe the Historie saith that the Gentlewoman with whome he was in the boate was sent by Candramarte whose handes Rosicleer had cut off before the King Oliuerio for Quéene Iulias rich sworde and that she was sent vnder coulour of a distressed Gentlewoman to bring him to hyr Fathers Ilande there to be aduenged of the hurt and shame which hyr Father had receyued This deuice was thought fittest both for that Rosicleer as a noble Knight pittyed such oppressed Gentlewomen and that for other cause then to shewe himselfe Rosicleer coulde not be brought out of Englande In this Ilande Candramarte had two young Gyauntes to his sonnes whome for that purpose he hadde knighted béeing in making no lesse than himselfe Besides these Candramarte hadde fortye chosen Knightes all which hée armed to assaulte Rosicleer least bée shoulde escape them By this guyle the Ladye Gyauntesse Daughter vnto Candramarte carryed him to hyr Fathers Ilande wherein without anye farther aduice hée aduentured himselfe for verye griefe of hearts which hée conceyued to sée himselfe abandoned his Ladyes presence But nowe sire dayes haue they bene on the Sea at the ende whereof the winde was so fauourable that they came within kenning of the Ilande to his iudgement verye strong and to the shewe verye pleasurable This béeing discouered by the Gouernour the Gentlewoman sayde that that was the place wherein hyr Parents and Husbande were taken crieng
be in that estate as is due to the daughter of such parents when the Emperour had thus said Flamides forced himself so much as he might for to speake thus answered him Your reason satisfieth my vnderstanding I confesse it true that we ought not to wéepe when death assaileth vs neither ought we to make straunge of it for in the end we must leaue this world and then is there nothing more certeine but my conceit builded vpon outward sence béeing contrarie to reason troubleth againe that part where affections are and maketh it rebellious and howsoeuer men be prouided for death by continuall thought that they must dye ordinarily notwithstanding wee thinke our selues immortall till death attacheth vs. And what olde man onely for age is so feeble that he hopeth not for a daie to liue But as to Lindaraza my sister I beléeue that although you had staied here many dayes the secret of this aduenture hadde neuer bene disclosed vnto you neither doe you knowe the cause why you were brought and put heere But I will tell you plainely My sister Lyndaraza and I had both one Father named Palisteo being the second sonne to the king of Phrigia my Father not beeing borne to the kingdome fell rather to seeke his owne delight without enuie then to trouble himselfe with the care of gouerning Aboue all he studied the Arte Magicke where by his paines at length came to the most absolute perfection of all in Asia he was matched with a Ladie of high parentage by whom he had two children my sister Lindaraza and mee we were of young yeares when our mother died in labour of the thirde child so there remained none else but our Father aliue and louing to be solitarie came and dwelled in this Ilande bringing with him my sister and those waiting women which you haue séene by his great skill he buylded this Castle héere he lyued vntill my sister and I were of some discretion to guide our selues Héere he drew manie histories of things passed in the worlde and among other the pictures of many valiant Knights which were then on lyue with the rest you were so liuely drawen that it happening my sister to enter one daye where the Imagerye was by the sight of your picture she was surprised with your loue Our father Palisteo knowing hir disease deuised you should be brought by following your owne wife carried from you For this cause was this inchauntment made in that quarter of the Castle wherein you abode without making your selfe priuie to your owne estate that if your Knights came to séeke you they might not perswade you hence neither could euer perswasion haue serued only force which this man hath vsed When the wise man our father had done all this he declared vnto vs the secretes of these things and farther told vs by his Art that the timâ—â—hould come when you shuld be deliuered from the inchauntment although he knew not when nor in what manner He told vs that at such time as you should be at large my sister Lindaraza should die either for the griefe that she shoulde conceiue or for that the fates had so appoynted Moreouer that you should haue a daughter by hir which might not hence depart till there should come a Knight which shoulde winne the entries once againe and after marrie hir Of this Knight he said that ther shuld spring the race whence issueth the two noble families much spoken off throughout the world the one house to be called Mongrana the other Claramonte Me he charged not to leaue the Castle till my néece Lindaraza should be acquitted After this our father Palisteo béeing sore sicke died since his death hetherto euerie thing hath fallen out accordinglye And thus you haue heard the whole processe of my tale and the cause why your daughter Lindaraza cannot goe from hence at this time The Emperour and the knight of the Sunne had verie attentiuely lystened to all that which Flamides had spoken and albeit the Emperour was desirous to carrie his daughter Lyndaraza with him he could not yet refuse to leaue her when he coulde not otherwise choose and hée besought Flamides that at such time as they came both out that they should take the waie to Greece there to reioyce with him After they had thus argued a little Flamides brought them through the parte of the Castle which was not inchaunted shewing them many thinges as well of halls of cloysters as of pictures and painterie whereat the Emperour and the Knight of the Sunne were greatly amased And for that that daye the knight of the Sunne had not eaten Flamides made them sit in a faire parlour where they had plentie of delicate viandes when they had eaten the Emperour béeing desirous to depart desired Flamides to conueye him through the gates So by the â—â—aie this péece of the storie as I haue hearde was afterwarde penned and portrayed in the Court hall of the Emperours Pallaice at Constantinople But they went through all the gates of the Castle and of the bridge till they came where the pillours stoode There Flamides tooke his leaue of the Emperour and of the Knight of the Sunne When Flamides had departed from them and they had passed through the bridges presently the gates of the Towers clapt together with greate noise béeing as surely shut as euer they were The Emperour and the Knight of the Sunne were amased at the straunge thinges which had happened in that Castle and tooke the way towardes the Sea by the same path in which they had come reioysing at the swéete harmonie which the Birdes made in those pleasaunt trées so that although they went a foote yet it séemed no paine vnto them And the loue that they bare to each other was so great that it coulde not haue had bene more if they had knowen each other especially the Emperour whom so often as he sawe his face thought vppon the Princesse Briana whome hée much resembled In this manner the father and the sonne trauailed running ouer in their discourse straunge thinges of the inchaunted Castle till that they approched the maine sea whereas yet the little boat stoode in which the knight of the Sunne had come thether Now for that along the shoare there were no more boats the Emperour was somewhat sorrowfull séeming to him that he was ill furnished to goe whether he purposed and telling it to the knight of the Sunne The knight of the Sunne aunswered My Lord I pray you be not agréeued with this for the boate is guided by a wise man a friend of mine one as I beléeue so carefull to carry me hence as he hath friendly sent me to worke your deliuerance Besides this boat will holde vs both and if it bée so you will vouchsafe my ship you shall neuer saile more safe neither better prouided for victualls The Emperour was greatly amazed at it that all thinges were so plentifull with the knight of the Sunne But both verie merrie
stayed a while till the Knight 〈…〉 â—â—â—des on hir then he sayde Sir Knight elâ—â—â—â—◠〈◊〉 this gentlewoman alone or tell vs why thou wilt carrie hir against hir will The Knight which was both 〈…〉 pâ—euish aunswered him I will carrie hir away maugre your téeth and I haue no charge to make you other aunswere but as to the cause wit you well it is formy selfe and for no other whereof you shall be no let I warrant you But you carrie hir not away sayde the Emperour for sooner shall you dye then touch hir honour The Knight thus ouer-awed in words thought to make amendes in déedes and sodainly he hit the Emperour vnder the ribbes The Emperour to yéelde it him againe strake at his head which he receiued in his shielde not daring to abide another he fledde through the Forrest as fast as he might neither the Emperour nor the Knight of the Sunne would follow him but demaunded of the Gentlewoman why that Knight pursued hir Alas my Lordes sayde she my fellowe and I came riding through the Forrest where we were met with foure Knightes which would haue carried vs away by force my selfe fledde this waye my campanion another and but if you doo helpe hir these wicked Knights will doo hir villanie The Emperour â—auing alone begun the battaile desired the Knight of the Sunne to abide there The while he tooke the Gentlewomans palfray to succour the other Ladie The Knight of the Sunne woulde rather haue taken that trauayle vppon him then to expect the report but not to importunate the Emperour he promised to staye his comming or to followe him The Emperour tooke vp the gentlewoman behinde him to conduct him on the way and being brought by hir to the midst of the forrest about a flight shot they heard the scriching of some Gentlewoman and following the sound they finde foure knights laieng hands vpon a Gentlewoman whereat she cryed out The Emperor presently as he saw it dismounted from his horse and cried to the knights saieng Knights let this gentlewoman alone for it is great villany to force a woman One of them hearing the Emperour cried againe Who made you a Iustice or doo you looke for an Atturneyes fée and they all thrée layde at the Emperour but it had bene better for them not to haue bene so hastie for ere long they receiued iust reward for their insolencie For the Emperour cleaued one of them to the scull and another from the shoulders downward the other as he made hast to escape was taken shorter by the legges For the Emperour albeit very inclinable to any reasonable pitie yet was he in this poynt very rigorous not to spare the dishonourers of virginitie his saying was That it quenched the naturall loue betwéene father and mother sister and brother betwéene kiffe and kinne that the bastard borne seldome came to good purpose that it was partlye the sinne of Sodomy c. And for his owne fault it was in déed méere ignoraunce or rather constraint and thereby the more pardonable or perhappes the detesting of it himselfe made him more seuerely exact the kéeping of chastitie in others But forward with our matter The Emperour beholding this Gentlewoman whome he had succoured knewe hir presentlye to be Clandestria a Gentlewoman belonging to the Princesse Briana wherewith he was the gladdeit man in the worlde as hoping to heare some good nowes at hir handes Yet to couer himselfe he made the Gentlewomen sit downe himselfe sitting by them and to tell him whether they went and wherefore they were in those partes The Gentlewomen glad and faine that they might without daunger tell of what Countrey they were and what theyr arraunt was thetherwarde aunswered Sir Knight we are belonging to the Princesse Briana Daughter to the King of this lande the cause of our comming is that long time agone our Ladie lost hir Husband the prince Edward prince of Britaine I hath neuer since heard of him For his sake shée hath remayned a widow in the Monestarie of the riuer demeaning a verye sorrie lyfe as pent vp in a religious Cloyster Hir beléefe was alwayes that he was dead till within these fiftéene dayes she dreamed that she sawe him aliue and that hée came by Sea to this land verie merrie of the same age which hée was off when he first lefte her which dreame she hath dreamed thrée nightes together the last night of the thrée there appeared to her an auncient man much rebuking her for her distrust whereat the Princesse though hardlye perswaded yet béeing so admonished the better hath credited that nights vision and hath sent vs to a religious house dedicated to our Ladie the blessed virginne with rich offerings and many good deuotions for his safe returne Whence after we were retourning by this Forrest these Knightes beset vs and had rauished vs but that wée cryed so lowde that you hearde vs and you haue thankes bée to God well eased vs of them and for your so greate curtesie if it so please you to ride with vs I doubt not but our mistresse will well consider you The Emperour much reioycing at the great constancie of his wife Briana and desiring to discouer himselfe asked the Gentlewomen if anie of them had séene the Prince Edward or no. Whereto Clandestria aunswered Yea sir Knight verie well and I woulde that God woulde once shew him me I should knowe him by his louely face excelling all other knightes which I haue euer séene I will sée that presently sayde the Emperour and so sayeng hée put off his helmet and how now saith hée whome take you me for O say they both your selfe are Prince Edward knéeling downe before him would haue kissed his handes and they earnestly intreated him to goe with them to the monasterie of the riuer The Emperour consented gladly For I haue saith he as great desire to sée her but héere not far hence there is a knight which stayeth for me him must we séeke and carrie in our companie for hée is the man next vnto God to whome I am most beholding for by him haue I béene deliuered from prison and from inchauntment The whole storie I will tell you by the waie So the Emperour made the Gentlewomen to mount vppon their palfrayes and himselfe tooke one of the horses perteining to the dead Knight for himselfe and another for the knight of the Sunne by the waie hée discoursed as he promised of his owne estate with Lindaraza till that they met with the Knight of the Sunne with whom the Emperour communicated of his good aduenture to light vppon Brianas maides and what newes he had heard of them Whereat the Knight of the Sunne became as ioyous and they made a merrie iourney towardes Belgrado which helde them foure dayes trauaile from that place ¶ The Emperour and the Knight of the Sunne riding towards the monestarie of the riuer are by an aduenture separated Cap. 50. THE Emperour by the waie declared to
there to aunswere for the Dutchesse if she be so content The gentle women willingly accepted of the knight and not staying longer but to thanke him they pulled downe their tent and to horse backe they go By the way he had much talke with Elisea for so was the Dutchesse sister named he comforting her and she requesting him to make spéede for we lacke not many daies of our appointed time when if wée faile we shall loose a good cause for lacke of pittie in knights aduenterous But let vs leaue this and turne we to the Emperour in the companie of Brianas Gentlewomen ¶ The Emperour Trebatio came to the monestarie of the riuer there was made knowen to his wife the Princesse Cap. 51. THE Emperour hauing good hope to méete with the Princesse whom he loued no lesse then before he had when hée hazarded his person for her sake vppon Prince Edward made great bast and he trauayled with the Gentlewomen thrée dayes and thrée nightes Nowe wée haue tolde you often that the Princesse lodging was in one quarter of the monestarie separate from the other whereto she had a posterne gate towards the wood by which Clandestria had carried Donzel del Febo and Rosicleer to nursing by this gats no man either entered or went out but by Clandestrias leaue thée was groome porter and kept the keie her selfe And for to recouer this matter which the Emperour would in no wise haue knowen it was very fit that Clandestria was there in company For when they approched the monestarie saith Clandestria my Lord if you wil not be knowne to the Gentlewomen héere belonging to our Ladie best it were that I should first enter sée what they do that I should cause the Princesse to take her most secret chamber where as I shall finde her so will I declare of your comming otherwise it may hée that your so sedeine approch might worke some alteration in her body to the daunger of her health shée béeing so sore weakened by continuall mourning but this night shall passe the morrowe you shall come vnto her The Emperour liked well of Clandestrias spéech and so he stayed in a place which she prouided for him the whilest that the Gentlewomen went to the Princesse Some will thinke that the Emperour should be much chaunged this béeing the 20. yéere of his absence but it was not so for when he first entered the Castle of Lyndaraza he was but. 35. yeares in age and no more was he when he came from the inchantment neither his age increasing nor his beautie decreasing When the Emperour left the Princesse Briana she was but 14. yeares olde and counting the time that she had liued afterward she was iust one yeare vnder him wherin her beautie best appered and the great sorrow which she before had taken did not so abate her coulour but that the ioy of his returne fetched it againe more fresh and liuely then it was before But the storie saith that the Gentlewomen found their mistresse alone praieng deuoutly vpon her knées and more merrie then she was before whether by inspiration or by immagination conceiuing hope in the dreame I tolde you off but her Gentlewomen were verie glad to be witnesses of her mirth The Princesse louingly welcommed the Gentlewomen especially Clandestria which was her sure friend demannding of them how they had spead in theyr iourney Clandestria aunswered Madame wée were once in daunger to loose both our honours and our liues after that wée had done as you commaunded vs. Ah blessed virginne sayde the Princesse and is it possible that euer you shoulde bée in so greate daunger for my cause Yea it is most certaine madame aunswered Clandestria but as after a fowle euening comes a sayre morning so after this trouble wée had some quietnesse by the means of our flight for we met with a good knight which not onely saued vs from greate shame by killing these wicked knights which would haue spoiled vs but after tolde vs such newes as you haue cause to bée the gladdest woman in the world He sayd that not many daies before hée departed from your husbande which was in good health and of the same age as he was when you first knew him for since he was with you he hath bene inchaunted being now set at libertie comming to you O my good Lorde and is it possible sayde the Princesse that thou art so fauourable vnto mée as to sende mée my husbande aliue or is this some dreame the farther to increase my dolour Tell mée Clandestria in good fayth is it true which thou saist for I canne hardly beléeue thée Yea assuredly said Clandestria for the Knight which reported it is so credible that he will not tell other then trouth Ah Clandestria sayde the Princesse thou hast bene alwayes diligent discréete and lyberall in those thinges which hath touched my seruice hetherto but in this nowe concerning my lyfe especially thou hast bene neglygent or hast wanted discreation For why didst thou not bring him before me that my selfe might haue heard it of his owne mouth would it not then haue bene pleasaunt vnto mée to haue séene that knight which so lately sawe my louing husband and to haue knowen of him in what manner hée met with him and for what cause he commeth not so soone as the other Madame bée not agréeued with this sayde Clandestria for the knight which tolde it me is not so farre hence but that within a quarter of an houre you may sée him if you haue desire thereto Desire sayde the Princesse I desire nothing so much in the worlde therefore goe and fetch him before mée that I may knowe whether that be true which my heart thinketh so incredible I will goe my wayes sayde Clandestria and so she went out of the Princesse lodging and strayght to the Emperour to whome she tolde all that talke which she had had with hir Ladie whereat the Emperour was so gladde that vp the stayers full faine he goeth and by such priuie wayes as none but Clandestria knewe he is brought before Briana Clandestria first entering then the Emperour cloathed in rich armour and his visour pulled downe The Princesse was somewhat afrayde to sée so bigge a man all armed but the Emperour pulling off his helmet quickly shewed his louely face the which she had imprinted in hir remembraunce and with hastie paces he made towards the princesse whome he kissed on the mouth so sweetely that their tongues this while were slent not to interrupt the ioye of theyr first méeting Anone after the Princesse which indeede hadde the chiefest wrong spake to the Emperour thus My Lord and onely life what cruell Fortune hath detained you from this land and bannished you so long from my presence In what straunge and hidden countries haue you bene that we could neuer beare word of you Madanie aunswered the Emperour you may call that Fortune cruell for it hath offered you a great wrong by forcing
Aridon of the blacke woode In the iustifieng of which words spoken by the Gentlewoman and the improuing of Aridons false and shamelesse slaunder I am hether come to proue that he belieth the Dutchesse vpon his bodie The king now and all which were present beheld the Knight of the Sunne verie earnestly and were abashed to sée him being so young speake so couragiouslie Aridon verie angrie rose vp and to the knight of the Sunne spake on this wise Sir Knight it appeares thou art both young and a straunger in this Countrie for if thou wert of yeares or knewest Arydon which nowe talketh with thée thou wouldest not bée so hardie as to defie him in presence and were it not for the King my Lorde I woulde in some wise tell thée of thy rudenesse but there néedeth no such hast I hope I shall haue time inough sith thou canst not betract the battayle whereto thy selfe hast first made offer but let vs goe to it presently and ende it in this place Aridons high disdaine sore displeased the Knight of the Sunne as appeared by his looke but hée refrayned for honour to the King and for the rest hée desired the king to authorise the lists The king aunswered him gentlye that daye it might not bee both for that it was néedfull the Dutchesse of Pannonia should appeare openly to put her quarrell into his handes and for that also Iudges must be ordained of the field and the lists erected which could not be prouided in so short warning The knight of the Sunne yéelded to the kings pleasure and after that he had witnessed his forwardnesse to defende the Dutchesse he tooke his leaue of the king and to his host he goeth The king as soone as he was gone by occasion of this young knight calling to minde his sonne Liriamandro whom he had not heard of in long time wept bitterly and sayd aloude that diuerse heard it If my sonne Liriamandro be like to this lustie knight and haue a care to be notable no doubt he will excell all his auncestours Whereat those which were there by declared to the king what themselues had séene of this knight and howe stronglye he had ouerthrowen Florinaldes which report did in a manner discomfit Aridon that he would haue wished his stake out at that dealing with all his heart but indéede a very desperate contempt both of God and the world brought him to his end ¶ The battaile betweene the knight of the Sunne and the strong Aridon Cap. 54. THe next daie the king rose earlier then hée was wont to doe because of the battaile which was to be made betwéene Aridon and the Knight straunger And Aridon likewise made more hast nor the knight of the Sunne falled for his parte When all were in the fielde the king caused the Dutchesse to be brought which came thether in a mourning wéede and with so sorrowfull a countenaunce that no heart so stonie but woulde haue pittyed her for shée had béene verie faire alwayes accounted as wise and honest the king demaunded of her whether shée would referre the tryall of her cause to the successe of her knight whether good or bad whereto she aunswered yea and that she had no other helpe but in God and the innocencie of her cause So was shée lead to a scaffolde prouided for her other Gentlewomen The Iudges next were called for which were named by the king the Duke of Austrich and the Duke of Saxonie two auncient Knights and then restaunt in that Court The Iudges thus placed Aridon and the knight of the Sunne tooke their Speares in their handes forcing themselues against each other Now sounded a Trumpet and a Heralde cried Goe too knights and God defend the right With this they ranne together with all the force they coulde their encountrie was such that Aridon burst his Speare and diseased not his enimie but the knight of the Sunne both hurst his speare and vnhorsed Aridon and with the fall hée gaue him almost burst his backe while he pained himselfe to kéepe the Saddl Aridon thus brused lifte vp his eies to heauen and in despaire of conscience murmured to himselfe some lyke thing Thou O God as I beléeue hast sent this younge man from heauen to reuenge my misreporte otherwise who is hee in this worlde which might haue sate so quiet in his Saddle after so violent a push as I haue giuen him or who might haue annoyed Aridon so and with a desperate rage he drew out his sword to haue sheathed it in the knights horse belly but the knight descended and with his sworde before him went toward Aridon that betwéene them the battaile beginneth The king and the Princesse ther present were verie glad to sée so good a beginning of the Dutchesse deliueraunce And Aridon failed not to doe his best that the knight of the Sunne coulde not but take him for a strong knight the battel endured a great while no man being able to iudge who had the better till that the knight of the Sunnes courage grew as his honour increased for hée was not angered at the first The ende of this battaile for it was not long neither verie equall was in this manner Aridon hit the Knight of the Sunne on the head-peece that he bowed his knees to the grounde Then the knight of the Sunne gaue him another that hée staggered with it the second time Aridon hit the Knight of the Sunne a blowe vppon the head peece where at the last time the knight of the Sunne stretching himselfe and following his blowe with all his might hit Aridon so sure that Aridon fell vppon the ground moouing neither hande nor foote The Knight of the Sunne thinking it to bée but an amaze stoode still while Arydon might recouer againe The whilest all the beholders much praised the Knight of the Sunne for the best Knight liuing as well commending his courage as his actiuitie The Dutchesse Elisandra likewise hauing now some hope by her knight gate her coulour againe and her ioye was as much as her husbands sorrowe But you haue not yet hearde the worst of the wicked Duke for Aridon reuiued whome when the knight of the Sunne sawe raising himselfe vp he came hastely and holding the point of the swoorde against Arydons throate hée spake saieng Thou shalt dye false Arydon vnlesse thou confesse the treason that thou hast deuised against the Dutchesse and if thou doest dye in this obstinate minde of concealing so greate outrage thou hazardest thy soules health Aridon as it were halfe awake and yet not so loth to die as stroken with terrour of his owne conscience aunswered Thy wordes haue abashed me more then the death which thou threatenest the fault which I haue committed hath bread a greater horrour in my flesh but make the Iudges come néere and I wil declare the whole The Knight of the Sunne called the Iudges they comming néere heard these wordes of his owne mouth the substaunce of the Dukes shifting to
wring his wiues inheritaunce to himselfe in such manner as you haue heard in Eliseas reporte The Iudges straight wayes declared it to the king who detesting their fact caused the Duke to be apprehended and both to be executed in that place For albeit many of his nobles intreated for their pardon yet the king so abhorred the villanie that naught auailed and at this time was the lawe first enacted in Hungarie that the lawe of punishment for whoordome shoulde stretch as wel to the man as to the woman and that equal penaltie shoulde bee assigned to lyke offendours whereas before the men escaped the women only were in daunger Now after this execution the Dutchesse Elisandra was set at large and the Quéene Augusta receiued her with great honour into her companie The Knight of the Sun was verie desirous to leaue the Citie but the king desired much to knowe him and to haue him abide for some time in his Court. In the time of his abode the Knight of the Sunne grew in more familiar acquaintaunce with the king and was much lyked of him because he séemed to resemble the Princesse Briana but one daie the king importuning the young Knight to knowe his kindred vsed such lyke wordes Sir Knight we thanke you heartely for the paines that you haue taken in the Dutchesse of Pannonias behalfe and for the maintaining of her honour wherby if she haue receiued commoditie of liuing and auoiding shame so haue I receiued some quietnesse in my Realme by the open detecting of such malefactours and their punishment will be occasion of feare in others for this cause I haue willed you to staie héere as thereto I praye you heartely but I praie you let me know your name and where you were borne for I knowe not how to call you The Knight of the Sunne well nurtured in the Souldans Court after his humble thankes for his Maiesties most gratious proffer and the promise of acceptaunce béeing a thing in déede verie conuenient for the certifieng of the Emperour began as followeth For your maiesties fauour I shall most willingly do your highnesse seruice and for the Dutchesse I am gladde that the equitie of her cause furthered my attempt and for my name and Countrie I can better tell you the storie of my life since I came to yeares then declare that Yet am I called the Knight of the Sunne by my deuice and my education hath bene in the Souldans Court at Babylon thether I being brought by the kings sonne in lawe the king of Persia when I was but a child and as it hath bene tolde me found in a little boate vpon the Sea for my life hetherto it hath bene in armes and that doe I meane to pursue The king and those which were with him were greatly amazed that hée had come from so farre a Countrie and had bene found vppon the Sea and that he knew no more of his estate but they thought that he was of some noble birth The king thanked him and in this order the Knight of the Sunne stayed with the king Tiberio for certeine dayes where he gained many friends one onely enimie by name Florinaldes which could not forget the shame receiued before his mistresse although it had done him no scath for in the ende Albamira preferred him before the Earle Orfeo So as I saye yet Florinaldes séeing the honour of the Knight of the Sunne daily to increase to the discredit of the borne Hungarian his stomacke rose against him and one day he set vppon the Knight of the Sunne at vnawares but to his owne losse had not the knight of the Sunne bene more mercifull after they were made friends But let vs breake off this storie to dispatch the Prince of Lusitania out of England ¶ Don Siluerio demaunded the Princesse Oliuia for wife of the King Oliuerio Cap. 55. THe great sorrow which the losse of Rosicleer caused in the court of king Oliuerio hath ere this bene declared to you for all the good knightes his friendes went to séeke him leauing the Court bare and naked for noble men and aboue all the Princesse Oliuia was worst wringed albeit her griefe was not so manifest Nowe is there stayed in the Court the Prince Don Siluerio straungelye surprised with the loue of Oliuia and vsing the helpe of his sister Rodasylua to the perswading of Oliuia One day the last I take it he vnfolded his griefe vnto her telling her that vnlesse she found the meanes hée shoulde héere leaue his life in a farre Countrie The matter is mine olde sute that you wot off my desire is that at least I maye bée assured of her good will Sure I am if I moue the king in it I shall obteine it The Princesse Rodasylua mooued indéed with her brothers affliction promised the vttermost of her paines and within a while after she had some talke with the Princesse about that matter her wordes tending to like effect Madame you knowe right well the great loue which since I came to this Court I haue borne vnto you and how I haue done you seruice in all that I was able that which more is in what manner I haue absented my selfe from my parents onely to be in your companie which if you knowe and confesse to be true you must likewise beléeue that that which I shall saie nowe rather procéedeth of good zeale towardes your honour then of anie purpose to worke mine owne contentment though I cannot denie but that if I obtaine it will content me highly But I doe not besire the thing which standeth not with your honour and for my paines reward séeke I none but that I may be heard If I erre in ought wherein I shall counsaile you then may you blame mee and yet I doubt not but when you shall haue throughly examined the whole you shall rather impute the fault to lacke of skill than to anie lacke of good meaning and as I am certeine that you haue this same opinion of mée without anye farther suspect so will I tell you my minde flatly You knowe that you are the onely inheritrixe of this kingdome that your Father the king my Lorde must néeds marrie you with such a one as may equall your estate both for the naturall care which he hath ouer you in respect that you are his daughter and for the profit which shall thereby redounde to his subiectes which cannot be well gouerned the seate wanting aâ—rightfull heire you are withall at this time marriageable my suite therefore is that héerein you will haue a more regarde of the Prince Don Siluerio my brother a worthie knight of personage and valour of an high birth a kings sonne and heire besides louing you so entirely as he can nothing more long hath he endured this torment and neuer would bewraie it to anie but to me and I haue hetherto suppressed it not to molest you nowe for compassion towardes him whome I must loue and honour mine owne brother I