hearing the sentence of his death hee began to say weeping very tenderly Ah vnhappye flesh and fylthye desyres it is for thy pleasures that I must dye this daye O vnhappye wretche that I am not for that I dye but because I am the procurer of his choler cause of his dule for that I haue set such trouble in his house as shall not so well so sone be forgotten as I would wysh Alas my Lord father pardon this detestable offeÌ„ce of him that hath vsed himself otherwise toward you then the chyld ought towards y father I coÌ„fesse I am the most myserable that euer was born of a mother the most detestable that the Sunne shyneth on this daye Alas good Lorde suffer not my soule to be punished seruing for the pasture of that vyle serpent deuouring Lyon that doth nothing but go about to deceiue and invyron vs cause vs to fall into his lake O Lord haue mercy haue mercy on me suffer not the bloud of thy sonne to be shed in vayne for me Alas I must dye not for the confessing of the fayth and glorifying of thy name before men but for my owne wickednesse the multitude of my demerites that which next after the great wickednesse committed against thy dyuyne maiesty doth greeue me most is the sorrowe of him that doth and will redounde to my mischiefe dishonour But O my God I beseech thee to comfort him giue me streÌ„gth pacientlye to abyde this infamous cruell punishment that I see euen redy before my eyes The Counseller seeing the repentaunce of the Prince moued with coÌ„passyon begaÌ„ to wepe departed out of the pryson went to make report thereof to the Marques who aunswered him it is not now time to become a good christyan syth he caÌ„not escape the iust vengeance of God by the mynister of his humain iustyce and I beseech God that hee will pardon hys synnes receyue him amongst the number of his elect saying so left of not able to beare the sorrow which did greeue him for the remembraunce of the approching death of his sonne wherfore it was ordayned that they should be quickly dispatched one in the sight of the other and this was done for that the Marques would here no admonition for he heard the sentence was extended as well vppon the Countye as vpon her that had made no sute for her lyfe because she saw they had coÌ„demned the county then in the end seing she had done the faulte she appoynteth with her self to receyue death in as good part as she could which was giueÌ„ to euery of them in their tower within a mynute of an houre not without an infynite nuÌ„ber of teares shead and besprent as well by the Marques which could not dissemble hys affection as by al theÌ„ of his house that vniuersally loued the fayre couple of infortunate Louers y vertue of whom this vlot except could well haue no comparison but a lyttle Leuen as sayeth the Apostle doth easyly rayse season and sower a great peece of dow likewyse a vyce so slaunderous doeth obfuscate all the brightnesse of the former vertues and impoysoneth the good sauour of all the forpassed life These two Patients being executed whylst men were preparing of rych and accustomable Funerals they were broughte into the base Court of the Pallas to the ende all the world should see and beholde the cause of their death that yet renewed the teares and complaynts of men as well for the one as for the other bewayling the one for hys worthynesse the other for her curtesye and them both for their great bewtye and youth wherein they were for as yet the more aged of them had not attayned the age of two and twenty yeares After this the Marques caused to bee prepared a rych and sumptuous furnyture for their funerals and with such pompe as their greatnesse did requyre their bodyes were broughte to be buryed in the couent of Saynt Frances and there was erected a Tomb to be the common bed of the bodyes of them whose hartes had bene surely conioyned togythers when they were alyue so these two myserable creatures had a small ease for the induring of so great a punishment and for all the contentment and satisfaction of their desyres they had this only good that by one kynd of death they both should ende and haue their bones enioy one Sepulcure togither Here it is good to be aduysed how and wyth what counsels men ought to forsee thinges and their accurrenses before they be executed here maye you gather also what is the nature and condition of synne which once ingrafted in the harts of men spreadeth his rootes so broade that by great payne it cannot be exterped but by the disolucyon and death of the subiect whereby they are cheefe cause of their owne ruyne A good example certaynelye for the youth of this age which without aduysement of the daungers that the flesh the Prynce of this worlde doe prepare for them to their great shame vse pryuate companye wyth them that be of their kyndred wythout aduysemente that the moste sage haue once fayled in these doinges and haue perpetrated the thinges that are vnworthy to be thought and punishable only by death in them that commytte them FINIS A cruell custome of the Duke of Millayne Horâ—â—ble waâ—â—â—ease vpon dead bodyes The Hystory of whome is already set forth excellently by Mayster Fenton A monsterous and most cruell 〈◊〉 The wyckâ—d Tyrauntes alwayes in feare full of suspicion God the reuenger of al wrong and iniquitie The Oration of Mahometh ⧠IMPRINTED AT London in Fleetestreate beneath the Conduite at the Sygne of S. Iohn Euaungelist by Hugh Iackson Anno. 1577.
perchauÌ„ce lacketh not here and there his imperfections so had God lent to the Authour longer lyfe would haue bene better poolyshed as voyde of faults and escapes in the prynting as his mynd was frée froÌ„ iustly giuing occasioÌ„ of offeÌ„ce to any Which courtesye if accordingly there appeare to remayne wythin thee then doubtlesse is his paynes fully rewarded and my expectation suffycyentlye satysfyed Farewell ¶ CERTAINE STRANGE and Lamentable Tragicall Historyes ¶ A iust Fact but to cruell of Iohn Maria Duke of Myllayne towarde a Priest extreme couetous IOhn Maria Vicont sonne of Iohn Galeas vnto whome the Emperour Ladisilaus gaue the tytle and name of Duke of Myllayne was he that succeeding in the estate and dignity of Duke made himselfe knowne and renowned before all the Princes of his tyme not in shewing himselfe more vertuous then they or in surpassing the good Fortune of that good Galeas his Father who I thinke neuer committed any other notable euill then that he lefte behynde him a plague so great and daungerous as his sonne the successyon of whome was no more fortunate for the Milinois then was once the Romayne Monarch of Marcus Aurelius leauing for the inheritour of the Empyre that Butcher â–ª and Sworde player Commodus a lyuelye example of creweltye and mischiefe and truelye hys Countrey myghte well haue coniectured their Misfortune in that Iohn Maria was called to the Dignitye of the Dukedome after that all Italye had seene the Orygynall of the Ciuill warres so often wrytten of by the Hystoryans whiche so muche weakened the strength of Italye and abased the glorye of those thinges whiche remayned to them as Reliques escaped from the handes of so manye Barbaryans and Straungers that hadde foyled with their feâ—te the honour of that Godlye Prouynce for it was after that the Guelfes and Gibilines had throughlye deuyded themselues leauyng no corner of Italye that was notte Dyed wyth the bloud of the poore Cittizens and was it not pittyfull to see the Nobillitye chased and wandring abroade there beyng no creature that felte not thys Tempeste and whyche perceyued not the vehemencye of a deuysyon so furyoâ—s so that all Natyons of Europe had their accesse to make their Rodes into Italye and there to pyll the Cittyes and Fertyle Fyeldes called into the country eyther by the one or the other of the Factions But this Duke was renowned for the moste cruell and inhumayne Tyraunte that euer was nouryshed in Christendome and I beleeue that Bucyrus Phalaris or that Thracian King which fostred his Horses with the bodyes of the dead did neuer surpasse him in crueltye and although his Predicessoures had bene Princes very mercifull and gentle and that by their modestye they had attayned to the place of suche Prehemynence yet this is he which forgetting the house wherof he came did degenerate from the bloud of his Ancestours being despightfull for that Fortune had bene otherwyse to him then she had bene towardes that excellent Iohn Galeas his Father and to Valentyne that was Wyfe to the Duke of Orleans shee whych was slayne at Paris by the Duke of Burgoyne his men doeth so accarnate hymselfe that hee caused to be deuoured in his presence by Mastyfes broughte vp to that ende those whyche for the leaste occasyon that hee fantasyed in his mynde dydde displease hym hauyng for the Mynyster of hys crueltye and in steade of Prouest Marshall a Gentleman named Squarce Gyrame as courteous as hys Lorde and who in the ende was also payde wyth the same paymente as was hys Mayster being both togyther as cruelly slayne as vnpittifull they had fleshed themselues vppon the myserable people of Millayne during the tyme then that this incorporate Deuill reioyseth himselfe and sheweth these tragicall and detestable actes of hys cruell lyfe this thing chaunced which I am now about to descrybe vnto you to the ende you may beholde the two great and extreame vyces the one of Auaryce in a Priest and the other of the crueltie of the Duke Iohn Maria ryding one day thorough his Cittye as commonly he did not onely for to beholde the faultes of his subiectes but more to search out if any one durst complayn of the detestable maners of his lyfe and the very hauty and tyrannical doings of his raygn to the end he might seeme to haue some reason to tormeÌ„t him that shoulde complayne without cause of his Lord that as yet had giuen him no occasyon Thus as he made these Iorneys he hard a farre of a great crye and the voyce of a woman complayning who clapping her hands did eleuate her voyce verye high thinking that GOD was deafe and that he will not heare our necessityes without such a sturre to whome he sent one of his seruaunts to know the cause of a crye so fearefull who found it at thedore of a pore woman whose husband was lately deceased that thus complayned as well for the losse of her companyon as also for that shee had not wherewith to bring him to the earth Alas sayth the woman half desperate whether may the pore haue their recourse syth the very Church hath denyde their duetyes to them vnto whome they be bounde to whome may I adresse my selfe not hauing wherewith to satisfye or glent the desyre of my vnsatiable Curat that is neyther content with the gayns which he hath suffring this body without life to remayne without Sepulture onely for the herytage of all the goods whiche he hath lefte me in this world for my comforte for if I wyll haue him interred of necessitye I must sell all my moueables and afterwards not knowing how to relieue my Infantes Ah false Pastor I beseech God to punish with some great persecution both thee and them which are of lyke condicions saying so with cryes teares sobs and sighes she pardoneth not her own cheekes and face but scratcheth the one she bepaynteth the others stryking herselfe vpon the stomack and shewing dyuers other sygnes of a woman distraught the Dukes man seeing her to shew such fashyons addrest him towardes her saying My friende what wrong is this that is done to you and wherefore shew you so great dule tell me because I may make the reporte to my Lord who hath sent me hyther to know the matter and assure your self if any one hath offended you he will extend such Iustice that you shall be contente and satisfyed and the authoures shall haue whereof to take example and withholden to doe iniurye to the poore in suche a Towne as thys where the Lorde wyll that Iustyce be done to euery one without respecte of estate The woman who knewe by his Lyuerye that hee was one of the Dukes Seruauntes whose presence although it were not verye agreeable vnto her in thynking that hee came there but onelye to seeke some praye yet not fearing anye worse aduenture then her owne nor anye Fortune more frowarde then the estate wherein shee was and also for that death to her woulde haue bene great solace ioying
is vyce let him take heede it fall not out other wyse that if any bee forgetfull of his honesty and voyd of good maners we by his example launche not forth and let slip the brydles of our harts after vice as after some rare and precious thing and alwayes thys is so well practysed at thys day that men esteeme Vyce but by the syghte of them that doe it by example Doeth or maye thys come before the place of Equitye and righte and meryte no reprehensyon of this you may well assure your selfe by the foule deliberation of this wilfull Pryuces whyche doeth suffer her selfe to bee so blynded by her noughtye and vuruelye appetytes that doe peruerte the common order and righte of nature which the laws hath constitute amongst men for the reuâ—rence of blood persons and ciuill honesty becommeth extreame amorous of him whose wanton toyes oughte more to feare her then the memorye of Death himselfe I haue declared beefore that the Marques had one onely Sonne by his fyrst wyfe a goodly Gentleman in perfection and which during these furies of his faire mother was attayned to the age of eyghtene or twenty yeares it was he of whom the second Phedrya became amorous but this was not hee that deserues to be put in the vertuous Role of Hypolytus the sonne of the AmasoÌ„ in resisting the amorous folly and incest of the Marchyones happy was that Greeke heyre for he dyed by the iniust displeasure of his father whyche was no shame to him at all hauing lest in that whiche the other did that hath giuen sure testymony of his loue to vertue and modesty but the other hath made his vyce and naughty wil knowne to his owne Father as you maye easily perceyue in the readyng of thys Hystorye nowe this yong Prynce seeing himselfe intertayned very familyarly by his mother in law that tooke no pleasure but in the contemplation of the bewty and good grace of the county did neuer thinke that suche disloyaltye coulde lodge in the harte of his fathers wyfe therefore he deuiseth to requyte it her but with such reuerence as the Chylde oweth to the mother whych she taketh not for any denyall hauyng a desyre of a more strayghte familliaritie with him whych the more she desyreth the more she is inflamed in her former flames of loue and doing her dilligence so well by her owne selfe because that the yong man for that he as yet had not practysed loue knewe not howe to take heede to her countenances sygnes wanton lookes syghes and vuperfyte words that to one more subâ—il might easily haue discouered her passyon shee forgetting and despysing both her honour and lyfe if the Countye had made the reporte thereof to his father doeth deliberate to discouer vnto him her affections for saying to her selfe howe shall I cure my aleadged euill if I keepe it secrete from him of whome I intende my safetye is this the way to deuyse the occasyon of famillyer curtesyes that I doe vnto hym truely his tender youth doth denye him to see so well and to know the most difficult humour which were ynough for a man that perceyueth the deuyses of the mynde well if hee were so subtle and expert as to perceyue it yet his shamfastnesse intermingled wyth feare woulde let him to attempte that whych I desyre so much and as it may be he will not refuse mee therefore I will be the fyrst that shall expell this feare and bashefulnesse that so impeach my ioye syth it is I that haue felte the amorous flames and suffred the prickes of the sharpe Arrowes of Cupido I hope that although the enterpryse be great and daungerous hee will not refuse me and that if my great bewty cannot mooue him if my ardent and fine imbracements cannot kyndle the fyre in hys harte nor my loue in hys Breaste yet I knowe well by what Chase and Nettes â–ª I muste take hym then chaunce what maye if I dye for it I wyll cause hym to vnderstande by myne owne mouth syth imbassage is perillous in a matter of such consequence as this is that which I suffer for hym also I wyll desyre hym to remedye my passyon otherwyse I haue already excogitate the meanes to prouyde for my vnhappy and desperate lyfe hauing found out this plot in her mynde the iucestious and vyle woman searching wyth herselfe by what meanes to execute it â–ª Fortune was so fauorable that the fame tyme Phyllip Vycont Duke of Myllayne sente to fetch the Marques Nicholas for certayne affayres of great importaunce for dispatch whereof he must remayne certayne dayes at Myllayne wherefore the Marques of Ferrarin hauing addrest his Trayne taketh his iorney towardes the Duke of whom he was the Allye and greatly beloued which was no displesure to the Marchiones his wyfe for it came very fyt that her husband being absent she might practise with the vnwary county for the accomplishment of her concupiscence for to procure hiâ— in tyme to come to paye the arrerages of the absente Marques by her deuyse that were payable for that certayne dayes after the departure of the Marques the fayre Foole beeing after dinner in her chamber fantasying the meanes to performe the plot of her desyres taketh a Lute in hand y she causeth to sound so sweetely and with such cunning that the Damsel her Secretarye was as one hauing her eares depending of the stringes of the instrument during which the Marchyones made her voyce agre with the sound singing this that insueth O Cupid thou which doest in hauty Skyes Amongst the great and deuyne Gods soiourne And eke that presente arte with terren wightes To cause their hartes with louers lawes to bourne To thee O God whose Bowe and golden Shafte Doth wound both Gods and men alyke And causest euery one â—o yeelde themselues to thee And subiects to become for all Dyanas spyâ—e To thâ—eâ—l make and sweare my fyxed vowe If I by helpe of thee my wyshed ioyes attayne Then must I only prayse thy mighty Bowe And subiect wyll to thee for euermore remayne THe Song ended shee begynneth to search her thoughtes more deepelye then before and sheweth well by her countenaunce that thyâ— was no other thing then the common passyon that she imagined that so troubled her thoughts and exteâ— your countenaunce in the ende vanquished with the extreame desyre of her pleasure shee commaundeth the Damsell whome she so greatly trusted to goe cause the County Hugenes alone to come vnto her for a matter of great importaunce whych shoulde very well content him to whom the Damsell obeyes not withoute great suspition of that which came to passe for it was shee alone that perceyued the wanton lookes and sighes sent forth by her Mistresse when she was amased to beholde the Countye before whome when the Damsell was come she sayeth vnto hym Syr my Ladye desyres you to come talke a little wyth her for a thing that appertayneth to you whome you shall fynde in
things went with the guyde eueÌ„ to the place where he saw the act playde that afterward was the death of the chiefe persoÌ„s in the Tragedy then sayth the spye vnto the Marques I beseeche you my Lord to contemplate a little through this creuise what lyfe they leade in your absence that sith you are present the disloyalty of theÌ„ that be most 〈◊〉 vnto you is so euidently shown The good Marques had no sooner looked through the 〈◊〉 then he spyed his sonne interlased â—â—foldeÌ„ about the neck of the Marchiones and the wantontoyes of the Ladye towardes the County the Father of whome was so constant that hee attended to what ende these imbrasementes and toyes wouldâ— come but when hee sawe the Game woulde redounde to his disaduantage and to the perpetual infamye of hys hoase with great payne he obserued himselfe from being ouercome wyth rage and that he had not broke open the dore of the Chamber vpon the Campe where were these couple of infortunate Louers to haue caused them to dye vpon the very fact alwayes the passyon of his mynde was so penetrable that he coulde not by a good space remooue from thence but remayned there wholy troubled and confused in teares running downe along hys bearde that now beginneth to waxe white in the end euaporating the order of hys harte he began to say Alas vnhappy olde man that I nowe shall be that notwythstanding the flower of thyne Age arte dishonoured by thyne owne bloud and the substaunce of thyne entrayles what is it the onely sonne amongest them that bee lawfull which hath vnlawfullye abused thy Spouse shal I be both the witnesse Party and Iudge in this cause and in executing of this iudgement that I must needes do both by law and iust displeasure I shall put to death two persons that I loue beste in this worlde No no the amitie of Maryage shaâ— ende here towards her that hath put oute the lighte of my honour and hath blotted the reputation common to vs both and the charitye of the father towardes the sonne shall lose his force in me syth the chylde in vsurping the Bed of the Father hath geuen coniecture of his will to take awaye the lyfe of hym of whome he had his owne and of whome hee hath stayned the honour What if once a Romaine Captayne hath punished as it might be to seuerelye hys sonne in that hee had surpassed his commandemente touching a certayne expedition in deedes of Armes whereof although hee had gloryously attayned the wyshed end of his desyres then what shall I doe beholding my self so vyly betrayed and so euill dishonoured by him whyche oughte to bee the reuenger of the cryme whereof my eyes haue seene the execution I beseech God that pytty may not moue my harte to pardon him of this fault or to dissemble this great and extreme hartebreache that lyuing causeth my death and so reuengyng a pryuate iniurye I shall punish the most abhomynable synne that a man can thinke Then for the quyetnesse of my mynde and example of Iustyce to the posteritye my sonne shall dye wyth the vnshamefast loue whiche was cause of all thys and by whych meanes I shall depart from my only lawfull begotten sonne and from my honour whych is more dere then chyldren riches or lyfe The sorrowfull and inraged father with this deliberation seekyng to execute his deuyse his sonne departed into the base Court of the Castle wythout thinking of the perrill or ruyne that hys mysfortune dyd prepare for him and their bandes the Ball with the GentlemeÌ„ of his age where was greater companye of people to see the playe then were there of long tyme before for I think that some coniecture of the future Spectacle had broughte thyther thys route to the ende that wyth more shame the County and hys incestyous Louer shoulde be imprysoned Also these be the Menaces wherewyth God threatneth the wycked that their pryuye sinnes committed in the obscurity of the night shall be one day punished openly and to the sighte of all the people duryng this then that the vnfortunate Prynce more braue and ioyfull then accustomed did contynue hys playe behold there comes the keeper of the Castle wyth a good troupe of Archers wel appoynted he in the presence and hearing of euery one addressing him to the Countye sayeth vnto him O Prince it is nowe full tyme that you make ready your selfe to come before other then these be where you must aunswere to the coniurations Fellonyes conspiracies facts agaynst the person of my Lord the Marques your Father by whose commandement sayth he putting his hand to his coller I make and coÌ„stitute you his Prisoner I am sorry for your misfortune more sorrowful that it should bee I that must keepe you in pryson always trust in your great simplicitie likewyse if it please you excuse that whych I doe being constrayned by him which hath power both ouer mee and you O extreme force and rygor of the conscience which moueste so lyuely the hartes of them that feele themselues guilty of any fault that the blast of euery wynd that blowes by the wagging of euery lefe that they see moue they thinke they behold before their eyes a torment and a contynuall punishment that wyll neuer suffer them to take any rest whereof comes the great griefe and the smal assurance that they haue of themselues whych are so troubled by the very interyour iudgemente of their owne spirite that they gyue sure wytnes of that thing whych as it might haue chaunced otherwyse had bene in doubte so the pore Countye seeing himselfe sommoned to go espouse and defyle another bed then that wherin heretofore he had receiued so much contentment fayled not then to thynke of the accrosyng of hys euils and the small hope that hee might or could haue to be delyuered therefore halfe attached wyth dispayre hee sayeth vnto the Prouest Go forward Captain whether it shall seeme good vnto you for of long tyme I haue attended no other intreaty of him then that whyche I now see prepared for me No no my Lord sayth the Prouest haue a good harte God is able to ayde you puissaunt to make euery one to know y right of your cause also my Lorde the Marques wyll doe nothing agaynst you without the couÌ„sel of y most wise and learned men of his house whych oughte to cause you to hope of some better hap then you thinke of then he conducteth the Prince into the great Tower of the Castle which standeth iust agaynst the Porte Delyon And duryng this tyme there were some gone in lyke sorte and by lyke commandment to seeke the Marchyones as they had done the Countye who then was amongest her Gentlewomen playing this song as the Prognostication of her misfortune and the Prophecy of the common Buryall that vnyted after their death the executed body both of her and the Countye THe man by councell of the Gods In this
low earth that 's placed Hath not so many ioyfull dayes But one mishap hath them defaced And vnto whome hath not Fortune assigned For euery ioy a hundereth greefes to taste Why should I then my selfe so sore annoy And shead so many teares day and night in waste The Pleasure which my nourishment doth giue And cake my weary troubled mynde doth case That only ioy which should my lyfe sustayne Is fled away to shorten now my dayes Alas O God alas what meaneth this chaunce That of myne ende so sure a sygne to be As cake a token playne of greefe for to ensue Of much vnrest and great mischaunce to me What must I see of him the cruell death By whome my perfectnesse doth come O God O God that all things doest behold Thy holy will for euermore be done And cause thou me vnperfect wight To see thy gloryous throne in highest Skye Syth euery one alyke by death shall ende And hyest State on earth that lyues must dye AS soone as the poore Lady atchieued the end the Marshall of the Houshold vsing the same ambassage to her as before to the Prince carried her Prisoner vnto another tower a good space from that wherin the Prince was inclosed The Marques during this styrre beholding all the worlde astonyed to see a thyng of so much maruayle and a Spectacle so cruell as the imprysonment of hys sonne that shoulde one daye suceeede him and of hys wife whom he had so derely loued because men should not accounte hys facte vnlawfull or cruell Tyranny he procured sylence to be commaunded and before a great company of his Barrons and houshold Gentlemen with a graue Maiesty that exteryously gaue euident token of his interyour greefe After he had spent an infynite number of teares accompanyed with sorrowfull sighes he began to say What one amoÌ„gst you all my good and louing friends can well brooke that whyche is lately done by mee both vppon my Sonne and vpon the Marchyoues for that you know not the true occasyon and by that meanes you esteeme mee an vnkynde husbande and a Father seuere and cruell agaynst all right and reason and would it might please God that your playntes were lawfull and that I had done wrong in thys truelye then my deare friendes I should haue no occasyon to make you partakers of my heauynesse nor of the sheddyng of those teares that you see runne downe along the face of hym that wythout them cannot expresse vnto you the iuste cause of hys dule and also the greate reason of hys so sodayne crueltye if it oughte not to be named equitye that neuer heretofore hath shewed any effecte of hys mallyce towardes anye man that lyues if fyrste hee haue not gyuen hym the occasyon for it is no lesse prayse worthye in a Prynce to gouerne hys people wyth gentlenesse equytye and clemencye then to punishe the sedicious and disquyetors of the peace because that such pacience shewed to one should not bee the common ruyne of all the whole people Thys is it wherevnto he oughte to extende all hys force no lesse to chasten the temerritye of the foolyshe then to recompence the fydelitie of them whyche hath serued hym faythfully shewing all the offyce of obedience towardes their Lordes What if the law doe inioyne this duety in the Vassall and subiecte â–ª towards the naturall and liege Lorde nature conioyned with the lawe doe constrayne and more streightly bynde the infants which owe to their Parents honour obedience piety al good succours not only of that whiche is exteriour but also of the interyour it selfe which is the good will and perfect amitye by which the harte of the Sonne ought to be vnyted wyth the pleasure and wil of the Father But O immortall God what Father would be so pittious and merciful that seing the Knyfe of hys sonne vpon his owne throate and coulde staye him would suffer him to depryue hym of lyfe But what lyfe oughte to be equall to honour for the atchieuing and attayning whereof all the noble and gentle myndes haue once despyced and yet do despyse their lyues Alas my friends the complaynt which I make before you is against my sonne wyfe the forgetfulnesse of whome is extended euen vnto the defacyng of myne honoure wherin both I and my predecessors haue passed our age I wyll bring you no other wytnesse then myne owne eyes that haue seene one of the moste abhominable and wicked facts that a man can think it is that which I cannot speake withoute an vnmeasurable greefe and without hanging my countenaunce for the shame hee hath done me That is the County Hugnes hath defyled the nuptiall bed of the Marques of Ferrarya his Father and the soueraign Lord of you all it is he that hath polluted the house that is counted in the raygne of the moste noble in all Europe this is he that incestyously hath vyolated the secretes and pruâ—ties the entrance whereof were lawfully permitted to none but me alone To whome shall I complayne and who shall reuenge me of thys iniurye Alas my harte breaketh my sences fayle me and my forces are weakned only there remaines a desyre to do Iustice not that it might be condign to the abhomination of the faulte but that I might thereby take awaye this blot from my stocke and moderate a little the greefe that prickes me and whiche yet serueth for the repentance of them that haue offended the Maiesty deuyne so greououslye that their doyngs haue giuen cause to them that come after to blase abroade the follye of their youth and in saying so his speech fayled him and ouercome wyth sorrow and the unpacience of his cholor he founded in the armes of his GentlemeÌ„ who carryed him into his chamber greatly abashed of the wickednesse of the two offeÌ„ders which they beleeued as wel for the reuerences of him that did wytnesse to haue seene it as for the remembraunces of the impudent lookes and lasciuious toyes of the Marchiones towardes the Countye that made them thinke it was she that made the pit wherein both she and the Countye were intrapped as sone as the Marques was come to himself there was no man so bolde that durst say any word vnto him but depending wholye of the wyll of their Lorde were of that aduyse that the processe should be quickly dispatched and that Iustyce should be done to the two Patientes as well for their comfortes as to gyue some contentmente to a Father rightly duspleased agaynste his sonne and as a husband deadlye hating the Palyardyse of his wyfe towardes whome he sente one of his Counsellers wyth two good Father Fryers men well lyked of the people both for their lyfe and learning the one to carrye the heauy and sorrowfull newes of his death and the others to mooue hym to repentance of his synnes and to pray to God to haue mercye on hys soule As soone as they were come before the yong Prynce who seeing the Counceller and