same man continuing hys complaynt dothe saye In the .3 booke the .12 Chapter Ah my great friende Angriota of Estrauauxâ— where are ye now and how haue ye forsaken me hauing so long time mainteined this company togither and when need is ye leaue me without any ayde or succoure not that I wil blame you for I my selfe haue bene the cause to separate vs thys day to our great misfortune the which shall also separate vs one from another for euer The Oration of Oriane to Florestan declaring vnto him that the absence of him and of Amadis hath caused great harme to many damsels In the .3 booke the 12â— Chapter IN good fayth my Lord Florestan it is loÌ„g ago since we saw you in this countrey whereof I greatly mused as well for the good will that I do beare you as for the néede that manye poore creatures haue suffered the whiche were wont to fynde and to haue succour of you of Amâ—dis and of many other that haue folowed him Cursed be ther that are cause of so long a separation And beléeue that I speake not thys wythoute greate occasion for I know a poore Damsell that is verye néere to be dishorited bycause she hathe not one to defende the wrong that men haue done hir And if Amadis were â—ere agayne and likewise the other whyche are farre from hence she might be sure that hir right should not as it is be taken from him but seing they be abseÌ„t she hath no better hope nor no other recourse but vnto death Florestans answer to Oriane certifying hir that Amadis maketh good cheere and that his name is dayly diuulgate thorough his fortunable conquests In the .3 booke the .14 Chapter MAdame God that is mercifull doth neuer forget those that put their trust in him and if it please him he shall not begin with the damsell that is so desolate As touching my Lord Amadis be ye assured that he is in very good health searching continually strange aduentures and in such wise that for the great feates of armes that he doth in farre countreys where he is his renoume doth diuulgate it selfe in all the coasts of the world King Lisuards Oration to Galaor concerning the mariage of Oriane and the Emperour desiring him to giue his aduise In the .3 booke the .14 Chapter MY great friend I haue alwayes knowen so great fidelitie in you and haue found it so profitable that I ofteÌ„ times haue beleeued your counsell and am purposed neuer to conclude any matter of importance without it Ye knowe the honor that the Emperoure doth me and the embassade that he newly hath sent vnto me desiring me to giue him my daughter Oriane to be his wife And ye shall beléeue me I thinke that the Lord in this thing dothe muche for hir and me for he is at this present the most mightie and redoubted Prince of all chiâ—tendome And being thus well alyed wyth him I from hencefoorth shall haue no neighboure nor enemie that shall dare once lift vp his hornes to hurt or to enuie me and I shal be more feared and obeyed than euer was any king of England Furthermore it shall be in a manner impossible to prouide better for hir than she shall be being the wife of suche an Emperoure and thus Leonor shall remaine after me sole Lady of my landes and countries the which otherwise might be deuided and a thing very hurtful But yet I am purposed to do nothing without the aduice of the Lords and knights of my Court and specially yours the which I pray you by the amitie that ye haue alwayes borne me to tell me freely and frankly and without any dissimulation The answer of Galaor to king Lisuard the which doth tend to disswade to turne him by the reasons that he bringeth in from the foresaid mariage In the .3 booke the 14â— Chapter SYr ye say that marying my Lady Oriane to the Emperoure ye shall prouide so well for hir that it should be impossible to prouide better The whiche thing séemeth to me cleane contrary for she being your principall heire and to send hir into a farre countrey to cause hir to leese hir realme the which is hirs already ye shall make hir poore without men and in subiection to a people not agreing with the maners and conditions of this countrie And if it séeme to you that she to be the Emperours wife to beare the name of an Empresse shall be in more authoritie in time to come by God Syr ye do abuse your selfe and here is the reason therof Suppose that it may chaunce hir to haue male children by the Emperoure hir husband if she remaine widow the first thing that hir sonne shall do vnto hir shall be to cause hir retire and to haue the rule of the Empire alone and if he marrie it will be worse for the new princesse will be inferior to none And therefore it is most sure that my Lady your daughter shall fall into a thousand inconueniences and extreme sorowes hauing forsaken this countrey the which certenly is hir natiue land to liue in a straunge countrie from hir parents subiects and seruants And as conceâ—ning ye say that thorough his fame you shall be succoured feared and redoubted truly sir ye haue thanks be to God so many friendes and knightes at your commaundement that without the ayde of the Romaines ye may easely if ye think it good extend your limits and I beléeue that in the steade to haue any support they shall rather assay to bring you to ruine and to destroy you than as ye estéeme to ayde and succour you for they will haue no egal vnto them nor none greater nor aboue them And furthermore this is certaine that they would demaund nothing more than to haue an occasion to set you in their Chronicles to your confusion and their glory vnder the shadow of some little fauor that they haue borne you the which thing should be the greatest euill that might happen to you and yours And also Syr what reason should it be to put my Lady Oriane your daughter and principall inheriter so farre from you to aduantage so much the princesse Leonor the whiche is the yonger by my soule for a righteous king and that is taken throughout all the world for an author of iustice ye shall make peraduenture the greatest wound in your renoume that euer did prince or mightie king And God neuer giue not only to you the will so farre out of reason but also to the poorest knight of your court beséeching you sir most humbly to beléeue that I would not haue bin so foolish hardy to declare vnto you so freely the thing that I thought good if ye had not expressely commaunded me and also bicause I am minded and apointed to kéepe vnto you all my life the fidelitie that I haue promised as he that doth feele him bound vnto you for the goodnesse and fauor that ye haue done for me Oriane complayning to
bold as Ardan is I ensure you that if I had not enterprised to fyght with you I would be content to do it and onely to let the mariage of you and Madasime And for this cause the hostages of whome ye vaunt your selfe should not differ and delay to do their diligence and dutie for I trust to reuenge the good and the valiant king Arban and Angriot of the great iniurie and wroÌ„g that they receyued being prisoners Ardans replication to Amadis I Haue caused them saithe Ardan to come with me knowing that ye would demaund and aske for them although that I haue good hope to set them againe in the power of Madasime and also to giue hir therewith the halfe of your bonet in witnesse that it pertaineth not to suche a Lord as ye are to haue and to hold any such braue and vantageous purposes with me and to giue hir so doing great pleasure It shall please our king that she be set in some euident and high place to the inteÌ„t she may euidently sée and behold the vengeance that I shall take vpoÌ„ you and the vnfortunate ends whereof ye shall dye The Oration of Gandadel before king Lisuard against Amadis and his aliance to put and to bring theÌ„ out of the kings fauoure In the .2 booke the .20 Chapter SYr I haue all the time of my life desired to kéepe the faith that I owe vnto you as to my king and naturall Lorde and shall do if God be pleased For beside the oth of fidelitie that I haue and owe vnto you for ye of your gracious goodnesse haue done me so greate good and pleasures that if I should not counsell you in that I shall sée to touch your royal maiestie I should greatly fault against God and man By the meanes whereof Syr after I had very long bethought me vpon this thing that I shall declare vnto you repented me oftentimes that I had deferred it so long not for any enuie that I beare to any man God be my witnesse but onely for the inconuenience that I sée ready if ye promptly and wisely do not remedie it Ye know that at all times there hath bene betwene the realme of France and the realme of England great coutrouersie bicause the kings your predecessors haue continually pretended a right of soueraintie and although that for a certaine time this quarell is swaged so it is very like that the French men remembring the warres and damages that they haue endured and suffered by your subiects shall secretly in their hearts and courage take couÌ„sell to reuenge themselues And Amadis the which is the head and principall of them all is not come after my opinion into this countrey but to do it to practise and to winne men with the which ioined to the might that he may cause to come shal procure so much busines that so it may chance it shall not be easy for you to resist him and lo there is already apparance thereof Sir he of whome I speake vnto you and they also of his aliance haue done me so greate honor and pleasure that I and my children are greatly bound vnto them And if it were not that ye are my liege Lord I woulde not for any thing speake against Amadis I am so much hys friend and seruant but in things that respect your person God send me to die sooner than I should spare any liuing man no not my owne childe Ye haue receiued Amadis with so great a number of his parents and other strangers into your Court as ye are a good prince a liberâ—ll and of a noble courage that at length their company and folowers shal be found greater than yours Therefore sir it should be good and well done to prouide before hand or euer the fyre be through kindled The Kings answer to the forsayd Oration BY my troth my friende I beléeue that ye do aduertise me as a good and faithfull subiect Neuerthelesse considering the seruice that they of whome ye do speake haue done me I caÌ„not comprehend nor perceiue in my mind that they will do me any cowardly or euill turne Gandandels replication to the king vpon the selfe same purpose and in the same Chapter SYr he answered this is it that doth abuse you for if in times past they had offended you ye would take heede of them as of your enimies but they haue knowne and wisely do know how to disguise their treason vnder an humble manner of communication accompanied with some seruice the which they haue already employed and done wayting for an opportune and a good houre Amadis request vnto king Lisuard to giue Galuâ—nes the Iland Mongase In the selfseme Chapter SYr although that I haue not done you hitherto so muche seruice as I desire yet I haue taken courage trusting in your great liberalitie to aske you a gift the which cannot turne but to your honor and moreouer binding them to whome ye shall graunt it Furthermore sir said Amadis the gift that I and my companions being present do pray you to graunt vs is that it wold please you to giue to my Lorde Galuanes the Ile of Mongase for the which he shal faithfully he sworne vnto you and do you homage marrie Madasime this doing Syr ye shall enrich a poore Prince vsing and shewing mercy to one of the most fairest gentle women of all the world Amadis Oration to king Lisuard with the whiche he leaueth and forsaketh his company In the selfsame Chapter SYr I haue hitherto thought that there was no king nor Prince in all the worlde that had better knowledge in thinge of vertue and honor than you but yet now we perceiue the contrary by the experience that ye haue giuen vs so that we seing ye haue charged and taken new counsell will go and séeke a new fashion and maner of liuing Amadis Oration to Oriane by the which he declareth vnto hir that he is constrayned to go out of the kings seruice In the selfsame Chapter MAdame saith Amadis we must néedes do that he hathe commanded vs otherwise we shuld offend your honor abiding against his will in his seruice seing that he mighte presume and thinke that we in no nother place coulde not méete any that would receiue vs therfore I pray you not â—s take it euill if for a time obeying him I be constreyned to depart froÌ„ you You know the power that ye haue vpoÌ„ me and that I am so much yours as you may wish and desire and also I know well that if I shoulde be euill reputed ye are she that woulde receyue and take thereof most displeasure so greatly ye loue me and so well ye do estéeme me the which thing causeth me agayne to pray you to take my absence in good part and to giue me leaue to depart vsing still your accustomed constancie and vertue Orians answer to Amadis excusing hir selfe to him In the same Chapter MY frieÌ„d answereth the Princesse ye are greatly to blame thus
more by force than by his will. And as touching this that he purchaseth my enmitie assure him that he shall haue it so that he shall forget the thing that I and mine haue done in his defence And yet say vnto him that although I alone haue conquered the I le of Mongase that I will neuer set my foote to cause him to léese it nor in place where I maye anoy and trouble the Quéene for the honor of hir Amadis taking leaue of his companions doth exhort them to be vertuous and strong in battell excusing himselfe of hys departing and praying them â—o be continually vnited togither In the .1 Chapter of the .3 booke I Beséech you my fellowes and companions to succoure and to helpe one another and to thinke that the glorie for asmuch as ye go against a mightie king that ye shall get and obtayne if ye ouercome him shall be the greater I know wel that there is not he of you all that is not bound to the wise man and hardie knight the which giueth me good hope that with the helpe of God and the good right of him that dothe conduct you ye shall remit and set a poore damsell disherited in hir first goodes and estate againe I was neuer in my lyfe so enuyedâ— to leaue so good a company as I am at this present but there is not he that ought not to haue and to holde me excused and yet it hath pleased God that the occasioÌ„ hath prepared another meane not to separate vs Of one thing I would pray you that is not to haue any discord among you buâ— to liue togyther as felowes and friendes otherwise yâ— may be sure that the ruine and destruction shall fall on your side A letter of the infant Celinde to king Lisuard commending hir sonne vnto him that proceeded of the loue of king Lisuard and of hir In the .3 Chapter MOst mightie and excellent Prince reading this letter ye may peraduenture remember that when ye traue led as a wandring knight farre and strange countries bringing many perilous and daungerous aduentures to an ends fortune did send and did leade you to my fathers kingdome the which was lately departed and ye found me withdraweÌ„ into one of my castels named the great Rosiâ—r where the braue Antifon besieged me bycause I disdained not being equall to me in nobilitie and lesse a friend of vertue to marrie him And well he could shew it for he had euen then vsurped by force and tirannie vpon me a poore Damsell Orpheline the most part of my countrey when that ye at your comming presented to fyght with him and to sustaine the right that I had the whiche thing he accepted more for the confidence that he had in the strength of his armes than for any other iust quarell vnto whome our Lord shewed hys iust iudgement for you lesse than he of body but in magnamitie of courage greatly exceeding him vaÌ„quished him By the meanes whereof I awhyle after was restored to all my goodes the whiche I will holde of you euen as they were yours and my selfe also for euer to whome at that time and houre ye did so great honor as to come and refresh you in this my great Rosier where afterwards you and I deuising together among my pleasant orchaâ—ds ye gathered roses euen as we sported vs togyther and the floure of my virginitie of the which the place was and is yet very rich and plenteous Therefore I cannot say whether loue woulde it should be so or whether my beautie was the cause but I know well that ye had so great power vpon me and that in me was so little resistance that before ye departed from thence ye left me great with this yong gentleman whome I send vnto you so faire and of so good grace that nature as me thinketh hath taken all hyr pleasure to make him perfect in all excellencie to deface both our sinnes if any sinne was committed Therefore Sir receiue him as yours being of the séede royall of you and mâ— the which thing causeth me to esteeme thâ—t he shall be a prudent man and retaining in him selfe part of the noble actes that are in you and part of the great loue in the which he was engendred on that day when ye gaue me this ring the which I send vnto you agayne in witnesse of the promise that ye made to your huÌ„ble seruant Celinde king Hegides daughter the which kisseth the handes of your royall maiestie The coÌ„plaint of Oriane for the soden departing of hir sonne foreseeing the euill entreating that should happen vnto him The .3 Chapter ALas little creature God giue thée grace to be so vertuous and so good a knight as thy father and to do thée if it please hym so muche good as to sende thée euen at the beginning a more fortunate prosperitie than his was Alas I am constrained to sende thée away and to shew my selfe to thée more cruell than the Tiger or the Leopard to their little ones And bycause I knowe not whether thou goest nor when I shall méete wyth thée agayne it causeth in my soule such heauinesse that fortune caÌ„not prepare such danger that doth not present it selfe before my eyes yet if I at least wayes knew the Nurse that should giue hym sucke I woulde pray hir to take care for him but it may so chaunce that she will take little care for thee and that she before thou haue the power and be able to keepe thy selfe shall leaue thée oftentimes alone being occupied about hir small businesses and deuising with hir neighbours of small matters vnprofitable fables and lyes in the daunger of beasts For I esteeme and iudge that she and other likewise shall repente and thinke thée to be the childe of some simple damsell and to do for thée the best she can shall be to nourish thée in the féelds amoÌ„g the shepherds the which oftentimes cannot so diligently giue héede to their shéepe but that the Wolfe the Lyon against their willes do passe ouerthwart rauishing the thing that they thynke good The complaynt of the damsel of Denmarke after that she had lost Orianes little sonne the which she esteemed shoulde suffer muche euill In the .3 Chapter O Lord God howe hath it pleased you to suffer that thys little creature should perish the whiche neuer offended you Ah ah certesse I am wel worthy to be gretly punished of my owne will his misfortune might fall vpon my owne person for my life is to me very noysome Alas little infant your father being as little as ye are began to proue the dangers of this worlde and yet our Lord of his great goodnesse preserued him but your misfortune euill honoure is farre straunger than his was for notwithstanding they cast hym into the waues and surges of the Sea yet Gandales met him in a good houre and afterwards as euery man doth knowe he tooke him vp but thou little poore one art fallen
or euer ye my Lord and cousin arriued and came hither we were gathered togither in thys place to prouide for the same and now that we fynde you so conformable to our willes I am sure that there is none of vs that thinketh any other thing but that fortune doth call vs to performe it and end it promising vs certen victorie being pensife sory for the fauor that she hath borne thus loÌ„g to king Lisuard the which at this present in no wise doth know himselfe and that it is so what hath he to do to sende my sister against hir will into a straunge countrey hath the king my father giuen hir vnto him to do his pleasure with hir ye knowe that a little after our departing out of Englande I sent to the Quéene for hir but she refused me that sending me word by Gandales that she would sée hir intreated nourished as hir proper person Is this the good intreating that she hath kept for hir at the last to destroy hir hath Mabile no nother place to conuey hir selfe vnto but to the Emperours house Is not the Realme of Scotland rich ynough to nourish and to bring hir vp by God this manner of doing of king Lisuard is so vnfortunable and so farre out of reason that I had rather die a huÌ„dreth fold if it were possible than not to be reuenged and already I haue sent to my father to prouide therefore In the meane while I pray you all my Lords to ayde me and you specially whome this iniurie doth touch in a manner as well as me being done not only to my sister your cousin and nigh parente but to Olinda and other of whome folowing the thing that we haue promised and sworne as my Lorde Amadis hath saide we ought to be the protectors and defenders The Oration of Grasind to those of the enclosed I le praising their enterprise going to succoure Oriane and hir damsels In the .3 booke and .17 Chapter BY my God your enterprise is high and worthy of very greate laude and prayse considering that besides the good that ye do to them that ye go to help and succcoure ye shall ensue and follow the other good knights the whiche are of this countrie or strangers so that from hencefoorth men shal not suffer folowing you that any man should do wrong to any Lady or to any other damsell And therefore ye shal so indet them that both they and these that be and that shal come a hundred yeares and mo hereafter shall thanke you King Lisuards Oration to my Lady Oriane his daughter exhorting hir to allow the mariage to be good that he hathe vndertaken to make of hir with the Emperoure In the 3. booke the .18 Chapter MY welbeloued ye haue alwayes shewed your selfe obedient to my will without any contradiction and will ye not continue still as reason willeth you ye melancoly your selfe as farre foorth as I see for the mariage that I haue found out for you whereof I do greatly maruell Estéeme you that I would once thinke to do any thing that shoulde not turne to your honoure and profite Thinke you that I am of so euill a nature towardes you I sweare vnto you by my faith that the amitie that I beare you is so certein and sure that I haue no lesse heauinesse for your departing from hence than â—e haue But ye know that it should be impossible to prouide for you so well as vnto my selfe Therfore I pray you vsing your accustomable wisedom to make better cheere and to reioice your selfe of the goodnesse that is chanced vnto being the wife of the greatest prince of all the world And if ye do that ye shall besides that ye shall be esteemed receiue and comfort your father the which is as heauy of your anoyance as nothing more The answer of Oriane to king Lisuard hir father declaring vnto him the great wroÌ„g that he doth hir to marrie hir against hir will. In the .3 booke the .17 Chapter MY Lord ye haue theÌ„ as farre foorth as I sée resolued the mariage of me and the Emperoure It may be that ye haue made one of the greatest faults that any Prince can do for first of all I will neuer loue the husband that ye gyue me and I am well assured and certaine as I haue declared vnto you not long since that Rome shall neuer sée me willing rather to fall into the mercie of fishes than to dwell in a place wherevnto I haue no desire or affection Now I cannot thinke what hath induced you or perswaded you to do this but the loue that ye beare to my sister and the desire that ye haue to leaue hir your sole heyre and me the moste miserable damsell of all the world but God that is iust wyll not suffer that your intention so vnreasonable shall come to effect but rather shal send death vnto me if it so please him Amadis Oration to his companions admonishing them to take good courage to succoure in so great neede so many noble damsels In the selfe same Chapter MY companions and friends were it not for the assuraÌ„ce that I haue of the vertue and magnanimitie that is in you all I without doubt would refraine to put in aduenture the battell that we sée is ready if we would take it in hande But yet I knowing you to be such as ye are indéede and also the iust occasion for the which we are entred and haue taken the sea I thinke that we shuld not delay it but to cast away all feare to deliuer froÌ„ captiuitie so many desolate damsels the whiche call vnto vs to succoure and to help them by the only obligation and band that we haue to defend their libertie Therefore I beséech you let vs so liuely set vpon these shippes in such sort y setting these ladies out of danger their coÌ„ductors shal neuer bring newes to their Emperour The complainte of Queene Sardamire for the Prince Salust Quide complayning of the euilles and miseries that were to come In the .4 booke the .1 Chapter ALas fortune doth now shew that she will go not only to the ruine and destruction of vs miserable captiues but of the Emperoure and of al his Empire Ah ah poore prince euill lucke hath méetely well runned vpon thee Alas what losse and what heauinesse shall they haue for euer that loued thée when they shall know thy sodein end I cannot tell how thy master may support it and beare it but I beléeue that he shal not so soone heare the newes but that he shal die throgh great anger hauing a good cause for the losse at once of so many great vessels and good men and specially for you my Lady que she to Oriane whome he desired much more than any thing of this world and for whome from hencefoorth shall be moued so strange warres that néedes it must be for many good knights most cruelly to finish and to ende their dayes
will send Nascian agayne to king Perion to pray him to returne and to remoue his campe one day more backwards and we shall depart from the towne Lubanie for the tyme that the communication of the peace shall endure and continue Amadis speaking to Arcalaus the prisoner that asked him mercie sayde that he had not deserued it seing he woulde not haue mercie vpon himselfe yet repenting him and renouncing the euill he woulde pardon him In the .4 booke and 23 Chapter MErcie quoth Amadis I cannot tell how thou woldst I should giue it thée considering that thou couldst neuer giue it to thy selfe for if it had bin so thou wouldst haue made an end long since of so many cruelties as thou hast done exercised Notwithstanding if thou wilt repeÌ„t thée with a good hart promis me to returne no more I wil pardon thée Arcalaus answer to Amadis the whiche sayde that his nature could not incline to repent if the necessitie that he is in coÌ„strayned him not In the .4 booke the .23 Chapter I Thinke quoth he that it should be for me too hard yea verely impossible for the custome hathe knowen so to ouercome me and accustomed me to take pleasure to do ill that now I cannot giue me to goodnesse but necessitie the whych is the hard and the rigorous bridle to chaunge all euill custome to vertue shall peradueÌ„ture constrayne my old yéeres séeing the state that I am in to haue that in them that my youth and libertie haue disdayned both in déede and in will. Arcalaus continuing his words and setting before his eyes king Arauigne prayeth him to be beneuolent to the poore afflicted that fall sometimes into the power of their enimies and that he gloâ—ifye not himselfe too much in his good fortune In the .4 booke the .23 Chapter I Pray thée Amadis behold this vnfortunate king the which was not long ago ready to be one of the greatest princes of the world and in a moment the selfe same fortune that shewed hirself to loue him hath vtterly cast him downe and destroyed him to whome thou shouldest giue good regard for thou and all other that aspire to greate thinges are subiect to suche and like diffame And bycause the victor and the pardoner haue commonly noble and couragious hearts intreate vs now so as thou wouldst that we being in the place that we be should intreat thée that hereafter thou be not reproched Amadis Oration to the Romaines that were prisoners vpon the treatie of peace In the .4 booke the .23 Chapter MY masters it cannot be but that ye haue knowen the end of the war moued in these countries by the meanes wherof al the princes in a maner of the West and the most parte of those of the East were in armes and bycause that we be now vpon the pointe of a perpetuall peace I thoughte it reasonable that nothing notwithstanding ye be my prisoners shoulde be concluded without your knowledge and as well for this occasion I haue caused you to come as also to praye you for my loue and fauoure to fynde and to thynke it good to choose and to accept Arquisil to your Emperoure for besydes that there shall not be found as I haue vnderstanded a more néerer to come to the Empire than he I knowe that he deserueth it and for thys cause I praye you moste affectuously And doing thys ye shall shall prepare and obtaine two great profitable good things the first calling to the gubernation of so excellent a Monarchie a sage wise and vertuous Prince well to kéepe it and to intreate you swéetely and amiably the other that for the loue of him I wâ—l giue you with libertie the raunsome that I shoulde haue of you remayning besides as long as I shall liue your particular friende Therefore aduise what answer ye will giue me that I of my part may afterwardes aduise me how to vse my selfe towards you The answere of Brandaiel the most auncient of the Romanes to Amadis the which declared vnto him that he was readie to obey his will and that conferring of this matter wyth Flamian with libertie to do so and other Romanes he assured him that all things shoulde be after the will of Amadis In the .4 booke the .23 Chapter MY Lorde true it is that we are your prisoners and wée knowe full well the honor that ye do vnto vs the good entreating that we haue had of you since the time that we ariued and came into the inclosed Iland therefore I wyll surely answere for my companions that there is not he among vs that will not employe himselfe most willingly to serue you but we can not resolue you of that that ye labour for the Lorde Arquisil before we haue spoken with Flamian and other captaines of Rome which are in this armie and therfore we pray you that we may conferre with them swering vnto you that we for our part shall so extend our hand that in all things your will shal be satisfyed The OratioÌ„ of King Lisuard to Amadis his sonne in law aduertising him to laude God for the fauour that he hath borne him in his great affaires and that he most recompence those that put their bodyes and their goods to succour him in his most great affaires And also that he remember the Ladyes that haue continually accompanied and comforted Oriane In the .4 booke the .25 Chapter MY sonne séeyng it hath pleased God that with so great honour ye haue ended your quarrells ye must referre the glorie wholly vnto him and that as long as ye shall lyue ye be thankefull â—o your friendes the which to succour you in such businesse haue not spared their own liues the which do binde you to loue them honor them moreouer to recompence theÌ„ the best ye may possible considering that without the aide that they haue holpen you withall it is most certain ye should haue béen in great doubt to léese not only your life but your honor the which is estéemed a hundred times more And therfore it is reason that euen as they haue béen partakers of the perils and daungers that they be now also of the pleasures and conteÌ„tations that ye haue receiued by theÌ„ So then aduise you to fauor them in all that ye shall know them to be affectionated vnto distributing vnto theÌ„ the pray that is in your hands hauing the Kings Arauigne Barsinan and other prisoners And furthermore to do so much for those whoÌ„ ye know to pretend any affection to the Ladies which are in the company of Oriane that they may haue like conteÌ„tation as ye haue marying theÌ„ to those that they do like and loue And for this cause I put into your hands your sister Melicia to giue hir vnto him that ye shal estéeme to deserue hir Ye haue also your cousin Mabile the Quéene Briolanie that hath so greatly bound you vnto hir Grasinde and the Quéene Sardamire the which haue had a
¶ The moste excellent and pleasaunt Booke entituled The treasurie of Amadis of Fraunce Conteyning eloquente orations pythie Epistles learned Letters and feruent Complayntes seruing for sundrie purposes The vvorthinesse vvhereof and profite dothe appeare in the Preface or table of this Booke Translated out of Frenche into English. Imprinted at London by Henry Bynneman for Thomas Hacket And are to be solde at his shoppe in the Royall Exchaunge at the signe of the greene Dragon ¶ To the righte worshipfull â—ir Thomas Gressam knight Tâ—omas Hacket vvisheth the fauoure of God long lyfe increase of worship continuall health and felicitie WHEN I call to my remembraÌ„ce right vvorshipfull Sir vvhat our merciful and good God hathe doone for vs by his vnspeakeable omnipotencie and also what giftes hee hathe indued man vvithall vvee can not chuse but be thankful to him for his vvorthie benefites bestovved vpon vs vvho so noteth substaÌ„cially from time to time vvhat vvorthie instrumentes God hath raised vp in all artes and sciences as some passing in singlenesse of gifts as Aristotle Galen Ptolome Plinie vvith other vvith those vvorthie Oratours the Grecians as Demosthenes Isocrates and that vvorthie Romaine the Prince of Eloquence Marcus Tullius Cicero vvhose excellencie hath surpassed all others and bene leaders and scholemasters to all others It vvas not vvithout great cause right vvorshipful that man is called Mycrocosmos that is to say a little vvorlde it vvas not vvithout great consideration that Aristotle calleth him the sercher of secretes for vvhat thing is there in this vvorld but man hath sought it out be it neuer so harde or obscure vvhat vertue in stone or plant or any grovving thing yea the vertue of beasts fishes fovvles and serpentes and vvhatsoeuer is conteined in the earth aire vvater or fyre mettals mynes of golde siluer leade tinne yron c. In fine how excelleÌ„t in al philosophie asvvell naturall as morall as Arithmetike Geometrie Astronomie Cosmographie besides all these those moste excellent historiographers and yet in my mynd this surpasseth all others that is to say to be an excellent Oratour singular in orations pythie and ingenious in vvriting Epistles for therby is brought to passe the moste excellent things for publike gouernment as also for euery mannes priuate cause and vse for vvho knovveth not vvhere learning and good gouernement consisteth their orations bee of moste excellent force to set foorth hovve tymes haue bene passed vvith the tyme present and also to giue vvarning and foresee for time to come hovve the good and vertuous haue merited and receyued perpetuall fame as to the ouerthrovve of the vvicked too their reproche and ignomie So right vvorshipfull this booke vvhich I present vnto you is stufte vvith pleasant orations fine epistles singular complaintes vvith matter mixt so fitly and aptly to serue the turne of all persons not curious nor filled full of obscure and darke sense but playne and pleasant depending and ansvvering one an other vvith most delectable matter for all causes as vvell incouraging the bashfull person and covvarde to bee valiant as the vvorthie ladies and damselles in their amorous Epistles feruente complaintes of iniuries handled moste excellently And yet I confesse not so graue and vvorthie matter as your vvoorship deserueth to haue Therfore I craue pardon at your hands for this my rashe enterprise trusting in God you vvill receiue it in good part as a token of my good vvill tovvards you and though it yeld not so pleasant a grace in the Englishe toung as it dothe in the Frenche the vvhiche it vvas vvritten in I knovve youre vvoonted maner and good nature is to take smal thinges in good part vvhich hath imboldened me at this present to dedicate this booke of the Treasurie of Amadis of France vnto your vvorship vvhen god sendeth to my hand any other I do intend to make ye partaker therof And therfore least at this present I shoulde seeme to be ouer tedious vnto you I coÌ„mit you to God vvith my good Ladie your vvife vvith all youre familie praying to God for your prosperous and good succesâ—e in all youre affaires and enterprises From London by yours for euer THOMAS HACKET To the gentle Reader A VERY frend of myne most gentle reader instantly desired me to english him this french booke intituled the Treasurie of Amadis the whiche when I had well perused it pleased me not a little as wel for the elegant phrase thereof as for the diuersities and arguments therin wrapped and inclosed For truly it aboundeth with such eloquent orations and wyse counsels with such swéete and delicate Epistles and letters especially of loue so curteously and annably handled with suche exhortations and admonitions so prudently penned with suche lamentations complaints so sorowfully and mournfully expressed with suche consolations and comforts in aduersitie so frendly and louingly pronounced with such answers and replications so ingeniously inuented with reproches and tauntes so bitingly and bitterly spoken with requâ—sts so humainly and ciuilly demaunded with excuses so craftily and subtilly painted and coloured with defyances so stoutly and courageously sente to the aduersarie and receiued that if a man were astonied much amazed it woulde quicken him and sodeynly reuiue his spirites againe For what a dullarde is he that wise counsell vertuous exhortations friendly admonitions wittie and subtill persuasions shall not quicken and reuiue and how farre without sense is he whom amiable fine and beautifull ladies with their ticklyng and flatteryng wordes shall not awake stirre vp and call to their lure wanton fansie feruent louâ— What stonie and harde hearte hath he that with the glittering and twinkeling of the eye the abundant teares the dulcet and swéete parolls of his paramour wherwith this fine flattering booke is infarced will not be mollifyed and melted And how depely are they drowned in sorrowe that with godly and vertuous consolation will not be comforted What weake and cowardly heartes and stomackes haue they that will not be stirred or moued with the rhetorical eloquent orations the vehement persuasioÌ„s and liberall promises and rewards of wise noble worthie capitains pluck vp their harts inuade their enimies for worthie renoume sake immortall glorie fight stoutly and corageously as Amadis the king of England France Florâ—an with other did as this proper booke in diuers places reciteth most cordially Wherout men may learne to be noble oratours wise and prudent counsellours excellent Rhethoricians expert captains amorous companions feruent honest louers secrete messengers obedient seruaÌ„ts elegant enditers of louely Epistles swéete pronouncers true ortographers of the french tong so pleasant so highly coÌ„mended and so imbraced of all men Wherfore gentle Reader let it not lothe thée I pray thée to reade this fine and fruitfull booke nor to ensue the honest and vertuous lessons the prudent admonitions and good counsels of the same for thou shalt not at any tyme as I thinke repent thée more for the reading of it than I for
Lord Quedragants Oration to King Lisuard leauing his seruice In the selfe same Chapter SYr I had neuer dwelt in your Court but at the request of Amadis willing and desiring to be his friend for euer and séeing that by his occasion I was yours by like reason I depart from you for euer considering that my little and small seruices shall haue but little hope séeing that his great seruices are so euill recognised and rewarded hauing no remeÌ„braunce of the Obligation wherewith you are bounde vnto him that deliuered you from the hands of Mandafabul nor of the victorie that you wonne and obtained vpon King Cildadan by his and his parents bloude I could put you in remeÌ„brance of the good turne that he did you when he deliuered you and your daughter Oriane as I oftentimes haue heard it spoken from the hands of Archalaus and not long since my Ladie Leonor the which Famongomad and Basigant his sonne Giants most cruell of all the world held as prisoner to haue slaine hir thus the ingratitude that you do now vse against him is so great that it depriueth you of all the knowledge of truth And therefore he should no lesse estéeme this leaue so sone giuen than the retribution of his seruices so well accorded and rewarded And as for me I am purposed to follow him and to go and depart from your Court. The Oration of Guillan the thoughtfull excusing himself that he could not folowe Amadis In the selfesame Chapter MY Lord you knowe my affaires and that of my selfe I being wholy vnder and subiecte to the will of an other can doe nothing For the which I suffer anguishes and paynes most straunge the which are the cause that I can not folowe you whereof I am ashamed so great a desire I haue to knowledge the goodnesse and the honor that you being in in your companie haue done for me praying you most humbly at this present to hold and to haue me excused Amadis Oration to the foresayd Guillan excusing him that he leaueth not the Kings house In the same Chapter MY Lorde Guillan God forbid that through my occasion you shoulde â—e faultie to the Ladie that you loue so perfectly but I counsell you to obey hir and to serue hir as you haue done hitherto and the King in like maner being sure of this that you your honor saued shall be in all pointes my friend and faithfull companion King Lisuards answere to Gandandell and Broquadan declaring their insufficiencie to gouerne and rule his realme In the selfesame Chapter I Do maruel that you are so bold and presumptuous to persuade me to leaue vnto you the rule not only of my house but of al this kingdome knowing that you are not sufficient to do it Think you that the Princes Lords of this Monarchie will obey you knowing the place from whence you are descended And if you thinke and beléeue to playe the good husbands willing to enriche me by sparing of money thinke you that I may better bestowe it than to giue it to Gentlemen and Knights that are in my seruice seing that a Prince can not name himselfe a King except he haue men at his coÌ„maundement And if before time I shewed my selfe liberall to those which at your instance I haue chased away by those I was maintained famed and redoubted and therefore content you with that that you haue done without any more disguising of thinges or else I will shew you that it displeaseth me Amadis Oration to those that would go to defend the right of Madasime exhorting them to deliuer out of the Kings pryson twelue Ladies In the same Chapter MY Lordes answered Amadis the thinges that be debated with or by rype deliberation come willingly to a good ende and doubt not that the thing that you purpose to take vpon you shall not be nor happen to youre honor althoughe the thing were more in hazarde and of more difficultie than it is and yet I will if it so please you declare that I doâ— thinke You all as farre as I sée doe tast and labor to set the twelue Damselles at libertie which at this present are prisoners in King Lisuards prison my mind is that twelue of you and no moe be at this enterprise and so euery one shall haue one and the twelue Damselles shall be particularly bounde to twelue Knightes and that the rest of this companie shall stand still to helpe the incouueniences that may chaunce The complaint that Orian made when she felâ—e hirselfe great with chylde In the .2 booke the .22 Chapter ALas my friendes nowe I sée well that fortune wil bring me to vtter ruine You knowe the inconuenience that of late chaunced to him that of all the worlde I loued best and nowe that is worsse the thing that I feared and doubted most is chaunced vnto me for certainely I am with chylde and I know not what I may doe so that I be not destroyed and lost Sarquiles Oration to King Lisuard aduertising him of the dangerous enterprise and treason of Broquadan and Gandandel In the same Chapter SYr I am not yet your subiecte nor your liege man but yet in recognising the nurture that I haue learned in youre Court I am bound to saue your maiesties honor Therfore syr I aduertise you that three dayes since I fortuned to be in a place where I perceiued that Broquadan and Gandandel did not only conspire but alreadie haue committed againste God and you the most greatest treson that may be thought It is sure and certain that they do purpose to counsell and to persuade you to put Madasime and these Damsels to death and as touching the rest syr I trust that all their mischieuousnesse or tenne dayes be past shall be disclosed And to set those villaynes in authoritie you haue caste awaye not long since my Lord Amadis and many other good Knightes out of your companie I am no more purposed to remaine here and I take my leaue of you to go and to séeke my vncle Angriote whome if God be pleased you shall sée shortly héere againe and me with him purposed with force of armes to open vnto those two traytors their vniust and false conspiracie The coÌ„maundemâ—nt of King Lisuard to Broquadan and Gandandel animating them to execute the thing that they had promised COme hether you know that oftentimes you haue solicited me to put these poore Damsels to death persuading me that it was a iust and a reasonable thing to doe so And that you and your children if need were would sustaine this counsel vnto death You haue perceiued what Ymosil and his companions haue saide vnto me the which I finde to be good and iust therefore it is time that you aduise you of the thing that you haue to do For by the faith that I owe vnto God I will licence none of my other Knights to fight with them and if you prouide not for this you shall be punished and the Damselles deliuered
into the mercy of a brute beast that shall haue no more pitie vpon thee than hys naturall inclination doth commaunde hym and so shall ye ende your dayes before they haue had in a manner any beginning Nascian speaking to hir sister of the little infanto founde betweene the teeth of a Lyon doth pray hir to haue it in singular recommendation and to help it It is sure that our Lord preseruing it from so great inconuenience hath preserued it to his owne seruice And therefore my sister my friend she said I pray you from henceforth to thinke vpon it and to bring it vp vntill suche time as it may be able to receiue suche little doctrine aâ— I may teache him afterwards ye shall bring him againe and if it please the Lord to lend him long lyfe I hope that he shal be so prudent a man as to acknowledge the goodnesse that ye haue done for him The Oration of king Lisuard vnto his souldiers monishing them to fyght strongly for hym In the same Chapter TRuly my friendes ye may nowe sée euen at the sight of youre eye those that are the cause why we passe ouer the Sea to defende the honoure of England and the countrey which is ours as it is manifest by the couenantes that I haue had with Ardan Canille the grandfather of Madasime and of the old Giant hir mother and yet I cannot tell vnder what colour that they since that time are entered and by treason haue taken the towne and Castell of the burning Lake where the Earle Latin was whome as yet they kéepe prisoner and many other with him whereby their hartes be so exalted that they suppose fortune to be wholy with them and that she will set them forwardes against vs euen vnto our owne dores of the whiche they make a matter as though we had not the wayes and meanes to resist a greater power than theirs But it will go otherwise and our Lord if it so please him shall noâ— suffer that our reputation in the which we haue continually lyned shoulde be quenched by them assuring my selfe that there is none of you that will not rather dye honorably than afterwards to liue in shame And I knowe you for suche so long that I haue great occasion to loue and to estéeme you and if I had not suche knowledge yet I knowe well that I was not so soone borne but that fortune bound me vnto you as well for the fidelitie the which ye haue continually kept vnto your princes as for the great seruices that ye haue done for me in mainteining our right and specially against Barsinan when that â—e through treason put me into the haÌ„ds of Archalaus to make him king and last of all in the battell that I had against king Cildadan as euery man dothe know the which things cause me to beleeue that hauing no regard to any particular men that be rebelled againste vs sometimes your friendes and now desirous to plucke the bloud out of your bodâ—es ye shall do such diligence folowing your auncient vertue and fidelitie that we shall cause them to know that we are not they that they should come vnto she which thing we may easely do sâ—ing that we are so many more than they and that we haue the right on our side Therefore let vs go on boldly for I sée that they aproch and drawe nigh Galuanes Oration to his knightes exhorting them to take courage and to esteeme themselues happie to fyghte for a iust occasion In the .3 booke the .3 Chapter VNderstand my companions that the first and souerainst goodnesse that may be in an army is the head ruler that can wisely order and counsell the thing that is required to be done and afterwardes to haue obedience to execute the thing that he commaundeth Ye haue here not onely one Captayne suche as I speake of but twoâ— or thrée yea moe than twenâ—ie the whych are so agréeing togither that there is but one will one heart and one aduice Séeing then this first goodnesse and gift is not denied vs let vs drawe néere to the second and cause our fortune to ayde vs against the most vnthankfull King that is vpon the earth the which prouoketh to destroy our goodes and our liues with this great and mighty army that he hath caused to come hyther to empouerish and vtterly to defloure a poore gentlewoman But yet he is farre from his count and purpose for we will help hir as long as we haue any life in our bodies folowing the thing that we receiuing the order of knighthood are bound vnto and if we chaunce to die there it shall be vnto vs an immortall glorye to haue so good occasion to fyght and to ouercome himâ— that ought to be a iust defender of all Ladies so that the thing that of many might be called foolish hardinesse shall be as concerning vs called vertue and magnanimitie of courage Boldely let vs therefore runne in among them without â—eare of death or of anye daunger hauing nothing before our eyes but honoure For in such warlike actes fortune hir selfe will not be feared nor doubted and if we be victorious in as muche as they are more than we our glory shall be the greater and our name the more spred abroade taking vpon vs with so greate an hearte and courage a thing almost to man incredible Amadis heauinesse for Oriane bicause that without leaue he was departed from hir companye In the .3 booke the .5 Chapter AH ah poore vnfortunate Amadis is it possible that thou canst long endure and continue in this tormentâ— Alas if loue hertofore haue fauored thée it maketh and causeth thée to pay the vsurie Why do I say loue it is not loue nor loue is not the cause but thy misfortune the whiche enuying thy prosperitie and greate ease hathe forged and builded a miscontentmente agaynste the King vtterly to destroy thée causing thée for to léese the sighte of hir of whome doth altogither depende thy ease and onelye repose and rest a thing which is more weightie she thée to heare than a thousand deathes togitherâ— Neuerthelesse one would suffise me if so much good lucke could chaunce vnto me Ha ha certesse I doe great wrong to wish suche things seing that I am sure that Oriane should haue too great displeasure Wherefore then should I desire hir euill considering that she neuer did me but that was good and fauorable And if I suffer any heauinesse I am sure that she feeleth it as my owne soule The Oration of Bruneo to Amadis praying him to gyue hym leaue to accompany him In the third booke the .5 Chapter CErtesse my Lorde the yong age and little estimation wherein I haue liued hitherto among the good knightes do presse and inforce me to forsake this present life and to take a more painefull to come to their range and company Therefore I pray you most humbly that if ye fynde youre selfe disposed to go and to search aduentures to suffer
that I may accoÌ„pany you if not to giue me leaue for I haue pointed to depart tomorrow early in the morning Amadis answer to Bruneo excusing himselfe that he was constrayned to leaue him In the .3 booke the .5 Chapter BY my fayth my great friend I haue all my life time desired such company as yours is being well assured that there could not chaunce to me but all honour and good fortune But the kings purpose and communication that he of late hath had wâ—th me not as yet to depart from his countrey doth constraine me to leaue and forsake your company whereof I am sore displeased Therefore I pray you to haue me excused praying God that he will conducte yoâ—â— King Arauignes Oration to his Souldiers inciting and prouoking them to behaue themselues strongly in the battell In the .3 booke the .5 Chapter WHat néede is it my Lords greatly to exhort you to fight well and strongly seeing that you are here to doe the same and your selues the authors of this war in the whiche you haue chosen me to be your head and principall coÌ„ductor the which thing is the principall cause and reason why that I shall shewe you what me thinketh and what my mynde is to the intent that after you haue perceiued me you maye haue before your eyes the cause why you are in so great nuÌ„ber of people gathered togither Certainly it is not to defend yâ—ur countrie your libertie your wiues your children or your goods But it is to conquer and to bring vnder the yoke a people the moste proudest and fiercest that is this daye liuing and the which estéeme vs being farre from them as nothing yet that notwithstanding I beléeue that they neare at hande dare not tarie for vs althoughe that you sée them march forwardes furiously but that notwitstanding if you beholde well their countenance it seemeth that it shoulde haue more efficacie to moue you and to giue an heart to fight well than all the wordes of any man lyuing yea although you were in a maner vnprouided and yll appointed But contrariwise we are here the floure and the strength of the most part of al the Ocean Isles and in such a great number that in a maner it were sinne to dout of our certain victoriâ— And more certenly to assure vs therof remembring that we are in a strange land and very farre from our owne not among our good friends but in the midst of al those that desire our death a thing that we can not auoide if we be once broken for they haue many horsemen by the whiche we shall be pursued hauing no maner of meane to retire to our ships And therfore we must be resolued either to winne or to die for the necessitie wherein we be is much more to be feared than their force and might therfore let euery man do his dutie and I hope or and before the night dothe deuide vs we shall be masters and Lordes of all this countrie and afterwardes redoubted and feared in all coastes of the world King Lisuards Oration vnto his Knightes aduertising them of his iust quarrell and that they for this cause should manfully sustaine his part In the selfesame booke the .5 Chap. MY friendes the right being on our side God the which is iust and in whose handes are the victories will if it please him helpe vs And if they would saye that they make warre vpon me to reuenge those only that last inuaded this Realme with King Cildadan be you assured that they maye well finde themselues deceiuedâ— for knowing and beléeuing to reuenge their iniurie vpon trust of some power their shame oftentimes groweth and increaseth and do ende and â—inishe their dayes as I hope they shall vnfortunately for there are none of you so yong and vnskilful to be in any such conflictes that is not experimented and reputed by themselues a wise and a hardie Knight They grounde their victories onely vpon the great number of people that they haue in their campe people I may saye gathered togither and of all nations the most part without order and without obedience the which séeing vs to drawe nigh shall be astonyed or euer we haue abased our lauÌ„ces and if we may once set them out of order and arrayeâ— we shall haue euen what we will. Let vs then boldly go on and make them knowe that they be not better men than their companions of whose burials and sepulchers our lande hath bene fatted and dunged and the Wolues three or foure times with their carren carcases repasted when they were by youre vertue and magnanimitie destroyed in battell The exhortation of King Perion of Fraunce to Amadis and Florestan his sonnes giuing them courage to be strong against their misfortune In the .3 booke and .6 Chap. HOwe nowe be you astonyed so sonâ— of the déedes of fortune are you yet to learne hir moueablenesse by my â—aith I thought you more strong and consâ—ant of one thing I praye you not to giue me more anoyance and heauinesse than I haue for your heauinesse doth cause such passions in my soule as only are sufficient to cause me to dye Therefore quiet your selues and let vs hope in God the which is almightie to drawe vs out of this place We muste commende our selues vnto him and haue our trust in him only but who would euer haue thought that we should haue falne into such an accident or chaunce by the onely persuasion of a simple Damsell vnder the colour of fayning hirself dumbe after that we had escaped the dangers of so cruell a battell Thus my children seing that we can set no order let vs contemning all naturall pitie that yâ—e may haue of me and I of you take our fortune in good worth Amadis answere to Archalaus the which demaunded what he was In the selfesame Chapter BY my fayth Lorde Archalaus when you shall knowe what we be I am sure that you will better intreat vs than we haue bene as yet for you being a Knight as we be and that hath often suffered the mischaunces and turnes of fortune as we doe shall not finde it euill that we haue holpen our friendes as we would doe for you in like case and if there be in vs any noble actes the same should be a meane to cause you the better to recognise and knowe whither you doe vs wrong or no. The Oration of Arquisill a Knight of Rome to his companions not to defer and delay the Combate and fight accorded and appointed In the .3 booke the .7 Chap. HOwe now my Lordes shall you forget and thus lese the reputation of our Empire Shall it be published that eleuen Knights of Rome haue bene through feare of death so slouthful as not to be so hardy to fight with twelue grosse Almaines vnexpert in armes by God if I alone had enterprised and taken them to taske I would not to die a thousand deathes togither defer it And if you feare and doubt of
good will. In the .4 booke the .4 Chap. MAdame I am maruellously displeasant that I had no better oportunitie to do you in this place the honor and the seruice that you merite and deserue but the time so euil to that purpose doth take away the occasion therefore I excusing my selfe do pray you not to take or impute a fault of a good will. For in times past you haue bounde me vnto you that there shall be no daye of all my life but I shall féele me your debter what seruice soeuer I may doe for you And bycause it is nowe long agoe since you did departe from your countrie it may be that the long abyding here in this countrie hath wrought you some displeasure I would therefore very greatly desire to knowe your deliberation and mynde that I might if it were possible haue some meane to obey you in the thing that should please you to commaunde me The answere of Grasinda to Amadis thanking him for his good will and affection that he beareth hir and that she will gather men to succour him in his affaires In the .4 boke the 4. Chapter MY Lord Amadis quoth she I shoulde be of a poore and of a verie slender iudgement if I knewe not certainly the companie and fauor that you did shewe me and that greater honour than coulde haue chaunced vnto me And the good intreating that you had as you say in my countrie if any such was shewed you is nowe but recompensed but to put you out of paine I will shewe you what I thinke I sée many good Knightes assembled for to helpe this Princesse the which altogither for the amitie and good estimation that they beare you haue put their hope and conduct vpon you â—o that it shall be impossible for you to put them from you without your great blame And seing that suche a charge is wholly set and layde vpon you ye must trauell to send on euery side to recouer people to help you so that the honour of so greate an enterprise may remayne with you and by the meanes and help of your friends be yours of the which I esteeme my selfe the firste And for this cause I intende to morow to send maister Elizabet into the parts of Rome to gather as many men as he can as well of my owne subiects as other and as shortly as he may to shippe them and to coÌ„uey them hither And in the meane time I shal kepe companie if it so please you with these other Ladyes if they wyll do me the honoure to receiue me trusting not to forsake theÌ„ vntill this warre begon haue taken another end Amadis letter to the Emperour of CoÌ„stantinople praying him to help him in his warres In the .4 booke the .4 Chapter RYght high and excellent Prince the knight of the gréene sword whose proper name is Amadis of Fraunce doth most humbly salute you And therefore sir I trauelling the countries after the destruction of Endriagne it pleased you to receiue me into youre Citie of Constantinople where after the honoure ye did me and had gently receiued me ye of your liberalitie offered to ayde me in fauoure of the seruices that I had done for you and to giue me succoure when néede shoulde require it through the reduction of the countrie the which ye named afterwards the I le of Sainct Mary Now the occasion is come whereby if it so please you ye may accomplish and fulfill your promise with the most iust quarell that is possible to be had or taken as master Elizabet shall shewe you whome I pray you sir wholly to beléeue for hys sake that doth kisse the hands of your maiestie Amadis Letters to Queene Briolania praying hir to giue good heede to the thing that he writeth and to helpe him folâ—owing hir good will. In the .4 booke the .4 Chap. I Beléeue Madame that after you haue perceiued by Tantilles your Steward the cause that hath moued me to send so diligently that you should fauour the thing that he shall tell you from me being well assured that vsing your gentle nurture you will not fayle me no more than ye beléeue that I woulde be readie to put my foote in the styrrop for you where necessitie shoulde offer it And bicause he hath bene present at the things which after my returne into this countrie haue chaunced me and that I haue giuen him charge to cause you to vnderstand them at length I will not trouble you to put you to the paine to reade any longer letter but I shall pray youâ— after you haue beléeued him to haue me continually in your grace and fauor of the whiche the same Amadis as long as he shall liue as yours desireth to haue a good part Amadis oration to Gâ—ndalin aduertising him of the good confidence that he hath in him and for this cause to goe to king Perin to aduertise him of his affaires to the ende and intent to helpe him In the .4 booke the .4 Chap. GAndalin thou art he that hath euermore had the kéeping of my most secrete and priuie affaires for the great amitie that we from our first yeres haue had togither as if nature of hir own selfe had called vs into one fraternitie Thou knowest that my honor is thyne and that thine doth touche me as myne owne Thou séest the affaires that I am in and of what consequence they be vnto me also the conclusion that by all these Knightes hath bene taken too busie and to call vpon our friendes and alies to haue mightie succour to sustain the force of king Lisuard if he assay and attempt to assayle vs By the meanes whereof I haue alreadie prepared letters to many Princes of whom I trust to recouer a good and a great company of men And notwithstanding thy absence is gréeuous vnto me yet I trusting more in thy diligence than in any others haue thought to send the to King Perion my father the which hath knowen thée long whom thou shalt cause to vnderstand better than any other of what importance this warre is if King Lisuard take it vpon him for as thou maist say vnto him it partly toucheth him in as much as this vnkinde King hath done shewed so great diâ—fame to all those of our linage as to driue them oute of his court after he had receiued of them an infinite of great seruices Thou shalt reciâ—e vnto him by smal pieces that thou knoweâ— and hast sone and the necessitie wherein thou didst leaue vs and that notwithstanding thou shalt yet assure him that I feare no power hauing so good right with me and so many knightes and that I had not made so greate an enterprise 〈◊〉 it had not bene that since God would call me to the order of cheualrie I haue thought nor minded no other thing but to kepe the estate of a knight defeÌ„ding to my power the wrong that men did to many and specially to ladies and Damsels the which ought
countenance they make they in a manner woulde be content that ye had the worse bycause ye followed not thryr fantasie notwithstanding that I doubt not but that there is none of them but wyll serue you faythfully Arcalaus Oration to King Arauigne inducing him to make war and to runne vpon King Lisuard and vpon Amadis in such suche places of theirs where they might be beste offended without succour and to make warre there where they be most letted and troubled In the .4 booke the .18 Chapter SYr a foure dayes past I certainely vnderstoode that King Lisuard and Amadis of Fraunce two the most greatest enimies that ye may haue are in such quarrell and strife that there is no hope that euer they shall haue peace together they gather greate companies of men to fighte and to giue battell whereof there cannot ensue and follow but the finall destruction of the one or other and peraduenture of both together And bicause the occasion doth nowe call you aswell to reuenge you of the losse that you haue had by them in times past as also to extende your limites borders making your selfe peaceable King of England I thinke ye should defer no longer to gather your people together and to call for all your friendes that whilest they be letted ye may easely enter into their countrey being far off from their aide and succour and if it chaunce that they méete together and fight then not gyuing the Uictor any leysure to refreshe his men ye must sodeâ—ly take him and geue him so sore a battell that neither of them both escape And ye shall vnderstand syr that the occasion of their enmitie doth procéede bicause that King Lisuard sent his eldest daughter to Rome giuyng hir in mariage to the Emperour but Amadis of Fraunce one of them that caused himselfe to be named in the battel that we lately lost the knight of the serpentes the which had if ye may remember it the gilded harneis with many other met the Romanes vpon the field whom they inuaded and finally destroyed and flew the Prince Salust Quide the Emperours nigh knisman the other taken prisoners with the Ladies and Damsels the which they haue caried and conueyed into the enclosed Iland where they retaine them as yet and yet I cannot well declare you the cause why they beganâ—e this warre but I am sure that King Lisuard to reuenge his iniurie prepareth the greatest armie that he can and that Amadis in like case hath sent into all partes to gather men to defende him if he be assayled And therefore Syr during this trouble ye shall haue if ye will a meane to giue them both the greatest ouerthrow of all the world taking them vnawares as I haue tolde you And to the end and intent that ye may at your eye know the victorie to be certaine I will doe so much that Bersimen Lord of Sanguese the sonne of him that the King caused to be burnt at London and likewise all those of the linage of Dardan the proude whom Amadis destroyde at Windesor shal come and helpe you with the King of the profounde and déepe I le and thus beyng with so great a number of good knightes ye shall not néede to doubte but that ye shall come to your intent and purpose King Arauignes answere to Arcalaus by the which he is purposed to follow his counsell In the .4 booke the .8 chapter My great friend quoth Arauignes ye tel me great things although that I had purposed not to tempt fortune any more shewing me so litle fauor in times past so it should be great fâ—lly as me thinketh to leaue those things which bâ— so many meanes offer themselues to augment my honour great profit for if in suche a case y enterprises guided by reason come to the issue that men desire he receiueth such fruit of his labor as he deserueth And if it chaunce otherwise meÌ„ at the least wayes do eâ—ecute the thing to the which vertue doth hind them to maintaine their authoritie the which ought not so greatly to esteme the misfortunes which are past that they when the houre presenteth it selfe shoulde delay to receiue it not losing their courage nor continuing all the rest of their life as fearefull faint hearted Seing therfore that I am in these termes I wil beleue you praying you whilest that I shall prepare my armie to order the rest to go to Barsinan and the other and to cause them to ioyne with vs. Agraies Oration to the knights of the inclosed Isle vpon the enterprise of the warre inciting them to shew themselues vertuous and strong in the businesse that doth offer it selfe In the fourth booke the .10 chapter MY lords I cannot tell how that we with honestie may delay to take vpon vs this warre seing the iust occasioÌ„ that we haue and that our enimie euen now maketh as though he would come to finde vs but yet who so wil beleue me he shall neither get nor obtaine the honor but yet let vs doe our diligence to assemble our strength and let vs go into his cuntrey and cause our selues to be knowne for such men as we be for once if we suffer them to come hyther we shal set theÌ„ in such a pride that he which of his nature is presumptuous shall thinke to haue already the vpper hand of vs and so we shal be in diuers maner of sorts yll estemed giuing occasion to many to doubt as much of our right as of my lady Orianes for whoÌ„ we are fallen into these matters As touching my selfe I sware vnto you vpon my honor that if it had not béen for the instant and great prayer and request that she made vnto me to haue peace I had neuer consented that they shoulde haue sente any Ambassadours into Englande béeyng so outrageously vsed as we be But feyng that our enimie doth declare so muche vnto vs I am quited of my promise and resolued neuer to enter into amitie or aliance with him vntill he hath felt howe greatly we may anoye him or helpe him séeing that we haue the wayes to recouer as warlikemen of warre as they be which he shall bryng with him Thus my maisters I am of this mind that we prepare our selues to war without any longer delaye and that we assone as our aide is aryued go straight to London if he come forwards to fight with vs to giue him battell Amadis Oration to Agraies vpon the resolution of the warre beyng readie to doe his duetie and to followe Agraies aduise In the .4 booke the .13 Chapter MY cousin I as yet haue séene none but that is ready to do that you haue said and if any haue â—ebated the inconueniences that may commonly chaunce in warre that is not yet to saye that they will exempt themselues but to prouide for the same as reason would they shoulde And as concerning that they thinke it good we shoulde enter into King Lisuardes land nor
to giue him leysure to come finde vs here I haue bene euer of this minde if the rest of you my Lordes and good friendes will the same for by this meanes he perceiuing that we aproche so nigh vnto him will chaunge pâ—raduenture his opinion and shall require vs to doe the thing that we in times past most humbly desired him The Oration of Guillan the pensife to the Emperor of Rome in the name of King Lisuard declaring vnto him the taking of his meÌ„ and of the lady Oriane that therâ—ore he is purposed to make warre against the knights of the Isle inclosed and that it would please him therefore to ayde him In the fourth booke the .13 Chapter SYr sayde Guillan King Lisuard my maister doth sende yâ—a word that for to haue your amitie and perpetuall aliance he was well content following the request that ye caused to be made vnto him by your Ambassadors to marrie the lady Oriane his eldest daughter and principall inherit or vnto you and in déede after many difficulties auoyded among the princes Lordes and subiectes of his Realme he deliuered her into the hands of those that haue power by you to receiue hirâ— but it chaunced that Amadis of Fraunce and other his mates with a certaine number of shippes spied them and in suche sort assailed theÌ„ in a straite that after they had â—ought a lonâ— space the Prince Salust Quide was slaine and all the rest of your men were ledde as prisoners into the inclosed Ilande where that as yet my lady Oriane is detained the Quéene Sardamire and other that were in this company But yet afteewardes thinking to pacifiâ— the faulte that they had done they sent Ambassadours to his Maiesâ—ie offering him many good partes and offers the which he woulde not receiue before he vnderstoode your wil and pleasure for as much as the iniurie that they haue done him doth touche you as much or more than him And therefore he hath commaunded me to shewe you that if ye be minded to take vengeance on them that he will bring a great armie into the fielde if ye of your part will doe the like being assured that if your strength be once ioyned you and he shall easely bring them to suche a point and reason as ye shall thinke good The Oration of King Lisuard to the Romanes setting before theyr eyes the great wrong done vnto theyr companions and that they shoulde therefore seeke to be reuenged against their enimyes and not to lease theyr courage in so iust a quarrell In the .4 booke the .19 Chapter MY masters and great friends ye haue sene and proued in these two méetings how that fortune hath shewed hir selfe our enimie in suche wise that in giuing vs the worsâ— shée hath triumphed by the death of my good brother the Emperour your maister and of many other valiant knightes the woyche in effect reuenging them vpon theyr â—nimyes woulde haue come to the thing that they become vnto â— bycause that this was the fayrest experience that they coulde doe by their vertue and strength to obtayne the glory whervnto they breathed And to come therevnto they thought it lesse than nothing to put their lyues in ioperdie and that it â—â—s muche better to dye valianâ—ly defending themselues than goyng backe to escape And bycause they woulde fall into no suche dishonour and shame they had rathâ—r throughe great magnanimitie of courage to endure and suffer fortune than to obey feare not bicause I wyll in alâ—â— thing reâ—â—ke those that scaped knowing the great diligence that they puâ— themselues to but to pray you â—ll that preferring your honour aboue the heauinesse that ye maye haue of the losse of your companions yâ— will assaye the truce fayling to reauenge them fighting strongly with them that are too prouide of their viâ—orie I am of this mynd that we shall put our selues in lâ—sse daungers and lesse â—azaâ—de our selues tyll wâ— may haue vpon themâ— that they haue had vpon vs nor that to haue lesse courage to assayle them or to defende vs if fortune doe continue to diffaine â—s consideryng that if we all die that it shall be vnto vs an immortall glorie and one Sepulchre the most honorable that wée can wyshe for or desire for all the earth in generall is the verye place where the bodyes of noble and couragious men shoulâ—e bée layde whose memorie is not conserued and kepte onely by Epitaphes and inscriptions but by the renoume of those that publishe themselues among strange nations that consider more in theyr mindes the greatnesse and heygth of courages than the thing that fortuned vnto them considering that cowardnesse accompanyed wyth shame is more grieuous and diâ—pleasant to a man that hath a good and an entire harte than the death that chauncâ—th by manfulnesse with the hope of publike glorie That thing my great friends maketh me beleue that ye not degeneratyng from your predecessors shall doe that â—hâ— worldâ— may knowe the great vertue and constancie that is in you and that in tho deathe of your Prince all yours â— not ioyned and contained Therefore I pray you to tell â—e the deliberation where to ye intrude to the intent that I following your resolution may take counsell on my part to set in order the thing that shal be necessarie assuring you by tâ—â— worde of a King that if I should die a thousande deathesâ— I will not departe from hence vntill I haue an ende of my enimyes or they of me Nascian the hermites Oration to King Lisuard aduertising him that he is not so nyghe him without a great cause and occasion and furthermore he sheweth him that he shoulde not goe aboute to marie his daughter Oriane to the Emperour bycause she is ioyned to another and giueth him the reason why And by this meanes he entendeth to turne him from the enterprise of warre In the .4 booke the .19 Chapter SYr ye haue good cause and reason so to thinke for certainly my great age and estate where vnto it hath pleased the Lorde to haue called me long since doth well excuse me to be among this bloudy people yet considering the euill that myghte haue happened if I had deferred my enterprise I haue not feared to trauell my body trusting to doe agreable seruice to God and healthfull to your soule Understande syrâ— that beyng a fewe dayes since in the hermitage wheâ—e by chaunce I wayted for you and when you and I communed togethen of the strange nouriture of Esplandian I then knewe the occasion of the warre that ye haue begonne agaynst Amadis and hys and neuerthelesse I am sure that ye can not doe nor perfourme the thyng that ye haue enterprised that is to marrie my Ladie your daughter to the Emperour of Rome for the whyche too manye yll chances are alreadie chaunced not onely bycause they are not agréeable as well to the greatest as to the leaste of your Realme as oftentymes they haue caused it to
be told you but for another reason syr the whych was hyd from you and manyfesâ— to mée agaynst the which by the law of God ye cannot say the contrarie That is how that my lady Oriane is already ioyned in mariage to another wherwith our Lorde hath béen wel conteÌ„ted it was his pleasure it should be so Syr this is it why I saide vnto you that the thing whyche was hid from you was manifest to me as I shall euen now declare vnto you for ye cannot knowe it of any other â—ut by me Syr the selfe same day that I by your commaundement was to séeke you in the forest where to giue the longer pleasure of hunting to the Ladies that were there with you ye caused your pauilions and tentes to be spred and set vp I brought vnto you I know not whether ye remember it the yoÌ„g Esplandian the which ye represented to the Lionesse that had giuen him sucke euen from the beginning and on the selfe same day I heard my lady Orians confession wherein she declared vnto me that she had promised Amadis to marie him when he deliuered hir from the handes of Arcalaus the enchaunter vnto whom ye had deliuered hir a little before that the Damsell by whom ye were enchaunted set you your estate in more danger thaÌ„ was possible froÌ„ the which Galaoâ— retired and deliuered you And beléeue syr that it is verye like that our Lorde God hath consented to this mariage for why EsplandiaÌ„ is come forth of whom Vrgande the vnknowâ— hath told so many maruels the which ye know And therfore ye ought not to be displeased séeing that Amadis is a Kingâ— sonne and estemed in al places one of the best and most gracious knightes of the worlde wherefore syr I counsell you shewing your selfe such as ye haue bene alwayes to saue the honor and conscieÌ„ce of my lady your daughter and that making an ende of this warre ye call hir againe and entreate hir from henceforth â—s reason would ye should thus doyngâ— the Lorde will be contented wyth you the which otherwyse may be angrye for the effusion of so muche humaine bloude the which ye hitherto caused to be shed without any occasion The Oration of Nascian the heâ—mit to Amadis wherein he admonisheth him to put al his affaires to God by whose meanes he hath auoyded so many daungers and euident periâ— and that he as much as he might should seeke for peace of King Lisuard In the .4 booke the .19 Chapter MY sonne before ye shall vnderstand perceiue the cause that hathe moued me to come and see you I will set before your eyes the great obligations for the which ye are indâ—tted to our Lord that from hencefoorth ye may be the more inclined to do the things that may be agreable and pleasante vnto him I beléeue ye haue oftentimes heard and assured it that from the first day that ye were borne ye were deliuered to the waters of the Sea and set in a little bote without any other defender or kéeper than God by whose goodnesse ye fell into the hands of such as afterwards haue so eleuated you that ye are come to be the most accomplished knighte that men do know at this present for why the Lord hath giueÌ„ you the power and force to fyght and to ouercome diuers Gyants monsters Tyrantes and very cruell beastes whereby your renoume is extended in all quarters of the earth And seing he hath prouided you of so great grace it is reason that ye should know him as the soueraigne Lord and to take payne to giue him thanks humbling your selfe before his face or else all his fauors that he hath lent you shall turne to your shame and rebuke My sonne ye may sée howe old and how caduke I am so that nature doth almost fayle me and yet I feare not to take vpon me thys long iourney to come to you bycause I being in my hermitage haue perceiued the discord that is betwene you and king Lisuard with whome I haue spoken of late and do find him such as a good Prince should be the seruant and minister of God and prest if there be no let in you to gyue an eare to peace the whych ye should not refuse as well for the quietnesse and rest of your conscience as of your body And to the intent ye should not disguise youre fantasie I maye assure you that I knowe more of your affayres than ye thinke for my Lady Oriane hathe tolde me in confession the secretes of you both Amadis answer to Nascian the hermit wherein he recogniseâ—â— his fault with a promise to amende In the .4 booke the .19 Chapter MY Father if I serued the Lord after the graces that he hathe shewed me I shoulde be the fortunatest knight of the world but I a sinner as I am preferring sometimes my pleasure aboue his glory fall and do amisse as other men do whereof I am displeased and sory and hope knowing my fault to do better from hencefoorth thaÌ„ I haue done in times past praying you most humbly not to feare or to defer to tell me the thing that ye shall sée I ought to do to please him for in as much as I may possible I will obey you Nascian the hermits Oration to king Perion Amadis father solliciting him to procure peace In the .4 booke the .19 Chapter SYr I beséech you to beleue that considering the estate that I of long time am called vnto and the greate age that I am in I would not haue departed from my wood and forest to come among so many men of warre if it had not bin that my long tarying might haue caused an euill whereof the Lord might haue bin angrie not only with and against you and the people that is gathered togither in these two féelds but also against many other that could not do with this discord that is betwene you and king Lisuard with whome I haue spoken already and haue so well conuerted him to peace that he is ready as I haue told your sâ—nne Amadis to receiue it and hath remitted me wholly vnto you Therfore I beseech you sir giuing vp your passions to the profyte and â—ranquilitie of so many people not to disdayne the thing that is offered you and that you your selfe should purchase and labour for King Perions answer to Nascian where he â—heweth the greaâ—e â—ault committed by the king and yet that notwithstanding receyuing Oriane into the court with his fauour he is ready to mâ—ke peace prouiding that he marrie hir not agaynst hir will. In the same Chapter MY father quoth king Perion God â—e my witnesse of the displeasure that I haue had for the things that be past with the losse of so muche good people and how willingly I woulde haue taken another way if king Lisuard would haue perceiued it but he did alwayes at hand shewe him selfe so high that he whatsoeuer we sayd vnto him setting the matter
pleasure And as touching your father I know long since what should happen vnto him but yet I could not remediâ— it for it was so ordeined by the prescience and for knowledge of God the which shall suffer him with the time to returnâ— to his countrey as well content as euer he was The coÌ„plaint of Matroco vpon the body of Arcalaus his vncle whom Esplandian had slayne In the .5 boke the .5 Chapter ALas Arcalaus my good vnâ—le how hard is the losse of you to me in what place soeuer it should haue chaunced and by a more stronger reason in this my castel wher I thought to make you good chéere and long Alas aftâ—r ye had past the floure of your age and so many daungerous chaunces and infinite perilles should it come and chaunce you vpon the end of your old yeares to receiue such a death in my house the which I estéemed a sure place not only for you and me but for all my parents and friends What vengeance maye I take at any time of this traytor that so greatly hath offended me seing that if I shoulde put him to death a hundred times vpon a day yet it is lesse than nothing in respect of the euill that he hath wrought me At least wayes if it had bin Amadis of Fraunce so renoumed among men or one of hys two brothers or else al thrée togither my dolour might somwhat haue swaged for the euill that I shoulde haue caused them to suffer But what I must néedes eueÌ„ by reason fight with one and seing the force that he continually hath done he should already estéeme himselfe ouercomde What glory should I then obtaine of his victorie Certesse euen suche as if I had beaten or ouercomde a simple woman féeble as â—he is of nature And so he vnworthy of my presence shall if it chance that I make but a countenaÌ„ce only â—o outrage him increase in glory Yet chaunce what chaunce may to my honor or otherwise he must néedes die The Oration of Esplandian to his people being in the mountayne defended fighting agaynste king Armato to encourage them to fyght strongly considering that it is for the glory and libertie of a christian name In the .5 booke the 26. Chapter MY friends we be not at this present entred into the aduentures of England where men fight more for fantasie or vayneglory than vpon any iust occasion but this war that we make against the enimies of our fayth doth call vs not only to do our duetie but to defend the honour and libertie of a christian name And therefore I pray you my companions that euery one of vs do purpose to cast feare behinde and to prefer vertue and manhood aboue all inconueniences that may chance vnto vs assuring you if we so do that before it be day king Armato and his armie shall well féele that we be not so sleepâ—e as they thinke The Oration of king Lisuard to his vassales and friendes shewing the goodnesse and pleasures that he hath receiued of Amadis and for this reason and cause he gyueth vp vnto him his crowne and his Scepter and the right of his realme and that they for this cause should be his faithfull and true vassales In the .5 booke the .28 Chapter MY good vassals and frieÌ„ds first and or euer I make you vnderstande perceiue why wherfore I haue coÌ„manded you to come togither I wil shew you part of the dangers fortunes wherein I haue bin since the death of my brother king Falanges and since it hath pleased the Lord to call me to the gouernemente and rule of you and of this realme in thâ— whiche as I thinke there are yet many liuing that can remember the danger into the whiche â—oth I and my countries as we thought shoulde haue fallen when that by the meanes and subtiltie of Arcalaus the enchanter I was put in the power of those that long before had conspired my death of the which my sonne Amadia hath deliuered me And neuerthelesse awhyle after by euil counsel I made sore war against him the whiche being raysed as euery man dothe know fortune enuying my rest prepared after that suche a banket for me that without him being king Arauignes prisoner I had bin lost for euer And this yet hathe assonyed me more for when I esteemed me certenly out of all suche misfortunes a worse than the other chanced me the whiche I thought well considering the place I was brought vnto to be the consumination of my troubles and of my life togythâ—r But yet the Lord loking with pitie vpon me sent my little sonne Eâ—plandian into my heauy prison from whence as ye all might haue bin aduertised he deliuered me Nowe ye see that I am old and all white being already threscorâ— and ten yeares of age the which thing causeth me to thinke that from henceforth it is time and season to forget worldly things and to retourne to God that hath bound me so greatly vnto him And for this cause I am purposed from henceforth to leaue Amadis my sonne to be your king vnto whome euen now I giue ouer my crowne my Scepter and the right that I haue in thys realme praying you all as much as I may possible that from this time foorth ye be vnto him faithfull and obedient as ye haue bin to me And although he be maried to my daughter if I knew hym vnworthy to rule you beléeue me my friends I would sooner haue chosen one to succeede me that had bin lesse vnto me than he is but theâ— is none of you that knoweth not his merites and the lyne that he descendeth of the which may this day name himselfe one of the most noblest and most fortunate of all the world as descending of the Troyans whose memorie shall neuer peâ—ish he is a kings sonne the inheriter of the kingdome of France and at this present your Priâ—â—â— and Lord I leaue you him with my daughter your Quéene and lawfull princesse retayning to my selfe no other thing but the only castle of Mirefleur where that the Quéene and I by Gods help shal finish our days religiously seruing our God as we be bound The Oration of Cormellie to Esplandian the which was sore astonyed of the thing that Leonorine sent him word of aduising him not to take in euill part the answer that Leonorine had sent his father and that the dissimulation of the loue of Ladies ought not to be takeÌ„ as a refusing in asmuch as it signifieth most often perfyte and entire amitie In the 5. booke the .33 Chapter HOw now my Lorde be ye astonied of so little by my â—oule now I know well that the affections and loue of men do greatly differ from the passions that we simple women indure when we fal into this extremitie and know you wherein ye men do coÌ„monly take pleasure to open the thing that ye loue be it by word or by countenance and oftentimes ye fayne moreouer that there
is no such thing and â—hat is worsse the more that the Lady or damsell the whiche is loued be of a good house and of great merite so much the more ye do glory wherby men know that not only ye beare them affection but that ye are loued and that she beareth you good wil aboue al other the which is very contrarie to the nature of womeÌ„ I meane of such as may name themselues wise for why the higher that the pareÌ„ts be the more feare they haue that meÌ„ should perceiue their amorous passions and in such sort that ordinarily they denie with word gesture and countenance the thing that they haue most printed in their hart and mind And not without cause considering that the thing which ye turne to prayse as ye think that your loue is made manifest doth bring vnto them and their honor a certayne spot the which oftentimes they cannot well deface So then it is more than necessarie to obserue this modestie and constancie in vs not that I will restrayne my selfe to this law seing that all my glory and felicitie doth hang and dependâ— vpoÌ„ you and so that I desire no greater thing in this worldâ— than that the loue and seruice that I beare vnto you were published euery where to the intent that they which shall haue knowledge of your great valure and of my litle merit may know euen then what is in me to be yours as I am Thus my Lord if séemeth to me that ye should take in good part and greatly to your aduantage the purpose that Gastilles hath written vnto you that ye were bound to my Lady Leonorina and in the presence of the Emperour for I answer you vpon my honour that both your affections are reciprokes and that she hath spoken very wisely vsing suche dissimulation I say not but that she had some occasion to be miscontented considering and seing the wordes which I at other times haue brought hir from you but that is easely amended And if the amitie loue that she so long hath borne you should be vtterly broken as I thinke it be not nother more nor lesse than a bowe that is broken péeced together agayne the whiche is more stronger in the place that it is mended in than in any other so you being present and in hir company shall bring togither and amend that ye shall finde broken and shall make hir to be much more yours than euer she was And therefore I would counsell you that obeying hir ye goe vnto hir and eueÌ„ to morow if it be possible A letter from Armato the king of the Turkes to all the princes of the Orient commaunding them to bring togither their force and strength to chase the Christians out of his limits and to conquer the Empire of Constantinople In the .5 booke the .45 Chapter ARmato called by the prescience of our gods immortall â—o the gouernmeÌ„t and rule of the great kingdome of Turkie Frontier and bulwarke of the Paganes lawe to all hys Califfes Kings Sondans Admirals and gouernoures of the lands that are in the parts of the Orient gréeting At my retourning out of prison whereof we are now deliuered I thought it good to giue you knowlege that not long since ther is come out of the North countrey as men say into these coastes a knight of the line of Brutus the Troyane vnto whome our gods haue permitted for our vnrighteousnesse as it is very like to conquere the mountaine defended putting to death Matroco and Furion two knightes estéemed among the best of all the Orient And that they do that is far worse dayly increase the number of Christians and labour to exterminate and destroy our holy law To withstaÌ„d this we haue taken armes vpon vs and prepared a strong and a puissaÌ„t armie thinking at the least to driue them out of our limites But yet after that we had kept a long siege before the mountaine Defended and had brought it to such extremitie that they which were within had no more vitailes he of whome we doubted most and the firste that enterprised this warre found a meane by the fauoure of a vile palliard one of ours called Frandalo to enter in and by cautell and subtiltie to take vs in such sort that our armie was destroyed and we remayned as prisoners in their handes where they kept vs for the space of a whole yeare most strayghtly during the same our affayres fell from ill to worse so by treson craftinesse they be in possessioÌ„ of Alfarin and of Galatia two of the best hauens of our realme The which they should neuer haue done without the help succour of that traytor vnfaithful Emperour of Constantinople And now they gather so much people that without your ayde we be in danger to fall into their mercie a thing that shall be of greate consequence seing that we be as ye know the frontier and rampier of you all Therefore we praye you and admonishe you in our Gods that as well for the defence of our Lawe as for the vtilitie of all the countrey of the East ye assemble your strength in so greate a number that we maye chase and driue awaye these Christians from our borders and conquer the Empire of Constantinople vnto the partes of Fraunce and Englande the which shall be vnto vs easy and profitable Esplandians letter to the Emperour of Rome shewing hym of the great armie of the infidell potestates sent and prepared to destroy the Christians and that for this cause he must giue help to a thing of so great importance In the same booke the 47. Chapter MY Lord the danger that I sâ—e prepared for all christendome doth coÌ„strayn me to send Enil vnto you by whom ye may vnderstand at length the greate streÌ„gth and puissant armie that all the kings and potentates of the East the enimies of our fayth haue prepared at the persuasion of Armato king of Turkie to come to destroy not onely the Empire of Greece but to presse further vntill they haue cleane extermined and quenched our fayth and beléefe And for asmuch as they whose place and roome ye hold haue bin euermore the true defenders and protectors of our Religion and also bycause the case doth touch you so nigh I thinke my Lorde that ye shoulde spare nothing that is in your might and power but assemble your fores in all extremitie and prepare your vassals to help that good prince the which is the borderer as ye know to you and to all the potentates that hold of the law of Iesu Christ. I haue written likewise to the king my father and to the moste parte of all other Christian Lordes vnto whome I sende Gandalin And bycause I haue charged Enil to shewe you the rest I wyll sende you no longer letter but praye you to beléeue hym as my selfe An iniurious letter of Rodrigue the great Soudan of Liquie to the knight of the great SerpeÌ„t threatning him for his enterprise
.19 Chapter VRgand of Cognue gréeteth thée knighte of the burning sword know thou that to retire to another place out of prison thou or euer it belong shalt enter into a more and a greater captiuitie where neuer slaue was put and thy soule and body shal be so afflicted that this same sword the whych hath oftentimes saued the place that thou art issued of shall thorough pierce thy body and within a while it shall bée pluct out by his hands that thinking to saue himselfe shall restore thée a life worsse than a thousand deathes togyther thys martirdome shal endure vnto the time that thy fathers house being at a point to fall downe be holpen and saued by his first possessioner and beléeue me for it shall so come to passe as I haue foretold thee And to the intent thou mayest credit it vnderstand that to saue thée froÌ„ one misâ—ortune into the which thou shouldest fall this day fighting with the knight of Quay I gaue thée a white shâ—eld and did aske thée the gifte that afterwardes thou didst graunt me and didst kéepe it whereof thou shouldest thanke me bycause that without my prouidence thou shouldest haue falne into a repentance as long as thou hadst liued as by the time thou shalt know better and rather trauell not thy selfe to thinke to knowe nothing for that should be but lost payne and labour as wel as to search it of me let it suffise thée that I know thée better than thou knowest thy selfe and for the hope of a help and succoure that I trust once to haue of thée I did beare and shew thée such fauor Go on with the residue of thy enterprise without delay of any occasion that should present it self perceiuing that it is the will of him whose man thou shalt be in time to come Zirfee being praysed by the knight of the burning sword doth answer that he did but his dutie seing that the propertie of noble men is to do noble actes In the .7 booke the .30 Chapter IN good fayth sir knight ye giue me great prayses for the thing that hath not deserued it and the which I coulde not but do without leauing off thrée principall points the which all required of mine estate whereof the first is to knowe in time of aduersitie the pleasure that we haue receyued of our enimie causing euery man to know that he whome a man may graciously recompeÌ„ce in season hath also a meane and a way to reuenge iniuries suffered during his misfortune The second doth shew it selfe in all ciuill season and of pitie after as the case doth offer it selfe And for the thirde not to trouble the minde at no time for the noyances and troubles that chance but that reason and discretion may continually haue dominion and rule And these three poynts are notoriously necessary to all noble men continually to maynteine â—irmâ—ly and vnmouably their high and great estate for vertue that dothe not perishe causeth a man to be muche more noble and exalted than all the corruptible goodes of fortune and subiect to hir passions and mobilitie seing also that often times and too much they are giuen to suche as neuer deserue them But it goeth farre otherwise with vertue for he alone doth obtaine it that doth a déede worthie to haue it Also men by vertue onely ought to be estéemed and honored yea and reputed more ritcher thaÌ„ if they had all the ritches of the world bicause that the true ritches which perishe not are the renoume of the good and the noble actes of a vertues man. The Oration of Maudan to the King requiring his pardon for the treason that he had committed promisyng so doyng to obey him more than euer he dyd In the seuenth booke the 46. Chapter SYr ye may sée in me how that fortune doth play with such euill men as I am nor it was neuer séene but that one sinne draweth vnto him another and the second many moe in so much that at the last they blind men so well that thinking to goe the great way they fall into the dytch that they made whereout afterwards they cannot draw themselues The which doth nowe manifest it selfe in me that enuying the honour that ye dyd to the knight of the burning sworde found and inuented the thing that I tolde you of him and the Queene to driue him from your court to haue and to obtaine his place Well I was cause of that great euill and I know that I merite an excéeding great torment yet Syr I beséech you preferring pitie mercie aboue the rigour of your iustice that it wil please you to pardon me causing euery man therby to know that my sinne and fault is gréeuous and your clemencie and goodnesse very extreme and great the which shal turne to your great laude and praise I and mine remaining for euer bound to serue you more than any other of your subiectes in as much as ye shall pardon and forgyue me more than all other The Oration of Queene Baruca to the King of Saba hir husband praying him to receiue hir into his good grace and not to be no more so light to beleeue without hearing of bothe partes In the .7 booke the .46 Chapter MY Lord seyng this my innocencie is open and knowen I beseeche you to receiue me into your good grace as I was before and to remember another time not to beléeue so lightly without vsing your power vpon the accused or euer ye heare his iustificatioÌ„s considering how ye haue procéeded rigorously not onely against my chastitie but against my honor and the honor of the house that I come of The Oration of Magadan King of Saba to the knight Amadis of Fraunce excusing himselfe that he receiued him not as he deserued praying him not to take it in euill part In the 7. booke the .46 Chapter MY great friende if I had knowen you aswell yesterday as I do at this present I would haue borne and shewed you more honor but the griefe that I had of the euil words that were tolde me oâ— the Quéene caused me to forget all curtesie yea and my owne nature the which is to receiue all straungers that come to my court graciously So I pray you not to take this faulte in yll part but to excuse it and wyth this charge that from henceforth I will take payne and labour to amend it The Oration of the Duke of Buillon to those of his linage prouoking them to take vengeance for the death of his sonne and to recouer their honour so abused In the .7 booke the 48. Chapter MY masters my good friends and alies ye haue séene and knowen the dishonor that the Emperour our Prince hath purchased not only to me but to you all aswell in particular as in generall and in such a sort that hauing no regard to vs which are so great and mightie he as euery man doth know hath onely caused him most villaine to be taken that next vnto
vnto you that I speake not without reason ye shall vnderstande that the great God Iupiter Mars appeered one of these nights past to your good Prince Zair wherof the euill doth come that noth hold trouble him And they haue threatned him verie sore reproued him seing they called him not to such a highnesse to let the faith of the christians to increase and not to â—are for that in the which he liued And bicause he would not wholly fall into their indignation bad to commaund you incontinently to enterprise the conquest of Trebisonde or else that we and he should be so well chastened that prouing the rigorousnesse of fortune we should come late to repentance Thus if we will obey them executing their holy will we shall be sure of the victorie and Zair shall mary Onoloria the Emperours daughter of whom I spake vnto you of these two shal come so complet a knight that the sunne is not brighter among the starres than his renoume shal be from the Orient to the Occident among men And this is Princes and Lordes the cause for the which the Soudan your soueraigne King hath caused him to be called for this day purposing as touching his part not to shewe himself any other than most humble and most obedient to gods will trusting that of your parte ye wil not be tardife in so good a worke but cause your high valiantnesse and chiualrie that is in you to be knowne throughout all the world ye shall follow that is predestinate vnto you of the which I may beare witnesse for althoughe I be but a woman yet should I be very displeasant that so glorious an enterprise should passe out of my presence sighte Thus honourable Princes make ye together a resolution vpon this that your king intended to shew you with his own mouth if the euill that he féeleth had not forbydden and letted him to speake purposing wholly to ensue and follow the inspiration of Iupiter and your good aduise trusting in the faithfulnesse zeale that euery one of you hath as I thinke to the encreasement of his honour the which shall be your wealth and aduancement A letter from Abra in the name of Zair hir brother Soudan of Babylon to the Infant Onoloria of whom being very amorous he laboureth to haue hir good grace and fauour In the .8 booke the .7 Chapter MAdam I pray you as much as is possible reading thys letter to consider howe Zair the Soudan of Babilon the king of the Pagan Princes and the most mightie Monarch that is this day vpon the earth doth finde himselfe so beaten with the arrowes of the god of loue the which being enforced fréely to declare vnto you the paine that he indureth to be yours hath coÌ„ceiued this boldnesse to write this word vnto you to cause you to vnderstand that the seruitude that he beareth was diuinely motioned and by the inspiration of Venus sonne the which appearing one night among all other to me represented to me the excellencie of your beautie so liuely that he woulde me the ruler and Lorde of Lordes and that all my lyfe haue béene frée and withoute subiection to become seruaunt and slaue of your good grace the which thing I require you most humblye not to denie mée but waying the greatnesse of my estate and the noble bloude whereof I take my beginning to vse me as I deserue assuring you Madame that hauyng this fauour I shall estéeme it more than if the rest of the whole worlde toke me for theyr naturall Lord and yet more if I myghte receiue some Iuell or some sleue of you to weare ending the combattes that I haue set forth to vpholde your perfecte beautie the which far passeth all the most excellent that hath bene or maye be for euer kissing for the ouerplus a thousand and a thousande times your diuine and white handes with all reuerence The Oration of Abra Zair sister to the Infant Onoleria expouÌ„dyng vnto hir the vehemente loue that hir brother do the beare hir the whyche oughte to moue hir sweetely to intreate hym and to take pitie of his torment In the eyghte booke the .7 Chapter I Maruell Madam how it is possible that with so great beutie and wisedome that is in you rigour and disdaine maye haue any parte Ye haue as I haue vnderstanded slenderly regarded the letter that the Soudan my brother hath writteÌ„ vnto you and the euill that he suffereth in louing you so perfectly as he hath certified you I pray you for gods sake to coÌ„sider that his life if ye vse long such crueltie towards him will be short and that ye shall leese in léesing of him the best and the most affectionated seruant that euer ye shall get and me also the which hath merited more greater punishmente for the wrong that he hath done you in louing you if it may be cald wrong than you him for why he neuer thought but to obey and to please you and I for to find some remedy for his vnmeasurable passion the which hath bin the cause why I haue sent you by one of my women the thing that hathe somewhat better as she hath reported to me contented you The answer of Onoleria to Abra Zairs sister reprouing hir of hir foolish enterprise and that if hir brother make any further suite she will cause it to be reuenged In the .8 booke the .7 Chapter I Thinke Madame that it shoulde sufficiently ynough haue suffised you that ye haue done already without charging me a new and so that if I haue had some occasion of griefe or anoyance against your brother to haue bin on my part too much forgetfull Now where ye thinke to excuse him ye accuse him the more and do cause me to thinke that ye doubt that I féele not my self to be the daughter of so great an Emperoure and to be extract and to come of suche bloud that I had rather neuer to haue bin than for any thing to defile the least part of my honour And therfore assure him that causeth you to vse such wordes that I if he continue in this foolishe suite and you in your importunitie shall aduertise suche a one that in aduenging me shall complayne of you and of him euen as ye merit and deserue The Oration of the knight Birmâ—rtes to the Emperoure of Trebisond wherein he aduertiseth him of the will that he hath to fyght in the honor and fauor of my Lady Oriane whome he esteemeth the most perfect in all things that is in the rest of the world In the .8 booke the .9 Chapter RIght mightie and excellent prince the representation that I beare of hir that hath not hir péere in perfect beutie doth remoue the fault from me that I might haue receyued not doing at my comming the honor and reuerence vnto you that your highnesse merited And for to declare the cause that moued me to come to this your court ye shall vnderstand sir that I
and mine and with what weapon thou wilt choose the campe being before the palace of the right puisant Emperour of Trebisond And to the intent thou despise not this combat bicause thou art presented by a woman I do open vnto thée that the custome of Sarmate hath gotten and procured me the possession of cheualrie and the name of a knight and in such sort that the victorie that thou shalt obtayne vpon me if thou obtayne it shall be very noble bicause of diuers other that I haue won vpon many as valiant as thou art the whiche haue proued the force and strengthe of my armes And thy auncient glory shall be nothing the lesse notwithstanding the good countenance that fortune hath born thée and shewed thée hitherto but greatly aduanunced hauing the vpper hande of suche a Quéene and so mightie as I am and that desireth to extinguish to hir power this cruelnesse wherewith the beautie of thy eye can ouercome as men say and conquer the high Ladies and damsells that sée and behold thée A letter from Lisuard to Abra the Empresse of Babilon wherin he sheweth the causes of his comming to Zairs countrâ—y and the good cause why he slew him and he declareth the good affection that he beareth to the foresayd Abra. In the 8. booke the .36 Chapter SOueraygne Empresse of Babilon and of the Parthes Lisuard of Greece Infant of Constantinople and Trebisonde and the seruant of Iesu Christe doth gréete you and honor you as your highnesse doth merite Ye shall vnderstand right honorable Lady that the imperiall bloud of Greece ioyned wyth the glorious and inuincible Englande hathe broughte me to the place where truely I haue founde the meane to reuenge the iniurie that I receiued by the prince Zair In doing whereof and with so good and so iust a cause I thynke that I haue not offended the great obligation wherein verily I am for the loue that ye say ye beare me greatly bounde vnto you Also the desire to do you humble seruice is not as concerning me diminished in me but as long as I shall liue I will be yours as I am without altering the fidelitie that I haue born to my Ladie Onoloria my deare sister and wife Nowe madame somwhat to answere the letter that it pleased you to write vnto me and specâ—ally vppon that ye complayne you of the sea that may glorie in it selfe hauing in it the bodie and the bloud of the Prince Zair I thinke sauyng the better aduice he coulde not haue receyued a more glorious sepulchre being honoured as ye doe publishe it with so great a multitude of waters whiche after your iudgement should estéem him more than their own Neptunes And if heauen will rauishe him out of the abysines to place him more higher who can wishe him better Certes the one and other are more méete to lodge him than the earth whereof he â—ath lost the possession yea he should thinke it too little to containe in it selfe the bodie of him whose vertues and valiantnesses are inenarrable and innumerable Thus madame I besech you most â—umbly to diminishe your passions whiche thyng reason shoulde sooner doe than the tyme knowing you to be as sage and as vertuous a Princesse as any in all the world By the occasion wherof I haue considering the latter lynes of youre letter conceiued more pitie of your euil than of any feare of the thretning that ye threaten me withall to purchase and to séeke my death the whiche chauncing to me by your meanes ye shall be but easily satisfyed and shall léese if ye léese me the best and the moste affectionate seruant that euer ye shall haue and so ye shall fynde me where and when it shall please you to employe me or commaunde me without sparyng of lyfe and a doseyn if I had thâ—â— in obeying of you The answere of the Infant Lisuard to the Queene of Caucasus letters by the whiche he dothe aduertise hir of the receyte of hir letters and that he accepteth the combat and remitteth to hir the choyce of armes In the eight booke the .36 Chapter RIght highe and myghtie Quéene of Caucasus I haue perceyued and knowne by the brief and letter which it hath pleased you to sende me that the occasion of your commyng to Babylon was vpon the hope of the marriage that shoulde haue bene betwéene you and prince Zair whome I caused to passe by the file and edge of my sworde saying that through his death ye wyll lyue a widow at all pointes bicause there is no man liuing worthie to haue you Truly madame the highnesse of your estate and the beautie that doth accompanie you with this valiantnesse whereof ye are renoumed doth right well merite that men shuld estéeme you such a one as ye are But I wil neuer easely consent that ther are not other Princes Lords and knightes ynough and as good or better than Zair to ioyne with you in mariage and to satisfie and supply his defaulte As concerning the rest I promise you that I am sore displeased for the combat and fight that ye wil enterprise at al vtteraÌ„ce assayes against me For ye being but a womaÌ„ are more to be feared for your great beautie thaÌ„ for the force of your armes considering that I am more accustomed to put my life in hazard to serue you other lyke vnto you than to defend me to fight against them But yet seing that in regard of this ye woulde be rather taken for a valiant a hardy knight than for a swéete a gracious damsell defying me as concerning your own person and mine I accept it And to reserue apart the obligation that I owe vnto your seruice I remitte vnto you the election and choyce of armes For I trust so much in your natural goodnesse that you your self shal be wonne of your self without séeking the victorie vpon you wherby I may rather defend my self against those that haue occasion to enterprise to assaile me As concerning the campe and other things required by this prudent Lady they shal be graunted you as she hath of your parte demaunded them The time shall be fiftie dayes hence to the entent that with the solemnitie of so glorious an enterprise my mariage may the better be celebrated and honored Niquea the Princesse of Thebes letter to the knight of the Burning sworde by the which she praiseth him and doth labour to insinuate hir self in hys loue and to come thervnto she sendeth him the portraiture of faire Ladyes In the eyght booke the .40 Chapter NIquea the Princesse of Thebes giueth and sendeth salutatioÌ„ to the knight of the Burningsword more valiant than anye other that euer bare armes Your excellencie shall vnderstand that I haue receiued the letter that ye haue written vnto me and I haue heard at length the credence of this my faithful Busando the newes of his high chiualries that hath so often enuironed and compassed the world so that my
the King of Crete for he thinking to reuenge the death of Sulpice and his brethren the whiche Lisuarde Pirion and Olorius put to death hath lost his owne And he was the first that this inuincible Quéene destroyed with the stroke of an arrow But he with too little consideration began to reuenge the iniurie that he promised him was done by whome I spake vnto you without finding of any proper occasion after hys owne mind vntil one day among other knowing me to be craftie malicious as I am he declared vnto me what he thought praying me on my part to giue him couÌ„sell The which thing I promised him to do and when I was aduertised of the great assemble and méeting that they made here I purposed my enterprise such as ye shall vnderstande This it was that I couÌ„selled him to sende me towards you with feyned swordes and so forged that they shoulde breake euen at the first stroke that they should be occupied And bicause I would forget nothing I led these two dwarfes with me so wel appoynted that they should assay the speares of the two knightes that which I should deliuer them at the tilte and to leaue them assoone as they should sée them redie to enter in as they could do ful wel The thréed whereof I spake vnto you was the ambush where my king was present with his brother ten other knights that incoÌ„tinent should assaile my pigeons I cal them my pigeons whom I purpose to take and deceyue vnder the shadow of pitie the which I diâ—guised vnto them in your presence so that all the purpose that I spake vnto you of yesterday was false and only inuented and found to take either king Amadis the Emperor Esplandian or some other of their linage as it shuld happely haue come to passe if that fortune or to speak better the soueraine Gods had not willed the contrarie For the king of Crete willing to make sure his enterprise had brought with him aboue a thousand chosen knights the which I cannot tell by what Amazones were hewed in péeces of whoÌ„ they doubted but little Nor they would neuer haue cared for it if it had not béene for the report that was brought them by his spâ—es the which the king had ordinarily in this towne But what is become of them I cannot say but I will say vnto you that if our purpose had taken place the will of the king was such that he woulde haue caused two knightes the which I had brought from hence to haue past ouer the sea to assay proue to haue woonne through their puisance the Castell of Rocke and Lica not long ago vsurped vpon king Muton his brother and then to haue cut off their heades and haue sent them vnto you As touching the rest of the fortune ye knowe it as well as Iâ— therefore I will holde my peace praying you if ye enuie to preferre mercie aboue my faulte to giue mée the shortest and readiest death that ye may possible the whiche shall well content me séeing that my Lorde and Prince is departed and dead Abra complayning hir selfe of the enmities and wrongs of Cupido In the .8 booke the .57 Chapter AH ah sir they that haue not experimented your forces and power do thinke them as I beleeue farre other than they â—e I pray you most humbly either to take from henceforth a name conformable to your workes or the déedes like vnto your name For why as concerning my selfe I haue more cause to name you the God of enmitie and of misknowledge than that that ye apply appropriate to your selfe Also the other Gods haue had as me thinketh great wrong to suffer you to haue some iurisdiction and power to vse it so as ye continue séeing that the propertie of a God is goodnesse iustice mansuetude pitie liberalitie and amitie wherewith he recompenseth his seruantes and ye your ministers cleane contrarie And seing it is so how can ye excuse you or cause any reasonable persoÌ„ to find your vniustice cruelnesse good that ye haue vsed against my brother or with what armes can ye honor and adorne your triumph that a C. times in a day hath giuen me death not to haue power and to be able to die But alas what doe I say to whom doe I speake or why will I thus contestate or enter into reason with him that hath none Cerâ—es neither your eyes nor you were neuer bounde but to excuse your fault vpon the blindnesse that is in you attributing to you vpon this occasion such iustice or to saye better suche pleasure as is agréeable and pleasant vnto you Lucelle doth grieuously complaine of Amadis of Greece that forsaketh hir without offending him in the .8 Booke the 63. Chapter ALas was there euer Damâ—ell more vnfortunate than I am or that hath a greater occasion to complaine hir hauing a feyned louer set in the place of perfite amitie within a while to forsake me and mocke me But alas where is now this promise so oftentymes sworne and those feigned teares that you Amadis to intrappe me hath so oftentymes shed vpon your face in my presence Ah ah ye euill man one day ye reputed me for a Venus that rested as ye assured me in your heart but now the poyson being manifest I sée clearely that she is the Venus that ye auauanâ—ed you of The which thing shall cause me as long as you shall liue to estéeme you slouthfull and vnfortunate to haue taken so great paine and pleasure to deceyue me Therefore all thing truely and well considered ye should as me thinketh haue a respect that I being the daughter as I am of so great a king deserued to be otherwayes entreated of you and not with such mockes as ye haue drest me withall But I vnderstand full well that as yet ye will take a glorie whereof I shall complaine me for euer of you and of the loue which I nowe abhorre more than euer I had it in reuerence For as there is no pleasure that can bée made equall with the perfite amitie of two louers so there is no hatred or impacience that can more trouble the spirit than iust iealousie without whiche all other martyrdome that mingleth it selfe with the swéetenesse of loue is not as mée thinketh but a multiplication of loue and a true inticement wherewith she vtterly destroyeth hir selfe An extréeme brought or thyrst causeth water to be the better accepted and long fasting giueth meate a better taste Also the goodnesse of peace and rest of the minde cannot be sounde nor estéemed of him that hath not experimented the strong cruell and hard warre that suspicion doth make The absence of a friende is sometimes well supported and borne withall for the hope of a newe ioy at his returne And one excuse one disdaine one refuse one euill looke one light miscontentation but after that hypocrisie and falsnesse is knowne to be in the heart that one estéemed faythfull it is
moste certaine that there is no martyrdome nor no displeasure that tormenteth a man more than where fayth and true amitie make their habitation Alas my Amadis founde ye euer in me any other thing than affection and good will towarde you Did I euer thing were it neuer so little to cause you to be miscontent By my God ye doe me wrong The Oration of Abra to the Princes and people of Babilon complayning hir of the death of Zair their Prince incyting them to take armes as well for the death of Zair as to resist the Christians In the .8 Booke the .65 Chapter ZAir the last Sommer had enterprised a iourney to Trebisonde trusting with a perpetuall peace and amitie to take and to make an aliance and to marie the Emperours daughter But the euil houre succéeded so that the Souldan frustrated of his intentioÌ„ lost his life as it is manifest to euery man Therefore my Lordes there is not one of you vnto whome such an iniurie doth not redounde your Prince being so euill entreated and finally slaine and with his hande whom I my selfe had chosen and elected for my Lorde and spouse Truely the loue that I bare him hath béene euill recompensed plucking out the bloud out of the bellie of so noble a Prince of the Babilonians and of an infinite of other your friendes parents and kinsfolke And in such a sort that if you well considered how all is past it shall be founde that either your fathers or your brothers or your cousins in particular and general haue béene meate vnto the monsters of the sea their bodies being depriued of all honourable sepulture and buried among the waters of the déepe Abismes Shall this iniurie be forgotten at any time Shall the name of Babilon be made a fable vnto all those that shall heare men speake of their mischiefe Shall the iust veÌ„geance be ended without doing of any other thing Ah ah ye stoute Kings I adiure you by our high and mightie Gods that euerie one of you take his armure not onely to cause it to be knowne throughout all the worlde that ye be the dominators of all Princes that doth offende you but the scourge and chastisement of all nations The Christians as it is reported to me do assemble themselues cause a brute that they will come and finde vs and chasing vs out of our proper heritages proclaime Axiane the sonne of Zirphee Emperour of this Monarch But if ye will beleeue me we shall set them farre from their accountes and go to preuent them and to set them forwards entring into the Empyre of Trebisonde the which being sacked and destroyed we shall passe on to Constantinople where that fire and the edge of our swordes shal be the executours of our vengeance sparing neither king nor man woman nor childe being assured that if ye woulde set forth your ensignes and banners in the fielde that they should resist vs no more than straw agaynst fire And this is the cause Princes most excellent why I sent for you praying and commaunding you that in most greatest and most extréeme diligence ye may possible to cause the Drumme to sound throughout all your Countreyes and to assemble both horsemenn and footemen Galies Ships and other vessels as wel for warre as to carie vittayles that we our preparation being readie may finish and ende the rest of our enterprise so as I haue tolde you the which thing shall be vnto you verie honourable and profitable In the meane while I will sende to my friends and allies requiring and warning them to be fauourable vnto vs and to ayde vs considering that this déed and matter for the reason and cause that I haue declared vnto you doth touch them the Christians being willing to inuade as well theyr Countrey as this here if we will indure and suffer it Niquea preferring Amadis of Grece honour aboue the pleasure that she had of his presence doth suffer him to go and succour his father Lisuardâ— In the .8 booke the .74 Chapter MY Lorde the loue that I beare you is so perfite that vneasily I may giue you councell that shoulde be sounde and to me agréeable in this that ye demaund but yet greater is the force of your honour and renowne séeing that it hath béene the onely meane of the goodnesse that we haue the one of the other And for this cause ensuing and following reason and considering that no Emperour nor King shoulde make himselfe subiect if it were possible nor pay any tribute I thinke that you and I ought to neglect and forsake our pleasures to haue a respect to the thing that beséemeth you for the conseruation of you and of your estate Therefore I giue you if I shoulde so speake all the leaue that shall please you although that in veritie and truth it be due agaynst my will estéeming and holding it great glorie thus to captiuate my selfe to permit suffer you to haue such libertie by the which ye shall execute and cause to be knowne more and more the excellencie of your valiantnesse and high cheualrie The heauinesse of Lisuarde for the death of his wife Onoloria in the .8 booke the .73 Chapter ALas alas fortune what doth rest and remaine from henseforth to satisfie thée to trouble me Wilte thou haue my life a hundred a hundred times thou hast drawne me from the place where I had forsaken thée and yet for all that thou hast taken fro me to cause me to die a hundred tymes vpon a day my deare wife and spouse and hast by this euill houre and chaunce brought vnto me all the other that thou hast reserued and kept for me O God God eternall alas my friend my wife and my faythfull companion ye are all things considered wel at ease liuing in heauen and I remayning and dwelling among such and so great melancolies and heauinesses Pardon me I pray you if I lament wéepe for you too vndiscretely This is not for the good chaunce that ye haue but for sorrow that I do not follow you and accompanie you in your â—ases as ye haue fiftene or twentie yeares folowed me in the most part of my trauels Gradasilea doth comfort king Lisuarde shewing him that heâ— must be constant in his aduersitie and not to sorrow for death so much In the .8 Booke the .73 chapter HOw nowe my Lorde is this the magnanimitie of heart that is woont to be in you haue ye forgotten that you and I are borne to die Thinke ye to reuiue my Ladie againe by wéeping or thus tormenting your selfe she is certainly very fortunate and happie wherefore then do you lament hir so greatly She hath shewed you the way and doth tarie you in the place where one day if it please God we shall see hir Leaue these teares such exterior appearances to those that haue no hope in the second life comfort your self in the lord beséeching him to giue you the vertue of pacience
right good part in your good grace the which is and shall remayne for euer your auncient and perpetuall friende neighbour and seruant Lisuard Axianes letter to the Empresse Abra sending hir word of the warre with the destruction and entier ruine of hir person In the .8 booke the .78 Chapter WE disherited Empresse of the Babyloniās Axiana princesse of Argenes the most humble seruāt of one only God almightie to you Abra the vsurper of our Empire and paternall goodes we cause you to wit and vnderstand that the diuine iustice willing to put in execution the sentence and arrest pronounced by the soueraigne iudge against you and in the fauor of our repell and banishment hath caused vs to come vnto this countrey where you and yours shall receyue the hyre of their merites yet there is that somwhat displeaseth vs that ye are ariued euen at the very pointe where the fall and ruine of your vnrighteousnesse dothe threaten you For as muche as we be so nigh of kinne the whyche kinred and amitie ought to be so much our familiar as hatred is our domestike and neighbour but seing that our soueraigne iudge would not suffer our possession to be taken but by the price and sheading of manye mens bloud we doe signifye and denounce vnto you the battell within these four days and in the campe féeld where we be And for our iudges he alone whome we Christians do adore in trinitie of persons God omnipotent the first and the last of all things the which shall giue if it so please him for the suertie of yours and ours the rigorous iustice of his eternitie and for the equall compartment of the sunne the night or the victory As touching our harneis ye haue them in your hand and caused them to be taken of our own vassalles and subiects so vniustly that the men the earth and the waters do crie vengeance alreadie the which God will not denie them as their bloud being shed shall beare witnesse A letter from Abra to Axiane graunting hir the battell by hir required In the .8 booke the .78 Chapter ABra the Empresse of Babilon Quéene of the Parthes to you Axiana Princesse of Argenes such salutatiō as we estéeme you to merite We haue receiued your letter no lesse accompanyed with temerarious and proude words than with vniust quarrels and without any reason the which things we trust we shall cause to be knowen in the selfe same campe that ye haue chosen and we graunt you such battell as ye demande And for soueraine iudges your God and ours Mars Cupido and Venus from the which we cannot go in no wyse but for as much as the victorie doth more consist in the effect than in many words we remit the whole to that that shall chaunce aduising you that we may haue pitie vpon you that vnder the shadow I cannot tel of what presumptiō do take paine to léese so little lande as is left you the which we trust shortly after that we haue ended this enterprise to ioyne to our Empire In the meane space let there be a truce betwéen you and vs for these foure dayes as ye haue required the whyche as touching our parte we promise you in the faythe of a Princesse to obserue withoute breaking them by anye meanes The heauinesse of Abra for the losse of the battell In the .8 booke the .80 Chapter AH ah fortune fortune thou hast pursued me so much that the spoyle of me and of my goods from henceforthe shall serue thée for a triumphe fortune enimie of all vertuous persons O troublous ingrate and accursed fortune the which to deceiue abuse me didst promise not only the Empire Monarchie of all the Orient but the frée or the enforced enioying of my Lisuard Alas he was neuer mine althoughe I haue deserued him more thā any other that euer was borne And yet so muche there lacketh that such merite hath taken place that he hath destroyed me both of goods and of honour but not of the honour that all ladies should prefer aboue life but of the honour and victorie that he hath conquered vpon my heauie vassalls being all dead or slaues Ah ah Lisuard what recompence or degrée of amitie is so stedfast and constant as that I all my life haue borne thée Alas if ye haue béen in doubt in time past I beseche mightie Iupiter that the death which I féele doth approch may giue you sure witnes for I protest that I die not for any heauinesse that I haue of any losse either of men of reputation or of goods but onely that I haue no hope hereafter to haue any thing of you estéeming that this glorious victorie hath so pufte vp your heart that disdaining your Abra ye shall nor will not receiue hir for the least of your slaues The letter of Niquea to the Soudan hir father by the whiche she prayeth him to pardon hir offence that shee hath committed marying hir selfe and departing from his countrey without his leaue In the eyght booke the .84 Chapter MY Lord I beséech you most humbly soner than to blame my absence to take the paine if it please you to read this my letter and reading it to consider in your selfe with what mighte and power loue is accustomed to cause them to obey him that are in his rule and dominion And willing to exercise it in mée he presented long since before the eyes of my spirite not onely the renoume of the valiant and inuincible Amadis of Greece but also his beautie dexteritie and good grace for the whiche he is commended of all men that haue had the chaunce to sée him and to frequent him And for this cause I set my loue and affection so to him wardes that I was readie to die also he was sorie that I coulde lyue without the meane that I founde oute to giue him knowledge not once but more than twice of the payne that I endured for the great desire that I had to him whereof he onely had compassion For loue it selfe was so gentle vnto me that he wounded him with the like shotte that he hurted me making him so muche myne that vnder the fayned habite of Nereide the slaue he came to this your Courte where that afterwards he had the combat with the vsurper of his name and of his figure what the ende thereof was my Lorde ye knowe sufficiently inoughe So much there is that within a while after the houre and time was giuen me to knowe him And we agréed so well and so accorded our intentions togither that finally we were maried the which if it be your pleasure ye shall not take in yll parte his person beyng of suche merite for why his valiantnesse and the noble bloud whereof he is descended séemed onely worthy of my beautie and Trebisonde more méete for the celebration of our mariage than your towne Niquea bicause of so many Emperors Kings Princes and highe Ladies as he and I truste to finde
the moderatour of all things continually to maynteyne you in his protection Your humble seruaunt Anaxenes Philosopher and Magitian A letter from the Princesse Arlande to the infant Alastraxereâ— quyting hir of hir promise to the end she should not leese hym that she loueth and hateth more In the nynthâ— booke the .56 Chapter MAdam Alastraxeree the dolour accompanyed with an extreame anger that I haue had to see me abused by you â— Dom Florisell of Niquea hath so much preuailed vpoÌ„ me that to reuenge me of such a wrong I was willingâ— to procure his death and yours together you making request to goe to the Vniuerse Towre to fighte with him thinking that â—â—e medling of you twoâ— woulde make no ende without the deathe of one or of other or of bothe of you together but yet afterwardes I bethoughte and consydered in my selfe that hys deathe shoulde bée the cause of myne For the greate and extreme loue as ye doe knowe that I bare hym then I thought it best to desist from this vengeance and to vse humanitie and swéetenesse towards him the whiche he hath not deserued And therefore madame my will was to send this my damsell vnto you to pray you to ceasse and desist from the promis that ye haue made me of the whiche I do quite you by this present letter wherein ye shall finde my humble recommendations to youre good grace praying the soueraigne God to giue me so much grace and fauor that Dom Florisell may once know the entier loue that I beare him and the great wroÌ„g that he disdayning my aliance hath done me Your Arlanda princesse of Thrace Dom Florisell of Niquea excuseth himselfe in his letters that he hath not kept his promis the which he made to the princesse Helen of Apolonia In the .9 booke the .57 Chapter MAdame since my departing from Apolonia where youre grace did me so much good and so well receiued me I haue bin in diuers and many strange aduentures being so farre from you otherwise than I trusted so that I had not the meane nor way to accomplish the promis that I taking my leaue of you at the Abbay of Rois made you whereof I haue bin and am in such a perplexitie that it is impossible for me to declare it by letters assuring you for all that that no other thing hath constrayued me to absent me so long time from your presence but the honor that all knights are bound vnto Therefore I beseech you most humbly not to put me in any fault and to thinke that assoone as I may haue the ways and meane to come to you there shall be no fault nor let but that I will come the which thing I trust surely to do when I depart from hence where I am constrayned by promisse to remayne for a time as Darinell thys present bearer maye shewe you whome ye knowe to be faythfull and secret the whych shall let me at this time to write any longer letters praying you in the meane while to do me so much pleasure as to write me newes of you for there is nothing in thys world that I desire more to know Thus much madame after that I prayed most humbly the Lord to maintaine and to kéepe you in his grace and fauor recommending me with good heart to yours and to that of my Lady Timbria You re faithfull and very affectionate seruant the knight of the she shepeherde The Princesse Helen of Apolonia making an answer to Dom Florisels letters doth send him word that the amitie that she doth beare him cannot suffer hir to keepe hir faith that she hath promised Dom Lucidor In the .9 booke the .58 Chapter LOrd Dom Florisell I haue receiued the letter that it hath pleased you to write me by Darinell the whiche hath certified me of a great part of the aduentures that haue chanced vnto you since ye departed out of this conntrey and therwith of the enterprise that ye haue done in kéeping the toure of Vniuerse for a certaine time the which I desire to be shortly accâ—mplished that ye might shortly come hither to gyue consolation vnto my féeble spirite the which hath bin continually in wrapped since your absence in melancolie heauinesse Alas how oftentimes haue I bene at a point to put my selfe in ieopardy to recouer you Certenly if I coulde haue founde any good meane to haue come thether where ye were be you assured I woulde not haue shewed my selfe slouthfull to haue departed nor the honoure nor reuerence that I owe vnto my father shoulde haue turned me and the fayth much lesse that I haue promised to Dom Lucidor the whiche by my consente shall neuer haue anye part in me for the extreame loue and affection that I beare you cannot suffer it Consider therefore my déere friende the thyng that I doe in your fauor and be not vnthankfull to acknowledge it as I do not mistrust you considering the purpose that ye make me by your letters and the thing that Darinell hath told me praying you in the meane season to kéepe secret the loue that is betwéene vs two and to be a faithfull kéeper of my honor considering that fortune shall shew hir selfe to you and me hereafter more fauorable than she hath done in time past And in this hope I shall pray the creator to giue vs grace to come to our affectionate desire after that I haue presented my most humble recommendations vnto your good remembrance of the whiche my cousin Timbria doth desire to be partaker Your perfect louer Helen of Apolonia The Prince Anaxartes by letters doth shew fayre Oriana the loue that he dothe beare hir and so doing he forgetteth not to prayse hymselfe In the .9 booke the .64 Chapter RIght excellent princesse the diuine Anaxartes the sonne of Mars God of battels doth giue you such salutations as he desireth for himselfe Madame the wound and dolour that I haue receiued by the regard and sighte of your excellente beautie is so great and so vehement that it hath not onely subdued my naturall force and strength that my glorious mother Zahara Quéene of Caucase hath giuen â—e but also they haue so féeblished my diuine vertue whereof I take part of my fathers side that I am coÌ„sâ—rayned to draw vnto you to haue health remedie for my wound for euen as they y be pricked stinged with a Scorpion do vse to take remedie of theÌ„ likewise seing that ye haue bin the cause of the euill that I suffer I search remedie of you the which ye shuld not denie me considering the place of my birth and the power that the mightie Gods haue giuen me of the which the most part of them haue bin smitten with the dartes of loue as I am at this present and so that by no meanes I can resist it And therefore madame do not wonder seeing me to be partaker of the diuinitie that my heart is kindled with youre loue for they which are entierly
onely of the councell that may be giuen you to the contrarie whether it be to turne you wholy or at the least to slacke your diligence that is required in this businesse by the occasion of the auncient amitie that ye haue continually with the Princes of Grece a thing that shoulde turne me to an inestimable losse if it shoulde be prolonged séeing that the aray and the furniture wherevnto ye sée that I am set the which to me should be vnprofitable if it be not strengthned and augmented by yours And therefore sir and ye Princes Barons Capitaynes and souldiours Apolloniens ought not to maruell that I so vrgently doe solicite you to this enterprise and lesse to refuse my request being of such consequence for you that thinking to reiect it as mine ye shall finde it as muche contrarie to your selues Who is he that can say that this outrage hath not béene done as much to you as to me As touching my part I am disposed to vengeance in the which if I do not content my desire in the satisfaction of my honour in as much as Fortune is not content I will turne vpon my selfe the rest of the force and strength not as a subiect to serue hir any more in any newe crueltie For this cause Sir and you other Lordes Apolloniens I pray you moste humblie and verie effectuously that ye will in this behalfe employe and shewe your force and strength and the strength of youre friendes and allyes to be ioyned vnto mine to appoynt and prepare such a power and might agaynst the Princes Constantines that if willingly they will not make amendes for this wrong and iniurie we may be sufficient to execute the thing vpon them and to enforce them to reason Here I make ende of my demaunde not dooing it after my first intention whether it be as concerning the vengeance to giue or to take The Prince Birmates spâ—â—king for â—hem all doth answerâ— bycidor shewing him that warre ought not to haue a 〈…〉 beginning and he counselleth him to sende a letter to Dom Florisell and to dissuade the combate betweene them twoâ— In the .10 booke the .5 Chapter MY Lorde Lucidor séeing that the good pleasure of the king my Lorde and father and the Lordes assisting do charge me with the answere that they intende shall be made you I will briefly shew you the thing and what they thinke in this matter remitting yet my will and resolution to yours In the first place I confesse vnto you that we haue a common interâ—st with you in the issue of this câ—use the which in condition is nothing different or vnlike to that that was begun among the Greekes and the Troians for the rape of their fayre Helen of whome I am extremely diâ—pleâ—sed that my daughter beareth the name and effect of the seconde I will not denie any more the auncient amitie that I haue with the Princes of Gâ—â—â—ce if it be so that the ballance of my iudgement be not of suche waight that the respect of my honor of my daughters doth not fall nor decay the which Iestéeme ought to be bought againe with what pryce so euer it maye bee as well of the goodes as of the person Yet the affayres of such importance requyre their beginning to be diligenâ—ly consulted and debated for feare least the ende shoulde-euill succéede referning such diligent regarde that their Princes and men may be discharged before God and principally their subiectes in case that fortune turne contrarie to their â—stimation She hath somwhat a regarde to things that are agaynst my owne taste for leauing of all passions as men shoulde doe in matters of counsell I estéeme that in this enterprise wée â—ouche and laye the totall and whole summe of our estates and treasures in the hande of Fortune without assurance to come to anye other reparation pretended than of oure owne righte the whiche as subiecte to the inconstancie and variablenesse of the variable and wauering Goddesse hath oftentimes néede of helpe The Princes of Greece had good right against the citie of Troy the whiche that notwithstanding did sustaine their siege and assaulte the space of tenne yéere and had sustayned it peraduenture vnto the ende sauing for the treason so craftily pretensed and so valiantly executed But lette vs leaue a parte the great effusion of bloud that I sée prepared let vs onely consider what issue it shall haue for in very déede the effect of armes is almost vpoÌ„ fortune nor neuer grounde in any suretis therfore we must descende specially to the conseruation of our honour Touching the which notwithstanding that it hath bene offended by the taking away of Helen it may be that greater reason shal be shewed vs for the satisfactioÌ„ of our iniurie than we hope after that the partie shall haue well perceyued and discussed the grounde of our complaint Upon the which men can giue no lawfull iudgement before they heare the deduction of both parties Therefore let vs take héede to procéede by ripe deliberation fearing least we repent vs to much by leasure of our foolish precipitation and hastinesse for this cause we are thus minded my Lord Lucidor that or euer ye procéede any further ye should shew your minde and intention by writing to Prince Florisel summoning him for the reparation of the outrageous iniurie for through his refuse ye shall make our cause a great deale the better TheÌ„ without any difficultie ye may denounce mortall warre with fire and bloud vnto the accomplishment and fulfilling of the vengeaunce and as concerning the combat of your person with his I am not of that opinion for asmuch as the déede of so generall offence should not be charged nor layde vpon the shoulders of any one slone the whiche lesing the rest of the pursute should as touching other remayne without amenyment Not that I will in this reuoke in any doubte the valure of your person â—ut bicause the fauour of Mars is vncertain and common in the which a man should not put his confidence of a thing of suche importaunce without he had his promisse by signe and seale autentike This is it wherunto the Kinges ech one this assistence doth tende to tary the answere that the Prince Florisel shall make vnto the Ambassadours sent by you for to take thereby the fundation of our finall resolution In the meane space not to require nor yet to put our fréendes to payne of whome we shoulde desire succour in these affayres vntill we may shew them more than dutie vnto whome wée shal be sent to search for peace and to auoyde the horrible furie of the warre the whiche thing shall furthermore encourage them to take armour and to fight for vs against a common enimie for right equitie peace and quietnesse of the people bâ—sides that the losse of so litle time cannot be preiudiciall vnto you in the expedition of suche a consequence the order and preparation whereof requireth a longer time least
that we for our sodaine enterprise incurre to late repentance Lucidor the vengeor writyng to Prince Florisel of Niquea dothe pray him to declare the cause of the rauishment of his wife finally he settyng his honour before his eyes dothe counsell him to restore hir agayne of in refusing thereof he denounceth him mortall warre In the .10 booke the .5 Chapter MY Lord Florisel Lucidor the vengeor the naturall prince of France and of Apollonie by aliance dothe pray God so to inspire you that ye may know the faulte that ye haue committed against me and to repaire and amende it as right and reason coÌ„maundeth The thing that hath moued me to write this letter vnto you is that I your errour beyng knowen and the amendes made may remayne with you in such peace and amitie as two Christen Princes of such highnesse as we â—e ought to employ our common forces and strength against the Infidels I desire greatly to know what excuse ye shall sinde for the great wrong that yée haue done me and to your selfe as I may say in violating my Kingly estate and likewise the amitie that ye owe to the father of my spouse praying you that ye will wryte it vnto me by parcell meanes to the ende I may consider that it be sufficient to accomplish the satisfaction on your parte in my behalfe for if I with your good will cannot haue it I must be constrayned to take it with the edge of the sworde by the way of armes betwene you and me onely vnto the vtterance of your life or mine I maruell me much that your vertue so wel knowen here in so glorious actes is so forgetfull through a disorbinate appetite of vnbrideled youth to declare it selfe so great an enimie of reason specially of the peace inuiolable that your Fathers and predecessours haue alwaies entertained with the pareÌ„ts of my spouse assuring you that with great payne ye shall washe you of so great a spotte with all the water of the Sea for your estate was bounde to resist this vile acte nor doing the thing that ye would not that he that is of your qualitie should doe to you of â—he which ye cannot discharge you neither to God nor man By the meanes whereof although I had good right to make warre vpon you as a defiler of my wife and of hir owne proper fayth so it is yet that hauing God before mine eyes and the businesses of the Christian common weale in recommendation I woulde haue inuited you to haue she woe and done me right of your selfe considering that the lawes as touching themselues do kind Princes that by this meanes men might auoyde one so cruel warre as I sée to be prepared and no lesse than your predecessours had before Troy the whiche God thorough his grace turne from vs by the meanes of your iust satisfaction And in case no I protest to make you suche warre that one of vs shall remayne in gage Florisel of Niquea dothe answere Lucidors letter excusing himselfe of the accusations layde agaynst him submitting him to the iudgement of his parents or otherwise he is appoynted to defend him In the .10 booke the .6 Chapter LOrd Lucidor I maruell me of this proude surname that yée occupy causing your selfe to be named the Uengeor knowyng or else ye should know that suche a title dothe not pertayne but to God only And particularly to answere to the articles of your letter the which that Crie of Armignac your ambassafor hath presented vnto me I say that ye your selfe are bounde to satisfie for the presumptuous woordes ye haue vsed against me and Helen my spouse And as touchyng that yée say how that the excuse is not sufficient that loue hath ledde conducted me to that faulte inferring that a person of estate as you and I shoulde not coÌ„mit so filthy déedes I say that the excellent beautie of my Lady Helen ioyning thereunto the parentage and place whereout shée is issued haue bound mée to such noble thoughts dayly drawing me out of my self continually giuing héede to the honest loue that I bare hir vnder the pure lawe of Mariage the which ought to discharge me and to deface the faulte that ye lay vnto me of the whiche I in no wise féele my selfe reprehensible if that faulte were not that I made hir parents leading hir away without their consent a thing that greatly displeaseth me for the loue of them vnto whom in this respect I was bound much To this wher ye say that I depriue my selfe of the thing that good renounâ—e hath alwayes graunted mée I mayntayne that I in nothing haue violated nor yet diminished it but truâ—â— that the thing whiche I haue done in this case shall fall and come forth so the augmentation of my great glorie Also the Princes of Greece are accustomed and wonte to kéepe the poynt of honour and to reuenge the outrages that men enterprise to doe vnto them And nowe the Empyre is ruled by those whiche are more stoute of minde and more warlike than euer it had it is not ready to fall from the degrée of his auncient reputation And as touchyng you if yée will vnderstande reason ye should departe from this quarell seyng that Helen is my wife and that the déede is irreuocable but for the reparation and satisfaction to you wardes my Lordes and parents haue concluded to giue you another lady of great highnesse beautie and richesse such a one as by reason ye shoulde content your selfe withall if not let it suffise you to remit the déede to the discretion of your parentes and mine and of my wiues promising you to condescende to euerie reasonable and honesâ— condition towardes the Prince Birmates and the King of Apolonia Otherwise I protest before God to defend my iust cause as long as my soule shal breath in my body praying you lord Lucidor for amitie sake to haue and to take a regarde to the doubtful and vncertaine ende of battels and to the great number of friendes of Greece besides the number of vassalles not comprehending the murders that this enorme title of Vengeance the which ye vnder the diuine power doe vsurpe shall stirre vp against you Lucidor of Vengeance letters to Zahara Queene of Caucase demaunding of hirayde and succor against Florisel of Niquea In the .10 booke the .6 Chapter MAdame I being come not long since that Florisel of Niquea enterprised vpon the aliance made against me and Princesse Helen of Apolonia he hath indecently and violently rauished hir from me I coulde bethinke me then of no better recourse thaÌ„ of your excellence in that of your noble sonne and daughter to obtaine helpe succor to reuenge the wrong and shame that he hath purchased me the which if ye wil not grauÌ„t me notwithstanding any amitie that may be betwéen you or his I pray you to haue a more regarde to the diuinitie whereof ye are participant that doth binde you to doe iustice in earth to
good men I doe assure the campe of my side asking no sureties for thine the sunne shal part it self instely if the brightnesse of my shining harnesse do not dasell thy sight Phalanges answer to the defiance of the princesse Alastraxeree In the .10 booke the .22 Chapter MAdame I haue receyued the letter of defiance sent vnto me of your parte the whiche I will not bicause I may not accept in no maner of wise for the offence that ye pretende to me in your firste anger prouoked by the flatterers that are aboute you I trust in your discretion when yée haue receyued me in my iustification to deface it I am come say they to Constantinople to helpe the Prince Florisell agaynst them yée haue done them the honour that they haue not deserued to campe your selfe for their defense in the whiche thing yée are not ignorant of suche cases that doeâ— often times chaunce among Kinges alied togither takyng of contrarie armes one against another for some former obligation or bande such a one as mine is against the Prince Constantine Doe these lordans thinke to range themselues against you in the mortall conflicte of him that dothe die for you a thousande times euery day beléeue or truste they so to couple or set the faithful seruant against his right honorable Mistresse for this cause most deare Lady I beseeche you for the honour that ye haue shewed me to receyue me for your Knight and that ye listen no more vnto them and to content you with my ordinary death without séeking any other for me the whiche taketh no respite in his langure but by the contemplation of your diuine portrayture praying you to intreate him more humaynely hereafter the whiche will ye or no can neuer be but yours A letter to defiance from Macartes king of Thir to king Amadis of France In the .10 booke the .24 Chapter MAcartes king of Thir to Amadis king of England gréeting Fortune long since contrary to my auncetours in the fauour of yours and the Macedoniens turning nowe his whéele to my minde and pleasure hath nowe commaunded me to come and to take vengeance of the bloud of my Syriens that are paste by the edge and cutting of your swordes folowyng the occasion of the newe iniury and wrong by you against the Prince Francis Lucidoâ— committed vnto whom I adioyne my selfe for the restitution of the seconde Helen in hope of a like issue that yée had agaynst the Troyans for the firste Therfore I vnderstanding that you king Amadis are chéefe of the rowte of those that make this warre your name sounding thorow out all Asia hath prouoked me to come to this armie to proue if the effect of your vertue dothe answere to his incredible renoume entring in fiercely against you in a closed â—ampe the victorie whereof shoulde be vnto me a shorte way to the soueraine price of armes if I might ouercome the ouercommer of all other The answere of kyng Amadis of France to the letter of Marcaâ—tes kyng of Thir. In the .10 booke the .24 Chapter KIng of Thir if ye attributed to the soueraigne God the glory that yée holde of fortune and of the strength of your armes I woulde haue you in greater estimation but I doe know that this abuse dothe procéede more of the false beléefe of your Gods than of any other imperfection of the brayne or iudgement But to come to the poynt I accept the combat that yee present vnto me with the specified conditions chosing the seuententh day after this ensuring you the campe on my parte And for my iudges I demande the Princesse Alastraxeree and the Prince Phalanges of Astre they remayning to your choyce whome ye shall elect and chuse for your selfe A letter from Queene Cleofila of Lemnos to the Princes of Greece In the .10 booke the .25 Chapter CLeofila Quéene of the I le of Lemnos salute and peace to the Princes of Greece My Lordes although I am issued and doe come of the noble bloud of Troy and of the kindred of valiant king Gedeon yet I come not to you at this time to renewe the auncient quarell of your Helen of Greece but hearyng the newes in my realme of the maruelous assembly made in this Empyre by the occasion of the rape of the seconde Helen and of the great number of Princes and gentle knightes that come thether aswell of your enimies side as of yours I accompanied onely with Damselles am departed from my kingdome to sée this noble assemble to remayne as neuter of all your differences and striues And beyng ariued to this porte I haue sent you this ambassade to aduertise you of the cause of my comming the whiche is to iudge the valiantnesse and the highe actes that shal be shewed aswell on the one side as on the other and that to bestowe my landes and Lordshippes with the guage of the beautie wherewith the Gods haue willed to indue me vpoÌ„ such a knight whom I shall see accomplished with estate vertue and perfection of his person Wherefore if it please you to giue me a safe conduite for me and my companie of women I will set my foote vpon the earth and come and visite you at Constantinople to sée this goodly â—ourney that shal be soleÌ„nised at the mariage of Helen of Polonia The oration of Queene Cleofila to King Amadis of France In the .10 booke the .28 Chapter MY Lorde I haue hearde say of wise men that the Gods haue set in the motions of heauen and in his lights a certaine force aboue all creatures and that the things fatall cannot fayle to fall there where they be destinate so that it is not in the powre of men to resist it but yet there be chaunces of great violence the whiche may be ouercome by magnanimitie suche as ye haue ended â—o the greate admiration of all that liue Also it séemeth to me that a Lady of estate dothe merite no lesse glorie to sustayne the assaultes of loue and if shee abtayne yea more than other she is more cruelly afflicted by the irreuocable sacrifice of hir fayth desiring rather to die than to bespot it or defile it I say this to declare vnto you the inconuenience that I am fallen in by the influence of loue the whiche I thinke is ineuitable against the effect whereof I am purposed to resiste for the conseruation of my honour For why my Lorde I pray you beléeue mée that since the day that I saw your Maiâ—stie come before me accompanied with the Princes of your owne bloud there was no man of all the companie that pleased me so much and I so printed my affection that it is impossible to deface it and I holde it very daungerous to tary long in your presence considering your faithfulnesse so greatly approued and the reason of my estate sexe the whiche by all meanes do binde me to departe hauing made a dowe neuer to marie but to him whom I should â—inde the
in my Ladie O howe often doe I desire death how often in the selfe same houre doe I feare it to the ende that I lese not the occasion euermore of continue in my mortal anguishes and paines O how much more fortunate should I be if I wholy had lost my vnderstandinge and yet I wil not léese it fearing to lese with it the remembrance of the reason whiche proceedeth from my sense and perseueraÌ„ce for the great pride of my thoughts Alas it shal be best to holde my peace that I doe my selfe no wrong seing that I knowe not and knowing that I may not speake through the straunge dolours for the which the desyre to die and the will to liue doe torment me An amorous complainte of Daraide to the Princesse Diana In the .12 booke the .8 Chapter O Madame by what meanes maye I at any tyme recognyse the great fauor that hath pleased you now to shew me O happie wordes of the heart séeing they are so greate a cause of so great quiet and reste to the great wounds of the soule O celestiall handes the which by your diuine beautie may make and cause two springs of teares to flowe oute of my eyes to remedie the cruell flames wherwith I féele me to be burned Alas by what meane shall I rewarde you â—or the good succor that ye presently giue mée to my mortal heauinesse And I pray you madame séeing that wordes doe fayle mée in this dolour nor that I can not tell the thing I do endure that it woulde please you to supplye this faulte and to comprehende through this diuine spirite that the Gods haue infuded and put in you the euâ—ll that I suffer thus cruelly and that this little whiche I declare vnto you maye bee equall in his extremite in the perfections wherewyth the Heauens haue made you noble aboue all the Princes of the worlde Alas madame it semeth to me that I doe iniurye and wrong to my selfe to lyue so longâ— hauing so iuste an occasion to dye I féele that my lyfe doâ—th euen nowe complaine it selfe and lament within me bicause that my wordes woulde shewe you the dolours and paynes that I suffer for your loue althoughe they can no other wayes be discouered but by my death Alas I die and I sée well that I die and yet I cannot cause the nyest ende of my lyfe to be knowne I am wholy brought to Ashes and yet the fyre doth not ceasse to martyr mée Alas Madame pardon me if I knowe not what purpose or communication I holde or haue wyth you For it is not to be maruelled at if I know not what I ought to doe when I knowe not what I ought to saye Séeing then that I lacke the greatest good thing that I coulde haue in this worlde whiche is to cause you to knowe my euill and paine I beséeche you to consider it by my silence and the little power that I haue to declare it or of your selfe to bestowe the soueraigne graces that the Gods haue gyuen you to thinke vppon the default of my purposes for why by this meanes I am fast and sure that ye shall knowe the thing that I sâ—â—fer althoughe I can not expresse it The complaynt of Daraida In the .12 booke the .9 Chapter ALas fayre Diana howe greatly doth the clearenesse of thy beames negligently spread in this medowe encrease my anguishes and heauie thoughtes For by thy light as cleare as Siluer thou renuest my memorie of hir that doth shine with much greater beautie vpon my heart than thou doest nowe vpon the earth the whiche with lesse care than thou dothe burne by day through hir sight by night by hir remeÌ„brance hir continuall clearnesse vpon me O Madame Diana the too cruell Gods haue willed that ye in the night should reioyce you in the portraiture of youre Daraide whome you haue in your companie and that Daraida separated from you had onely the meane to contemplate hir that doth shine throughout all the world with the same name that ye haue but not with such a beautie The complaynte of Daraide In the .12 Booke the .9 Chapter SEing it iâ— my Ladie Diana that the Gods haue giuen to your highnesse a beautie sufficient to embrace all creatures that may comprehende it neuer so little howe can you accuse the flames with the whiche I burne through youre meanes séeing that they discouer themselues in the presence of hir that of hir selfe did kindle them Alas Madame beholde howe your knight is well nighe brought to Ashes and howe all the teares that roll from his two eyes yea rather from hys two Ryuers all along hys heauie face coulde not suffise to temper the fyres of your vniust and obstinate cruelnesse O me miserable what shall I doe more than to make you knowe my euill I vndoe my selfe and those that doe make mée slacke to tell you and so muche the more I slacke the hope of my remedie O loue I pray thée from henceforth to giue some rest to my dolours and paynes eyther by a more fortunate lyfe or by a nighe and a shorte death Alas I die and yée Madame whiche is the occasâ—on haue no pitie of him that pyneth awaye in a desperate martyrdome and torment for youre loue Consider that if for a tyme yée shoulde forgette youre great and soueraigne perfâ—ctions yée woulde soone remember the greatnesse of my merites and of that wherein the extreamitie of my passion dothe bynde you to mée wardes Alas Madame howe muche the better shoulde yée knowe my tormentes my martyrdome my dolours my sighes my trauelles and the burning flames of my loue if yée woulde regarde them hauing no respecte to that diuine beauâ—ye the whiche dothe lette that no man canne bée worthye to haue you if it bée not one of the highe and soueraigne Gods immortall But alas my extréeme euill fortune willeth that I after the fashion of a Pecocke should deface the fayre wheele conceyued by the hope of my thoughte beholding the sylthinesse or foulenesse of the feete whiche is the least and fewest merites that I knowe in my self Thus madame the knowledge of your highnesse doeth let you to estâ—â—me my smalnesse The letter of Filisell of Montespin to Marfira praying hir to take pitie of the torment that he suffred for hir loue and to giue him a meane to speake with hir In the .12 booke the 13. Chapter DOm Filisell of Montespin doeth send to the fayre and gracious laâ—â—e Marfira health and good fortune the which he himselfe hath lost by the violence of hir diuine beautie I knowe not madame whereof I shoulde moste complayne mée eyther of the payne that I suffer for your loue or of the thing that I may not cause you to knowe to be suche as I féle it for by this meane my payne is so greately tormented willing to expresse it by my wordes as I am my self tormented that I haue not the power to expresse it But O I well
ye should beare me For it séemed to me if ye had loued me so much as I loued you ye would not haue deferred the healing of my sickenesse so long as ye haue done Alas Madame howe farre are ye deceiued if ye thinke that I at any time haue the power to repent or to go farre from the great loue that I haue borne you and shall beare you as long as the spirite shall breath within my body for truely there is nothing in the world that was more impossible for me Think not at all Madame louing you as I doe loue you that euerâ— I coulde fall into any repentance of your loue considering the glorie and pleasure that I finde in louing of you I pray you then to giue me life through your fauour to my great ioye or shortly to send me death through your disfauour to make an ende of my anoyance and of the dolour in the which I shall continually remaine vntil ye giue me rest and the tranquillitie that your letter dothe promise mée and looking for so great and good and houre I kisse a thousand times your fayre and delicate handes A letter from Filisell of Montespin to Marfira complayning of the long terme and time that she hath set him to haue the ioyfull pastime whereof he had alreadie tasted and he prayeth hir to alleage it In the twelfe booke the .14 Chapter DOm Filisell of Montespin doth sende to the faire and gracious Marfira health the which he hathe losâ—e by the moste gréeuous sickenesse that he as yet hath proued Alas Madam if euer I loued you with good affection nowe I die wholly for your loue and if euer I had any hope to reioâ—ce of your diuine beauties now I am at the last in desparation bicause the long time that I must tarie without hauing any more the ioy of the goodnesse and pleasure whereof through your good grace I haue tasted and sauored the tranquilitie and gracious swéetenesse If before this I haue had any desyre I haue desired it after such a fashion that I knew not the thing that I desired But now being learned by experience I know that I desire the most pleasure and goodnesse that is possible to desire sauing one other that I knowe but ye maye not know it although the pleasure that I desire be extréeme Hitherto Madame I haue tormented my selfe to sée and to beholde the apparant graces of your beautie by the whiche yé◠maye make subiect to your seruice the fierce heartes of men more than barbarous but nowe I torment me to reioyce and play with your graces secretes of the which I among all other haue merited the pleasure Alas Madame cause I beséech you that so great goodnesse as ye haue shewed me turne me not to greater euill and denie me not the remedie which kissing your fayre and white handes I pray you to graunt me as soone as the dolorous passion in the whiche I am doth requyre it Filisels letter to Marfira reioysing himselfe and giuing hir thankes for the good houre that shee caused him to haue praying hir to continue vnto him hir grace and fauour In the .12 booke the .15 Chapter DOn Filisel of Montespin doth sende to the fayre and gracious Marfira the salute whereof he enioyeth to his great contentation The glorie wherein I am is so great that I can not tell with what wordes I ought to prayse it so that the prayse may be compared to his greatnesse O I the most happiest of all knightes of the worlde séeing it hath pleased you Madame to make me worthie through your fauours of the thing that I by my selfe could in no wise decerne This letter is onely to cause you to vnderstand my great ioy by the which ye are now indetted to me for the thing that hath caused me to merit it that is that I returne very shortly vnto you to take and to haue the selfe same pleasure of your beautie that it pleased you the last night to graunt me so that by this newe ioy I may rewarde the anoyance that I endure in the time that I cannot finde the oportunitie of so great a pleasure Wherefore Madame I pray you continually to intertaine me in such a good houre that if ye haue béene the cause that I am nowe exalted to so high a degrée that hereafter ye be not the cause of my miserable fall and ruine But to the entent ye shall not reprehend me of too great importunitie I will make an ende of my letter kissing a thousande tymes your white and delicate hands in remembrance of the peace that folowed the warre that is past I recommend me to my deare Caria praying hir shortly to purchase me the tyme so greatly desyred in the whiche I maye renue the fortunate occasion of my glorie The complaint of Queene Sidonis In the .12 booke the .21 Chapter O Graue honour of my high and royall lynage howe hast thou conducted me to an euill fortune whereof I may receyne a iust rewarde of my folly O loue howe doest thou cause to appeare in me thy deceytfull force and strength causing mée to vse hatred and crueltie vnto him that I loued much more than my selfe O Fortune with what inconstancie and lightnesse art thou chaunged putting me then in such desperation when I beganne to haue hope shortly to accomplish the thing that I desired most in this worlde O Gods immortall with howe much rigour haue ye willed to recompence the flerce pride and the prowde presumption of the Quéene Sidonia O my deare daughter and yet the daughter of him that robbed the holy rites of my chastitie Alas howe woulde ye haue payed me for the thing that ye denyed anâ— for the loue that ye bare continually to your father in recompence of the outrages and iniuries that I dayly sought for him O my daughter the first of the worlde and none like in beautie to the ende to make and to render like vnlike the delour that I endure nowe for thy death O cruell death howe doest thou leaue me in so miserable a life O cruell life howe doest thou leaue me in so miserable a death O Gods immortall wherefore doe ye suffer so great an iniurie as is that which I receyue by my life séeing my daughter Diana is dead But what do I say It is iust that ye as ye are iust doe shewe me to rigorous iustice to cause me to take vengeance vpon my selfe confounding me in a certaine dolour and heauinesse the which I haue procured to my selfe Alas Daraide howe doest thou giue to me and my daughter the dutie whereof thou wast indetted vnto vs to me giuing me with thy ende the ende of the folly of my vengeance in killing againe by thy death the hope and confidence that I had in thy life to my daughter recompencing hir death by thine the which is the last payment whereof thou wast bounde to the loue that thou didst beare hir and to that that she did
beare thée O fortunate Damsell that by thy death hadst might to pay the thing thou diddest owe to my Diana for thy loue althoughe that hir mother coulde not doe so muche for hir owne O faint Moraisell howe arte then nowe well reuenged of mée and well satisfyed of the vengeance that I of so long time haue sought for O Gods immortall séeing that ye denie me iustice leauing me in this miserable life I will not refuse it nor denie it to my owne handes and I will kepe the priuiledge of my franke and frée will the which I haue receyued of you from the time that I was borne Well then and killing my selfe with my owne handes I giue my selfe life the which ye haue denyed me bicause ye promptly and readily ynough gaue me not to death The Oration of Daraide giuing and causing himselfe to bee knowne and taken of Diana for Agesilan of Colcbos â— In the 12. booke the .22 Chapter IF the great enterprises were not accompanyed with daunger beléeue this Madame that the prayse of those that shoulde chaunce to haue the victorie shoulde be verie little and for this reason and cause the greater that the perill is so much the more is the honour the glorie and the mortall renowne Thinke not the great thinges can be ended by small things nor with little trauayle men can not wynne muche prayse Thus Madame ye may knowe this that to conquere and get you must be put in aduenture séeing that I assaying nowe to winne you put my selfe in hazarde to léese you Alas sée this is the occasion that so greatly giueth feare vnto my wordes bycause that willing to haue and get a great gaine I am in daunger of a great losse and fearing that séeking you too muche that I léese you not the more for why to aduenture my selfe to léese my selfe in this praye I aduenture but little seeyng that it is nowe so long ago that I am left in youre loue althoughe yet that in parte of the worlde I haue not had so great gayne as in one fortunable losse The cause of my amorous passions is manyfest by the excellencye of your beautie The dolours past the which I haue suffered in your seruice doe giue you a sure testimonie of the regarde and reuerence that I haue had alwayes to youre highnesse The boldenesse that I nowe doe take doth sufficiently excuse it selfe by my payne and the prowdnesse of my thoughtes throughe my royall and noble lynage accompanyed wyth chaste and lawfull desyre wherewyth I haue alwayes kepte the reuerence due to youre honour and shall kéepe it all my lyfe wythoute desyring or praying you to gyue mee anye remedye for my anguyshes and paynes if it bée not vnder the tytle of faythfull maryage and kéeping in you youre chastitie euen suche as ye nowe maye haue it Or else Madame with these conditions it may please you to knowe that vnder the name and vnder the habite of Dariade ye haue in your presence Agesilan the sonne of the great Prince the prudent Phalanges of Astre and of the strong Princesse Alastraxeree Maruell not that I haue thus disguised me and couered my self with such armes to winne your good grace for in any other habite but in one like vnto yours I could not haue hazarded my selfe in an enterprise at least way so perilous with any hope of victory Ye know now Madame the thing that hitherto I haue continually kepte secrete from you ye sée the dolorous woundes wherewith in this cruell warre of loue your excellent beautie hath cruelly wounded me I haue nowe defended my selfe long inough couering me vnder the shielde of onâ— Daraide disguised nowe Madame I confesse that ye are victorious and to you I render my armes to set vp a triumphe at and in the strength force of your immortall beautie beséeching you to take me to mercie kéeping the fidelitie and reuerence that I owe vnto your highnesse and the which I promise you and do sweare by my immortall God to kéepe it all my life vnder the title of mariage But if by the rigour of your answere ye wil refuse and denie me the pitie that I require beleue Madame that very long ye cannot be rigorous vnto me and that shortly my pitifull death shall cause you sorow it to whome as long as he liued ye were so cruell So my vnfortunate soule shall hitherto comfort hir selfe after that the body be buried by your lamentations O I most fortunate that hath set my heart in so noble a place that the ioyfulnesse of my desires doe make me the most fortunatest of al the earth and the last of my misfortunes doe promise me yet a certaine consolation Nowe Madame ye haue hearde the litle that I can say of the great dolour that I suffer and the lest of the trauell whereof I féele that I haue trauelled But if I cannot sufficiently inough expresse vnto you the euill that I indure ye may easily comprehende it if yée estéeme it so great in me as your beauties and your excellencies he great in you seyng then that by this meane ye may know by your selfe the immortall anguishes that torment me and if yée cannot perceyue it by your selfe I beseeche you againe by the iuste pitie that the victor shoulde haue vnto him that is ouercome to receyue me to mercie seing that I â—oe yéelde me and to intreate me in your seruice as him whose death and life doth depende vpon your crueltie or vpon the fauours of your good grace The cruell answere of Diana to Daraida bycause shee was declared to be an other than a damsell In the .12 booke the .22 Chapter KNow Daraida that by chaunging your name ye haue also changed into hatred the loue of the whiche by your deceiptfulnesse ye haue had so long a pleasure and if the nexte parent that is betwéene you and my accustomed benignitie resisted not the execution of my courage I woulde cause you to be chastened with suche a torment as the deceyte wherewith yée haue abused me doth merite But to leaue no occasion to any man nor not to thinke that your proudenesse hath founde any fragilitie in me I will not vse vnto my honour the pitie that I owe vnto it to defende it by your death from the offence that yée haue committed for I will not â—haâ— men shoulde publishe that your temerarious â—oly shoulde by the onely sight of mee cause so greate glorye neyther I will that yée shall remayne without any punishment although that the payne be too much vnegall for your offence whereof yée shall excuse you And therefore I prohibite and forbidde you to be at any time in my presence wheresoeuer I be for my honour in asmuch as it cannot be done as Daraide and as Agesilan doth not suffer it The complaynte of Daraide In the twelfth booke the .22 Chapter O Swéete death why doest thou suffer me yet to returne to lyfe agayne O miserable lyfe why doest thou denie me