things went with the guyde eueÌ„ to the place where he saw the act playde that afterward was the death of the chiefe persoÌ„s in the Tragedy then sayth the spye vnto the Marques I beseeche you my Lord to contemplate a little through this creuise what lyfe they leade in your absence that sith you are present the disloyalty of theÌ„ that be most 〈◊〉 vnto you is so euidently shown The good Marques had no sooner looked through the 〈◊〉 then he spyed his sonne interlased â—â—foldeÌ„ about the neck of the Marchiones and the wantontoyes of the Ladye towardes the County the Father of whome was so constant that hee attended to what ende these imbrasementes and toyes wouldâ— come but when hee sawe the Game woulde redounde to his disaduantage and to the perpetual infamye of hys hoase with great payne he obserued himselfe from being ouercome wyth rage and that he had not broke open the dore of the Chamber vpon the Campe where were these couple of infortunate Louers to haue caused them to dye vpon the very fact alwayes the passyon of his mynde was so penetrable that he coulde not by a good space remooue from thence but remayned there wholy troubled and confused in teares running downe along hys bearde that now beginneth to waxe white in the end euaporating the order of hys harte he began to say Alas vnhappy olde man that I nowe shall be that notwythstanding the flower of thyne Age arte dishonoured by thyne owne bloud and the substaunce of thyne entrayles what is it the onely sonne amongest them that bee lawfull which hath vnlawfullye abused thy Spouse shal I be both the witnesse Party and Iudge in this cause and in executing of this iudgement that I must needes do both by law and iust displeasure I shall put to death two persons that I loue beste in this worlde No no the amitie of Maryage shaâ— ende here towards her that hath put oute the lighte of my honour and hath blotted the reputation common to vs both and the charitye of the father towardes the sonne shall lose his force in me syth the chylde in vsurping the Bed of the Father hath geuen coniecture of his will to take awaye the lyfe of hym of whome he had his owne and of whome hee hath stayned the honour What if once a Romaine Captayne hath punished as it might be to seuerelye hys sonne in that hee had surpassed his commandemente touching a certayne expedition in deedes of Armes whereof although hee had gloryously attayned the wyshed end of his desyres then what shall I doe beholding my self so vyly betrayed and so euill dishonoured by him whyche oughte to bee the reuenger of the cryme whereof my eyes haue seene the execution I beseech God that pytty may not moue my harte to pardon him of this fault or to dissemble this great and extreme hartebreache that lyuing causeth my death and so reuengyng a pryuate iniurye I shall punish the most abhomynable synne that a man can thinke Then for the quyetnesse of my mynde and example of Iustyce to the posteritye my sonne shall dye wyth the vnshamefast loue whiche was cause of all thys and by whych meanes I shall depart from my only lawfull begotten sonne and from my honour whych is more dere then chyldren riches or lyfe The sorrowfull and inraged father with this deliberation seekyng to execute his deuyse his sonne departed into the base Court of the Castle wythout thinking of the perrill or ruyne that hys mysfortune dyd prepare for him and their bandes the Ball with the GentlemeÌ„ of his age where was greater companye of people to see the playe then were there of long tyme before for I think that some coniecture of the future Spectacle had broughte thyther thys route to the ende that wyth more shame the County and hys incestyous Louer shoulde be imprysoned Also these be the Menaces wherewyth God threatneth the wycked that their pryuye sinnes committed in the obscurity of the night shall be one day punished openly and to the sighte of all the people duryng this then that the vnfortunate Prynce more braue and ioyfull then accustomed did contynue hys playe behold there comes the keeper of the Castle wyth a good troupe of Archers wel appoynted he in the presence and hearing of euery one addressing him to the Countye sayeth vnto him O Prince it is nowe full tyme that you make ready your selfe to come before other then these be where you must aunswere to the coniurations Fellonyes conspiracies facts agaynst the person of my Lord the Marques your Father by whose commandement sayth he putting his hand to his coller I make and coÌ„stitute you his Prisoner I am sorry for your misfortune more sorrowful that it should bee I that must keepe you in pryson always trust in your great simplicitie likewyse if it please you excuse that whych I doe being constrayned by him which hath power both ouer mee and you O extreme force and rygor of the conscience which moueste so lyuely the hartes of them that feele themselues guilty of any fault that the blast of euery wynd that blowes by the wagging of euery lefe that they see moue they thinke they behold before their eyes a torment and a contynuall punishment that wyll neuer suffer them to take any rest whereof comes the great griefe and the smal assurance that they haue of themselues whych are so troubled by the very interyour iudgemente of their owne spirite that they gyue sure wytnes of that thing whych as it might haue chaunced otherwyse had bene in doubte so the pore Countye seeing himselfe sommoned to go espouse and defyle another bed then that wherin heretofore he had receiued so much contentment fayled not then to thynke of the accrosyng of hys euils and the small hope that hee might or could haue to be delyuered therefore halfe attached wyth dispayre hee sayeth vnto the Prouest Go forward Captain whether it shall seeme good vnto you for of long tyme I haue attended no other intreaty of him then that whyche I now see prepared for me No no my Lord sayth the Prouest haue a good harte God is able to ayde you puissaunt to make euery one to know y right of your cause also my Lorde the Marques wyll doe nothing agaynst you without the couÌ„sel of y most wise and learned men of his house whych oughte to cause you to hope of some better hap then you thinke of then he conducteth the Prince into the great Tower of the Castle which standeth iust agaynst the Porte Delyon And duryng this tyme there were some gone in lyke sorte and by lyke commandment to seeke the Marchyones as they had done the Countye who then was amongest her Gentlewomen playing this song as the Prognostication of her misfortune and the Prophecy of the common Buryall that vnyted after their death the executed body both of her and the Countye THe man by councell of the Gods In this
low earth that 's placed Hath not so many ioyfull dayes But one mishap hath them defaced And vnto whome hath not Fortune assigned For euery ioy a hundereth greefes to taste Why should I then my selfe so sore annoy And shead so many teares day and night in waste The Pleasure which my nourishment doth giue And cake my weary troubled mynde doth case That only ioy which should my lyfe sustayne Is fled away to shorten now my dayes Alas O God alas what meaneth this chaunce That of myne ende so sure a sygne to be As cake a token playne of greefe for to ensue Of much vnrest and great mischaunce to me What must I see of him the cruell death By whome my perfectnesse doth come O God O God that all things doest behold Thy holy will for euermore be done And cause thou me vnperfect wight To see thy gloryous throne in highest Skye Syth euery one alyke by death shall ende And hyest State on earth that lyues must dye AS soone as the poore Lady atchieued the end the Marshall of the Houshold vsing the same ambassage to her as before to the Prince carried her Prisoner vnto another tower a good space from that wherin the Prince was inclosed The Marques during this styrre beholding all the worlde astonyed to see a thyng of so much maruayle and a Spectacle so cruell as the imprysonment of hys sonne that shoulde one daye suceeede him and of hys wife whom he had so derely loued because men should not accounte hys facte vnlawfull or cruell Tyranny he procured sylence to be commaunded and before a great company of his Barrons and houshold Gentlemen with a graue Maiesty that exteryously gaue euident token of his interyour greefe After he had spent an infynite number of teares accompanyed with sorrowfull sighes he began to say What one amoÌ„gst you all my good and louing friends can well brooke that whyche is lately done by mee both vppon my Sonne and vpon the Marchyoues for that you know not the true occasyon and by that meanes you esteeme mee an vnkynde husbande and a Father seuere and cruell agaynst all right and reason and would it might please God that your playntes were lawfull and that I had done wrong in thys truelye then my deare friendes I should haue no occasyon to make you partakers of my heauynesse nor of the sheddyng of those teares that you see runne downe along the face of hym that wythout them cannot expresse vnto you the iuste cause of hys dule and also the greate reason of hys so sodayne crueltye if it oughte not to be named equitye that neuer heretofore hath shewed any effecte of hys mallyce towardes anye man that lyues if fyrste hee haue not gyuen hym the occasyon for it is no lesse prayse worthye in a Prynce to gouerne hys people wyth gentlenesse equytye and clemencye then to punishe the sedicious and disquyetors of the peace because that such pacience shewed to one should not bee the common ruyne of all the whole people Thys is it wherevnto he oughte to extende all hys force no lesse to chasten the temerritye of the foolyshe then to recompence the fydelitie of them whyche hath serued hym faythfully shewing all the offyce of obedience towardes their Lordes What if the law doe inioyne this duety in the Vassall and subiecte â–ª towards the naturall and liege Lorde nature conioyned with the lawe doe constrayne and more streightly bynde the infants which owe to their Parents honour obedience piety al good succours not only of that whiche is exteriour but also of the interyour it selfe which is the good will and perfect amitye by which the harte of the Sonne ought to be vnyted wyth the pleasure and wil of the Father But O immortall God what Father would be so pittious and merciful that seing the Knyfe of hys sonne vpon his owne throate and coulde staye him would suffer him to depryue hym of lyfe But what lyfe oughte to be equall to honour for the atchieuing and attayning whereof all the noble and gentle myndes haue once despyced and yet do despyse their lyues Alas my friends the complaynt which I make before you is against my sonne wyfe the forgetfulnesse of whome is extended euen vnto the defacyng of myne honoure wherin both I and my predecessors haue passed our age I wyll bring you no other wytnesse then myne owne eyes that haue seene one of the moste abhominable and wicked facts that a man can think it is that which I cannot speake withoute an vnmeasurable greefe and without hanging my countenaunce for the shame hee hath done me That is the County Hugnes hath defyled the nuptiall bed of the Marques of Ferrarya his Father and the soueraign Lord of you all it is he that hath polluted the house that is counted in the raygne of the moste noble in all Europe this is he that incestyously hath vyolated the secretes and pruâ—ties the entrance whereof were lawfully permitted to none but me alone To whome shall I complayne and who shall reuenge me of thys iniurye Alas my harte breaketh my sences fayle me and my forces are weakned only there remaines a desyre to do Iustice not that it might be condign to the abhomination of the faulte but that I might thereby take awaye this blot from my stocke and moderate a little the greefe that prickes me and whiche yet serueth for the repentance of them that haue offended the Maiesty deuyne so greououslye that their doyngs haue giuen cause to them that come after to blase abroade the follye of their youth and in saying so his speech fayled him and ouercome wyth sorrow and the unpacience of his cholor he founded in the armes of his GentlemeÌ„ who carryed him into his chamber greatly abashed of the wickednesse of the two offeÌ„ders which they beleeued as wel for the reuerences of him that did wytnesse to haue seene it as for the remembraunces of the impudent lookes and lasciuious toyes of the Marchiones towardes the Countye that made them thinke it was she that made the pit wherein both she and the Countye were intrapped as sone as the Marques was come to himself there was no man so bolde that durst say any word vnto him but depending wholye of the wyll of their Lorde were of that aduyse that the processe should be quickly dispatched and that Iustyce should be done to the two Patientes as well for their comfortes as to gyue some contentmente to a Father rightly duspleased agaynste his sonne and as a husband deadlye hating the Palyardyse of his wyfe towardes whome he sente one of his Counsellers wyth two good Father Fryers men well lyked of the people both for their lyfe and learning the one to carrye the heauy and sorrowfull newes of his death and the others to mooue hym to repentance of his synnes and to pray to God to haue mercye on hys soule As soone as they were come before the yong Prynce who seeing the Counceller and
hearing the sentence of his death hee began to say weeping very tenderly Ah vnhappye flesh and fylthye desyres it is for thy pleasures that I must dye this daye O vnhappye wretche that I am not for that I dye but because I am the procurer of his choler cause of his dule for that I haue set such trouble in his house as shall not so well so sone be forgotten as I would wysh Alas my Lord father pardon this detestable offeÌ„ce of him that hath vsed himself otherwise toward you then the chyld ought towards y father I coÌ„fesse I am the most myserable that euer was born of a mother the most detestable that the Sunne shyneth on this daye Alas good Lorde suffer not my soule to be punished seruing for the pasture of that vyle serpent deuouring Lyon that doth nothing but go about to deceiue and invyron vs cause vs to fall into his lake O Lord haue mercy haue mercy on me suffer not the bloud of thy sonne to be shed in vayne for me Alas I must dye not for the confessing of the fayth and glorifying of thy name before men but for my owne wickednesse the multitude of my demerites that which next after the great wickednesse committed against thy dyuyne maiesty doth greeue me most is the sorrowe of him that doth and will redounde to my mischiefe dishonour But O my God I beseech thee to comfort him giue me streÌ„gth pacientlye to abyde this infamous cruell punishment that I see euen redy before my eyes The Counseller seeing the repentaunce of the Prince moued with coÌ„passyon begaÌ„ to wepe departed out of the pryson went to make report thereof to the Marques who aunswered him it is not now time to become a good christyan syth he caÌ„not escape the iust vengeance of God by the mynister of his humain iustyce and I beseech God that hee will pardon hys synnes receyue him amongst the number of his elect saying so left of not able to beare the sorrow which did greeue him for the remembraunce of the approching death of his sonne wherfore it was ordayned that they should be quickly dispatched one in the sight of the other and this was done for that the Marques would here no admonition for he heard the sentence was extended as well vppon the Countye as vpon her that had made no sute for her lyfe because she saw they had coÌ„demned the county then in the end seing she had done the faulte she appoynteth with her self to receyue death in as good part as she could which was giueÌ„ to euery of them in their tower within a mynute of an houre not without an infynite nuÌ„ber of teares shead and besprent as well by the Marques which could not dissemble hys affection as by al theÌ„ of his house that vniuersally loued the fayre couple of infortunate Louers y vertue of whom this vlot except could well haue no comparison but a lyttle Leuen as sayeth the Apostle doth easyly rayse season and sower a great peece of dow likewyse a vyce so slaunderous doeth obfuscate all the brightnesse of the former vertues and impoysoneth the good sauour of all the forpassed life These two Patients being executed whylst men were preparing of rych and accustomable Funerals they were broughte into the base Court of the Pallas to the ende all the world should see and beholde the cause of their death that yet renewed the teares and complaynts of men as well for the one as for the other bewayling the one for hys worthynesse the other for her curtesye and them both for their great bewtye and youth wherein they were for as yet the more aged of them had not attayned the age of two and twenty yeares After this the Marques caused to bee prepared a rych and sumptuous furnyture for their funerals and with such pompe as their greatnesse did requyre their bodyes were broughte to be buryed in the couent of Saynt Frances and there was erected a Tomb to be the common bed of the bodyes of them whose hartes had bene surely conioyned togythers when they were alyue so these two myserable creatures had a small ease for the induring of so great a punishment and for all the contentment and satisfaction of their desyres they had this only good that by one kynd of death they both should ende and haue their bones enioy one Sepulcure togither Here it is good to be aduysed how and wyth what counsels men ought to forsee thinges and their accurrenses before they be executed here maye you gather also what is the nature and condition of synne which once ingrafted in the harts of men spreadeth his rootes so broade that by great payne it cannot be exterped but by the disolucyon and death of the subiect whereby they are cheefe cause of their owne ruyne A good example certaynelye for the youth of this age which without aduysement of the daungers that the flesh the Prynce of this worlde doe prepare for them to their great shame vse pryuate companye wyth them that be of their kyndred wythout aduysemente that the moste sage haue once fayled in these doinges and haue perpetrated the thinges that are vnworthy to be thought and punishable only by death in them that commytte them FINIS A cruell custome of the Duke of Millayne Horâ—â—ble waâ—â—â—ease vpon dead bodyes The Hystory of whome is already set forth excellently by Mayster Fenton A monsterous and most cruell 〈◊〉 The wyckâ—d Tyrauntes alwayes in feare full of suspicion God the reuenger of al wrong and iniquitie The Oration of Mahometh ⧠IMPRINTED AT London in Fleetestreate beneath the Conduite at the Sygne of S. Iohn Euaungelist by Hugh Iackson Anno. 1577.
calleth hee to the others that they shoulde dispatch that the good Synger should not trouble him any more with his prayers theÌ„ all at once they began to laye downe the two bodyes to couer them with earth when as the Priest cryed Alas my Lorde if you haue no pitty of the bodye yet haue compassyon of the saluation of the soule as much as is in your power and suffer me not to dye without confessing my faultes before some Minister of God according to the institution of the church Go go sayth the Duke thou hadst more neede to appease the Porter of Hell with thy Orations synce thou canst not get a Priest at thys present they be all fled away from thee seeing thee already conuerted into a nightspright to afray Children in the Churchyarde and therfore thou shalte be put into the earth with the absolucyon that thou haste geue him whom thou imbracest that may serue for the alegeance of the heape of all thy offences Wyth such rayling the inhumayn Prince caused the two bodyes to be cast into the pit with no lesse abashment of al men then as a thing that they had neuer seene done before which thoughte not that the Duke so vnaduysedly and of such a beastly maner would haue put men to deth but his lyfe was no lesse detestable then the lyfe of the Emperour Macryne who vsed lyke manners and punished more cruelly then he did syth the Prieste was prest and choked as well by the smell of the dead bodye as by the earth that was cast vppon him the graue being verye deepe whereas the Emperour wythout pyttye caused such as hee had condemned to bee bounde lykewyse to the deade carcases that putrifyed the Ayre not suffering them to be buryed but let them so remayne till that eyther by fayntnesse or stinche of the dead body and the multitude of Vermyn they cruelly departed out of this lyfe Nor more curteous was Maximiniam who caused such as he hated to be thrust into the empty belly of an Oxe vnto the head where they ended their misery by y blood that ran out of the beast but the barbarous tyme doth excuse these GallaÌ„ts that being Panims and without knowledge of God which are not so much to be maruailed at if they did their workes acording to the desyre of the deuill that was their guyde who is a murderer from the beginning but a christyan Prynce come of a good stocke broughte vp amongest men of learning and dwelling in so ciuill a Countrey ought to make the case more straunge syth that the earth once cryed vengeaunce to GOD vppon Cayne for that hee had vyolated the Bright of kynred in sleaing that iust Abell his Brother I beleeue that within a little tyme after Iohn Maria for so pernicious a cryme was slayne by his owne Cittizens and I thinke that in our tyme there be some that haue made sacryfyce of heads other members who lyke Diomedes haue caused their Horses to eate the bodyes of men But I beleeue that God will not leaue suche crueltyes vnpunished although for a whyle he attendeth and is pacyent in his doinges yet in the end he wil cause theÌ„ to feele the strength of his arme and to feele the inuytable yre of his iust displeasure Now to retourne to the matter the Duke hauing accomplyshed these Tragical and sorrowful Funerals he dispatched sodenly one of his men to the house of the Priest from wheÌ„ce he caused all his moueables to be caryed and giuen to the poore wyddow the wyfe of hym that was dead with whome the Priest was companyon in the graue This last sentence was as iust as the fyrst was vniust cruell and horrible syth it was good reason that he should be punished in hys goods that for Aâ—aryce and desyre of Money had forgotten hymselfe and the duety requysyte in a publique man such a one as is the Pastoure of a Churche bee not offended you that beare the Ecclesyasticall Offyces of that whyche I haue sayde but take Example by the myserable ende of one of your estate thinking that the persecutions and the euill that God hath seÌ„t you procedeth of your ambicion auaryce ignorance and whoredome I tel you truly I am sorry for that the aduersarye of the Church suppresseth the good men throweth down them that ought to be honored wheras the foolish the slow bellyes the ignorant the whoremoÌ„gers feele no such scourges but God which is iust hath by these meanes called you to repentaunce because you should acknowledge your faultes and lyue more Godly then the Abbot Guensaldo and this myserable Myser intreated so cruelly by the moste detestable tyraunt that euer was seene in Italy synce the Lombardes gaue the name to that Lande ⸫ FINIS ¶ A Gentleman Myllinois beeing amorous at the very end of his age for the extreame Ielosy of his Concubyne was cause of the death of his Sonne and of himselfe and lastly of the vnhappy ende of the Harlot whiche was cause of all AT the time when the french armies were discouered throughout Italy for the Conquest of Myllayne causing all the state of the Venetians to tremble â–ª when Lewis the seuenth had brought his affayres in such readynes that he pitched his Campe euen in the sight of their next Citie breaking down their walles and ouerthrowing with the force of his Canons their Towers of defence that Venis neuer felte any greater or more mightyer force The Venetians not knowing howe or by what meanes to quyet their bondes and to appease the displeasure of a King iustly incensed agaynste their infydelitie and arrogancie about that tyme I saye there was a Gentleman Milinois which for the troubles coÌ„ming doth conuay himselfe to a Castle that hee had before Monse as lykewyse did the moste parte of them that coulde not brooke the chaunging of their Lord or who as it might bee were not able to indure the insolencye and crueltye of the French Souldyers This Gentleman of whome I intreate was a Wyddower to whome there was remayning onely two chyldren the one of the Age of seuen or eyghte yeares the other approaching neare to the age of twentye the olde man seeing hymselfe wythoute a wyfe although hee hadde almoste passed the age of threescore yeares neyther hauing regarde to hys Age nor to hys approaching death doeth become amorous of a gyrle the Daughter of a Messenger both fayre and well fauoured of whome hee had his pleasure by the meanes of the onely Father of the Gyrle which solde her vnto him This is a marke very certayne to bewayle any man which we see in his age to become a Father whose youth hath geuen him no sygne thereof yet thys is moste detestable that Chrystyans beare the iniquitie of Fathers and Mothers so impudente and euill as to sell prostytute and corrupte their owne Daughters and commonly the Maiestrates of our tyme wyll see nothing the Kinges shutte their eyes they that fayne them selues to be most
you Madame if euer I haue done any thing in your seruice that meriteth recompence to do me this pleasure honor to tel me y occasion of your disquietnes to the end that if this power that is in me may do any thing for your conteÌ„tment I wil imploy it with the life that I haue vowed so long time to be obedient to your commandments Alas my friend sayth the Marchiones I am ashamed being such a one as I am so to tormeÌ„t my self beholding me so conteÌ„ned of my Lord y Marques I assure thee that if the hope of some allegeance did not comfort me thou shouldst behold what sacryfyce I would make of my life to the crueltys of him that hath made more accoumpt of one of these common despised women then of me that am his wyfe not inferiour in bewty to any of them What Madame answereth y Damsell haue you no other cause to disquiet your self then the foolish loue of my Lord the Marques truly this is a very small occasyon a cause more then fryuolous to vex your selfe lay away al this from you assay to liue ioyfully with them that loue esteme you attending til time shal cole his ardeÌ„t desyres cause him change his affectioÌ„ take good heede that he haue no cause of miscoÌ„tentment for to quite him of his passions apprehensions vnsemely companyes in the meane time ioy you only of y which is yours not vsing such foly as to stain your honor by vnlawful acquaintance with any other then of him which is giuen you for Lord Espouse with shortning of your life for suche a foolishe mistrust proceeding of that euill â–ª Ielosy O God sayth the Marchyones all bedewed wyth teares howe true is that which euery one speaketh in a common Prouerbe the whole caÌ„ easily giue councel to them that be sick Ah my friend if you felt the disquietues that wil not suffer me to take any rest in my mynd the cause of the bitternesse y doeth bereue me of my sences I am assured that hauing pittye of me thou wouldest councell mee of an other sorte or else helpe to execute that which shoulde serue for the intyre solace and contentmente of my spirite the Marques hath led this lyfe a long tyme and it is vnpossible that hee shoulde chaunge but by death or extreme age and in the meane tyme I passe my tyme in vayn accompanyed without comforts that procures me to ouerpasse the night with teares in steede of rest and the daye agaynst my will I am merry to contente hym that shewes me no pleasure no not that which he oughte by the sacred rightes of those bands which haue coÌ„ioyned vs togyther would God death had takeÌ„ away my lyfe in the Cradle to the end that not remayning vnto this present I should not haue felt of what force is the despighte of an honest Ladye being deceyued by her husbande Alas howe happye are they of base condicion that may wythout great conscieÌ„ce inaculate their blood that doth redound but to the shame of a fewe Ah honor and Nobillitie howe tyrannously doe you brydle the Ladyes that how much the preferment is before men the estate of all should not be alyke to the end that the people should not shadow our brightnesse more then the reâ—own of the common sorte of men and women which dye with the memory of their deedes that are buryed in the same tombe wyth their bodyes or if the Lawes did as well punishe the disloyaltye of the husband as the symple women that by a naturall vyce are sometymes forced to forget themselues euen till they bee ouercome by the appetytes of the flesh how ioyfully woulde I reuenge my selfe of the iniury which that periured and vnlouing husband hath done to me because that euery couple should equallye receyue the payne and punishmente according to their demerites But after the Lawes were made they were Tyrauntes ouer vs the inquyetors of our rest and the common Ennymyes of oâ—â— perfectioÌ„ who did authoryse them without the â—yde helpe or consente of any of vs After that she exclaymeth as one halfe inraged saying wyth a voyce that declared the vehemencye of her torment and the mutacyon of her mynd But syth I must dye a thousand tymes if so be I let this paâ—se without punishmente I would he wel knew it that I intend not to lyue wyth such griefe and sorrow as he hath geuen me cause a good tyme and then let chaunce what may for this is a torment great ynough as I beleeue to abyde such a Tyranny and to feele the puissaunte prickes of loue the better whereof is no lesse to bee wyshed then death hauing sayde so the Marchiones holdeth her tongue attending the aunswere of the Damsell who hauing a long tyme bethought her selfe aunswereth in this sorte Madame as yet I neuer had experyence of what might the force of loue is and by that meanes I haue neuer felt what is the disdayn and sorrow of them that perceyue themselues deceyued of him of whome she oughte to bee the intyre and onely beloued yet I beleeue neuerthelesse that the passion both of the one and the other is so great and vnmeasurable that the surplusage of the alterations that trouble greeue the spirite are nothing in respect of this inexplicable distresse The argument of this I take of you Madame the Constaucye of whome is so troubled by the outrage and fury of Ielosy that heretofore hath â—â—uer giuen suspition of chaunge or miscontentmente of harte But O God I beholde and perceaue the imbecillity of humayn mynds how well they are disquyeted of dyuers vnlawfull desyres which take rest no more in the stomack thoughts â–ª then the sea Sandes instate with a whyrle wynde in an extreame hote daye Ah Madame where is the great Chastity y made you once renowned before al the Ladies of Italy I beseech you assay to contayn your selfe in that honest reputation wherin hytheâ—to you haue lyued to the great contente of your Parents friends What if reason haue so little force in you that you deliberate to followe the vyce of wantonesse and to search another for the accomplishment of your desyres then the Marques your husband by all meanes do the thing so secretly that the house wherof you are come receyue no dishonour and your selfe merite infamy greuous punishment The Marchiones answereth nothing to the sage admonition of the wyse Damsel beginning to think with herselfe not by what meanes she mighte wythdraw her husband from the disordered wanton lyfe that he led but rather howe shee might reuenge her selfe and with whome shee might giue him y counter change in punishing him by the same faulte But reason doeth not extend herselfe to this end that sinne and vertue should be placed alyke for vertue is the superlatiue aboue her contrary which is put vnder her as a subiect for the instruction of anye that knowes not what
of naturall causes to haue geuen themselues to execute the very effectes of nature I thinke also if the Daughter of Mynos had bene of like bâ—wty good graces attemptes and intysementes as was this Lady I doubt not at al. But that her Hypolite although he were frowarde or lunetyque woulde haue enioyed and cherished her and lefte Diana to haue sowne his seedes in the Garden of her that with such instaunce requyred him of mercy Thys fayre Temptaresse then seeing her louer in such alterations and so surprised with shamefastenesse also because he had not showne any semblaunce of displeasure with any thing she had done she purposeth to passe further and to stryke whyles the Yron was whoâ—e to the ende that the yong Prince during his dyners thoughtes shoulde not measure with reason the greatnesse of his misdeedes the abhomination of the sin which he committed against his father in vsing the person of her in whom the blood of his had bene mingled Likewise because he should not discouer the great perrill danger wherinto he cast himselfe headlong in taking the vnhapy counsel of y wanton couÌ„seller Therfore she cast her arme ouer y necke of the Prince kissing imbracing him in suche sort y at the last the pore County yelded to y assault who being once intised by her vnseemely pronocations wicked doings not only fulfilled y which she s on aughtily desyred but was so inflamed with that rage impoysoned with the venim that loue had spread ouer the coralyâ—e cheekes of this new Phedra that begiâ—ning to set apart the duty that he owes to 〈◊〉 father and to the honour of the Nuptial bed the vyolating whereof hath euer broughte with it the ruyne dishonour of the violaters he was so far estraunged from his former modestye that he kisseth the mouth lippes â—yes as also the whyte delicate necke of the Marchyones then passing further he extendeth his hand ouer her two round Dugs that by their equall and lyke quantitie cause two little hils eleuate a little aboue the stomacke of the fayre Lady at the entrye of which there breatheth a wynde that makes thâ—â—n fynely â–ª ryâ—e and fall according to the passyons that mooue wythin the center of her harte he then beholding hys lyceâ—ce to touch any place of his pleasaunt ennemy putteth his hand to the place most desyred and in which louers seeke to obtayne the mercy of loue then feeling her â—elly that was round hard and more whyte theÌ„ the top of the Aâ—lpes after that the wynter had whyted the with frost she then shrinking away from him perceyuing that she had ouercome him so fynely shutteth her eyes fayning a pleasaunte and no great displeasure that did well declare her desyres sayth vâ—to him Alas my deare friend that cause my death oh that you would quench this fyre that consumeth my lyfe and whereof I am â—ure you feele the quick sparks at which wordâ—s the Princâ— was so chafed in his Harneys that without vsing his former reuâ—â—ences he taketh that parte in Musicke whych he neuer tofore had cryed and found the accords so sweet and so correspoÌ„dent to his pleasures he purposeth to continue theÌ„ if in case it should seeme good to his mistresse which was not so vnplesant but that hauing found the beginning so well done by the measure and freedome of hym shee easilye gaue her consente Mark and behold here the second Acte of the Tragedy that thou mayst see if the ioyes and pleasures of men may be pertual if it be not more a doe for the Nobles to keepe secrete their â—olies then for the meane sort to manifest them and surely they are a great deale sooner espyed in the chiefe of the common weale then in the members that are more weake and of lesse puissaunce for where the heade is troubled it is vnpossible that the members shoulde not feele some apprehensyon of their mishappe and sorrowe This is the cause why men intreate alwayes of Prynces and make so small accoumpte of the doinges of the pleban sorte the memory of whome vanisheth away so soons as the wynde But for that these two coulde not well deuyse all thinges themselues wythout hauing a thyrde person they intende to imparte their affayres to the Damsell that was sent to seeke the County and which doubted of that whiche they had done togythers To her then after the County was departed the Chamber enamoured and inflamed of his louing mother the Marchyones addresâ—e her wyth a countenaunce more gay then accustomed saying My deare friend you haue seene in what ease I haue passed my tyme hytherto and the small ioy I receiued during the presence of the Marques but GOD hath so prouyded that hee is absent for certayne dayes to the ende that I should make prouysyon for the tyme to come of that which I stand in neede of and by this his absence might get my selfe that goodnesse which should ende all my euils I haue chosen me such a louer as nature cannot shape a more perfect eyther in bewty liberallitye courtesy or worthynesse and so nâ—ole that he is the seconde in goodnesse to Nobillitie herself which I imparte vnto you for that I haue knowne you hytherto both wyse and faythfull to keepe my secretes in such sort as they oughte to bee also you are she that hath heard the communycations of my former affections and the symple obiections for the appreheÌ„ding of my loue reasoÌ„ would also I should manifest vnto you to what ende all this tendeth and that whych followeth trusting onely in your vertue and honest discretion that you wyll keepe secrete this facte as the persons whome it toucheth doe deserue and as the good and affectionate amitie whych I haue borne you requyreth And as she would haue coÌ„tinued her purpose the Damsell impacyent to be sollicited sayeth vnto her Would that God Madame had cut of the threade of my yeares when I fyrst set my foote in this vnhappye house for by that meanes I shoulde haue auoyded two euils wherevnto my misfortune doeth throwe mee headlong without which I might otherwyse haue lyued for all his Daughters whose I am it shall be a great dishonestye to vse a seruice so vnseemely both for my age and estate and which shall fall out in the ende consydering the abhomination of the facte that I thinke that I muste see an offence that will cause the totall ruine both of you and him for whome you addresse this foolish and naughty deuysed aduyse not for that I am she whych inteâ—d to defanie you for death shall be more agreeable vnto mee as God shall receyue mee then to see an accidente so preiudiciall both to your age and honoure But alas the iudgementes of GOD are so righte and so equall in the Ballaunce of hys Iustyce that there is nothyng done there in vayne I knowe and GOD seeth sayth â—he feâ—â—hing a sygh from the bottome of her harâ— wyth what anguyshe I lameâ—â—e this that