times and places doth brighten the Starres and maketh the Moone to shine Euen so the woman dependeth of the man and of him doth take hir nobilitie The King therefore thoughte the matche not mete for Ariobarzanes to marrie his daughter and 〈◊〉 red he shoulde incurre some blemishe of his house But for all respect and feare of shame the emulation whiche he had to be victorious of his forced curtesie did surpasse Wherefore he sent for Ariobarzanes to come vnto the Court. And he vpon that commaundement came And so soone as he was entred the Palace he repaired to do his reuerence vnto the king of whome he was welcomed with glad and ioyfull entertainement And after they had a while debated of diuers matters the King sayde vnto him Ariobarzanes for so much as thou art without a wife we 〈◊〉 to bestowe vpon thée a Gentlewoman which not onely we well like and loue but also is suche a one as thou thy selfe shalt be well contented to take Ariobarzanes answered that he was at his commaundement And that such choyse as pleased his Maiestie shoulde very well content and satisfie him Then the King caused his daughter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 attired to come before him and there openly in presence of the 〈◊〉 Courte commaunded that Ariobarzanes shoulde marrie hir Which with séemely ceremonies being 〈◊〉 Ariobarzanes shewed litle ioy of that parentage and in apparance made as though he cared not for his wife The nobles and Gentleman of the Court 〈◊〉 to sée the straunge 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 consideryng the great 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of their Prince towards his subiect by taking him for his father and sonne in lawe and greatly murmured to sée the obstinacie and rudenesse of Ariobarzanes towardes the King and the faire newe maried spouse much blaming and rebuking his vnkinde demeanour Ariobarzanes that day fared as though he were besides him selfe voide of ioy and mirth where all the rest of the Courte spent the time in sport and triumph the Ladies and noble women together with the King and Quéene them selues dauncing and 〈◊〉 vntill the time of night did force 〈◊〉 wight to retire to their chambers Notwithstanding the King did marke the gesture and countenance of Ariobarzanes and after the bankette the King in solemne guise and greate pompe caused his daughter to bée accompanied with a great train to the lodging of Ariobarzanes and to be caried with hir hir princely dowrie where Ariobarzanes very honourably receyued his wife and at that instant in the presence of all the noble men and Barons that waited vpon the Bride he doubled the dowrie receyued and the same with the ten hūdred thousand crownes giuen him by the King he sent backe againe This vnmeasured Liberalitie séemed passing straunge vnto the King and bredde in him such disdaine as doubtfull he was whether to yelde or to condemne him to perpetual banishment The King thought that the greatnesse of Ariobarzanes minde was inuincible and was not able paciently to suffer that a subiect in matters of Curtesie and liberalitie shoulde compare with his King and maister Herewithall the King conceiuing malice coulde not tell what to say or do An easy matter it was to perceiue the rage and 〈◊〉 of the king who was so sore displeased as he bare good looke and coūtenance to no man And bicause in those days the Persian kings 〈◊〉 honored and reuerenced as Gods there was a lawe that when the king was driuen into a 〈◊〉 or had conceiued a iust displeasure he shoulde manifest vnto his counsellers the cause of his anger who afterwards by mature diligēce hauing examined the cause 〈◊〉 finding that king to be 〈◊〉 displesed shold seke means of his appeasing But if they founde his anger displeasure to be iustly cōceiued the cause of the same according to the qualitie of the offence little or great they shoulde punishe either by banishment or capital death The sentence of whome should passe and be pronounced without appeale Howbeit lawfull it was for the kyng the pronounced sentence either in all or in part to diminishe the paine or clearely to assoile the partie Wherby it euidently appeared that the Counsellers sentence once 〈◊〉 termined was very iustice and the kings will if he pardoned was mere grace and mercy The King then was constrained by 〈◊〉 statutes of his kingdom to disclose 〈◊〉 to his Counsell the cause of his displeasure which parti cularly he recited The Counsellers when they heard the reasons of the king sent for Ariobarzanes of whome by due examination they gathered that in diuors causes he had prouoked the kings offence Afterwards the lords of the Counsell vpon the proposed question began to argue by inuestigation serch wherof in the end they iudged Ariobarzanes worthy to lose his head For that he woulde not onely compare but also goe about to 〈◊〉 him in things 〈◊〉 and to she we him self discontented with the mariage of his daughter vnthankfull of the benefites so curteously bestowed vpon him A custome was obserued among the Persians that in euery act or enterprise wherin the seruant endeuored to surpasse and vanquishe his lorde and maister albeit the attempt were commendable and praise worthy for 〈◊〉 of want of duetie or contempt to the royall Maiestie he 〈◊〉 lose his best ioynt And for better confirmation of their iudgement the Counsellers alleaged a certain 〈◊〉 sentence registred in their Chronicles 〈◊〉 done by the Kings of Persia. The cause was this One of the Kings of that Region disposed to disporte with certain of his noble men abrode in the fields went a Hanking and with the 〈◊〉 to flie at diuers gante Within a while they sprang a Hearon and the Kyng commanded that one of the Faulcons which was a notable swift and soaring Hauke shold be cast off to the Hearon which done the Hearon began to mount and the Faucon spéedily pursued and as the Hauke after many batings and intercourses was about to seaze vpon the Hearon he espied an Egle. The stoute Hauke séeing the Egle gaue ouer the fearfull Hearon and with swift 〈◊〉 flewe towards the Egle and fiercely attempted to 〈◊〉 vpon hir But the Egle very stoutly defended 〈◊〉 self that the Hauke was forced to let go hir hold In the end 〈◊〉 good Hauke with hir sharpe talands again seazed vpon the Egles neck with hir beake strake hir starke dead wherwithall she fell downe amidde the companie that waited vpon the King All the Barons and Gentlemen highly cōmended and praised the Hauke affirming that a better was not in the worlde attributing vnto the same such praise as they thought mete The King for all the acclamations and shoutes of the troupe spake not a worde but stode musing with him selfe and did neither praise nor blame that Hauke It was very late in the euening when the Faucon killed the Egle and therefore the King commaunded eche man to depart to the Citie The next day the King caused a Goldsmith to make an
be ne more faithful more affectionate or otherwise moued than the rest yet I am contēt for respect of your honor somewhat to beleue you and to accept you for mine owne sith your discretion is such I trust as so Noble a Gentleman as you be will himself declare in those affairs and whē I sée the effect of my hope I can not be so vnkinde but with all honesty shall assay to satisfie that your loue The Counte seing hir alone and receiuing the Ladies language for his aduauntage and that hir countenance by alteration of hir minde did adde a certaine beautie to hir face and perceiuing a desire in hir that hée shold not vse delay or be too squeimish she demaūding naught else but execution tooke the present offred time forgetting all ceremonies and reuerence he embraced hir and kissed hir a hundred thousand times And albeit she made a certain simple and prouoking resistance yet the louer séeing thē to be but preparatiues for the sport of loue he strayed from the bounds of honestie and threw hir vpon a fielde bed within the Chambre where he solaced himselfe with his long desired sute And finding hir worthy to be beloued and she him a curteous gentleman consulted together for continuance of their amitie in such wise as the Lord Ardizzino spake no more but by the mouth of Bianca Maria and did nothing but what she commaunded being so bewrapped with the heauie mantell of beastly Loue as hée still above night and day in the house of his beloued whereby the brute was noised throughout the Citie and the songs of their Loue more common in eche Citizens mouthe than the Stanze or Sonnets of Petrarch played and sained vpon the Gittorne Lute or Harpe of these of Noble house more fine wittie than those vnsauery 〈◊〉 that be tuned and chaunted in the mouthes of the foolish common sort Behold an Earle well serued and dressed by enioying so false a woman which had already falsified the faith betrouthed to hir husbād who was more honest milde and vertuous than she deserued Beholde ye Noble Gentlemen the simplicitie of this good Earle how it was deceiued by a false and filthy strumpet whose stincking life and common vse of body woulde haue withdrawen each simple creature from mixture of their owne with such a Carrion A lesson to learne all youth to refraine the whoorishe lookes and light conditioned Dames a number the more to be pitied shewing forthe them selues to the portsale of euery cheapener that list demaunde the price the grosenesse whereof before considered were worthy to be defied and loathed This Ladie séeing hir Louer noussed in hir lust dandled him with a thousande trumperies and made hym holde the Mule while other enioyed the secrete sporte which earst hée vsed himself This acquaintance was so daungerous to the Counte as she hir self was shamelesse to the Counte of Celant For the one bare the armes of Cornwall and became a second Acteon and the other wickedly led his life lost the chiefest of that he loked for in the seruice of great princes by the treason of an arrant common 〈◊〉 Whiles this Loue continued in all pleasure and like contentation of either parts Fortune that was ready to mounte the stage and shew in sight that hir mobilitie was no more stable than a womans will For vnder such habite and sere Painters and Poets describe hir made Ardizzino suspecte what desire she had of chaunge and within a while after sawe himself so farre misliked of his Ladie as though he had neuer bene acquainted The cause of that recoile was for that the Countesse was not contented with one kinde of fare and whose eyes were more gredie than hir stomake able to digest and aboue all desired chaunge not séeking meanes to finde him that was worthy to be beloued and intertained of so great a Ladie as she estéemed hir selfe to be and as such women of their owne opinion thinke themselues who counterfaicte more grauitie and reputation than they doe whome nature and vertue for their maiestie and holinesse of life make Noble and praise worthie That desire deceiued hir nothing at all for a certaine time after that Ardizzino possessed the forte of this faire Countesse there came to Pauia one Roberto Sanseuerino Earle of Gaiazzo a yong faire and valiant Gentleman whose Countrey lieth on this side the Mountaines and very familiar with the Earle of Massino This vnfaithful Alcina and cruell Medea had no sonet cast hir eye vpon Signor di Gaiazzo but was pierced with his loue in such wise as if forthwith shée had not attained hir desires she would haue run mad bicause that Gentleman bare a certaine stately representation in his face promised such dexteritie in his déedes as sodainly she thought him to be that man that was able to staunch hir filthy thirst And therfore so gentlely as she could gaue ouer hir Ardizzino with whome she vtterly refused to speake and shunned his cōpanie when she saw him and by shutting the gates against him the Noble man was not able to forbeare from throwing forth some words of choler wherby she tooke occasion both to expell him and also to beare him such displeasure as then she cōspired his death as afterwards you shall perceiue This great hatred was the cause that she being fallen in Loue as you haue heard with the Counte of Gaiazzo shewed vnto him all signe of amitie and séeing that hée made no great sute vnto hir she wrote vnto him in this manner The Letter of Bianca Maria to the Counte of Gaiazzo SIr I doubt not by knowing the state of my degrée but that ye be abashed to sée the violēce of my mind when passing the limites of modestie which ought to guard such a Ladie as I am I am forced uncertain of the cause to doe you vnderstand the griefe that doeth torment me which is of such constraint as if of curtesie ye doe not vouchsafe to visite me you shall commit two faultes the one leauing the thing worthy for you to loue and regard and which deserueth not to be cast off the other in causing the death of hir that for Loue of you is bereft of rest And so loue hath very little in me to sease vpon either of heart or libertie but that ease of grief procéedeth from your only grace which is able to vanquishe hir whose victorious hap hath conquered all other and who attēding your resolut answer shall rest vnder the mercifull refuge of hope which deceiuing hir shall sée by that very meanes the wretched end of hir that is all your owne Bianca Maria Countesse of Celant The yong Lorde much maruelled at this message were it for that already hée was in loue with hir and that for loue of his friend Ardizzino wold not be known thereof or for that he feared she would be straught of wits if she were despised he determined to goe vnto hir yet stayed thought it not to be the
an hundred thousand deathes did stande about hir haling hir on euery side and plucking hir in pieces féelyng that hir forces diminyshed by litle and litle fearing that through to great debilitie she was not able to do hir enterprise like a furious and insensate womā without further care gulped vp the water within the viol then crossing hir armes vpon hir stomacke she lost at that instant al the powers of hir body and remained in a traunce And when the mornyng light began to thrust his head out of his Orient hir chamber woman which had lockte hir in with the key did open the doore and thinking to awake hir called hir many times and sayde vnto hir Mistresse you sléepe to long the Counte Paris will come to raise you The poore olde woman spake vnto the wall and 〈◊〉 a song vnto the deafe For if all the horrible and tempestuous soundes of the worlde had bene canoned forth oute of the greatest bombardes and sounded through hir delicate eares hir spirits of lyfe were so fast bounde and stopt as she by no meanes coulde awake wherewith the poore olde woman amazed beganne 〈◊〉 shake hir by the armes and handes which she founde so colde as marble stone Then puttyng hande vnto hir mouthe sodainely perceyued that she was deade for she perceyued no breath in hir Wherfore lyke a woman out of hir wyttes shée ranne to tell hir mother who so madde as Tigre bereft of hir faons hyed hir selfe into hir daughters chaumber and in that pitifull state beholdyng hir daughter thinking hir to be deade cried out Ah cruell death which hast ended all my ioye and blisse vse thy laste scourge of thy wrathfull ire against me least by suffering me to lyue the rest of my woful dayes my tormente do increase then she began to fetchsuch straining sighes as hir heart dyd séeme to cleaue in pieces And as hir cries beganne to encrease beholde the father the Counte Paris and a greate troupe of Gentlemen and Ladies which were come to honour the feast hearing no soner tell of that which chaunced were stroke into such sorowfull dumpes as he whiche had behelde their faces wold easily haue iudged that the same had bē a day of ire pitie specially the lord Antonio whose heart was frapped with such surpassing wo as neither teare nor word could issue forth knowing not what to doe streight way sēt to seke that most expert phisitians of the towne who after they had inquired of the life past of Iulietta déemed by common reporte that melancolie was the cause of that sodaine death then their sorowes began to renue a 〈◊〉 And if euer day was lamentable piteous vnhappie and fatall truely it was that wherin Iulietta hir death was published in Verona for shée was so bewailed of great small that by the cōmon plaintes the common wealth séemed to be in daunger not without cause For besides hir natural beautie accompanied with many vertues wherewith nature had enriched hir she was else so humble wise and debonaire as for that humilitie and curtesie she had stollen away the heartes of euery wight and there was none but did lamente hir misfortune And whilest these things were in this lamented state Frier Laurence with diligence dispatched a Frier of his Couent named Frier Anselme whome he trusted as himselfe and deliuered him a letter written with his owne hande commaunding him expressely not to gyue the same to any other but to Rhomeo wherein was conteyned the chaunce which had passed betwene him and Iulietta specially that vertue of the pouder and commaunded him the nexte ensuing night to spéede him self to Verona for that the operation of the pouder that time would take ende that he should cary with him back again to Mantua his 〈◊〉 Iulietta in dissembled apparell vntill Fortune bad otherwise prouided for them The frier made such hast as too late he ariued at Mantua within a while after And bicause the maner of Italie is that the Frier trauailing abroade oughte to take a companion of his couent to doe his affaires within the Citie the Frier went into his couent but bicause he was entred in it was not lawfull for him to come out againe that day for that certain dayes before one religious of that couent as it was sayd did die of the plague Wherefore the magistrates appointed for the healthe and visitation of the sicke commaunded the warden of the house that no Friers shold wander abrode the Citie or talke with any citizen vntill they were licenced by the officers in that behalfe appointed which was the cause of the great mishap which you shal heare hereafter The Frier being in this perplexitie not able to goe forth and not knowing what was cōtained in the letter deferred his iorney for that day Whilest things were in this plight preparation was made at Veronna to doe the obsequies of Iulietta There is a custome also which is common in Italie to place all the beste of one lignage and familie in one Tombe wherby Iulietta was layde in the ordinarie graue of the 〈◊〉 in a Churcheyarde harde by the Churche of the Friers where also the Lorde Thibault was interred And hir obsequies honourably done euery man returned whereunto Pietro the seruant of Rhomeo gaue hys assistance For as we haue before declared his master sente him backe againe from Mantua to Verona to do his father seruice and to aduertise hym of that whiche shoulde chaunce in his absence there who séeing the body of Iulietta inclosed in tombe thinkyng with the rest that she had bene dead in déede incontinently toke poste horse and with diligence rode to Mantua where he founde his maister in his wonted house to whome he sayde with his eyes full of teares Syr there is chaunced vnto you so straunge a matter as if so bée you do not arme your selfe with constancie I am afrayde that I shal be the cruell minister of your death Bée it knowne vnto you syr that yesterday morning my mistresse Iulietta left hir lyfe in this world to seke rest in an other and wyth these eyes I saw hir buried in the Churchyarde of S. Frauncis At the sounde of which heauie message Rhomeo began wofully to 〈◊〉 as though his spirites grieued with the 〈◊〉 of his passion at that instant woulde haue abandoned his bodie But strong Loue whiche woulde not permitte hym to faint vntill the extremitie framed a thoughte in his fantasie that if it were possible for hym to dye besides hir his death shoulde be more glorious and 〈◊〉 as he thought better contented By reason whereof after 〈◊〉 had washed his face for 〈◊〉 to discouer hys sorrow he went out of hys chamber and commaunded hys man to 〈◊〉 behynde hym that hée might walke thorough oute all the corners of the Citie to fynde propre remedie if it were possyble for hys griefe And 〈◊〉 others beholdyng an Apoticaries shoppe of lytle furniture and lesse store of boxes and other thynges requisite
presence of that honourable assemblie cōceiued courage and crauing licence of the Duke to speake with mery countenance and good vttrance began thus to say hir minde Most excellent Prince and ye right honorable lordes perceiuing how my deare husband vncomely and very dishonestly doth vse himselfe against mée in this noble companie I do thinke maister Girolamo Bembo to be affected with like rage minde against this gentlewoman mistresse Lucie his wife although more tēperate in wordes he do not expresse the same Against whom if no replie be made it may séeme that he hath spoken the trouthe and that we by silence should séeme to condemne our selues to be those moste wicked women whom he alleageth vs to be Wherfore by youre gracious pardon and licence moste honourable in the behalfe of mistresse Lucie and my selfe for our defense I purpose to declare the effect of my mind although my purpose be cleane altered from that I had thought to say beyng now iustly prouoked by the vnkinde behauiour of him whome I doe loue better than my selfe which had he bene silent and not so rashly runne to the ouerthrow of me and my good name I wold haue conceiled and onely touched that which shoulde haue concerned the purgation and sauegard of them both which was the onely intent meaning of vs by making our hūble supplication to your maiesties Neuerthelesse so so farre as my féeble force shall stretch I will assay to do both the one and the other although it be not appropriate to our kinde in publike place to declame or yet to open such bold attempts but that necessitie of matter and oportunitie of time and place dothe bolden vs to enter into these termes wherof we craue a thousād pardons for our vnkindely dealings and rēder double thanks to your honors for admitting vs to speake Be it knowne therfore vnto you that our husbandes against duetie of loue lawes of mariage and against all reason do make their heauie complaints which by by I wil make plaine and euident I am right well assured that their extreme rage bitter heartes sorow do procéede of y. occasions The one of the murder wherof they haue falsly accused thē selues the other of iealosy which grieuously doth gnawe their hearts thinking vs to be vile abhominable womē bicause they were surprised in eche others chāber Concerning the murder if they haue soiled their hāds therin it appertaineth vnto you my lords to rēder their desert But how can the same be layd to our charge for somuch as they if it wer done by thē cōmited the same without our knowlege our help coūsel And truly I sée no cause why any of vs ought to be burdened with that outrage and much lesse cause haue they to lay the same to our charge For méete it is that he that doth any vnlawful act or is accessarie to the same shold suffer that due penaltie seuere chastisement accordingly as the sacred lawes do prescribe as an example for other to abstein from wicked facts But herof what néede I to dispute wherin the blind may sée to be none offense bicause thanks be to God Maister Aloisio liueth which declareth the fond cōfession of our vngitle husbands to be cōtrary to trouth And if so be our husbāds in dede had done such an abhominable enterprise reason and duetie had moued vs to sorowe and lament them bicause they be borne of noble blood and be gentlemen of this noble citie which like a pure virgin inuiolably doth cōserue hir laws customs Great cause I say had we to lamēt them if like homicides murderers they had spotted their noble blood with such fowle 〈◊〉 therby deseruing death to leaue vs yong womē widowes in woful plight Now it behoueth mée to speake of the iealoufis they haue conceiued of vs for that they were in ech others chāber which truly is the doubtful knot scruple that forceth al their disdaine griefe This I knowe well is the naile that pierceth their heart other cause of offense they haue not who like men not well aduised without examination of vs and oure demeanour bée fallen into despaire and like men desperate 〈◊〉 wrongfully accused themselues But bicause I may not consume words in vain to stay you by my long discourse from matters of greater importāce I humbly beséech you right excellent prince to cōmaunde them to tel what thing it is which so bitterly doth tormēt them Then the Duke caused one of the noble men assistant there to demaund of them the question who answered that the chiefest occasion was bicause they knew their wiues to be harlots whō they supposed to be very honest for somuch as they knew them to be such they conceiued sorow and grief which with suche extremitie did gripe thē at that heart as not able to sustain that great infamy ashamed to be sene of mē wer induced through desire of deth to cōfesse that they neuer did Mistresse Isotta hering thē say so begā to speke againe turning hir self vnto them Were you offended then at a thing which ye thought incōueniēt not mete to be done We then haue greatest cause to cōplaine Why then 〈◊〉 husbande went you to the chamber of mistresse Lucie at that time of the night What had you to do there what thyng thought you to finde there more than was in your own house And you master Girolamo what cōstrained you to forsake your wiues bed to come to my husbands wher no man euer had or at this present hath to do but him self were not that shetes of the one so white so fine neat swéet as the other I am moste noble Prince sorie to declare my husbands folie and ashamed that he should forsake my bed to go to an other that did accompt my selfe so wel worthy to entertaine hym in myne owne as the best wife in Venice and now through his abuse I abstaine to shewe my selfe amongs the beautiful and noble dames of this Citie The like misliking of hir selfe is in mistresse Lucie who as you sée may bée numbred amongs the fairest Either of you ought to haue ben cōtented with your wiues not as wickedly you haue done to forsake them to séeke for better bread than is made of wheate or for purer golde than whereof the Angel is made O worthy dede of yours that haue the face to leaue your owne wiués that be comely faire honest to séeke after strange carrion O beastly order of men that can not content their lust within the boūdes of their owne house but must go hunt after other women as beasts do after the next of their kinde that they chaunce vpon What vile affection possessed your harts to lust after others wife You make complainte of vs but wée with you haue right good cause to bée offended you ought to be grieued with youre owne disorder and not with others offense and this youre affliction paciently to beare bycause you wente about
impossible it is not in man to determin or rest assured in iudgemēt I wil go vnto him and comfort him so well as I can that peraduenture my promises maye 〈◊〉 some parte of his payne and afterward we wil at leisure better consider vpon that which we shall promise Herevppon they went together to sée the pacient that beganne to looke vp more 〈◊〉 than he was wonted who séeyng the Gentlewoman sayde vnto hir Ah mystresse I woulde to God I had neuer proued youre fidelitie to féele the passing cruell hearte of hir that rather dothe estéeme hir honour to practyse regour and tyrannie vpon me than with gentlenesse to maintaine the life of a poore féeble knight Sir sayde she I can not tell what you meane thus to tormēt your self for I trust to cure you betwene this and to morow and wil do mine endeuor to cause you speake with hir vpon whom wrongfully perchaunce you doe complaine and who dareth not to come vnto you lest some occasion be giuen of suspition to 〈◊〉 speakers which wil make the report more slanderous when they know the cause of your disease Ah sayd the pacient howe ioyfull and pleasant is youre talke I sée wel that you desire my helth and for that purpose would haue me drinke of those liquors which superficially do appeare to be swéete afterwardes to make my life a hundred times more fainte and féeble than now it is Be you there sayde she And I sweare vnto you by my faith not to faile to kéepe my promise to cause you speke alone with mistresse Zilia Alas mystresse sayd the louer I aske no more at your handes that I may heare with myne owne eares the last sentence 〈◊〉 or defiance Well put your trust in me sayd she and take you no thought but for your health For I am assured ere it be long to cause hir to come vnto you and then you shall sée whether I am diligent in those matters I toke in hande and to what effecte myne attemptes do proue Me think already quod he that my sicknesse is not able to stay me from going 〈◊〉 hir that is the cause of my debilitie when it shal 〈◊〉 hir to commaunde me where soeuer it be sith hir only remēbrance will be of no lesse force in me than 〈◊〉 clerenesse of the sun beames is to euaporate the thicknesse of the morning mistes Euen so is she if such be hir chéere to me the 〈◊〉 wherein my day shall take increase or the night whiche eclipseth and obscureth the brādishing brightnesse of my first sunbeames With that the Gentlewoman tooke hir leaue of him who without let of his companion immediately rose vp and she went home attending oportunitie to speke to Zilia whome two or thrée dayes after shée mette at Church and they two beyng alone together in a Chapell sayd vnto hir with fained teares forced from hir eyes and sending forth a cloude of sighes Madame I nothing doubt at al but that last letters which I brought you made you conceiue some yll opinion of me which I do gesse by the frownyng face that euer sithens you haue borne me But when you shall knowe the hurte which it hath done I think you will not be so harde and voyde of pitie but with pacience to hearken that which I will say and moued to pitie the state of a pore Gentleman who by your meanes is in the pangs of death Zilia whiche til then neuer regarded the payne and sicknesse of the pacient began to sorow with such passion not to graunt him further fauour than he had alreadie receiued but to finde some means to ease him of his griefe and then to giue him ouer for euer And therfore she said vnto hir neighbor Mistresse I thought that all these sutes had bene forgotten vntil the other day a Gentlemā prayed me to go sée the Lord of Virle who told me as you do now that he was in great danger But séeing that he wareth worsse and worsse I will be ruled by you beyng well assured of your honestie and vertue and that you wil not aduise me to that which shall be hurtfull to myne honour And when you shall do what you can you shall winne so much as nothing yet shall ease him nothing at all which wrongfully plaineth of my crueltie For I do not purpose to do any priuate facte with him but that which shall be mete for an honest Gentlewoman and such as a faithfull tutor of hir chastitie may graunt to an honest and vertuous gentleman His desire is none other said the gentle woman for he intreateth but your presence to let you wit by word that he is redy to do the thing which you shall cōmand him Alas said 〈◊〉 I know not how I shal be able to do the same for it is impossible to go to him without suspition which the common people wyl lightly conceiue of such light familiar behauiour And rather wold I die than aduēture mine honor hitherto conserued with great seueritie diligēce And sith you say that he is in extremes of deth for your sake I wil not stick to go vnto him that hereafter he may haue no cause to cōplaine of my rudenesse I thank you said the messanger for the good wil you beare me for the help you promise vnto the poore passionate gentleman whome these newes wil bring on foote againe wil do you reuerence for that good turne Sith it is so saide Zilia to morow at noone let him come vnto my house where in a low chamber he shall haue leisure to saye to me hys minde But I purpose by Gods helpe to suffer him no further than that whiche I haue graunted As it shall please you sayd hir neighbour for I craue no more of you but that only fauour which as a messanger of good newes I goe to shew him recommending my selfe in the meane time to your cōmaunde And then she went vnto the pacient whom she found walking vp downe the chamber indifferently lusty of his persone and of colour metely freshe for the tyme he lefte his 〈◊〉 Now when sir Philiberto sawe the messanger he sayd vnto hir And howe nowe mystresse what newes Is Zilia so stubborne as 〈◊〉 was wonte to be 〈◊〉 may sée hir sayde she if to morrowe at noone you haue the hearte and dare goe vnto hir house Is it possible sayde hée imbracynge hir that you haue procured for me that good tourne to delyuer mée from the 〈◊〉 wherein I haue so long tyme bene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 trustie and assured friende all the dayes of my life I will remember that pleasure and benefite and by acknowledgyng of the same shall be readie to render lyke when you please to commaunde or else let me be counted the moste vnkynde and vncurteous Gentleman that euer made profession of loue I wyll goe by Gods helpe to sée mystresse Zilia with intent to endure all trouble that Fortune shall send vnto me protesting to vere my self
and Physitian dwelling at Cutiano a Citie of Boeme where plenty of siluer Mines and other mettals is The knight whose Castle was not farre from Cutiano had occasion to repaire vnto that Citie and according to his desire found out Pollacco which was a very olde mā and talking with him of diuers things perceiued him to be of great skill In end he entreated him that for so much as he had done pleasure to many for 〈◊〉 of their loue he wold also instruct him how he might be assured that his wife did kéepe hir self honest all the time of his absence and that by certaine signes he might haue sure knowledge whether she brake hir faith by sending his honesly into Cornwall Such vain trust this Knight reposed in the lying Science of Sorcery which although to many other is found deceitfull yet to him serued for sure euidence of his wiues sidelitie This Pollacco which was a very cunning enchaunter as you haue hard sayd vnto him Sir you demaund a very straūge matter such as where with neuer hitherto I haue bene acquainted ne yet searched the depthe of those hidden secretes a thing not commonly sued for ne yet practised by me For who is able to make assurance of a womans chastitie or tel by signes except he were at the déede doing that she hath done amisse Or who can gaine by proctors wryt to summon or sue a sprituall Court peremptorily to affirme by neuer so good euidence or testimony that a woman hath hazarded hir honesty except he sweare Rem to be in Re which the greatest 〈◊〉 that euer Padua bred neuer sawe by processe duely tried Shall I then warrant you the honesty of such 〈◊〉 cattell prone and ready to lust easy to be vanquished by the suites of earnest pursuers But blame worthy surely I am thus generally to speake for some I know although not many for whose pore honesties I dare aduenture mine owne And yet that number howe small so euer it be is worthy all due reuerence and honoure Notwithstanding bicause you séeme to be an honest Gentleman of that knowledge which I haue I will not be greatly 〈◊〉 A certaine secrete experiment in déede I haue wherwith perchaūce I may satisfie your demaunde And this is it I can by mine Arte in small time by certaine compositions frame a womans Image which you continually in a little boxe may carry about you and so ofte as you list beholde the same If the wife doe not breake hir mariage faith you shall still sée the same so faire and wel coloured as it was at the first making séeme as though it newly came from the painters shop but if perchaūce she meane to abuse hir honesty the same wil waxe pale and in déede committing that filthy facte sodainely the colour wil be black as arayed with cole or other 〈◊〉 the smel wherof wil not be very plesāt but at al times when she is attempted or pursued the colour wil be so yealow as gold This maruellous secrete deuise greatly pleased the Knight verely beleuing the same to be true specially much moued assured by the fame bruted abrode of his science wherof the Citizens of 〈◊〉 told very strange incredible things When the price was paid of this precious iewel he receiued the Image ioyfully returned home to his castle wher tarying certain dayes he determined to repair to that Court of the glorious king Mathie making his wife priuy to his intent Afterwards whē he had disposed his houshold matters in order he cōmitted that gouernment therof to his wife hauing prepared all necessaries for his voyage to the great sorow griefe of his beloued he departed arriued at Alba Regale where that time the King lay with Quéene Beatrix his wife of whom he was ioyfully receiued entertained He had not long continued in the Court but he had obtained won the fauor good will of all men The King which knew him full well very honorably placed him in his court by him accōplished diuers and many waighty affaires which very wisely and trustely he brought to passe according to the kings mind pleasure Afterwards he was made Colonel of a certaine nūber of footemen sent by the king against the Turks to defend a holde which the enimies of God begā to assaile vnder the conduct of Mustapha Basca which cōduct he so wel directed therin stoutly behaued himself as he chased al the Infidels out of those coastes winning therby that name of a most valiant soldier prudent captain Whereby he meruellously gained the fauor grace of the king who ouer and besides his daily intertainement gaue vnto him a Castle and the Reuenue in fée farme for euer Such rewards deserue all valiāt men which for the honor of their Prince countrey do willingly imploy their seruice worthy no dout of great regard cherishing vpō their home returne bicause they hate idlenesse to win glory deuising rather to spēd hole dayes in field than houres in Courte which this worthy Knight deserued who not able to sustaine his pore estate by politik wisdō prowesse of armes endeuored to serue his Lord and countrey wherin surely he made a very good choise Then he deuoutly serued and praised God for that he put into his minde such a Noble enterprise trusting daily to atchieue greater fame and glory but the greater was his ioy and contentation bicause the image of his wife inclosed within a boxe which still he caried about him in his pursie continued freshe of coloure without any alteration It was noysed in the Court that this valiant Knight Vlrico had in Boeme the fairest and goodliest Lady to his wife that liued either in Boeme or Hungarie It chaūced as a certaine company of yong Gentlemen in the Court were together amongs whome was this Knighte that a 〈◊〉 Earon sayd vnto him How is it possible syr 〈◊〉 being a yeare and a half since you departed out of Boeme that you haue no minde to returne to sée your wife who as the common fame reporteth is one of the goodliest women of all the Countrey truely it séemeth to me that you care not for hir which were great pitie if hir beautic be correspondent to hir fame Syr quod Vlrico what hir beautie is I referre vnto the worlde but how so euer you estéeme me to care of hir you shall vnderstande that I doe loue hir and will doe so during my life And the cause why I haue not visited hir of lōg time is no little proofe of the great assurance I haue of hir vertue and honest life The argument of hir vertue I proue for that she is contented that I shold serue my Lord and king and sufficient it is for me to giue hir intelligence of my state and welfare which many times by letters at opportunitie I faile not to doe the proofe of my Faith is euident by reason of my bounden duety to our soueraigne Lord of whome
to point the particulers of this intended iorney this poore deceiued Baron in short time proued a very good Spinner by exercise wherof he felt such solace as not onely the same was a comfortable sporte for his captiue tyme but also for wante of better recreation it séemed so ioyfull as yf he had bene pluming and 〈◊〉 his Hauke or doing other sportes belongyng to the honourable state of a Lorde Whiche his well arriued labour the maiden recompensed with abundance of good and delicate meates And although the Ladie was many tymes required to visite the Baron yet she woulde neuer to that request consent In whiche time the Knight Vlrico ceased not continually to viewe and reuewe the state of his image which appeared still to bée of one well coloured sorte And although thys vse of his was diuers times marked and séene of many yet being earnestly demaunded the cause thereof hée would neuer disclose the same Many coniectures thereof 〈◊〉 made but none coulde attaine the trouthe And who would haue thought that a Knight so wise and prudent had worne within his pursse any inchanted thing And albeit the King and Quéene hadde intelligence of thys frequent practise of the Knight yet they thoughte not mete for any priuate and secret mysterie to demaund the cause One Moneth and a halfe was passed nowe that the Lord Alberto was departed the Court and become a castle knight and cunning spinster which made the Lord Vladislao to muse for that the promise made betwene them was brokē and heard neither by letter or messanger what successe he had receiued After diuers thoughts imagined in his mind he conceiued that his companion had happily enioyed the end of his desired ioy and had gathered the wished frutes of the Lady and drowned in that maine sea of his owne pleasures was ouerwhelmed in the bottome of obliuion wherefore he determined to set forwarde on his iourney to giue onset of his desired fortune who without long delay for execution of his purpose prepared all necessaries for that voyage and mounted on horsebacke with two of his men he iourneyed towards Boeme within few dayes after arriued at the Castle of the faire and most honest Lady And when he was entred the Inne where the Lord Alberto was first lodged he diligently enquired of him and hard tell that he was returned into Hungarie many dayes before wherof much maruelling could not tel what to say or thinke In that end purposing to put in proofe the cause wherefore he was departed out of Hungarie after diligent inquirie of the maners of the Lady he vnderstoode the general voyce that she was without comparisō the most honest wise gentle and comely Ladie within the whole Countrey of Boeme Incontinently the Ladie was aduertised of the arriuall of this Baron and knowing the cause of his cōming she determined to pay him also with that money which she had already coyned for the other The next day the Baron went vnto the Castle knocking at the gate sent in woord how that he was come from the Court of King Mathie to visite and salute the Lady of that Castle and as she did entertain the first Baron in curteous 〈◊〉 and with louing countenaunce euen so she did the seconde who thought thereby that he had attained by that pleasant entertainment the game after which he hunted And discoursing vpon diuers matters the Lady shewed hir self a pleasant and familiar Gentlewoman which made the Baron to thinke that in short time he shold win the price for which he came Notwithstanding at the first brunt he would not by any meanes descend to any particularitie of his purpose but his words ran general which were that hearing tel of the fame of hir beautie good grace and come linesse by hauing occasion to repaire into Boeme to doe certaine his affaires he thought it labor well spent to ride some portion of his iourney though it were besides the way to digresse to doe reuerence vnto hir whome fame aduaunced aboue the skies and thus passing his first visitation he returned againe to his lodging The Ladie when the Baron was gone from hir Castle was rapte into a rage greatly offended that those two Hungarian Lordes so presumptuously had bended them selues like common Théeues to wander and roue the Countreys not onely to robbe and spoile hir of hir honoure but also to bring hir in displeasure of hir husbande and thereby into the daunger and perill of deathe By reason of which rage not without cause conceiued she caused an other Chamber to be made ready next wal to the other Baron that was become suche a Notable spinster And vpon the next returne of the Lord Vladislao she receiued him with no lesse good entertainment than before and when night came caused him to be lodged in hir owne house in the Chamber prepared as before where hée slept not very soundly all that night through the continuall remembraunee of his Ladies beautie Next morning hée perceiued himselfe to be locked fast in a Prison And when hée had made him ready thinking to descend to bidde the Ladie good morrow séeking meanes to vnlocke the doore and perceiuing that he could not he stoode still in a dumpe And as hée was thus standing maruelling the cause of his shutting in so faste the Maiden repaired to the hole of the dore giuing his honor an 〈◊〉 salutation which was that hir Mistresse commaunded hir to giue him to vnderstand that if he had any lust or appetite to his breakefast or minded from thence for the to ease his hunger or conteine life that he should giue him selfe to learne to réele yarne And for that purpose she willed him to looke in such a corner of the Chamber and he shoulde finde certaine spindles of thréede and an instrument to winde his yarne vpon Wherefore quod she apply your self thereunto and lose no time He that had that time beholden the Baron in the face woulde haue thought that hée hadde séene rather a Marble stone than the figure of a man But conuerting hys colde conceiued moode into madde anger he fell into tenne times more displeasure wyth himselfe than is before described by the other Baron But séeing that hys madde béhauioure and beastly vsage was bestowed in vaine the next day he began to réele The Ladie afterwardes when she hadde intelligence of the good and gainefull spinning of the Lorde Alberto and the well disposed and towardly réeling of the Lorde Vladislao greately reioyced for making of suche two Notable woorkemen whose woorkemanship excéeded the laboures of them that hadde béene apprentyzes to the occupation seuen yeares together Suche be the apte and ready wittes of the Souldioures of loue Where in I would wishe all Cupides dearlings to be nousled and applied in their youthly time thē no doubt their passions would appease and rages assuage and would giue ouer their ouer bolde attemptes for which they haue no thank of the chast and honest And to this goodly
starre most bright Now sith my willing vow is made I humbly pray hir grace To end th'accord betwene vs pight no longer time to tracte Which if it be by sured band so haply brought to passe I must my self thrice happy coūt for that most heauenly fact This song made the company to muse who commided the trim inuention of the Knight and aboue al Gineura praised him more than before could not so well refraine hir lokes from him he with countre change rendring like againe but that the two widowes their mothers conceiued great héede therof reioysing greatly to sée the same desirous in time to couple them together For at that present they deferred the same in cōsideration they were both very yong Notwithstāding it had bene better that the same coniunction had bene made before fortune had turned the whéele of hir vnstablenesse And truely delay and prolongation of time sometimes bringeth such and so great missehaps that one hundred times men cursse their fortune and little aduise in foresight of their infortunate chaunces that commonly do come to passe As it chaūced to these widowes one of them thinking to loose hir sonne by the vaine behauior of the others daughter who without that helpe of God or care vnto his will disparaged hir honor and prepared a poyson so daungerous for hir mothers age that the foode therof prepared the way to the good Ladies graue Nowe whiles this loue in this maner increased and that desire of these two Louers flamed forth ordinarily in fire and flames more violent Dom Diego all chaunged and transformed into a newe man receiued no delite but in the sight of his Gineura And she thought that there could be no greater felicitie or more to be wished for than to haue a friend so perfect and so wel accomplished with all things requisite for the ornament and full furniture of a Gentleman This was the occasion that the yong Knight let no wéeke to passe without visiting his mistresse twice or thrice at the least and she did vnto him the greatest curtesie and best entertainment that vertue could suffer a maiden to doe who is the diligent treasurer and carefull tutor of hir honor And this she did by consēt of hir mother In like manne rhonestie doth not permit that chaste maidens should vse long talke or immoderate spéeche with the first that be suters vnto them much lesse séemely it is for them to be ouer squeimishe nice with that man which séeketh by way of marriage to winne power and title of the body which in very dede is or ought to be the moitie of their soule Such was that desires of these two Louers which notwithstanding was impéeched by meanes as hereafter you shal heare For during the rebounding ioy of these faire couple of loyall louers it chaunced that the daughter of a noble man of the Countrey named Ferrando de la Serre which was faire comely wise and of very good behauior by kéeping daily company with Gineura fel extréemely in loue with Dom Diego and assayed by all meanes to do him to vnderstand what the puissance was of hir loue which willingly she meant to bestowe vpon him if it wold please him to honor hir so much as to loue hir with like 〈◊〉 But the Knight which was no more his own man 〈◊〉 rather possessed of another had lost with his libertie his wits and minde to marke the affection of this Gentlewoman of whome he made no accompt The Maiden neuerthelesse ceased not to loue him and to 〈◊〉 al possible wayes to make him hir owne And knowing how much Dom Diego loued Hawking she bought a 〈◊〉 the best in all the Countrey and sent the same to Dom Diego who with all his heart receiued the same and effectuously gaue hir thanks for that desired gift praying the messanger to recommend him to the good grace of his Mistresse and to assure hir selfe of his faithfull seruice and that for hir sake he would kepe the hauk so tenderly as the balles of his eyes This Hauk was the cause of the ill fortune that afterwards chaunced to this pore louer For going many times to sée Gineura with the Hauke on his fist bearing with him the tokens of the goodnesse of his Hauke it escaped his mouthe to say that the same was one of the things that in all the world he loued best Truely this worde was taken at the first bound contrary to his meaning wherwith the matter so fell out as afterwards by despaire he was like to lose his life Certaine dayes after as in the absence of the Knight talke rose of his vertue and honest conditions one prainsing his prowesse valiaunce another his great beautie and curtesy another passing further extolling the sincere 〈◊〉 and constācy which appeared in him touching matters of loue one enuious person named Gracian spake his minde thē in this wise I wil not deny but that Dom Diego is one of the most excellent honest and brauest Knightes of Catheloigne but in matters of Loue he séemeth to me so waltering and inconstant as in euery place where he commeth by and by he falleth in loue and maketh as though he were sick and wold die for the same Gineura maruelliing at those woords sayd vnto him I pray you my friende to vse better talke of the Lorde Dom Diego For I do thinke the loue which the Knight doth beare to a Gentlewoman of this Countrey is so firme and assured that none other can remoue the same out of the siege of his minde Lo how you be deceiued gentlewoman quod Gracian for vnder coloure of 〈◊〉 seruice he and such as he is doe abuse the simplicitie of yong Gentlewomen And to proue my saying true I am assured that he is extremely enamored with the daughter of Dom Ferrando de la Serre of whome he receiued an Hauke that he loueth aboue all other things Gineura remembring the words which certaine dayes before Dom Diego spake touching his Hauke began to suspect and beleue that which master Gracian alleaged and not able to support the choler which colde iealosie bred in hir stomake went into hir Chamber full of so great grief and heauinesse as she was many times like to kill hir self In the end hoping to be reuenged of the wrong which she beleued to receiue of Dom Diego determined to endure hir fortune paciently In the meane time she conceiued in hir minde a despite and hatred so great and extreame against the pore Gentleman that thought little héereof as the former loue was nothing in respect of the reuenge by death which she then desired vpon him Who the next day after his wonted maner came to sée hir hauing to his great damage the Hauke on his fiste which was the cause of all that iealosse Nowe as the Knight was in talke with the mother séeing that his beloued came not at all according to hir custome to salute him and bid him welcome inquired how she
pangs of death by remēbring the glory of my thought sith the recitall bringeth with it a tast of the trauails which you haue suffred for my ioy contentation It is therfore quod she that I think my self happy for by that meanes I haue knowne the perfect qualities that be in you haue proued two extremities of vertue One consisteth in your cōstancie and loyaltie wherby you may vaunt your self aboue him that sacrificed his life vpō the bloudy body of his Lady who for dying so finished his trauails Where you haue chosen a life worse than death no lesse painfull a hundred times a day than very death it self The other cōsisteth in the clemency wherwith you calme and appease the rage of your greatest aduersaries As my self which before hated you to death vanquished by your curtesie do confesse that I am double bound vnto you both for my life and honor and hearty thankes doe I render to the Lord Roderico for that violence he did vnto me by which meanes I was induced to acknowledge my wrong the right which you had to complaine of my folish resistance All is wel sayd Roderico sith without perill of honor we may returne home to our houses I intend therefore sayd he to send woord before to my Ladies your mothers of your returne for I know how so wel to couer and excuse this our enterprise and secrete iorneis as by Gods assistāce no blame or displeasure shal ensue therof And like as sayd he smiling I haue builded the fortresse which shot into your campe and made you flie euen so I hope Gentlewoman that I shall be the occasion of your victory when you combat in close cāpe with your swéete cruel enimy Thus they passed the iorney in pleasant talke recompēsing the. 〈◊〉 louers with al honest vertuous intertainmēt for their 〈◊〉 and troubles past In the meane while they sent one 〈◊〉 their seruants to the two widow ladies which were 〈◊〉 great care for their childrē to aduertise them that Gineura was gone to visite Dom Diego then being in one of the castles of Roderico where they were determined if it were their good pleasure to consūmate their mariage hauing giuen faith affiance one to the other The mother of Gineura could not here tel of more pleasant newes for she had vnderstāded of the folish flight escape of hir daughter with that steward of hir house wherof she was very sorowful for grief was like to die but assured recōforted with those news she 〈◊〉 not to mete the mother of Dom Diego at the apointed place whither the y. louers were arriued two days before There the mariage of that fair couple so long desired was 〈◊〉 with such magnificence as was requisite for the state of those two noble houses Thus the torment 〈◊〉 made the ioy to sauour of some other taste than they do feele which without pain in that exercise of loues pursute attain the top of their desires And truly their pleasure was altogether like to him that nourished in superfluous delicacie of meates can not aptely so well iudge of pleasure as he which sometimes lacketh that abundance And verily Loue without bitternesse is almost a cause without effectes for he that shall take away griefs and troubled fansies from louers depriueth them of the praise of their stedfastnesse and maketh baine the glorie of their perseuerance for he is vnworthie to beare away the price and garlande of triumph in the conflict that behaueth himself like a coward and doth not obserue the lawes of armes and manlike dueties in the combat This historie then is a mirrour for loyall louers and chaste suters and maketh them detest the vnshamefastnesse of those which vpon the first view do folowe with might and maine the Gentlewoman or Ladie that giueth them good face or countenāce wherof any gentle heart or mind noursed in the scholehouse of vertuous education will not bée squeymish to those that shal by chast salutation or other incountrie doe their curteous reuerence This historie also yeldeth contempt of them which in their affection forget them selues abasting the generositie of their courages to be reputed of fooles the true champions of Loue whose like they be that desire such regarde For the perfection of true Loue consisteth not in passions in sorowes griefes martirdomes or cares and much lesse arriueth he to his desire by sighes exclamations wepings and childish playnts for so much as vertue ought to be the bande of that indissoluble amitie which maketh the vnion of the two seuered bodies of that woman man which Plato describeth causeth man to trauell for his whole accomplishment in that true pursute of chast loueIn which labor truly fondly walked Dom Diego thinkyng to finde the same by his dispaire amidde the sharp solitarie deserts of those Pyrene mountains And truly the duetie of his perfect friende did more liuely disclose the same what fault so euer he dyd than all his countenances eloquent letters or amorous messages In like maner a man dothe not know what a treasure a true friend is vntil he hath proued his excellencie specially where necessitie maketh him to tast the swetnesse of such delicate meate For a friend being a second himself agréeth by a certaine natural 〈◊〉 attonement to the affections of him whō he loueth both to participate his ioyes and pleasures and to sorrowe his aduersitie where Fortune shall vse by some misaduentures to shewe hir accustomed moblitie Salimbene and Angelica ¶ A Gentleman of SISNA called ANSELMO SALIMBENE curteously and gently deliuereth his 〈◊〉 from death The condemned partie seing the kinde parte of SALIMBENE rendreth into his hands his sister ANGELICA with whome he was in loue which gratitude and curtesie SALIMBENE well marking moued in conscience woulde not abuse hir but for recompense toke hir to his wife The. xxx Nouel WE do not mean here to discouer the sumptuositie magnificence of Palaces stately won derfull to the viewe of mē ne yet to reduce to memorie that maruellous effects of mās industry to build and lay foúdations in the déepest chanel of the maine sea ne to describe their ingenious industrie in breking the craggy mountaines and hardest rocks to ease the crooked passages of wearie wayes for armies to marche through inaccessible places Onely now do we pretende to shewe the effects of loue whiche surmount all opinion of cōmon things and appere so miraculous as the founding and erecting of the Collisaei Colossaei Theatres Amphitheatres Pyramides and other workes wonderful to the world for that the hard indured path of hatred and displeasure long time begoon and obstinately pursued with straunge crueltie was conuerted into loue by theffect of loue and concorde suche as I know none but is so much astoonned as he may haue good cause to wonder consideryng the stately foundations vpon which kings and great monarches haue employed the chiefest reuenues of their prouinces Nowe like as Ingratitude is a vice of
this time of the night to take vpon me without daunger to bring him to his Palace Wherfore said the King Wherefore quod you bicause the Marshes be so daungerous as in the day time if one knowe not well the way the 〈◊〉 be he neuer so strong and lusty may chaunce to sticke fast tary 〈◊〉 for gage And I wold be sory if the King were héere that he shold fall into my perill or sufler anoyance therwithal wold deme my self vnhappy if I did let him to incur such euil or incōbrance Mansor that delighted in the cōmunication of this good mā and desirous to know the cause that moued him to speake with such affection sayd vnto him And why carest thou for the life health or preseruation of our king What hast to do with him that art so sory for his state and carefull of his safety Ho ho sayd the goodman doe you say that I am careful for my prince Uerily I loue him a hundred times better than I do my self my wife or children which God hath sent me and what sir doe not you loue our Prince Yes that I doe replied the King for I haue better cause than thou for that I am many times in his company and liue vpon his charge and am entertained with his wages But what 〈◊〉 thou to care for him Thou knowest him not he neuer did thée any good turne or pleasure nor yet thou nedest not hope henceforth to haue any pleasure at his hands What sayd the fisher man must a Prince be loued for gaine and good turnes rather than for his iustice curtesie I sée wel that amongs you master Courtiers the benefits of kings be more regarded and their gifts better liked than their vertue and nobility which maketh them wonderful vnto vs and ye do more esteeme the gold honor and estates that they bestow vpon you than their health and sauegarde which are the more to be considered for that the King is our head and God hath made him suche one to kepe vs in peace and to be careful of our states Pardon me if I speak so boldly in your presence The King which toke singulare delite in this Coūtrey Philosopher answered him I am not offended bicause thy woords aproche so neare the troth but tel me what benefit hast thou receiued of that king Mansor of whome thou makest suche accompte and 〈◊〉 so wel For I cannot thinke that euer he did thée good or shewed thee pleasure by reason of thy pouerty and the little furniture within thy house in respecte of that which they possesse whom he loueth and fauoreth and vnto whome he she weth so great familiaritie and benefite Doe 〈◊〉 me sir replied the good man for so much as you so greatly regard the fauoures which subiectes receiue at their Princes handes as in déede they ought to doe What greater goodnesse 〈◊〉 or benefite ought I to hope for or can receiue of my King being suche one as I am but the profit and vtilitie that all we which be his vassalles doe apprehend from day to day in the iustice that he rendreth to euery wight by not suffering the puissant and riche to suppresse and 〈◊〉 the feeble and weake and him that is 〈◊〉 of fortunes goodes that indifferency be maintained by the officers to whome he committeth the gouernment of his prouinces and the care which he hathe that his people be not deuoured by exactions and intollerable tributes I do esteme more his goodnesse clemency and loue that he beareth to his subiects than I doe all your delicates and ease in following the court I most humbly honor and reuerēce my king in that he being farre from vs doeth neuerthelesse so vse his gouernment as we féele his presence like the Image of God for the peace and vnion wherein we through him doe liue and enioy without 〈◊〉 that little which God and fortune haue giuen vs. Who if not the King is he that doeth preserue vs and defend vs from the 〈◊〉 and pillages of those Theues and Pirates of Arabie which make warre and inuade their neighbors and there is no frend they haue but they wold displease if the King wisely did not forbio preuent their villanies That great Lord which kepeth his Court at Constantinople and maketh himselfe to be adored of his people like a God brideleth not so muche the Arabians as our King doeth vnder the Protection and sauegarde of whome I that am a pore Fisher man do ioy my pouertie in peace and without 〈◊〉 of théeues do norish my little familie applying my selfe to the fishing of Eeles that be in these diches and fenny places which I cary to the market townes and sell for the sustenaunce and féeding of my wife and children and 〈◊〉 my selfe right happy that returning to my cabane and homely lodge at my pleasure in what so euer place I do abide bicause albeit farre of from neighboures by the bene 〈◊〉 and diligence of my Prince none staye my iourney or offendeth me by any meanes which is the cause sayd he lifting vp his hāds and eyes aloft that I pray vnto God and his great Prophet Mahomet that it may please them to preserue our King in health and to giue him so great happe and contentation as he is vertuous and debonaire and that ouer his ennimies flying before him 〈◊〉 may euermore be victorious for norishing his people in peace and his children in ioy and Nobilitie The King séeing that deuout 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 and knowing it to be without guile or 〈◊〉 would gladly haue discouered himself but yet willing to reserue the same for better oportunitie he sayd vnto him For somuch as thou 〈◊〉 st that king so wel it is not impossible but those of his house be welcome vnto thee and that for thy Mansors sake thou wilt helpe and doe seruice to his Gentlemen Let it 〈◊〉 you replied he that my heart is more inclined to the King than to the willes of those that serue him 〈◊〉 hope of preferment Now being so affectionate to the King as I am thinke whither his housholde seruaunts haue power to commaund me and whither my willing minde be prest to doe them good or not But me thinke ye néede not to stay héere at the gate in talke being so wet as you be wherefore vouchsafe to come into my house which is your own to take such simple lodging as I haue wher I wil entreat you not according to your merite but with the litle that God and his Prophet haue departed to my pouertie And to morow morning I wil conduct you to the Citie euen to that royal Palace of my Prince Truely answered the King albeit necessitie did not prouoke me yet 〈◊〉 honestie deserueth wel other reputation than a simple Countrey man and I do thinke that I haue profited more in hearing thée speake than by hearkening to the flattering and 〈◊〉 tales of Courting triflers which daily imploy thēselues to corrupt the eares
of the charge whiche it pleaseth you to giue me and wherevnto for lacke of trainyng vp and vse of suche a dignitie I am altogether vnfitte But 〈◊〉 that the graces of God and the 〈◊〉 of Kyngs oughte neuer to be reiected by acceptyng this benefite wyth humble thankes for the clemencie of your royall maiestie I reste the seruant and slaue of you and yours The Kyng hearyng him speake so wisely toke him vp and imbraced him saying Would to God and his greate Prophete that all they whiche rule Cities and gouerne Prouinces hadde so good a nature as thine then I durste be bolde to say that the people shoulde lyue better at theyr ease and Monarches without greate charge of conscience for the yll behauiours of theyr officers Lyue good man lyue at thine 〈◊〉 maynteyne thy people obserue our lawes increase the beautie of the Citie wherof from this time forth we do 〈◊〉 thée possesser And truely the present was not to bée contemned for that the same at this day is one of the fairest that is in Affrica and is the lande of the black people suche as the Spaniards call Negroes It is very full of gardeins furnished with aboundaunce of Spices brought from the Molucces bicause of the martes and 〈◊〉 ordeined there To be short Mansor shewed by this gift what is the force of a gentle heart which can not abide to be vanquished in curtesie and lesse suffer that vnder forgetfulnesse that memorie of a receiued good turne be lost King Darius whilome for a litle garment receiued in gift by Silofon the Samien recompenced him wyth the gaiue and royall dignitie of that citie and made him soueraine Lord therof and of the Isle of Samos And what greater vertue 〈◊〉 illustrate the name of a noble man than to acknowledge and preferre them which for naturall shame and 〈◊〉 dare not behold the maiestie of their greatnesse God sometimes with a more curteous eye doth loke vpon the presents of a poore mā than the fat and rich offerings of him that is great and wealthie Euen so a benefite from what hande soeuer it procedeth cannot choose to bring forthe the frutes of his liberalitie that giueth the same who by vsing largesse feleth also the like in him to whome it is imployed That magnificēce no long time past vsed the Seigniorie of Venice to Francesco Dandulo who after he had dured the great displeasures of the Pope in the name of the whole Citie vpon his returne to Venice for acknowledgement of his pacience and for abolishmente of that shame was with happie and vniforme acclamation of the whole state elected and made Prince and Duke of that Common welth Worthie of praise truly is he that by some pleasure 〈◊〉 an other to his curtesie but when a noble man acknowleageth for a 〈◊〉 that which a subiect is bound to giue him by dutie and seruice there the proofe of prayse caryeth no fame at all For which cause I determined to displaye the historie of the barbarous king Mansor to the intent that our Gentlemen norished and trained vp in great 〈◊〉 may assay by their mildenesse and good education to surmount the curtesie of that Prince of whom for this time we purpose to take our Farewell The Conclusion with an Aduertisement to the Reader 〈◊〉 thou hast gained for thy better instruction or what conceiued for recreation by reading these 〈◊〉 Nouells I am no iudge althoughe by deeming in reading and perusing thou mayst at thy pleasure gather both But how soeuer profite or delight can satisfie mine appointment wherfore they were preferred into thy hands contented 〈◊〉 I that thou doe vouchsafe them Good lessons howe to shunne the darts and prickes of insolencie thou findest in the same The vertuous noble may sauor the frutes and taste the licour that stilleth from the gummes or buds of Uertue The contrary may sée the blossoms fal that blome from the shrubs of disloyaltie and degenerat kind Yong Gētlemen Ladies do view a plot founded on sured ground and what the foundation is planted in shattring 〈◊〉 with a fashion of attire to garnish their inward parts so well as sparelesse they imploy vpon the vanishing pompe Euery sort and 〈◊〉 that warfare in the fielde of humaine life may sent here the sauourous frute to outward liking that fanished the sensuall tast of Adams wife They sée also what griftes such fading frutes produce vnto 〈◊〉 what likewise the lustie growth and spring of vertues plant and what delicates it brauncheth to those that carefully kéepe the slips therof within the orchard of their mindes Diuerse Tragicall she 〈◊〉 by the pennes description haue bene disclosed in greatest number of these histories the same also I haue 〈◊〉 and swéetened with the course of pleasant matters of purpose not to 〈◊〉 the deyntie mindes of those that shrinke and feare at suche rehersall And bicause sodainly contrary to 〈◊〉 this volume is risen to greter heape of leaues I do omit for this present time sundry Nouels of merie deuise reseruing the same to be ioyned with the rest of an other part wherein shall succéede the remnant of Bandello specially suche suffrable as the learned Frenche man François de Belleforrest hath selected and the 〈◊〉 done in the Italian 〈◊〉 also out of Erizzo Ser Giouani Fiorentino Parabosco Cynthio Straparole Sansouino and the best liked oute of the Quéene of 〈◊〉 and other Authors 〈◊〉 these in so good parte with those that haue and shall come 〈◊〉 as I do offre them with good will curteously 〈◊〉 such faults and errors as shall present themselues either burying 〈◊〉 in the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 or prefermitting them with the beck of Curtesie The which in déede or the most part had not offended thée if time had not ben spent before the Printer could 〈◊〉 to an ende hereof FINIS Imprinted at London by Henry Bynneman for Nicholas Englande ANNO. M. D. LXVIL Nouembris 8. Diuers Faultes escaped in Printyng Faultes Correction In the Summarie of the Nouels Tarquinus Tarquinius Fol. 5. line 12. bicause for that Fol. 39. page 2. line 19. On Or Fol. 41. line 22. conciacion Conciliacion Fol. 47. line 33. and to Fol. 53. page 2. line 26. these the Fol. 76. page 2. xiij Nouel xij Nouel Fol. 87. line 7. xiiij Nouel xiij Nouel 〈◊〉 Fol. line 22. the these Fol. 92. line 15. page 2. she a word 〈◊〉 Fol. 94. line 2. 〈◊〉 Sestertios Eodem line 28. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eodem page 2. line 8. must be was Fol. 95. line 5. Nouel xv Nouel xiiij Eodem Zenobia Quene of c. who although she was a gentle Quéene yet a Christian Princesse c. Zenobia Quéene of c who although she was a Gentile Quéene yet a Princesse so worthy of c. Fol. 102. line 31. 〈◊〉 susteined Fol. 105. line 12. committing to commit Fol. 135. line 25. Dicilia Sicilia Fol. 141. line 27. Paolina Paola Eodem line 3. In a word 〈◊〉 Fol. 154. page 2. Tinnagoras Timagoras Fol. 161. line 26. fawcons 〈◊〉 Fol. 163. line 8. grislie 〈◊〉 Fol. 167. pag. 2. line 〈◊〉 insūmate insinuate Fo. 178. line 2. page 2. qualitied qualified Fol. 185. line 8. page 2. Romida Romilda Fol. 214. line 22. To a word 〈◊〉 Fol. 242. line 22. then when Fol. 249. line 6. pa. 2. Sansantino San Fantino Fol. 292. page 2. line 3. his hir Fol. 306. page 2. line 17. arriued approued Fol. 359. line 30. ssued issued Fol. 404. page 2. line 32. mans man is Fol. 407. line 22. To So Le buone parole onzeno Le cattiue ponzeno
spirite and boldnesse be thought good in the front of this second volume to be described bicause of diuers womens liues plentifull varietie is offered in the sequele And for that some mencion hath bene made of the greate Alexander and in what wise from vertue he fell to vice the seconde Nouell ensuing shall giue some further aduertisement Alexander the great ¶ The great pitie and cōtinencie of ALEXANDER the great and his louing entertainmēt of SISIGAMBIS the wife of the greate Monarch 〈◊〉 after he was vanquished The second Nouel GReat Monarches and princes be the Gods and onely rulers vpon earthe and as they be placed by Gods only prouidence and disposition to conquere and rule the same euen so in victorious battailes and honorable exploites they ought to rule order their conquests like Gods that is to say to vse moderate behauiour to their captiues and slaues specially to the weaker sorte feminine kinde whome like tyrants and barbarous they ought not to corrupt and abuse but like Christians and vertuous victors to cherish and preserue their honour For what can be safe to a woman sayd Lucrece when she was 〈◊〉 by the Romaine Tarquine hir chastitie being defiled Or what can be safe to a man that giueth him selfe to incontinencie For when he hath despoiled the virgin robbed the wife or abused the widow of their honor and good name they protrude them selues into many miseries they be impudent vnshamefast aduenturous and carelesse how many mischiefes they do And when a Prince or gouerner doth giue him self to licencious life what mischieues what rapes what murders doth he cōmitte No frende no 〈◊〉 no subiecte no enimie doth he spare or defende Contrarywise the mercifull and continent captaine by subduing his affections recouereth immortal fame which this historie of king Alexāder full well declareth And bicause before we spake of that great conquerour in the Nouell of the Amazones and of the repaire of Quene Thalestris for vse of his bodie at what tyme as Curtius sayth he fell from vertue to vice wée purpose in this to declare the greate continencie and mercie that he vsed to Sisigambis the wife of the Persian Prince Darius and briefly to touch the time of his abused life which in this manner doth begin Alexander the great hauing vanquished Darius and his infinite armie and retiring with his hoste from the pursute and slaughter of the Persians entred into their campe to recreate him selfe And being with his familiars in the mids of his bāket they sodenly heard a pitifull crie with straunge howling and crying out which did verie much astonne them The wife and mother of Darius with the other noble women newly taken prisoners wer the occasiō of that present noise by lamenting of Darius whome they beleued to be slaine which opinion they cōceiued through one of the Eunuches which standing before their tent doore sawe a souldier beare a piece of Darius Diademe For which cause Alexander pitying their miserie sent a noble man called Leonatus to signifie vnto them that they were deceyued for that Darius was liuing Repairing towards the tent where the women were with certaine armed men he sent word before that he was coming to them with message from the king But when such as stode at the tent 〈◊〉 saw armed men they thought they had ben sent to murder the Ladies for whiche cause they ranne in to them crying that their last houre was come for the souldiers were at hande to kill them When Leonatus was entred the pauilion the Mother and wife of Darius fell downe at his féete intreating him that before they were slain he wold suffer them to burie Darius according to the order and maner of his countrey after the performance of which obsequies they were content they sayd willingly to suffer death Leonatus assured them that both Darius was aliue and that there was no harme towardes them but shoulde remaine in the same state they were in before When Sisigambis heard those wordes she suffered hir selfe to bée lifted vp from the grounde and to receyue some comfort The next day Alexander with great diligence buried the bodies of suche of his owne men as coulde be founde and willed the same to be done to the noble men of the Persians giuing licence to Darius mother to burie so many as she liste after the custome of hir countrey She performed the same to a fewe that were next of hir kinne according to the habilitie of their presente fortune for if shée shoulde haue vsed the Persians pompe therin the Macedonians might haue enuied it which being victors vsed no great curiositie in the matter When the due was performed to the dead Alexander signified to the women prisoners that he him selfe would come to visit them and causing such as came with him to tarie without he onely with Ephestion entred in amongs them The same Ephestion of al men was best beloued of Alexander brought vp in his cōpanie from his youth and most priuie with him in al things There was none that had such libertie to speke his mynd plainly to the king as he had which he vsed after such sorte that he semed to do it by no authoritie but by suffrance And as he was of like yeares vnto him so in shape and personage he did somwhat excel him Wherfore the women thinking Ephestion to be the king did fall downe and worship him as their countrey maner was to do to kings till suche time as one of the Eunuches that was taken prisoner shewed which of them was Alexander Then Sisigambis fell downe at his féete requiring pardon of hir ignorance for somuch as she did neuer see him before The King toke hir vp by the hande and sayde Mother you be not deceiued for this is Alexander also Then he behaued him self after such a maner that he erceded in continencie and compassion al the kings that had ben before his time He entertained the two Quéenes with those virgins that were of excellent beautie so reuerently as if they had bene his sisters He not onely absteined from al violation of Darius wife which in beautie excelled all the women of hir time but also toke great care diligence that none other should procure hir any dishonor And to all the women he commaunded their ornaments and apparel to be restored So that they wāted nothing of the magnificence of their former 〈◊〉 sauing only the assured trust that creatures want in miserie which things considered by Sisigambis she sayd vnto the king Sir your goodnesse towards vs doth deserue that we should make the same prayer for you that whilome we did for Darius and we perceiue you worthie to passe so greate a king as he was in felicitie and good fortune that abounde so in iustice and clemencie It pleaseth you to terme me by the name of Mother and Quéene but I confesse my selfe to be your handmaide For both I conceyue the greatnesse of my state past and féele that I can
the daunger of the mate by and by there grew a greater colour in his face than was wont to be imagining howe he might auoide the checkemate besides his blushing he shaked his 〈◊〉 and fetched diuers sighes whereby the standers by that marked the game perceiued that he was driuen to his shiftes The Senescall espying the Kings demeanour and séeing the honest shamefastnesse of the King woulde not suffer hym to receiue suche foile but made a draught by mouing his Knight backe to open a way for the King to passe as not onely he deliuered him from the daunger of the Mate but also loste one of his Rocks for lack of taking héede whervpon the game rested equall The King who knew the good nature noble minde of his seruant by experience of the same in other causes faining that he had ouerséene the taking of his Rock gaue ouer the game and rising vp sayd No more Ariobarzanes the game is yours and I confesse my selfe ouercome The King thought that Ariobarzanes did not the same so much for curtesie as to binde his soueraigne lorde and king by benefite to recompence his subiectes like behauior which he did not very well like and therfore would play no more Notwithstanding the King neither by signe or dede ne yet in talk shewed any token of displeasure for that curtesie done Nowbeit the King would that Ariobarzanes in semblable act should abstaine to shew him selfe curteous or liberall except it were to his inferiours and equals bicause it is not connenient for a seruaunt to contende with his maister in those qualities Not long after the King being at Persepolis the principall citie of Persia ordeined a not able day of hunting of diuers beastes of that countrey bréede And when all things were in readinesse he with the moste part of his Court repaired to the pastime When they were come to the place the King commaunded a woode to be beset about with nettes and toiles and appointed eche man where he should stande in most conuenient place and he him selfe attended with the doggs and 〈◊〉 to cause the beastes to issue forth of their 〈◊〉 and holes And beholde they roused a wilde beast whiche with greate 〈◊〉 leapte ouer the nettes and ranne away with much spéede The King séeing that straunge beast purposed to pursue him to death And making a signe to certain of his noble men which he desired to kepe him companie he gaue the raine and spurre to his horse and followed the chace Ariobarzanes was one of those noble men that pursued the game It chaunced that day that the King rode vpon a horsse that was the swiftest in his stable which he estemed better than a thousand other as well for his velocitie as for his readynesse in factes of armes Thus followyng with bridle at will the flying rather than running beast they were diuided far from their companie and by reason of the Kings spéedinesse none was able to followe him but Ariobarzanes and behind him one of his seruants vpon a good horsse which alwayes he vsed in hunting inatters which horsse was counted the best in al the Court. And thus folowing the chace with galloping spede Ariobarzanes at length espied that the horsse of his soueraigne lorde had loste his shooes before and that the stones had surbated his hoofs wherevpon the King was driuen either to giue ouer the chace or else to marre his horsse But there was none of these two necessities but would haue greatly displeased the King that did not perceiue his horsse to be vnshodde The Senescall did no sooner espie the same but sodainely dismounted from his own caused his man to deliuer vnto him a hammer and nailes which for such like chaunces he always caried about him and tooke of two shooes from the 〈◊〉 of his good horsse to set vpon the Kings not caring for his own rather than the King should forgoe his pleasure Wherfore hallowing the King which was earnestly bent vpon the chace tolde him of the danger wherin his horsse was for lack of shooes The Kyng hearing that lighted from his horsse séeing two shooes in Ariobarzanes mans hande thinking that Ariobarzanes had brought them with him or that they wer the shooes whiche fell from his owne taried still vntill his horsse was shodde But when he sawe the notable horsse of his Senescall vnshodde before then he thoughte that to be the curtesie of Ariobarzanes so did let the matter passe studying by like meanes to requite him with Curtesie whiche forced him selfe to surmounte in the same And when his horsse was shod he gaue the same to Ariobarzanes in rewarde And so the king chose rather to lose his pleasure of hunting than to suffer hymselfe by his man to bée excelled in Curtesie well noting the stoutnesse of Ariobarzanes mynde which séemed to haue a will to contende with his Prince in factes renoumed and liberall The Senescall thoughte it not conuenient to refuse the gift of his liege Lorde but accepted the same with like good will as before he shodde his horsse still expecting occasion howe he might surpasse his maister in curtesse and so to binde him to requite the same They had not taried there lōg but many of those which came after had ouertaken them And then the King got vp vpon a spare horsse and returned to the citie with all his companie Within fewe dayes after the King by proclamation sommoned a solemne and pompous iust and triumph at the tilt to be done vpon the Kalendes of May next ensuing The rewarde appointed for the victor and best doer in the same was a couragious and goodly Courser with a bridle and bitte of fine golde richely wrought a saddle correspondent of passing greate price the furniture and trappers for the bridle and saddle of like cost and workemanship the raines were two chaines of golde very artificially made the barbe and couerture of the horsse of cloth of golde vpon golde fringed round about with like golde whereat depended certaine belles of golde ouer which horsse was placed a fine sworde the hiltes chape wherof together with the scaverde were curiously beset with pearles and precious stones of inestimable value On the other side was placed a very beautifull strong Mace very cunningly wroughte with damaskin The horsse was placed in fourme of triumph and besides the same all the Armures and weapons méete for a combatant Knight riche and faire without comparison The Placart was maruellous and strong the Launce was guilt and bigge as none greater in all the troupe of the chalengers and defendants And al those furnitures wer appointed to be giuen to him that should do best that day A great assemblie of strangers repaired to that solemne feast as wel to do déedes of Armes as to looke vpon that pompous triumph Of the Kings subiects there was neither Knight nor Baron but in rich sumptuous apparell appeared that day amongs whome of chiefest fame the kings eldest sonne was
house Upon this Anniuersarie day of Artaxerxes coronation when all things were disposed in order the King desirous to accomplishe a certaine conceiued determination cōmaunded one of his faithful chamberlains spéedily to seke out Ariobarzanes which the sayde faithfull chamberlaine did and telling him the kings message sayd My lord Ariobarzanes the King hath willed me to say vnto you that his pleasure is that you in your owne person euen forthwith shall cary your white stéede and Courser the mace of gold and other 〈◊〉 due to the office of Senescall vnto Darius youre mortall enimie and in his maiesties behalfe to say vnto him that the king hath giuen him that office and hath clearely dispossessed you thereof Ariobarzanes hearing those heauie newes was like to die for sorowe and the greater was his griefe bicause it was giuen to his greatest enimie Notwithstanding like a Gentleman of noble stomacke woulde not in open apparance signifie the displeasure which he conceiued within but with merrie cheare and louing countenance sayde vnto the chambrelaine Do my right humble cōmendations vnto the kinges maiestie and say vnto him that like as he is the soueraigne lorde of all this lande and I his faithfull subiect euen so myne office my life landes and goods be 〈◊〉 his disposition and that willingly I will performe his 〈◊〉 When he had spoken those wordes he rendred 〈◊〉 his office to Darius who at dinner serued in the same And when the king was set Ariobarzanes with comely countenaunce sat downe amongs the rest of the Lordes Which sodaine deposition and depriuation did 〈◊〉 lously amaze the whole assemblie euery man secretly speking their minde either in praise or dispraise of that fact The king all the dinner time did marke note the countenance of Ariobarzanes which was pleasant and merie as it was wont to be whereat the king did greately maruell And to attaine to the ende of his purpose hée began with sharpe wordes in presence of the nobilitie to disclose his discontented minde and the grudge which he bare to Ariobarzanes On the other side the king suborned diuers persons diligently to espie what he sayde did Ariobarzanes hearing the kings sharpe wordes of rebuke and stimulated by the persuasion of diuers flatterers which were hired for that purpose after he perceiued that his declared pacience preuailed nothing that his modest talke his long and faithful seruice which he had done vnto the king his losse and hinderance sustained the perill of his life which so many times he had suffered at length banquished with disdaine he brake the Bridle of Pacience and sorted out of the boundes of his wonted nature for that in place of honor he receiued rebuke in stede of reward was depriued of his office begā in a rage to cōplain of that king terming him to be an vnkind prince which amongs the Persians was estéemed a worde of great offence to the maiestie wherefore faine he would haue departed the court and retired home to his coūtrey which he coulde not doe without speciall licence from the king and yet to craue the same at his handes his heart would not serue him Althese murmures and complaintes which secretely he made were tolde the king therfore the king commaunded him one day to be called before him vnto whome he sayde Ariobarzanes youre grudging complaints and enuious quarels which you disparcle behinde my backe throughout my Courte and your continuall rages outragiously pronounced through the verie windowes of my Palace haue 〈◊〉 myne eares whereby I vnderstande that thing which hardly I would haue beleued But yet being a Prince as wel inclined to fauour and quiet hearing of al causes as to credite of light reports would faine know of you the cause of your lamentation and what hath moued you thervnto For you be not ignorant that to murmure at the Persian King or to terme him to be vnkinde is no lesse offence than to blaspheme the Gods immortall bicause by auncient Lawes and Decrées they be honored and worshipped as Gods And among all the penalties conteined in our lawes the vice of Ingratitude is moste bitterly corrected But leauing to speake of the threates and dangers of our lawes I pray you to tell me wherin I haue offended you For albeit that I am a king yet reason persuadeth me not to giue offence to any man which if I shoulde doe and the Gods forbid the same I ought rather to be termed a tyrant than a King Ariobarzanes hearing the King speake so reasonably was abashed but yet with stoute countenaunce he feared not particularly to remembre the wordes which he had spoken of the King and the cause wherefore he spake them Well sayd the King I perceiue that you blushe not at the words ne yet fear to reherse the same vnto my face wherby I doe perceiue and note in you a certaine kinde of stoutenesse which naturally 〈◊〉 from the greatnesse of your minde But yet wisedome would that you shoulde consider the reason and cause why I haue depriued you from your office Doe you not knowe that it appertaineth vnto me in all mine affaires and déedes to be liberall curteous magnificent and bounteous Be not those the vertues that make the fame of a Prince to 〈◊〉 amongs his subiects as the Sunne beames do vpon the circuit of the worlde Who ought to rewarde well doers and recompence eche wight which for any seruice and aduantage haue all the dayes of their life or else in some particuler seruice vsed their painful trauaile or aduentured the perill of their life but I alone béeing your soueraigne Lord and Prince To the vertuous and obedient to the Captaine and Souldier to the politike and wise to the lerned and graue finally to eche well 〈◊〉 wight I know how to vse the noble princely vertues of Curtesie and Liberalitie They bée the comely ensignes of a King They be the onely ornaments of a Prince They bée my particuler vertues And will you Ariobarzanes béeing a valiant souldier a graue counsailer and a politike personage goe aboute to dispossesse me of that which is mine Will you which are my seruant and subiect of whom I make greatest accompt and haue in dearest estimation vpon whome I did bestowe the greatest dignitie within the compasse of my whole Monarchie grate benefite at my hands by abusing those vertues which I aboue other do principally regard You do much abuse the credite which I repose in your greate wisedome For hée in whome I thought to finde moste graue aduise and déemed to bée a receptacle of all good counsell doth seke to take vpon him the personage of his Prince and to vsurpe the kingly state which belongeth only vnto him Shall I be tied by your deserts or bound by curteous dedes or else be forced to rendre recompēce No no so long as this imperiall crown shall rest on royall head no subiecte by any curteous déede of his shall straine vnwilling minde which meant it not
two was péerelesse without comparison older than the other by one yeare The beautie of those fair Ladies was bruted throughout the whole Region of Persia to whome the greatest Lordes and Barons of the countrey wer great and importunate suters He was not in his countrey resiant the space of iiij monethes which for salubritie of aire was most holsome and pleasant full of lordelike liberties and gentlemanlike pastimes as well to be done by the hounde as by the spaniell but one of the Kings Haraulds sent from the Court appeared before him with message to this effect saying My lord Ariobarzanes the King my soueraigne Lorde hath commaunded you to send with me to the Court the fairest of your two daughters for that the report of their famous beautic hath made him hardly to beleue them to be such as common brute would fayn do him to vnderstande Ariobarzanes not wel able to conceiue the meaning of the kings commaundement reuolued in his minde diuers things touching that demaunde and concluding vpon one which fel to his remembrance determined to send his yonger daughter which as we haue sayd before was not in beautie comparable to hir elder sister whereupon he caused the maiden to be sent for and sayd vnto hir these words Daughter the King my maister and thy soueraigne Lorde hath by his Messanger commaunded me to send vnto him the fairest of my daughters but for a certain reasonable respect which at this time I purpose not to disclose my mynde is that thou shalt goe praying thée not to say but that thou thy selfe art of the twaine the fairest the concealing of which mine aduise will bréede vnto thée no doubte thy greate aduauncement besides the profite and promotion that shall accriue by that thy silence and the disclosing of the same may happe to engendre to thy dere father his euerlasting hindrance and perchance the depriuation of his life but 〈◊〉 so be the King doe beget thée with childe in any wise kéepe close the same And when thou 〈◊〉 thy 〈◊〉 begin to swel that no longer it can be closely kept then in conuenient time when thou séest the King most merily disposed thou shalt tell the King that thy sister is farre more beautifull than thy self and that thou art the yonger sister The wise maiden well vnderstanding hir fathers minde and conceiuing the summe of his intent promised to performe his charge so with the Haraulde and honorable traine he caused his daughter to be conueyed to the Courte An easie matter it was to deceiue the King in the beautie of that maiden For although the elder daughter was the fairest yet this Gentlewomā séemed so péerelesse in the Court that without comparison she appeared the most beautifull that was to be 〈◊〉 either in Courte or countrey the behauiour and semblance of which two daughters were so like that hard it was to iudge whether of them was the eldest For their father had so kept them in that seldome they were séene within his house or at no time marked when they walked abroade The wife of the King was deade the space of one yere beforé for which cause he determined to marie the daughter of Ariobarzanes who although shée was not of the royall bloud yet of birthe she was right noble When the King saw this Gentlewoman he iudged hir to be the fairest that euer he sawe or heard of by report whom in the presence of his noble mē he 〈◊〉 did marrie seut vnto hir father to appoint the 〈◊〉 of his married daughter out of hande and to returne the same by that messanger When Ariobarzanes herd tell of this vnhoped mariage right ioyefull for that 〈◊〉 cesse sent vnto his daughter that dowrie which he had promised to giue to eyther of his daughters Many of the Courte did maruell that the King béeing in aged yeares would mary so yong a maiden specially the daughter of his subiect whome he had vanished from the Courte Some praised the Kings disposition for taking hir whom he fansied Eche man speakyng his 〈◊〉 minde 〈◊〉 to the diuers customes of men Notwithstanding there were diuers that moued the King to that mariage thereby to force him to confesse that by taking of the goodes of Ariobarzanes he might be called Courtenus and Liberall The mariage being solemnized in very 〈◊〉 and princely guise Ariobarzanes sente to the King the like dowrie which before he had sent him for mariage of his daughter with message to this effect That for so much as hée had assigned to his daughters two certain dowries to marie them to their equal 〈◊〉 and seing that he which was without exception was the husbande of the one his duetie was to bestow vpon his grace a more greater gift than to any other which shold haue bene his sonne in lawe But the King woulde not receiue the increase of his dowrie déeming him self well satisfied with the beautie and good cōdicions of his new spouse whome he entertained honored as Quéene In the meane time she was great with childe with a sonne as afterwardes in the birth it appered which so wel as she coulde she kept close and secrete but afterwards perceiuing hir bellie to ware bigge the greatnesse whereof she was not able to hide being vpon a time with that King and in familiar disporte she like a wise and sobre Lady induced matter of diuers argumēt amongs which as occasion serued she disclosed to the King that she was not the fairest of hir fathers daughters but hir elder sister more beautifull than she The King hearing that was greatly offended with Ariobarzanes for that he had not accomplished his commaundement and albeit he loued well his wife yet to attaine the effect of his desire he called his Haraulde vnto him whome he had firste sent to make request for his wife and with him returned again his new maried spouse vnto hir father cōmaunding him to say these words That for so much as he knewe him self to be vanquished and ouercome by the Kings humanitie his grace did maruell that in place of Curtesie he would vse such contumacie and disobedience by sending vnto him not the fairest of his daughters whiche he required but such as he himselfe liked to sende A matter no doubt worthy to be sharpely punished and 〈◊〉 For which cause the King being not a litle offended 〈◊〉 home his daughter againe and willed him to sende his eldest daughter and that he had returned the dowrie which he gaue with his yonger Ariobarzanes receiued his daughter and the dowrie with willing minde sayd these words to the Harauld Mine other daughter which the King my soueraigne Lord requireth is not able presently to go with thée bicause in hir bed she lieth sick as thou mayst manifestly perceiue if thou com into hir chāber but say vnto the King the vpon my faith allegiance so soone as she is recouered I will sende hir to the court The Haraulde séeing the maiden lie sicke
garmente and Crowne was taken off from his head together with his other apparel The Executioner 〈◊〉 for commaundement to doe his office and lifting vp his sworde to do the facte 〈◊〉 King desired to sée the countenaunce of Ariobarzanes who neuer chaunged colour for all that terrour of death The King séeing the great constancie and inuincible minde of Ariobarzanes spake 〈◊〉 that all men might heare hym these wordes Thou knowest Ariobarzanes that it is not I whych haue wroughte thy condemnation ne yet by 〈◊〉 desyre haue soughte thy bloude to bryng thée to this extremitie but it hath bene thy yll disordred life and the statutes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which haue found thée guiltie and therevpon sentence and death pronounced and execution now redie to be done and the minister redie to aduaunce his arme to play the last acte of this tragedie And yet for that our holy lawes doe giue libertie that I may assoile and deliuer whome I list and them restore to their former state if nowe thou wilt acknowledge thy selfe vanquished and ouer come and accept thy life in gratefull part I will pardon thée and restore thée to thine offices and promotions Ariobarzanes hearing these wordes knéeled downe with his head declined and expecting the blow of the sworde lifted by himselfe and turning his face to the King perceiuing his malice not so sore bente against him as the enuie and malice of his ennimies desired he determined to proue and vse the pitifull liberalitie and fauor of his soueraigne Lorde that his foes by his death might not triumph ne yet attaine the thing for which so long they aspired Wherefore in reuerent wise 〈◊〉 before his maiestie with a 〈◊〉 perfect voice sayd these words Most victorious merciful soueraine Lord in equal worship and honour to the immortall Gods sith of thy abundant grace and mercie it hath pleased thée to graunt me life I do most humbly accept the same which if I wist should be prolonged in thy disgrace and wrath coulde not be pleasaunt vnto me and therfore do 〈◊〉 my self altogether 〈◊〉 ouercome I most humbly then do giue thée 〈◊〉 for preseruation of the same hoping hereafter to employ the vttermost of mine endeuoure for the benefite and honour of thy Crowne and dignitie as readily and without supplication made in my behalfe thou hast 〈◊〉 to restore the same And sith thy 〈◊〉 hath reuiued me thine humble 〈◊〉 I 〈◊〉 thy maiestie to giue me leaue to say my minde trusting thereby to doe thée to vnderstande the effecte and cause of that my former presumption The King made signes that he should rise and boldly speake the summe of his desire When he was vpon his féete silence was proclaimed who then began to speake these wordes Two things there bée most sacred Prince which doubtlesse doe resemble the raging waues of surging seas and the mutabilitie of vnstable windes and yet greate is the follie of an infinite numbre which imploy their whole care and diligence to séeke the same These two things wherof I speake and be so derely beloued of flattering courtiers are the grace and fauour of their soueraine Lord and the luring loue of Amorous dames which two things doe so often beguile the Courtly Gentleman that in the ende they engendre nought else but repentance And to begin with the loue of Ladies they as by common experiēce is proued most commonly do recline to their inferiours It is dayly sene by too much vnhappie proofe that a yong Gentlemā by birth comely and noble otherwise riche vertuous and indued with many goodly gifts shall choose and worship one for his soueraigne Ladie and maistresse and hir shall serue and honour with the same faith and fidelitie due to the immortall Gods and shal not sticke to employ for hir loue and seruice all the possible power and trauell be is able to doe and yet shée in despite of all his humble endeuour shal loue an other voide of all vertue making him possessour of that benefite after which the other séeketh and she not long cōstant in that minde afterwadrs will attend vnto the first suter but in such mouable and 〈◊〉 sort as the wandring starres through their naturall instabilitie be moued to and fro and him in the ende will suffre to fall headlong into the bottomlesse pit of dispaire and he that asketh hir the reason of this varietie she maketh none other answere but that hir pleasure is such and wilful will to dallie with hir suters that seldome times a true and perfit louer can fasten his foote on certaine holde but that his life is tossed vp and downe like the whirling blastes of the inconstant windes In like maner in the Courts of Kings and Princes he which is in fauour with his soueraigne Lord in al mens eyes so great and neare as it séemeth the Prince is disposed to resolue vpon nothing without his aduise coūsell when such fauoured person shall employ his whole care and industrie to maintaine and increase the cōmenced grace of his soueraigne Lorde beholde vpon the sodaine his mind and vaine is changed and an other without desert which neuer carked or laboured to win good will is taken in place cherished as though he had serued him an hundred yeares before and he that was the first minion of the Court in greatest grace and estimation is in a moment despised and out of all regarde An other within fewe days after shall be brought in place of the other twaine very diligent and carefull to serue trained vp in Courtly exercise whose mindefull minde shall bée so caring ouer his lordes affaires as vpon the safegarde and preseruation of his owne propre life But all his labour is employed in vaine and when the aged dayes of his expired life approch for the least displeasure he shall be thrust out without rewarde for former trauell that right aptly the Common Prouerb may be applied The common Courtiers life is like a golden miserie and the faithfull seruant an Asse perpetuall I haue séene my self the right wel learned man to 〈◊〉 in Court for want of meate and a blockish beast voide of vertue for lust and not for merite aduaunced and made a Gentleman But this may chaunce bicause his lorde is not disposed to lerning and vertue little estéeming those that be affected with good sciences for lacke of carefull trayning vp in youthfull days or else for that their mind can not frame with the gentle spirites of them the closets of whose brests be charged and fraught with infinite loades of lerning and haue not ben noscled in trade of Courtes ne yet can vse due courtly spéeche or with vnblushing face can shuffle them selues in presence of their betters or commen with Ladies of dame 〈◊〉 toyes or race of birth not mingled with the noble or gentle Sire For these causes perhaps that vertuous wight can not attain the happe of Fortunes giftes Which person though in Court he be not estéemed in
singuler vertue hauing dispersed and broken the armes and malice of all his enimies if before he were curteous and liberall after these so stout aduentures he became more than Princely in his déedes and if somtimes he had done one curteous act now he doubled the same But such was his Magnanimitie so noble were his indeuours tempred with such measure and equanimitie as the whole worlde clearely might discerne that not to contende with his soueraigne Lorde but to honour him to expresse the Maiestie of his Prince he imployed the goods and liuing which the King and Fortune had boūtifully bestowed vpon him Who vntill his dying day famously mainteined him selfe in the good grace and fauour of his Prince in such wise as the King more clerely than the shining Sunnebeames knew Ariobarzanes to be framed of Nature for a christalline mirrour of curtesie and Liberalitie and that more easie it was to berieue the fire of heate and the Sunne of light than despoile Ariobarzanes of his glorious déedes Wherefore he ceassed not continually to honour exalte and enriche him that he might vse the greater liberalitie And to say the truthe although these two vertues of 〈◊〉 and Liberalitie be commendable in all persons without the which a man truly is not he wherof he bereth the name yet very sitting and mete it is for euery riche and welthie subiect to beware howe he doth compare in those noble vertues with Princes and great men whiche béeing right noble and péerelesse vpon earth can abide no comparisons which according to the Prouerbe be odious and hateful Aristotimus the Tyrant ¶ LVCIVS one of the Garde to ARISTOTIMVS the Tirant of the Citie of 〈◊〉 fell in loue with a faire maiden called MICCA the daughter of one 〈◊〉 and his crueltie done vpon hir The stoutnesse also of a noble Matrone named MEGISTONA in defence of hir husbande and the common wealth from the tyrannie of the sayd ARISTOTIMVS and of other actes done by the subiects vpon that Tyrant The fifth Nouell YOu haue heard or as it were in a manner you haue beholden the right images curteous conditions of two well conditioned persons mutually eche towards other obserued In the one a Princely mind towards a noble Gentleman his subiecte In the other a dutiefull obedience of a louing vassall to his soueraigne Lorde and Maister In both of them the true figure of Liberalitie in liuely orient colours described Now a contrary plotte yll grounded vpon extreme tyrannie is offred to the viewe done by one Aristotimus and his clawbacks against his humble subiects of the citie of Elis standyng in Peloponessus a countrey of Achaia which at this day we call Morea This Aristotimus of nature was fierce and passing cruell who by 〈◊〉 of king Antigonus was made Tyran of that Citie And like a Tyran gouerned his Countrie by abuse of his authoritie with newe wrongs and straunge cruelties vering and afflicting the poore Citizens and all his people Which chaunced not so much for that of himself he was cruel and tyrannous as for that his Counsellours and chief about him were barbarous and vicious men to whom he committed the charge of his kingdom the guarde of his person But amongs al his mischiefes wrongfully done by him which were innumerable one committed against Philodemus the same which afterwardes was the cause of the depriuation of his life and kingdom is speciallie remembred This Philodemus had a daughter called Micca that not onelie for hir right chast and honest qualities and condicions which 〈◊〉 florished in hir but for hir extreame goodlie beautie was in that Citie of passing 〈◊〉 and admiration With this fair maiden one of the Tyrants guard called Lucius fell in loue if it deserue to be called loue and not rather as the end full well declared a most filthie and heastlie lust This Lucius was derelie beloued of Aristotimus for the flendish resemblāce and wicked 〈◊〉 of his vile abhominable condicions and therefore feared and obeyed as the Tyrants owne person For which cause this Lucius sent one of the 〈◊〉 of the kings chambre to 〈◊〉 Philodemus at an appointed houre al excuses set apart to bring his daughter vnto him The parents of the maiden hearing this sodain and fearefull message constrained by Tyrants force and fatall necessitie after many teares and 〈◊〉 sighes began to persuade their daughter to be contented to goe with hym declaring vnto hir the rigour of the magistrate that had sent for hir the 〈◊〉 that would be executed that there was no other remedie but to obey Alas how sore against their willes with what trembling gessure with what 〈◊〉 the good parents of this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were affected to consider the purpose of that dreadfull message all dere fathers and naturall mothers can tell But this gētle maiden 〈◊〉 which was of nature stout 〈◊〉 lessoned with sundrie right good and holsome instructions from hir infantes age was determined rather to die than to suffer hir self to be defloured This 〈◊〉 maiden fell downe prostrate at hir fathers féete and clasping him fast about the knées louingly did pray him and pitifully besought him not to suffer hir to be haled to so 〈◊〉 and vile an office but rather with the piercing blade of a two edged sword to kill hir that thereby she might be rid from the violation of those fleshlie and 〈◊〉 varlets saying that if hir virginitie were taken from hir she should liue in eternall reproche and shame As the father and daughter were in these termes Lucius for the long tariance and 〈◊〉 dronke with the wine 〈◊〉 lechery made impacient and furious with 〈◊〉 spéede posted to the house of Philodemus and finding the maiden prostrate at hir fathers féete wéeping hir head in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with taunting voice and threatning woordes commaunded presentlie without longer delaie she should rise and goe with him She refusing his hastie request and crying out for fathers help who God wot durst not resist stoode still and would not goe Lucius séeing hir 〈◊〉 full of furie and proud disdnine began furiously to hale hir by the garments vpon whose struggling he fare hir 〈◊〉 and furnitures off hir head and shoulders that hir alablaster necke and bosome appeared naked without compassion tare and whipt hir flesh on euery side as the bloud ranne downe beating that tendre flesh of hirs with manifold and grenous blowes O 〈◊〉 tirant more 〈◊〉 and sauage than the desert beast or mountaine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Could crueltie be so déepelie rooted in the hart of man which by nature is affected with reasons instinct as with out pitie to lay handes and violontly to hurt the tendre bodie of a 〈◊〉 Maiden Can such inhumanitie harbor in any that beareth about him the shape of man But what did this martyred maidē for al this force Did 〈◊〉 yeld to violence or rendre hir self to the disposition of this mercilesse man No surelie But with so great stoutnesse of minde she suffred those impressed woundes
caused the other dames to bury those two bodies in one graue O how happy famous had these two sisters ben if they had not bene the daughters of so wicked and cruell a father But parentes offence on Childrens trespasse oughte not to deface the vertuous déedes of their posteritie Two Romane Queenes ¶ The maruellous courage and ambition of a Gentlevvoman called TANAQVIL the Quene wife of TARQVINVSPRISCVS the fifth Romane King with hir persuasions and pollicie to hir husbande for his aduauncement to the kingdome hir like encouragement of SIRVIVSTVLLIVS wherin also is described the ambition of one of the. ij daughters of SERVIVSTVLLIVS the sixt Romane King and hir crueltie towards hir ovvne naturall father with other accidents chaunced in the nevv erected common welth of Rome specially of the last Romane Kyng TARQVINVS SVPERBVS who with murder atteined the kingdom with murder mainteined it and by the murder and insolent life of his sonne was with all his progenie banished The sixt Nouell ANcus Marcius being that fourth King after Romulus the first builder of that Citie there came to dwell in Rome one Lucumo a lustie gentleman rich and desirous of honour who determined to continewe his habitation there Thesame Lucumo was the sonne of one Demaratê° a Corinthian who for sedition fled his owne countrie dwelt in 〈◊〉 amongs the stock of the Tarquines and after he was maried he begat two sonnes one of them was this Lucumo and the other was called Arnus Lucumo was heire to his father for that Arnus died before leauing his wife gret with childe The father not knowing that his daughter in lawe was with childe gaue nothing in his will to his Nephewe for which cause the childe was called Arnus Egerius Lucumo being the sole heire of his father maried a noble woman named Tanaquil and bicause the Thuscans could not abide to sée a straunger growe to abundance of welth and authoritie she despised hir owne country rather than she would suffer hir husband in any wise to be dishonoured Wherfore she deuised to forsake the Tarquinians to dwel at Rome where she thought among that honorable sorte and newe rerected state that hir husband being stout and valiant should attaine some place of resiance For she called to remembraunce that Tatius the Sabine Numa borne of the stock of Curetes and Ancus brought forth by a Sabine woman all strangers did raigne and became noble and mightie Thus ambition and desire of honour easily doeth persuade any deuise Wherfore carrying with theÌ„ al their substance they repaired to Rome It chaunced when they came to Ianiculum as he and his wife were sitting in a Wagon an Eagle hoouering hir wings ouer Lucumo sodenly toke away his cappe which done she soared ouer the wagon with great force then she retourned againe as though she had bene commaunded by some celestiall prouidence aptly placed his cappe againe vpon his head and then soared away vp into the element Tanaquil conceiuing this act to be some Augurie or Prophecie being cunning in that knowledge as commonly all the people of Hetruria be imbraced hir husband and willed him to be of good chere and to expect great honour And as they were ymagining and consulting vpon these euents they entred the Citie and when they had gotten a house for him and his familie he was called Tarquinins Priscus His riches and great wealth made him a noble man amongs the Romanes and through his gentle entertainement and curteous behauiour he wanne the good willes of many in so much as his fame and good report was bruted throughout the palace At leÌ„gth he grew in acquaintance with the King him selfe who séeing his liberall demeanor and duetifull seruice estéemed him as one of his familiar and nere srends and both in his warres and also at home he imparted to him the secrets of his counsell and hauing good experience of his wisedom by his last will and testament appointed him to be tutour of his children Ancus raigned xxiiii yeres a man in peace and warre in policie and valiance with any of his predecessours comparable His children were very yong and for that cause Tarquinius was more instant to summon a parliament for creation of a king When the day was come he sente the yong children abroade a hunting and then ambiciously presumed to demaunde the kingdome being the first that euer attempted the like For the better conciation and obteining of the peoples good will he vttered this Oration I doe not presume to require a straunge or newe thyng that was neuer before put in practise nor yet am the first but the third straÌ„ger and foraine borne that affected and aspired to this gouernmeÌ„t For which consideration there is no cause why any man ought to muse or maruell more than behoueth It is euidently knowen that Tatius not onely being a stranger but also an ennimie was made Kyng Numa also was made King being altogether a foraine stranger borne not through his owne request but rather voluntarily accited and called therevnto by the Romanes but for my parte after I was able to gouerne my self I repaired to dwell at Rome with my wyfe my children and all my substance where I haue spent the chiefest porcion of my life specially after it was mature and able to execute ciuile magisterie which I chose rather to bestow at Rome than at home in myne owne countrey I haue lerned the Romane rites and lawes as wel such as be mete to serne abroade in the warres as also necessarie to bée practised at home at the hands of mine olde maister Ancus Martius your late king a maister right worthie and famous in all pointes to bée followed I shewed my selfe an humble and obedient subiecte to the King and in friendeship and familiaritie towarde others I contended with the Kyng him selfe When hée had spoken those wordes which in déede were very true with the whole consent of the people hée was saluted King And as all things succéeded his Noble requeste euen so after hée was settled in his Kyngdome hée gaue hym selfe to 〈◊〉 the common wealth Hée chose an hundred graue persons whiche he called the Fathers of the lesser countries He warred firste with the Latines and 〈◊〉 the Citie of Appiolas who bryngyng from thence a greater spoyle and bootie than was looked for ordeined richer and more gorgeous Playes than any of hys predecessoures Hée builded certayne Galleries and other places of assemblie aboute the Forum hée walled the Citie rounde about with stone And as he was doing these things the Sabines interuented him vpon the 〈◊〉 in so much as they were passed the Kyuer of Anienes before the Romane hoste was in a redinesse Whiche was an occasion of greate feare and stirre at Rome In the 〈◊〉 after the battailes were ioyned betwéene them bothe a cruell and blouddie slaughter was committed the victorie fallyng to neyther parte Then the Romanes sought meanes to renue their force by addyng to their armie a further
bande of horsmen Wherefore Tarquinius sente to the Rammenses Titienses Luceres To the bandes that Romulus had conscribed hée added other new troupes of horsemen purposing that the same should continue in memorie of him after his death And bicause Romulus dyd the same without aduise of the Southsayers one Accius Nauius the notablest Prophecier in those daies withstoode that constitution 〈◊〉 that it was not lawsull for him eyther to appoint a newe order or to alter the olde except the birdes and auguries did assent thervnto Wherwith the king was displeased deluding that science said Go to M. Sothsayer tell me now quod he is it possible to bring that to passe which I haue now conceiued in my minde Yea quod the Southsayer if you tel me what it is Then quod Tarquinius I haue deuised that thou shalt pare thine owne skin with a Raser Therfore take this knife doe as thy birdes doe portend and signifie And as it was reported he pared his own skin in déede In memory wherof an Image of Accius was erected with his head 〈◊〉 After that time there was nothing attempted without those auguries Notwithstanding Tarquinius procéeded in his constitution and added to the Centurias an other number for that 1800. horsemen were conteined in the thrée Centuriae The later addition was called also by the same name which afterward were doubled into vj. Centurias Whē his numbre was thus increased once againe he ioyned battel with the Sabines who by a notable pollicie recouered a great victorie And bicause the Sabines doubled a freshe onset without any order of battell or good aduisement they were ouerthrowen and then constrained to make peticion for peace The citie of Collatia and the Coūtrie confining vpon the same was taken from the Sabines The Sabine warres being in this sortended Tarquinius in triumphant maner 〈◊〉 to Rome At that time a prodige and miraculous 〈◊〉 chaunced to be séene in the Palace The head of a childe whose name was Seruius Tullius lying a sléepe in the palace was séene to burne The king was brought to sée that miracle And as one of his seruants was going to fetch water to quēch the fire he was staid by the Quene who commaunded that the childe should not once be touched vntill he awaked of himselfe And so soone as he rose from sléepe the fire vanished Then she tooke hir husband aside and said doe you sée this childe whom we haue verie basely and negligently brought vp I assure you sir said she he wil be the only safegard and defender of this our doubtfull state and will be the preseruer of our houshold when it is afflicted Wherefore let vs make much of him that is like to be the ornament and a worthie stay to all our familie After that they had accompted him amongs the number of their children traded him vp in those Arts which excite all good dispositions to aspire vnto honoure the pleasure of the Gods appeared in short time For the child grew to a royal behauior in so much as among all the Romane youth there was none more méete to mary the daughter of Tarquinius This Seruius Tullius was the sonne of one Seruius Tullius that was a Captain of a towne called Corniculum at the apprehension whereof it chaunced that the sayd Tullius the father was 〈◊〉 leauing his wife great with child the mother being a captiue and bonde woman was deliuered of hir childe at Rome in the house of Priscus Tarquinius After Tarquinius had raigned xxxviij yeres the yong man began to growe to great honor and estimation aswell with the king himself as also with the Fathers Then the Romanes conceiued a hateful indignation against the king for that he being put in trust to be the Tutor gouernor of Ancus children displaced them from their right inheritance and specially for that he himself was a stranger fearing also that the kingdom should not return againe to the election of themselues but degenerat and grow into seruile bondage They also called to remembrāce that the Citie continewed one hundred yeres after the sublation of Romulus an intier kingdome within one Citie and that it was a shame for them to suffer a bondman borne of seruile kind to possesse the same and would rebound to their perpetual ignominie hauing the progenie of Ancus aliue to suffer the same to be open to straungers and bōdmen Wherfore they determined to defend the griefe of that iniurie and to be reuenged rather vpon Tarquinius than vpon Seruius In fine they committed the execution of that fact to two shepherds chosen out for that purpose Who deuised this pollicie Before the entrie into the Palace they fell togither by the eares vpon which fray all the kings officers assembled and repaired thither to know the cause of their falling out when they were parted they appealed to the king with such exclamation as they were heard to the Palace Being called before the king both of them fell to brawling and one of thē striued of purpose to hinder the tale of the other The kings sergeant rebuked them commaunding them to tel their tales in order Whē they were a litle quieted one of thē beginneth to discourse the tale And as the king was attentife to heare the plaintif the other toke vp a hatchet threw it at the king and leauing the weapon sticking in the wound they conueied themselues out of the dores Those that waited vpon the King made hast to relieue him and the sergeants followed to apprehende the malefactors With that a hurlie burlie rose amōgs the people euery man maruelling what the matter shoulde be Tanaquil commaunded the palace gates to be shut and séeketh remedie to cure hir husbande as though some hope of life had bene remaining When hope failed of his recouerie shée called Seruius before hir which maried hir daughter and shewed vnto him hir dead husbande holding him fast by the right hande shée intreated him that he would not suffer the death of his father in lawe to be vnreuenged to the intent he might not be ridiculous to the traitours saying to him further these words If thou be a man of thy hands O Seruius the kingdom is thine and not theirs which thus cruelly by the hands of other haue committed this abhominable facte Wherefore put forth thy selfe and the Gods be thy guide For they did portende this noble head to be the Gouernour of this citie at such time as they circumfused the same with a fire descendyng from aboue Let that heauenly 〈◊〉 excite thy courage Be throughly awaked We being straungers sometime haue raigned Thinke and consider what thou art not from whence thou camest If the strangenesse of the case doe affray thée my counsel from time to time shall relieue thée The crie and stirre of the people being vnmesurable that one could scarse heare an other Tanaquill opened the windowes that had their prospect to the new way for the King dwelt at the temple of
which secretely they thought was about to escape away giuing them straight charge that by no meanes they shoulde returne without hir When the 〈◊〉 drew neare the shippe Poris bent him self to encourage the mariners to hoyse by saile againe and to make way with their oares into the sea if it were possible to auoide the imminent and present danger to saue the life of him selfe his wife children then he erected his handes vp vnto the heauens to implore the healpe and succor of the Gods which the stoute Gentlewoman Theoxena perceiuing and manifestly séeing the daunger wherein they were callyng to hir mynde hir former determinate vengeance which she ment to do and beholding 〈◊〉 in his prayers she prosecuted hir intente preparing a poysoned drinke in a cuppe and made redie naked swordes All which bringyng forth before the childrens face she spake these words Death alone must bée the reuēge of your siely liues whervnto there be two wayes poison or the sworde Euery of you choose which ye list to haue or of whether of them your heart shall make the frankest choyse The Kings crueltie and pride you must auoyde Wherfore dere children be of good 〈◊〉 raise vp your no ble courage ye the elder aged boyes shew now your selues like men and take the sword into your handes to pierce your tender hearts but if the bloudie smart of that most dreadfull death shal feare and fright your gréene and vnripe age then take the venomed cuppe and gulpe by sundrie draughts this poisoned drinke Be franke and lusty in this your destenied death sith the violence of Fortune by sea doeth let the lengthning of your life I craue this request of choise and let not the same rebound with fearful refuse of this my craued hest Your mother afterwardes shal passe that straight wherof she prayeth hir babes to bée the poastes yée the vaunt currours and shée with your louing 〈◊〉 shall ende and finishe Philips rage bent agaynst vs. When shée had spoken these wordes and 〈◊〉 the enimies at hand this couragious dame the 〈◊〉 of the death egged prouoked these yong 〈◊〉 childrē not yet wel resolued what to do with hir encharmed words in such wise as in the ende some dranke the poison and other strake them selues into the bodie and by hir commaundement were throwen ouer boorde not altogether dead and so she set them at libertie by death whom tenderly she had brought vp Then she imbracing hir husbande the companion of hir death both did voluntarily throw them selues also into the sea And when the Kings espials were come aboorde the ship they found the same abandoned of their praye The crueltie of which fact did so moue the cōmon people to detectation and 〈◊〉 of the king as a generall cursse was pronounced against him his children which heard of the Gods aboue was afterwardes terribly reuenged vpon his stock 〈◊〉 This was the end of good Poris and his stout wise Theoxena who rather than she would fall into the lapse of the Kings furie as hir father Herodicus and hir other husbande did chose violently to die with hir owne handes and to cause hir husbands children and hir owne to berieue them selues of life which although agaynst the louing order of naturall course and therefore that kinde of violence to be abhorred as horrible in it selfe yet a declaration of a stoute minde if otherwise she had ben able to reuenge the same And what coward heart is that that dare not vpon such extremitie whé it séeth the mercilesse ennimie at hand with shining blade redie bent to strike the blowe that without remedie muste ridde the same of breath specially when it séeth the trembling babe naturally begotten by his owne kinde and nature before the face imploryng fathers rescue what 〈◊〉 heart dare not to offer himself by singular fight though one to twētie either by desperate hardinesse to auoide the same or other anoyance aduenture what he can which in Christians is admitted as a comely fight rather than with that Pagane dame to doe the death it selfe But now returne we to describe a facte that passeth all other forced déedes For Theoxena was compelled in a maner thus to do of méere constraint to eschue the greater torments of a tyrants rage and thought it better by chosen death to chaunge hir life than by violent hands of bloudie butchers to bée haled to the slaughter But this Hidrusian dame was wearie of hir life not for that shée feared losse of life but desperate to think of Fortunes 〈◊〉 staye which 〈◊〉 Fortunes darlings would regarde in time they would foresée their slippery hold A Gentlewoman of Hidrusa ¶ A Straunge and maruellous vse which in olde time was obserued in HIDRVSA where it was lawfull with the licence of a Magistrate ordeined for that purpose for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and woman that list to kill them selues The nynth Nouell BAndello amongs the company of his 〈◊〉 telleth this Historie and in his owne person speaketh these woords If I should begin to tell those things which I sawe in the time that I sailed alōgs the leuāt seas very tedious it would be for you to heare and I in reporting could not tell which way to ende bicause I saw and heard things right worthy to be remembred Notwithstanding for satisfaction of diuers that be my frendes I will not sticke to reherse some of them But first of all one straunge custom which in the Romans time was vsed in one of the Ilandes of the sea Aegeum called Hidrusa in these dayes by the trauailers called Cea or Zea and is one of the Ilandes named Ciclades whilome full of populous and goodly Cities as the rumes thereof at this day do declare Ther was in old time in that Iland a very strange lawe and ordinaunce which many hundred yeares was very well and perfectly kepte and obserued The Lawe was that euery person inhabitant within the sayde 〈◊〉 of what sexe and condition so euer béeing thorough age infirmitie or other accidents wearie of their life might choose that kinde of death which liked them best howbeit it was prouided that the partie before the dooing of the same shoulde manifest the cause that moued hym therevnto before the Magistrate elected by the people for that speciall purpose which they ordeyned bycause they sawe that diuers persons had volūtarily killed themselues vpon triflyng occasions and matters of little importance accordyng to whiche lawe very many men and women hardily with so mery chere went to their death as if they had gone to some bankette or mariage It chaunced that Pompeius Magnus that dreadfull Romane vetwene whō and Iulius Caesar were foughte the greatest battailes for superioritie that euer were Pompeius I say sailing by the sea Aegeum arriued at Hidrusa and there goyng a land vnderstode of the inhabitants the maner of that law and how the same day a woman of great worship had obteined licence of the Magistrate to poison hir selfe Pompeius hearing tell hereof
Gods of comforte The affaires be so manifold and businesse so graue and weightie which we haue to doe with diuers countreyes that scarce wée haue time to eate and space to take any rest the Roman Princes hauing still by auncient custome both lacke of tyme and commonly wante of money And bicause that they which haue charge of common wealths to the vttermost of their power ought to be frends to traficke of marchandise and enimies of heaping treasure togethers Princes haue so many people to please and so greate numbre of crauers that if they kepe any thing for them the same shall rather 〈◊〉 a spice of theft than of prouidence To take away an other mans goodes truly is a wicked part but if it bée permitted to accumulate treasure and money together better it were to take it out of the Temples than to defraude the people For the one is consecrated to the immortall Gods and the other to the poore Commons I speake this right honorable Fathers to put you in remembraunce and also to aduise you that you take good héede to the goodes of the Common welthe howe they be dispended howe gathered together howe they be kept and how they be employed For ye ought to vnderstande that the goodes of the Common wealth be committed to you in trust not to the ende ye shoulde enioy them but rather by good gouernement to vse them We do heare that the walles be readie to sall the towers in decay and the temples be come to great ruine wherof we be not a little offended and you ought also to be ashamed for so much as the damages and detrimentes of the Cōmon welth we ought either to remedie or else to lament Ye haue written vnto me to know my pleasure whether the Censors Pretors Ediles shold be 〈◊〉 chosen and not perpetuall as hitherto they haue bene and specially you say that the state of the Dictator which is the greatest and highest dignitie in Rome is onely 〈◊〉 sixe moneths To that I answere that we are well contented with that aduise For not without cause and iust reason our predecessours did 〈◊〉 the firste Kings of Rome and ordeined that the Consuls shoulde yerely bée chosen in the common wealth Which was done in consideration that he whiche had perpetuall gouernement many times became insolent and proude And 〈◊〉 that the charges and offices of the Senate should be yerely to auoide daunger which if they should be perpetuall there might ensue great hurte and damage to the Common wealth For if the Officers being yerely chosen be good they may be continued And if they bée euill they may be chaunged And truely the officer which knoweth that vpon the ende of euery yeare he must be chaunged and examined of his charge he wil take good hede to that which he speaketh and first of all will wel consider what he taketh in hande The good Marcus Portius was the fyrst that caused the Officers of the Romane Common wealthe to thée thus visited and corrected And bycause that these Almayne warres dee still increase by reason that the Kyng Deceball wyll not as yet bée brought to obedience of the Romanes but rather goth about to occupie and winne the Kingdomes of Dacia and Polonia I shall be forced through the businesse of the warrs so long continuing to deuise and consult here vpon the affaires cōcerning the gouernemēt of the cōmon welth of Rome For a lesse euill it is for a Prince to be negligent in matters of warre than in the gouernement of the common wealth A prince also ought to thinke that he is chosen not to make warres but to gouerne not to kill the enimies but to roote out vices not that he go in person to inuade or defend his foes but that he reside and be in the cōmon welth not to take away other mens goodes but to do iustice to euery mā for somuch as the prince in that warres can fight but for one and in the publike wealth he cōmitteth faults against a numbre Truly it liketh me wel that from the degrée of Captains men be aduaūced to be Emperors but I thinke it not good that Emperours do descend to be Captains considering that the realme shal neuer be in quiet whē the Prince is to great a warrior This haue I spokē Fathers cōscript to the intēt ye may beleue that I for my part if these warres of Almayne were to begin I beyng at Rome it were impossible that I should be brought vnto the same for that my principall intent is to be estemed rather a good gouerner of a common wealth than a foreward Captain in the field Now then principally I commend vnto you the veneration of the Temples and honor of the Gods bicause Kings neuer liue in suretie if the Gods be not honored and the Temples serued The last words which my good Lorde Nerua wrote vnto mée were these Honour the Temples feare the Gods maynteine Iustice in thy Common wealth and defende the poore in so doing thou shalte not bee for gotten of thy friende nor vanquished by thy ennimies I do greatly recommende vnto you the vertues of 〈◊〉 and Fraternitie for that you know that in great cōmon wealthes greater hurt and damage do ciuile and neighborly warres bring vnto the same than those attempted by the enimies If parents against parentes and neighbours againste neighbours had not begon their mutuall hatred contencion neuer had Demetrius ouerthrowen the Rhodes neuer had Alexander conquered Thyr Marcellus Syracusa Scipio Nuimantia I recōmende vnto you also the poore people loue the Orphanes and fatherlesse children support and help the widowes beware of quarels and debates amongs you and the causes of the helplesse fée that ye maintaine and defende bicause the gods did neuer wreake more 〈◊〉 vengeance vpon any than vpon those which did ill intreat and vse the poore and nedie And many times I haue heard my lorde Nerua say that the Gods neuer shewed them selues so rigorous as against a mercilesse and vnpitiful people Semblably we pray you to be modest of wordes pacient to suffer ware in your forme of life For a great fault it is and no lesse shame to a gouerner that he praise the people of his cōmon wealthe and gyue them occasion to speake euill of him And therfore they which haue charge of the cōmon welth ought rather to repose trust in their workes than in their words for so much as the citizens or cōmon people do rather fire their iudgement vpon that which they sée than on that which they heare I woulde wishe that touchyng the affaires appertinent to the Senate they might not know in you any sparke of ambicion malice deceipt or enuie to the intent that the iust men might not so much complaine of the commaunding of the common wealth as vpon the entertainement and profite of the same The Empire of the Grekes and that of the Romanes were euer contrary as well in armes and lawes
wyth immortall same fame glorie hath in it self these only marks and propertyes to bée knowne by Chastitie toleration of aduersitie For as the mynd is constant in loue not variable or giuen to chaunge so is the bodie continent comely honest and 〈◊〉 of Fortunes plagues A true cōstant mynd is moued with no sugred persuasions of friendes is diuerted with no eloquence terrified with no threates is quiet in all motions The blustering blastes of parents wrath can not remoue the constant mayde from that which she hath peculiarly chosen to hir selfe The rigorous rage of friendes doth not dismay the louing man from the embracement of hir whom he hath amongs the rest selected for his vnchanged féere A goodly exāple of constant noble loue this history ensuing describeth although not like in both yet in both a semblable cōstancie For Euphimia a Kings daughter abandoneth the great loue borne vnto hir by Philon a yong Prince to loue a seruant of hir fathers with whome she perseuered in greate constancie for all his 〈◊〉 and ingrateful dealings towards hir Philon séeyng his loue despised neuer maried vntill hée maried hir whome afterwardes hée deliuered from the false surmised treason of hir cancred and malicious husbande Euphimia fondly maried against hir fathers wil and there fore deseruedly after wards bare the penaunce of hir fault And albeit she declared hir selfe to bée constant yet dutie to louing father ought to haue withdrawen hir rashe and headie loue What daungers doe ensue such like cases examples be 〈◊〉 and experience teacheth A great dishonour it is for the 〈◊〉 and Gentlewomā to disparage hir no 〈◊〉 house with mariage of hir inferior Yea and great grief to the parents to sée their children obstinate wilfull in carelesse loue And albeit the 〈◊〉 Propertius describeth the vehemente loue of those that be noble and haue wherwith in loue to be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in these verses Great is the 〈◊〉 of Loue the constant mynde doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And he that is well fraught with wealth in Loue doth much preuaile Yet the tender damosell or louing childe be they neuer so noble or riche ought to attende the fathers time and choise and naturally encline to their 〈◊〉 liking otherwise great harme and detriment ensue For when the parents sée that disobediēce or rather rebellious minde of their childe their conceiued sorowe for the same so gnaweth the rooted plante of naturall loue as either it hastneth their vntimely death or else ingēdreth a heape of melancholie humors which force them to proclaime 〈◊〉 and bitter cursse against their 〈◊〉 fruite vpon whome if by due regarde they had 〈◊〉 ruled they woulde haue pronounced the swéete blessyng that Isaac gaue to Iacob the mothers best beloued boye yea and that displeasure may chaunce to dispossesse them of that which should haue bene the only comfort and stay of the future age So that negligence of parents 〈◊〉 and carelesse héede of youthful head bréedeth double woe but specially in the not aduised childe who tumbleth him selfe first into the breach of diuine lawes to the cursses of the same to parents wrath to orphans state to beggers life and into a sea of manifold miseries In whome had obedience ruled and reason taken place the hearte mighte haue bene 〈◊〉 the parent well pleased the life ioyfully spent and the posteritie successiuely tast the fruits that elders haue prepared What care and sorrow 〈◊〉 what extremitis the foresayde noble Gentlewoman 〈◊〉 for not yelding to hir fathers minde the sequele shal at large declare There was sometimes in Corinth a Citie of 〈◊〉 a King which had a daughter called Euphimia very tenderly beloued of hir father and being arriued to the age of mariage many noble men of Grecia made sute to haue hir to wife But amongs all Philon the yong king of Peloponessus so fiercely fell in loue wyth hir as hée thought he coulde no longer liue if hée were maried to any other For which cause hir father knowing him to be a King and of singular beautie and that he was far in loue with his daughter woulde gladly haue chosen him to be his sonne in law persuading hir that she shold liue with him a life so happie as was possible for any noble lady matched with Gentleman were he neuer so honorable But the daughter by no meanes woulde consent vnto hir fathers will alleaging vnto him diuers sundry considerations wherby hir nature by no means woulde agrée nor heart consent to ioyne with Philon. The king aboue al worldly things loued his fair daughter and albeit he woulde faine haue broughte to passe that she should haue taken him to husband yet he wold not vse the fathers authoritie but desired that Loue rather than force should match his daughter and therfore for that tyme was contented to agrée vnto hir will There was in the Court a yong mā borne of hir fathers bondman which hight Acharisto and was manumised by the King who made him one of the Esquiers for his bodie and vsed his seruice in sundry enterprises of the warres and bicause he was in those affaires very skilfull of bolde personage in conflictes and 〈◊〉 verie hardie the King did very much fauor him aswell for that hée had defended him from manifold daungers as also bycause he had deliuered hym from the 〈◊〉 pretended against him by the king of the Lacedemonians Whose helpe and valiance the king vsed for the murder and destruction of the sayde Lacedemonian King For which valiant enterprise hée bountifully recompenced him with honorable prefermentes and stately reuenues Upon this yong man Euphimia fired hir amorous eyes and fell so farre in loue as vpon him alone she bent hir thoughtes and all hir louing cogitations Wherof Acharisto béeing certified and well espying and marking hir amorous lookes nourished with like flames the fire wherewith she burned Notwithstandyng his loue was not so 〈◊〉 bent vpon hir personage as his desire was ambicious for that she shoulde be hir fathers onely heire and therfore thought that he shold be a most happie man aboue all other of mortall kynde if hée might possesse that inheritance The king perceuing that loue told his daughter that she had placed hir mynde in place so straunge as hée had thought hir wisdome wold haue more warely forséen and better wayed hir estate birth as come of a princely race and would haue demed such loue farre vnworthie hir degrée requiring hir with fatherly words to withdraw hir settled mynde to ioyne with him in choise of husbande for that he had none other worldly heire but hir and tolde hir howe he meant highly to bestowe hir vpon such a personage as a moste happie life she should leade so long as the destenies were disposed to weaue the webbe of hir predestined life And therefore was resolued to espouse hir vnto that noble Gentleman Philon. Euphimia hearkned to this vnliked tale with vnliked words refused hir fathers hest protesting vnto him such reasons
was authour of the enterprise or partaker of a treason so wicked Then the king incontinently caused the foure Gentlemen of his chamber 〈◊〉 be rewarded according to the worthinesse of their offense and wer put to death and Acharisto to be repriued in sharpe and cruell prison vntill with tormentes he should be forced to confesse that which he knew to be most certain and true by the euidēce of those that were done to death Euphimia for the imprisonment of Acharisto conceiued incredible sorrow and vneths coulde bée persuaded that he woulde imagine much lesse conspire that 〈◊〉 fact as well for the loue which Acharisto séemed to beare vnto hir as for the greate good will wherewith he was assured that shée bare vnto him and therfore the death of the 〈◊〉 to be no lesse griefe vnto him than the same would be to 〈◊〉 self the king being hir naturall and louyng father Acharisto thoughte on the other side that if he might speake with Euphimia a way woulde be founde eyther for his escape or else for his deliuerie Wherupon Acharisto being in this deliberation founde meanes to talke with the Iailors wife intreated hir to shewe him so much fauor as to procure Euphimia to come vnto him She accordingly broughte to passe that the yong gentlewoman in secret wise came to speake with this traiterous varlet who so sone as he sawe hir sheding from his eyes store of teares pitifully complaining sayde vnto hir I knowe Euphimia that the King your father doth not inclose me in this cruell prisō ne yet afflicteth me with these miserable tormēts for any suspicion hée conceiueth of me for any intended facte but onely for the loue which I beare you and for the like for which I rendre humble thankes that you do beare to me bicause that I am werie of this wretched state knowe that nothing else can 〈◊〉 me from this painful life but onely death I am determined wyth mine owne propre hands to cut the thréede of lyfe wherwith the destinies hitherto haue prolonged the same that this my brething ghost which breatheth forth 〈◊〉 dolefull plaintes maie flée into the Skies to rest it selfe amonges the restfull spirites aboue or wandre into 〈◊〉 pleasant hellish fieldes amongs the shadowes of Creusa Aeneas wife or else with the ghost of complaining Dido But ere I did the same I made myne humble prayer to the maiestie diuine that hée would vouchsafe to shewe me somuch grace as before I dye I might fulfyl my 〈◊〉 eyes with sight of you whose ymage still appereth before those gréedie Gates and 〈◊〉 representeth vnto my myndefull heart Which great desired thing sith God aboue hath graūted I yelde him infinit 〈◊〉 and sith my desteny is such that such must bée the end of loue I doe reioyce that I must dye for your sake which only is the cause that the King your father so laboureth for my death I néede not to molest you with the false euidence giuen against me vp those malicious vilaines that bée alreadie dead which onely hath thus incensed the Kyngs wrath and heauie rage against me whereof I am so frée as woorthily they bée executed for thesame For if it were so then true it is and as lightly you might beleue the I neuer knewe the loue you beare me and you likewise did neuer know what loue I bare to you and therfore you maye thinke that so impossible is the one as I did euer meane thinke or ymagine any harme or perill to your fathers person To bée short I humbly doe besech you to beleue that so faithfully as man is able to loue a womā so haue I loued you that it may please you to bée so myndfull of me in this fading life as I shal be of you in that life to com And in saying so with face all bathed in teares he clyped hir about the myddle and fast imbracing hir said Thus taking my last farewell of you myne onely life and ioye I commende you to the gouernment of the supernall God my selfe to death to be disposed as pleaseth him Euphimia which before was not persuaded the Acharisto was guiltie of that deuised treason now gaue ful beliefe and credite to his wordes and weping with him for company comforted him so wel as she coulde and bidding him to bée of good chere she sayde that she would seke such meanes as for hir sake and loue he should not dye And that before long time did passe she would help him out of prison Acharisto although hée vttered by ruful voice that 〈◊〉 talke for remedie to ridde him selfe from prison yet he didde but 〈◊〉 all that he spake addyng further Alas Euphimia doe not incurre your fathers wrath to please my minde suffer me quietly to take that death which sinister Fortune and cruell fate hath prouided to abridge my daies Euphimia vanquished with inspeakable griefe and burning passion of loue saide Ah Acharisto the onely ioye and comfort of my lyfe doe not perce my heart with such displeasant wordes For what should I doe in this wretched worlde yf you for my sake shold suffre death wherfore put awaie the cruel thought and be content to saue your life that hereafter in ioye myrth you may spend that same Trusting that yf meanes maye be founde for your dispatche from hence we shall liue the rest of our prolonged life together in swete and happie daies For my father is not made of stone of flint nor yet was nourced of Hircan Tigre he is not so malicious but that in tyme to come hée may 〈◊〉 made to know the true discourse of thyne innocent life and hope thou shalt atteyne his fauour more than euer thou 〈◊〉 before the care wherof onely leaue to me and take no thought thy self for I make promise vpon mine assured faith to bring the same to passe Wherefore giue ouer thy conceiued griefe and bende thy selfe to liue so merie a life as euer gentleman did trained vp in court as thou hast bene I am content sayd Acharisto thus to doe the Gods forbid that I should declyne my heart and mynde from thy behest who of thy wonted grace dost seke continuance of my life but rather swete Euphimia than thou shouldest suffre any daunger to performe thy promise I make request for the common loue betwene vs both to leaue me in this present dangerous state Rather wold I lose my life than 〈◊〉 shouldest hazard the least heare of thy heade for my reliefe We shal be both safe ynough answered Euphimia for my deuise proceding from a womans heade hath alreadie drawen the plotte of thy deliuerance and wyth those wordes they both did ende their talke whose trickling teares did rather finishe the same than willing myndes and eyther of them gyuing a kysse vnto the Tower walle wherein Acharisto was faste shutte Euphimia departed turmoiled with a thousand amorous prickes and ceased not but first of all to corrupte and wynne the Iaylers wife whose husband
a day greate talke was had in the court of King Philip surnamed Luscus bicause he was poreblinde who likewise was making preparation to depart out of Fraunce in the sayd iorney Reporte was made by a Knight whiche knewe the sayd Marquize that in all the worlde there was not the like maried couple as the Marquize and his wyfe were as well bicause the Marquize had the fame to bée an excellent Gentleman as also for that his wyfe amonges all the troupe of Ladies that liued in the world that time was the fairest and most vertuous which words so entred the French Kings head as sodainely neuer séeing hir in all his life he began to loue hir And for that purpose determined to imbarke him selfe at Genoua that by trauailing that way by lande he might haue good occasion to sée the Marchionisse thinking that hir husbande being absent he might easily obtein that he desired And as he had deuised he began his enterprise who sending al his power before toke his iorney with a meane train of Gentlemen and being within a days iourney of the Ladies house he sente hir worde that the next daye hée would visite hir at dinner The sage and discrete Ladie ioyfully answered the Messanger that she would accōpt his comming for a greate and singular pleasure sayde that his grace shuld be most heartily welcom Afterwardes she maruelled why such a King as he was would in hir husbāds absence come to hir house And in that maruel consideration she was no whit deceiued coniecturyng that the fame of hir beautie was the cause of his comming Neuerthelesse like a wise Lady and honest Gentlewoman she determined to do him honor caused the worshipful of hir countrey such as remained behinde to be assēbled for aduise in all things that were necessarie for his intertainement but the feast varietie of meats that should be serued she alone toke vpon hir to dispose and order Wherfore spedily sending about and making prouision for al the hennes that might be gottē throughout the countrey cōmaunded hir cookes of those hennes without other thing what so euer to prepare diuers seruices The Kyng failed not the next day to come accordingly as he had sent worde and was with great honor receiued of the lady and in beholding hir she semed vnto him bisides his imagination comprehended by the former wordes of the Knight to be farre more faire honest and vertuous than hée thought attributing vnto hir singular praise and commendation And so much the more his desire was kindled as she passed the estimation bruted of hir And after that the King had withdrawen him selfe into the chamber ordeined and made ready for him as appertained to a Prince so greate that dinner time was come the Kyng Madame the Marchionisse sat together at one boorde and other according to their degrées were placed at seueral tables The King serued with many dishes and excellent wines beholding some times the ladie Marchionisse conceiued greate delight and pleasure But viewing the seruice and meates although dressed in diuers sortes to be but hennes he began to wonder specially knowing the soile wherin they were to be so rich plentiful as by litle trauaile great abundance of foule veneson might haue ben prouided and thought that she had indifferent leisure to chase and hunt after that he had sent hir word of his cōming Notwithstanding he woulde not take occasion to enter into talke of those wants of better chere hir hennes only excepted who looking vpon hir with mery countenance he said vnto hir Madame wer al these hennes bred in this countrey without a cock The Marchionisse which full wel vnderstode the cause of his demaund thinking that God had sent hir an apt time for answere as she desired boldly answered the King No and it please your grace but of women albeit in honour and apparell there is some difference yet they be al made in this 〈◊〉 as they be else where The King hearing hir 〈◊〉 right well did know the occasion of the bankette of Hennes and whervnto hir wordes did tende and considred that to bestow any further talke to so wise a ladie it were in vaine and that force there could take no place Like as vnaduisedly he fell in loue so it behoued him of necessitie wisely to 〈◊〉 the fire for his honour sake without any more taunting wordes fearing hir reuenge he dined without hope to get other thing of hir And when 〈◊〉 had done to the intent by his sodaine departure he might couer his dishonest commyng thankyng hir for the honour which he had receiued and she recōmending him to God he departed to Genoua Here may be proued the great difference betwene wisedom and 〈◊〉 betwene vertue and vice The King more by lust than other desire by circumstances indeuoured to sounde the deapth of the ladies minde She by comely aunswer payde hym home for his follie A liuely representation of a noble creature so well bedecked with vertue as with beautie Mistresse Dianora ¶ Mistresse DIANORA demaunded of 〈◊〉 ANSALDO a Garden so faire in Ianuarie as in the moneth of May. Maister ANSALDO by meanes of an obligation whiche he made to a Necromancer caused the same to be done The husband agreed with the Gentlewoman that she should do the pleasure which maister ANSALDO required who hearing the liberalitie of the husband acquited hir of hir promise and the Necromancer likewise discharged maister ANSALDO The. xvij Nouell OF all things commonly accompanying the maner and trade of mans lyfe nothyng is more circumspectly to bée attended prouided for than regarde 〈◊〉 of honestie which attire as it is moste excellent and comely so aboue all other vain toyes of outward apparell to be preferred And as honestie hath al other good cōditions included in it self as the same by any meanes can not straye oute of that tract troden before by the steppes of that most excellent vertue Euen so impossible it is for the partie adorned with the same to wander one 〈◊〉 from that 〈◊〉 path Wherefore lette eche wight that traceth this worldly life foresée the due obseruation of all things incident to that which is honest Nothing in this life saith Tullie in his oration for the Poet Archias is so much to be desired as Honestie for the getting wherof all tormentes of bodie all perilles and daungers 〈◊〉 death bée not to bée regarded Honestie then beyng a treasure so precious what care not only for the atchieuing but for the conseruation ought to be employed In the practise wherof one speciall thing ought to be attended whiche is how a vowe or promise ought to be made or how the estimation of honestie oughte to bée hazarded for any thing séeme it neuer so impossible For what is it that loue and money hath not brought to passe What hard aduentures by Iason what sleight by Alexander the son of King Priamus what monsters slaine and labours susteined by Hercules
wold set vpon him to sée him and heare him speake made toward him and catching him by that band vpon his 〈◊〉 said vnto him Did 〈◊〉 thou art dead Wherevnto Nathan made none other an̄swere but I haue then deserued it When Mithridanes heard his voyce and looked him in the face he knewe by by that it was he which had courteously receiued him familiarly kept him company and faithfully had giuen him counsel Wherupon his fury asswaged and his anger conuerted to shame By meanes wherof throwing downe his sword which he had drawne to strike him he lighted of from his horsse and did prostrate himselfe at Nathan his fathers 〈◊〉 sayd vnto him wéeping Imanifestly perceiue right louing father your great liberalltie and by what policie you be come hyther to render to me your life Whereunto I hauing no right declared my self desirous to haue the same But our Lord God more carefull of my deudir than my self hath euen at the very point when it was moste néedefull opened the eyes of mine vnderstanding which curssed spite and cancred enuie had closed vp and therfore the more you were ready to gratifie my desire the greater punishmēt I knowledge my selfe to deserue for my fault Take then of me if it please you such vengance as you thynke méete for mine offence Nathan caused Mithridanes to rise vp kissing and imbracing him tenderly then he sayde vnto him 〈◊〉 sonne thou nedest not to demaund pardon for the enterprise done good or euill as thou list to name it For thou diddest not goe about to rid me of my life for any hatred thou didst beare me but only to be accompted the better Be assured then of me and verily beleue that there is no liuing man that I loue better than thy selfe considering the greatnesse of thine heart not inclyned to hoorde or gather togither the drossie mucke of Syluer as the myserable doe but to spende that whych is gathered Be not ashamed for hauing a will to kill me thereby to gette renowme For Emperoures and greatest kings neuer streatched forthe their power and racked their Kealmes and consequently aspired fame for other purpose but to kill not by murdering one man as thou 〈◊〉 meane but of an infinite number bysides the burning of Countries and rasing of Cities Wherefore if to make thy selfe more famous thou wouldest haue killed me alone thyne enterprise was not new to be wondred at but a thing in daily practise Mithridanes no more excusing his wicked intent but praising the honest excuse which Nathan had deuised drewe neare vnto hym to enter into further talke wyth him which was howe he greatly maruelled that he durst approche the place with so little rescue where hys deathe was sworne and what he meant him selfe to tell the waye and meanes wherein he required him to say his minde for disclosing of the cause Whereunto Nathan replied maruell not Mithridanes of mine intent and purpose for 〈◊〉 I was at age disposed to mine owne frée will and determined to doe that which thou hast gone about to doe neuer any came to me but I haue contented them so farre as I was hable of that they did demaunde Thou art come hyther with desire to haue my life wherefore séeing that thou diddest craue it I forthwith did meane to giue it that thou alone mightest not be the man that shoulde departe from hence wythout atchieuing thy request and to bring to passe that thou myghtest haue the same I gaue thée the best Counsell I coulde aswell for bereuing of my life as for enioying of thine owne And therefore I saye to thée againe and praye thée for to take it thereby to content thy selfe if thou haue anie pleasure therein I doe not knowe whiche way better to imploye it I haue all readye kepte it foure score yeares and haue consumed the same in pleasures and delyghtes and doe knowe by course of nature in other men and generallye in all things that long it can not reast in breathyng dayes Wherefore I thinke good that better it is to giue as I haue dailye done and departe with my Treasures than kéepe it till nature carye it awaye in despite of my téethe and maugre that I haue It is a little gifte to giue one hundred yeares howe much lesse is it then to giue 〈◊〉 or eighte of those I haue to liue Take it then if it please thée I thée beséeche For neuer yet found I mā that did desire the same ne yet do know when I shall finde such one if that thy selfe which 〈◊〉 desire it doe not take it And if it chaunce that I do finde some one I know ful well that so much the longer as I shall 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 the lesse estéemed it shal be and therfore before the same be vile and of little price take it I beséeche thée Mithridanes sore ashamed sayd God 〈◊〉 that by separating so dere a thing as is thy life that I should take it or only to desire the same as I did erst from which I would not diminish yeares but willingly would of mine owne adde therto if I could Whereunto Nathan by and by replied And if thou couldest wouldest thou giue them And woldest thou cause me doe to 〈◊〉 that which I neuer did to any mā that is to say to take of thy things which neuer I did of any liuing person Yea verily answered Mithridanes Then sayd Nathan Thou shouldest do then that which I wil tell thée Thou shouldest remaine here in my house so yong as thou art and shouldest haue the name of Nathan and I wold goe to thine and still be called Mithridanes Then Mithridanes answered If I had also so great experience as thou hast I would not refuse that which thou dost offer but bicause I am assured that my déedes would diminish the renoume of Nathan I will not marre that in another which I can not redresse in my self and therefore I 〈◊〉 not take it After this talk a great deale more betwene them they repaired to the Palace vpon the request of Nathan wher many dayes he did great honor to Mithridanes incoraging counselling him so wel as he could daily to perseuere in his high great indeuor And Mithridanes desirous to returne home with his company Nathan after that he had let him wel to know that he was not able to surpasse him in liberalitie gaue him leaue Mistresse Katherine of Bologna ¶ Master GENTIL of CARISENDI being come from MODENA toke a woman out of hir graue that was 〈◊〉 for deade who after she was come againe broughte forth a sonne which Master GENTIL rendred 〈◊〉 with the mother to master NICHOLAS 〈◊〉 hir husband The. xix Nouel REading this Historie I consider two straunge rare chaunces the one a lyberall and courteous acte of an 〈◊〉 louer towardes his beloued hir husband in leauing hir vntouched and not dishonored although in full puissance to doe his pleasure to hir husband or presenting him with 〈◊〉 whome he
purpose he was not able to remoue but rather the more difficult and daungerous his enterprise séemed to be the more grew desire to prosecute and obiect him selfe to all dangers If peraduenture the Quéenes for their disport and pastime were disposed to walke into the fieldes or gardens of the Citie of Hispurge he failed not in company of other Courtiers to make one of the troupe being no houre at rest and 〈◊〉 if he were not in the sight of Quéene Anne or néere that place where she was At that time there were many Gentlemen departed from Lombardie to Hispurge which for the most parte followed the Lord Francesco Sforza the second by whom they hoped when the Duchie of Milane was recouered to be restored to their Countrey There was also Chamberlain to the said Lord Francesco one master Girolamo Borgo of Verona betwene whome and master Philippo was very néere friendship familiaritie And bicause it chauncethvery seldome that seruent loue can be kept so secrete and couert but in some part it will discouer it selfe master Borgo easily did perceiue the passion wherwith master Philippo was inflamed And one master Philippo Baldo many times being in the company of master Borgo and Philippo did marke and perceiue his loue yet was ignorant of the truthe or voide of coniecture with what Gentlewoman he was inamored But séeing him contrary to wonted custome altered from vsual mirth transported fetching many sighes strainings from his stomake and marking how many times he wold steale from the cōpany he was in withdraw him self alone to muse vpon hys thoughts brought thereby into a melancholy and meane estate hauing lost his sléepe and 〈◊〉 of eating meat iudged that the amorous wormes of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 bitterly gnawe and teare his heart wyth the nebs of their forked heads They three then being vpon a time togither debating of diuers things amōgs them selues chaunced to fall in argument of loue and 〈◊〉 Baldo Borgo the other gentlemen said to master Philippo how they were well assured that he was straūgely attached with that passion by marking and considering the new life which lately he led contrary to former vse intreating him very earnestly that he would manifest his loue to them that were his déere and faithful frends telling him that as in weightie matters otherwise hée was alredy sure what they were euē so in this he might hardily repose his hope and confidence promising him all their helpe and fauoure if therein their indeuor and trauaile might minister ayde and comfort He then like one raised from a traunce or lately reuiued from an 〈◊〉 after he hadde composed his countenaunce and gesture with teares and multitude of sobbes began to say these woordes My welbeloued friendes and trusty companiens being right well assured that ye whose sidelitie I haue already proued whose secrete mouthes be recómmended amongs the wise and vertuous will kéepe close and couert the thing which you shall heare me vtter as of such importaunce that if the yong 〈◊〉 Gentleman Papyrius had bene héere for all hys silence of graue matters required by hys mother I would vnnethes haue disclosed the same vnto hym In déede I cannot deny but must néedes consesse that I am in loue and that very ardently which I cannot in suche wise conceale but that the blinde must néedes clearely and euidently perceiue And although my mouth would 〈◊〉 kéepe close in what plight my passions doe constraine my inwarde affections yet my face and straunge manner of life which for a certayne time and space I haue led doe witnesse that I am not the man I was 〈◊〉 to be So that if shortly I doe not amend I trust to arriue to that ende whereunto euery Creature is borne and that my bitter and paynefull life shall take ende if I may call it a life and not rather a liuyng death I was resolued and throughly determined neuer to discouer to any man the cause of my cruell torment being not able to manifest the same to hir whome I doe only loue thinking better by conceling it through loue to make humble sute to Lady Atropos that shée would cutte of the thréede of my dolorous lyfe Neuerthelesse to you from whome I ought to kéepe nothyng secrete I will disgarboile and 〈◊〉 the very secretes of my minde not for that I hope to finde comfort and reliefe or that my passions by declaration of them wil lessen and diminishe but that ye knowing the occasion of my death may make reporte thereof to hir that is the only mistresse of my life that she vnderstanding the extréeme panges of the truest louer that euer liued may mourne and waile his losse which thing if my séely ghost may know no doubt where so euer it doe wander shall receiue great ioy and comforte Be it knowne vnto you therefore the first daye that mine eyes beheld the diuine beautie and incomparable sauer of that superexcellent Lady Quéene Anne of Hungarie that I more than wisdom required did meditate and consider the singular behauior and notable 〈◊〉 and other innumerable gifts wherwith she is indued the same beyònde measure did so inflame my heart that impossible it was for me to quenche the feruent loue or extinguish the least parte of my conceiued torment I haue done what I can to macerate and mortifie my vnbridled desire but all in vayne My force and puissaunce is to weake to matche wyth so mightye an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I knowe what ye wyll obiecte against me ye will say that mine ignobilitie my birth and stocke be no méete matches for such a personage and that my loue is to highly placed to sucke relief And the same I do 〈◊〉 so well as you I doe acknowledge my condition state too base I confesse that my loue nay rather I may terme it folly doth presume beyond the bounds of order For the first time that I felt my selfe wrapped in those snares I knew hir to beare the port amōgs the chiefest Quéenes to be the 〈◊〉 princesse of Christendom Againe I knew my selfe the poorest Gentleman of the world and the most miserable exile I thought moreouer it to be very vnséemely for me to direct my minde vpon a wight so honorable and of so great estate But who can raine the bridle or prescribe lawes to loue What is he that in loue hath frée will and choyse Truely I beleue no man bicause loue the more it doth séeme to accord in pleasure and delight the further from the marke he shooteth his bolte hauing no respect to degrée or state Haue not many excellent and worthy personages yea Dukes Emperours and Kings bene inflamed wyth the loue of Ladies and women of base and vile degrée Haue not most honorable dames and women of greatest renoume despised the honor of their states abandoned the companie of their husbāds and neglected the loue of their children for the ardent loue that they haue borne to men of inferiour sort All Histories
not néede to fear any hurt But if you do tary you wil be the cause of the ruine and ouerthrow of vs all receiue therby no profit or aduaūtage take this purse therfore saue your self attending better Fortune in time to come The poore gentleman Bologna knowing that his wife had pronounced reason perceiuing that it was impossible from that time forth that she or hir traine could escape their hāds taking leaue of hir kissing his childrē not forgetting the money which she offred vnto him willed his seruants to saue thēselues by such meanes as they thought best So giuing spurrs vnto his horse he began to flée amaine and his eldest sonne séeing his father gone began to followe in like sorte And so for that time they two were saued by breaking of the intended yll luck like to light vpon them And in a place to rescue himself at Venice hée turned another way in great iourneys arriued at Millan In the meane time the horsemē were approched 〈◊〉 the Duchesse who séeing that Bologna had saued himself very courteously began to speake vnto the Ladie were it that the Aragou brethren had giuen them that charge or feared that the Ladie wold trouble them with hir importunate cries lamentatiōs One therfore amongs them sayd vnto hir Madame we be commaunded by the Lordes your brethren to conducte you home vnto your house that you may receiue again the 〈◊〉 of the Duchie and the order of the Duke your sonne doe maruell very much at your folly for giuing your self thus to wander the Countrey after a man of so small reputation as Bologna is who whē he hath glutted his lusting lecherous mind with the comelinesse of your Noble personage wil despoil you of your goods honor and then take his legs into some strange countrey The simple Ladie albeit grieuous it was vnto hir to heare such spéech of hir husbād yet held hir peace and dissembled what she thought glad and well contēted with the curtesy done vnto hir fearing before that they came to kill hir and thought hir self already discharged hoping vpon their courteous dealings that she and hir Children from that time forth should liue in good assuraunce But she was greatly deceyued and knew within shorte space after the good will hir brethren bare vnto hir For so soone as these gallants had conducted hir into the kingdome of Naples to one of the Castels of hir sonne she was committed to prison with hir children and she also that was the secretarie of hir infortunate mariage Till this time Fortune was contented to procéede with indifferent quiet 〈◊〉 those Louers but benceforth ye shall heare the issue of their little prosperous loue and how pleasure hauing blinded them neuer forsoke them vntill it 〈◊〉 giuen them the 〈◊〉 It booteth not héere to recite fables or histories contiting my self that ladies do read without too many weping teares the pitiful end of that miserable princesse who séeing hir self a prisoner in the companie of hir litle children and welbeloued Maiden paciently liued in hope to see hir brethren appaised comforting hir self for the escape of hir husband out of that hands of his mortal foes But hir assurance was changed into an horrible feare hir hope to no expectation of suretie when certain dayes after hir 〈◊〉 hir Gaoler came in and sayd vnto hir Madame I do aduise you henceforth to consider vpon your conscience for so much as I suppose that euen this very day your life shall be taken from you I leaue for you to thinke what horrour and traunce assailed the feeble heart of this pore Lady and with what eares she receiued those cruell newes but hir cries and mones together with hir sighes and lamentations declared with what chéere she receiued that aduertisement Alas sayd she is it possible that my brethren should so farre forget themselues as for a fact nothing preiudiciall vnto them cruelly to put to death their innocent sister and to imbrue the memory of their fact in the bloud of one which neuer did offend them Must I against all right and equitie be put to death before the Judge or Magistrate haue made trial of my life known the vnright eousnesse of my cause Ah God most righteous and bountiful father beholde the malice of my brethren and the tyrannous crucltie of those which wrongfully doe séeke my bloud Is it a sinne to mary Is it a fault to flie and auoide the sinne of whoredome What lawes be these where mariage bed and ioyned matrimony is pursued with like seueritie as murder theft and aduoutrie And what Christianitie in a Cardinall to shed that bloud which he ought to 〈◊〉 What profession is this to assaile the innocent by the hie way side in place to punish théeues and murderers O Lord God thou art iust dost al things right cously I sée well that I haue trespassed against thy Maiestie in some other notorious crime than by mariage I most humbly therfore beséeche thée to haue compassion vpon me and to pardon mine 〈◊〉 accepting the confession and repentance of me thine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for satisfaction of my sinnes which it pleased thée to wash away in the precious bloud of thy sōne our Sauior that being so purified I might appere at the holy banket in thy glorious kingdome When she had thus 〈◊〉 hir prayer two or thrée of the ministers which had taken hir 〈◊〉 Forly came in and sayd vnto hir Now Madame make ready your self to goe to God for beholde your houre is come Praised be that God sayd she for the wealth and woe which it pleaseth him to send vs. But I beséeche you my friendes to haue pitie vpon these lyttle children and innocēt creatures Let thē not feele the smarte which I am assured my brethrē beare against their poore vnhappie father Well well Madame sayd they we will conuey them to such a place as they shal not want I also recōmend vnto you quod she this poore maiden and entreat hir wel in consideration of hir good seruice done to the infortunate Duchesse of 〈◊〉 As she had ended those woords that two Ruffians did 〈◊〉 a corde about hir neck and strangled hir The mayden 〈◊〉 the piteous tragedie commensed vpon hir 〈◊〉 cried out a main and cursed the cruell malice of those tormenters and besought God to be witnesse of that 〈◊〉 and crying 〈◊〉 vpon his diuine Maiestie she besought him to 〈◊〉 his iudgement against them which causelesse being no 〈◊〉 hadde killed such innocent creatures Reason it is said one of the tyrants that thou be partaker of the ioy of thy mistresse innocencie sith 〈◊〉 hast bene so faithfull a minister and messanger of hir follies And sodainly caught hir by the hair of the head in stead of a carcanet placed a roape about hir necke How now quod she is this the promised faith which you made vnto my Ladie But those woords flew into the air with hir soule in companie of the
to asswage mine offended minde In the meane time I shall lament the rest of my heauie life with such store of teares as my body dried vp from all humiditie shall shortly search reliefe in earth And hauing made an ende of those hir woords hir heart was so grieuously strained as she could neither wéepe nor speake and stoode so 〈◊〉 as if she had bene in a traunce Then being somewhat come againe vnto hir self with 〈◊〉 voyce she sayde Ah 〈◊〉 tong of other mennes 〈◊〉 howe 〈◊〉 thou so 〈◊〉 to speake of him whome his very enimies doe commend and praise How presumest thou to impute the blame vpon Rhomeo whose vngiltinesse and innocent déede euery man alloweth Where from henceforth shal be his refuge sith she whiche ought to be the only bulwarke and assured rāpire of his distresse doth pursue defame him Receiue receiue then Rhomeo the satisfactiō of mine ingratitude by that sacrifice which I shall make of my proper life and so the fault which I haue committed against thy loyaltie shal be made open to the world thou being reuenged my self punished And thinking to vse some furder talke all the powers of hir body failed hir with signes of present death But the good olde woman which could not imagine that cause of Iulietta hir long absence doubted very much that she suffred some passion and sought hir vp and downe in euery place within hir fathers palace vntill at length she found hir lying a long vpon hir bed al the outward parts of hir body so colde as Marble But the good olde woman which thought hir to be dead began to cry like one out of hir wittes saying Ah deare daughter and 〈◊〉 how much doeth thy deathe now grieue me at the very heart And as she was séeling all the partes of hir body she perceiued some sparke of life to be yet within the same which caused hir to call hir many times by hir name till at length she brought hir out of hir sounde Then she sayd vnto hir Why Iulietta myne own deare dareling what meane you by this turmoiling of your self I can not tel from whēce this your behauior that immoderate heauinesse doe procede but wel I wote that within this houre I thought to haue accompanied you to the graue Alas good mother aunswered wofull Iulietta doe you not most euidently perceiue and sée what iuste cause I haue to sorrow and complaine losing at one instant two persons of the worlde which were vnto me moste deare Me thinke answered the good woman that it is not semely for a Gentlewoman of your degrée to fall into such extremitie For in time of tribulation 〈◊〉 shoulde most preuaile And if the Lord Thibault be dead do you thinke to get hym againe by teares What is he that doth not accuse his ouermuch presumption would you that Rhomeo had done that wrong to him his house to suffer himselfe outraged assailed by one to whome in manhode and prowesse he is not inferiour Suffiseth you that Rhomeo is aliue and his affaires in such estate who in time may be called home again from banishment for he is a great lorde and as you know wel allied and fauored of all men wherfore arme your self from henceforth with pacience For albeit that Fortune doth 〈◊〉 him from you for a time yet sure I am that hereafter shée will restore him vnto you againe with greater ioy and contentation than before And to the end that we be better assured in what state he is if you will promise me to giue ouer your heauinesse I will to day knowe of Frier Laurence whether he is gone To whiche request Iulietta agréed and then the good woman repaired to S. Frauncis where she foūd Frier Laurence who told hir that the same night Rhomeo would not faile at his accustomed houre to visite Iulietta and there to do hir to vnderstand what he purposed to doe in time to come This iorney then fared like the voyages of mariners who after they haue ben tost by great troublous tempest séeing some Sunne 〈◊〉 pierce the heauens to lighten the land assure them selues agayne and thynkyng to haue auoyded shipwracke and sodainly the seas begin to swell the waues do roare with such vehemence and noyse as if they were fallen againe into greater daunger than before The assigned houre come Rhomeo fayled not according to his promise to bée in his Garden where he found his furniture prest to mount the chamber of Iulietta who with displayed armes began so straightly to imbrace hym as it séemed that the soule woulde haue abandoned hir body And they two more than a large quarter of an houre were in such agonie as they were not able to pronounce one worde and wettyng eache others face faste closed together the teares trickeled downe in suche abundaunce as they séemed to bée thoroughlye bathed therein Whiche Rhomeo perceyuing and thynkyng to staye those immoderate teares sayde vnto hir Myne owne dearest friende Iulietta I am not nowe determined to recite the particulars of the straunge happes of frayle and inconstaunte Fortune who in a 〈◊〉 hoystethe a man vp to the hyghest degrée of hir whéele and by and by in lesse space than in the twynckelyng of an eye shée throweth hym downe agayne so lowe as more miserie is prepared for him in one day than fauour in one hundred yeares whyche I nowe proue and hauc experience in my selfe whiche haue bene nourished delicately amonges my friendes and mainteyned in suche prosperous state as you doe little knowe hopyng for the full perfection of my felicitie by meanes of oure maryage to haue reconciled oure parentes and friends and to conducte the residue of my lyfe accordyng to the scope and lotte determined by Almyghty GOD and neuerthelesse all myne enterprises bée put backe and my purposes tourned cleane contrarye in suche wyse as from henceforthe I muste wander lyke a vagabonde thorough dyuerse 〈◊〉 and sequestrate my selfe from my friendes withoute assured place of myne abode whiche I desyre to lette you wete to the intente you maye be exhorted in tyme to come pacientely to beare so well myne absence as that which it shall please God to appointe But Iulietta all affrighted with teares and mortall agonies woulds not suffer hym to passe any further but interruptyng hys purpose sayde vnto hym Rhomeo howe canst thou bée so harde hearted and voyde of all pitie to leaue mée héere alone besieged with so many deadly myseries There is neyther houre nor Minute wherein Death dothe not appeare a thousande tymes before mée and yet my missehappe is suche as I can not dye and therefore doe manyfestelye perceyue that the same Deathe preserueth my lyfe of purpose to delyghte in my griefes and triumphe ouer my euyls And thou lyke the mynister and tyrant of hir crueltie doest make no conscience for oughte that I can sée hauynge atchieued the summe of thy desyres and pleasures on me to abandon and forsake me Whereby I well perceyue
of him which doth abuse it Thus much I haue thought good to tell you to the intent that neyther teares nor iron ne yet suspected houre are able to make me guiltie of the murder or make me otherwise than I am but onely the witnesse of mine owne conscience which alone if I were guilty should be the accuser the witnesse and the hangman which by reason of mine age and the reputation I haue had amongs you and the litle time that I haue to liue in this world should more torment me within than all the mortall paines that could be deuised But thankes be to mine eternall God I féele no worme that gnaweth nor any remorse that pricketh me touching that fact for which I sée you all troubled amazed And to set your hearts at rest and to remoue the doubts which hereafter may torment your consciences I sweare vnto you by al the heauenly parts wherein I hope to be that forth with I will disclose frō first to last the entire discourse of this pitifull tragedie which peraduenture shall driue you into no lesse wondre and amaze than those two pore passionate louers were strong and pacient to expone themselues to the mercy of death for the feruent and indissoluble loue betwene them Then the Fatherly Frier began to repeate the beginning of the loue betwene Iuhetta and Rhomeo which by certaine space of time confirmed was prosecuted by woordes at the first then by mutuall promise of mariage vnknowne to the world And as wythin fewe dayes after the two louers féeling themselues sharpned and incited with stronger onset repaired vnto him vnder colour of confession protesting by othe that they were both maried and that if he would not solempnize that mariage in the face of the Church they should be constrained to offend God to liue in disordred lust In consideration whereof and specially seeing their alliance to be good and conformable in dignitie richesse and Nobilitie on both sides hoping by that meanes perchance to reconcile the Montesches and Capcllets and that by doing such an acceptable worke to God he gaue them the Churches blessing in a certaine Chappell of the Friers Church whereof the night following they did consummate the mariage fruites in the Palace of the Capellets For testimony of which copulation the woman of Iuliettaes chamber was able to depose Adding moreouer the murder of Thibault which was cosin to Iulietta by reason whereof the banishment of Rhomeo did 〈◊〉 and how in the absence of the said Rhomeo the mariage being kept secrete betwene them a new Matrimonie was intreated wyth the Counte Paris which misliked by Iulietta she fell downe prostrate at his féete in a Chappell of S. Frauncis Church with full determination to haue killed hir selfe with hir owne hands if he gaue hir not councel how she should auoide the mariage agréed betwene hir father and the Counte Paris For conclusion he sayd that although he was resolued by reason of his age and nearenesse of death to 〈◊〉 all secrete Sciences wherein in his yonger yeares hée had delight notwithstanding pressed with importunitie and moued with pitie fearing least Iulietta should doe some crueltie against hir self he stained his conscience and chose rather with some little fault to grieue his minde than to suffer the yong Gentlewoman to destroy hir body and hazarde the daunger of hir soule And therefore he opened some part of his auncient cunning and gaue hir a certaine pouder to make hir sléepe by meanes wherof she was thought to be 〈◊〉 Then he tolde them how he had sent Frier Anselme to cary letters to Rhomeo of their enterprise whereof hitherto he had no answere Then briefly he concluded how hée founde Rhomeo deade within the graue who as it is most likely did impoison himselfe or was otherwise smothered or suffocated with 〈◊〉 by finding Iulietta in that state thinking she had bene dead Then he tolde them how Iulietta did kill hir selfe with the dagger of Rhomeo to beare him company after his death and howe it was impossible for them to saue hir for the noise of the watche which forced them to flée from thence And for more ample approbation of his saying he humbly besought the Lord of 〈◊〉 and the Magistrates to send to Mantua for Frier Anselme to know the cause of his 〈◊〉 returne that the content of the letter sent to Rhomeo might be séene To examine the woman of the chamber of Iulietta and and Pietro the seruaunt of Rhomeo who not attending for 〈◊〉 request sayd vnto them My Lordes when Rhomeo entred the graue he gaue me this 〈◊〉 written as I suppose with his owne hand who gaue me expresse commaundemēt to deliuer them to his father The pacquet opened they found the whole 〈◊〉 of this story specially the Apothecaries name which solde him the poyson the price and the cause wherfore he vsed it and all appeared to be so cleare and euident as there rested nothing for further verification of the same but their presence at the doing of the particulers therof for the whole was so wel declared in order as they were out of doubt that the same was true And then the Lord Bartholomew of 〈◊〉 after he had debated with that Magistrates of these euents decréed that the woman of Iulietta hir chamber should be 〈◊〉 bicause she did conceyle that priuie mariage from the father of Rhomeo which if it hadde bene knowne in time had bred to the whole Citie an vniuersal benefit Pietro bicause he obeyed his masters commaundemēt and kept close his lawful secrets according to the wel 〈◊〉 nature of a trusty 〈◊〉 was set at liberty The Poticarie taken rackt and founde guiltie was hanged The good olde man Frier Laurence as well for respect of his auncient seruice which he had done to the common wealth of Veronna as also for his 〈◊〉 lyfe for the which he was specially recōmended was let goe in peace withoute any note of infamie Notwithstandyng by reason of his age he voluntarily gaue ouer the worlde and closed him selfe in a hermitage two miles from Veronna where he liued v. or vj. yeares and spente his tyme in cōtinuall prayer vntil he was called out of this transitorie worlde into the blisfull state of euerlasting ioy And for the compassion of so straunge an infortune the Montesches and Capellettes poured forth such abundance of teares as with the same they did euacuate their auncient grudge and choler whereby they were then reconciled And they which coulde not bée broughte to attonement by any wisedome or humane councell were in the ende vanquished and made friendes by pitie And to immortalizate the memorie of so intier and perfect amitie the lorde of Veronna ordeined that the two bodies of those miraculous louers shold be 〈◊〉 intombed in the graue where they ended their 〈◊〉 where was erected a high marble 〈◊〉 honoured with an infinite numbre of excellent 〈◊〉 which 〈◊〉 this day be apparant with such noble memorie as amongs all
by the cōsent of the whole state as euery of thē were about to rise vp sayd vnto them My Lordes there resteth one thing yet to be moued which peraduenture hitherto hath not bene thought vpon There are before vs two complaints the effect whereof in my iudgement is not throughly cōceiued in the opinions of diuers Anselmo Barbadico and Girolamo Bembo betwene whome there hath bene euer continuall hatred left vnto them as a man may say euen by fathers enheritance both of thē in either of their chambers were apprehēded in a maner naked by our Sergeants and without torments or for feare to be racked vpon the onely interrogatories of our ministers they haue voluntarily confessed that before their houses they killed Aloisio our Nephew And albeit that our sayd Nephew yet liueth was not striken by them or any other as shold apeare yet they 〈◊〉 themselues guiltie of the murder What shall be sayd thē to the matter doth it not séeme doubtfull Our Nephew againe hath declared that in going about to robbe the house of Mistresse Gismonda Mora whome he ment to haue slaine he fell downe to the ground from the toppe of a window wherefore by reason so many robberies haue bene discouered within the Citie it may be presumed that he was the 〈◊〉 and malefactor who ought to be put to the torments that the truthe may be knowne and being found guiltie to féele the seuere punishment that he hath deserued Moreouer when he was founde lying vpon the ground he had neither ladder nor weapon whereupon may be thought that the fact was otherwise done than hitherto is confessed And bicause amongs morall vertues temperāce is the chiefest and worthy of greatest commendation and that iustice not righteously exercised is iniustice wrong it is méete and conuenient for vs in these strange accidents rather to vse temperāce than the rigor of iustice And that it may appere that I do not speake these words without good ground mark what I shal say vnto you These two most mortal enimies do cōfesse that which is impossible to be true for that our Nephew as is before declared is a liue and his wounde was not made by sworde as hée himself hath confessed Nowe who can tell or say the contrary but that shame for being taken in their seuerall Chambers and the dishonesty of bothe their wiues hathe caused them to despise life and to desire death We shall finde if the matter be diligently inquired and searched that it will fall out otherwise than is already supposed by common opinion For the contrariety of examinations vnlikelihoode of circumstances and the impossibility of the cause rendreth the matter doubtful Wherfore it is very néedful diligētly to examine these attempts and thereof to vse more aduised consideration On the other side our Nephew accuseth himself to be a 〈◊〉 and which is more that he ment to kill mistresse Mora when he brake into hir house Under this grasse my Lords as I suppose some other Serpent lieth hidden that is not yet thought of The Gentleman ye know before this time was neuer defamed of such outrage ne suspected of the least offēse that may be obiected Besides that all ye doe knowe thanks therefore be giuen to almightie God that he is a man of great richesse and possessions and hath no néede to robbe For what necessitie should driue him to robbe a widowe that hath of his owne liberally to bestow vpon the succour of widowes Were there none else of substance in the Citie for him to giue attempt but to a widowe a comfortlesse creature contented with quiet life to liue amongs hir family within the boundes of hir owne house What if hir richesse Iewels and plate be great hath not Aloisio of his owne to redouble the same But truely this Robberie was done after some other manner than he hath confesfessed To vs then my Lords it appertaineth if it so stande with your pleasures to make further inquirie of the same promising vnto you vppon oure Faith that we shal imploy our whole diligence in the true examination of this matter and hope to bring the same to such good ende as none shall haue cause to blame vs the finall sentence whereof shall be reserued to your iudgement This graue request and wise talke of the Duke pleased greatly the Lords of the Councel who referred not only the examination but also the finall sentence vnto him Wherupon the wise Prince being fully enformed of that chaunce happened to his Nephewe attended only to make search if he could vnderstand the occasion why Bembo and Barbadico so folishly had accused thēselues of that which they neuer did And so after much counsaile sundry deuises examined and made his nephew then was wel recouered and able to goe abrode being set at libertie After sundry examinations I say he also had learned the trothe of the case touching the other two prisoners which he cōmunicated to the Lords of the aforesaid councel called Dieci Then he caused with great discretion proclamation to be made throughout Venice that Anselmo and Girolamo should be beheaded betwene the two Pillers and Aloisio hanged wherby he thought to know what sute the women wold make either with or against their husbands what euidence mistresse Gisinonda would giue against Aloisio The brute hereof dispersed throughe Venice diuers talke therupon was raised no communication of any thing else in open streats and priuate houses but of the putting to death of those men And bicause all thrée were of honorable houses their kinsmē friends made sute by all possible meanes for their pardon But their confessions published that rumor was made worse as it daily chaūceth in like cases than the mater was in déede the same was noised how Foscari had confessed so many theftes done by him at diuers times as none of his friends or kin durst speake for him Mistresse Gismonda which bitterly lamented the mischaunce of hir louer after she vnderstode the confession hée had made and euidently knew that bicause he would not blemish hir honor he had rather willingly forgo his own and therwithall his life felt hir self so inflamed with feruent loue toward him as she was ready presently to surrēder hir ghost Wherfore 〈◊〉 sent him word that he shold comfort himselfe bicause she was determined to manifest the very trouth of the matter and hoped vpon hir declaration of true euidence sentence shoulde be reuoked for testimonie wherof she had his louing letters yet to 〈◊〉 written to hir with his owne hands and would bring forth in the iudgement place the corded ladder which she had kept still in hir chamber Aloisio hearing these louing newes and of the euidēce which his Ladie would giue for his defense was the gladdest man of the world and caused infinite thanks to be rendred vnto hir with promise that if he mighte be rid and discharged out of prison he woulde take hir for his louing spouse and wife Wherof
no more although I sée my 〈◊〉 happe otherwise to ende than my desert required and that good lucke hath cause to worke againste me But yet against Fortune to contend is to war against my self wherof the victorie can be but 〈◊〉 Thus he passed al the day which séemed to last a thousand yeres to him that thought to receiue some good intertainmēt of his lady in whose bonds he was catched before he thought that womās malice could so farre excede or display hir venomous sting And truly that mā is void of sense whych suffreth him selfe so fondly to be charmed 〈◊〉 the peril of the abused ought to serue him for example They be to the masculine kinde a great confusion and vnwares for want of due forsight the same 〈◊〉 suffer it self to be bound taken captiue by the very thing which hath no being to worke effecte but by his own fréewil But this inchantmēt which riseth of womens beautie being to men a pleasant displeasure I thinke to be decked with that drawing vertue and allurement to punish and torment the faults of men for they once fed and baited with a fading fauor poisoned swetenesse forget their owne perfection and nousled in their foolishe fansies séeking felicitie and soueraigne gyfte in the matter wherein dothe lie the summe of their vnhappes In like maner the vertuous and shamfast dames haue not their eyes of mynd so blindfolde but that they sée whervnto those franke seruices 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 faithes and vices coloured and stuffed with exterior vertue do tende and doubt not but those louers do imitate the Scorpion whose venome lyeth in hys taile the ende of such loue beyng the ruine of good renoume and the decay of former vertues For whych cause the heauens the friende of their sexe haue gyuen them a prouidence which those gentle vnfauoured louers terme to be rigor that by those meanes they may proue the desert of a suter both for their great contentation and praise and for the rest of them that do them seruice This iuste right and modeste prouidence that cruell Gentlewoman vsed not to the good and faithfull louer the Lord of Virle who was so humble a seruant of his vnkinde mistresse as his goodnesse redounded to his great 〈◊〉 and folie as manifestly may appere by that which foloweth Sir Philiberto then thinkyng to haue gained muche by hauing made promise liberally to speake to 〈◊〉 Ladie went vnto hir at the appointed time so wel a contented man truely of that grace as al the vnkindnesse past was quite forgot Nowe being come to the lodging of mistresse Zilia he found hir in the deuised place with one of hir maides wayting vpon hir When shée saw him after a litle colde entertainement she began to say vnto hym with fained ioy that neuer moued hir within these wordes Nowe syr I sée that youre late 〈◊〉 was not so straunge as I was giuen to vnder stande for the good state wherin I sée you presently to be which from henceforth shall make me beleue that the passions of men endure so long as the cause of their affections continue within their fansies much like vnto looking glasses which albeit they make the equalitie or 〈◊〉 of things represented to apere yet when the thing séene doth passe vanish away the formes also do voide out of remembraunce like the wind which lightly whorleth too fro through the plain of some depe valey Ah madame answered he how easie a matter it is for the 〈◊〉 person to counterfait both ioy dissimulatiō in one very thing which not only may forget that conceit that moueth his affections but the obiect must 〈◊〉 remaine in him as painted and 〈◊〉 in his mind Which truly as you say is a loking glasse not such one for all that as the counterfaited apparance of represented formes hath like vigor in it that the first and true 〈◊〉 shapes can so soone vanish without leauing the trace of most perfect impression of such formes wtin the mind of him which liueth vpon their only remembrance In this mirror then which by reason of the hiddē force I may wel say to be ardent burning haue I loked so wel as I can thereby to forme the sustentation of my good 〈◊〉 But the imagined shape not able to support suche perfection hath made the rest of the body to faile weakned through the minds passions in such wise as if that hope to recouer this better part half lost had not cured both the whole decay of the one had folowed by thinking to giue some accōplishmēt in the other And if you sée me Madame attain to some good state impute not the same I beséeche you but to the good will fauor which I receiue by seing you in a priuate place wherin I cōceiue greater ioy than euer I did to say vnto you the thing which you would not beleue by woords at other times procéeding from my mouth ne yet by aduertisemēt signified in my 〈◊〉 letters Notwithstāding I think that my Martyrdome is known to be such as euery man may perceiue that the summe of my desire is only to serue and obey you for so muche as I can receiue no greater comfort thā to be cōmaunded to make repaire to you to let you know that I am hole although 〈◊〉 ouer by 〈◊〉 whē you vouchsafed to employ 〈◊〉 in your seruice and thinke my self raised vp againe 〈◊〉 one 〈◊〉 thousande deathes at once when it shall please you to haue pitie vpon the grief passion which I 〈◊〉 Alas what causeth my 〈◊〉 to sée that 〈◊〉 beautie of yours to make the proofe of a crueltie so great 〈◊〉 you determined Madame thus to 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 gentleman that is ready to sacrifice himself in your 〈◊〉 whē you shal depart to him some fauor of your 〈◊〉 Do you thinke that my passions be 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 Alacke alacke the teares which I haue shed the losse of 〈◊〉 to eate and drinke the weary passed nights the long contriued sléepelesse time the restlesse turmoile of my self may well assure that my 〈◊〉 heart is of better merite than you estéeme Then séeing hir to fire hir eyes vpon the groūd and thinking that he had already wonne hir he reinforced his faire talke sighing at 〈◊〉 betwéene not sparing the 〈◊〉 which trickled 〈◊〉 alongs his face he prosecuted his talke saying Ah faire amongs the fairest would you blot that diuine beautie with a cruelty so furious as to cause the death of him which loueth you better thā him selfe Ah mine eyes which hitherto haue bene 〈◊〉 with two liuely springs to expresse the hidden griefes within my heart if your vnhappe be such that the only dame of your contemplatiōs and cause of your teares doe cause the humor to encrease which hitherto in such wise hath emptied my braine that there is no more in me to moisten your drouthe I am content to endure the same vntill my hearte shall féele the laste pangue 〈◊〉 thēe of
cōpassion and desire to giue some ease vnto hir most earnest louer yelded hir selfe to couetous gain and gredinesse for to encrease hir richesse O curssed hunger of Money how long wilt thou thus blinde the reason and sprites of men Ah perillous gulfe how many hast thou ouerwhelmed within thy bottōlesse throte whose glory had it not bene for thee had surpassed the clouds and bene equal with the brightnesse of the Sunne where now they be obscured with the thicknesse of thy fogges and palpable darknesse Alas the fruites which thou bringest forth for all thine outwarde apparance conduce no felicitie to them that be thy possessors for the dropsey that is hidden in their mind which maketh them so much the more thirsty as they drinke oft in that thirsty Fountaine is cause of their alteration and most miserable is that insaciable desire the Couetous haue to glut their appetite which can receiue no contentation This only 〈◊〉 somtimes procured the death of the great and rich Romane Crassus who through Gods punishment fell into the hands 〈◊〉 the Persians for violating and sacking the Temple of God that was in Hierusalem Sextimuleus burning with Couetousnesse and gredinesse of money did once cut of the head of his patron and defender Caius 〈◊〉 the Tribune of the people incited by the Tyrant which tormenteth the hearts of the couctous I will not speake of a good number of other examples in people of all kindes and diuers nations to come againe to Zilia Who forgetting hir vertue the first ornament and shining quality of hir honest behauior feared not the wearinesse and trauaile of way to commit hir self to the danger of losse of 〈◊〉 and to yeld to the mercy of one vnto whom she had done so great iniury as hir conscience if she hadde not lost hir right sense ought to haue made hir thinke that hee was not without desire to reuenge that wrōg 〈◊〉 done vnto him specially being in place where she was not knowne and he greatly honoured and esteemed for whose loue that Proclamation and searche of Physicke was made and ordained Ziha then hauing put in order hir affairs at home departed from Montcall and passing the Mountes arriued at Paris at such time as greatest dispaire was had of the dumbe Knights recouery When she was arriued there within fewe dayes after she inquired for them that had the charge to entertaine such as came and would take vpon them the cure of the sayd pacient For sayd she if there be any man in the world through whome the Knight may get his health I hope in God that I am she which shal haue the praise Héereof the Commissaries deputed hereunto were aduertised who caused the faire Physician to come before them and asked hir if it were she that wold take vpon hir to cure this dumbe Gentleman To whome she answeared my masters it hath pleased God to reueale vnto me a certain secrete very proper and meete for the cure of his malady wherewithall if the pacient will I hope to make him speake so well as he did these two yeres past more I suppose sayd one of the Commissaries that you be not ignorant of the 〈◊〉 of the Kings Proclamation I know ful quod she the effect therof therfore do say vnto you that I wil loose my life if I doe not accomplish that which I doe promise vpon condition that I may haue licence to tary with him alone bicause it is of no lesse importance than his health It is no maruell sayde the Commissary considering your beauty which is sufficiēt to frame a new tong in the most 〈◊〉 person that is vnder the heauens And therefore do your indeuor assuring you that you shall doe a great pleasure vnto the King and besides the prayse which you shall acquire gette the good wil of the dumbe gentleman which is the most excellent man of the world and therefore shall be so wel recompensed as you shal haue good cause to be routented with the Kings liberalitie But to the intent you be not deceiued the meaning of the Proclamation is that within xv dayes after you begin the cure you must make him hole or else to satisfie the paines ordained in the same Wherunto she submitted hir self blinded by Auarice and presumptiō thinking that she had like power ouer the Lord of Virle as when she gaue him that sharpe and cruel penance These conditions promised the Commissaries went to aduertise the Knight how a Gentlewoman of Piedmont was of purpose come into Fraunce to helpe him whereof he was maruellously astonned Now he would neuer haue thought that Zilia had borne him so great good wil as by abasing the pride of hir corage would haue come so farre to ease the grief of him whome by such great torments she had so wonderfully persecuted He thought againe that it was the Gentlewoman his neighboure which sometimes had done hir endeuor to helpe him and had prouoked Zilia to absolue him of his faithe and acquite him of his promise Musing vpon the diuersitie of these things not knowing wherupon to settle his iudgement the deputies commaunded that the woman Physitian shold be brought to speake with the patient Which was done and brought in place the Commissaries presently with drew themselues The Lord of Virle seeing his enimie come before him whom sometimes he loued very 〈◊〉 iudged by and by the cause wherefore she came that onely auarice and gredy desire of gaine 〈◊〉 rather procured hir to passe the mountains trauail than due and honest amitie wherwith she was double boūd through his perseuerance and humble seruice wherby hée was estraunged of himselfe as he fared like a shadowe and image of a dead man Wherfore callyng to mynd the rigour of his Ladie hir inciuilitie and fonde commandement so long time to forbidde his speache the loue which once he bare hir with a vehement desire to obey hir sodainly was so cooled and qualified that loue was turned into hatred and will to serue hir into an appetite of reuenge whervpon he determined to vse that present fortune and to playe his parte with hir vpon whom he had so foolishly doted and to pay hir with that mōney wherwith she made hint féele the fruites of vnspeakable crueltie to giue example to fonde and presumptuous dames how they did abuse Gentlemen of such degrée whereof the Knyght was and that by hauing regarde to the merite of such personages they be not so prodigall of themselues as to set their honoure in sale for vile rewarde and filthy mucke which was so constantly conserued and defended by this Gentlewoman against the assaultes of the good grace beautie calour and gentlenesse of that vertuous and honest suter And notwithstanding in these dayes we sée some to resist the amitie of those that loue for an opinion of a certaine vertue which they thinke to be hidden within the corps of excellent beautie who afterwards do set them selues to sale to him that giueth
most and offreth greatest reward Such do not deserue to be placed in ranke of chast Gentlewomen of whom they haue no smack at all but amongs the throng of strumpets kynde that haue some sparke and outward shew of loue for she which loueth money 〈◊〉 hunteth after gaine will make no bones by treasons trap to betray that vnhappie man which shall yelde himselfe to hir hir loue tending to vnsensible things and such in dede as make the wysest sorte to falsifie their faithe and sell the righte and equitie of their Judgemente The Lorde of Virle séeing Zilia then in his companie and almost at his commaundement fayned as though hée knew hir not by reason of his small regarde and lesse intertainment shewed vnto hir at hir first comming Which gretly made the poore Gentlewoman to muse Neuerthelesse she making a vertue of necessitie and séeing hir selfe to bée in that place from whence 〈◊〉 coulde not departe without the losse of hir honor and lyfe purposed to proue Fortune and to committe hir selfe vnto his mercie for all the mobiltie whiche the auncient attribute vnto Fortune Wherfore shutting fast the doore shée went vnto the Knight to whom she spake these words And what is the matter sir knight that now you make so litle accompte of your owne Zilia who in tymes past you sayde had greater power and authoritie ouer you What is the cause that moueth you herevnto Haue you so soone forgotten hir Behold me better and you shal sée hir before you that is able to acquite you of youre promise and therefore prayeth you to pardon hir committed faultes done in tymes past by abusing so cruelly the honest and 〈◊〉 loue which you bare hir I am she which through follie and temeritie did stoppe your mouth and tied vp your tong Gyue me leaue I beséeche you to open the same agayne and to breake the lyne which letteth the libertie of your speache She séeyng that the dumbe Gentleman woulde make no aunswere at all but Mumme and shewed by signes that hée was not able to vndoe his tong wéepyng began to kysse hym imbrace hym make much of him in such wyse as he whiche once studied to make eloquent orations before his Ladie to induce hir to pitie forgat then those ceremonies and spared his talke to shewe hymselfe to bée suche one as shée had made at hir commaundement mused and deuysed altogether vpon the execution of that whiche sometyme hée hadde so paynefully pursued both by words and continuall seruice and coulde profite nothyng Thus waked agayne by hir whiche once had mortified hys mynde assayed to renue in hir that whyche long tyme before séemed to bée a sléepe She more for feare of losse of lyfe or the price of the rewarde than for any true or earnest loue suffered hym to receyue that of hir which the long suter desireth to obtaine of his mistresse They lyued in this ioy and pleasure the space of xv dayes ordayned for the assigned terme of hir cure wherein the poore Gentlewoman was not able to conuert hir offended frend to speake although she humbly prayed hym to shewe so muche fauour as at least she might go frée from eyther losse tellyng hym howe litle regarde shée hadde to hir honour to come so farre to doe hym pleasure and to discharge hym of his promise Muche other gay and lowlye talke shée hadde to moue the Knyghte to take no regarde of that she sayde for he determined to bryng hir in suche feare as he had bene heaped full of heauinesse whiche came to passe at the expired time For the cōmissaries seing that their pacient spake not at all summoned the gentlewomā to pay the penaltie pronounced in the edict or else to lose hir lyfe Alas howe bytter séemed this drinke to thys poore Gentlewoman who not able to dissemble the grief that prest hir on euery side beganne to say Ah I wretched and Caitife woman by thinkyng to deceiue an other haue sharpened the sworde to finishe mine owne life 〈◊〉 it not enough for me to vse such crueltie towardes this myne enimie which moste cruelly in double wise taketh reuenge but must I come to be thus tangled in his snares and in the hands of him who inioying the spoiles of mine honour will with my life depriue me of my fame by making me a common fable to all posteritie in time to come O what hap had I that I was not rather deuoured by some furious and cruell beast when I passed the mountains or else that I brake not my neck down some stéepe headlong hil of those high and hideous mountaines rather than to be set here in stage a pageant to the whole citie to gaze vpon for enterprising a thing so fondely done of purpose by hym whome I haue offended Ah Signior Philiberto what 〈◊〉 rewardest thou for pleasures receiued and fauors felt in hir whom thou didst loue somuch as to make hir die such shamefull and dreadfull death But O God I know that it is for worthie guerdon of my foolishe and wicked life Ah disloyaltie and fickle trust is it possible that thou be harbored in the hearte of hym whiche hadde the brute to bée the moste loyall and curteous Gentleman of his countrey Alas I sée well nowe that I must die through mine only simplicitie and that I muste sacrifice myne honoure to the rigour of hym which with two aduantages taketh ouer cruel reuēge of the litle wrong wherwith my chastitie touched him before As she thus had finished hir complaint one came for hir to cary hir to prison whether willingly she wēt for that she was already resolued in desire to liue no longer in that miserie The gentlemā contented with that payne and not able for to dissemble the griefe whyche hée conceyued for the passion which he sawe his welbeloued to endure the enioying of whome renued the heate of the flames forepast repaired to the kyng vnto whom to the great plesure of the standers by and exceding reioyse of his maiestie to heare him speake he tolde the whole historie of the loue betwene him and cruell Zilia the cause of the losse of his spech and the summe of his reuenge By the faith of a Gentleman sayd the King but here is so straunge an historie as euer I heard and verily your faith and loyaltie is no lesse to be praised and cōmended than the crueltic and couetousnesse of the woman woorthye of reproch and blame which truly deserueth some greuous and notable iustice if so be she were not able to render some apparant cause for the couerture and hidyng of hir follie Alas sir sayde the Gentleman pleaseth your maiestie to deliuer hir although she be worthy of punishment and discharge the reste that be in prison for not recouerie of my speache sith my onely helpe did rest either at hir comandement which had bounde me to that wrong or else in the expired time for which I had pledged my faith To whiche request the Kyng very
how the pore Gentleman was resolued to finish there in the desert vnknowen to his friends all the remnāt of his life And who aswell for the euill order and not 〈◊〉 nouriture as for assiduall plaints and wé 〈◊〉 was become so pale leane as he better resembled a dry chippe than a man hauing féeling or life His eyes were soonke into his head his beard 〈◊〉 his hair staring his skin ful of filth altogither more like a wilde and sauage creature such one as is depainted in brutall forme than faire Dom Diego so much commēded and estéemed through out the kingdome of Spaine Nowe leaue we this amorous Hermite to passionate plaine his misfortune to sée to what ende the Letters came that he wrote to his cruell Mistresse The day 〈◊〉 for deliuerie of his Letters his seruaunt did his charge and being come to the house of Gineura found hir in the Hall with hir mother where kissing his maisters letters he presēted them with very great reuerence to the Gentlewoman Who so soone as she knewe that they came from Dom Diego all chaunged into raging coloure and foolishe choler threw them incontinently vpon the ground saying Sufficeth it not thy maister that already twice I haue done him to vnderstand that I haue nothing to do with his letters nor Ambassades and yet goeth he about by such assaultes to encrease my displeasure and agonie by the only remembraunce of his follie The mother séeing that vnciuile order although she vnderstoode the cause and knew that there was some discorde betwéene the two Louers yet thought it to be but light sith the Comike Poet doeth say The louers often falling out And prety wrangling rage Of pleasant loue it is no dout The sure renewing gage She went vnto hir Daughter saying What great rage is this Let me sée that letter that I may read it For I haue no feare that Dom Diego can deceiue me with the swéetenesse of his hony words And truly daughter you néede not feare to touch them for if there were any poison in them it proceaded from your beautie that hath bitten and stong the Knight whereof if he assay to make you a partaker I sée no cause why he ought to be thus rigorously reiected deseruing by his honestie a better entertainement at your handes In the meane time one of the Seruing men tooke vp the letters and gaue them to the Lady who reading them found written as foloweth The letters of Dom Diego to Mistresse Gineura MY dearest and most wellbeloued Ladie sith that mine innocency can finde no resting place within your tendre corpse what honest excuse or true reasō so euer I do alleage and sith your heart declareth it selfe to be implacable and not pleased with him that neuer offēded you except it were for ouermuch loue which for guerdon of that rare and incomparable amitie I perceiue my self to be hated deadly of you and in such wise contemned as the only record of my name causeth in you an insupportable griefe and displeasure vnspeakeable To auoid I say your indignation and by my mishap to render vnto you some 〈◊〉 and contentment I haue meant to dislodge my selfe so far from this Countrey as neither you nor any other shal euer hear by fame or true report the place of my abode nor the graue wherin my bones shall rest And although it be an 〈◊〉 hearts sorow and torment which by way of pen can not be declared to be thus misprised of you whom alone I do loue and shal so long as mine afflicted soule shall hang vpon the féeble and brittle thréede of life yet for all that this griefe falling vpon me is not so 〈◊〉 as the punishment is grieuous by imagining the passion of youre minde when it is 〈◊〉 with 〈◊〉 and wrathe againste me who liueth not but to wander vpon the thoughtes of youre perfections And forsomuch as I doe féele for the debilitie that is in me that I am not able any longer to beare the sowre shockes of my bitter torments and martyrdome that I presently doe suffer yet before my life do faile and death doe sease vpon my senses I haue writen vnto you this present letter for a testimoniall of your rigour which is the marke that iustifieth my vngyltinesse And although I doe complain of mine vnhappie fortune yet I meane not to accuse you only contented that eche man doe know that firme affection and eternall thraldome do deserue other recompense than a farewell so cruell And I am well assured that when I am dead you will pitie our torment knowing then although to late that my loyaltie was so sincere as the report of those was false that made you beléeue that I was very farre in loue with the daughter of Dom Ferrande de la Serre Alas shall a noble Gentleman that hath bene wel trained vp be fordidden to receiue the gifts that come from a vertuous Gentlewoman Ought you to be so incapable and voide of humanitie that the sacrifice whiche I haue made of the poore birde the cause of your disdaine my repentance my lawfull excuses are not able to let you sée the contrary of you persuation Ah ah I sée that the darke and obscure vaile of vniust disdaine 〈◊〉 anger hath so blindfold your eyes and 〈◊〉 your minde as you can not iudge the truth of my cause and the vnrighteousnesse of your quarel I will render vnto you none other certificat of mine innocencie but my languishing heart whiche you clepe betwene your hands feling such rude intertainment there of whome he loked for reioyse of his trauels But for somuch then as you do hate me what resteth for me to do but to pro cure destruction to my selfe And sith your pleasure cōsisteth in mine ouerthrowe reason willeth that I obey you and by death to sacrifice my life in like maner as by life you wer the only mistresse of my heart 〈◊〉 only thing chereth vp my heart maketh my death more miserable which is that in dying so innocent as I am you shal remaine faultie the onely cause of my ruine My life will depart like a puffe soule shal vanish like a swéete sōmers blast wherby you shal be euer déemed for a cruell womā and bloodie murderer of your deuout and faithful seruants I pray to God mine owne swete Ladie to giue you such contentation ioy pleasure and gladnesse as you do cause through your rigor discōtentation grief displeasure to the poore lan guishing creature and who for euermore shall be Your most obedient and affected seruant Dom Diego The good Ladie hauyng redde the Letter was so astoonned as hir woordes for a long space stayed within hir mouth hir heart panted and spirite was full of confusion hir minde was filled with sorow to consider the anguishes of the poore vagabund and foster hermit In the ende before the houshold dissembling hir passion which moued hir sense she toke hir daughter aside whō very sharply she rebuked
the fault to conceiue no sinister suspicion of thy running away crauing thyne acquaintaunce and is contented to sacrifice him self vnto thyne anger to appease and mitigate thy rage Nowe to speake no more hereof but to procede in that which I began to say I offer vnto thée then bothe death and loue choose whether thou liste For I sweare againe by hym that séeth and heareth al things that if thou play the foole thou shalt féele and proue me to be the cruellest enimie that euer thou hadst and such a one as shall not feare to imbrue 〈◊〉 handes with the bloode of hir that is the deathe of the chiefest of all my friendes Gineura hearing that resolute answere 〈◊〉 hir selfe to be nothing afraide nor declared any token of feare but rather 〈◊〉 to haue encouraged Roderico in braue and mannish sort farre diuers from the simplicitie of a yong and tender maidē as a man wold say such a one as had neuer felt the assault es and troubles of aduerse fortune Wherfore frouncing hir browes and grinning hir téeth with closed 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 very bolde she made hym aunswere Ah thou knight which once gauest assault to cōmit a villanie treason thinkest thou now without remorse of conseience to cōtinue thy mischief I speake it to thée villain which 〈◊〉 shed the blood of an honester mā thā thou art fearest not nowe to make mée a companion of his death Which thing spare not hardily to 〈◊〉 to the intent that I liuing may not be such a one as thou falsly iudgest me to be for neuer man hitherto 〈◊〉 and neuer shall that he hathe hadde the spoyle of my virginitie from the frute whereof lyke an arrant thiefe thou hast depriued my loyall spouse Nowe doe what thou list for I am farre better content to suffer death be it as cruel as thou art mischeuous borne for the 〈◊〉 vexation of honest maidēs not withstanding I humbly beséech almightie God to gyue 〈◊〉 so muche pleasure contentation and ioy in thy loue 〈◊〉 thou hast done to me by hastening the death of my dere husbande O God if thou be a iust God suche a one as from whome wée thy poore creatures do beleue all 〈◊〉 to procéede thou I say which art the rampire and refuge of all iustice poure downe thy vengeance and plague vpon these pestiferous thieues and murderers which haue prepared a worldely plague vpon me thine innocent damsell Ah wicked Roderico thinke not that death can be so fearefull vnto mée but that wyth good heart I am able to accept the same trusting verily that one daye it shall be the cause of thy ruine and ouerthrowe of hym for whom thou takest all these pains Dom Roderico maruellously rapte in sense imagined the woman to be fully bent against hym who then had puissaunce as he thought ouer hir owne hearte and thynkyng that he sawe hir moued with like rage against hym as she was against Dom Diego stode still so perplered and voyde of righte minde that hée was constrained to sitte downe so feeble he felt him self for the onely remembrance of hir euill demeanor And whilest this was a doing the handemayde of Gineura and hir Page inforced to persuade their mystresse to haue compassion vpon the knight that hadde suffered so muche for hir sake and that she would consente to the honest requestes and good counsell of Roderico But she which was stubbornly bente in hir foolishe persuasions sayd vnto them What fooles are you so much be witched either with that fained teares of this disloyal knight which colorably thus doth torment himself or els ar ye inchāted with the venomous honie tirānical brauerie of the thief which murdered my husband and your master Ah vnhappie caytife maiden is it my chaunce to endure the 〈◊〉 of suche Fortune when I thoughte to liue at my beste case and thus cruelly to tomble into the handes of hym whome I hate so much as he fayneth loue vnto me And morcouer my vnluckie fate is not herewith content but redoubleth my sorrowe euen by those that be of my frayn who ought rather to incourage me to die than consente to so vureasonable requests Ah loue loue how euil be they recompenced which faithfully do homage vnto thée why should not I forget al 〈◊〉 neuer hereafter to haue mind on mā to proue beginning of a pleasure which tasted and 〈◊〉 bringeth more displeasure than euer ioy engendred 〈◊〉 Alas I neuer knewe what was the frute of that which so straungely did attache me and thou O 〈◊〉 and thieuishe Loue haste ordeined a banket 〈◊〉 with such bitter dishes as forced I am perforce to taste of their egre swéetes Auaunt swéete foly auant I doe henceforth for euer let thée 〈◊〉 to imbrace the death wherein I hope to finde my greatest reste for in thée I fynde noughte else but heapes of straynyng 〈◊〉 Auoyde from me all my myssehap 〈◊〉 from me ye furious ghostes and 〈◊〉 most vnkynde whose gaudes and toyes dame loue hath wrought to kéepe occupied my louing minde and suffer me to take ende in thée that I may lyue in an other life without thée being now charged with cup of grief which I shal 〈◊〉 in venomous drink soaked in the soppes of 〈◊〉 Sharpen thou thy selfe O death vnkinde prepare thy darte to strike the corpse of hir that she may voyd the quarels shot against hir by hir aduersarie Ah pore hart strip thy self from hope and qualifie thy desires Cease henceforth to wishe thy lyfe séeing and féeling the appointed fight of loue and life combattyng within my minde elsewhere to séeke my peace in an other world with him to ioy which for my sake was sacrificed to the treason of varlets hands who for the persite 〈◊〉 of his desires nought else didde séeke but to soile his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the purest bloode of my loyall friend And I this abundance of teares do sheade to saciate his felonous moode which shall be the iuste shortenyng of my doleful dayes When she had thus complained she began horribly to torment hir selfe and in furious guise that the cruellest of the companie were moued wyth compassion séeing hir thus strangely straught of wits 〈◊〉 they did not discontinue by duetie to sollicite hir to haue regarde to that whiche poore fayntyng Dom Diego dyd endure Who so sone as with fresh 〈◊〉 water hée was reuiued 〈◊〉 stil the heauinesse of his Ladie and hir incresed disdain and choler against him vanished in diuers soundings which moued Roderico frō studie 〈◊〉 wherin he was to ryse wherevnto that rage of Gineura had cast him down bicause forgetting all imaginarie affection of his Ladie and proposing his dutie before his eyes which eche Gentleman oweth to gentle damsels and women kind stil beholdyng with honourable respect the griefe of the martyred wyldernesse Knight sighyng yet by reason of former thought he sayde vnto Gincura Alas is it possible that in the heart of so yong and delicate a maiden there
was called Angēlica a name of trouth without offense to other due to hir For in very déede in hir were harbored the vertue of curtesy and gentlenesse and was so wel instructed and nobly brought vp as they which loued not the name or race of hir could not forbeare to commend hir and wish that their daughter were hir like In suche wise as one of hir chiefest foes was so sharpely beset with hir vertue and beautie as he lost his quiet sléepe lust to eate drinke His name was Anselmo Salimbene who wold willingly haue made sute to marry hir but the discord past quite mortified his desire so sone as he had deuised the plot within his braine and fansie Notwithstāding it was impossible that the loue so liuely grauen and 〈◊〉 in his minde could easily be defaced For if once in a day he had not séene hir his heart did fele the tormēts of tosting flames and wished that the Hunting of the Bore had neuer decayed a familie so excellent to the intent he might haue matched himself with hir whome none other coulde displace out of his remembraunce which was one of the richest Gentlemen and of greatest power in Siena Now for that he ourst not discouer his amorous grief to any person was the chiefest cause that martired most his heart for the auncient festred malice of those two families he despaired for euer to gather either floure or fruit of that affection presupposing that Angelica would neuer fire hir loue on him for that his Parents were the cause of the defaite ouerthrow of the Montanine house But what There is nothing durable vnder the heauens Both good and euill 〈◊〉 their reuolution in the gouernement of humane affaires The amities and hatreds of Kings and Princes be they so hardned as commonly in a moment he is not 〈◊〉 to be a hearty friend that lately was a 〈◊〉 foe and spired naught else but the ruine of his aduer farie We sée the varietie of humane chaunces and then 〈◊〉 iudge at eye what great simplicitie it is to stay settle certain and infallible iudgemit vpon 〈◊〉 vnstayed doings He that erst gouerned a king made all things to tremble at his word is sodainly throwne downe dieth a shamefull death In like sort another which loketh for his owne vndoing séeth himselfe aduaunced to his estate againe and vengeaunce taken of his enimies Calir Bassa gouerned whilom that great Mahomet that wan the Empire of Constantinople who attempted nothing without the aduise of that Bassa But vpon the sodain he saw himself reiected the next day strangled by commaundement of him which so greatly honored him without iust cause did him to a death so cruell Contrariwise Argon the T artarian entring armes against his vncle Tangodor Caui when he was vpon the point to lose his life for his rebellion and was conueyed into Armenia to be executed there was rescued by certain T artarians the houshold seruaūtes of his dead vncle and afterwards proclaimed king of T artarie about the yere 1285. The example of the Empresse Adaleda is of no lesse credit than the former who being fallen into the hands of Beranger the vsurper of that Empire escaped his fury and cruelty by flight in the end maried to Otho the first saw hir wrong reuenged vpō Beranger and al his race by hir sonne Otho the second I aduouch these histories to proue the mobility of fortune the chaunge of worldly chaunces to the end you may sée that the very same miserie which followed Charles Montanine hoisted him aloft again when he loked for least succor he saw deliueraunce at hād Now to prosecute our history know ye that while Salimbenc by little litle pined for loue of Angelica wherof she was ignorāt carelesse and albeit she curteously rendred health to him when somtime in his amorous fit he beheld hir at a window yet for al that she neuer gessed the thoughts of hir louing enimy During these haps it chaūced that a rich citizen of Siena hauing a ferme adioyning to the lāds of Montanine desirous to encrease his patrimonie annere the same vnto his owne and knowing that the yong gentleman wanted many things moued him to sel his inheritaunce offring him for it in redy mony a M. Ducates Charles which of all the wealth substaunce left him by his auncester had no more remaining but that countrey ferme a Palace in the Citie so the rich Italians of eche city terme their houses and with that litle liued honestly maintained his sister so wel as he could refused flatly to dispossesse himselfe of that porcion which renewed vnto him that happy memory of those that had ben the chief of al the cōmon wealth The couetous wretch seing himself frustrate of his pray conceiued such rancor against Montanine as he purposed by right or wrōg to make him not only to for fait the same but also to lose his life following the wicked desire of tirannous Iesabel that made Naboth to be stoned to death to extorte and wrongfully get his vineyarde About that time for the quarels cōmon discordes raigning throughout Italy that nobilitie were not assured of safety in their countreis but rather the cōmon sort rascall nūber were that chief rulers and gouerners of the cōmon wealth whereby the greatest part of the nobilitie or those of best authoritie being banished the villanous band and grosest kind of common people made a law like to the Athenians in the time of Solon that all persons of what degrée cōditiō so euer they were which practized by himselfe or other meanes the restablishing or reuocation of such as wer banished out of their Citie shold lose forfaite the sum of M. Florens and hauing not wherewith to pay the condempnation their heade should remaine for gage A law no dout very iust and righteous scenting rather of the barbarous cruelty of the Gothes and 〈◊〉 thā of true christians stopping the retire of innocents exiled for particular quarels of Citizens incited one against another and rigorously rewarding mercy and curtesie with execution of cruelty incomparable This citizen then purposed to accuse Montanine for offending against the lawe bicause otherwise he could not purchase his entent and the same was easy inough for him to compasse by reason of his authority and estimation in the Citie for the enditement and plea was no sooner red and giuen but a number of post knightes appeared to depose against the pore gentleman to beare witnesse that he had trespassed the lawes of the Countrey and had sought meanes to introduce the banished with intent to kill the gouerners and to place in state those 〈◊〉 that were the cause of the Italian troubles The miserable gentleman knew not what to do ne how to defend himself There were against him the Moone the. vy starres the state of the Citie the Proctor and Iudge of the court the witnesses that gaue
haue 〈◊〉 to present with too excéeding prodigall liberalitie and I would to God that life might satisfie the same then be sure it should so soone be imployed as the promise made thereof Alas good God I thought that when I 〈◊〉 my brother out of prison the neare distresse of death wherunto vniustly he was throwne I thought I say and firmely did beleue that fortune the enimy of our ioy had vomited al hir poison and being despoiled of hir fury and crabbed nature had brokē the bloudy and venemous arowes wherewith so long time she hath plaged our family and that by resting of hir self she had giuen some rest to the Montanine house of al their troubles misaduētures But I O miserable wight do see féele how far I am deuided from my hope and deceiued of mine opinion sith that furious stepdame appereth before me with a face more fierce thretning then euer she did sharpening hir selfe against my youth in other sorte than euer against any of our race If euer she persecuted our auncesters if she brought them to ruine and decay she now doth purpose wholly to subuert the same and throw vs headlong into that bottomlesse pit of all miserie exterminating for all togither the remnaunt of our consumed house Be it either by losse of thée good brother or the violent death of me which cannot hazard my chastitie for the price of mine vnhappie life Ah good God into what anguishe is my minde exponed how doe I féele the force and violence of frowarde fortune But what speake I of fortune How doth hard lucke insue that is predestinated by the heauens vpon our race Must I at so tender yeres and of so féeble kinde make choise of a thing which woulde put the wisest vpon earth vnto their shifts My heart doth faile me reason wanteth and iudgement hangeth in ballaunce by continuall agitations to sée how I am driuen to the extremitie of two daungerous straits enuironned with fearefull ieoperdies forcibly compelled either to be deuided and separated frō thee my brother whome I loue aboue mine owne life in whom next after God I haue sixed and put my hope and trust hauing none other solace comfort and helpe but thée or else by keping thée am forced to giue vnto another know not howe that precious treasure which being once lost cānot be recouered by any meanes for the garde and conseruation wherof euery woman of good iudgement that loueth vertue ought a thousand times to offer hir self to death if so many wayes she could rather than to blot or soile that inestimable iewell of chastitie wherewith our life is a true life contrariwise she which fondly suffreth hir self to be disseazed and spoiled of the same looseth it without honest title albeit she be a liue yet is she buried in the most obscure caue of death hauing lost the honoure which maketh Maidens marche with head vpright But what goodnesse hath a Ladie gentlewoman maiden or wife wherein she can glory hir honor being in doubt and reputation darkened with infamie Wherto serued the imperiall house of Augustus in those Ladies that were intituled with the Emperours daughters when for their vilany their were vnworthy of the title of chaste and vertuous What profited Faustina the Emperiall crowne vpon hir head hir chastitie through hir abhominable life being rapt and despoiled What wrong hath bene done to many simple women for being buried in the tombe of darke obliuion which for their vertue and pudique life merited eternall praise Ah Charles my brother deare where hast thou bestowed the eye of thy fore séeing minde that without foresight and care of the fame due to the honest dames and chast damosels of our family hauing lost the goods fathers inheritaunce wilt haue me in like sort sorgoe my chastitie which hitherto I haue kept with héedeful diligence Wilt thou dear brother by the price of my virginity that Anselmo shal haue greater victorie ouer vs than he hathe gotten by fight of sword vpon the allied remnaunt of our house Art thou ignorant that the wounds and diseases of the minde be more vehement than those which afflicte the body Ah I vnhappy maiden and what yll lucke is reserued for me what destiny hath kept me till this day to be presented for Venus Sacrifice to satissie a yong mannes lust which coueteth peraduenture but the spoile of my virginitie O happy the Romane maid slain by the proper hands of hir wofull father Virginius that she might not be soiled with infamie by the lecherous embracements of rauenous Appius which desired hir acquaintaunce Alas that my brother doe not so rather I would to God of his owne accord he be the 〈◊〉 minister of my life ready to be violated if God by 〈◊〉 grace take not my cause in hand Alas death why 〈◊〉 thou not throwe against my heart thy most pearcing darte that I may goe waite vpon the shadowes of my thrice happy parents who knowing this my grief wil not be void of passion to help me waile my woful state O God why was not I choaked and strangled so sone as I was taken forth the secrete imbracements of my mothers wombe rather thā to arriue into this mishap that either must I lose the thing I déeme most deare or die with the violence of my proper hands Come death come and cut the vnhappy thréede of my wofull life stoppe the pace of teares with thy trenchant darte that streame outragiously downe my face and close the brething wind of sighs which hinder thée from doing thine office vpon my heart by suffocation of my life and it When she had ended those words hir spéeche did faile and waxing pale and faint sitting vpon bi r stoole she fared as though that very death had sitten in hir place Charles thinking that his sister had bene deade 〈◊〉 with sorow and desirous to liue no longer after hir seing he was the cause of that sowning fell downe dead vpon the ground mouing neither hand nor foote as though the soule had bene departed from the bodie At the noise which Montanine made by reason of his fall Angelica reuiued out of hir sown and seing hir brother in so pitifull plight and supposing he had bene dead for care of his request for being berieued of hir brother was so moued as a little thing wold haue made hir do as 〈◊〉 did when she viewed Pyramus to be slaine But conceiuing hope she threw hir selfe vpon hir brother cursing hir fortune banning the starres of cruelty and hir lauash spéeche and hir self for hir litle loue to hir brother who made no refusal to die to saue his land for relief of hir wher she denyed to yeld hir self to him that loued hir with so goodaffection In the end she applied so many remedies vnto hir brother sometimes casting cold water vpon his face sometimes pinching and rubbing the temples and pulses of his armes his mouth with vineger that she made him to
a present so precious of such value and regarde as both of them be such as a right puissant prince and lord may be contented with a duetie so liberall and iewell in estimable of two offered things The assistants that were there coulde not tell what to say the discourse hadde so muche drawne their myndes into dyuers fantasies and contrary opinions seing that the same required by deliberation to be considered before lightly they vttred their mindes But they knew not the intent of him which had called them thither more to testifie his fact than to iudge of the thyng he went about or able to hynder and let the same True it is that the Ladies viewyng and marking the amiable countenance of the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 woulde haue iudged for hir if they feared not to bée refused of hym whome the thyng didde touche moste néere Who withoute longer staye opened to them all what he was purposed to do saying Sith ye do spende time so long vpon a matter alreadie meant and determined I wil ye to know that hauing 〈◊〉 of mine honour and desirous to satisfie the honestie of the brother and sister I minde to take Angelica to my wife and lawful spouse vniting that which so lōg time hath bene diuided and making in two bodies whilom not wel accorded agréed one like and vniforme wil praying you eche one ioyfully to ioy with me and your selues to reioyse in that alliaunce whyche séemeth rather a woorke from heauen than a déede concluded by the counsell and industrie of men So lykewyse all wedded féeres in holie Wedlocke by reason of the effecte and the Author of the same euen G O D him selfe whiche did ordaine it first bée written in the infallible Booke of hys owne prescience to the intente that nothyng may decay which is sustained wyth the myghtie hand of that Almightie God the God of wonders which verily hée hath displayed ouer thée deare brother by makyng thée to fall into distresse and danger of death that myne Angelica béeing the meane of thy dyliueraunce myght also bée cause of the attonement whiche I do hope henceforth shall bée betwéene so noble houses as ours be Thys finall decrée reueled in open audience as it was agaynst their expectation and the ende that the kynred of Anselmo looked for so was the same no lesse straunge and bathful as ioyfull and pleasaunt féelyng a sodaine ioy not accustomed in their mynde for that vnion and alliaunce And albeit that their ryches was vnequall and the Dowrie of Angelica nothyng néere the greate wealth of Salimbene yet all men dyd déeme hym happie that hée hadde chaunced vpon so vertuous a mayden the onely modestie and integritie of whome deserued to bée coupled wyth the moste honourable For when a man hathe respecte onely to the beautie or riches of hir whome he meaneth to take to wyse he moste commonly dothe incurre the mischiefe that the spirite of dissention intermeddleth amydde theyr householde whereby pleasure vanishing with age maketh the riueled face beset with a thousand wrinkeled furrowes to growe pale and drie The wife likewyse when she séeth hir goodes to surmoūt the substāce of hir wedded husband she aduaunceth hir heart she swelleth to make himselfe a conquerour by mariage but she diminyshing no iote of hir noble minde he must seke else where his price of victorie To hir a desire to kyll hir selfe if things succéeded contrary to hir minde myght haue stopped the way to hir great glorie had she not regarded hir virginitie more than hir owne life The seconde seemeth to go halfe constrained and by maner of acquitall and had his affection bene to render himselfe 〈◊〉 to his foe his patron and preseruer it would haue diminished his praise But sithens inough wée haue hereof discoursed and ben large in treatie of Tragicomicall matters intermixed and suaged in some parte with the enteruiews of dolor modestie and indifferent good hap and in some wholy imparted the dreadfull endes like to terrible beginnings I meane for a reliefe and after suche sowre swéete bankettes to interlarde a licorous refection for sweeting the mouthes of the delicate And doe purpose in this Nouell insuing to manifest a pleasant disporte betwéene a Widowe and a Scholer a passyng practise of a craftie dame not well schooled in the discipline of Academicall rules a surmountyng science to trade the nouices of that forme by ware foresight to incountre those that by laborsome trauaile and nightly watch haue studied the rare knowledge of Mathematicalls and other hydden and secrete Artes. Wishing them so well to beware as I am desirous to let them know by this 〈◊〉 the successe of suche attemptes Mistresse Helena of Florence ¶ A Widowe called Mistresse HELENA with whome a Scholer was in loue she louyng an other 〈◊〉 the same Scholer to stande a whole 〈◊〉 nyghte in the Snowe to wayte for hir who afterwardes by a 〈◊〉 and pollicie caused hir in Iuly to stande vpon a Tower starke 〈◊〉 amongs Flyes and Gnattes and in the 〈◊〉 The. xxxi Nouel DIuerte we nowe a litle from these sundrie happes to solace our selues with a 〈◊〉 deuise and pleasaunt circumstance of a Scholers loue and of the wily guily 〈◊〉 of an amorous Widow of Florence A Scholer returned from Paris to 〈◊〉 his knowlege at home in hys owne Countreye learneth a more cunnyng lecture of Mystresse Helena than he didde of the subtillest Sorbone Doctor or other Mathematicall from whenee hée came The Scholler as plainly hée had applied his booke and earnestly herkned his readings so he simply meant to be a faithfull louer and deuoute requirant to this ioily dame that had vowed hir deuotion promised pilgrimage to an other saint The scholer vpon the first view of the widowes wandring lookes forgetting Ouides lessons of loues guiles pursued his conceipt to the vttermost The scholer neuer remembred how many valiaunt wise and learned men wanton womē had seduced and deceiued He had forgot howe Catullus was beguiled by Lesbia Tibullus by Delia Propertius by Cynthia Naso by Corinna Demetrius by Lamia Timotheus by Phryne Philippe by a Greeke mayden Alexander by Thais Hannibal by Campania Caesar by Cleopatra Pompeius by Flora Pericles by Aspa ga Psammiticus the king of Aegipt by Rhodope and diuers other very famous by women of that stampe He had not ben well trained in holy writ or heard of Samsons Dalida or of Salamons concubines but like a plaine dealing man beleued what she promised folowed what she bad him wayted whiles she mocked him attended till she laughed him to scorne And yet for all these ioily pastimes inuented by this widowe to deceiue the poore Scholer the scaped not frée from his Logike rules nor safe from his philosophie He was forced to turne ouer Aristotle to reuolue his Porphyrie and to gather hys wittes about him to requite this louing peate that had so charitably delt with him He willingly serched ouer Ptolome perused Albumazar made haste to Haly yea for a
of Princes What 〈◊〉 said the paisant thinke you that this pore coate and simple lodging be not able to apprehend the preceptes of vertue I haue sometimes heard tell that the wise auoiding Cities troupes of men haue withdrawne themselues into the deserts for leisure to contemplat heauenly things Your skill is great replied Mansor Goe we then 〈◊〉 you please to doe me that curtesie as this night to be mine hoste So the King went in to the rusticall lodge where in stéede of Tapistery and Turkey hangings he saw the house stately hanged with fisher nettes and cordes and in place of riche séeling of Noble mens houses he beheld Canes and Redes which serued bothe for the séeling and couering The fishermanaes wife continued in the kitchen whilest Mansor himselfe both walked and 〈◊〉 his owne horse to which horse the fisher man durst not once come neare for his corage stately trappour with one thing he was abundātly refreshed and that the most néedeful thing which was fire wherof there was no spare no more then there was of fishe But the King which had bene daintely sed and did not well tast and like that kinde of meat demaunded if his hunger could not be supplied with a little flesh for that his stomake was anoyed with the only sauoure of the Eeles The pore man as ye haue somwhat perceiued by the former discourse was a plesaunt fellowe and delighted rather to prouoke laughter than to prepare more dainty meat said vnto the King It is no maruel though our Kings doe furnishe themselues with countrey men to serue them in their warres for the delicate bringing vp and litle force in fine courtiers We albeit the raine doth fal vpon our heads and the winde assaile euery part of our bodies all durtie and wet doe not care either for fire or bed we fede vpon any kinde of meat that is set before vs without séeking sause for increasing of our appetite and we behold are númble healthy lusty and neuer sicke nor our mouth out of taste where ye doe féele suche distemperaunce of stomake as pitie it is to sée more adoe there is to bring the same into his right order and taste than to ordaine and dresse a supper for a whole armie The King who laughed with displayed throte hearing his hoste so merily disposed could haue bene contented to haue heard him still had not his appetite prouoked him and the time of the night very late Wherfore he said vnto him I doe agrée to what you alleage but performe I pray thée my request then we will satisfie our selues with further talke Well sir replied the Kings hoste I sée well that a hungry belly hathe no lust to heare a mery song whereof were you not so egre and sharpe set I could sing a hundred But I haue a little Kidde which as yet is not weaned the same wil I cause to be made ready for I thinke it cannot be better bestowed The supper by reason of the hostes curtesie was passed forth in a thousande pleasant passetimes which the Fisherman of purpose vttered to recreate his guest bycause he sawe him to delight in those deuises And vpon the ende of supper he sayd vnto the King Now sir how like you this banket It is not so sumptuous as those be that be ordinarily made at our Princes court yet I thinke that you shall sléepe with no lesse appetite than you haue eaten with a good stomacke as appereth by the few words you haue vttered in the time of your repast But whervnto booteth it to employ time or deined for eating in expense of talke which serueth not but to passe the time and to shorten the day And meates ought rather to be taken for sustentation of nature than for prouocation or motion of this féeble and transitorie fleshe Uerily sayde the Kyng youre reason is good and I doe meane to ryse from the table to passe the remnant of the night in rest therwith to 〈◊〉 my selfe so well as I haue with eatyng and do thanke you hartily for your good aduertisement So the King went to bedde and it was not long ere he fell a sléepe and continued 〈◊〉 the mornyng And when the Sunne dyd 〈◊〉 the Fisherman came to wake hym tellyng hym that it was time to rise and that he was readie to bring him to the Court. All this while the Gentlemen of the Kings traine were searching rounde aboute the countrey to finde his maiestie making cries and hues that he mighte heare them The Kyng knowyng their voices and the noyse they made went forth to méete them and if his people were gladde when they found him the Fisherman was no lesse amazed to séethe honor which the courtiers did vnto his guest Which the curteous King perceiuing said vnto him My friend thou 〈◊〉 here that Mansor of whome 〈◊〉 thou madest so great accompt and whom thou saydst that thou didst loue so well Be 〈◊〉 that for the 〈◊〉 thou hast done him before it be long the same shal be so well acquited as for euer thou shalte haue good cause to remembre it The good man was alreadie vpon his mary-bones beséeching the King that it would please him to pardon his rude entertainment and his ouermuch familiaritie whiche he had vsed vnto him But Mansor causing him to rise vp willed him to depart and said that within few days after he shoulde heare further newes Now in these fennes and marrish groundes the Kyng had alreadie builded diuers Castles and lodges for the pleasure and solace of hunting Wherefore he purposed there to erect a goodly Citie causing the waters to be voided with great expeditiō which citie he caused to be builded immediatly and compassing the circuite of the appointed place with strong walles and déepe dyches he gaue many immunities priuiledges to those that wold repaire to people the same by meanes wherof in litle time the same was reduced to the state of a beautiful welthie Citie which is the very same that before we sayd to be Caesar Elcabir as much to say The great Palace This goodly worke being thus performed Mansor sent for his host to whom he sayd To the end from henceforth thou mayest more honourably entertayne Kyngs into thy house and mayest intreate them with greater sumptuositie for the better solacyng of them wyth thy Curtesie and pleasaunt talke beholde the Citie that I haue buylded whyche I doe 〈◊〉 vnto thée and thyne for euer reseruing nothyng but an acknowledgemente of good wyll to the ende thou mayest knowe that a Gentlemans mynde nousled in villanie is discouered when forgetting a good turne he incurreth the vice of Ingratitude The good man seing so goodly an offer 〈◊〉 present woorthie of suche a King fell down vpon his 〈◊〉 and kissyng his foote with all humilitie sayd vnto hym 〈◊〉 if youre liberalitie dyd not supplie the imperfection of my merite and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what wanted in me to attaine so 〈◊〉 state I would excuse my selfe