a litle longer he fained as though he had made a further searche The other so subtill and malicious as he badde hym to séeke still and when thei sawe tyme thei toke awaie the proppes that staied vp the Tōbe and ran awaie leauyng poore Andreuccio fast shutte in the Graue Whiche when Andreuccio perceiued what chaunced to hym then eche man maie consider Then he assaied sometymes with his shulders sometyme with his hedde to remoue the couer but all was in vaine Wherefore euen for verie sorowe he fill in a sownde vpon the deade bodie of the Bishoppe And if a man had seen them bothe at that instaunt it could not well haue béen discerned whether was the dead corps the Archebishoppe dedde or poore Andreuccio diyng But after he was come to hymsef he began piteouslie to complaine seeyng he was arriued to one of these twoo endes either in the Tombe to die for hunger and with the stenche of the dedde body putrifiyng with wormes if no manne came to open it or els to be hanged as a Thiefe if he were founde within And as he was in these consideracions tormented with sorowe he heard a noyse in the churche of diuerse menne who as he thoughte came to dooe the like facte that he and his fellowes had doen before wherewith his feare began muche more to augment But after thei had opened the graue and staied it vp it came in question emōges them who should goe in And when thei had contended a good space about the same A Priest that was in the companie saied Why are ye afraied Dooe ye thinke that he will eate you The dedde neuer eate men I will goe in my self And when he had saied so he laied hym downe upon his breaste at the drinke of the graue and thrustyng his feete in before he wente doune Andreuccio seyng that erected himself vpright and caught the Prieste by one of the legges makyng as though he would haue drawen hym in whiche when the Prieste perceiued he cried out a loude spéeding himself out so fast as he could Wherewithall the reste dismaied almoste out of their wittes leauyng the graue open tooke their legges and ranne as though a hundred thousande deuelles had béen at their tailes whiche seyng Andreuccio more ioyfull then he looked for lepte out of the graue and ranne as fast as he could out of the Churche at the place where he came in At what tyme daie light beganne to appere and he with the ryng on his finger wandred he wist not whether till he came to the sea side and at lengthe recouered his Inne where he founde his companie and his hoste all that night takyng greate care for hym To whom recomptyng that whiche chaunced his hoste gaue hym aduise incontinently to gette hym out of Naples whiche presently he did and retourned to Perugia hauyng bestowed his v. C. crounes vpon a Ryng whiche he thought to haue imploied vpon horsses For whiche cause he made that iorney The Erle of Angiers beyng falsly accused was banished out of Fraunce and lefte his twoo soonnes in sundrie places in Englande and retournyng vnknowen by Scotlande founde them in greate aucthoritie afterwardes he repaired in the habite of a seruaunte to the Frenche kynges armie And beyng knowen to be innocent was againe aduaunced to his firste estate ¶ The .xxxvii. Nouell THe Romane Empire beyng transferred frō the Frenche menne vnto the Almanes there rose a great discencion betwene bothe the nacions and in the ende a cruell and continual warre For which cause as well for the defence of his kingdome as to offede his enemies the Frenche king and one of his soonnes with all the power of their owne realme and of their frendes and allies assembled a greate hoste of menne to encountre with their enemies and before thei proceded bicause thei would not leaue their realme with out a gouernor knowyng Gualtieri Erle of Angiers to be a gentle and sage knight and their moste trustie frende and that he was a man moste expert in the arte of warfare semyng vnto thē notwithstandyng more apt to pleasure then paine lefte hym Lieutenaunt generall in their place for the gouernement of the whole kyngdome of Fraunce and proceded in their enterprise The Erle then began with greate knowledge and by good order to execute his office committed vnto hym dooyng nothyng without the consente of the Quene and her faire doughter in lawe although thei were lefte to be vnder his custodie and gouernement yet neuer tholesse he honoured them as his maistresses and superiours This Erle Gualtieri was a beautiful personage about the age of fourtie yeres so familier and well condicioned as any gentleman could be and besides that he was the moste excellent and trimmest knight that was knowen in those daies and one most comelie in his apparell It chaunced that the kyng and his soone beyng at the warres aforesaied the wife of the Erle died in the meane while leauyng hym onely twoo little yonge children a soonne and a doughter whiche he had by her He then frequentyng the courte of the aforesaied Ladies talkyng many tymes with them aboute the affaires of the realme the wife of the kynges sonne fixed her eyes vpon him and with great affection for his persone and vertues feruentlie imbraced hym with secrete loue And knowing herself to be yonge and freshe and hym to bee without a wife thought sodainly to bring to passe that whiche she desired and thinkyng that nothyng could lette the same but onely shame to discouer it she purposed vtterly to abandone the same And vpon a daie beyng a lone she sente one to seeke the Erle as though she would haue communicated with hym of other matters The Erle whose minde was farre different from the Ladies incontinently came vnto her who beyng sette doune together vpon a bedde which she desired alone in a chāber he asked her twise vpon what occasion she sent for hym and she hauyng nothyng to sate vnto him pressed in the ende and rapte with loue waxed verie shamfast and almoste wepyng quakyng for feare with fainte wordes began to saie as foloweth My derely beloued and louyng frende and Lorde you maie easelie knowe beyng a wise manne as you bee the frailtie of menne and women and by diuers consideracions the weakenesse to bee more in the one then in the other Wherefore before a iust iudge one fault of diuerse qualities ought not of reason to receiue one like punishemente Moreouer who is he that will saie that a poore man or woman whiche getteth their liuing with the labor of their bodie ought not more to bee reprehended if thei become amourous and subiect to their lustes then the riche Ladie whiche taketh no care for her liuyng or wanteth any thyng that she desireth Truely I beleue there is none suche that will saie so for whiche reason I suppose that the thinges before saied ought to serue the greatest part of the excuse to the aduauntage of her that doeth possesse thē If
well doers in their glorie and triumphe to perpetrate thynges vnlawfull Sextus Tarquinius rauisheth Lucrece who bewailyng the losse of her chastitie killeth her self ¶ The seconde Nouell GReate preparacion was made by the Romanes against a people called Rutuli who had a citie named Ardea excellyng in wealth and richesse whiche was the cause that the Romane kyng beyng exhausted and quite voide of money by reason of his sumptuous buildynges made warres vpon that countrie In the tyme of the siege of that citee the yong Romane gentlemen bāqueted one an other emonges whom there was one called Collatinus Tarquinius the sonne of Egerius And by chaunce thei entred in communicacion of their wiues euery one praisyng his seuerall spouse At length the talke began to growe hotte where vpon Collatinus said that wordes wer vaine For within fewe howers it might be tried how muche his wife Lucrecia did excell the rest wherfore q he if there be any liuelihod in you Let vs take our horse to proue whiche of our wiues doth furmoūt Wherevpō thei rode to Rome in poste At their coming thei found the kynges doughters sportyng themselfes with sundrie pastymes From thence thei went to the house of Collatinus where thei founde Lucrece not as the other before named spendyng the time in idlenes but late in the night occupied and busie emonges her maides in the middes of the house spinning of Wolle The victorie and praise wherof was giuen to Lucretia who when she sawe her husbande gently and louingly interteigned hym curteously biddyng the Tarquinians welcome Imediatlie Sextus Tarquinius the sonne of Tarquinius Superbus that tyme the Romane kyng was attached and incensed with a libidious desire to construprate and defloure Lucrece When the yong gentlemen had bestowed that night pleasantlie with their wiues thei retourned to the Campe. Not long after Sextus Tarquinius with one man returned to Collatia vnknowen to Collatinus and ignoraunte to Lucrece and the reste of her houshold for what purpose he came Who beyng right hartely interteigued after supper was conueighed to his chamber Tarquinius burnyng with the loue of Lucrece after he perceiued the housholde to bee at reste and all thynges in quiet he with his naked sworde in his hande goeth to Lucrece beyng a slepe and kepyng her doune with his lefte hande saied Holde thy peace Lucrece q he I am Sextus Tarquinius my sworde is in my hande if thou crie I will kill thee The gentlewoman beyng sore a fraied newlie awaked out of her slepe and seyng iminent death could not tell what to doe Then Tarquinius confessed his loue and began to intreate her and therewithall vsed sundrie menacyng woordes by all meanes attemptyng to make her quiet when he sawe her obstinate and that she would not yelde to his requeste notwithstandyng his cruell threates he added shamefull and villanous woordes saiyng That he would kill her and when she was slaine he would also kill his slaue and place hym by her that it might be reported she was slain beyng taken in adulterie She vāquished with his terrible and infamous threat His fleshly and licencious enterprise ouercame the puritie of her chast harte whiche doen he departed Then Lucrece sente a poste to Rome to her father and an other to Ardea to her housbande requiryng them that thei would make speede to come vnto her with certaine of their trustie frendes for that a cruell facte was chaunced Then Sp. Lucretius with P. Valerius the soonne of Volesius Collatinus with L. Iunius Brutus made haste to Lucrece Where thei founde her sittyng verie pensife and sadde in her chamber So sone as she sawe theim she began pitiouslie to weepe Then her housebande asked her whether all thynges were well vnto whom she saied these woordes No dere housebande for what can bee well or safe vnto a woman when she hath loste her chastitie Alas Collatine the steppes of an other man be now fixed in thy bedde But it is my bodie onely that is violated my minde God knoweth is gililes whereof my death shal be witnesse But if you be men giue me your hādes and trouthe that the adulterer maie not escape vnreuenged It is Sextus Tarquinius who beyng an enemie in stede of a frende the other night came vnto me armed with his sworde in his hand and by violence caried a waie from me and tooke to himself a pestiferous ioye Then euery of thē gaue her their faith and comforted the pensife and languishyng ladie imputing the offence to the aucthor and doer of the same affirmyng that her bodie was polluted and not her mynde and where consente was not there the crime was absent Wherevnto she added I praie you consider with your selues what punishment is due for the malefactour As for my parte though I clere my self of the offence my bodie shall feele the punishemente for no vnchast or ill woman shall hereafter take example of Lucrece Then she drew out a knife whiche she had hidden secretly vnder her kirtle and stabbed her self to the harte Whiche doen she fell doune grouelyng vpon her wounde and so died Wherevpon her father and housebande made greate lamentacion and as thes were bewailyng the death of Lucrece Brutus plucked the knife out of the wounde whiche gushed out with abundance of blood and holdyng it vp saied I swere by the chaste blood of this bodie here deade and I take you the immortall goddes to witnesse that I wil driue and extirpate out of this Citie bothe L. Tarquinius Superbus and his wicked wife with all the race of his children and progenie so that none of them ne yet any others shall raigne any longer in Rome Then he deliuered the knife to Collatinus Lucretius and Valerius merueilyng at the straungenesse of his woordes And from whence he should conceiue that determinacion Thes al swore that othe And folowed Brutus as their capitaine in his conceiued purpose The bodie of Lucrece was brought into the markette place where the people wondred at the vilenesse of that facte euery mā cōplainyng vpon the mischief of that facinorous rape committed by Tarquinius Wherevpon Brutus perswaded the Romanes that thei should cease from teares and other childishe lamentacions and take weapons in their handes and shewe themselues like men Then the lustiest and moste desperate persones within the citie made theimselues presse and readie to attempt any enterprise And after a guarrison was placed and bestowed at Collatia diligente watche and warde was kepte at the gates of the citie to the intent the kyng should haue no aduertismente of that slurre The reste of the souldiours followed Brutus to Rome Whē he was come to Rome the armed multitude did beate a meruellous feare throughout the whole citie but yet because thei sawe the chiefeste personages goe before that thought that the same enterprise was not taken in vaine Wherefore the people out of all places of the citie ran into the marketplace Where Brutus complained of the abhominable Rape of Lucrece committed by Sextus Tarquinius whervnto
monumente also accordyng to his worthinesse shal be erected vpon his graue Sacrifice shal be offred méete for a manne so valiaunt and puissaunt Thou likewise shalt not be left comfortles For in consideration of thy great chastitie and vertue I will honour thee and appoincte a garrison to conuey thee into what place thou art disposed to goe To whom Panthea saied Be of good chere Cyrus I will not hide from you the place wherin I am determined to bestowe my self Cyrus hearyng her saie so went awaie pitiyng the woman that was bereued of suche a housebande and lamentyng the manne that had lefte suche a wife behinde hym and was like no more to sée her againe But Panthea commaunded her Eunuches to goe out of the place till she had satisfied her self with teares and lamentacions for her housebande For the prepared to kill her self requiryng her Nursse to tarie by her cōmaundyng her that when she was deade she should shroude her and her husbande in one garment The Nursse perswaded the Ladie with humble wordes and supplicacions from her determinaciō But she could not preuaile and when she sawe that her maistres toke her wordes in ill parte she satte downe and wept But Panthea with a sworde which she had prepared a long tyme for that purpose killed her self and laiyng her heade vpon her husebandes breaste she yelded from her chaste bodie her innocente ghoste The Nursse seyng that cried out and couered them bothe as she was cōmaunded Cyrus vnderstandyng the womans facte was amazed and spedelie went to sée if she might be holpen The Eunuches beyng three in nomber seyng their maistres dead thei likewise drewe out their swordes killed themselues in the place where thei were cōmaunded to stand For memorie of which facte Cyrus created a noble monumēt to the perpetuall praise of chastitie honest loue Whiche as Xenophō reporteth remained to his daies with their names ingrauen in Syrian letters Abdolominus is from poore estate aduaunced by Alexander the greate through his honest life to be kyng of Sydone ¶ The .xij. Nouell ALexander the mightie and noble Emperour after he had subdued Darius the Persian kyng at length came to Sydone a famous citie by reason of the auncient fame of the first founders The same citie was vnder the gouernment of Strato and mainteined by the puissance of Darius who yelding more by force of the people then by free will was thought vnworthie to raigne and rule there Alexander at the request of his frende Ephestion willed him to appoinct one to be king whom the Citizens should thinke moste worthie of that state After profers of Ephestion to diuers of the yonge gentlemen of that citie and refusall made of their partes thei alledged that none ought to enioy the dignitie of their king but suche as were descended of the royall bloodde Thinking none to be more mete for that state then one Abdolominus who being of the roiall race for pouertie was inforced to inhabite a litle cotage without the citie His good life was the cause of his pouertie as it is to many other labouryng in his daiely trauell vnderstoode not the brute of the warre that troubled all Asia Ephestion and the yong gentlemen repaired to his garden with garmētes to garnish hym like a kyng and founde hym makyng cleane his garden whom thei saluted and saied You muste exchaunge your homelie clothes with these riche robes wherewith wée here presente you Washe your bodie that now is foule and vncleane take vpon yon the corage of a kyng and in this state whereof you be worthie expresse the same sobrietie and continencie you dooe presentlie vse And when you sitte in your regall seate vsyng the aucthoritie of life death of your subiectes Doe in no wise forgette the fortune wherin you were before you were made king ne yet for what purpose you did receiue it The matter semed to Abdolominus like a dreame and demaunded of theim if their wittes were founde that did deride hym in that sorte But when he sawe them binde by othe their doynges to be of trouth he washed himsef and takyng the garment whiche was purple and golde went with them into the palace The fame was diuerslie bruted of this facte Some fauoured the cause and some did froune against it But suche as were riche did reproue his pouertie and base estate to those that were nere about Alexander whiche made the kyng to sende for him And when he had long be holden his maner and order said Your personage doeth not degenerate from the fame of your progenitors But I would faine knowe how paciēt you were in the time of your pouertie I would to God q Abdolominus I could beare my prosperitie in like case now I am kyng These handes did get that I desired And hauyng nothing I lacked nothing Whiche wordes made Alexander conceiue a good opinion of hym To whom he restored the riches of the kyng before and diuers other thynges taken awaie by the Persians The oracion of the Scythian Ambassadours to Alexander the greate reprouyng his ambicion and desire of Empire ¶ The .xiij. Nouell TVllie in the first booke of his Offices saieth that verie miserable is ambicion and desire of honour and that moste men whiche be giuen to cupidite of gouernement honor and glorie be forgetfull of Iustice. The truthe of whiche graue woordes vttred by a Prince of eloquence the rude and barbarous Ambassadours of Scythia in plain and homelie talke boldlie did pronounce to kyng Alexander surnamed Magnus when he was aboute to inuade their countrie For when he hadde within three daies finished twelue thousande boates to transport his armie ouer the famous riuer of Tanais whiche deuideth Asia from Europa against the poore Scythians twentie Ambassadors of the Scythians came to Alexanders cāpe to speake with him to proue if thei could by wordes withdrawe his entended purpose Before whom when thei were placed the eldest of them spake these woordes If the goddes had giuen thee a bodie accordyng to the immoderate desire of thy minde the whole worlde could not be able to hold thée With one of thy handes thou wouldest touche the Oriente and with thy other hande the Occident And when thou haste gotten that thou wilte desire to knowe where the brightnesse of the Diuine Maiestie is placed Thus thou couetest after the thing thou art not able to receiue Out of Europa thou marchest into Asia and out of Asia thou passest into Europa Afterwardes if thou doest vanquishe all mankinde thou must make warre with wooddes and snowes with riuers and wilde beastes What Doest thou not knowe that greate trees growe long and yet be rooted out of the grounde in a moment He is a foole that looketh after the fruict and doeth not measure the height of the Tree whereon it groweth Take hede lest while thou doest contende to clim to the toppe thou fallest downe with the bowes whiche thou doest imbrace The Lion also somtyme is made the
corrupt humoure of those that haue a feauer which taking his beginning at the heart disperseth it self incureably through all the other sensible parts of the body whereof this present historie giueth vs amplie to vnderstande being no lesse maruelous than true Those that haue read the auncient histories and Chronicles of Spaine haue sene in diuers places the occasion of the cruell ennimitie which raygned by the space of .xl. yeares betwene the houses of Mendozza and Tolledo families not only right noble and auncient but also most abundant in riches subiectes and seigniories of all the whole realme It happened one day that their armies being redy to ioyne in battaile the Lord Iohn of Mendozza chief of his army a man much commended by al histories had a widowe to his sister a very deuout Lady who after she vnderstode the heauy newes of that battayle falling downe vpon hee knées prayed God incessauntly that it woulde please him to reconcile the two families together and to make an ende of so many mischiefes And as she vnderstode that they were in the chiefest of the conflict and that thers were a great number slaine on both partes she made a vowe to God that if her brother retorned victorious from the enterprise she would make a voyage to Rome on foote The ouerthrow fell after muche bloudshead vpon them of Tolledo Mendozza brought away the victorie with the lesse losse of his people Wherof Isabell aduertised declared vnto her brother the vowe that she had made Which semed very straunge vnto him specially howe she durst enterprise so long a voyage on fote and thought to turne her purpose howbeit she was so importunate vpon him that in the ende he gaue her leaue with charge that she shoulde goe well accompanyed and by small iourneyes for respect of her health The Lady Isabell being departed from Spaine hauing trauersed the moūtaynes Pirtenees passed by Fraunce went ouer the Alpes and came to Thurin where the Duke of Sauoye had then for wife a sister of the King of England who was bruted to be the fairest creature of the weast partes of the worlde For this canse the Lady Isabell desired greatly in passing by to sée her to knowe whether truth did aunswere the great renowme of her beautie Wherin she had Fortune so fauorable that entring into Thurin she found the Duchesse vpon her Coche going abrode to take the ayre of the fields Which the Lady Isabell vnderstanding stayed to beholde her being by fortune at that present at the dore of her Coche And then with great admiration considering the wonderfull beautie of that princesse iudging her the chiefest of beautie of al those that she had euer séene she spake somewhat loude in the Spanish tongue to those of her companie in this manner If God would haue permitted that my brother and this Princesse might haue married together euery man might wel haue sayde that there had bene mette the most excellent couple for perpectiō of beautie that were to be founde in all Europa And her wordes in dede were true For the Lorde Mendozza was euen one of the fairest Knights that in his time was to be founde in al Spaine The Duchesse who vnderstode the Spanish tongue very well passing forth beheld all that company And fayning not to vnderstand those wordes thought that she surely was some great Lady Wherfore when she was a litle past her she sayde to one of her Pages Mark whether that Lady and her company goe to their lodging and say vnto her that I desire her at my retourne to come and sée me at my castell which the Page did So the Duchesse walking a long the riuer of Poo mused vpon the words spoken by the Spanish Lady which made her not long to tarry there but toke the way back againe to her Castell where being arriued she founde the Lady Isabell who at the Duchesse request attended her with her company And after dutifull reuerence the Duchesse with like gratulacion receiued her very curteouslye taking her a parte and demaunding her of what prouince of Spaine shee was of what house and what Fortune had brought her into that place And then the Lady Isabell made her to vnderstand from the beginning the occasion of her long voyage of what house she was The Duchesse vnderstanding her nobilitie excused her selfe for that she had not done her that honour which she deserued imputing the fault vpon the ignorance that she had of her estate And after diuers other curteous communication the Duchesse would néedes knowe whervnto the wordes tended that she had spoken of her and of the beautie of her brother The Spanish Lady somewhat abashed sayde vnto her Madame yf I had knowen so muche of your skill in our tongue as nowe I doe I would haue bene well aduised before I had so exalted the beauty of my brother whose prayse had bene more commendable in the mouth of some other Yet thus muche I dare affirme without affection be it spoken as they that knowe him can report that he is one of the comliest gentlemen that Spaine hath bred these .xx. yeares But of that which I haue spoken touching your beautie if I haue offended muche a doe shall I haue to gette the same pardoned bycause I cannot repent me nor say otherwise except I should speake contrarie to truth And that durst I enterprise to be verified by your self if it were possible that Nature for one quarter of one houre onely had transported into some other that which with right great wonder she sheweth now in you Whervnto the Duchesse to th ende she would séeme to excuse her prayse answered with a litle shame fastnesse which beautified much her liuely colour saying Madame if you continue in these termes you wil constraine me to think that by changing of place you haue also changed your iudgement For I am one of the least to be commended for beautie of al this lande or else I wil beleue that you haue the beautie and valor of my Lorde your brother so printed in your minde that all that which presenseth it self vnto you hauing any apparance of beauty you measure by the perfection of his And at that instant the Lady Isabell who thought that the Duchesse had taken in euill parte the comparison that she had made of her and her brother somwhat in choler and heate therewythal sayde vnto her Madame you shal pardon me if I haue so muche forgotten my selfe to presume to compare your beautie to his Whereof if he be to be commended yet I may well be blamed being his sister to publish the same in an vnknowen place But yet I am well assured that when you shal speake euen with his enemies that yet besides his beautie they will well assure him to be one of the gentlest and best condicioned gentlemen that liueth The Duchesse seing her in these alterations and so affected to the prayse of her brother toke gret pleasure therin and willingly would haue
if you had séene the numbre of shotte which by the space of .xij. houres were bestowed so thick as hayle vpon euery parte of the Forte you might haue iudged what good will the Scottes did beare vnto me and my people And for my selfe I am assured that if I had made proufe of that which you say and submitted my selfe to their mercie my bodie nowe had bene dissolued into dust The king astonned with so sage wise an aunswere chaunging his minde went towarde the Castle where after interteignement and accustomed welcome he began by little and little to féele himselfe attached with a newe fier Which the more he labored to resist the more it inflamed And feling this newe mutacion in himselfe there came into his minde an infinite nūbre of matters balancing betwene hope and feare sometimes determining to yelde vnto his passions sometimes thinking clerely to cut them of for feare least by committing himselfe to his affections the vrgent affayres of the warres wherwith he was inuolued should haue yll successe But in the end vanquished with Loue he purposed to proue the heart of the Countesse and the better to attayne the same he toke her by the hande and prayed her to shewe him the commodities of the Forteresse Which she did so well and with so good grace interteigning him all that while with infinite talke of diuers matters that the little griftes of Loue which were scarcely planted began to grow so farre as the rootes remayned engrauen in the depth of his heart And the King not able any longer to endure suche a charge in his minde pressed with griefe deuised by what meanes he might enioy her which was the cause of his disquiet But the Countesse seing him so pensife without any apparaunt occasion sayde vnto him Sir I doe not a little maruell to sée you reduced into these alterations For me thinke your grace is maruellously chaunged with in these two or thre houres that your highnesse vouchsaued to enter into this Castle for my succour and reliefe in so good time that al the dayes of my lyfe both I and mine be greatly bounde vnto you as to him which is not onely content eliberallie to haue bestowed vpon vs the goodes which we possesse but also by his generositie doth cōserue and defende vs from the incursions of the enemie Wherein your grace doth deserue double praise for a déede so charitable But I cannot tell nor yet deuise what should be the occasion that your highnesse is so pensife and sorrowfull sithe without great losse on your part your enemies vnderstanding of your stoute approch be retired which ought as I suppose to driue away the melancolie from your stomack and to reuoke your former ioy for so muche as victorie acquired without effusion of bloude is alwayes moste noble and acceptable before God The King hearing this Aungelles voyce so amiably pronouncing these wordes thinking that of her owne accorde she came to make him mery determined to let her vnderstand his griefe vpon so conuenient occasion offred Then with a trembling voyce he sayde vnto her Ah Madame howe farre be my thoughtes farre different from those which you doe thinke me to haue I féele my heart so opprest with care that it is impossible to tell you what it is howheit the same hath not bene of long continuance being attached there withall since my comming hither which troubleth me so sore that I cannot tell wherevpon well to determine The Countesse seing the King thus moued not knowing the cause why was vncertayne what aunswere to make Which the king perceiuing sayde vnto her fetching a déepe sigh from the bottome of his stomack And what saye you Madame therevnto can you giue me no remedie The Coūtesse which neuer thought that any such dishonestie coulde take place in the kings heart taking things in good part sayde vnto him Syr I know not what remedie to giue you if first you doe not discouer vnto me the griefe But if it trouble you that the Scottish king hath spoyled your countrie the losse is not so great as wherewith a prince so mighty as you be néede to be offended sithens by the grace of God the vengeance lyeth in your hand and you may in tyme chasten him as at other times you haue done Wherevnto the king seing her simplicitie answered Madame the beginning of my grief riseth not of that but my wounde resteth in the inwarde parte of my heart which pricketh me so sore that if I desire from henceforth to prolong my lyfe I must open the same vnto you reseruing the cause thereof so secrete that none but you and I must be partakers I muste nowe then confesse vnto you that in cōming to your Castle and casting downe my head to beholde your celestiall face and the rest of the graces wherwith the Heauens haue prodigally endewed you I haue felt vnhappie man as I am such a sodayne alteratiō in all the most sensible partes of my bodie that knowing my forces diminished I can not tell to whome to make my complaint of my libertie lost which of long time I haue so happyly preserued but only to you that like a faythfull keper and onely Treasorer of my heart you may by some shining beame of pitie bring againe to hys former mirth and ioye that which you desire in me and by the contrarie you maye procure to me a life more painefull and grieuous than a thousand deathes together When he had ended these wordes he helde his peace to let her to speake attending none other thing by her aunswere but the laste decrée eyther of death or lyfe But the Countesse with a grauitie conformable to her honestie honor without other mouing sayde vnto him If any other besides your grace had bene so forgetfull of himselfe to enter in these tearmes or to vse suche talke vnto me I knowe what shoulde be myne aunswere and so it might be that he shoulde haue occasion not to be well contented but knowing this your attempt to procéede rather from the pleasantnesse of your hearte than for other affection I will beleue from henceforth and persuade my selfe that a Prince so renowmed and gentle as you be doth not thinke and much lesse meane to attempt any thing against myne honour which is a thousand times dearer vnto me than lyfe And I am persuaded that you doe not so little estéeme my father and my husband who is for your seruice prisoner in the hands of the French men our mortall enemies as in their absence to procure vnto them suche defamation and slaunder And by making this request your grace doth swarue from the boundes of Honestie very farre and you doe greate iniurie to your fame if men shoulde know what tearmes you doe vse towards me In like manner I purpose not to violate the faith which I haue giuen to my husbande rather I intende to kepe the same vnspotted so long as my soule shall be caried in the Chariot of this
of my life The Secretarie retorning and hauing recited the answere of the Countesse the King rapte with an impacient and extreme choler woulde againe attempt an other newe way and consuming by little little in this amorous fier began to sort out of the limits of Reason And almost out of his wittes demaunded of his Secretarie Doe you thinke it expedient that I make request to her father bicause I want counsell in other thinges To whome the Secretarie boldly sayde that he thought it vnreasonable to seke ayde at a fathers hands to corrupt his daughter faithfully telling to the King the reproch and infamie that would followe thereof aswell for the old seruice that her father had done to his auncestors as for his great prowesse in armes for which he was so greatly commended But Loue the mortal enemie of all good councell so blinded the eyes of the king that without any further deliberation he commaunded the Secretarie to goe seke the father to demaund help of him for matters of importance which the Earle vnderstanding obeyed incontinently where the King alone in a chamber lying vpon a bed after he had commaunded him to shut the dore and to sitte downe by him sayde these wordes My Lorde I haue caused you to come hither for a certayne occasion which toucheth me so nighe as the losse or preseruation of my lyfe For neuer through any assault of Fortune the sharpnesse whereof I haue often felte haue I bene vanquished with so great enuie and malice as nowe For I am so vexed with my passions that being ouercome by them I haue none other refuge but a moste vnhappy death that euer man can suffer if presentely I be not holpen Knowe ye therefore that I déeme him onely to be happy that by Reason can rule his wittes not suffring himself to be caried into vaine desires In which point we do differ from beasts who being lead onely by naturall order doe indiffenretly runne head long whether their appetie doth guide them But we with the measure of Reason ought to moderate our doings with suche prouidence as with out straying we may choose the right way of equitie and iustice And if at any tyme the weake fleshe doth faint and giue ouer we haue none to blame but our selues Who deceyued by the fading shadow and false apparance of things fall into the ditch by our selues prepared And that which I doe alleage is proued not without manifest reason wherof I nowe doe fele experience hauing let slip the raines of the bridle to far ouer my disordinate affections being drawen from the right hand traiterously deceyued And neuerthelesse I cannot tel how to retire to take the right way or how to tourne my backe from that which doth me hurt Wherefore now vnfortunate miserable that I am I acknowledge my selfe to be like vnto him that followeth his game in the thicket of a woodde rushing through thick and thinne at all aduentures not knowing howe to finde the way he entred in but rather the more he desireth to followe the trace the more in the ende he is wrapped in the bushes So it is my Lord that I cannot and may not for all my foresayde allegacions so colour my fault or purge myne error but that I must confesse and acknowledge it to be in me But I speake to this ende that séeking a farre of the originall of my griefe you woulde helpe me to complayne and to take pitie vpon me For to tell you the truth I am so intricated in the Labarinthe of my vnbrideled will that the more I doe aspire to the better alas the worsse I am Haue not I good cause to complayne my Lorde that after so many famous victories achieued by sea and lande wherewith I haue renowmed the memorie of my name in all places am nowe bounde and vanquished with an appetite so outragious that I can not helpe my self whereby mine owne lyfe or rather death is consumed in such anguishe and mortall payne that I am become the very mansion of all mischiefes and onely receptacle of all miseries What sufficient excuse for my fault may I henceforth alleage that in the ende will not display it to be both vnprofitable and voyd of Reason But what shall be the buckler of my shame if not my youthly age which pricketh me forwarde to leue lyke a sharpe needle the force whereof I haue so oft repelled that nowe being vanquished I haue no place for reste but in thy mercie who in my fathers dayes diddest liberally spende thy bloud in many notable enterprises in his seruice which afterwardes thou hast so well continued that in many daungerous affayres I haue diuers tymes proued the fidelitie of thy Counsell whereby I haue brought to passe things of great importaunce and therein hitherto neuer founde thée slack and vnfaythfull Which when I remember doe prouoke me to be bolde to declare vnto you mine entent which by your onely worde you may procure the fruite wherof being gotten you shall winne the heart of a King whome you may vse as you list all the dayes of your lyfe And the more the thing shal séeme harde difficult or paynefull the greater your merite shall be and the more firmely shal he be bounde which doth receyue it Consider then my Lorde how profitable it is to haue a king at your commaundement You haue also foure sonnes whom you cannot honorably aduaunce without my fauour swearing vnto you by my regall Scepter that if you comfort me in my troubles I wil endue the thrée yongest with so large possessions that they shall haue no cause to be offended with their eldest brother Remember likewyse what rewardes I haue bestowed vpon them that serue me And if you haue knowen howe liberall I haue bene towardes other thinke then I pray you how bountifully you binde me towardes you vpon whome my life and death dependeth The king ending his sorowfull complaynt stopped by sobbes and sighes helde his peace And the Earle who tenderly loued his prince hearing this pitiful discourse the faythfull witnesse of his inwarde passion and not able to coniecture the occasion was maruellously troubled in himself and without longer aduise ouercome with pitie he made a liberall and very sodayne offer to the king of his lyfe his children and of all that he was able to doe Cōmaunde my soueraigne Lord quod he with wéeping teares what it shall please you to haue me to doe if it be euen to bestowe mine owne lyfe for your sake For by the fayth and foaltie that I doe owe to God and to your grace I sweare that many dayes and yeares paste I haue bounde my selfe inuiolably and all mine abilitie without exception so long as my tongue is able to sturre and my breath shall remayne within this body faythfully and truely to serue your Maiestie not onely for that my dutie bindeth me but if it were for your sake to transgresse and excéede the boundes of mine honor But the good
King coulde be so impudent and vnshamefast as to cōmit to a father a charge so dishonest toward his owne daughter The Earle hauing recited in order the historie past betwéene him and the King sayde thus vnto her Consider you swete daughter myne vnaduised and simple promisse and the vnbrideled minde of an amorous king to whom I made aunswere that intreat you therevnto I was able but force you I could not For this cause deare daughter I doe pray you at this instant for all that you will obey the kings pleasure and thereby to make a present to your father of your honest chastitie so dearely estemed and regarded by you specially that the thing may so secretly be done that the fault be not bruted in the eares of other Neuerthelesse the choyse resteth in you and the key of your honour is in your owne handes and that which I haue sayde vnto you is but to kepe promisse with the King The Countesse all the while that her father thus talked chaunged her colour with a comelye shamefastnesse inflamed with a vertuous disdaine that he which had beholde her then would haue thought her rather some celestial goddesse than a humaine creature And after long silence with an humble grauitie she began thus to make her aunswere Your wordes haue so confounded me and brought me into such admiration my Lorde and right honorable father that if all the partes of my body were conuerted into tongues they coulde not be sufficient worthily to expresse the least part of my sorrowe and vnquietnesse And truely very iustly may I complaine of you for the little estimation you haue of me which am your owne flesh bloud and bone And for the ransome of the fraile and transitorie lyfe which you haue giuen me vpon earth you will for recompence nowe defraude me of mine honour Whereby I do perceyue that not onely all natures lawes be cancelled and mortified in you but which is worsse you doe excéede therein the cruelties of beastes who for all their brutishnesse be not so vnnaturall to doe wrong to their owne yong ones or to offer their fruite to the mercy of another as you haue done yours to the pleasure of a King For notwithstanding the strayght charge and aucthoritie which you haue ouer mée to commaunde me being your right humble very obedient daughter yet you ought to thinke and remember that you haue neuer séene in me any acte motion signe or worde to incite you to moue such dishonest talke And although the king many times with infinite nūber of prayers presentes messages and other such allurements of persuasion hath displayed and vttered all the arte of his minde to seduce and corrupt me yet he was neuer able to receiue other answere of me but that honor was a thousand times dearer vnto me than lyfe which still I meant to kepe secrete from your knowledge euen as I haue done from other of myne alliaunce for feare least you should be induced to commit some trespas or conspire any thing against our king foreseing the straunge accidents which haue chaunced for lyke matters to the ruine of many cities and prouinces But good God my doubt is nothing to purpose sith that your self is the shamelesse Poste of an act to dishonest And to conclude in fewe wordes although that daylie I haue good hope that the king seing me at a point still to conserue my chastitie inuiolable he will giue ouer to pursue me any longer will suffer me hereafter to liue in quiet with mine equals but if so be he so doe continue obstinate in his olde folly I am determined rather to dye than to doe the thing that shall hurt me and pleasure him And for feare that he take from me by force that which of mine owne accorde I wil not graunt following your counsell of two euilles I will choose the leaste thinking it more honorable to distroy and kill my selfe with mine owne handes than to suffer such blot or shame to obscure the glorye of my name being desirous to commit nothing in secrete that sometime hereafter being published may make me ashamed and chaunge colour And where you saye that you haue sworne and gaged your fayth to the king for the assuraunce of your promise it as verye yll done before you did consider what power fathers haue ouer their children which is so well defined by the lawe of God that they be not bounde to their parents in that which is against his diuine commaundements Much lesse may they binde vs to things incestuous and dishonest which specially and strayghtly be inioyned vs not to perfourme if we therevnto be required And it had bene farre more decent and excusable before God if when you made that foolishe promise to the king you had promised him rather to strangle me with your owne hands than to cōsent to let me fall into a fault so abhominable And to th ende I may tel you the last determinacion conclusion of that which I am determined to do by good aduise and immutable counsell thus it is You shall tell the king that I had rather lose my life after that most cruell and shamefull maner that may be deuised than to cōsent to a thing so dishonest hauing of long time fyxed this saying in my minde That honest death doth honor and beautifie the forepasled lyfe The Father hearing the wyse aunswere of the daughter gaue her his blessing in his heart praysing her Codlee minde beseching God to helpe her and to kéepe her vnder his protection and to confirme her in that holye and vertuous determination Then féeling him greatly comforted he repayred to the King to whome he sayde Pleaseth your grace to thintent I might obserue my promise I sweare by the fayth the I doe owe to God and you that I haue done what I can with my daughter disclosing vnto her your whole minde and pleasure and exhorting her to satisfie your request but for a resolute aunswere she sayth that rather she is contented to suffer moste cruell death than to commit a thing so contrary to her honor You knowe sir what I sayde vnto you still that I might entreate her but force her I coulde not Hauing then obeyed your commaundement and accomplished my promise it may please you to giue me leaue to go home to one of my Castles from henceforth to incline my self to quietnesse to ease my decrepite and féeble age Which the king willingly graunted The same day he departed from the Courte with his sonnes and went home to his Countrie leauing at London his wife daughter and the rest of his housholde thinking thereby to discharge himself of things without the kings displeasure The king on the other side was no soner aduertised of the Earles departure and that he had left hys daughter behinde him at London but he knew the fathers minde and purpose and fell in such dispayre of his loue that he was lyke to haue runne out of his wittes for
sorrowe The nightes and dayes were all one to him for he coulde take no reste giuing ouer vse of armes administration of iustice hunting and hauking wherein before that time he had great delight And all his study was many tymes to passe and repasse before the gate of the Countesse to proue if he might attayne to haue some sight of her And things were brought to so pitifull state that within fewe dayes the Citizens and other gentlemen began to perceyue the raging loue of their Prince euery of them with common voice blaming the crueltie of the Countesse that was vnmaried who the more she proued the king inflamed with her loue the more squeymishe she was of her beautie The Peres and noble men seing their king reduced to such extremitie moued with pitie and compassion began secretely to practise for him some with threatnings some with flatteries persuasions some went to the mother declaring vnto her the eternall reste and quiet prepared for her al her friendes if she woulde persuade her daughter to encline to the kings minde and contrarywise the daunger iminent ouer her head But all these deuises were in vaine for the Countesse moued no more than a harde rocke beaten with diuers tempestes Notwithstanding at length seing that euery man spake diuersly as their affections did leade them she was so troubled and penfife in heart that fearing to be taken and that the king vanquished with his strong passion by successiō of time would vse his force and violently oppresse her founde meanes to gette a great sharpe knife which she caryed about her secretly vnder her gowns of purpose that if she sawe her self in peril to be defloured she might kill her selfe The Courtyers offended with the martirdome of their Maister and desirous to gratifie him and to seke meanes to do him pleasure conspired all in general against the Earles familie letting the king to vnderstand that it were most expedient sith that things were out of hope to cause AElips to be brought to his Palace to vse her by force Whervnto the king being dronke in his owne passion did willingly agrée Notwithstanding before he passed any further for that he faythfullye loued the Countesse he determined to aduertise the mother of the Countesse of that whiche he intended to doe and commaunded his Secretarie to goe séeke her with diligence and without concealing any thing from her knowledge to instructe her of the whole The Secretarie finding the mother of the Countesse sayd vnto her Madame the King hath willed me to say vnto you that he hath done what he can and more than his estate requireth to wynne the grace and Loue of your daughter but séeing that she hath despised his prayers disdained his presence and abhorred his griefes and complaintes knowing not what to doe any more his last refuge is in force letting you to vnderstande hereof to the intent that you she may consider what is to be done in this behalfe For he hath determined whether you will or no to fetch her out openly by force to the great dishonour slaunder and infamie of al your kinne And where in time past he hath loued fauored the Earle your husbande he trusteth shortly to make him vnderstande what is the effecte of the iuste Indignation of such a Prince as he is The good Lady hearing this sodaine and cruel message was astōned in such wise that she thought how she saw her daughter already trained by the heares of the head her garments haled and torne in pieces with a rufull and lamentable voyce crying out to him for mercy For this cause with blubbering teares trembling for feare she fell downe at the Secretaries féete straightly imbracing his knées sayd vnto him Maister Secretarie my deare and louing frende Beseche the King in my name to remember the paine and seruice done vnto him by mine Anncestors Intreate him not to dishonour my house in the absence of the Earle my husbande And if you be not able by your persuasion to molifie his harde heart desire him for a while to take pacience vntill I haue aduertised my daughter of his wil and pleasure whome I hope so to persuade that she shall satisfie the kings request When she had made this answere the Secretarie declared the same to the King who madde with anger Loue was contente and neuerthelesse commaunded his gentlemen to be in a readynesse to seke the Countesse In the meane time the mother of faire AElips went to her daughters chamber and after she had commaunded all her maydes which accompanied her to withdrawe themselues out of the chamber she began in fewe wordes to recite vnto her the message done vnto her by the Secretary Finally with sobbing sighes she sayde vnto her The dayes haue bene deare daughter that I haue séene thée to kéepe thy state amonges the chiefest of all the Ladyes of the Realme And I haue counted my selfe happie that euer I did beare thée in my wombe and thought by meanes of thy beautie vertue one day to sée thée to become the ioy and comfort of all thy frendes But now my cogitacions be tourned cleane contrarie thorowe thyne vnluckie fate Now I thinke thée to be borne not only for the vniuersall ruine of all our familie but also which grieueth me most to be an occasion and instrument of my death and the desolation of al thy frends But if thou wilt somewhat moderate thy rigor all this heauinesse shortly shall be tourned into ioy I or our King and soueraigne Lorde is not onely in Loue with thée but for the ardent affection and amitie that he beareth vnto thée is out of his wittes and nowe doth conspire againste vs as thoughe we were Traitors and murderers of our Prince In whose handes as thou knowest doth rest the lyfe honor and goodes both of thy selfe and vs all And what glory and tryumphe shall be reported of thée to our posteritie when they shall knowe that by thy obstinate crueltie thou hast procured the death of thyne olde father the death of thy hore headed mother and the destruction of thy valiant and coragious brethren and dispoyled the rest of thy bloude of their possessions and abilitie But what sorrowe and griefe will it be to sée them wander in the worlde like vagaboundes banished from their liuings and remaine in continuall pouertie without place and refuge in their miserie who in steade of blessing or praysing the houre of thy birth will cursse thée in their mynde a thousande times as the cause of all their ouerthrowe and yll fortune Thinke and consider vpon the same deare daughter for in thée alone consisteth the coseruation of our liues and hope of al our frendes This lamentable discourse ended the afflicted Coūtesse not able any longer to resist that pangue but that her heart began to waxe so faynt that with her armes a crosse she fel downe halfe dead vpon her daughter who seing her without mouing and without any apparaunce of
lyfe and all the partes of her body to ware colde she quickly layde her downe and then with helpe and other things apte for sownings she made her come to her selfe againe and thinking wholy to recouer her she earnestly promised her to do what she would haue her and then sayd vnto her Doe away your teares Madame moderate your selfe a litle from your tormentes reuoke your former ioy and be of good chere for I am disposed to obey you God defende that I shoulde be the cause of the payne whiche I sée you to suffer Nowe I am readye to goe with you to the King where it shall please you we two without other companye will doe oure owne errande and attempte the beginning of our enterpryse The mother full of ioye lifting vp her handes to the heauens tenderly embraced her daughter and many times did kisse her and after she had commaunded her Coche to be made ready she went forth wyth her daughter accompanied onely with two Gentlewomen her Damoselles to the Kings Pallace When they were come thyther they sent worde to the Secretarye that broughte her the message who conducted them to the Kinges chamber and presenting them before the King sayde Syr beholde the company which you haue so long time desired They be come to doe your grace humble reuerence The King gretly astonnied came to mete them and with ioyfull countenāce sayde Welcome Ladie Countesse and your long desired companie But what good fortune conducted you hyther nowe The Countesse hauing made her obeysance yet alfryghted with feare aunswered him Beholde here my Lorde your fayre AElips so long tyme wished for who takyng repentaunce for her former crueltye and rigor is come to render her selfe at your commaundement Then the King beholding the yong Countesse trembling for feare lyke a leafe shaken with the winde with her eyes fixed on the ground approching nere her toke her by the hande and kissing her sayde Welcome my lyfe and soule But she no more moued than a fierce Lyon enuironed with cruell beastes stode still and helde her peace her heart so constrained for sorrowe and dispite that she was not able to aunswere a worde The King who thought that suche passion procéeded of shame commaunded that the gentlewomen that were come in her companie shaulde depart the chamber sauing the mother which brought her to the entrie of the kings chamber Then wythdrawing her selfe backe she left her to the mercy of loue and the King So sone as the King was entred the chamber he shut the dore after him Which AEllps perceyuing began to fele a furious combat betwéene her honor and lyfe fearing to be defloured and seing her abandoned of all humayne succour falling downe prostrate at his fete she sayde vnto him Gracious and redoubted Prince sithe that my heauy fortune hath brought me hither lyke an innocent lambe to the sacrifice and that my parents amazed through your furie as rauishers of me agaynst my will and contrarie to the duetie of their honor haue deliuered me into your handes I humblie beseche your maiestie yf there remayne in your noble personage any sparke of vertue and Princely affection before you passe any further to satisfie your desire to let me proue and vnderstand by effecte if your Loue be such as oftentymes by letters and mouth you haue declared vnto me The request which I will make vnto you shall be but easie and yet shall satisfie me more than al the contentation of the worlde Otherwise sir doe not thinke that so long as my lyfe doth continue I am able to doe any thing that can content your desire And if my sute shall seeme reasonable and grounded vpon equitie before I doe open and declare the same more at large assure the performaunce thereof vnto me by othe The King hearing her prayer to be so reasonable wherevnto rather than to refuse it he swore by his Scepter taking God to witnesse and al the heauenly powers for confirmation of that which he pretended to promise then he sayde vnto her Madame the onely maistresse keper of my louing heart sithe that of your grace and curtesie you haue vouchsafed to come to my Palace to make request of my only fauour and good will which now I irreuocably doe consent and graunt swearing vnto you by that honorable sacrament of Baptisme whereby I was incorporated to the Church of God and for the Loue that I beare you for greater assurance I can not giue I wil not refuse any thing that is in my power and abilitie to the intent you may not be in doubt whether I doe loue you intend hereafter to imploy my self to serue and pleasure you for otherwise I shoulde falsifie my fayth and more feruently I cannot bynd my selfe if I shoulde sweare by all the othes of the worlde The fayre Countesse sitting stil vpon her knées although the King many times prayed her to rise vp reuerently toke the King by the hande saying And I doe kisse this royall hande for loyall testimonie of the fauour which your grace doth shew vnto me Then plucking out a sharpe knife which she had vnder her kirtle all bathed and washed in teares reclining her pitiefull eyes towardes the King that was astonned and appalled with that sight she sayde vnto him Sir the gift that I require and wherfore your faith is bound is this I most humbly desire you that rather than to dispoyle me of myne honor with the sworde girded by your side you wil vouchsafe to ende my lyfe or to suffer me presently with this sharpe poynted knife in my hande to thrust my self to the heart that myne innocent bloude doing my funerall honor may beare witnesse before God of my vndefiled chastity being so resolued honorably to dye and that before I doe lose myne honor I may murder my selfe before you with this blade knife in my hande The king that burned with amorous heate beholding this pitifull spectacle and considering the inuincible constancy chastitie of the Countesse vanquished with remorse of cōscience ioyned with lyke pitie taking her by the hand sayde Rise vp Lady liue frō henceforth assured for I will not ne yet pretend all the dayes of my life to commit any thing in you agaynst your will And plucking the knife out of her hand exclamed This knife hereafter shal be the Pursiuant before God men of this thine expugnable chastitie the force wherof wanton Loue was not able to endure rather yelding place to Uertue which being alienated from me hath made me at one instante victorious ouer my selfe which by and by I will make you to vnderstande to your great contentacion and greater maruell For assuraunce whereof I desire none other thing of you but a chaste kisse Which receyued he opened the dore and caused the Countesse to come in with the Secretarie and the gentlewomen and the same time he caused the Courtiers and Pieres of the Realme which were then in the base Court of the
sonne of the Infant Fortune is brought vp in the courte who is one of the goodliest and moste perfecte yong gentlemen in al christendome And if the mariage doe procede according to our opinion which be her maids he shall be assured to haue Madame Florinda And then shall be ioyned together the goodliest couple in the worlde And you must vnderstande that although they be both very yong she of .xij. yeares of age and he of .xv. yet it is thrée yeares past since their loue first began And if you be disposed aboue other to obtaine her fauour myne aduise is that ye become friende and seruaunt vnto him Amadour was very ioyful to heare tel that his Lady loued some man trusting that in tyme he shoulde wynne the place not of husbande but of seruaunt For he feared nothing of all her vertue but a lacke of disposition to loue And after this communication Amadour bent himself to haunt the society of the sonne of the Infant Fortune whose fauour he sone obtained For all the pastimes which the yong Prince loued Amadour could doe right well And aboue all other he was very cunning in ryding of horsses and in handling all kindes of armes and weapons and in all other pastimes and games méete for a yong Gentleman Warres began in Languedoc and Amadour must néedes retire with the Gouernour to his great sorrowe and griefe For he had there no meane to retourne to the place where he might sée Florinda For which cause he spake to his owne brother which was Stuarde of the King of Spaines householde and declared vnto him what courtesie he had founde in the house of the Countesse of Arande and of the Damosell Auenturade praying him that in his absence he woulde doe his indeuour that the maryage might procéede and that he woulde obtayne for him the credite and good opinion of the King and Quéene and of all his friendes The Gentleman which loued his brother aswell for Natures sake as for his great vertues promised him his trauaile and industrie to the vttermost Which he did in suche wyse that the olde man her father now forgetting other naturall respect began to mark and behold the vertues of Amadour which the Countesse of Arande and speciallye fayre Florinda paynted and set forth vnto him and likewise the yong Earle of Arande which began to growe to yeares and therewithall to loue those that were vertuous giuen to honest exercise And when the mariage was agréed betwéene the parents the sayd Stuarde sent for his brother whilest the truce endured betwéene the two Kings Aboute this tyme the King of Spaine retired to Madric to auoide the euill ayre that was in many places where by the aduise of diuers of his Counsell and and at the request of the Countesse of Arande he made a maryage betwene the yong Duchesse the heyre of Medina Celi and the yong Earle of Arande as well for the vnion of their house as also for the loue he bare to the sayde Countesse And this mariage was celebrated in the castell of Madric whervnto repayred Amadour who so well obtayned his suite that he maried her of whome he was muche better beloued than his small loue towarde her did deserue sauing that it was a couerture and meanes for him to frequent the place where his minde and delight incessantly remayned After he was maried he became so well acquainted and familiar in the house of the Countesse that he was so conuersant amongs the Ladyes as if he had bene a woman And although he was then but .xxij. yeares of age he was so wise and graue that the Countesse imparted vnto him all her affayres commaunding her sonne and daughter to intertayne him and to credite all things wherein he gaue counsell Hauing wonne this great estimation he behaued himselfe so wise and politike that euen she whome he loued knewe no part of his affectiō But by reason of the loue that Florinda bare to the wyfe of Amadour whome she loued more than any other she was so familiar with him that she dissembled no parte of her thought declaring vnto him all the loue that she bare towards the sonne of the Infant Fortune And he that desired nothing more thā throughly to winne her ceassed not from continuance of talke not waying wherof he spake so that he might holde her with long discourse Amadour had not after his maryage continued a moneth in that companye but was constrayned to retire to the warres where he remained more than two yeares without retourne to sée his wyfe who still abode in the place where she was brought vp During this time Amadour wrote many letters vnto his wyfe but the chiefest effect of the same were commendations to Florinda who for her parte fayled not to render like vnto him many tymes writing some preue poesie with her owne hand in the letter of Auenturade Which made her husbande diligent many times to write againe vnto her but in al this doing Florinda knew nothing but that she loued him as if he had bene her brother Many times Amadour went and came but in the space of fiue yeares he neuer saw Florinda two monethes together in the whole time Not withstāding Loue in despite of their distaunce and long absence ceassed not to increase And it chaunced that he made a voyage home to sée his wyfe and founde the Countesse farre from the Court bicause the king of Spaine was gone to Vandelousie and had taken with him the yong Earle of Arande which then began to beare armes The Countesse was retired to a house of pleasure which she had vpon the frontiers of Arragon and Nauarre and was right ioyful when she saw Amadour who almost thre yeres had bene absent He was very well receyued of euery man and the Countesse commaunded that he shoulde be vsed and intreated as her owne sonne During the time that he soiorned with her she communicated vnto him al the affayres of her house and committed the moste parte thereof to his discretion who wanne suche credite in the house that in all places where he list the dores were opened vnto hym Whose wisedome and good behauiour made him to be estemed as though he had bene a Saincte or Aungell Florinda for the loue and good will which she bare vnto his wife and him made much of him in al places wher she sawe him knowing nothing of his intent Wherfore she did not refrayne her selfe or take hede of anye countenaunce for that her hearte as yet felt no passiō but that she felt a great contentacion in her selfe whē she was in the presence of Amadour of any other thing she thought not Amadour to auoide the iudgement of them that haue proued the difference of Louers countenances was very ware and circumspect For when Florinda came to speake vnto him secretely like one that thought no hurt the fier hidden in his brest burned so sore that he coulde not staye the blushing colour of his face nor
to all thinges good and vertuous hoping therby to attayne the fame of a moste perfect Lady to be counted worthy the interteignement of such a seruant Amadour being arriued at Barsalone was banketted of the Ladyes after the olde maner but they finding him so altered and chaunged thought that Mariage coulde neuer haue had such power vpon man as it had ouer him For he séemed then to disdayne those things which sometime he greatly desired and specially the Coūtesse of Palamons whom he dearely loued coulde deuise no meanes to make him goe alone home to his lodging Amadour tarried at Barsalone so little while as he coulde bicause he might not come late to the place where he should winne and achieue honour And being arriued at Saulse great cruell warres was comenced betwene the two kings which I purpose not to recite ne yet the noble enterprises done by Amadour whose fame was bruted aboue the rest of his companions The Duke of Nagyeres arriuing at Parpignon had charge of two thousād men and prayed Amadour to be his Lieutenant who with that band serued so wel that no crie was hearde in all the skirmishes other than Nagyeres It chaūced that the king of Thunis which of long time had warre with the Spaniardes vnderstanding how the kings of Spaine and Fraunce were together by the eares at Parpignon and Narbone thought that in better time he could not anoy the king of Spaine Wherefore he sent a great number of Foysts and other vessels to robbe and destroy those frontiers which were yll guarded kept They of Barsalone séeing a number of Shippes passe before the Towne aduertised the king that was at Saulse who imediatly sent the Duke of Nagyeres to Palamons And when the Shippes perceyued that the place was well guarded they made as thoughe they woulde passe further But aboute midnight they retourned and landed so many men that the Duke of Nagyeres was taken prisoner Amadour which was very vigilant hearing al arme presently assembled so many men as he coulde and defended himselfe so well that the force of his enemies a long time coulde not hurt him But in th ende knowing that the Duke of Nagyeres was taken prisoner and that the Turkes were determined to burne the Citie of Palamons and then to fier the house which he strongly had forced against them he thought it better to render him selfe than to be cause of the losse of so many good souldiors as were in his bande and also by putting himselfe to raūsome he hoped in time to come to sée Florinda Thē he submitted himself to a Turke called Derlyn the gouernor of the king of Thunis who conueyed him home to his maister where he was well enterteigned and better kept For they thought that hauing him in their handes they had gotten the onely Achilles of Spaine In this sorte Amadour continued almost the space of two yeares in the seruice of the king of Thunis Newes came into Spaine of this ouerthrow wherof the friends of the Duke of Nagyeres were very sorrowfull But they that loued the honor of their countrie thought Amadour to be the greatest losse The brute whereof was noysed in the house of the Countesse of Arande where at that tyme the pore Gentlewoman Auenturade lay very sore sicke The Countesse suspecting very muche the affection that Amadour bare vnto her daughter which he suffered and dissembled for his vertues sake called her daughter aside and tolde her the pitious newes Florinda which could well dissemble sayde vnto her that it was a great losse for all their house but specially she pitied the state of his pore wife bicause at that time she was so sore sick But seing her mother wepe so bitterly she let fall some teares to kepe her companie least through to much dissimulation her loue might be discouered After that time the Countesse spake to her many tymes but she could neuer perceyue by her countenaunce any cause of certayne suspicion I will leaue to speake of the voyages the prayers the supplications and fastings whiche Florinda did ordinarily make for the safegard and prosperitie of Amadour who incontinently so sone as he was arriued at Thunis sente newes to his friendes and by a sure messanger aduertized Madame Florinda that he was in good health and hope to retourne Which newes was to the pore Lady the only meanes to releue and ease her sorrow And doubte ye not but the meanes of writing was vtterly debarred from Amadour whereof Florinda acquited her self so dilygently that by her letters and epistles he receyued gret consolation comfort The Countesse of Arande receyued cōmaundement from the King to repaire to Sarragosa where he that tyme was arriued And there she founde the yong Duke of Cardonne making sute to the King and Quéene for mariage of her daughter The Countesse vnwilling to disobey the king agréed thinking that her daughter being very yong had none other affection but that she had When the accord was concluded she sayde vnto her daughter that she had chosen her that match which she thought best worthy to ioyne with her person Her daughter séeing that in a thing already done it was to late to take counsell sayde vnto her that God was to be praysed in all things And séeing her mother so farre alienated from her intent she thought it better to shew her selfe obedient than to take pitie vpon her selfe And to comforte her in that sorow she vnderstode that the Infant Fortune was at the point of death But before her mother or any other person she shewed not so much as one signe or token thereof strayning her selfe so muche that the teares by force retiring to her heart did cause the bloud to issue forth at her nose in such abundance that her lyfe was in present daunger And to recouer her of that dysease she was maried vnto him for whose sake she had rather haue chaunged her lyfe for presente death After the mariage Florinda wente with her husbande into the Duchie of Cardonne and with her Auenturade to whome she secretly made her complaint aswell of her mothers rigor as also of the sorrowe she conceyued for the losse of the sonne of the Infant Fortune But of her griefe for Amadour she spake neuer a worde but by waye of comforting her This yong Lady then determined to haue God and respect of honor before her eyes and so well to dissemble her griefes that none should at any tyme perceyue that she misliked her husbande In this sorte Florinda passed a long tyme liuing a lyfe no lesse pleasant than death The report whereof she sent to her good seruant Amadour who vnderstanding her great loue and well disposed heart and the loue she bare to the Infant Fortune thought that it was impossible she could liue long lamented her state more than his owne This griefe augmented his paine of imprisonment wishing to haue remained a slaue all the dayes of his lyfe so that Florinda had had a
he neuer saw a better in his lyfe You haue reason sayde the king And I beleue that if a gentleman were determined to kill me and did knowe the force of myne armes and the goodnesse of my heart accompanied with this sword he would be twice well aduised before he attempted the enterprise Not withstanding I would accompte him but a cowarde we being alone without witnesses if he did not attempt that which he were disposed to doe The Counte Guillaume with bashfull and astonned countenaunce answered Sir the wickednesse of the enterpâ—ise were very great but the folly in the execucion were no lesse The King with those wordes fell in a laughter and put the sworde into the skaberd againe And hearing that the chase drew nere him he made to the same so fast as he could when he was come thether he sayde nothing of that which had passed betwéene him and the Counte verely thought that Counte Guillaume althoughe that he was so strong and stoute a gentleman as was in that tyme yet he was no man to doe so great an enterprise But the CouÌ„te Guillaume fearing to be bewraied or suspected of the facte next day morning repayred to Robertet the Secretarie of the Kings reuenewes and sayd that he had well wayed the giftes and annuities which the king woulde giue him to tarrie but he perceyued that they were not sufficient to interteigne him for halfe a yere that if it pleased not the king to double the same he should be forced to depart praying the sayd Robertet to knowe his graces pleasure so sone as he coulde who sayde vnto him that he himselfe coulde without further commission coulde disbirsse no more vnto him but gladlie whithout further delaie he would presentlye repayre to the king which he did more willingly bicause he had séene the aduertisements of the Gouernor aforesayde And so sone as the king was awake he declared the matter vnto him in the presence of MoÌ„sier Trimouille and Monsier Bouiuet Lord Admirall who were vtterly ignorant of that which the king had done To whom the king sayd Loe ye haue bene miscontented for that I woulde not put away the Counte Guillaume but now ye sée he putteth away himselfe Wherefore Robertet tell him that if he be not conteÌ„t with the state which he receyued at his first entrie into my seruice wherof many GeÌ„tlemen of good houses would think themselues happy it is mete that he seke his better fortune and tell him that I woulde be loth to hinder him but wil be very well contented that he seke where he may liue better accordingly as he deserueth Robertet was so diligent to beare this aunswere to the Counte as he was to present his sute to the king The Counte sayde that with his licence he woulde gladly goe forthwith And like one that feare forced to departe was not able to beare his abode .xxiiij. houres And as the King was sitting downe to dinner fayning to be sorye for his departure but that necessitie compelled him to lose his preseÌ„ce he toke his leaue He went likewise to take leaue of the kings mother which she gaue him with so great ioye as she did receyue him being her nere kinsman friende Then he went into his Countrie And the king séeing his mother and seruants astoned at that his sodayne departure declared vnto them the Al Arme which he had giuen him saying that although he was innoceÌ„t of the matter suspected so was his feare great ynough to depart from a maister with whose condicions hitherto he was not acquainted A straunge punishment A punishment more rigorous than death of a husband towarde his wyfe that had committed adultery The Lvj. Nouell KIng Charles of Fraunce the .viij. of that name sent into Germany a Gentleman called Bernage Lorde of Cyure besides Amboise Who to make spéede spared neyther day nor night for execution of his Princes commaundement In such wise that very late in an euening he arriued at the castle of a Gentleman to demaunde lodging which very hardly he obtayned Howbeit wheÌ„ the gentleman vnderstode that he was the seruaunt of such a king he prayed him not to take in ill part the rudenesse of his seruaunts bicause vpon occasion of certaine his wiues friendes that loued him not he was forced to kepe his house so straight At what tyme Bernage told him the cause of his iourney wherein the Gentleman offered to doe to the King his Maister al seruice possible Leading him into his house where he was feasted lodged very honorably When supper was ready the Gentleman conueyed him into a parler well hanged with fayre Tapistrie And when the meate was set vpon the table he perceyued a woman comming forth behinde the hanging which was so beautifull as might be sene sauing that her heade was all shauen and apparelled in Almaine blacke After both the Gentlemen had washed water was brought to the gentlewoman who when she had washed she sat downe at the table without speaking to any man or any word spokeÌ„ vnto her The Lord Bernage beholding her wel thought her to be one of the fayrest Ladies that euer he sawe if her face had not bene so pale her countenaunce so sad After she had eaten a little she called for drink which one of the seruants brought vnto her in a straunge cup. For it was the head of a dead man trimmed with siluer Whereof she drancke twice or thrice When she had supped and washed her handes making a reuerence to the Lorde of the house she retourned behinde the hangings without speaking any worde Bernage was so muche amazed at that strauÌ„ge sight that he waxed very heauie and sad The gentleman that marked him sayd vnto him I sée wel that you be astonned at that you saw at the table But seing your hnoest demeanor I wil not kepe the thing secret froÌ„ you bicause you shall not note that crueltie to be done without gret occasion This gentlewoman which you sée is my wife whome I loued bettter than any gentleman could loue his wife In such sort that to marry her I forgat all feare and brought her hither in dispite of her parents She likewise shewed vnto me such signes of loue that I attempted a thousand wayes to place her here for her ioy and myne where we liued a long tyme in suche rest and contentation that I thought my selfe the happiest Gentleman in Christendome But in a iourney which I made which to attempt mine honor forced me she forgot both her selfe her conscience and the loue which she bare towardes me and fell in loue with a Gentleman that I brought vp in this house which vpon my returne I perceyued to be true Notwithstanding the loue that I bare her was so great that I had no mistrust in her til such tyme as experience did open myne eyes and saw the thing that I feared more than death For which cause loue was tourned into furie and dispaire in suche wise that I