is no such thing and â—hat is worsse the more that the Lady or damsell the whiche is loued be of a good house and of great merite so much the more ye do glory wherby men know that not only ye beare them affection but that ye are loued and that she beareth you good wil aboue al other the which is very contrarie to the nature of womeÌ„ I meane of such as may name themselues wise for why the higher that the pareÌ„ts be the more feare they haue that meÌ„ should perceiue their amorous passions and in such sort that ordinarily they denie with word gesture and countenance the thing that they haue most printed in their hart and mind And not without cause considering that the thing which ye turne to prayse as ye think that your loue is made manifest doth bring vnto them and their honor a certayne spot the which oftentimes they cannot well deface So then it is more than necessarie to obserue this modestie and constancie in vs not that I will restrayne my selfe to this law seing that all my glory and felicitie doth hang and dependâ— vpoÌ„ you and so that I desire no greater thing in this worldâ— than that the loue and seruice that I beare vnto you were published euery where to the intent that they which shall haue knowledge of your great valure and of my litle merit may know euen then what is in me to be yours as I am Thus my Lord if séemeth to me that ye should take in good part and greatly to your aduantage the purpose that Gastilles hath written vnto you that ye were bound to my Lady Leonorina and in the presence of the Emperour for I answer you vpon my honour that both your affections are reciprokes and that she hath spoken very wisely vsing suche dissimulation I say not but that she had some occasion to be miscontented considering and seing the wordes which I at other times haue brought hir from you but that is easely amended And if the amitie loue that she so long hath borne you should be vtterly broken as I thinke it be not nother more nor lesse than a bowe that is broken péeced together agayne the whiche is more stronger in the place that it is mended in than in any other so you being present and in hir company shall bring togither and amend that ye shall finde broken and shall make hir to be much more yours than euer she was And therefore I would counsell you that obeying hir ye goe vnto hir and eueÌ„ to morow if it be possible A letter from Armato the king of the Turkes to all the princes of the Orient commaunding them to bring togither their force and strength to chase the Christians out of his limits and to conquer the Empire of Constantinople In the .5 booke the .45 Chapter ARmato called by the prescience of our gods immortall â—o the gouernmeÌ„t and rule of the great kingdome of Turkie Frontier and bulwarke of the Paganes lawe to all hys Califfes Kings Sondans Admirals and gouernoures of the lands that are in the parts of the Orient gréeting At my retourning out of prison whereof we are now deliuered I thought it good to giue you knowlege that not long since ther is come out of the North countrey as men say into these coastes a knight of the line of Brutus the Troyane vnto whome our gods haue permitted for our vnrighteousnesse as it is very like to conquere the mountaine defended putting to death Matroco and Furion two knightes estéemed among the best of all the Orient And that they do that is far worse dayly increase the number of Christians and labour to exterminate and destroy our holy law To withstaÌ„d this we haue taken armes vpon vs and prepared a strong and a puissaÌ„t armie thinking at the least to driue them out of our limites But yet after that we had kept a long siege before the mountaine Defended and had brought it to such extremitie that they which were within had no more vitailes he of whome we doubted most and the firste that enterprised this warre found a meane by the fauoure of a vile palliard one of ours called Frandalo to enter in and by cautell and subtiltie to take vs in such sort that our armie was destroyed and we remayned as prisoners in their handes where they kept vs for the space of a whole yeare most strayghtly during the same our affayres fell from ill to worse so by treson craftinesse they be in possessioÌ„ of Alfarin and of Galatia two of the best hauens of our realme The which they should neuer haue done without the help succour of that traytor vnfaithful Emperour of Constantinople And now they gather so much people that without your ayde we be in danger to fall into their mercie a thing that shall be of greate consequence seing that we be as ye know the frontier and rampier of you all Therefore we praye you and admonishe you in our Gods that as well for the defence of our Lawe as for the vtilitie of all the countrey of the East ye assemble your strength in so greate a number that we maye chase and driue awaye these Christians from our borders and conquer the Empire of Constantinople vnto the partes of Fraunce and Englande the which shall be vnto vs easy and profitable Esplandians letter to the Emperour of Rome shewing hym of the great armie of the infidell potestates sent and prepared to destroy the Christians and that for this cause he must giue help to a thing of so great importance In the same booke the 47. Chapter MY Lord the danger that I sâ—e prepared for all christendome doth coÌ„strayn me to send Enil vnto you by whom ye may vnderstand at length the greate streÌ„gth and puissant armie that all the kings and potentates of the East the enimies of our fayth haue prepared at the persuasion of Armato king of Turkie to come to destroy not onely the Empire of Greece but to presse further vntill they haue cleane extermined and quenched our fayth and beléefe And for asmuch as they whose place and roome ye hold haue bin euermore the true defenders and protectors of our Religion and also bycause the case doth touch you so nigh I thinke my Lorde that ye shoulde spare nothing that is in your might and power but assemble your fores in all extremitie and prepare your vassals to help that good prince the which is the borderer as ye know to you and to all the potentates that hold of the law of Iesu Christ. I haue written likewise to the king my father and to the moste parte of all other Christian Lordes vnto whome I sende Gandalin And bycause I haue charged Enil to shewe you the rest I wyll sende you no longer letter but praye you to beléeue hym as my selfe An iniurious letter of Rodrigue the great Soudan of Liquie to the knight of the great SerpeÌ„t threatning him for his enterprise
Therefore my friendes let vs stoutly goe forwardes hauing no regarde of any cruell Gyant and full of bloude the whiche are of theyr companie For a man is not the more estéemed bycause of his rude and greate members but for his good heart and courage You sée that oftentimes the Hare dothe ouerleape the Oxe and a Sparow Hauke or a Merline to to beate and to ouercome a Kyte Our enimies do put their trust in the face of these monsters hauing no regarde of the wrong that they haue and doe vs and we truste that God the which is a doer of right will giue vs force and strength to ouercome them through the dexteritie of our persons and diligence that we shall shewe and doe Therefore my friends let vs stoutly go forwardes thinking that euery one of vs euen of himselfe is sufficient and able to fyght and to destroy the moste braue of all their companie assuring you that if we this day winne the honor of the battell besides our renoume and glory that shall compasse the vniuersall worlde there shall neuer enimie of England lift vp his head with an euill eye to looke vpon vs. King Cildadans Oration to his Host to be corageous to defend their libertie In the second booke the .16 Chapter GEntle Knightes of Irelande if ye perceyue why and wherefore you go to fight there shall not be one of you al that shall not blame his predecessor that hath so long delayd the beginning of so glorious an enterprise The Kinges of England vsurpers tyrants not only against their subiects but vpon their neighbors haue taken in times past without any right vpon our auncestours a tribute the which you knowe very well they haue payde oftentimes and for this cause we are come into this place to defend our libertie the whiche can not be payde nor recompensed with no treasure This is your déede and the right not of you onely but of your children the which vnto this time haue ben holden and reputed by them whome you sée and are purposed to make you bondmen and slaues Will you then liue alwayes in this sorte will you continue the yoke for your successors are you of a lesse and weaker heart and courage than youre neyghboures Ah if we be victorious they will restore that they haue of ours I am fast and sure that fortune doth fauor vs For you see the honest men that are come to ayde and to succour vs Knowing our good right and title let vs thruste in among them gentle Knightes for I sée already that King Lisuard and his companie are in doubt to turne their backes vnto vs they be as they say aâ—customed to winne but we shall learne them to custome themselues to be woonne Of one thing I will aduertise you that is that euery man ayde and helpe his companion keeping your selues as strayght and as close togither as may be possible An exhortation of Mabile to Orian the which was not content In the .2 booke the .7 Chapter MAdame I maruell at you and of your maner of doing for as soone as you are gone and deliuered of one enuy and tribulation a newe doth solicite youâ— and you should as me thinketh take better héede what you speake and say of my cousin not persuading yourself that he hath holden or had this purpose or any other to trouble you considering that you may be assured that he neuer thought to offend you in word thought nor déede And the prowesse and noble actes that he hathe done as well in your presence as in your absence might haue borne you sufficient witnesse But I sée well inough what it is you make me beléeue and to thinke that you being wery of my companie will driue me away vnder the colour that my cousin is to much youres abusing your selfe of the seruice that he dothe and heareth vnto you But yet when you haue lost me it shall be but a small matter prouiding that your Amadis I may well say be not the worsse entreated For you knowe well and I also that the least notice that he shall haue of your trouble shall be sufficient and inough to cause him to die so that I maruel what pleasure you take to torment him so ofteÌ„ doing for you that is possible to be done for any other Lady aliue Consider you not that after that Apolidon would that the proofe of the chaÌ„ber forbidden was common to all the worlde that it shoulde not stande with reason for my cousin kéeping Briolanie to do as other do Truely I beléeue that neyther she nor you are yet â—ayre inough to obtaine and â— in that which all the fayre women that haue bene since a hundred yeare hitherto could haue or obtaine Therefore I may well assure me that this newe ielosie procéedeth not of any fault that he hathe made you the which doth not thinke but to obey you but his misfortune hath alreadie so ruled him that to please you he hath not forgotten himself but setting by none estate but by you hathe entierly disdayned all his linage and hathe estéemed them as strangers not knowing them nor no other but you whom he doth reuerence as a God and yet you will vtterly lose him Ah ah the dangers and euident perils in the which he and his haue bene oftentimes for the loue of you as well against Archelaus as in this last battell are now very yll recognised séeing that in the satisfaction of them you desire the destruction of the head and principall of my parents Is this the goodnesse the recognising of the seruices that I haue done you are these the first â—ruites of the hope that I had in you Certes I am now very farre off from the thing that I hoped and breathed for seing before my eyes the ruine and destruction of him conspyred whome I loue best in this worlde the whiche is more yours than his owne But yet if it please God it shall not be so nor no suche inconuenience shall approch me so nigh Certes to morow I will pray my brother Agreus and my vncle Galuanes to conduct me into Scotland the which will do so much for me as to bring me from your companie that is so vnthankefull Then she disposed hir to wéepe so greatly that it séemed she should melte into teares Alas sayde she I pray God that the cruelnesse you doe and shewe to your Amadis may turne to vengeance vpon you to satisfie al his kindred the which shall not lose so much losing him as you alone and againe that this may be the greatest misfortune that may happen and chaunce vnto vs. Orians answer to the foresayd Mabile excusing hir of the thing that they accused hir of In the .2 booke the .17 Chapter AH ah poore vnfortunate woman among all that be most desolate and heauie who would euer haue thought that this thing might haue fame at any time into your hart that you haue now opened vnto me Alas I opened my selfe
to complaine you of my father for if he haue receiued any goodnesse of you it was for my loue and fauor only and by my commaundement and not for his loue for I alone caused you to come and soiorne in his company And so it is not in him to recompence you but in me whose ye are It is very true that he coÌ„tinually hath thought the coÌ„trary the which doth greatly blame you that ye answered him so vndiscretely And againe bicause your departure being constrained is to me the most grieuous thing that might chance vnto me yet I am content to satisfye my selfe and to obey reason more than delight and pleasure the which I haue by your presence Therefore my friend I will that that pleaseth you bycause I am well assured that to what place so euer ye shall resort your hart that which is mine shall remaine with me for a gage of the power that ye haue giuen me ouer you and it also that my father léesâ—ng you shall knowe by those few that shall be left him the thing that he hath lost in you Amadis answer and replication taking his leaue of Oriane In the same Chapter MAdame said Amadis the goodnesse that ye do vnto me is so great that I estéeme it no lesse than the redemption of my proper life for ye know that euery man of vertue ought to haue hys honor in suche estimation that he should prefer it aboue his owne life Thus Madame seing it is of force the I to coÌ„serue it must go far from you do so much yet if it please you for me as during my absence to send me as oftentimes as ye may newes of you and continually to kéepe me in your grace and fauor as he the which was neuer borne but to obey and to serue you Amadis Oration to his companions declaring vnto them the causes of his departing from the king In the selfesame Chapter MY Lordes bicause men haue wrongfully blamed the Lord Galuanes Agraies my selfe and some other that are here present to leaue and forsake the kings seruice as they and I haue appointed we thought it méete and good to cause you to vnderstand what the occasion is I beléeue that thers is not one of this company that doth not perceiue whether that since our comming into England the authoritie of this prince be augmented or diminished therefore without consuming of time in rehersing the seruices that we haue done for him for the which we had hope to haue had wyth thanks good and great recompence I wil declare brâ—â—fly vnto you whaâ— ingratitude be vseth against vs in suche wise that as mutable incoÌ„stant fortune doth oftentimes turne vpsidowne all things so he hath changed his conditions eyther by euil counsel that he hath receiued or by some light occasion that we knowe not So muche there is that the Lorde Galuanes required vs to moue vnto him it is not yet eyght or tenne dayes agoe the prouision for the mariage of hym and of Madasime and in so doing to cause hym to enioy hir landes with this charge to hold them in fée and homage of hym and of his crowne the which thyng we promised him to do By the meanes wherof assoone as it was profitable for me to go I and other of thys company haue bene with him to make this request but without hauing any regard eyther of vs that spake or of him for whome we labored the which is as euery man doth know the king of Scotlands brother a wise and asmuch as is possible a hardy knight the which euen of late against king Cildadan hath not spared his life but hath done his dutie as much as any that came thither he hath refused vs and burdened vs with iniurie nothing conuenient nor méete for such a king And yet at the first we cared not for it vntill he sayde vnto vs all when we made certayne demonstrations vnto him that we shoulde search in some other place those that knew vs or that did more for vs than â—e and that the world was great and wide ynough to do this thing without troubling of him Thus my companions séeing that we being in his seruice haue always obeyed him so as concerning my selfe I am very well content in this case not to fayle but to depart out of hys countrey But yet bycause this leaue as I do thinke touched not me only nor those that he spake vnto but to all other the whyche are not his vassalles I thought it méete to cause you to vnderstande the matter to the intent ye might thinke vpon the thinges that were to come The Oration of Angriote of Estrauaux to drawe the other to leaue as Amadis did the kings house In the same Chapter MY lords it is not yet loÌ„g ago since I knew the king and for the little knowledge that I haue had of him I neuer saw a wiser vertuouser or a more temperate Prince than he in al affaires And therfore I am in doubt that the communicatioÌ„ which he hath had with Amadis and his Lordes that wer present came not of his own fansie but that he was induced to do it by som enuious euil person that hath persuaded him to be miscontent with them And bycause I haue séene within these nyne or tenne dayes Gandandel and Broquadan speake oftentimes vnto him and that he listened vnto them more than to any other I doubt that these are they that haue â—rued this matter for I haue knowne them of long time for the moste enuious of all the world Therefore I haue euen to day taken deliberation to fight against them and to maintaine that falsly and mischieuously they haue set the Kyng Amadis at debate if they will excuse them bycause of their age they haue eache of them a sonne that of long time haue worne harneys with whome I my selfe will fight if they be hardy and bold to cloke the treasoÌ„ of their naughtie fathers Amadis Oration to King Lisuard whereby he leaueth his seruice In the .2 booke the .21 Chapter SYr if I in any thing haue made you a fault God and you be witnesses assuring you that although the seruices that I haue done you haue bene small the will that I haue had to acknowledge the goodnesse and honor the which it hath pleased you to shewe me hath bene great in all extremitie You sayde vnto me that I should go and search in the world who knowe me better than you giuing me sufficiently inough to vnderstand the little enuie that doth let you that I dwell no more in your court But séeing it hath so pleased you to coÌ„maund me it is reason that I obey you not that I will depart from you as from my souereine for I was neuer your vassall nor of no other Prince but of God only but I take my leaue of you as of him that hath done me much good and honor vnto whom I beare my loue and a desire to serue
the gentle bastardes chéered of the father the which was so long vnknowen Thus came all these Lordes and Ladies into oure companie also the Princesse Oriana that was met withall vpon the sea and by a strange aduenture deliuered They honoured me for this presente Embassade There resteth nowe that I must returne vnto them to deliuer them into your handes to verifie my worde withall Phalanges dothe require of the Lordes and Ladyes beyng in Constantinople that Alastraxeree whome he hath loued long may be gyuen him in mariage In the tenth booke the 57â— Chapter RIght high mightie Lords the boldnesse of my thoughts the which heretofore haue ben giueÌ„ to a presumptuous diuinitie doth not abase hir wings knowing it to be turned into humaine linage exalted by heroike noble vertue aboue mortal fragilitie Also I faint not to attempt hir as before by the meanes of the aide that I newly finde in your maiesties by the reknowledging of hir kindred vnto whoÌ„ I haue long since vowed my heart my honour and my goods The which if ye iudge that I neuer deserued nothing of you and if ye estéeme not to much vnworthy to haue hir is the gentle Princesse Alastraxeree whom I require to my true and loyall spouse first suÌ„moning in this case the Prince Florisel to quite him towardes me for the duetie of mutuall loue giuing me like comfort and succor as he hath receiued of me as he well knoweth in his affaires A letter of credence of the Princesse Arlande In the .10 booke the .58 Chapter ARlande of Thrace disherited of hir landes bicause she made him heritor of hir hearte that had the propertie of hir libertie so greatly alienated that she can accept no part in his to Florisel of Niquea Prince of Fraunce Englande Apolonia and Rhodes salutatioÌ„ Fortune hath in such wise conspired against me that she hath giuen me no other ynke to write withal but bloud nor no other messenger but a childe nor hath sent me no succour but against the sonne of my mortall enemie for my brothers sake and yet more than this mortall enimie bicause I cannot be my owne friende Loke vpon me ye ladies that doe complaine you of the light turnes of hir customable inconstancie and take an example to hope in desperation She hath not left me as much as my surname the whiche I haue borowed bicause I would not too much astonishe you in the firste sight of the superscription of my letter missiue or in the salutation the whiche shée maie yll sende that hathe of long time hir heart captiue and afflicted as ye well knowe and not long since the body in prison I haue no great leisure with my hande to send my complaintes when that with my mouth I cannot cause them to be vnderstranded Praying you for the rest on my part to beleue this Damsell as reason would on your behalfe â—lorarâ—am doth count to Florisell of Niquea and to the other nobles being at Constantinople the cause of his comming and the imprisonment of the princesse of Thrace In the .10 booke the .58 Chapter MY Lorde the case is this In the time that my Lady had left you in the Isle of Rhodes and was at hir returning in my masters the kings Court she founde there the Duke Madasanill the tyrant of the next Ilandes a fierce Giant great and maruellous mightie accompanied with foure hundred of his cousins like vnto himselfe all they being issued of the linage of Furius Cornelius calling themselues the reuengers of his bloud This Duke required of the king a wife vnder the conditions of the vengeance that be vndertooke vpon Prince Amadis of Gâ—eâ—e for whome I was nourished and instructed if the obligation that came afterwardes had not defaced this cruell enmitie by the meanes of the succour that the Prince gaue him in his extreme businesse whom I loued and honoured and yet knew him not and was desirous with all my heart to serue him But the king perceyuing the newe reconciliation of my Ladie with him that had slaine his brother he deliuered hir quickly into the Dukes handes commaunding him to marrie hir He was euen then readie with the Duchesse Arhide whom he reteyned to come to your marriage Then hearing she should be sent to such other she answered the king beléeue not my Lorde that the trespasse and fault that I haue done to my highnesse in that I could not resist the strength of the loue of the sonne now I make it to the father assuring you that I will neuer haue other husbande than the sonne nor no greater enimie than him that shall purchase euill to the father vnto whome I haue sworne and giuen my fayth of peace and concorde The king was so irrited and chafed with hir answere that euen vpon the fielde he did disherite hir and caused an othe to be giuen to Madasanill the Prince of Thrace setting my Ladie in his power to lodge hir incontinently in the fortresse of the lake of foure pauements the which as men doe estéeme is one of the strongest places of the worlde So he gaue him the charge of hir and of the foure Pauementes to the Giantes his cousins commaunding them to keepe hir in prison a whole yeare if she applyed not hir will vnto him The which if she did not within the terme appoynted he woulde that hir head should be smitten off for the appoyntment that shée had made of his brother The fierce villaine fayled not to fulfill this ordenance moste diligently leading my Ladie wéeping and sobbing to the Castell where he enclosed hir alone with hir cousin Arlinda deliuering the keyes of the prison to a great and a vile Iayler reseruing the comming into the selfe same Castell to himselfe his cousins being established in the foure Pauements the which cause all those to sweare that come thither to be at the vengeance of the death of Furio if not that he will thrust them into déepe and cruell prisons At night they shutte in the Gates of their Pauements and by Caues made vnder the grounde they returne to the Castell béeing distant from the Laake two shottes of a Crossebowe of the which the Duke himselfe doth open and sparre the Gates Well I followed themâ— into the Castell where they suffered me â—o walke at my case but I enforced through sorrowe to sée hir in such estate not knowing howe to remedie it One day she putting out hir head at a little lattis window saw me beneath and sayde vnto me Florarlan prepare thy selfe by some meanes that thou mayst speake vnto me Incontinent I went vp leauing the Duke beneath with his men and I prayed Bocarell the Iayler to shewe me so much fauour as to let me speake a little to my Ladie the Princesse the whiche answered me that if I spake any more vnto him he woulde cast me from the height of the wall Oribaulde quoth I to him if I were weaponed as thou art I shoulde brydle thy snoute well ynough
to giue him leysure to come finde vs here I haue bene euer of this minde if the rest of you my Lordes and good friendes will the same for by this meanes he perceiuing that we aproche so nigh vnto him will chaunge pâ—raduenture his opinion and shall require vs to doe the thing that we in times past most humbly desired him The Oration of Guillan the pensife to the Emperor of Rome in the name of King Lisuard declaring vnto him the taking of his meÌ„ and of the lady Oriane that therâ—ore he is purposed to make warre against the knights of the Isle inclosed and that it would please him therefore to ayde him In the fourth booke the .13 Chapter SYr sayde Guillan King Lisuard my maister doth sende yâ—a word that for to haue your amitie and perpetuall aliance he was well content following the request that ye caused to be made vnto him by your Ambassadors to marrie the lady Oriane his eldest daughter and principall inherit or vnto you and in déede after many difficulties auoyded among the princes Lordes and subiectes of his Realme he deliuered her into the hands of those that haue power by you to receiue hirâ— but it chaunced that Amadis of Fraunce and other his mates with a certaine number of shippes spied them and in suche sort assailed theÌ„ in a straite that after they had â—ought a lonâ— space the Prince Salust Quide was slaine and all the rest of your men were ledde as prisoners into the inclosed Ilande where that as yet my lady Oriane is detained the Quéene Sardamire and other that were in this company But yet afteewardes thinking to pacifiâ— the faulte that they had done they sent Ambassadours to his Maiesâ—ie offering him many good partes and offers the which he woulde not receiue before he vnderstoode your wil and pleasure for as much as the iniurie that they haue done him doth touche you as much or more than him And therefore he hath commaunded me to shewe you that if ye be minded to take vengeance on them that he will bring a great armie into the fielde if ye of your part will doe the like being assured that if your strength be once ioyned you and he shall easely bring them to suche a point and reason as ye shall thinke good The Oration of King Lisuard to the Romanes setting before theyr eyes the great wrong done vnto theyr companions and that they shoulde therefore seeke to be reuenged against their enimyes and not to lease theyr courage in so iust a quarrell In the .4 booke the .19 Chapter MY masters and great friends ye haue sene and proued in these two méetings how that fortune hath shewed hir selfe our enimie in suche wise that in giuing vs the worsâ— shée hath triumphed by the death of my good brother the Emperour your maister and of many other valiant knightes the woyche in effect reuenging them vpon theyr â—nimyes woulde haue come to the thing that they become vnto â— bycause that this was the fayrest experience that they coulde doe by their vertue and strength to obtayne the glory whervnto they breathed And to come therevnto they thought it lesse than nothing to put their lyues in ioperdie and that it â—â—s muche better to dye valianâ—ly defending themselues than goyng backe to escape And bycause they woulde fall into no suche dishonour and shame they had rathâ—r throughe great magnanimitie of courage to endure and suffer fortune than to obey feare not bicause I wyll in alâ—â— thing reâ—â—ke those that scaped knowing the great diligence that they puâ— themselues to but to pray you â—ll that preferring your honour aboue the heauinesse that ye maye haue of the losse of your companions yâ— will assaye the truce fayling to reauenge them fighting strongly with them that are too prouide of their viâ—orie I am of this mynd that we shall put our selues in lâ—sse daungers and lesse â—azaâ—de our selues tyll wâ— may haue vpon themâ— that they haue had vpon vs nor that to haue lesse courage to assayle them or to defende vs if fortune doe continue to diffaine â—s consideryng that if we all die that it shall be vnto vs an immortall glorie and one Sepulchre the most honorable that wée can wyshe for or desire for all the earth in generall is the verye place where the bodyes of noble and couragious men shoulâ—e bée layde whose memorie is not conserued and kepte onely by Epitaphes and inscriptions but by the renoume of those that publishe themselues among strange nations that consider more in theyr mindes the greatnesse and heygth of courages than the thing that fortuned vnto them considering that cowardnesse accompanyed wyth shame is more grieuous and diâ—pleasant to a man that hath a good and an entire harte than the death that chauncâ—th by manfulnesse with the hope of publike glorie That thing my great friends maketh me beleue that ye not degeneratyng from your predecessors shall doe that â—hâ— worldâ— may knowe the great vertue and constancie that is in you and that in tho deathe of your Prince all yours â— not ioyned and contained Therefore I pray you to tell â—e the deliberation where to ye intrude to the intent that I following your resolution may take counsell on my part to set in order the thing that shal be necessarie assuring you by tâ—â— worde of a King that if I should die a thousande deathesâ— I will not departe from hence vntill I haue an ende of my enimyes or they of me Nascian the hermites Oration to King Lisuard aduertising him that he is not so nyghe him without a great cause and occasion and furthermore he sheweth him that he shoulde not goe aboute to marie his daughter Oriane to the Emperour bycause she is ioyned to another and giueth him the reason why And by this meanes he entendeth to turne him from the enterprise of warre In the .4 booke the .19 Chapter SYr ye haue good cause and reason so to thinke for certainly my great age and estate where vnto it hath pleased the Lorde to haue called me long since doth well excuse me to be among this bloudy people yet considering the euill that myghte haue happened if I had deferred my enterprise I haue not feared to trauell my body trusting to doe agreable seruice to God and healthfull to your soule Understande syrâ— that beyng a fewe dayes since in the hermitage wheâ—e by chaunce I wayted for you and when you and I communed togethen of the strange nouriture of Esplandian I then knewe the occasion of the warre that ye haue begonne agaynst Amadis and hys and neuerthelesse I am sure that ye can not doe nor perfourme the thyng that ye haue enterprised that is to marrie my Ladie your daughter to the Emperour of Rome for the whyche too manye yll chances are alreadie chaunced not onely bycause they are not agréeable as well to the greatest as to the leaste of your Realme as oftentymes they haue caused it to
be told you but for another reason syr the whych was hyd from you and manyfesâ— to mée agaynst the which by the law of God ye cannot say the contrarie That is how that my lady Oriane is already ioyned in mariage to another wherwith our Lorde hath béen wel conteÌ„ted it was his pleasure it should be so Syr this is it why I saide vnto you that the thing whyche was hid from you was manifest to me as I shall euen now declare vnto you for ye cannot knowe it of any other â—ut by me Syr the selfe same day that I by your commaundement was to séeke you in the forest where to giue the longer pleasure of hunting to the Ladies that were there with you ye caused your pauilions and tentes to be spred and set vp I brought vnto you I know not whether ye remember it the yoÌ„g Esplandian the which ye represented to the Lionesse that had giuen him sucke euen from the beginning and on the selfe same day I heard my lady Orians confession wherein she declared vnto me that she had promised Amadis to marie him when he deliuered hir from the handes of Arcalaus the enchaunter vnto whom ye had deliuered hir a little before that the Damsell by whom ye were enchaunted set you your estate in more danger thaÌ„ was possible froÌ„ the which Galaoâ— retired and deliuered you And beléeue syr that it is verye like that our Lorde God hath consented to this mariage for why EsplandiaÌ„ is come forth of whom Vrgande the vnknowâ— hath told so many maruels the which ye know And therfore ye ought not to be displeased séeing that Amadis is a Kingâ— sonne and estemed in al places one of the best and most gracious knightes of the worlde wherefore syr I counsell you shewing your selfe such as ye haue bene alwayes to saue the honor and conscieÌ„ce of my lady your daughter and that making an ende of this warre ye call hir againe and entreate hir from henceforth â—s reason would ye should thus doyngâ— the Lorde will be contented wyth you the which otherwyse may be angrye for the effusion of so muche humaine bloude the which ye hitherto caused to be shed without any occasion The Oration of Nascian the heâ—mit to Amadis wherein he admonisheth him to put al his affaires to God by whose meanes he hath auoyded so many daungers and euident periâ— and that he as much as he might should seeke for peace of King Lisuard In the .4 booke the .19 Chapter MY sonne before ye shall vnderstand perceiue the cause that hathe moued me to come and see you I will set before your eyes the great obligations for the which ye are indâ—tted to our Lord that from hencefoorth ye may be the more inclined to do the things that may be agreable and pleasante vnto him I beléeue ye haue oftentimes heard and assured it that from the first day that ye were borne ye were deliuered to the waters of the Sea and set in a little bote without any other defender or kéeper than God by whose goodnesse ye fell into the hands of such as afterwards haue so eleuated you that ye are come to be the most accomplished knighte that men do know at this present for why the Lord hath giueÌ„ you the power and force to fyght and to ouercome diuers Gyants monsters Tyrantes and very cruell beastes whereby your renoume is extended in all quarters of the earth And seing he hath prouided you of so great grace it is reason that ye should know him as the soueraigne Lord and to take payne to giue him thanks humbling your selfe before his face or else all his fauors that he hath lent you shall turne to your shame and rebuke My sonne ye may sée howe old and how caduke I am so that nature doth almost fayle me and yet I feare not to take vpon me thys long iourney to come to you bycause I being in my hermitage haue perceiued the discord that is betwene you and king Lisuard with whome I haue spoken of late and do find him such as a good Prince should be the seruant and minister of God and prest if there be no let in you to gyue an eare to peace the whych ye should not refuse as well for the quietnesse and rest of your conscience as of your body And to the intent ye should not disguise youre fantasie I maye assure you that I knowe more of your affayres than ye thinke for my Lady Oriane hathe tolde me in confession the secretes of you both Amadis answer to Nascian the hermit wherein he recogniseâ—â— his fault with a promise to amende In the .4 booke the .19 Chapter MY Father if I serued the Lord after the graces that he hathe shewed me I shoulde be the fortunatest knight of the world but I a sinner as I am preferring sometimes my pleasure aboue his glory fall and do amisse as other men do whereof I am displeased and sory and hope knowing my fault to do better from hencefoorth thaÌ„ I haue done in times past praying you most humbly not to feare or to defer to tell me the thing that ye shall sée I ought to do to please him for in as much as I may possible I will obey you Nascian the hermits Oration to king Perion Amadis father solliciting him to procure peace In the .4 booke the .19 Chapter SYr I beséech you to beleue that considering the estate that I of long time am called vnto and the greate age that I am in I would not haue departed from my wood and forest to come among so many men of warre if it had not bin that my long tarying might haue caused an euill whereof the Lord might haue bin angrie not only with and against you and the people that is gathered togither in these two féelds but also against many other that could not do with this discord that is betwene you and king Lisuard with whome I haue spoken already and haue so well conuerted him to peace that he is ready as I haue told your sâ—nne Amadis to receiue it and hath remitted me wholly vnto you Therfore I beseech you sir giuing vp your passions to the profyte and â—ranquilitie of so many people not to disdayne the thing that is offered you and that you your selfe should purchase and labour for King Perions answer to Nascian where he â—heweth the greaâ—e â—ault committed by the king and yet that notwithstanding receyuing Oriane into the court with his fauour he is ready to mâ—ke peace prouiding that he marrie hir not agaynst hir will. In the same Chapter MY father quoth king Perion God â—e my witnesse of the displeasure that I haue had for the things that be past with the losse of so muche good people and how willingly I woulde haue taken another way if king Lisuard would haue perceiued it but he did alwayes at hand shewe him selfe so high that he whatsoeuer we sayd vnto him setting the matter
that thou hast begonne so vnwisely against the knighte that is entred into my land and countrey vnder the suretie and assuraunce of my faithe Arte thou hytherto ignorant that I for nothing that euer shoulde chaunce vnto me would not do contrarie to my promise but to my power kéepe it estéeming it more than thée or my owne lyfe by the faith that I owe vnto God it letteth very little that I cause thee not to be hanged at the corners of this place to be an ensample to suche naughtie fellowes as thou art enimyes to truth vertue Take take me this villaine and binde his handes and his féete and that afterwards they doe beare him to the knight saying vnto him from me that I send him the traitour that hath offended him and me much more and that I pray him to take the vengeance for vs both that he hath merited and deserued The Oration of Belan to the chiefest of the armie presentyng himselfe in Amadis name knowledging that vniustly he woulde haue warred agaynst him In the fourth booke the 37. Chapter MY Maisters if ye maruel of my coÌ„ming to you so greatly vnprouided I my self haue maruelled of that that I knowe hath chaunced vnto me beyng since the time and ageâ— of my knowledge in continuall deliberation to â—lea and kyll him whom I loue and estéeme thys day as my selfe and thus it is not to be doubted that the executions of mens wils are more in the hand of God than in the power of those that will execute them as I by my selfe haue experimented for there is none of you as I beléeue but knoweth me to be the sonne of the valiant and doutie Giant Madafabul the Lorde of the Isle of the tower Vermeile whom Amadis slewe in King Cildadans warres when he caused himselfe to be named the fayre Tenebreus And for asmuch as naturall reason did incite me to take vengeance the contrarie hath chaunced for he with his owne hande hath ouercome me and destroyed mée The lamentation of Queene Brisene for King Lisuarde which was lost declaring the mobilites of fortune In the .4 booke the .38 Chapter DEceitfull and fearefull fortune the hope of the miserable and cruell enimie of the prosperous haue I nowe occasioÌ„ to praise me of thée for if in time paste thou madest me ladie of many Realmes obeyed and honoured of so many people and aboue all marriedst me to a mightie and a vertuous King in one onely moment thou hast caused me to leese him thou hast taken from me all the ouerplus of my honour and goods seyng that vpon him hung all my ioy and honour anâ— my life And therefore I knowe well that thou reioysest to make me paye the interest of my pleasures the whyche in tyme paste thou hast lent me But why doe I complaine me of thée hauyng of so long tyme perceyued and knowne that this is thy fashion to doe at the furdest deathe shall make an end of al that thou canst inuent to hurt me and hauing this hope I will comfort my selfe and of thy selfe shall haue the victorie The consolation of Grumendan to the Queene Brifane beiâ—â— too much discomforted for the losse of King Lisuard Iâ— the .4 booke the .38 Chapter BY my trothe Madam ye do wrong thus to take the thingâ— to the worste seeyng that I haue hearde you recite a hundred tymes that the â—â—ertue of prudencie and wysedome cannot be knowen in any person except he be solicited and veâ—â—ed with tribulation and affliction so then the counsell that ye were wont to giue to other is nowe more than necessarie for your selfe And is it but nowe or to daye that ye knowe that fortune hath two daughters the one of many is called good and the other euill If the good haue accompanied you vnto this time and that the euill doth visite you in hir plaâ—e arme you as a vertuous princesse with the armour of constancie and wisedome to defende you against hir and ye shal see that she will be annoyed to followe you and shall leaue you or else I foresie as touching you two accidentes and chaunces nighe at hande and irreparable the one of the perdition and losse of your selfe and the other of the king if at his returne he doe finde â—ou deade To saye that he is loste are but wordes for he cannot be so hidden but we should â—ither sée him or haue some newes of him whether he be in this country or in anye other nor his prison or captiuitie can not bee so strong but by the ayde of your subiectes and the fauour of your friendes and aliance he maye be delyâ—â—red and very shortly if it please Godâ— And thus I beséeche you Madam that leauyng of the things that to you are hurtfull ye séeke for newe counsell and comfort to come to that that as concerning this maybe necessarie A leâ—er from Queene Brisane to Amadis praying him to succoure king Lisuard the which was prisoner In the .4 booke the .38 Chapter MY Lord my sonne if in times past the estate of king Lisuard your father hath bin defended and augmented by your meanes it is now a better time and season than euer it was to employ your selfe seing the ruine that is prepared to kéepe and to conserue him in his entire estate for not loÌ„g â—ince some of his enimies as it is very lyke haue conueyed him and imprisoned him so that neuer a one of vs can tell where nor wherfore the which thing causeth me to esteme that without occasion of any greater enterprise they haue not premeditated or forethought this treason And for as much as this thing toucheth you next vnto me more than any other I haue well willed to aduertise you by Brandonias this present bearer the wâ—ich hath séene and vnderstanded all and shall tell you the passion and trouble that I am in betâ—er than I can write it vnto you wherefore I pray you to beléeue him as my selfe and to aduise you of the rest Vrgand doth comfort Oâ—iane much troubled for the losse of hir father king Lisuard the which was taken exhorting hir to pacience and to put all to god In the .4 booke the .38 Chapter MAdame quoth Vrgand I pray you not to discomfort you so knowe ye not that the more that men be called to great roomes the more they be subiects to receiue great tribulatione for notwithstanding we be all of one mould all bound to vices and passions equall to death yet the Lordâ— omnipotent hath made vs diuers in the goodes of the worlde giuing to one authoritie to other subiection to some pouertie and miserie to other abundance and prosperitie and all as it pleaseth him And therfore madame compassing and comparing the goodnesse that ye haue had with â—â—e euils and troubles that ye are in the dolour and heauinesse with the pleasures paâ—times which are past ye shall haue no cause so to complayne you but to thanke the Lord seing it is hys
and mine and with what weapon thou wilt choose the campe being before the palace of the right puisant Emperour of Trebisond And to the intent thou despise not this combat bicause thou art presented by a woman I do open vnto thée that the custome of Sarmate hath gotten and procured me the possession of cheualrie and the name of a knight and in such sort that the victorie that thou shalt obtayne vpon me if thou obtayne it shall be very noble bicause of diuers other that I haue won vpon many as valiant as thou art the whiche haue proued the force and strengthe of my armes And thy auncient glory shall be nothing the lesse notwithstanding the good countenance that fortune hath born thée and shewed thée hitherto but greatly aduanunced hauing the vpper hande of suche a Quéene and so mightie as I am and that desireth to extinguish to hir power this cruelnesse wherewith the beautie of thy eye can ouercome as men say and conquer the high Ladies and damsells that sée and behold thée A letter from Lisuard to Abra the Empresse of Babilon wherin he sheweth the causes of his comming to Zairs countrâ—y and the good cause why he slew him and he declareth the good affection that he beareth to the foresayd Abra. In the 8. booke the .36 Chapter SOueraygne Empresse of Babilon and of the Parthes Lisuard of Greece Infant of Constantinople and Trebisonde and the seruant of Iesu Christe doth gréete you and honor you as your highnesse doth merite Ye shall vnderstand right honorable Lady that the imperiall bloud of Greece ioyned wyth the glorious and inuincible Englande hathe broughte me to the place where truely I haue founde the meane to reuenge the iniurie that I receiued by the prince Zair In doing whereof and with so good and so iust a cause I thynke that I haue not offended the great obligation wherein verily I am for the loue that ye say ye beare me greatly bounde vnto you Also the desire to do you humble seruice is not as concerning me diminished in me but as long as I shall liue I will be yours as I am without altering the fidelitie that I haue born to my Ladie Onoloria my deare sister and wife Nowe madame somwhat to answere the letter that it pleased you to write vnto me and specâ—ally vppon that ye complayne you of the sea that may glorie in it selfe hauing in it the bodie and the bloud of the Prince Zair I thinke sauyng the better aduice he coulde not haue receyued a more glorious sepulchre being honoured as ye doe publishe it with so great a multitude of waters whiche after your iudgement should estéem him more than their own Neptunes And if heauen will rauishe him out of the abysines to place him more higher who can wishe him better Certes the one and other are more méete to lodge him than the earth whereof he â—ath lost the possession yea he should thinke it too little to containe in it selfe the bodie of him whose vertues and valiantnesses are inenarrable and innumerable Thus madame I besech you most â—umbly to diminishe your passions whiche thyng reason shoulde sooner doe than the tyme knowing you to be as sage and as vertuous a Princesse as any in all the world By the occasion wherof I haue considering the latter lynes of youre letter conceiued more pitie of your euil than of any feare of the thretning that ye threaten me withall to purchase and to séeke my death the whiche chauncing to me by your meanes ye shall be but easily satisfyed and shall léese if ye léese me the best and the moste affectionate seruant that euer ye shall haue and so ye shall fynde me where and when it shall please you to employe me or commaunde me without sparyng of lyfe and a doseyn if I had thâ—â— in obeying of you The answere of the Infant Lisuard to the Queene of Caucasus letters by the whiche he dothe aduertise hir of the receyte of hir letters and that he accepteth the combat and remitteth to hir the choyce of armes In the eight booke the .36 Chapter RIght highe and myghtie Quéene of Caucasus I haue perceyued and knowne by the brief and letter which it hath pleased you to sende me that the occasion of your commyng to Babylon was vpon the hope of the marriage that shoulde haue bene betwéene you and prince Zair whome I caused to passe by the file and edge of my sworde saying that through his death ye wyll lyue a widow at all pointes bicause there is no man liuing worthie to haue you Truly madame the highnesse of your estate and the beautie that doth accompanie you with this valiantnesse whereof ye are renoumed doth right well merite that men shuld estéeme you such a one as ye are But I wil neuer easely consent that ther are not other Princes Lords and knightes ynough and as good or better than Zair to ioyne with you in mariage and to satisfie and supply his defaulte As concerning the rest I promise you that I am sore displeased for the combat and fight that ye wil enterprise at al vtteraÌ„ce assayes against me For ye being but a womaÌ„ are more to be feared for your great beautie thaÌ„ for the force of your armes considering that I am more accustomed to put my life in hazard to serue you other lyke vnto you than to defend me to fight against them But yet seing that in regard of this ye woulde be rather taken for a valiant a hardy knight than for a swéete a gracious damsell defying me as concerning your own person and mine I accept it And to reserue apart the obligation that I owe vnto your seruice I remitte vnto you the election and choyce of armes For I trust so much in your natural goodnesse that you your self shal be wonne of your self without séeking the victorie vpon you wherby I may rather defend my self against those that haue occasion to enterprise to assaile me As concerning the campe and other things required by this prudent Lady they shal be graunted you as she hath of your parte demaunded them The time shall be fiftie dayes hence to the entent that with the solemnitie of so glorious an enterprise my mariage may the better be celebrated and honored Niquea the Princesse of Thebes letter to the knight of the Burning sworde by the which she praiseth him and doth labour to insinuate hir self in hys loue and to come thervnto she sendeth him the portraiture of faire Ladyes In the eyght booke the .40 Chapter NIquea the Princesse of Thebes giueth and sendeth salutatioÌ„ to the knight of the Burningsword more valiant than anye other that euer bare armes Your excellencie shall vnderstand that I haue receiued the letter that ye haue written vnto me and I haue heard at length the credence of this my faithful Busando the newes of his high chiualries that hath so often enuironed and compassed the world so that my
pardon Lisuard seing also that he with his honoure is come foorth from all the combats and perilles that she had prepared for him In the .8 booke the .53 Chapter MAdame I beséech you vsing your wisedome to take in good part such things as are sent you after the will and mind of Iupiter vnto whome we must obey without murmuring And whereas ye may commaund your selfe and folow this counsell fortune being prompt and noisome may chance to turne hir wheele and ye shal come at the last to the thing that ye if ye be gouerned by reason most desire For otherwise neither you nor the Gods shoulde desire it nor it should not be graunted you by our Gods the which are iust and of whome doth hang the selfe iustice And to the end madame that ye should not estéeme me to speake without reason ye know that to ouercome himselfe is a worke that holdeth more of the heauens than of humanitie and yet it is easâ— vnto vs if we wil giue our consent Forgâ—t then I pray you this heauinesse the which caÌ„not but anoy you trouble you and reioycing your selfe in your troubles take the things not at the worst but to the best as much as ye may possible For it is a comely thing to do yea and at al times when one hath occasion to shew the vertue that man hath in himselfe Neuerthelesse I perceiue very well that seing your deliberations are cleane turned it is vnto you a despite and a displeasure that cannot be borne But what ye cannot then coÌ„maund destinies nor stay the course of the least planet of Heauen Seing then that the will of the Gods is such will ye striue against them They haue suffered the death of youre brother they haile conserued and kept my father they wyll frustrate you of your enterprises fauor his will ye breake the ele with your knée For Gods sake madame forget the remembrance of the euill that ye desire wish him and doe so that he may so much remayne yours as ye of your parte are his but little I am sure that with his amitie ye shall get more laude and praise than by the pursute that ye make to anoy him Ye haue séene how he hath despatched him of the combats and strifes ye prepared for him ye haue caused hys forces to be experimented and proued by me and other the issue whereof hath bin such that ye should do your self wroÌ„g if ye giue not place to reason hauing so many ways purchased the vengeance of the death of Zair whereof ye haue had so little fruite that euen that thing alone ought from hencefoorth to mortifye both your payne much more your pursute thinking to haue reason Abra doth answer that notwithstanding the counsell that Amadis of Greece gaue hir be right yet it is impossible for hir although the Gods would it to accomplish it to this ende that she will purchace the death of Lisuard as much as she can or may In the .8 booke the .53 Chapter TRuly Lord Amadis ye are not out of purpose to say that ye haue said vnto me also it is easy for him that is whole to counsel the sick And neuerthelesse euen as many during the grosse feuer do find the tast of water better thaÌ„ the hope of life so will I wel confesse that notwithstanding the thing that ye counsell me be right and according to equitie yet it hath no liuely part in me nor disposeth me not to follow this good aduise And although I should féele some goodnesse yet I promis you I would sooner take payne to roote it out than to kéepe it in my heart being so resolued in the enmitie of Lisuard that if I cannot cause him to leese his life he shall die as I may And forasmuch as all my euill and hope lyeth there I haue by this poynt begon to complayne me and to answer you not by the entraunce of the purpose and communication ye held me But by the end that ye made and yet with the time I shall well satisfye both the one and the other Ye say that it would wel become me and that I shuld and must obey without murmure to the will of the Gods. As touching that I promis you that they may sooner depriue me of my life than they may take that from my vnderstanding that is imprinted better grauen than euer was any writing vpoÌ„ copper or white marble Therfore from hencefoorth iudge my stedfastnes coÌ„staÌ„cie such as I surely paint it vnto you It is true that I am not ignoraÌ„t as ye haue put me in remembrance that I cannot coÌ„mand nother superior things nor fortune hir selfe And yet I know very well that hir wheele being mouable as ye certenly haue told me that she may turne some day to be as gentle to me as she hathe bene contrarye Then I maye play another personage and such a one that the vniust death of my brother may be reuenged my self content no sooner In the meane while I wil not breake the éele with my knée but desire only to employ the forces of my bodie and of my spirite and minde to satisfie my intention Alas at the beginning I sawe and had his acquaintance that hath afterwardes so greatly offended me I would neuer haue estéemed that of so great loue there might haue come forth so great and perfit hatred I loued him more than my self I sought his alliance more than any other mans that liueth or shal liue and now I hate him more than death and I will pursue his ruine more than my proper health praying you Lord Amadis for a resolution séeing that complaints cannot resuscitate and reuiue the dead and that vengeance doth somewhat discharge the heart neuer to speake more to me of him for his name and the remembrance that I haue of him is so odious that I as oft as he presenteth him to my spirite suffer but too much ruine For this cause it is certaine that as long as I shall haue life or meanes his life shall not remaine in safegarde For if it continue long yet shall I cause him either to be slaine or to be destroyed yea and yée your selues should shew your strength to dispatch him The Damsell that deceytfully had brought Lisuarde Amadis of Grece and Gradafilea after that hir embushment was discouered by Queene Zahara and she brought to prison to Trebisonde doth recite the maner and cause of the treason afterwardes she requireth that if they will shew hir no mercie to put hir shortly to death ALas my Lordes men say commonly that the most shortest follies are best and that it is much better to assure one vengeance appoynted with long deliberation meanes than to hast it without consideration of the daungerous issue that might chaunce whereby shame encreaseth to him that thought to quench and to suage it The which thing may now be proued by the misfortune that is chanced to my soueraigne Lorde
onely of the councell that may be giuen you to the contrarie whether it be to turne you wholy or at the least to slacke your diligence that is required in this businesse by the occasion of the auncient amitie that ye haue continually with the Princes of Grece a thing that shoulde turne me to an inestimable losse if it shoulde be prolonged séeing that the aray and the furniture wherevnto ye sée that I am set the which to me should be vnprofitable if it be not strengthned and augmented by yours And therefore sir and ye Princes Barons Capitaynes and souldiours Apolloniens ought not to maruell that I so vrgently doe solicite you to this enterprise and lesse to refuse my request being of such consequence for you that thinking to reiect it as mine ye shall finde it as muche contrarie to your selues Who is he that can say that this outrage hath not béene done as much to you as to me As touching my part I am disposed to vengeance in the which if I do not content my desire in the satisfaction of my honour in as much as Fortune is not content I will turne vpon my selfe the rest of the force and strength not as a subiect to serue hir any more in any newe crueltie For this cause Sir and you other Lordes Apolloniens I pray you moste humblie and verie effectuously that ye will in this behalfe employe and shewe your force and strength and the strength of youre friendes and allyes to be ioyned vnto mine to appoynt and prepare such a power and might agaynst the Princes Constantines that if willingly they will not make amendes for this wrong and iniurie we may be sufficient to execute the thing vpon them and to enforce them to reason Here I make ende of my demaunde not dooing it after my first intention whether it be as concerning the vengeance to giue or to take The Prince Birmates spâ—â—king for â—hem all doth answerâ— bycidor shewing him that warre ought not to haue a 〈…〉 beginning and he counselleth him to sende a letter to Dom Florisell and to dissuade the combate betweene them twoâ— In the .10 booke the .5 Chapter MY Lorde Lucidor séeing that the good pleasure of the king my Lorde and father and the Lordes assisting do charge me with the answere that they intende shall be made you I will briefly shew you the thing and what they thinke in this matter remitting yet my will and resolution to yours In the first place I confesse vnto you that we haue a common interâ—st with you in the issue of this câ—use the which in condition is nothing different or vnlike to that that was begun among the Greekes and the Troians for the rape of their fayre Helen of whome I am extremely diâ—pleâ—sed that my daughter beareth the name and effect of the seconde I will not denie any more the auncient amitie that I haue with the Princes of Gâ—â—â—ce if it be so that the ballance of my iudgement be not of suche waight that the respect of my honor of my daughters doth not fall nor decay the which Iestéeme ought to be bought againe with what pryce so euer it maye bee as well of the goodes as of the person Yet the affayres of such importance requyre their beginning to be diligenâ—ly consulted and debated for feare least the ende shoulde-euill succéede referning such diligent regarde that their Princes and men may be discharged before God and principally their subiectes in case that fortune turne contrarie to their â—stimation She hath somwhat a regarde to things that are agaynst my owne taste for leauing of all passions as men shoulde doe in matters of counsell I estéeme that in this enterprise wée â—ouche and laye the totall and whole summe of our estates and treasures in the hande of Fortune without assurance to come to anye other reparation pretended than of oure owne righte the whiche as subiecte to the inconstancie and variablenesse of the variable and wauering Goddesse hath oftentimes néede of helpe The Princes of Greece had good right against the citie of Troy the whiche that notwithstanding did sustaine their siege and assaulte the space of tenne yéere and had sustayned it peraduenture vnto the ende sauing for the treason so craftily pretensed and so valiantly executed But lette vs leaue a parte the great effusion of bloud that I sée prepared let vs onely consider what issue it shall haue for in very déede the effect of armes is almost vpoÌ„ fortune nor neuer grounde in any suretis therfore we must descende specially to the conseruation of our honour Touching the which notwithstanding that it hath bene offended by the taking away of Helen it may be that greater reason shal be shewed vs for the satisfactioÌ„ of our iniurie than we hope after that the partie shall haue well perceyued and discussed the grounde of our complaint Upon the which men can giue no lawfull iudgement before they heare the deduction of both parties Therefore let vs take héede to procéede by ripe deliberation fearing least we repent vs to much by leasure of our foolish precipitation and hastinesse for this cause we are thus minded my Lord Lucidor that or euer ye procéede any further ye should shew your minde and intention by writing to Prince Florisel summoning him for the reparation of the outrageous iniurie for through his refuse ye shall make our cause a great deale the better TheÌ„ without any difficultie ye may denounce mortall warre with fire and bloud vnto the accomplishment and fulfilling of the vengeaunce and as concerning the combat of your person with his I am not of that opinion for asmuch as the déede of so generall offence should not be charged nor layde vpon the shoulders of any one slone the whiche lesing the rest of the pursute should as touching other remayne without amenyment Not that I will in this reuoke in any doubte the valure of your person â—ut bicause the fauour of Mars is vncertain and common in the which a man should not put his confidence of a thing of suche importaunce without he had his promisse by signe and seale autentike This is it wherunto the Kinges ech one this assistence doth tende to tary the answere that the Prince Florisel shall make vnto the Ambassadours sent by you for to take thereby the fundation of our finall resolution In the meane space not to require nor yet to put our fréendes to payne of whome we shoulde desire succour in these affayres vntill we may shew them more than dutie vnto whome wée shal be sent to search for peace and to auoyde the horrible furie of the warre the whiche thing shall furthermore encourage them to take armour and to fight for vs against a common enimie for right equitie peace and quietnesse of the people bâ—sides that the losse of so litle time cannot be preiudiciall vnto you in the expedition of suche a consequence the order and preparation whereof requireth a longer time least
that we for our sodaine enterprise incurre to late repentance Lucidor the vengeor writyng to Prince Florisel of Niquea dothe pray him to declare the cause of the rauishment of his wife finally he settyng his honour before his eyes dothe counsell him to restore hir agayne of in refusing thereof he denounceth him mortall warre In the .10 booke the .5 Chapter MY Lord Florisel Lucidor the vengeor the naturall prince of France and of Apollonie by aliance dothe pray God so to inspire you that ye may know the faulte that ye haue committed against me and to repaire and amende it as right and reason coÌ„maundeth The thing that hath moued me to write this letter vnto you is that I your errour beyng knowen and the amendes made may remayne with you in such peace and amitie as two Christen Princes of such highnesse as we â—e ought to employ our common forces and strength against the Infidels I desire greatly to know what excuse ye shall sinde for the great wrong that yée haue done me and to your selfe as I may say in violating my Kingly estate and likewise the amitie that ye owe to the father of my spouse praying you that ye will wryte it vnto me by parcell meanes to the ende I may consider that it be sufficient to accomplish the satisfaction on your parte in my behalfe for if I with your good will cannot haue it I must be constrayned to take it with the edge of the sworde by the way of armes betwene you and me onely vnto the vtterance of your life or mine I maruell me much that your vertue so wel knowen here in so glorious actes is so forgetfull through a disorbinate appetite of vnbrideled youth to declare it selfe so great an enimie of reason specially of the peace inuiolable that your Fathers and predecessours haue alwaies entertained with the pareÌ„ts of my spouse assuring you that with great payne ye shall washe you of so great a spotte with all the water of the Sea for your estate was bounde to resist this vile acte nor doing the thing that ye would not that he that is of your qualitie should doe to you of â—he which ye cannot discharge you neither to God nor man By the meanes whereof although I had good right to make warre vpon you as a defiler of my wife and of hir owne proper fayth so it is yet that hauing God before mine eyes and the businesses of the Christian common weale in recommendation I woulde haue inuited you to haue she woe and done me right of your selfe considering that the lawes as touching themselues do kind Princes that by this meanes men might auoyde one so cruel warre as I sée to be prepared and no lesse than your predecessours had before Troy the whiche God thorough his grace turne from vs by the meanes of your iust satisfaction And in case no I protest to make you suche warre that one of vs shall remayne in gage Florisel of Niquea dothe answere Lucidors letter excusing himselfe of the accusations layde agaynst him submitting him to the iudgement of his parents or otherwise he is appoynted to defend him In the .10 booke the .6 Chapter LOrd Lucidor I maruell me of this proude surname that yée occupy causing your selfe to be named the Uengeor knowyng or else ye should know that suche a title dothe not pertayne but to God only And particularly to answere to the articles of your letter the which that Crie of Armignac your ambassafor hath presented vnto me I say that ye your selfe are bounde to satisfie for the presumptuous woordes ye haue vsed against me and Helen my spouse And as touchyng that yée say how that the excuse is not sufficient that loue hath ledde conducted me to that faulte inferring that a person of estate as you and I shoulde not coÌ„mit so filthy déedes I say that the excellent beautie of my Lady Helen ioyning thereunto the parentage and place whereout shée is issued haue bound mée to such noble thoughts dayly drawing me out of my self continually giuing héede to the honest loue that I bare hir vnder the pure lawe of Mariage the which ought to discharge me and to deface the faulte that ye lay vnto me of the whiche I in no wise féele my selfe reprehensible if that faulte were not that I made hir parents leading hir away without their consent a thing that greatly displeaseth me for the loue of them vnto whom in this respect I was bound much To this wher ye say that I depriue my selfe of the thing that good renounâ—e hath alwayes graunted mée I mayntayne that I in nothing haue violated nor yet diminished it but truâ—â— that the thing whiche I haue done in this case shall fall and come forth so the augmentation of my great glorie Also the Princes of Greece are accustomed and wonte to kéepe the poynt of honour and to reuenge the outrages that men enterprise to doe vnto them And nowe the Empyre is ruled by those whiche are more stoute of minde and more warlike than euer it had it is not ready to fall from the degrée of his auncient reputation And as touchyng you if yée will vnderstande reason ye should departe from this quarell seyng that Helen is my wife and that the déede is irreuocable but for the reparation and satisfaction to you wardes my Lordes and parents haue concluded to giue you another lady of great highnesse beautie and richesse such a one as by reason ye shoulde content your selfe withall if not let it suffise you to remit the déede to the discretion of your parentes and mine and of my wiues promising you to condescende to euerie reasonable and honesâ— condition towardes the Prince Birmates and the King of Apolonia Otherwise I protest before God to defend my iust cause as long as my soule shal breath in my body praying you lord Lucidor for amitie sake to haue and to take a regarde to the doubtful and vncertaine ende of battels and to the great number of friendes of Greece besides the number of vassalles not comprehending the murders that this enorme title of Vengeance the which ye vnder the diuine power doe vsurpe shall stirre vp against you Lucidor of Vengeance letters to Zahara Queene of Caucase demaunding of hirayde and succor against Florisel of Niquea In the .10 booke the .6 Chapter MAdame I being come not long since that Florisel of Niquea enterprised vpon the aliance made against me and Princesse Helen of Apolonia he hath indecently and violently rauished hir from me I coulde bethinke me then of no better recourse thaÌ„ of your excellence in that of your noble sonne and daughter to obtaine helpe succor to reuenge the wrong and shame that he hath purchased me the which if ye wil not grauÌ„t me notwithstanding any amitie that may be betwéen you or his I pray you to haue a more regarde to the diuinitie whereof ye are participant that doth binde you to doe iustice in earth to
Then casting my sight on euery syde I saw a sworde hanging the which I tooke sodenly and the villaine came to me hauing a Partâ—ane in his hande wherewith he smote once at me the which leaping aside I auoyded and so that he perced me not but onely my veluet Casdâ—kâ— in two partes or else he had smitten me through the bodie Then I gaue him such a garter in the hamme and so right vpon the ioynt that by and by he fell downe in the place and cast out his armes to take me but I layd the sworde so betwene him and me that it perste him vnto the hiltes thorow the middle of his bellie Then through paine he stretched him and I that they which were beneath shoulde not perceyue it tooke a hatchet wherwith I cut his gorge as it had bene a great Oxe So I tooke the keyes and went to open the gate of the prison where I founde my Ladie trembling for the feare that shée had of the strife and debate that she heard betwéene Bocarel me the which embraced me kist men hundred times saying Alas Florarlan what shall become of thy life if the Duke vnderstand thy déede My minion God prserue thée and kepe thée to much more greater things Madame quoth I the thing that is done cannot be vndone but I sée the remedie that is to go to the Duke and to tell him that ye haue sent me worde by Bocarell to pray him to sende me to the king â—o requyre him of a certaine thing and that afterwardes yée will applie vnto his will. Thus I shall get out and escape Againe she â—ooke me about the neâ—ke smiling for my inuention Then I sayd vnto hir that there was no tarying there that I she beholding the thing being out of that place should haue businesse for hir deliuerance Ye muste she sayd goe to Constantinople and beare me a letter to Prince Florisell of Niquea but we haue not here wherewithall to make it It shall not let sayd I for that for I will go and take a Réed in Bocarels chamber and mingle it with the bloud of this ruffian with the which ye may write this present letter Incontinent I kist hir hands she blessing me and commending me to god I shut the doore tied the keyes againe to the Iaylers girdle bycause men should not perceyue that I had spoken with hir I went to the Duke the which did graunt me my demaund verie willingly and caused the gate to be opened vnto me a horse to be deliuered me vpon whom I haue done my businesse hitherto kéeping no way vntill I was farre from Thrace And I haue bestowed one lincke of my chaine for my expences and this habit the which I haue taken and made conformable and méete for the estate of my Ladie This is it my Lorde that I was charged withall to shewe you Arlande doth shew hir father the king of Thrace howe that the Princes of Grece haue forgiuâ—n hir and deliuered hir of the death that shee had of a long time purchased for them and for this cause she prayeth him to receyue them to his amitie In the .10 booke the .62 Chapter MY Lorde I haue for a time employed all my power to purchase the vengeance of my brother Balerte vpon those that slue him as euery man might haue perceyued afterwards my enimies met with me in such perill that without their succour I had lost mine honour or my life Who then should haue so inhumain a heart to procure his death â—y whoÌ„ he hath and holdeth his life seeing also that the accideâ—â— and chaunce of my brother doth not charge him with any treason or vnfaythfulnesse and is not to be imputed but to the ordinarie hazard chance of warre I being for this cause deliuered by you agaynst my will to Madasanill vnder the condition of vengeance vpon the Princes of Grece vnto whome I was in dâ—t for my deliuerance at leastwise they are quited concerning me for the recompence of good for euill they haue holpen me in the captiuitie that I was in and in such sort as ye doe sée notwithstanding the treason of the Duke as this noble bloud is alwayes in Gods protection Therefore I beseeche you my Lorde to consider my déede with reason pacifying your courage for my sake and making agréement with those whose aliance receyueth no coÌ„parison of that of Furio Cornelio As touching me I doe offer my selfe vnto you to dispose me after your owne will as Isaac did to his father Abraham And of them I ensure you ye shall not be hindered nor let in any poynt of your royall libertie Ye sée here the great king Amadis of France sée Florisel of Niquea whose father saued my life vpon the sea there is the Prince Phalanges of Astre and the valiant Alastraxeree the whiche although they haue you in their handes desire but your amitie The Queene Sidonia dothe wryte to Morasiel the whiche will giue hir daughter of whome he had left hir greate in mariage to him that will bring hir his head to be reuenged by his death of the wrong that he haâ—h done hir deceyuing hir vnder the colour of mariage In the 10. booke the .65 Chapter SIdonia Quéene of the I le of Guinday founder of glorious lawes to hir owne shame to thée fayned Moraisel shée sendeth this salutation to depriue thée the better I hauing presented to thée mine owne person and royal lordship folowing the rigorousnesse of my ordinances thou haste fraudulently accepted it notwithstanding thy incapacitie kéeping the one parte of the edicte and lawe and violating the other And hauing thus vniustly vsurped the honour of my royall bedde haste lefte me in long heauinesse for thy absence without at any time afterwardes aduertising me of the abuse that thou haste brued me but of the new bedde that thou hast practised what excuse can ye forge or inuent but to haue willed to by againe the life of the gentle Prince Phalanges of Astre Ah ah amitie did binde thée to lay thine owne life for his and not thy honour and mine whereof I call the Gods to auenge me of thy periurie in our mariage and I will purchace it among men by the frute that is issued of the daughter of whome thou didst leaue me girded and great the whiche for the vantage of beautie that she hath aboue all the fairest of the worlde I haue named hir Diana to the likenesse of the Plane that in heauen dothe deâ—ace all other The whiche I nourishe for the pryce and hire of thy head promising hir with my realme in mariage to him that shall bring me that present And for this I haue caused the towers of Phebus and Diana to be builded Wherein she shal be inclosed not to be séene of any liuing man vntill the comming of my auenger hir husbande the whiche shall shine in thy place and shée shall fayle in myne after the companie that my soule shall go